HARDWOOD RECORD 



39 



tlirough a special selection of attraclivc forms of our native trees have 

 developed tliom to such an extent as to make them desirable to pur^ 

 chasers here. 



Besides more than ■ seven tons of tree seeds, many thousands of 

 pounds of seed of perennial and annual plants, bulbs, and fruit stock, as 

 well as ornamental shrubs, arc imported. The great<>r part of the tree 

 seeds, or more than T,000,OUO pounds, come from Germany. 



A Large Slab of Redwood 



The College of Forestry at Syracuse, N. Y.. recently received in New 

 York a heavy plank from one of the larne redwoods in California. This 

 measures 7x11 feet and is probably the largest slab of any kind of 

 wood in New York state outside of the Museum of Natural History in 

 New York. Besides this piece of redwood, the college has secured what 

 is thought to be the largest trunk of an ironwood so far found in New 

 York state. This trunk has a diameter at the base of twenty-five 

 inches and came from a tree growing under very favorable circum- 

 stances in the city forest at Syracuse. The college is securing valuable 

 specimens of timber from all parts of the state for its museum, with the 

 idea of making the forest museum of the college of forestry thi^ most 

 complete of its kind in the United States. 



Advance Probable in Oversea Freight Rates 



The trade press in England scents trouble in the way of an advauee in 

 lumber freight rates in shipments from the eastern coast of the United 

 States to I'^urope. A recent comment on the sub.iect says that agents, 

 importers and merchants have the matter of freights from the east coast 

 ports of the United States forcibly brought before their notice by the 

 fact that it is. known that the managers of the various steamship lines 

 have come over from the other side in order to deliberate upon freight 

 matters This "deliberating," put in the boldest language, simply means 

 that further "advances" are in store for those who pay freight on lum- 

 ber. As far as can be gathered, the increases will not be one or two 

 cents per 100 pounds : something like seven to ten cents are feared, be- 

 cause the steamship lines contend, rightl.v or wrongly, that lumber does 

 not pay at present prices. If this is the case, what must the result 

 have been where rates were from thirty to forty per cent lower? There 

 can be little doubt that present freight rates are remunerative, and it is 

 questionable if lumber and kindred commodities will stand much more, 

 at any rate not in the wholesale fashion which is talked of in shipping 

 circles. 



Muskegon Ships First Lumber Cargo in Years 



The first vessel in years to take a cargo of Muskegon cut lumber out 

 of that port, namely, the steam barge Suzie Chipman of Milwaukee, 

 recently cleared at the Gow dock for Milwaukee. The Chipman's cargo 

 is made up of lumber cut from logs raised from Muskegon lake and 

 the departure of the boat brings to the minds of old residents memories 

 of the old lumber era in Michigan when Muskegon was the greatest 

 lumber shipping city in the world. 



Deadhead Logs Start Court Action 



Twenty-eight Alpena county (Michigan) residents are made defendants 

 l)y an in,iunction issued recentl.v at the institution of the Alpena Lo.g 

 Owners' Protect ivo Association to restrain the defendants from moving 

 "deadhead" logs from Thunder Bay river and its tributaries. It is 

 said that the idea prevails that sunken logs in a river belong to any 

 who might take them. It is alleged that one man pulled upwards of 

 100.000 feet of logs from the river last year and that he now has 

 about 3,000 logs pulled out near Hillman and has a mill engaged to 

 cut the logs into lumber. 



The protective association is composed of the Churchill Lumber Com- 

 pany, the Richardson Lumber Company, the Island Mill Lumber Com- 

 pany, the Fletcher Paper Company, the Estate of Frank W. Gilchrist and 

 other lumbermen who own logs iu Thunder Bay river. 



Cincinnati Teamsters' Strike Broken 



The teamsters' strike that has been the cause of a general suspension 

 of business for the past thirty days appears to be broken and the 

 merchants and manufacturers who have stood by the team owners in 

 their fight are jubilant over the prospects of a resumption of business 

 and also over the fact that they have won out over the strikers, which 

 should have a very good effect in stopping some of the many other 

 branches of labor from making good their threat to strike just as soon as 

 the teamsters win their fight. So much depended upon the result of 

 Ihis strike that it was absolutely necessary for business men to stick 

 together and take their losses right now in order to prevent further 

 trouble. It is believed that the strike is surely broken for good and 

 others will think twice before permitting the numerous out-of-town 

 labor organizers who have been, here for a month or more .stirring up 

 trouble and expecting to win this strike so that they could start 

 another in some other branch of trade. The lumber trade has been 

 at a standstill so far as city business is concerned, but those dealers 

 who have tracks into their yards have been able to receive and ship 

 without any delay, while other dealers who are located off of railroad 

 switches have shipped very little and received but few cars and have 

 been paying demurrage charges on many cars that could not be hauled 

 from freight yards. 



