HARDWOOD RECORD 



43 



perity and general aspect of that tlourisliing soutliern city. The opening 

 paragrapli describes his first impressions very aptly. It roads as follows: 



"Atlanta's unprecedented growth ; Atlanta's congested downtown 

 traffic; Atlanta's sunny days and balmy evenings; Atlanta's inimitable 

 geniality, sincere and hearty welcome to strangers coupled with the par- 

 ticularly characteristic Atlanta spirit can neither be described or de- 

 fined. One must needs see it to feel it." 



He goes on to describe his impression of Atlanta as a city telling of 

 various points of interest and comparing them with similar points in 

 other large cities. He describes the I'.otels, the banlis, the skyscrapers, 

 the shopping facilities, etc., and then goes on with a detailed account of 

 the numerous amusements and social features, such as clul)s, etc. 



The booklet closes with a pleasing summary of the plans and ambitions 

 of the energetic citizens of that busy community. 



Gennany and Austria's Furniture Export 



In 1912, which is the date of the latest available statistics, Germany 

 exported furniture of the value of $3,429,500 and Austria's was worth 

 $3,480,000. Kussia was Germany's best customer for these goods, and 

 Roumaoia and Argentina took most of Austria's exports. Russia and 

 Argentina are now clo.sed as markets for furniture made in Germany and 

 Austria. Probably no large amount of American furniture will be sent 

 to Roumania and Russia, but many other markets should be open to us. 

 The buyers of furniture will, in most cases, continue to buy. 



A Perpetual Menace 



Fires are a perpetual menace and are so common that little attention 

 is given them except when the publication of figures puts the facts 

 squarely up to the people. Property throughout the United States and 

 Canada, representing a total value of $176,700,750, went up in smoke 

 during the nine months which ended September 30. This total compares 

 with $178,456,550 for the same period last year, and $177,520,650 in the 

 first nine months of 1912. 



Fire losses last month, according to figures compiled by the New York 

 Journal of Commerce, were $14,383,030, as against $17,919,300 for 

 September, 1913. There were 218 fires last month which caused, in each 

 instance, a property loss of $10,000 or more. 



Risk in Shipping Contraband Goods 



The Department of State at Washington has defined the rights of 

 shippers in this country who wish to sell to the nations at war. They 

 may sell to whom they please and ship where they please, whatever they 

 please, and they incur no penalty in doing so, except that if they ship 

 contraband goods and they are captured by an enemy, this shipper loses 

 without rediess, except what the insurance companies afford. He is in 

 danger of no other punishment. The United States government would 

 violate its neutrality if it were to ship contraband material to a belliger- 

 ent, but that does not apply when the shipping is done by an individual. 

 This is an instance where the citizen has more liberty of action than 

 the government. There is little danger at the present time of shipments 

 to the allies falling into enemies' hands. 



Too Much Standardization 



At the present time when the tendency is toward standardization, it 

 is interesting to note a complaint in England of too much standardiza- 

 tion along a certain line. The war has called for large numbers of huts 

 for housing the troops. The London Timber Trades' Journal says that 

 these buildings appear to be erected according to standardized plans, 

 with the result that one building in construction is like another as the 

 two proverbial peas. From a military standpoint no doubt the adoption 

 of building plans of a stereotyped design has its merits, such as uni- 

 formity of accommodation, easy allotment to troops, etc. On the other 

 band, when it comes to a question of the necessary materials, the dupli- 

 cation at short notice, upon a scale hitherto unattempted, of single pat- 

 tern buildings involves the timber trade in awkward problems and the 

 government, it may be suggested, in unnecessary expense. What does 

 not appear to be fully realized by the authorities is that there Is no 

 similarity in the conditions governing the production of a natural com- 

 modity like timber, and of manufactured goods such as girders or iron 

 sheets. When buildings are being erected all over the country to stand- 

 ard designs it is obvious that there will be a continual repetition of 

 certain few lengths and sizes. These then become in general demand, 

 and it is impossible to avoid prices rising. Even if enough timber of the 

 particular section is available, the perpetual repetition of a particular 

 length is only met by cross cutting to waste. 



More variety in design is recommended in these buildings, particularly 

 in the sizes of the dimension stock required. If that is done, there will 

 be less trouble in procuring the material, and less delay in completing 

 the work. 



The Fortunate Gray Horse 



Writing nearly two thousand years ago, a prophet described a vision, 

 thus : "Lo, death appeared on a pale horse and hell followed with him." 



The European buyers who have come to the United States to procure 

 horses for cavalry in the armies, are taking no chances with "pale" 

 horses. They will not buy a gray. A horse of that color is too con- 

 spicuous. When he appears on the horizon, the enemy's artilleries get 

 the range at once, and in a minute or two the prophet's words are verified, 

 for hell follows close on his heels until he gets out of sight, if he is 



fortunate enough to get away. So, the order has gone forth to take no 

 gray horses for cavalry. 



