■42 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



July 25. 1918 



The old lumber firm of Thos. Matthews & Son, which has had an >in 

 broken existence for more than one hundred years, has been succeeded b> 

 ■Thos. Matthews & Son, Inc., a corporation, of which Harry Thayer has 

 ibeen elected president, with John B. Berger of the Baltimore Cooperag. 

 •Company, as vice-president, and G. R. Proudfoot as secretary. The capital 

 stock is fixed at .$100,000. The company has taken oyer the stock, good 

 will and name, and will occupy the yard at Albemarle and Fleet streets, 

 -under lease. Mr. Thayer is president of the Walterboro (S. C.) Lumber 

 •Company and well known in the trade. 



Joseph B. Nichols and F. Bowie Smith, who had been for years in thi 

 employ of the James Lumber Company of this city, have been enlisted in 

 ■the Vancouver cantonment of the spruce production division of the War 

 Industries Board, and will assist in getting out spruce. They have already 

 left for their destination. 



Oscar L. Lowther, secretary-treasurer of the Glen Elk Lumber Company 

 of Clarksburg, W. Va., and Miss Laura Love were recently married at 

 Newark, O. The bride was instructor in music in the schools at Weston, 

 'W. Va., last year. 



John F. Clark, a brother of James R. Clark, vice-president of the Canton 

 Lumber Company, and Connected with the corporation for the last fifteen 

 years, died July 13 at his home on North Milton avenue. He is survived 

 ,by his wife and tour brothers. 



=-< COLUMBUS >.= 



Elaborate preparations are being made by Columbus lumbermen to al 

 tend the annual outing of the Ohio Association of Retail Lumber Dealers 

 and the Union Association of Lumber, Sash and Door Salesmen which will 

 be held at Cedar Point August 9 and 10. 



Fred J. Bowers, formerly located at Mansfield, as Ohio representative 

 of the Fordice Lumber Company, has taken the position of assistant sales 

 manager of the Kaul Lumber Company of Birmingham, Ala. 



A large crowd of Columbus lumbermen recently held a picnic at Fisbinger 

 Grove, near the Buckeye capital. In all there were about 500 present and 

 the day was spent in games, contests and in an old fashioned picnic dinner. 

 Automobiles and motor trucks were used to transport the lumbermen to 

 the outing. Tlic arrangements were made by Secretary Marshall of the 

 Columbus Lumbermen's Club. 



George H. Harlow, formerly with the W. L. Whitacre Lumber Company, 

 has enlisted in the navy and is now undergoing training at the Great 

 Lakes training school, Chicago. 



R. E. Sweigart, who was employed by the Brasher Lumber Company, 

 is another of the younger set of lumbermen to heed the call of his country 

 and is now at Camp Sherman, Chillicotbe, O. 



The Cherry Lumber Company, Cincinnati, O., has recently completed 

 the installation of a large battery of dry kilns at St. Bernard, and has 

 inaugurated a commercial drying service for the trade. The many advan- 

 tages of such a trade service at Cincinnati are easily recognized, as this 

 city is the great gateway for shipments from southern mills to all northern 

 points, and freight rates upon such shipments are based upon this gate- 

 way. 



The John Rempe Lumber Company, Cincinnati, has been incorporated 

 with a capital of $15,000 to deal in lumber. The incorporators are John 

 Rempe, George A. Lang, R. Ruzicka, Gussie Slarcuson and Wm. R. Collins. 



Earl H. Streip, formerly manager of the Sherwood Lumber Company. 

 Sherwood, O., is now in training with the 158th Depot Brigade at Camp 

 Sherman. 



R. W. Horton of the W. M. Ritter Lumber Company, reports a good 

 demand for hardwoods, mostly from the factory trade. Dealers are also 

 buying in limited quantities but concerns making boxes and implements 

 are the best customers. Prices are firm. Shipments are interfered with 

 because of the car shortage and embargoes. 



J. A. Ford of the Imperial Lumber Company says there is a good de- 

 mand for West Virginia hardwoods with prices ruling high in every re- 

 spect. 



-■<, CLEVELAND^-- 



Measures to promote house building in this city, a move that will be of 

 vital importance to the hardwood industry particularly and the lumber 

 trade generally, were started this week when the Cleveland Chamber of 

 Commerce decided to ask President Wilson directly for $2,000,000 appro- 

 priation for this purpose. Hardwood interests are especially interested, be- 

 cause if the plan goes through there will be excellent chance for big 

 outlet of low-grade hardwoods, which have been increasing in supply bore 

 since the housing projects of the city have been cut to about half oj last 

 year. 



The argument that will be put up by the chamber is that insufflcient 

 housing and poor car service are hampering war production. The request 

 will follow the completion of a housing survey, about the end of July. 

 The survey thus far has proved that workers are the principal sufferers 

 from rent profiteers here, and that about one-sixth of the workers waste 

 two hours a day riding on the cars because they can't find housing nearer 

 their work. The plan will include suggestion for the government to do 

 this housing project direct, and not through loans, as originally intended. 



