HARDWOOD RECORD 



35 



the resistance of roadbed in weight and power. This is not encourag- 

 ing, because roadbed is the most expensive thing to strengthen or 

 expand, and most of the railroads are hard up now. ' ' 



The steel trust is in a serious dilemma. It has "hogged" the 

 steel rail business by driving the independent maker out of the mar- 

 ket, and then thought to turn a second trick by building railroad 

 equipment entirely of steel through a control of the leading ear 

 companies, as well as by dominating the finances of the chief trunk 

 lines. A few chief independent railroads have refused to buy or 

 haul steel ears in the belief that the.y could not do so with safety 

 to the traveling public, or to their rails. Other railroads, which have 

 been large borrowers fi'om the lUorgan interests, have faithfully 

 attempted to carry out the behest of the steel trust in the employ- 

 ment of steel cars, with the result that this heavy equipment has 

 demoralized their tracks to such an extent as to make rail replace- 

 ment absolutely imperative. Beyond this, the steel trust is in trouble 

 with a large number of railroads purchasing its rails, from the fact 

 that rail breakage has been marvelously prevalent for months p.ast, 

 and the trust is accused of delivering inferior rails. The explanation, 

 however, is that while rails probably are as good as they ever have 

 been, there is not strength and character enough even in the heavier 

 weights to take care of the tremendous extra strain incident to the 

 movement of steel cars over their tracks at high speed. The factor 

 of safety has been eliminated and the situation is resolved down to 

 rebuilding the roadbeds and employing rails of extraordinary weight 

 and character of material and rolling mill practices, abandoning 

 the steel car equipment, or reducing the speed of passenger trains 

 to the old standard of twenty-five to thirty miles an hour. It now 

 looks as though the steel trust has given up the fight in forcing steel 

 passenger and sleeping cars onto the railroads and the public. 



THE STEEL FREIGHT CAR 



The lessons which have been brought up by the steel car passenger 

 equipment failure is also awakening renewed interest among railroad 

 authorities in steel freight cars. The steel freight car is still in an 

 experimental stage, and it has been the most costly freight equip- 

 ment ever undertaken, bills for repairs for steel freight car equip- 



ment being simply appalling. Many authorities believe there will 

 be a renaissance in freight car equipment in the future made up 

 very largely of wood. Eesiliancy is just as essential in car equip- 

 ment as it is in the ties underneath the rails, and there is no material 

 by means of which this desideratum can be attained, save by the 

 use of wood. 



Wood surely is coming back into its own for railroad car con- 

 struction. 



WOOD RESTORED TO FAVOR 



The AVood-Worker has a pertinent editorial on the subject of 

 restoration of wood to favor, which is quoted herewith: 



The substitution of other materhils for wood in structural and even in 

 factory and cabinet work has progressed so far with practically no cod 

 certed effort either to study or to advertise the desirable qualities of 

 wood. Now, however, the country seems to be waking up and beginning 

 to investigate this subject. 



There are really more desir.ible qualities about wood than undesirable- 

 ones. There is a striking instance in the case of the railway tie, illus- 

 trating a certain property of wood t'aat escaped attention until time told 

 the tale. Steel, concrete and various other substitutes were offered and 

 put into use, being heralded as the great thing of the future. But it was 

 found that these things were lacking in certain cushioning qualities pos- 

 sessed by wood, consequently they were not as good in actual service as 

 the wooden tie. 



There has been a number of experiences in connection with metal 

 spokes and tubular parts of wagons and vehicles made of metal instead 

 of wood. The claim of greater strength and wearing qualities was ac- 

 cepted without question, because people are impressed with the idea that 

 steel and other metal has wood backed clear off the platform when it 

 comes to these qualities. Yet actual service has taught manufacturers a 

 few things. It has taught them for one thing that metal will not stand 

 shocks as wood will, and when once kinked or battered its strength Is 

 seriously impaired and cannot be restored. 



When it comes to cabinet work and interior finish, there are so many 

 desirable qualities about wood that there is no danger of any other mate- 

 rial replacing it in anything like a general way, so long as there is wood 

 enough to supply the need. Indeed, it is a safe prediction that a hundred 

 years from now there will be more wood used comparatively, for interior 

 trim and cabinet work than there is today. 



For one thing, there is no comparison in the beauty between the natural 

 color tone and finish of wood and' the cold imitations of it in metal and 

 concrete. 



rc OTaamat cjMimaJTO^i^my^wi'ii TOi;^^ 



Tales of the Trade 



THERE'S A REASON 



"Boiling Artliur Johnson is getting fat again," observed the 

 feed emporium man of the Heisen building. 



"That may be," said a lumberman, "for it's a well known 

 fact that he is looking Fuller in the face every day." 



GETTING EDUCATED ON FISH 



Several years ago Tom Powe of the Thomas E. Powe Lumber 

 Oompany of St. Louis was visiting the trade in Minneapolis, and 

 upon being invited by a friend to fish in one of the beautiful 

 lakes within the borders of that city, caught a "bull head." 

 He became reminiscent and told a story of a trip that he had 

 taken several years ago into New England and being at that time 

 invited to go fishing, it was the general wish of all the party 

 that he should catch a "bull pout" as he had never seen one 

 and they were considered quite a delicacy in that vicinity. 



Tom states that he soon had a bite, and every one stood breath- 

 less while he pulled in the "pout." 



"As it came over the side of the boat," he said, "every one 

 ■exclaimed with great glee at my having caught the prize, and, 

 •do you know, it was nothing but an ordinary derned old blue- 

 bellied "catfish," and any time that they spring a new fish on 

 me now, they have to show me a picture of it beforehand." 



PLAYING A MAN'S OWN GAME 

 George Bailey of the pioneer Minneapolis hardwood concern, 

 William C. Bailey, relates the following anecdote with a great deal 



of relish: 



Some time ago E. H. Broughton of the Fullerton-Krueger 

 Lumber Company of Minneapolis was in Mr. Bailey's office when 

 another hardwood man of the same city happened in. He was 

 informed that Mr. Broughton was willing to bet a quarter that 

 he, the newcomer, could not stand flat-footed and jump on top 

 of the safe. Thinking some scheme was afoot he declined but 

 accepted Mr. Broughton 's offer on condition that the jumping 

 be done in the yard. Accordingly all parties proceeded outside 

 and a string was stretched, over which Mr. Broughton jumped 

 until he had reached his limit. The other lumberman then pro- 

 ceeded to clear the string placed two inches higher than his 

 competitor's mark, after which the latter was informed that the 

 victor had for two years held the record for "high jump" at 

 the Nashville Y. M. C. A. gymnasium. 



Mr. Bailey states that the cream of the joke lay in the fact 

 that the winner in the jumping contest was in his office a short 

 time after an.l invited him out for a game of pool. After a 

 couple of games had been played it was noticed that Mr. Bailey 

 handled his cue with his left hand, which he continued to do 

 until about five games had been played, after which he changed 

 hands and played a much better game than before. 



After "George" had won nine games, he casually informed his 

 competitor that he always played with his right hand but did 

 not think it was necessary in this case. 



The loser in this case decided that you are safe enough when 



