October 10, 1917 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



33 



One ofc the interesting features of the meeting was the reading of a re- 

 port by John W. McClure, secretary of the Gum Lumber Manufacturers' 

 Association, and George C. Ehemann, of the river and rail committee of 

 the club, dealing with the prominence of Memphis as a hardwood manufac- 

 turing center. It was in the form of a letter to Charles Morford of the 

 Navy Department at Washington, and was written at the request ot the 

 latter, who stated that he had, in disputing the claim of Buffalo as the 

 largest hardwood lumber market in the world, made the assertion that 

 Memphis produced more hardwood lumber, through mills in the city proper 

 and in the adjacent territory, than any other two cities in the world. He 

 declared that he believed himself to be on solid ground of fact in making ■ 

 this statement, but he asked that the club give him the necessary data to 

 back iip this assertion. 



A letter was read from Mrs. W. A. Waddington expressing the thanks of 

 herself and her husband for the beautiful flowers sent the latter when he 

 was stricken with paralysis some time ago. Mr. Waddington has almost 

 recovered from the attack. He is president and general manager of the 

 Valley Log Loading Company. 



A letter was also read from Mrs. A. B. Nickey thanking the club for 

 the handsome floral tribute sent by the latter on the occasion of the recent 

 death of her husband, Addison Boyd Nickey. 



F. E. Stonebraker, who has been representing the club on the committee 

 composed of representatives of all the leading commercial organizations, 

 dealing with the question of adequate river and rail terminals, reported 

 that excellent progress was being made In handling this subject and that 

 he thought he would be able, by the date of the next meeting, to announce 

 that the site for these terminals had already been secured. A bond issue 

 of $500,000 to raise the money for the building of these terminals was 

 authorized some time ago. 



Chicago Lumbermen in Patriotic Meeting 

 Members of the Lumbermen's Association of Chicago met for luncheon 

 at the club rooms on Tuesday, October 9, the occasion being a patriotic 

 rally. 



Among the prominent speakers were F. J. Loesch, lawyer, who addressed 

 the meeting on patriotism ; C. B. Flinn, counsellor to the Chamber of 

 Commerce of the United States, who reported on the war convention 

 recently held at Atlantic City. George J. Pope, prominent member of the 

 association and ex-president, explained the work of the exemption board 

 on which he served. 



Twentieth Engineers Rapidly Recruiting 



The second forestry regiment or 20th Engineers (Forest) is being rapidly 

 officered under a co-operative arrangement between the War Department, 

 the Forest Service and the committee on lumber. Council of National 

 Defense. At the request of the first two branches of the government serv- 

 ice, the lumber committee named a special subcommittee to secure officers 

 from among the lumbermen ot the country. W. R. Brown of New Hamp- 

 shire is chairman ot this subcommittee and R. H. Downman, New Orleans, 

 and W. M. Ritter, Columbus, O., are members of it. 



This committee undertook the task of finding 2.32 men suitable to be 

 commissioned as officers in the regiment, or half the total number of 

 officers. The Forest Service and War Department are each to furnish 

 one-Quarter of the total number of officers. There will be 7,500 non- 

 commissioned officers and enlisted men In the 20th regiment. In getting 

 the lumbermen's quota of officers, the Brown subcommittee divided the 

 United States into fourteen regions, in each of which a committee was 

 appointed to select suitable men to become officers. The committees were 

 given until September 27 to make their recommendations, which were 

 submitted to the War Department for approval. Some names, it is under- 

 stood, have not yet^ arrived from Michigan and Wisconsin. 



The selection of a number of officers by the War Department for assign- 

 ment to the 20th engineer regiment have been announced as follows : 



The following-named officers. Engineer Officers' Reserve Corps, are re- 

 lieved from dutv at the engim/er training camp, American University, and 

 are assigned to" the Twentieth Engineers (Forestry), and will report in 

 person to their regimental commander for duty : Capt. Harry V. Camp- 

 bell, First Lieuts. Gilbert C. Eastman, Thomas W. Poindexter and Wendell 

 D. Volk, Second Lieuts. Charles J. Davis, Jr., Richard L. Hyde, HoUister 

 Johnson and Roy L. Chaffin. 



The following-named officers. Engineer Officers' Reserve Corps, are re- 

 lieved from dutv at the engiueer training camp, Fort Leavenworth. Kan., 

 and are assigned to the Twentieth Enbineers (Forestry) ; they wUl pro- 

 ceed without delay to Camp American University, Washington, D. C. and 

 report in person to their regimental commander for duty ; Capts. Harry 

 W. Boetzkes. Andrew J. Flsk, Jr.. and James C. Long; Krst Lieuts. Mark 

 R. Ethell, Charles C. Kelley and Wendell J. Wilson ; Second Lieut. Earl 

 B. Birmingham. 



The following-named officers. Engineer Officers' Reserve Corps, are re- 

 lieved from further duty at the engineer training camp, Vancouver Bar- 

 racks, Wash., and are assigned to the Twentieth Engineers (Forestry) ; 

 they will proceed without delay to Camp American University, Washington, 

 D. C, and report in person to their regimental commander for duty : 

 Capt. Arthur W. Elan, First Lieut. J. Leroy Wood, Second Lieut. Arthur 

 N. Drips. 



The forests in which the work will be done consist of pine and fir in 

 some sections, and of oak, beech and other hardwoods in others. The 

 forests are generally not extensive ; the trees are smaller than in virgin 

 American forests, but the stands are often quite heavy. These forests 

 resemble the woodlots of southern New England ; the operations will be 

 similar to portable sawmill logging and tie cutting in Massachusetts, Con- 

 necticut, Maryland and Virgini:i. The larger logs will be sawn Into boards 

 and dimension material, while the smaller trees will be cut into hewn ties, 

 poles, props, etc. The closest possible use of timber will be required. 



