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Builders of Lumber History 



NUMBER CXIX 

 FREDERICK J. KXJNY 



I See Portrait 



In the annals of American lumber history the names of quite a 

 number of foreign born men appear prominently as leaders in 

 this — one of America's most important industries. In a great num- 

 ber of instances are found men who came to this country- without 

 any previous experience in the lumber business, who have built 

 for themselves reputations which might well be envied by a great 

 many of our native born industrial leaders. Prominent among 

 these is Frederick J. Kuny of the 'Williamson-Kuny Mill & Lum- 

 ber Company of Mound City, 111. 



Mr. Kuny was born in Muellheim Baden, Germany, at the foot 

 of the Blaek Forests, near the Eiver Ehine, and his early life was 

 passed in the regular routine of happy school-boy existence. He 

 came from fairly well-to-do parents, his father being a cooper, 

 farmer and winegrower, and living in a town of some five thou- 

 sand inhabitants. Mr. Kuny says that one of the predominant 

 characteristics of his parents, as is a trait of a great many of the 

 old Germans, was their thrift, and this trait has certainly been 

 handed down from father to son, as is well illustrated in the suc- 

 cess of Mr. Kuny in his various enterprises. 



Between the ages of six and nine the subject of this story at- 

 tended the public schools, going through the various departments, 

 corresponding with the graded schools of this country. The next 

 six years of his school life were spent in what is known in Ger- 

 many as college or gymnasium, which is really a preparatory high 

 school to the German universities. He also had a touch of mili- 

 tary life. 



After his graduation from school life Mr. Kuny concluded to 

 enter upon a commercial career, contrary to the wishes of his 

 parents, who wanted him to finally matriculate into one of the 

 universities of Germany and study philology, or in other words, 

 finally become a professor of languages. This, however, was too 

 slow for the young German. 



As is the usual course among the well-to-do people in Germany, 

 in the event of a son deciding upon a commercial life, he was 

 first apprenticed to a merchant, and this kind of tuition not suit- 

 ing him particularly, it was mapped out to send him to France and 

 other European countries to learn the languages, at the same time 

 learning the science of commerce. Mr. Kuny followed this routine 

 at first in a large watch factory and export house in French 

 Switzerland at La Chaux de Ford, in the capacity of volunteer, 

 which would correspond to a business apprenticeship. While in 

 this capacity he absorbed a great deal of business knowledge, as 

 well as picking up a thorough knowledge of the French language. 

 He stayed here four years. On account of his efficiency, the 

 louse concluded to send him to England to continue in one of 

 their branches, which change was a further part of the scheme of 

 his education, but Mr. Kuny decided that he would first serve 

 his term in the German army and then make his trip to England. 

 He was located at Munich, Bavaria. After having served his reg- 

 ular course of military life as one year volunteer, (Einjaehrig-Frei- 

 williger) he changed his plans and instead of going to England, 

 came directly to the United States at the age of twenty-one. His 

 idea was to attain a knowledge of commercial English and at the 

 same time get in touch with the commercial situation in this 

 country, with a view of returning to German}' in the capacity of 

 foreign correspondent for the watch company. Mr. Kuny had an 

 uncle at Decatur, HI., and went directly to that place. Here he 

 attended, as a first move, the Br3'ant & Stratton business college. 



His first employment was as a general utility man in a soda 

 water manufacturing establishment, which was quickly followed by 

 entering as a clerk in a plumbing and steam fitting supply house at 

 Decatur, 111. Here it was not long before he had worked up to the 

 position of buyer and assistant manager. He served in this ca- 



Supplemenl) 



paeity for several years, and then went to St. Louis, engaging 

 with the X. O. Nelson Manufacturing Company as road salesman. 

 In this new place, however, he was started as bill clerk, and even- 

 tually attained the position of special employe in charge of in- 

 troducing in all the branches an automatic cost figuring system. 

 This system he had worked out in the course of two years, when he 

 turned it over complete to his successor. At this period the house 

 sent him to Mound City, HI. where, in six months, he was asked 

 to take charge of the National Pump Company's plant, a branch 

 of the St. Louis house. This plant manufactured wooden pumps 

 made of poplar, and also did a general lumber business. Thus Mr. 

 Kuny made his first break into the lumber game. 



Mr. Kuny remained in this capacity for several years, until the 

 Pump company burned out, and then left its employ to go into the 

 lumber business for himself in Cairo, HI., in 1901. In 1903 he con- 

 solidated with A. \V. "Williamson in Mound City, 111., which is with- 

 in a few miles of Cairo, 111., on the Ohio river, at which locality 

 these gentlemen have been operating ever since, as the William- 

 son-Kuny Mill & Lumber Company. 



This concern started originally equipped with a circular mill, 

 which, however, was immediately changed to the modem band mill. 

 In the first year of its existence the company cut a general line 

 of hardwood lumber, and at the date of its incorporation owned 

 one thousand acres of stumpage. To this it has added since. The 

 original policy of the company was to manufacture only rough 

 lumber for the general market. It soon became necessary to ex- 

 tend the yards by buying additional property, and in the course 

 of a short time the buildings were extended by adding onto the 

 sawmill, a sorting and grading chains system, with platforms and 

 tables. It was not long, however, before the company decided 

 to go into the veneer manufacturing business as well, and with 

 this in view it added another building in which to saw oak veneers. 

 This building is now equipped with three veneer saws, dry-kiln, 

 and assorting and storing house. The next step in the development 

 of the plant was the erection of a planing mill and warehouse for 

 such stock as finished flooring, siding and finished lumber in gum, 

 poplar and c^'press, principally. Before this time a retail depart- 

 ment had been installed, and this new building, with added space, 

 was partly utilized to furnish the retail trade, and partly to take 

 care of the wholesale business in this line. Most of the wholesale 

 trade in this production has been in Illinois and Indiana, and the 

 retail business extends to the counties of Pulaski, Alexander and 

 Johnson. The wholesale business in finished mill products was 

 gradually abandoned as not sufficiently profitable. The problem of 

 proper utilization of offal, such as slabs and edgings, came up 

 for discussion, and it was decided to install machinery for the 

 manufacture of this stuff into dimension stock, crating, furniture 

 and refrigerator stock. 



As it stands today, the plant of Williamson-Kuny Mill & Lumber 

 Company contains fifty thousand square feet of floor space, under 

 roof, and the plant and yards cover about fifteen acres, on the 

 river front. Of recent years the general business has been de- 

 partmentized into different branches — wholesale, retail, dimension 

 stock and veneers, all thoroughly audited, to discover leaks and to 

 find out which department makes the comparatively best showing. 

 All of these departments have run without interruption since their 

 organization. In fact, no part of the company's business has ever 

 stopped since its incorporation, for any reason whatsoever. 



This company is one of the few concerns in the lumber business 

 which passed through the panic of 1907, and the following pre- 

 carious months, without any material effect on its sales or profits, 

 or the least eft'ect on its financial status. A full force has been 

 maintained at all times. 



