HARDWOOD RECORD 



39 



CoMMii'TEE ON TERMS OP Sale a.nd TRADE ETHICS : F. S. UnderhiU, 

 chairman. Philadelphia. Pa. ; W. G Underwood. Hertford. N. C. : Ralph 

 May. Memphis, Tenn. : H. R. Doniwav. New Yorli, X. Y. : Ak-iander Will- 

 sun. Pittsburgh, Pa. : M. B. Nelson. Kansas City, Mo. ; S. M. Bless, Gary- 

 ville. La. ; Charles Hill, New York, N. Y. 



Other committees reported are lire insurance, railroad and transporta- 

 tion, lake insurance, coastwise insurance, arbitration, forestry, audit and 

 finance, legislation, membership and trade relations. 



LumTjermen's Underwriting Alliance Bulletin 



Bulletin No. G2 of the Lumbermen's Underwriting .\lliance. Kansas 

 City, Mo., has just been issued. The bulletin contains the usual list of 

 tires reported since the preceding list. The bulletin further analyzes the 

 causes of numerous small fires which have been reported. Loss of press- 

 ure and nearness of valves and hydrants to mills again enter into the 

 causes contributing to the spread of incipient blazes. In one plant lack 

 of efBcient checking on watchman's rounds probably had a great deal to 

 do with the origin of the fire. In another fire, lack of steam available 

 tor pumps used for creating pressure had a great deal to do with the de- 

 struction caused, which illustrates the importance of testing the fire 

 pump daily and knowing at the close of each day that steam is being 

 provided from the proper source. The bulletin shows how various other 

 causes lead up to blazes at different points. 



Death of S. P. C. Hostler 



One of the widest known hardwood commission lumber salesmen in this 

 market, S. P. C. Hostler, died suddenly at his residence, 2104 Giddings 

 avenue, Kavenswood, Chicago, on May 13. Mr. Hostler had been in the 

 commission lumber business in this market for al>out twenty-five years, 

 representing a score or more of the leading manufacturers for whom he 

 developed a very handsome business, and no inconsiderable profit to 

 himself. 



Mr. Hostler was highly reg.irded in the trade and his passing will be a 

 distinct grief to his many friends. He leaves a family consisting of his 

 wife, and two daughters, both of whom are married. 



Mr. Hostler was a remarkably well-known figure in the local hardwood 

 lumber trade and was deservedly popular. Familiarly he was Ijnown as 

 "Old Hoss." He was an energetic worker and had an enviable reputation 

 among both manufacturers and wholesale consumers. He was born in 

 Seneca county, Ohio, August 29, 1855, hence was fifty-seven years old 

 at his death. 



Moore & McFerrin Lumber Company Loses Warehouse by Fire 



A large warehouse of the ^Moore & McFerrin Lumber Company of Mem- 

 phis, Tenn.. was destroyed by Are on May 9. The conflagration was caused 

 by a spark from a locomotive. It had gained such headway before the 

 firemen arrived that they were forced to confine their attention to saving 

 surrounding buildings and stock, 



A New Virginia Operation 



The Lyndhurst Lumber Corporation is the style of a new concern now 

 engaged in the construction of nine jniles of railroad from the Norfolk & 

 Western at Lipscomb, Va., to Pierce, Va., to open up 10,000 acres of 

 original stand of hardwood timber, much of which is white oak. Five 

 miles of the road, which will be standard gauge, have already been graded. 

 It will terminate in the Kennedy and Mount Tory timber tracts owned by 

 tbis corporation. This concern is backed by Harrison Ball of Mahanoy 

 City, Pa. 



Billmeyer Lumber Company Acquires Timber 



The Billmeyer Lumber Company of Cumberland, Md.. recently purchased 

 an extensive tract of high-grade stumpage. running well to white oak, 

 near Newburg, W. Va. This company has been recognized for years as 

 a leading manufacturer of white oak ship plank, and dock and car lumber 

 and timber. The tr.act will be opened up iminediately. 



On May 15 the offices of the Billmeyer Lumber Company were moved 

 to the First National Bank building, corner of Baltimore and George 

 streets. 



Hardwood Sales at Liverpool for April 



Reporc from a London house states that at the .\pril hardwood sales in 

 the Liverpool market, there was a tremendous demand for stocks, and 

 considerable advances were noticed In many items. However, as the stocks 

 were not as good as usual, advances do not show to the full extent in 

 published averages. The report states that there is a general feeling that 

 prices are not yet as high as they will go, particularly as numerous com- 

 plaints are being circulated by buyers that they are unable to fill their 

 orders. This, in addition to reports of mahogany shortages in African, 

 Mexican and Honduras woods, makes the situation very favorable from 

 a price standpoint. The report includes the statement that mahogany is 

 unquestionably a paying investment even at present apparently high prices. 

 Death of John L. Sine 



On Wednesday, May 14, John L. Sine of the Grcble-Sine Lumber Com- 

 pany, Memphis and Chicago, died at the Michael Reese hospital, Chicago, 

 after a prolonged attack of typhoid fever. Mr. Sine was only twenty-nine 

 years old at the time of his death. He contracted typhoid while in the 

 South as the floods were coming on and, while his case was at first light, 

 It proved very obstinate and sdbsequently developed a very critical condi- 

 tion. Mr. Sine was in a semi-conscious condition during the last week 

 or two of his illness. 



