22 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



Hickory is also used for various things for whieli it is not fitted, 

 such as mine props, bridge timbers, fence posts, sills, construction 

 lumber, etc. Almost any other hardwood would fill those requirements 

 better and the hickory would have been left for handles and 

 similar purposes where a strong, tough and resilient material alone 

 would answer. An instance of the extravagant use of valuable wood 

 occurred on a logging operation in the Adirondacks last spring where 

 a straight and sound black cherry tree thirty inches in diameter was 



used in building a logging road. Tlie illustration in this connection 

 shows a pile of black locust fence posts that should have been cut into 

 hubs or insulator pins, since fence posts in that locality have scarcely 

 enough value to cover the cost of cutting. Similar instances might be 

 cited indefinitely, all emphasizing the importance of a careful study 

 of the properties of woods with a view of employing them most 

 advantageously and economically in situations \\liere the greatest 

 service will be secured. S. J. E. 



•t|»;;t»a:WSSO ;CTljTO ^ifflt;^i:^^i)Mk;ia.^'^ 



Transportation of Lumber 



THIRD ARTICLE 

 WHAT IT COSTS 



Public carriers of the United States earn a large revenue from the it is found that the average haul of all forest products was 299 miles, 



transportation of lumber and other forest products. For the year The average haul (which is usually called "typical haul") of all 



ending June 30, 1910, according to the latest figures published on freight by railroads in the United States in 1910 was 249.68 miles, 



the subject by the Interstate Commerce Commission, the railroads of I'he average lumber haul v. as about twenty per cent more, and the 



this country transported 67,226,260 tons of lumber and 57,561,90.5 average freight charge on lumber per ton was about one hundred 



tons of other forest products. On the basis of four pounds to the ] er cent more than the average for all freight shipments, 



foot, these figures may be reduced to 33,613,130,000 feet of lumber It should be explained that the low average cost per ton of all 



and 28,780,952,000 feet of other forest products. freight shipments is largely due to the low rate on products of the 



"Other forest products" consist of poles, posts, mine props, cross- mines. The mines furnish 56.23 per cent of all the freight carried 



ties, tanbark, pulpwood, fuel, cooperage, sawlogs, and a number of l)y railroads in this country, while forest products, furnish only 11.67 



other commodities. The average weight of lumber that goes forward ] cr cent. The rate on most products of the mines is much under 



in usual shipments is somewhat under four pounds to the foot, but that of lumber. There is not much variation from year to year in 



most of the other " forest products " weigh above four pounds because the average length" of haul of freight shipments. It is remarkable 



they are shipped in condition more or less green. This is true par- how little change there is, as is shown as follows : 



ticularly of posts, poles, crossties, sawlogs, and pulpwood. By com- Typical Frkioht 



bining the heavy and the light shipments, the average is brought up Ikau Haul. Miles 



to 4,000 pounds per 1,000 feet. That is the average found in the -[qq, '>^1 98 



census compilations of 1889 when 12,000,000,000 feet were reduced 1902 239.10 



to tons. To be exact, the average of the 12,000,000,000 feet was 4,056 1900 242.35 



pounds per thousand feet board measure. Kailroads generally give _ -44.30 



the weight of lumber shipments but not the feet, for which reason ^I^^jq •'40 89 



it is necessary to find a reducing factor which in this case is accepted 1 nO" 242.05 



at four pounds per foot. 1908 253.94 



The total shipments, not counting .any of them except at the point ^^^^ .ijo pa 



where they originated, amounted to 124,788,160 tons or 62,394,082,000 ,.., • " " ' , , 



„ , , , i J! ii • • J i i- 1, .. • .1 ilie average rates for the eleven years, from 1900 to 1910, both 



leet. A large part 01 this was carried two or more times, that is, the . " j > > 



,,.,„. 1 ■. ■ , ■.. .. i ^1 X -i 1 i- inclusive, show comparatively little change. This will surprise many 



road which first received it carried it part 01 the wav to its destina- ' ' , . " , , , , 



