HARDWOOD RECORD 



39 



Langren hotel at a musical on the roof garden and a ball ia the 

 big ballroom, which lasted until the early morning hours. 



Saturday's session was probably the most important of the con- 

 vention as the oflficers were elected and the next place of meeting 

 ■decided upon and various other matters taken up. The contest for 

 the next meeting place was between St. Louis and San JFrancisco, 

 and the former won b}" a close vote. At this meeting it was also 

 decided that the headquarters should be shifted to a more central 

 location at St. Louis on account of the resignation of the former 

 scrivenoter. On retiring Mr. Baird was presented with a watch 

 and chaiu with the insignia of the order engraved on the inside 

 of the case. He responded with a speech of thanks and a short 

 Teview of the work of the order. 



After the election of officers, a resolution of thanks to the city 

 of Asheville was adopted, which resolution included citizens, hotels 

 .and local members of the order. The afternoon was devoted to a 

 drive over the Biltmore estate and a buffet luncheon at the Ashe- 

 ville Club. In the evening the visitors were tendered a ball at the 

 Battery Fark hotel. 



While a great many of the members left for their homes on 

 Sunday morning, many others planned to stay a week or more to 

 take in the various scenic features surrounding Asheville. 



During the time the members of the Hoo-Hoo were in Asheville, 

 they were royally entertained, many social features having been 

 arranged in their honor. Automobile rides, balls, receptions, suppers 

 and many other features were provided by the local Hoo-Hoo, 

 Tvhich contingent deserved unusual commendation for the excellent 

 arrangement and execution of its plans. The automobile ride to 

 Sunset mountains on one of the verv few exclusive automobile 



roads of the country was particularly delightful. This road is 

 about five miles in length, and at the summit a beautiful view of 

 Asheville is obtained. From there many of the famous mountains 

 and points of interest in "the Land of the Sky" can be viewed. 

 Members of the ladies ' entertainment committee arranged for an 

 informal buifet luncheon to be served in the pavilion of Overlook 

 Fark, which luncheon was particularly delightful. 



The Asheville Power & Light Company acted as hosts on Friday 

 morning when the ladies enjoj'ed their trolley ride through the 

 city. Manager Fiank Loughrau of the Swannanoa-Berkley hotel, 

 is particularly to be congratulated upon his excellent entertain- 

 ment. 



Carriage rides through the Biltmore estate on Friday gave many 

 opportunities for observation. The delegates with the ladies of the 

 party were driven through the entire estate surrounding the 

 beautiful mansion of George W. Vanderbilt, probably the finest 

 residence in America, which is surrounded by a remarkable estate. 

 The drive included many well paved roads which traverse the 

 estate, also a stop at the dairy where light refreshments were 

 served. The estate as a rule is not open to visitors on Friday, 

 but members of the local committee made arrangements with the 

 manager to have the gates open on that date for the Hoo-Hoo and 

 their friends. 



The informal reception to the visitors at the Asheville Club on 

 Saturday afternoon was particularly enjoyed. The Black Cat had 

 been used in the decorative scheme in the club house, and there 

 were on hand a plentiful contingent of local representatives who 

 acted as hosts. The privileges of the club were extended to the 

 visitors during their stay. 



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Transmutation of Woods 



The engrossing problem of the alchemist of ancient days was the 

 transmutation of the baser metals into gold. What they failed 

 to do with metals is an everyday occurrence with wood. The 

 sawmill operator today is a most successful alchemist, changing 

 the little-known and inferior species of wood into well-known and 

 valuable kinds. A visit to almost any sawmill will reveal many 

 woods going into the mill as one species and coming out as 

 another; the number that come out is always less than the number 

 that go in. 



One of the most common examples is oak. There are about 

 thirty-five different species of oak which reach commercial size 

 in the United States, and in some parts of the country as many 

 as a dozen may be found on one logging operation. Usually it is 

 not difficult to recognize all of the different kinds in the forest 

 or to separate most of the logs at the mill. When passed through 

 the mill, however, burr oak, post oak, chestnut oak, cow oak, chin- 

 quapin oak, overcup oak, swamp white oak, and the true white 

 oak are all ' ' white oak " ■ ; yellow oak, Texan oak, willow oak, 

 water oak, shingle oak, pin oak, scarlet oak, black jack, and the 

 true red oak all emerge as "red oak." Sometimes the distinctions 

 are even less and only "oak" results. Thus if you buy an article 

 made of oak, it may be made out of any one or more of thirty- 

 five different species, no two of which are exactly alike in theit 

 properties. If you specify white oak you may get any of a dozen 

 different woods intermingled according to the location of the mill. 

 However, so long as no red oak is included, it will probably serve 

 your purpose quite as well as the genuine article. 



The same is true of the hickories. Pignut, bitternut, pecan, 

 shagbark, shellbark, mockernut, and water hickory may preserve 

 their individuality as far as the mill, but no further. After that 

 they are merely "hickory," and the color of the wood becomes 

 of much greater importance in grading than does the species. 

 Users of hickory have a prejudice against the red heart-wood, 

 but experiments and tests of an exhaustive character have failed 

 to show any good reason for such discrimination. 



Ash is another name that is quite comprehensive. White ash, 

 blue ash, red ash, green ash, and pumpkin ash lose their identity 

 after contact with the saw and are thenceforth "ash" or possi- 

 bly "white ash." One might infer from the names that a pile 

 of mixed ash would exhibit all the colors of the rainbow but the 

 fact is that the several woods look very much alike. Black ash, 

 however, is generally distinguished and separated from the others 

 because of its darker color and greater porosity and lightness. In 

 the South a i)ile of "ash" lumber may contain some hackberr} , 

 sugarberry, and even sassafras. 



There are several species of elm of commercial size but as !i 

 rule only one or at most two are recognized in the lumber. White 

 elm, slippery elm, winged elm, red elm, and cedar elm, all be- 

 come common elm when sawed. The hickory or rock elm, because 

 of its greater density, strength, and general superiority, is more 

 apt to retain its identity after manufacture. 



Basswood and buckeye go to the mill together but come out 

 as basswood alone. Tupelo and black gum are readily distinguish- 

 able as trees but black gum almost invariably becomes tupelo 

 when sawed into lumber. Cucumber-tree blends into yellow poplar 

 under the magic spell of the saw. There are several soft maples 

 in the forest but there is only one when manufactured. The list 

 might be extended almost indefinitely, since what has been said 

 of the hardwoods applies to the softwoods or conifers as well. 



There are several reasons why these methods are in vogue. One 

 is that it is not always easy to distinguish the different species 

 after their manufacture into lumber, and since no harm can be 

 done and the buj'er does not object, it is easier and cheaper to 

 lump several woods together under one name than to carry each 

 separately. The lumber trade is very conservative when it comes 

 to using new or little-known woods, so the producer resorts to 

 various expedients to work off such products. There was a time 

 when only the choice trees of the forest were taken, but now 

 nearly everything of merchantable size is utilized. The trade has 

 not kept pace with the changed conditions and the producer dis- 