That some such means must be adopted if war production is to be kept 



up is indicated by a recent survey of the finances of the city, as affecting 

 house building by the Cleveland board of lumber dealers. According to 

 J. V. O'Brien, secretary of the board, "danks cannot lend money, for fear 

 they will be called uiJon to make up Cleveland's quota in the next Liberty 

 Loan drive if the people do not subscribe. Also, it is learned that while 

 some building loan associations show increases, most of them do not average 

 the normal deposits, showing that money had been drawn or held out for 

 the government's needs by the peoi^le. Further illustration of the condi- 

 tions here, and reflecting directly upon the lumber trade, is the falling off 

 in building permits. The first five months of this year are only about 10 

 per cent below those of the same period a year ago, but the dearth of 

 operations in June and July will show a great slump. 



Some confusion has resulted in the hardwood trade here following the 

 announcement that the Cleveland offices of the aircraft production board 

 are to be removed to Washington, to save costs and complications in 

 handling data. The offices were established here in February. Lieut. Col. 

 C. W. Mixter, chief of the production board, ordered the change, it was an- 

 nounced here. Cleveland branch of the Dayton headquarters inspection 

 board will be retained here. 



Joseph Sloane. formerly a Cleveland wooden ship architect, has removed 

 to Seattle, Wash., where he has contracts for sixteen vessels. 



J. A. Walton of the G. H. Foote Lumber Company has resigned to help 

 organize the B. & W. Tool Company. The plant will be located in Cleve- 

 land. Mr. Walton's successor will be appointed later. 



==-< INDIANAPOLIS > 



The Bassett Lumber Company of Orleans. Ind., last week bought from 

 a farm near Salem, what is said to be the largest poplar tree in Indiana. 

 The tree is 30 feet in circumference at the base and measures 13i,4 feet 

 in circumference just below the first limb which is 72 feet above the 

 ground. The tree has been for many years one of the landmarks in 

 Wasliington county and every year hundreds of people have gone out to 

 the farm to look at it. Experienced timber men estimate that it will 

 cut from 12,000 to 13,000 feet. It is understood that more than $700 

 was paid for the tree. 



The Seymour Furniture Company, Seymour, last week received an 

 order for $8,000 worth of its products from a firm in Glasgow, Scotland. 

 F. L. Iluntoon, general manager of the company, recently returned from 

 Grand Rapids where he attended a furniture exhibit. The export order 

 just received is the largest that the company has ever booked. 



The Connersville Furniture Company, Connersville, which is engaged 

 in manufacturing ammunition cases for the government last week em- 

 ployed a guard of four men to be stationed around a huge lumber pile 

 which provides the material for the company's present work. The guards 

 will be on duty at night as long as the company is filling government 

 orders. 



=■< EVANSVILLE >-= 



Manufacturers of Evansville are fast joining the Evansville division 

 of the Cincinnati war contract regional that was organized here on June 

 28 and_ among the members are to be found many hardwood lumber manu- 

 facturers, retail lumber dealers, planing mill owners and manufacturers 

 of wood-consuming lines. Daniel Wertz of Maley & Wertz has been ap- 

 pointed on the committee to get new members in Evansville and Vanderburg 

 county. He reports that most of the manufacturers are anxious to become 

 members, as they see great possibilities in the organization. The value 

 of the manufacturing plants in the thirteen counties in southern Indiana 

 and twenty-five counties in western and northern Kentucky that comprise 

 the Evansville division is placed at $40,000,000. Under the regional plan 

 it is expected that the manufacturers of the tri-state territory will get 

 their share of the war contracts in the future. 



Planing mills in Evansville and southern Indiana towns are doing little 

 business, this being the dullest summer in many years. Some repair work 

 is being done, but practically no new business is reported. Building opera- 

 tions in Evansville for the summer are tar below normal and there is no 

 indication that they will Increase as the summer progresses. Planing mills 

 in the country towns near here say they are doing little but that their 

 operating expense goes on just the same. Sash and door men say trade is 

 off and see little encouragement in the near future. 



J. B. Henn, aged sixty years, secretary and general manager of the Peer- 

 less Tank and Seat Company, died at his home here on Wednesday, July 

 17, after a brief illness. He was one of the best-known manufacturers of- 



the city and for many years had been one of the leading membei's of St. 



Paul's German Evangelical church. He is survived by a family. 



J. E. May has purchased the wagon factory of S. L. Dodds at Hickman, 



Ky., and after making certain improvements will operate the plant. The 



consideration was not made public. 



Fire recently destroyed one of the dry kilns at the plant of the Peerless 



Tank and Seat Company at Evansville. Considerable oak lumber was 



burned. The loss is placed at about $15,000 with part insurance. By 



hard work the firemen saved several million feet of oak lumber that was 



in other kilns. It is believed that the fire was started by unknown men 



who had been sleeping in the kilns at night. 



John H. Rohsenberger, manager of the Buehner Chair Company, this 



city, and field secretary of the National Rivers' and Harbors' Congress, 



