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HARDWOOD RECORD 



43 



New Source of Alcohol 



The cactus which overruns much of tho fioutliwest part of the United 

 States, has been found to possess vulue as a source of alcohol for In- 

 dustrial purposes. The secret was loarueU from Mexicans who have long 

 known huw to distil alcohol from this despised plant, though they have 

 none but the crudest stills. There Is no practical limit to the resources 

 of cactus which can be had, If the alcohol Industry proves practicable. 

 The country Is covered with It for hundreds uf miles, and It has never 

 been regarded as other than a nuisance, though some success has been 

 attained In burning off the spines of the devil tongue cactus and using 

 the pulpy residue for cattle feed. Botanlcally, cactus Is a hardwood, but 

 only a few of the many species produce wood suitable for use. One large 

 cactus has "ribs" which Arizona ranchers use ns rafters for bouses. 



How to Get Hickory 



It Is quite generally understood that there Is no shortage of hickory 

 timber In the woods to meet any demand that may be made upon the sup- 

 ply In the Immediate future; but the logs coming out of the woods are 

 not always as abundant as they might be. A recent Issue of Wood Turning 

 had the following to say on the subject : 



About the best way for those who arc In urgent need of hickory for 

 handles these days to get It Is to go out and buy tracts of timber, send 

 their own men, cut the hickory and bring It to market. 



It used to be that those wanting hickory could get It brought to them 

 at concentrating points, and have It shippcil Into the city by sending 

 out buyers and circulating the Information that they were In the market 

 for certain kinds of hickory. It took sonic time and some explaining to 

 get the farmers Instructed In just how to get out what was wanted, but 

 this was the way of getting It In the olden days. 



Today some farmers and some country people still get out a Uttlc 

 hickory In the winter time, but the man who depends upon this source 

 of supply entirely will do a small uncertain and unsatisfactory volume of 

 business. The way to get hickory now Is to go after It, take cortablc plants 

 and go Into the woods, or buy tracts and send wood crews to cut the tim- 

 ber, haul It to the railroads and ship It in. 



Putting Goats to Work 

 Goats eat other things than tin cans, otherwise the Forest Service 

 would not have hired a thousaml of these animals to keep down the 

 weeds and brush that persist In growing In the lire lanes which cross 

 forest tracts. Unless the growth Is kept from taking possession of the 

 lanes, the lanes will do no good In carrying out flre-flghtlng plans. Owing 

 to the scarcity of labor. It has been found Impossible to keep the lanes 

 clear by the use of men and scythes, hence the goats have been called 

 upon to do the work. These animals have appetites which do not balk 

 any sort of vegetation from wintergreen to blue cohosh, and while they 

 are keeping the fire lanes clean, they will grow In value by increasing 

 the meat and wool supply. The experiment will be made in the Angeles 

 forest In southern California, where the lanes are fifty feet wide and have 

 an aggregate length of thlrty-flve miles. Heretofore it has cost the gov- 

 ernment $5,000 a year to keep the lanes clean, and the goats will do It 

 for twenty dollars a month. That Is the rent paid for their services. The 

 owner gets that in cash and free pasture for his herd. 



Will Cut California Hardwood 



California lumbermen have been so intent on cutting pine and redwood 

 that they have never bothered much with hardwoods ; but the demand 

 for excelsior and crates and boxes has awakened up the people and a 

 company has been Intfrested In cutting the sycamore and Cottonwood 

 that grow along the Sacramento river and some of Its tributaries, and 

 work has already commenced. The mill will be located at Sacramento, and 

 It Is proposed to raft the logs down the river to that point, and some of 

 the rafts have successfully made the trip. Rafting logs Is a new business 

 on that stream, and one of the disadvantages that must be contended with 

 Is the habit of the river to reach flood stages quickly and then fall to very 

 low levels. The rafters will have to regulate their movements to conform 

 to the river's erratic habits. 



The Cottonwood and sycamore timber does not occur in extensive forests, 

 but appears as fringes along the streams and adjacent to ranches. The 

 company has secured options on 50,000,000 feet, and that will probably 

 constitute the largest hardwood operation In Calitofnia. Large quantities 

 of oak may be had In the same region, but It is not stated that the com- 

 pany intends to cut it. 



Hardwood 'News Notes 



< MISCELLANEOUS >= 



The death Is announced of E. B. ■Williams, president of the 

 Box Company, the Ascension Red Cypress Company and of the Southern 

 Saw Mill Company, all Xew Orleans, La., concerns. 



The Weber & Damme Wagon Company, St. Louis, Mo., recently suffered 

 a loss by fire. 



The Southern Seating & Cabinet Company, Jackson, Tenn., has been 

 sncooeded by the Saunders Manufacturing Company. 



The style of the Federal Building Finish Company, Boston, Mass., has 

 lu-.u changed to that of the Federal Furniture Company. 



At Newark, N. J., the HubachBalley Lumber Company has succeeded 

 the Hardwood Sales Company. 



Recent Maine Incorporations are the Bangor Brewer Shipbuilding Com- 

 pany, Bangor, and the Mnchlas Shipbuilding Company, Machlas, and among 

 the New York recent incorporations are the Johnson Shlpl)ulldlug Repair 

 & Dry Dock Company, Brooklyn, and the Canipbcll-.MacLaurlu Lumber 

 Company, New York. 