Liverpool Conditions in July 



.Vccoidiu^ to recent information from Liveri)Ool, the arrivals of forest 

 products from North American ports in July aggregated 23,870 tons, as 

 against 21,363 tons in the corresponding nionths last year. The importa- 

 tion of oak logs during the month of July consisted of but a small parcel 

 from the United States, the demand being quiet with light stocks and firm 

 prices prevailing. There were fairly large arrivals of oak wagon planks 

 and the deliveries were equal to about half of the imports. Stocks were 

 heavy and prices without change. 



The import and consumption of elm dtiring the month was meagre, 

 with a corresponding condition in osb. There was a good 'import of wal- 

 nut logs from the United States, with a fair demand and steady prices 

 prevailing for prime wood. Walnut lumber was in fair demand at good 

 prices. The demand and prices for satin walnut or red gum, however, 

 were weak. 



The import and consumption of birch logs during July was small and 

 light stock and firjn prices prevailed. Planks were moderately imported 

 and deliveries were fair. Heavy stocks prevailed, with Arm prices. 



In mabogan.v, there was an active demand for plain and figured African 

 wood, with continued firm prices. Stocks were light and excellent results 

 in evidence for early shipments. Shipments of fresh and squared Colum- 

 bian logs were satisfactorily received, although inferior stock was not 

 called for. In the Cuban wood, there was a steady demand for sound 

 straight logs of medium and large dimension, while finely figured wood 

 brought high prices. According to the report there had not been any 

 stock of Tabasco mahogany in brokers' hands for some time, with the 

 result that there was a strong demand for this wood, with very favorable 

 prospects for the reception of good shipments. Richly figured St. Do- 

 mingo logs of good dimensions realized high prices as was the case also 

 with sound plain wood of medium to large dimensions. 



Train Corps for Fighting Fires 



Bulletin No. Go, issued by the Lumbermen's Underwriting Alliance of 

 Kansas City, Mo., gives some useful detailed information as to plans 

 adopted at various mills for training corps of fire-fighters and having 

 them subject to call. Previous bulletins have given outlines of fire- 

 fighting departments maintained at a number of southern plants. This 

 information has been influential in inducing the organization of fire 

 fighting bri.gades at other properties. The new bulletin calls attention to 

 the methods employed in northern mills. The organizations described 

 are such as could be maintained at the average plant where an expensive 

 equipment along city lines is not Justified. Future bulletins will describe 

 one or more fully equipped mill fire departments at some of the largest 

 properties. According to the bulletin, it has been intimated that many 

 owners and managers would like to brin.g into existence and maintain 

 drilled fire corps but do not know just how to equip, train and detail the 

 men for effective work. 



Contrary to its usual policy, the bulletin indulges in a little subtle 

 humor in describing the fire-fighting organization employed by the Wor- 

 cester Lumber Company, Chassell, Mich. W. W. Warner, the plant 

 superintendent, is the chief of the fire organization and, according to the 

 bulletin, he is familiarly known by the men in his employ as "Water- 

 water-water." The bulletin opines that he must either get the sobriquet 

 from the initials of his name or because he. lil;e the water in the poem 

 of the "Ancient Mariner." is everywhere. 



At the mill of .Tackson & Tindle at Pellston. Midi., there is maintained ■ 

 in addition to the usual equipment of inside hydrants and hose, three 

 hose carts with 2,500 feet of hose and also a fifty gallon chemical fire ex- 

 tinguisher mounted on wheels. The fire-fighting corps is completely 

 organized with chief, assistant chief, engineer and assistant engineer, all 

 of w'hom are experienced sawmill men. Each of the hose carts has a 

 crew of five men who have instructions to go at once to their hose house 

 as soon as an alarm of fire is given. Each hose house has a captain who 

 has had special instructions in the location of hydrants and the quickest 

 method of making connections w'hether to hydrants or in connecting one 

 length of hose to another. 



Other interesting features employed at various plants in the United , 

 States and Canada are pointed out in the bulletin, such as surprise prac- 

 tice for fire corps, sleeping quarters within quick reach of the mill, the 

 maintenance of trained messengers who immediately make known to the 

 various crews the exact location of the fire. Other crews are trained 

 for systematic handling of fire extinguishers while one crew is trained 

 for individual work in the event that neither the captain nor his deputy 

 is present. Another company employs a system of credits and demerits 

 for quick and effective work at fires. 



The bulletin contains a complete outline of the fire-fighting plan of the 

 Norwich Lumber Company of Buffalo at its plant at Norwich, Pa. This 

 concern maintains nine hose companies, each of which has separate or- 

 ganizations and separate instructions as to where to report on receipt of 

 a fire alarm. L"pon the detection of a fire the power house is immediately 

 notified and the mill whistle gives the general alarm, following which 

 signal alarms arc given in order to show the exact location of the fire. 



Detailed instructions are given, such as the maintenance of from 

 eighty to a hundred pounds of steam in pump gauges ; increasing speed 

 as the demand of w-ater through hose streams requires it : lines of hose 

 must be laid at once and water gotten on the fire as quickly as possible : 

 kinks or twists in the hose are warned against, which are liable to pull 

 ihe hose away from the no/izle man when the water is turned on ; short 



