September 10, 1915. 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



25 



Corkran, which are estimated at $35,000 to $32,000. Even this figure 

 may tall short o£ the actual, if Corkran, as the circumstances indicate, 

 managed to carry on tor any length of time his peculiar system of finan- 

 ciering, with which the lumber trade of Baltimore became tolerably 

 familiar about fifteen years ago. Corkran, it appears, was the agent at 

 Boston tor the American Woods Corporation, and had an office in the 

 Old South building there. After going to Boston last winter he occu- 

 pied an e-xpensive suite in a Back Bay hotel until he took a summer resi- 

 dence at Lynn, Mass. He drove costly automobiles and otherwise lived 

 like a man of wealth. Suspicions against him w^rc not aroused until 

 recently, it appears, when the American corporation called in the guar- 

 anty company, which had bonded him. The security company put de- 

 tectives on his trail, and they shadowed him for a week or more, not 

 less than eleven operatives being engaged in the work. He was fol- 

 lowed day and night, and the activities of the sleuths became so per- 

 sistent as to alarm Corkran's neighbors at Lynn, which brought out a 

 report to the regular police and disclosed the object of the detectives. 

 On the night of August 23 Corkran was trailed to Keenc, N. H., where 

 he went in bis automobile. While he was there the detectives installed 

 a dictagraph in his office, and waited in an offlce nearby for him to 

 return. He got back at noon the following day, and was arrested after 

 a conversation with a Providence man, which conversation had been 

 recorded by the dictagraph. After a preliminary hearing Corkran was 

 sent to jail for a further hearing on the ne.\t day. 



It was stated in the charge that he controlled or operated some fifteen 

 corporations w-hich are believed to be nothing more than paper com- 

 pauies. and through these, it is alleged, he issued bills of lading, orders 

 and checks, which were forwarded to the lumber company in Mslonc. 

 His methods, apparently, did not differ essentially from those he pursued 

 in Baltimore fifteen years ago, when he failed here with liabilities of 

 upwards of $900,000, and assets some $400,000 less. He appeared at 

 that time to have gotten away witli about $400,000 in a very short 

 time, and what became ot this money has never been cleared up. He 

 maintained a fine country home at I^utherville and lived in style. This 

 home, on which he held an option to purchase, was listed as one ot the 

 assets. His various companies, among which an extensive system of ex- 

 changing checks and swapping paper was carried on, included the Chequas- 

 sett Lumber Company, Baltimore Lumber Company, Suburban Lumber 

 Company, Towson Lumber Company, West Falls Storage Company, Park- 

 ton Lumber Company, Chesapeake Lumber Company, Sable Lumber Com- 

 pany, Sylvania Lumber Company, Muskoka Lumber Company, and Poca- 

 liontas Lumber Comi)any, with two or three others. Some of them were 

 capitalized for large amounts, and all were shown to have a great amount 

 of paper out. Corkran held control of all of the companies and virtually 

 managed matters. His affairs were found to be inextricably mixed when 

 the crash came, and all of the companies were carried down, although 

 some had been doing an excellent business. 



After his Baltimore exploits Corkran disappeared and the lumber trade 

 here heard nothing of him for a long time. It is said that he is under 

 indictment at Memphis, Tenn., and was arrested in New York on this 

 indictment, but escaped prosecution tlirough a technicality. The indict- 

 ment, however, stands, and the Memphis authorities have been waiting 

 for a chance to get him, it is stated. 



Corkran handled all kinds of lumber, including yellow- pine and hard- 

 woods. He is described in the Boston papers as a man of impressive, 

 business-like appearance, about fifty-three years old. 



Incendiary Lumber Yard Fires 

 Owners of the large lumlier yartis wliieh abound in Cincinnati have 

 been on the anxious seats throughout the summer. Extra precaution has 

 been necessary and an endless trail of worry has been their portion, 

 owing to tlu' cunning activity of a fire bug with an extremely annoying 

 and destructive baliit of setting fire to piles of lumber in the great yards. 

 Perhaps twenty or more lumber yard fires since early spring have been 

 directly attributed to an incendiary, the finding of burning candles in 

 stacks of lumber, piles of fine hardwood soaked with oil, with cotton 

 wa.ste neatly packed beneath the lumber all ready for lighting being 

 prima facia evidence that mere chance or sparks from passing engines 

 have had little or nothing to do with the unending series of lumber 

 yard fires. 



Sometimes there will be as high as three and four fires discovered in 

 one evening in one large yard, such as Crane's, which extends along the 

 river front for several miles in the east end, the extensive Dulweber 

 plant in the west end and Duhlmeier's, also in the western part of the 

 city. It has happened that while the firemen were busy at work on a 

 blaze in one end of the Crane yard, another alarm would be sent in 

 from a box as much as a mile away from the scene of the first blaze, 

 and a few minutes later while the firemen were transferring apparatus, 

 a third blaze would be discovered in the center of the yard. 



All efforts on the part of the fire marshal to trace the Incendiary 

 have been in vain. Tlie fire bug evidently is as cunning and clever in 

 covering up his tracks as he is insistent in setting fire to lumber yards. 