It is a question, however, whether the gray horses left behind in this 

 country are fortunate or otherwise. They will have the loads to pull in 

 cities, on farms, and in lumber camps. While the bays are battling in 

 Europe, the grays will be hauling crosstics in Arkansas or pulling stump.s 

 in Michigan. 



Birch Bark Souvenir 



A resident of Winnipeg, who is one of the pioneers of the West, 

 recently received an interesting souvenir of his first trip to western 

 Canada. While on his way to the Red River settlement in 1870, his 

 party was crossing the marsh known as the Dismal Swamp when he be- 

 came possessed of a desire to write home. lie accordingly stripped some 

 bark from a birch tree and wrote several pages, letter size, which were 

 despatched at the first opportunity to his mother at Belleville, Ontario. 

 His mother having recently died, the letter was discovered among her 

 treasured mementoes and sent to Winnipeg. The writing is as clear as 

 on the day it was written, fort.v-four years ago, though the bark has 

 grown tender with age. 



American 'Woods in 'Venice 



A recent consular report from Venice states that pilch pine is popular 

 and much used there, competing with larch from the Austrian and Italian 

 mountains. American oak is used to some extent, limited by its cost. 

 Red gum has been known but a few years, but is appreciated for its 

 smoothness and ease of working, although its liability to warp is 

 objectionable. 



Restricted Logging In North 



Winter logging operations in ilicliiaau hardwood tracts will not compare 

 with operations in other seasons when the market has been stronger. 

 However, reports indicate that there will be a fair logging in some parts 

 of the state. While it is anticipated that operations in the northern 

 part of the lower peninsula wil! be somewhat restricted, a goodly number 

 of ca'mps will operate in the upper peninsula in which are located many 

 of the finest virgin tracts. Several contractors who will cut from 1,000,000 

 to 6.000,000 or more feet of hardwood have already- started their camps. 



There will be a great quantity of hardwood cut in camps which will 

 get out pulpwood and cedar products, for which there is a good strong 

 demand and upon which many camps will center their w-ork. It is neces- 

 sary to cut some hardwood and when owners are logging the lands they 

 will cut all hardwood necessary to get other products rather than go over 

 the land twice. Several companies announce their intention of holding 

 the hardwood logs Just as they are cut and drawn from the woods until 

 the market improves. 



'Wooden Steering Wheel Rims 



The wooden rim is the ideal one for steering wheels, according to The 

 Handle Trade, and it is not only common on automobile and motor trucks 

 but it is being found in use on motor boats and the volume of demand 

 seems to he large enough to make it an interesting item, especially to 

 those working in hickory and ash and those woods that will make rims. 



Steering rims are made of various sizes ranging from eleven to eighteen 

 inches inside diameter ; some are bent and some are made of sawed 

 segments fitted together. Whether bent or sawed the rims must be 

 rounded off and finished, which calls for a special machine. One of the 

 machines used for this work has two sets of jaws or chucks for grip- 

 ping the rims while they are being shaped, one which grips the outside 

 and holds and revolves it while the inside is being shaped and another 

 set which grips the same rim on the inside while the outside is being 

 shaped. 



Steering rims can be made on frizzers or on regulation shaper heads 

 but where one has a quantity of them to make it is better to use ma- 

 chines designed especially for this work just as one would use special 

 machines for shaping bent handles. 



Sawing Oak in England 



It is customary among English mills which saw oak to keep the lumber 

 from each log separate in the yards and kilns. The buyer thus gets the 

 same grain and color, log by log, and can match his cabinet work. The 

 same policy is followed in the United States when finely figured veneers 

 are cut. The product of every log is kept to itself, because the figures 

 match. 



Keystone State Mousetraps 



Manufacturers in Pennsylvania are shown by statistics to be the great- 

 est makers of mousetraps in America. They make many kinds, but those 

 partly of wood are of chief interest. A million and a half feet of lum- 

 ber are required yearly to meet the demand for the little killing machines. 

 One style garrotes the mouse by catching him by the throat with a wire 

 loop, and holding him in a death grip until the last farthing of the 

 penalty is paid ; but another style gets in its work more quickly. A 

 stout wire spring is held down by a baited trigger, and when the unsus- 

 pecting little varmint ventures up for a nibble, the released spring 

 whales hitn across the back, and the deed is done. 



The kinds of wood usually employed in the mousetrap business In 

 Pennsylvania are beech, maple, .vellow poplar, red gum, and white elm. 

 Many other woods will answer as well, but the interesting point is the 

 quantity. A train of seventy-five cars loaded with lumber looks like a 



