HARDWOOD RECORD 



35 



wholesale concern in Cincinnati had the output of a mill in Ken- 

 tucky and had on hand nearlj' a half-million feet of l"s5" poplar 

 bevel-siding. It seems that this particular size is a slow-mover and 

 this accumulation lay around for over a year. Then the concern 

 got up a specific description and put out nearly a thousand letters 

 to wholesalers in the Middle West and also the eastern states. \Mien 

 the returns were all in it found that it had sold the stock almost twice 

 over so that it had to make more of this size. The concern made 

 money on the stock, moved it, and gained some new trade. The same 

 thing can be done with the wholesale trade. 



Millmen without a separate and modern sales department can not 

 keep in proper touch with either the specific requirements or the line 

 of credit that should be extended to consumers. A recent failure in 

 the East proved that. Very few local wholesalers were in this failure; 

 those that were sustained but small losses. The large creditors were 

 mil] operators in far off places. Had the millmen been closely in 

 touch with this concern and knew its methods and practices they 

 would never have extended it any credit. 



The refused car that causes the millman so much trouble probably 

 pro\ es the wholesaler 's position better than anything else. The 

 minute a mill has a car turned down the first move is to wire the best 

 wholesaler in that market to take care of it. And the result — the 

 wholesaler has had no interest in the car; so he takes his time, sells 

 the car so as to make a nice profit, and the mill has to stand all the 

 costs, etc. With this experience you would think the millmen had 

 had enough. Probably he would not sell that particular consumer 

 again and might even write him a letter to that effect. But the 

 wholesaler on the ground is selling him all the time, because he knows 

 how to handle him. The consumer has the far-off mill at his mercy 

 if he is a sharp bargainer, but he can't play tricks on the whole- 

 saler, for that gentleman is within too easy reach. The consumer is 



also aware that the legitimate wholesaler knows lumber pretty well 

 and can not be fooled. 



A certain mill decides to make a break from the wholesalers and 

 sell direct, so he puts and ad for salesmen in the classified columns 

 of some lumber paper asking for references, etc. Naturally a sales- 

 man would not send any detrimental references — therefore the mill 

 gets a few good ones in the reply. Outside of honesty and integrity, 

 what is received? The vital question is, how does the salesman stand 

 with the trade, and can he sell? Yet a mill will engage a man .and 

 wonder why he doesn't get business. Where there is an evil there 

 is generally a remedy, and here's one to fit this case. Get the sales- 

 man to tell you exactly what class of trade he calls on and in what 

 states and cities. Then make up a list of that trade and write a 

 letter to the principal concerns saying that Mr. So-and-So has applied 

 to represent the mill in that territory and you understand that he 

 is held in good esteem by the trade; that the idea in writing them 

 was to get their ideas about this man, his ability as a salesman, if 

 he knows what he was talking about, etc. Then enclose a stamped 

 envelope for reply. When the returns come in it would not be hard 

 to judge what sort of a man you are engaging. This method also 

 puts the mill's name before the customers and links the salesman's 

 name with it — not a bad idea, especially if the man is to represent 

 it. If the salesman proves all right, then is the time to call him 

 down to the mill and educate him to the mill 's products, grades, etc. 

 Yet how few mills woiild ever think of this method. When they do 

 there will not be a lot of incompetent salesmen tearing around the 

 country offering stock at ridiculous prices and misrepresenting it. 



The writer is judging the foregoing from a legitimate wholesaler's 

 standpoint. Perhaps some millman could equally well pick flaws 

 in the wholesaler's methods. We learn by our mistakes and by an 

 outsider's criticism. Isn't that right? H. E. S. 



'' W^:J^ii*^ M^^;^^6^ijitro4m:;;k;;i^^ 



Woods Used in Measures 



Many kinds of wooden measures are in use. Most of them are 

 based on the bushel or some division of it. The peck is one- 

 fourth and the gallon one-eighth. Potatoes, corn, apples, cab- 

 bage, turnips, and other products of the orchard, garden, or farm 

 are often bought and sold by the barrel, but it is not customary 

 to speak of barrels as wooden measures. They are containers, 

 and are made for convenience in shipping or storing, and seldom 

 or never for the purpose of measuring. 



Few other kinds of woodenware change as much as the measure 

 to conform to customs in different parts of the country. The 

 washboard, the pail, and the chopping bowl are the same every- 

 where; but not so with measure, though the bushel may be the 

 standard. In some localities the dry gallon is never spoken of; 

 in others the peck is not understood; and in still others the 

 bushel and half-bushel are thought of chiefly as abstract quan- 

 tities. 



The days of the homemade wooden measure are over. The dif- 

 ferent sizes are now accurately made in shops and factories. The 

 usual sizes are bushel, half-bushel, peck, gallon, half-gallon, and 

 quart. Some are made double, or two measures in one. The upper 

 or larger part may hold a gallon and the lower part, or when the 

 measure is turned bottom up, may hold a half-gallon. Two kinds 

 of measures are in use nearly everj-where, the one made of staves, 

 with a strong bottom; the other of bent wood, a single piece 

 forming the whole vessel, except the bottom. When staves are 

 the material of construction, many woods are available, but pine, 

 either the white or red pine of the North or some one of the 

 yellow pines of the South, is widely used. Chestnut, chestnut oak, 

 white oak, red oak, birch, ash, elm, basswood, yellow poplar, and 

 many more are found satisfactory. 



In the making of bent wood measures the list of woods which 

 may be utilized is no less extensive. Thick veneer— that is, about 



one-eighth of an inch — gives suflicient strength, with supplemental 

 bands or hoops at the top and bottom. By dispensing with all 

 superfluous wood, the measure 's weight is greatly reduced. The 

 bottom is made thicker than the sides, a light material, such as 

 white pine or yellow poplar, being preferred. Wooden measures 

 of this kind will stand much more rough usage than vessels of 

 sheet metal of the same weight. Metal batters under the impact 

 of blows and when struck against sharp corners, but wood is 

 elastic and is seldom broken or forced out of shape. The bent, 

 sides are of elm, ash, any one of a dozen species of oak, hickory, 

 beech, paper birch, yellow birch, and red gum. Any straight- 

 grained tough wood will answer. 



Selves are made in the same way, but the list of woods suit- 

 able for their bent sides is not so large. The jarring and oscil- 

 lating motion which a seive receives when put to the purpose for 

 which it is made, is liable to loose splinters and fragments from 

 the wood. It becomes necessary, therefore, to select a material 

 with even and parallel fibers which will hold firmly together. 

 Hickorv is one of the best for this use. 



A reputation for furnishing extra good stock is worth a great 

 deal more in trade getting than a reputation for cheapness, and 

 it generally means more profit, too. 



It doesn 't take much brains or money to get into business, and 

 get out through the bankruptcy court, but it takes both brains 

 and money to stay in and win. 



Keeping up with the procession is really but a piker saying — 

 lead it. 



As a rule mill accidents are due to carelessness of some kind, 

 and when they are not they may be charged to ignorance. 



One of the plain but unpoetic names for greater efficiency is 

 "harder work." 



