January 10, 1919 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



35 



Unearthing Black Walnut Logs 



The Plckrel Walnut Compauy, St. Louis, recently landed four black 

 walnut logs at its mill, and the history of the logs is a little out of the 

 ordinary. Beginning earlier than there was any history in that region, 

 and coming down to about 1870, a fine walnut tree stood on the bank of 

 the Missouri river on the northern boundary of St. Louis county. An 

 old wagon road had long led down the river bluCE to the ferry and the 

 walnut tree stood by that road, well known to 

 wagoners and travelers since pioneer times. 

 Finally, about fifty years ago, the old walnut 

 tree fell and lay by the road until a flood in the 

 river buried the log from sight and it soon 

 passed from the memory of most people who had 

 known it ; but a few old people remembered it. 



During the march of improvements, the river 

 was bridged, the ferry was abandoned, and the 

 old wagon road was gradually almost obliterated 

 by sediment deposited by the muddy Missouri. 

 Nothing happened until early in the present year 

 when the river began to cut its bank, and in a 

 short time the top end of the old log was ex- 

 posed to view where the bank was being under- 

 mined. The exposed portion of the trunk was 

 deep under water, and an extra long saw was 

 used to cut it. 



Walnut was worth more iu 191S than it had 

 been in ls70 when no one went to the trouble of 

 cutting the trunk that lay on the surface of the 

 ground. Having sawed off the top of the log, 

 the men dug the rera.-inder from under many 

 feet of earth, until they had brought to view a 

 log forty-six feet long, and thirty-seven Inches 

 in diameter at the small end. The highest part 

 of the log as it lay buried was thirteen feet 

 above low water, and the lowest part was sev- 

 eral feet under water. 



The trunk was cut into four logs, three of 

 twelve and one of ten feet. The wood was fouuil 

 sound and perfect, not even the sap showing 

 signs of decay. The trunk contained no defects. 



This is not a solitary instance. The chang- 

 ing course of the river each year brings out sev- 

 eral carloads of these river logs, but such large 

 and perfect specimens ,-re not usual. 



Lumbermen's Protective League Dis- 

 bands 



At a meeting of representative lumbermen 

 and loggers at the Washington Hotel in Seattle 

 a few days ago, the Lumbermen's Protective 

 League, which was formed in the summer of 

 1917 to represent the interests of employers iu 

 the lumber Industry, was formally disbanded 

 and the funds remaining in the treasury were 

 voted to the American Red Cross. 



Since the formation and successful operation 

 of the Loyal Legion of Loggers and Lumber- 

 men the employers have had no need for a 

 separate organization of their own and the 

 league, therefore, has been inactive tor nearly 

 a year. 



At the time the league was formed, there 

 was much agitation on the part of the I. W. W. 

 and other irresponsible elements for strikes and 

 disturbances in the lumber industry, and the 

 employers were compelled to form an organiza- 

 tion to represent their interests to combat the 

 agitation. 



Shortly thereafter the War Department, 

 through Colonel Brice P. Disque, effected the 



organization of the Loyal Legion, which since has adequately represented 

 the interests of both employers and employees in all activities of the 

 industry. 



Now that the Loyal Legion is to be continued on a peace basis, aban- 

 donment of the league was unanimously agreed upon. The meeting in 

 Seattle merely was for the purpose of taking formal action toward this 

 end. 



Virginia Lumber Company Organized 



The Virginia Lumber Company has been organized as the successor of 

 L. F. Jackson. The main office is in Chicago but the mills are at Coe- 

 burn, Va. The manufacture of dimension stock will be continued, and 

 poplar and oak will predominate. These two woods are abundant in 

 that part of Virginia. The company will also produce wagon and farm 

 Implement stock and material for furniture. 



Death of Howard S. Jennings 

 On January 1, 1919, at his home in Munising, Mich., occurred the death 

 of Howard S. Jennings, general manager at that place for the Superior 

 Lumber & Cedar Company, which is a concern allied with Jackson & 

 Tindlo of Grand Riipids, Mich., and Buffalo. N. Y. Mr. Jennings had 

 been in the employ of the Superior Lumber & Cedar Company about three 

 years, during which time he lived at Munising. He was elected mayor of 



ILLUSTRATIXC, THE ENDURING QUALITY OF WALNUT. THESE LOGS WERE BURIED 

 IN \ RIVER BED FOR HALF A CENTURY AND CAME OUT WITHOUT A BLEMISH. EVEN 



THE SAP BEING INTACT. 



that town, but later resigned because of press of business. Mr. Jennings 

 was well known and highly esteemed in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan 

 and likewise among lumbermen of Chicago. Death was due to pneu- 

 monia. He was a native of Bridgeport. Conn., and leaves a widow, son, 

 and several brothers. 



New Hardwood Operation in Texas 

 Rex H. Brown, until recently manager of the hardwood department of 

 the Beaumont Lumber Company at Beaumont, Texas, is now in business 

 for himself with offices in Houston. His plant is located at Dyersdale, 

 eleven miles from Houston. It has a capacity of 25,000 feet a day of 

 oak and gum lumber. 



Cracks iu the heart of trees are sometimes attributed to strokes 

 of Ughtuing, and such splits are known as "thundershakes." 

 Neither lightning nor thunder has anything to do with them. 



