HARDWOOD RECORD 



1 1 



growth, and as such is worthy the attention 

 of everyone interested in the subject of Amer- 

 ican forests. 



As a matter of fact, the wood, instead of 

 being a light brown, has more of a reddish 



FOLIAGE AND 



FLOWERS 

 TREE. 



SILVERBELL 



tinge, comparing closely in color with cherry, 

 red birch and mahogany. The sapwood is 

 lighter in tone and comparatively thin. Rela- 

 tively the wood is hard, close-grained, in- 

 volved in structure, and very compact. Per- 

 haps fifty percent of the growth is convoluted 

 in grain, showing, when rotary cut into ve- 

 neers, very much more figure than is pos- 

 sessed by curly birch. One distinctive feature 

 of the wood is the readiness with which it 

 lends itself to staining and finishings in imi- 

 tation of the most beautiful mahogany. 



Without exception the silverbell-tree, or 

 chittamwood, is the highest type of veneer 

 wood for rotary cutting that grows within 

 the United States. Generally speaking, it is 

 not suitable for the manufacture of lumber, 

 for the reason that the grain is so involved 

 and convoluted that its milling qualities are 

 very refractory, and it is with the utmost 

 difficulty that a plank of the wood can be 

 successfully handled by the planer or even 



the scraping machine and produce a satisl 

 tory surface. 



Up to this tin tree wood has 



come into general use in the markets of 

 the country, owing t<> its limited range of 

 growth and to the fad that it lias been but 

 recently exploited as a commercial com- 

 modity. Such of the lumber as has been pro- 

 duced during the last few years, has been 

 used locally, where it grows, and has mas- 

 queraded as birch, a tree of inferior physical 

 qualities. It has gone very largely into the 

 production of mantels by manufacturers at 

 Knoxville and vicinity. 



The Hardwood Record makes a prophecy 

 that as soon as the surpassing merits of the 

 silverbell-tree become generally known, it will 

 become a favorite and high-priced veneer 

 material for the making of doors, mantels, 

 interior finish, furniture, and for an infinity 

 of other high-class purpi 



It is possible and natural that the range 

 of growth of the silverbell-tree extends east- 



PKINT OF LEAF SILVERBELL TREE, ONE- 

 FOURTH ACTUAL SIZE. 



ward over the mountains into North Carolina, 

 and when this region is fully exploited, it 

 may be found that the wood grows there in 

 as great profusion as it does on the northern 

 and western slopes of the Ippalai Man range. 



Makers of Machinery History. 



NUMBER II. 



Edward C. Mershon. 

 A tall, serious faced individual, with 

 more of the air of the student than of the 

 business man, is Edward C. Mershon of Sag- 

 inaw, Mich., whose portrait embellishes the 

 supplement cf this issue of the Hardwood 

 Record. He is a man who smiles often, but 

 rarely laughs. To him rather than to any 

 other the lumber trade owes a debt of grat- 

 itude for the production of the modern 

 of efficient and indispensable tools knov. 

 band resawing machinery. 



Mr. Mershon was born in Saginaw forty- 

 six vears ago. After he left school he began 

 working in the planing mill and box fa 

 of VV. B. Mershon Si Co., of which his brother 

 William B. Mere! - principal. His ac- 



inind soon grasped every detail of 

 ing mill anil ctory work, and his 



studious instinct- 1 him to see the de- 



fects and shortcomings of certain machinery 

 necessary to the tion of the class 



finished product m\ I. - ' 

 ago the advancing trice of raw material in- 



ward the 

 iking than had : 



Mr. Mershon , 



• ' n Id be a bai that 



either in | the 



r plank, \\i' 



-liould be .1 

 ith a minimum of 

 After buying and operating what 



■■ the very best band r 

 mad.-, its shortcomings were d to be 



manifold. Mr. Mershon, from his familiarity 

 with this machine and from Dm 



made to corr.-.-t its faults, 



ould luiild a machine "n compara- 



11 would 



faults ve a success. At this time he 



• lent and general manager of 

 the mechanical part of the gr. pine 



mufacturing plant of \V. B. Mershon & 

 Co., which has since been reorganized as Mer- 

 shon, Schuette, Parker & Co. Permission was 

 given him to make the experiment, and during 

 •dd hours he could spare from his work. 

 he built his first band resaw. This first ma- 

 was a success, and from it has grown 

 the great machinery business of W. I;. Mer- 



& ' to., of w bich E. C. Mi 

 chanical and business head, and which now 

 commands his entire attention. 



The success of the original resawing ma- 

 chine attracted the attention of other manu- 

 facturers of resawed material and at their 

 insistence machines were built for them. 8 

 rial requirements demanded other machines, 

 which were built, until now the line of band 

 -awing machinery produced by YV. I!. Mer- 

 shon & Co. is larger and more diversified than 

 that made by any other institution in the 

 country. It includes six sizes of band res 

 Of various capacity; powerful vertical re- 

 saws for saw mill purposes; twin res 

 ting boards or planks into three pi> 

 time; giant horizontal resaw s for saw mill 

 us.; pony band mills: baud i mbi- 



nation band rip and resaw;.; a full parapher- 

 nalia of friction driving shafts and tigl 



nule stands; saw- fili _ 

 hammers; anvils; stretcher rolls, etc. 



Mr. Mershon is a man whose every moment 

 is a] ;| the forward!: . 



in which I 

 till he finds time for travi 

 which In- usuall; 



ure. He has made numei to all parts 



• the 

 trans 



d, and he 



lie basMever held 



- in a 

 handsome and modern home 



whii I 



ml in the I. I Mr. Mer- 



lor of his hi 

 room, within an eml 