A receiver has been appointed for the Buckeye Incubator Company, 

 Springfield, O. 



The Alexander Cedar Company has succeeded Alexander & Dies Com- 

 pany at Nashville, Tenn. 



The capital stock of the McEwen Lumber Company, .\shevllle, N. C„ 

 Is now $100,000, It having been Increased to that figure recently. 



.•\t Ozark, .\rk., the Deal Wagon & Manufacturing Company has been 

 Incorporated at $15,0(10, Other Incorporations arc the Lumber & Veneer 

 Company, Alum, N, C, and the Shell Bank Shipbuilding Company, Inc., 

 Mobile, ^Ua. 



< CHICAGO >-- 



Garrett E, Lamb of the Lamb-Fish Lumber Company passed through 

 Chicago with Mrs. Lamb this week on his way south to the company's 

 operations at Charleston, Miss. 



I. A. MInnIck, president of the National Dry Klin Company, Indian- 

 apolis, Ind., went through the city last Wednesday on his way to Minocqua, 

 Wis., where he is opening up his summer cottage. 



Roy H. Jones, manager of the Washington offlce of the Northern Hard- 

 wood Emergency Bureau, spent two days of the past week In Chicago in 

 conference with members of the bureau on Important matters coming up 

 in connection with government business. The bureau has been very suc- 

 cessful in getting orders for members of the northern trade and now is 

 paying particular attention to markets for hemlock. 



Prominent hardwood lumbermen attending the vehicle conference in 

 Chicago last Saturday were R. L. Jurden, J. M. Pritchard, S. M. Nlckey, 

 J. W. McClure and James E. Stark, all of Memphis, Tenn. 



Among well-known harilwood men who attended the stirring war session 

 of the National Lumber Manufacturers' Association in Chicago during the 

 past week were : A. L. Osborn, Oshkosh, Wis. ; M. J. Fox, Iron Mountain, 

 Mich. ; J. T. Phillips. Green Bay, Wis. ; C. A. Goodman, Marinette, Wis. ; 

 E. O. Robinson and F. R. Gadd of Cincinnati, O. ; O. T. Swan, Oshkosh: 

 T. Hanson, Grayling, Mich. ; F. T. Abbott, J. C. Knox and Henry Ballou of 

 Cadillac. Mich. ; Roy McQuillan of Antlgo, Wis. ; W. C. Hull. Tupper Lake, 

 N. 1". : George H. Chapman, Stanley ; J. H. Himmelberger, Cape Girardeau, 

 Mo., and Mr. Martin of Boyne City, Mich. ; Mr. Moore, Fond du Lac ; F. J. 

 Darke, Odanah, Wis. : W. A. Holt, Oconto ; George Foster, Mellen, Wis. 



The Lumbermen's Association of Chicago held a general meeting of 

 great Interest at the association rooms on Wednesday noon. May 22, in 

 connection with the regular luncheon. The gathering was of a patriotic 

 nature and was well attended. 



The Harmony Company, Chicago, has increased its capital from $100,000 

 to .$150,000. 



A creditors' committee has been appointed for the Forest City Fur- 

 niture Company, Rockford. 111. 



John J. Cummlngs, president of the McGuIre-Cummings Manufacturing 

 Company, city, died recently. 



A change In stockholders is announced for the 3. C. Deacon Company, 

 city. 



The capital stock of the National Box Company has been Increased to 

 $500,000 from $200,000. 



E. F. Karnilr.- c.f tlio Sw.iln-Karmlrc Lumber Company, Fulton, Ky., 

 spent a f.w .1 : ' i - and other northern points looking over the 



funiiiiir Ti sales and says there is really an Improve- 



mei 



tradi 



Walter Al l.Mown lumberman of Wausau, Wis., with 



interests In all proilu' ii]-- territories, was in Chicago this week to meet 

 his brother, John Alexander of the Alexander Lumber Company, .\urora, 

 and particularly to attend the sale of fancy bred cattle at the Meeker 

 farms in Lake Forest, Incidentally talking lumber. John .\lexander in 

 speaking of the retail trade said In the farm sections business is very 

 good, but in the other towns the same Clement that retards business In 

 the cities prevails. 



Frank F. Fish of the National Hardwood Lumber Association spent a 

 day in Buffalo last week In conference with John M. Woods, who then 

 came on to the Boston meeting. The president is addressing the mem- 

 bers of the National association on the prnpo^. d ( .■ns'>!ldatlon of the hard- 

 wood lumber association Interests of lli' ' i - 



A. C. Quixley of the Qulxley Luni' her building, left 



the end of last week for a week's bviv n iisin points. Jlr, 



Qulxley Is a keen optimist regarding (li -^situation. 



F. W. Roedter. formerly of Chicago and now witli the James R. Andrews 

 Lumber Company of Eseanaba, Mich., spent a week in the city since the 

 last Issue. Mr. Bader explained that the company Is now busy lining up 

 cargoes for the seven big lake steamers owned by his company. The 

 lumber end is proceeding very satisfactorily and the big Job now is to put 

 the company's big fleet on a profitable schedule. 



=-< BUFFALO >•- 



A good deal of Interest Is expressed Id the approaching convention of 

 the National Hardwood Lumber Association In Chicago, and it is said 



