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Brazilian Hardwoods 



There is no country in tlie world which has as great a variety of 

 hardwoods as Brazil, and while former governments of that country 

 seemed to do all in their power to prevent not only foreigners but 

 also their own citizens from utilizing them, the present one, under 

 Dr. Pecanha, is doing quite the reverse. Several commissions from 

 Europe have recently been in Brazil to study conditions and oppor- 

 tunities. As a result many important companies for exploiting the 

 riches of the country have been formed. A long time ago the atten- 

 tion of capitalists was drawn to the chance of securing good divi- 

 dends by exporting the Brazilian woods, which, as commissions have 

 reported, exceed in riches, quality, variety of color and application, 

 those of all other countries. 



While for a long time Europe has been getting mahogany, palis- 

 ander, jakaranda and some other kinds of hardwoods from that 

 country, now there is a company which will send along everything 

 that is likely to be of use in Europe — the Sudamenkanische Handels- 

 Gesellschaft, with its headquarters in Prankfurt-on-the-Main, and a 

 Dranch office in Rio de Janeiro. This concern has gotten hold of the 

 most important concessions that have ever been given in South 

 America. 



The greater part of Brazil is covered with virgin forest. Although 

 this land, which has had a world monopoly in coffee, cacao and India 

 rubber, has supplied all the European demands in these lines, the 

 Portuguese residents have prevented the export of the hardwoods. 



The new system, however, works on the plan of cutting down the 

 forests, sending the best hardwoods abroad, and then utilizing the 

 wonderful humus soil for India-rubber planting, which at present 

 pays better than any other culture. For this purpose, very large 

 districts have been opened up, roads buUt, transportation facilities 

 furnished, and rope railways constructed. Soon the products of the 

 exploitation will be appearing in European ports. 



Of the various kinds of woods which are suited for foreign manu- 

 facture, etc., there are over one hundred. Of these about forty or 

 fifty will be sent to Europe this year. Among them are several 

 which are suitable for carriage and car manufacture, parquet floor- 

 ing, furniture-making, house and shipbuilding, the manufacture of 

 musical instruments, and other purposes where either especially heavy 

 or especially light woods are desirable or necessary. 



That the woods of Brazil are so different in quality is the won- 

 derful part about them. There are kinds of laurel and myrtle which 

 have countless uses; there are some that have the softest and others 

 with the most fiery colors. Tliere are still others which with extraor- 

 dinary lightness of weight combine resistance to wind and w-eather. 

 Some smell, when cut, like amber, roses and violets; some may be 

 ground up to make essences; and finally, there are dye-woods of 

 wonderful character. Another group yields medicinal remedies. 



It remains to be seen what influence this exploitation will have 

 on the European and American markets. Egbert Grimshaw. 



V;!H'«\";M»->iia^m;itsm:>tTO^>^i^^^'^>'iWi^^ 



Tales of the Trade 



" STRETCHING" HIS HITS 



Recently a number uf loading lumbermen in the Lumber Exchange 

 at Minneapolis formed a baseball club for the purpose of trimming 

 all would-be ball players outside of the lumber fraternity. 



One of the prominent members of the team is Walter Joyce of the 

 Joyce-Connor Company, and the other members of the team are 

 chuckling in glee over "Walter's" attempts to slide to second. 



It seems that on several occasions he reached first base unharmed, 

 and while the opposing pitcher was winding himself up for delivery 

 of the ball Mr. Joyce got a good lead and started for second under 

 a full head of steam. In attempting to slide he started too soon. 

 and it is said, stopped some eight or ten feet short of the base, and 

 had to crawl the balance of the way. 



It was told the writer on very good authority, that Mr. Joyce is 

 now practicing with weights, stretching machines, etc., in order to 

 lengthen himself and has discontinued the use of the elevator in the 

 Lumber Exchange, preferring to slide down the banisters for prac- 

 tice, and as his office is located on the eighth floor, he has never 

 failed yet to land at the bottom, even with his foot on the clutch and 

 all brakes set. 



ROUGH SLIDING 



Some time ago, when on a business trip to a prominent city, John 

 M. Pritchard of Memphis, discovered that a friend who accompanied 

 him had lost a trunk strap. In the goodness of his great heart 

 Mr. Pritchard volunteered to go down to the baggage room to get 

 one, and stepping back to turn around, struck the yawning mouth 

 of the open trunk chute leading to the baggage room on the floor 

 below. In the twinkling of an eye he found himself in the latter 

 place and without hesitation turned to the big Swede official and 

 remarked : "I came down for a rope. ' ' 



"Ay see you did," said the baggageman, and proceeded to supply 

 the desired article. 



John states that neither cracked a smile and that apparently the 

 Swede did not notice the suddenness of his appearance. In fact, he 

 thinks the entire matter passed off gracefully, after he "lit." 



If you desire to see him involuntarily roach for slivers in his 

 match scratcher, ask him for a trunk strap. 



—42— 



TEAM WORK SOLD THE COW 



W. H. Sill of the Minneapolis Lumber Company puts in his spare 

 time on a small farm near his home town of Minneapolis. His 

 partner, P. E. Hamilton, states that not long ago Mr. Sill, while 

 down in Wisconsin purchasing a cow, heard the farmer's wife call 

 out of the window "Don't sell old Pail Pull." This arousing his 

 curiosity, the farmer explained that she was a pet belonging to his 

 wife, who was always afraid that he would sell her. Mr. Sill states 

 that she was a fine looking creature (we mean the cow) and he made 

 up his mind at once that "Old Pail Full" must be his — in fact he 

 paid a bonus to get her. 



Mr. Hamilton further states that she will probably be old before 

 she gives a pail full, and thinks the farmer's wife was honest in 

 applying the name mentioned. 



Mr. Sill is also quite a chicken fancier. Several years ago he set 

 an incubator with 350 eggs and soon found himself the proud father 

 of one chicken. The next year he set it again, securing twin chicks 

 this time, and claims that any one ought to be satisfied with 100% 

 increase on the second year. 



He now buys his chickens hatched to order, believing that it is 

 cheaper in the long run, w-ith less strenuous parental anxiety attached. 

 "GIGGLES" 



The writer of a number of anecdotes which have appeared in 

 ' ' Tales of the Trade, ' ' much to his surprise read in a late issue of 

 Hardwood Eecord a story published about himself. He immediately 

 suspected one of his previous victims and wrote to the publishers, 

 asking them to extend to the perpetrator his compliments for the 

 said atrocity. It later developed that his own stenographer, think- 

 ing it was about time to put a crimp in him, evolved this gem by 

 the aid of her vivid imagination. She states that she had the time 

 of her life while the above mentioned letter to the publisher was 

 being dictated to her. 



The victim of this hideous joke now recalls noticing a somewhat 

 unusual spasm while the lady was transcribing the letter, but thought 

 nothing special of it at the time and put it down as merely a 

 feminine giggling spell, but we all learn sooner or later that there 

 may be unknown to us, a serpent in our midst. 