 .\U sorts of plans have been tried out by the fire marshals and owners 

 of the yards, guards have been doubled and even tripled throughout the 

 night, yet fires spring up in the same mysterious manner. The yard 

 owners have been put to no inconsiderable extra expense in guarding their 

 properly, but the fires have been so frequent, even with heavy guards 

 watching, that yardmen now are spending many a restless night wonder- 

 ing whether it would be safe to go to sleep or just stay up an hour or 



so longer and await the customary and now expected ring of the phone, 

 when some friend informs them the fire bug again is on the job. The fire 

 marshal believes the incendiary is not acting under any revenge motive, 

 but merely likes to see the horses run. 



Large Lumber Shed in Michigan 



A large lumber shed to be used tor storing sash, dours and other fac- 

 tory products has been constructed at Saginaw, Mich., by the Booth & 

 Boyd Lumber Company. It will be 70x360 feet and will be equipped 

 w'ith all modern facilities for loading, unloading and handling products. 

 The foundation rests on :i63 white oak piles. 



Will Handle Railroad Ties 



A new company that will iiaiidlt r;iilr.iad ties has been organized at 

 Indianapolis. Ind.. with $K(),()()ii capital stock. The incorporators are 

 L. T. Thorn. I. M. and .1. M. Williams of Lynnville. Tenu. The official 

 name is the Thorn Railroad Tie Company. It will manufacture and sell 

 railroad ties. 



Pertinent Information 



Southern Rate Advance Effective September 13 



.1. 11. Towushend. secretary and general manager of the Southern Hard- 

 wood Traffic Association, Is authority for the statement that informa- 

 tion has been received here that the advance on rates from southern 

 points to Ohio river crossings will become effective September 13. This 

 is in accordance with the decision in I. & S. ,520, involving a decided 

 increase, in rates on oak and gum from Memphis and points in Missis- 

 sippi and Louisiana to Ohio river crossings. This decision of the com- 

 mission is regarded by hardwood lumber interests in Memphis as a distinct 

 blow, particularly to those "who are engaged in the manufacture and 

 distribution of gum. but it would seem that the advance is about to be- 

 come effective to Ohio river crossings. However, there is no doubt that 

 an effort will be made by individual lumbermen to defeat the through 

 rate Into Central Freight Association territory and other territory lying 

 north of the Ohio and Missotiri riV4*rs. 



Shipbuilding Active 



Shipbuildiug has become very active in the I'uited States during the 

 I)ast year, particularly iu the eastern part. lUiiladelphia is now the 

 most Important sliipbuilding city in America, and the fourth in the 

 world. It is exceeded only by Glasgow, Newcastle and Belfast. On .luly 

 .10 there were thirty-three large ships under construction in Philadelphia. 

 Four" thousand shipbuilders are employed in that city. The great stimulus 

 at this time is the high freight rates on ocean traffic. There is great 

 activity at siiipyards in New York and .■Isewhero. 



Changes in Toy Making 

 English manufacturers are tainng active steps to appropriate the busi- 

 ness of making toys which Germany has lost on account of the war. If 

 the toy industry is to change hands there is no reason why it should 

 not come to the United States. The higher wages paid in this country 

 would stand in the way to some extent, but that disadvantage should be 

 oft'set by cheaper wood than the European toymakers use. The United 

 States already works about 29.000,000 feet of wood into toys yearly, 

 and that amount would probably be doubled if toys heretofore bought 

 abroad should be manufactured in this country. The great difference 

 between wooden toys made in America and those imported is that the 

 American article is much more serviceable and substantial than those 

 brought across the sea. Children's sleds and wagons constitute a large 

 proportion of toys made in the United States. 



North Carolina Furniture Business 

 High Point. N. C. is the center o£ the furniture iudustry of that 

 region and the output is veiy large. Recent reports by manufacturers 

 there stale that sales have largely increased in recent months, and that 

 a shifting of the field of trade has taken place. Formerly a large part 

 of the sales were made in the South, but now- the heaviest inisiness comes 

 from the eastern states. Larger orders and more of them come in than 

 formerly. 



Panama Canal Earnings 



During the first year of actual operations there passed through the 

 Panama canal 471 American and 464 British ships; The average cargo 

 is about 5.000 tons. The total number of ocean going vessels using the 

 canal was 1.317, and the total toll collected w-as $3,102,063. A com- 

 parison of the tolls paid the canal at Panama with those of the Suez 

 canal shows that the latter was nearly five times as large, as the former. 



Red Gum in a Fine Residence 



In buildiug the residence of Charles W. Kotcher, Detroit. Mich., which 

 was recently completed at a cost ef $130,000. a large quantity of red 

 guiu was used as finish material. Some of the finest rooms are ceiled 

 and paneled with this wood, and one of the stairways is railed with 

 gum on which $2,000 was expended in carvings alone. That is a high 

 tribute to tiie qualities of this w-ood. In that particular case it was- 

 selected instead of French walnut for certain choice parts. It is said 

 that the red gum exhibit at the Forest Products Exposition in Chicago 

 two years ago led to the use of this wood in the fine Detroit residence. 

 The real merits of red gum are being slowly discovered. 



