HARDWOOD RECORD 



17 



article is illustrated is from a photograph re- 

 cently made by the editor of the Hardwood 

 Record on the lands of Mitchell Brothers 

 Company of Cadillac, in a small swamp in 



their Missaukee county timber holdings. The 

 twin trees represented are typical only of 

 certain characteristics of cedar growth ; many 

 trees grow to a much larger size. 



'Builders of Lumber History. 



NUMBER L. 



William A. Gilchrist. 

 (See portrait supplement.) 

 It requires no excuse to publish the por- 

 trait of William A. Gilchrist of Memphis, 

 Tenn., as supplement to this issue of the 

 Hardwood Record, nor does he require a 

 very specific introduction to the lumber 

 fraternity. Mr. Gilchrist has fairly "won 

 his spurs" as one of the foremost lumber 

 operators of the country; by sheer force and 

 forcefulness he has demonstrated his ability 

 in the handling of large lumber affairs. He 

 is vice president and general manager of the 

 Three States Lumber Company of Memphis, 

 one of the largest Cottonwood producers of 

 the country; is identified in a managerial 

 capacity with the new Gilchrist-Fordney Lum- 

 ber Company, an important yellow pine con- 

 cern; and in connection with his father, F. 

 W. Gilchrist of Alpena, Mich., is interested 



in numerous other timber and lumber enter- 

 prises. 



At the last meeting of the Hardwood Manu- 

 facturers' Association of the United States 

 Mr. Gilchrist was chosen first vice president, 

 a position to which his prominence in lumber 

 affairs and his interest and enthusiasm in 

 association work justly entitle him. "Will" 

 Gilchrist, as he is familiarly known to all his 

 associates, is that rare type of ' ' good fel- 

 low ' ' who can be such without making an ass 

 of himself. He is deservedly popular in all 

 branches of the trade, and is justly entitled 

 to the friendship and confidence accorded him. 



The portrait from which this supplement 

 was made was obtained surreptitiously, and 

 notwithstanding the fact that its publication 

 will likely offend the modesty of its owner, 

 is presented at the specific request of a num- 

 ber of his admiring friends. 



Hardwood Record J\Iciil Bag. 



[In this department it is propospd to reply 

 to such inquiries as reach this office from the 

 Hardwood Record clientage as will be of enough 

 general interest to wariant publication. Every 

 patron of the paper is invited to use this de- 

 partment to the fullest extent, and an attempt 

 win be made to answer queries pertaining to all 

 matters of interest to the hardwood trade, in 

 a succinct and intelligent manner.] 



Wants Eotary Cut Pine. 



Dkesden, Geemani, Aug. 7. — Editor Hard- 

 wood Record : Your address was given me by 

 a lumberman when I was in your country, and 

 I take the liberty to write you and ask a favor. 

 I am Interested in rotary cut pine veneers : I 

 buy this stock fiom a party In the South, but 

 as he can only All a small percentage of my 

 orders which I can place in pine veneers, you 

 would much oblige me by giving me a list of re- 

 liable manufacturers of rotary cut pine veneers. 



A. S. 



We have supplied this correspondent with 

 one or two names, but others who do or can 

 furnish this stock will confer a favor by 

 writing this office. — Editor. 



How to Cut Gum. 



Dickson, Te.nn., Aug. IS. — Editor Hardwood 

 Uecord : Please send us the Record for a year, 

 check enclosed. We have recently bought a 

 large tract of timber in western Tennessee, of 

 which about one-half is gum, and as we have 

 never handled any gum lumber would appreciate 

 your advising us what thicknesses and widths it 

 would be best to cut this stock ; if you are 

 unable to furnish us with this information, will 

 j'ou kindly turn this letter over to some of your 

 advertisers who buy gum lumber and who could 

 so favor us? Thanking you in advance for this 

 favor, yours truly, • Company. 