The deccaspG started in the lumber business eight years ago. He was 

 born at Belleville. Ontario. His first lumber connection was with the 



Mcnz Lumber Company. Minneapolis, which concern handled wholesale 

 coast products. Mr. Sine stayed with it for several years and then went 

 to Clarks, La., with the Louisiana Central Lumber Company, a yellow 

 pine concern connected with the Missouri Land and Lumber Exchange 

 of Kansas City. He served (or a year as cashier with this concern and 

 then went into the mill, where he remained a year. Severing this connec- 

 tion, he went with the Gilchrist-Fordney Lumber Company at Laurel, 

 Miss. Tbis also was a yellow pine concern. Mr. Sine traveled for it for 

 a while and later joined the forces of the Three States Lumber Company 

 of Memphis, an allied concern. He managed the Chicago otfice of this 

 company and spent a great deal of his time on the road, being in its 

 employ for three years. Last August he, with William Greble. formerly 

 sales mana.ser of the Three States Lumber Company, formed the Greblc- 

 Sine Lumber Company, with offices in Memphis, Tenn., and Chicago. Mr. 

 Sine was at the Chicago office. 



The deceased was not married. He had four brothers, all of whom are 

 directly connected with the lumber business, handling Pacific coast stock. 

 His brother, A. J. Sine. Chicago representative of the Pacific Lumb?r 

 Agency and the Potlatch I,umber Company, was located in the same office 

 with him. 



Baltimore Hub Plant Bums 



The plant of the Baltimore Hub Wheel Company, on the Baltimore & 

 Ohio railroad, just east of Harford avenue, Baltimore, was completely 

 destro.ved by fire on May 11, nothing but ruins being left of the two-story 

 brick buildings. It is thought that the blaze was due to sparks from a 

 passing locomotive setting fire to the grass along the track, from which 

 the flames spread to the building. Owing to the difficulty of getting water 

 nearby, the fire department could make no headway in fighting the flames. 

 The second story of the building was occupied by the Cosmopolitan Broom 

 Company, which also lost everything. The damage is estimated at more 

 than $100,000. the greater part of the loss falling on the hub company. 

 It is believed that the direct loss is covered by insurance. 



Proposed Advance of Kates in the East 



Fifty-two i-ailroads in the East have tiled briefs asking for increases 

 in freight rates l^tween eastern points. The increases asked approximate 

 five per cent. The railroads are represented officially by Daniel Willard. 

 president of the Baltimore & Ohio railroijd and chairman of the committee 

 of the railroads in charge of the matter, which meets with the transpor- 

 tation committee of the New York Merchants' Association, which is taking 

 up the matter of the increase on behalf of the shippers. Every effort 

 is being made by the latter organization to protect the shippers' interests. 

 The first meeting of the transportation committee resulted in a decision 

 to request Mr. Willard to give certain information as to the basis on 

 which the railroads will solicit the desired increase. It is expected that 

 the Interstate Commerce Commission will grant the increase and will 

 then name a date on which to hear the protests of shippers. It is antici- 

 pated that the matter will be finally settled by early fall. 



In a statement bearing on the case, President Willard says that the 

 increase is a matter of necessity because of the immense amount spent 

 by the various roads interested for improvements of various kinds, in 

 addition to increases in wages and taxes, awards to employes, and other 

 factors increasing operating expenses. 



Purchases 'Wisconsin Timber and Operations 



It was .announced in a recent issue of Hahuwood Record that the Ed- 

 ward Hines Lumber Company of Chicago had purchased the timber and 

 plant of the Atwood Lumber and Manufacturing Company at Park 

 Falls, Wis. This, it seems, is only one factor in a deal involving an 

 expenditure of .$2,000,000 and in which 600,000.000 feet of standing hem- 

 lock and hardwood timber changed hands. This deal has been consum- 

 mated by the Edward Hines Lumber Company and transfers to it the 

 timber of the Mississippi Log and Boom Company, the Chippewa Logging 

 Company, The Soo Line, Weyerhaeuser & Rutledge holdings in Price. Iron 

 and Ashland counties, Wisconsin, in addition to the Park Falls operations. 

 The deal was closed after a three days' conference between the officials of 

 the Edward Hines Lumber Company and the officials of the parties on the 

 other side. This is one of the largest deals that has ever been transacted 

 In Wisconsin lumber circles. It adds an enormous output to the already 

 extensive operations of the Edward Hines Lumber Company, the Park 

 Falls mill alone having a capacity of 50,000.000 feet of lumber annually. 

 The Spirit 'Which Minimizes Forest Fires Abroad 



A communication from Dr. C. A. Sc'aenck. head of the Biltmore Forest 

 School, which has just returned from its winter quarters at Darmstadt, 

 Germany, contains an interesting clipping from a German publication. 

 The story, while humorous, is of particular interest in that it illustrates 

 the sentiment which prevails among European countries in connection 

 with forest growth, and illustrates further the real reason why the loss 

 from forest fires abroad is absolutely minimized. 



The clipping says : 



"Rushing with the village fire brigade against the full moon to stop it 

 from burning. — that is the achievement of the inhabitants of Nussloeh. a 

 small hamlet near Heidelberg. When the full moon rose behind the 

 wooded hills, a farmer thought the woods to be afire, and ran post-haste 

 to the village chief with the tire report, whereupon his honor, the Burgo- 

 master, gave order for all church and all schoolbells to be rung and for 

 the policemen to alarm the citizens. A few minutes later, the fire brigade, 

 exhausted from sheer excitement before the battle began, with ladder and 