Meeting Reveals Strength in Gum 



It transpires, following the meeting of the governing board ot the 

 Gum Lumber Manufacturers' Association at Memphis, October 6, which 

 was attended by a number of other prominent members of that organiza- 

 tion, that the stocks of gum lumber of all kinds on September 1 this year, 

 as reported by the same members reporting a year ago, exceed those at 

 the corresponding date in 1916 by only 3,000,000 feet. Stocks last year 

 were very sharpl.v below normal and this small excess leaves them still 

 below that standard, with the result that those who participated in the 

 meeting October 6 feel very optimistic regarding the future of both busi- 

 ness and prices. 



.Tobn M. Prichard, secretary of the association, states that members in 

 attendance were confident that the scarcity of labor, which is now so great 

 that it is difficult to get together a whole saw mill crew in the country, 

 and the unfavorable weather which usually prevails during much of the 

 winter, will bring about a further curtailment of output and thus leave 

 the market in even stronger position than it is at present, so far as supply 

 and demand are concerned. 



It Is quite apparent that buyers of gum lumber, like those in other 

 items, are pretty well filled up at the moment and that they are not in 

 the market in a big way for their requirements. It is believed by those 

 who attended the meeting, however, that the lumber now in the hands 

 of consuming and distributing firms will not last long and that they 

 will soon be forced to re-enter the market. When they do they will find 

 holders independent about selling and quite firm as to values because of 

 the discovery on their part that stocks are not large and that they are 

 confronted with conditions which will naturally bring about a reduction 

 in output. 



The only other action taken by the governing board at the meeting 

 was the authorization of the appointment by the president of a commit- 

 tee to confer with representatives from the Southern Hardwood Traffic 

 Association, the Southern Alluvial Land Association, and the American 

 Oak Manufacturers' Association regarding the dates of the annuals of 

 these various bodies. It is anticipated that plans somewhat similar to 

 those of last year will be followed, calling for the holding of the annual 

 of each of these organizations on sijcceeding days in January. It has 

 been discovered that this plan greatly increases the attendance and that 

 it likewise adds appreciably to the general interest and enthusiasm, 



B. F. Dulweber, vice-president of the association, presided at the meet- 

 ing. There were about thirty-five present. 



The committee to be named as stated above will be appointed by Presi- 

 dent Weiss on his return to the city. 



Quixley New Vicegerent for Chicago District 



A. C. Quixley of Chicago was chosen by the executive commiftee of the 

 local Hoo-Hoo as vicegerent of the Chicago-northern district to succeed 

 L. J. Pomeroy. Mr. Pomeroy was recently elected to the post o£ jabber- 

 wock on the supreme nine. 



It was decided that the concatenation be held at Chicago on November 

 9. It will be held in the rooms of the Lumbermen's Association of Chi- 

 cago and will be preceded by a banquet. 



^ MitaaTOiitiiWirotTOWiiitTOStf)^^ 



With the Trade 



Purchase Tract of Hardwood in New York 

 The John J. Soble Lumber Company, Inc., of Rochester, N. Y., announces 

 that it has purchased the timber on about 100 acres of land near Cuba, 

 Alleghany county, N. Y. The timber consists of maple, cherry and ash. 

 The mill will be put in at once and operations started within thirty to 

 sixty days. 



Is Enlarging Plant 



The Roddis Veneer & Lumber Company, Marshfleld, Wis., announces that 



the work has begun on the enlargement of its main buildings, which will 



be effected by means of an addition .36x84 feet, three stories high to the 



south end of the buildings. The company's office is also being enlarged. 



Sells West Virginia Timber 

 A timber tract and sawmill owned by J. C. Gardner near Johnstown. 

 Pa., was sold recently by George B. Somerville to a syndicate of Clearfield, 

 W. Va.. capitalists. The tract is located in Fayette county. The con- 

 sideration is said to be in the neighborhood of $40,000. 



Ritter-Burns Lumber Company Organizes 



A charter was Issued the beginning of the month by the secretary of 

 state in West Virginia to the Ritter-Burns Lumber Company at Hunting- 

 ton. The company has an authorized capital stock of $100,000. The 

 Incorporators are : C. L. Ritter, B. B. Burns, H. K. Bustler, E. E. Williams 

 and Paul W. Scott. C. L. Ritter is president ; B. B. Burns, vice-president 

 and treasurer, and H. K. Eustler, secretary and sales manager. 



The company will have offices on the eleventh fioor of the First National 

 Bank building, Huntington, W. Va., and will handle the output of the 

 C. L. Ritter Lumber Company. It will ultimately engage in the manufac- 

 ture of timber products. 



It is stated that the Rockcastle Lumber Company, which has finished 

 its cut in Kentucky, will dissolve in a short time. 