There is a good trade in gum in all thick- 

 nesses from % inch to thick stock, of which 

 the largest quantity is cut one inch. In 

 Hardwood Record of Sept. 25, 1905, a very 

 comprehensive article was published on the 



subject of red gum — methods of manufacture, 

 piling, seasoning, etc. The article was based 

 on specific information from leading pro- 

 ducers of the wood, and contained the follow- 

 ing paragraphs: 



Practically 60 per cent of the stock coming 

 from the tree is common or sap grade and is 

 largely used for boxes. The export trade re- 

 quires clear heart, six inches wide and over and 

 of all thicknesses from three-eighths of an inch 

 up to two inches. About 75 per cent of this 

 lumber is exported to England, France and Ger- 

 many for use in the manufacture of furniture, 

 interior finish, stairs, etc. Export timber is 

 usually dried before shipment from sixty to 

 ninety days, and upon its receipt abroad is 

 given a further air drying of from six to eight 

 months, or is kiln dried. 



In this country a constantly increasing quan- 

 tity of red gum is used in the manufacture of 

 furniture. The commoner grades are made into 

 drawers, frames and backing for desks, tables, 

 etc. Considerable clear heart is used for sur- 

 face work, solid or veneer. 



A large amount of red gum is cut into wagon 

 box boards. Owing to the size, straightness of 

 grain and few knots, a larger percentage of such 

 hoards can be cut from red gum than from any 

 competing species. 



Red gum boards should be piled in the yard 

 with plenty of space between the tiers and halt 

 a foot beneath them, so as to permit a free cir- 

 culation of air under and through the pile. In 

 the first ten or fifteen layers the boards should 

 be laid from six to eight inches apart, and the 

 remainder from two to three inches. The piles 

 should not be over six feet wide and should 

 have a pitch of fully twenty Inches to sixteen 

 feet lengths. The strips should be placed from 

 one and a half to two feet apart. To prevent 

 straining, which often occurs when the stickers 

 are laid, they must be thoroughly dry, and 

 preferably of oak or the heartwood of gum. 

 Staining is much more apt to occur in the sap- 

 wood than in the heartwood. By using these 

 methods of piling, and allowing the lumber to 



stand In the yard from three to six months, 

 mills have furuished fairly straight, clear boards, 

 and the extra care has advanced prices mate- 

 rially. 



Gum boards are also successfully dried in the 

 kiln, but pieces over two Inches thick are apt 

 to case harden, and consequently to season on 

 (he outside only. The sapwood should be kiln- 

 dried rather than air-dried, as it is more liable 

 to stain if put in the yard. On account of ten- 

 dency to stain if piled when green and the dlffl- 

 culty of kiln-drying thick pieces, it is usually 

 advisable to saw green sapwood into boards 

 only. — Editor. 



Some Differences of Opinion. 



Liverpool, England, Aug. 8. — Editor Hard- 

 wood Record : I notice in your issue of July 

 23, just received, a little criticism of the articles 

 I have written to you of the Liverpool market. 

 Before proceeding to answer these remarks I 

 may tell both you and your readers that I was 

 approached some few weeks ago by a prominent 

 Liverpool broker who asked me to place certain 



FOLIAGE AND FRUIT WHITE CEDAR. 



deceptive remarks before the readers of the 

 Hardwood Record. His object, of course, was 

 to benefit his own pocket, and I absolutely de- 

 clined to allow myself to be made the tool of 

 such disgraceful tactics. With regard to the 

 letter, I may say that I quite agree with your 

 reader that hickory this year has been extremely 

 weak and poplar very strong. But if your cor- 

 respondent will kindly read my report again he 

 will see that I said : First, that hickory was 

 "stronger," and second, that poplar was "some- 

 what easier." Now, I repeat that at the time I 

 wrote my report hickory was stronger than it 

 has been all year and that poplar was slightly 

 weaker. There were at that time on the quiiy 

 about ten to twelve cars of poplar which were 

 shipped on consignment and sold at from %d to 