.. Ill- I -1. i .1 mu i 1 1 ' i^i , persons who suvjpose that changes m rates are the rule rather than 



tion, and delivered it to another carrier. The total quantitv passed , . " " „ , 



. ., 1 1 -„i c ^ ■ J -i. I. 11 "• t"e exception. While manv changes occur, when the whole of the 



from the roads which first received it to some other carriers was " . » > 



n, 1-0 rrc 4. ■>< oofl e^oA nnn j? i. Ti • ii ii i i-,.i 240,438 luilcs of railroad in the United States are considered sepa- 



08,4(2,568 tons, or 34,236,284,000 feet. It is thus seen that a little '. ' 



4.-U I li- i ii i^ - 1 1 .c ii.- 1 ■ J ■ J I, -1 J J. rately, thev counteract one another when all are considered together, 



more than halt of the freight of this kind received by railroads at , •^' - v >. b 



.,„... • , . J V i -t 1. J'- J910 the car movement was equivalent to hauling one loaded car 



points or origin is carried over two or more roads before it reaches ' "^ 



..,,...„ , -J J T ,- .1 ■ ■ tj- 12,8ol,294,922 miles, and one einptv 5,498,337,123 miles. The average 



its destination. However, to avoid duplication nothing is counted in t . j > • o 



., i- t- 1 i' i J.U ■ - i.- ■ i. rati'S riiid rei-eiiits are sliown as follows for eleven vears: 



tlin present article except at the originating point. ' 



_,,.,-.,.,. , , , . , ,, , . ., , . 1 R.vri:rERToN Reckived PEit 



Published statistics do rot show in dollars and cents the total y,,,,^ Tons, l Milk .■£.. Mile. Cts. To.v, Dollabs 



money received by railroads for carrying lumber, but factors are looo 141, 590,550,101 0.729 0.9753 



given by which the total may be calculated. It is shown that about 1901 147,077.130,040 0.750 1.05116 



fourteen per cent of the revenue of all the railroads in the United ^^**- 157,289.370.053 0.757 1.03210 



„. , . ^ . , „ ,, 1 . f *u f , rr, i i 1 in"'5 173,221,278,993 O.703 1.05158 



States IS received for carrying the products of the forests. The total jy^,,, j-^ -,, q^jj, -._ p -gp ^ 07251 



freight revenue for 1910 is given at $1,925,553,036, and it requires loOo 180,403,109,510 0.760 1.03868 



but a simple calculation to show that the fourteen per cent of it 1906 215,877„'-.5i,24l 0.748 1.03594 



derived from lumber amounted to $269,577,425.04 for the year. It ^^°~ 236,601,390,103 0.759 1.05428 



., , , ., 1 .u * - , / „ 1 V, -11, 190* 218,381,554,802 0.754 1.07700 



may thus be shown that the average freight on all lumber carried by -jgQj) .,jg gQo ggg 929 763 1 07503 



railroads of the United States that year was $4.32i-> per thousand 1910 255,016.910,451 0.753 1.03992 



f^et. ■ j,i 1910 the average receipts by railroads for lumber carried in 



It may be of interest to see how this compares with the general carload lots was 0.734 cents per ton per mile. Other commodities 



average of all freight for that period. The average for all per ton figured on the same basis were: Bituminous coal 0.495, anthracite 



was $1.03992, and the average for all forest products was $2.1625, coal 0.589, grain 0.630, dressed meat 0.904, h,iy 1.019, live stock 



or more than twice as much. 1.217, cotton 1.832. 



In order that the averages in cost may be justly compared, the The figures which show that railroads of the United States in 



average length of haul of lumber must be ascertained, and then the 1910 carried over sixty-two billions feet of forest products might, 



average haul of the total freight shipments of the country. By at first glance, appear inconsistent, because the total lumber cut thai 



elaborate calculations, «hich need not be expl;iiiic<l in detail here, year is given in tlie census report at 40,018,282,000 feet, or some 



