HARDWOOD RECORD 



perity, that the prosperity of our business men contributes more than 

 anything else, perhaps, to the .general prosperity of this country. 



Mr. Vanderlip, president of the National City Bank of New York, 

 in a recent address before students of the Carnegie Institute, said, 

 "Success consists in doing two days' work in one day; first, the 

 work you have to do, and then sitting down, studying conditions and 

 keeping in touch with things. ' ' 



Robert Ingersoll said, ' ' Lincoln 's greatness was due to the fact that 

 he kept step with events." 



You and I know that we must know as much about political economy 

 and the things that are good for the business man as the average 



workman, who can sit down and talk political economy and do it 

 quite intelligently. He is quite a student, although unhappily only 

 on one side of most important subjects. We must try to start a course 

 of counter-education ; give the people enlightened intelligence on 

 these subjects and let them understand that the greatest wrong that 

 can be inflicted upon a nation lies in the injustice of the judgment 

 of the masses of the people. So the new patriotism calls to you and 

 to me, to all of us, not to make an extra dollar more than we are 

 entitled to, in addition to what we already have, but to protect the 

 dollars you have already made, because you are American citizens, and 

 the permanence and stability of this country, the existence of its insti- 

 tutions rest upon your shoulders. 



^cro2i:zm^a^.m!>5m:mtm!;i(»rom!Mim3^^ 



Chicago a Picture Frame Center 



It is not generally known that more than half of the picture frame 

 molding manufactured in the United States is made in Chicago. This 

 holds true after excluding several million feet of fancy molding which 

 is usually listed as frame material but is really used as decorations 

 for fine cabinets and store fixtures. The whole state of New York 

 •does not produce one-fifth as much frame stock as Chicago, though 

 the claim was recently published that New York leads every other 

 state in this industry. 



The annual consimiption of picture frame wood in Chicago amounts 

 to 39,943,250 feet, according to statistics compiled by Roger E. 

 Simmons of the United States Forest Service, and published by the 

 University of Illinois. Thirty firms are engaged in the manufacture 

 of this commodity. The woods used, the annual amounts, and the 

 average cost of each delivered at the factories, are given in the fol- 

 lowing table: 



Feet, B. M.. .\ve. cost per M 



Wood used annually at factories 



Basswood 13,300,000 $ 34.32 



White oak 6,377,000 42.03 



Red gum 5,125,000 24.16 



Red oak 3,683,000 36.84 



White pine 3,631,000 19.21 



Longleat pine 3,060,000 27.30 



Sweet birch 1,957,000 27.22 



Shortleaf pine 1,037,000 26.01 



Chestnut 685,000 36.84 



Norway pine 600,000 31.67 



Post oak 150,000 37.50 



Black ash 110,000 38.55 



Cypress 55,000 41.36 



Yellow poplar '. 44,000 36.61 



Mahogany 43,000 140.58 



Sycamore 30.000 29.17 



Sugar maple 13,000 38.46 



Black walnut 13,000 69.23 



Cherry 10,000 35.00 



Hickory 10,000 50.00 



White elm .5.000 40.00 



Rosewood 1,670 300.00 



Ebony 1,330 420.00 



Snakewood 1,250 575.00 



Cocuswood 1,000 275.00 



Total 39,943,250 $32.22 



Basswood 's Place 



The preeminent position of basswood in this industry is seen at a 

 glance. No other two woods equal it in quantity, and it amounts to 

 one-third of all. Yet one seldom recognizes basswood in a picture 

 frame, unless the reverse side is carefully examined. The reason is, 

 this wood is seldom finished naturally. It has no figure, no grain, 

 no color to attract, or to give it contrast, and it is never made into 

 picture frames for beauty's sake, as oak, birch, and cherry are. Its 

 merits are of a different kind, and it possesses desirable qualities, or 

 it would not be in such demand. 



The value of basswood as frame material lies in its smoothness of 

 finish, and the perfect way in which it holds enamel, gilt, gold, and 

 other overlays. The majority of frames show no natural wood. 



and basswood does so only in the rarest instances. It may be cov- 

 ered faultlessly with gold leaf, or with any other foil, or with 

 enamel. The wood does not warp or cheek, consequently finishes 

 remain a long time in excellent condition. 



Other Smooth Woods 



When gold leaf or other overlays are used, the wood must possess 

 a smooth finish, or the finest work may be marred by rough places. 

 It is equally essential that no resin exude from the wood, or an un- 

 sightly blister will result. Others than basswood are satisfactory and 

 in extensive use where enamels or other finishes are to be employed. 

 Yellow poplar is excellent, soft maple is particularly liked for white 

 enamel work, buckeye is employed in some places though not in 

 Chicago, and white pine is often covered with gold leaf as well as 

 with enamels. 



Eed gum deserves to be classed with the smooth f ramewoods, and is 

 rapidly becoming a close competitor of basswood in this line. It was 

 formerly unpopular because of seasoning difficulties, but improved 

 dry kiln methods have removed most of these and have made red 

 gum a favorite with many frame makers. The wood is finished in 

 natiiral colors also, and likewise in imitation of a number of other 

 woods. It has handsome color and attractive figure of its own. 

 Figured Woods 



Certain woods are always, or nearly always, shown in their natural 

 grain or figure. They are attractive, and no useful purpose would be 

 accomplished by concealing them beneath overlays or paints. Oak 

 heads this list. Nature has enriched this wood with a double set of 

 figures, in addition to pleasing colors. One set of figures is due to the 

 rings of yearly growth when the wood is sawed flat or plain ; the other 

 set is the product of medullary rays and is brought out by quarter 

 sawiAg. The picture frame manufacturer makes the most of both 

 kinds of figures, and he does not conceal them under any kind of 

 finish. He may deepen and accentuate them by the application of 

 stains and fillers. 



Chestnut, ash and sycamore ai-e in the class with oak as regards 

 figure, and when these woods are made into frames they are gen- 

 erally finished naturally. Figured maple receives the same treatment, 

 and figured birch also. It would be foolish to conceal the color and 

 figure of black walnut, and no frame maker does it; but this wood 

 is not used in large quantities by the industry. It is too dark for 

 frames, except those intended for particular places and in certain 

 kinds of Mght. 



Foreign Woods 



Five foreign woods ai-e listed in Chicago by the picture frame in- 

 dustry, aggregating a total of 48,250 feet a year. According to 

 quantity, they range as follows: Mahogany, rosewood, ebony, snake- 

 wood and cocuswood. These are aU finely colored, though all are 

 not figured, but some of them are. Mahogany is so well known, both 

 by sight and by reputation, that no description is necessary. The 

 chief difficulty with most people is to distinguish true mahogany from 

 some of its substitutes or imitations, which are many and are skill- 

 fully handled. 



