xi 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



Tlie afternoon snnligbt suddenly grew into 

 twilight, and then strangely darkened into 

 night. Great funnel-shaped clouds of deepen- 

 ing blar-k literally tumbled over the ridge 

 and settled down on the mountain side. 

 There was a sighing sound among the tree- 

 tops as though they knew what was coming 

 and were pathetically begging the storm god 

 to pass them by. The moans of the wind- 

 tflssed branches came faster and the swirling 

 leaves almost hid the great log-loader 

 from tlie forward car. Swifter came the 

 rush of the monstrous mass of black that 

 obscured the heavens. At its violence the 

 grandest trees in the forest bowed in humilia- 

 tion. Suddenly the whole side of the moun- 

 tain was lighted with a sheet of pinkish 

 orange that faded into cold gray, and blotted 

 itself out W'ith a rumble of discontent at its 

 futile battle with the gathering darkness. 

 Lower and lower bent the trees. Then 

 pandemonium, broke loose. Cries that were 

 almost human rang through the w'oods and 

 down the mountain. The forest answered 

 the wind with a defiant roar as it marshalled 

 all its armament against its foe. Angrily 

 the clouds opened and a thousand brilliant 

 forked tongues gave utterance to a thunderous 

 roll which died away only to begin again. 

 The sound of falling limbs and the crash 

 of giant trees accented the deepening and 

 insistent cry of the forest, as the wind 

 lashed it into greater fury. Now the w'hole 

 landscape seemed a sheet of flame-lit, sway- 

 ing limbs and the echoes of the thunder 

 reverberated from mountain top to mountain 

 t(.p. Then the rush of low-hanging clouds 

 shut out everything but the agonizing sound 

 of wind-torn trees. The great log-loaded 

 train swayed and trembled, and the inter- 

 mittent glare of lightning showed Jim 

 frantically trying to make himself heard 

 above the awful din. 



In the moment's liush that preceded the 

 rain he shouted, ' ' Twcj of you at every brake 

 and hold her! ' ' 



There was another and more blinding flash 

 whose bolt struck a huge tree near the track. 



' ' Hold her, boys, the blocking 's slipped, ' ' 

 yelled Big Jim, not knowing that with the 

 exception of Sorrel-top and him.self, every 

 man had jumped from tlie train when it 

 started. 



' ' My God, she 's turned loose, ' ' he said to 

 the boy who stood beside him. For a moment 

 the seven log-loaded cars with the great 

 loader behind seemed to pause as though 

 getting ready to spring, and then plunged 

 to a race of destruction. 



"Damn their rotten souls," said the Irish- 

 man, as another flash of lightning told him 

 he and Sorrel-top were alone on the train. 



"You'd better jump, kid," he shouted, 

 close to the boy's ear. 



"Ain't you 'uns goiu ' to stick?" a.sked 

 fhe boy. 



Jim looked death in the face and nodded. 



"Then I stick," said the boy, vainly tug- 

 ging at a brake. 



They were neariug the bottom now and 

 the speed was so terrific that the earth 

 seemed dropping from beneath them. 



Jim caught sight of the lights of the re- 

 turning engine and saw the engineer jump — 

 then the crash came. The sky rained saw' 

 logs and bits of steel — and he knew 710 

 more. 



When he regained consciousness water was 

 rushing over him where he was pinioned be- 

 neath a log, and lie heard Sorrel-top sobbing 

 and saying, " 1 'II move it, Mr. Johnson. 

 I '11 make good if I do have to beller. ' ' 



The train had telescoped and landed in 

 the creek at the foot of the cove. The rain 

 was quickly making the stream a raging 

 torrent. .lim tried to move but found it 

 impossible. The boy tugged at the log with 

 a cant-hook, which had fallen from the train, 

 and with almost superhuman effort raised it 

 enough to release the foreman. As the log 

 turned over the oncoming rush of waters 

 hurled boy, log and cant-hook into the 

 swirling debris of mid-stream. Jim crawled 

 slowly out and looked about for Sorrel-top. 

 Like a wild man he peered among the 



piled-up logs that the water was fast convert- 

 ing into a jam. Just as the men came dash- 

 ing ilown from the spur he discovered a hand 

 sticking out from under a pile of drift. 



' ' Come on, you infernal cowards, ' " he 

 shouted, ■ ' and help me get the only man 

 worth a damn in the whole camp out of this! 

 Don 't one of you hold back or I 'U brain 

 ye," he yelled and picked np a rock as they 

 hesitated. 



The boy was taken from out the awful pile 

 and laid on the bank. He breathed faintly 

 and big Jim unaffectedly knelt beside him 

 and wept. It seemed to call the boy back 

 from the great beyond. He opened his eyes 

 and looking up into the boss ' face whispered, 

 ' ' Have I made good, Mr. Johnson ? ' ' 



Big Jim nodded. Then the boy's eyes 

 wandered about the group of men until they 

 rested on Lumley and he said, ' ' Tomorrow, 

 Dave Lumley, I'll fight — " 



The effort ' was too much and the eyes 

 closed, but the lips froze into a determined 

 Bmile that even death could not obliterate. 



Hardwood Record J\foil Bag. 



[In this department It Is proposed to reply 

 to such inquiries as reach this office from the 

 Hardwood Recobd clientage as will be of enough 

 general interest to warrant publication. Every 

 patron of the paper 's invited to use this de- 

 partment to the fullest extent, and an attempt 

 will be made to answer queries pertaining to all 

 matters of interest to the hardwood trade, in 

 a succinct and intelligent manner.] 



gave the trade wai'uiug in time to secure luin- 

 liernien from being robbed by these fakers. — 

 Kditor. 



Wants Car Oak. 



FiTTSiinifi, I'A., .July 18. — Kditiu- ll.vuuwouii 

 liEcoitii : We aie anxious to get in touch with 

 a dozen or so reliable mills that can produce 

 oak bill stiiflF such as freight car oak and dimen- 

 sion sizes in Gxli, Hx.S, 10x10, etc., who are 

 eiiuipped to surface this stock on four sides. 

 Lumber Company. 



The Hardwood Record will be glad to sup- 

 ply the addresses of any of its clients to tlic 

 corporation making this inquiry, if they are 

 forwai'ded to this office. — Editor. 



Wants White Oak, Ash and Hickory. 

 Xf.w York, ,7uly 9. — Editor Hardwood Kec- 

 oi!D : 1 am in fhe market for firsts and seconds 

 white oak and ash 1 to 4 inches in thickness, 

 10 inches and up wide, and 12 to 20 feet long: 

 hickory. 9 to 12 inches and up of same dimen- 

 sions. I expect this stock will have to be 

 sawed to order and should be pleased to have 

 you put me in comniunicatiiin with mills that 

 can supiily any of the material. 



The Hardwood Becord w-ill be glad to put 

 any of its clients in communication with this 

 correspondent on application. — Editor. 



Best Thicknesses in Beech. 



Cleveland, Ohio. .Tuly 10. — Kiliti>i- IIaud- 

 WOOD Record; We have quite a quantity of 

 beech timber at one of our West Virginia mills. 

 Will you kindly advise us what you think is the 

 best thickness into 'which to manufacture this 

 stock and where the best demand for beech 

 lies'; Company. 



From a casual knowledge of this subject, it 

 has been recommended to the correspondent 

 to cut his beech largely to 1/2", %" and 1". 

 The demand for beech lies quite largely with 

 the furniture trade. — Editor. 



Echo from Pittsburg Fuel Company. 



Brr-KHANNuN. W. Va., .July 10. — Editor Hard- 

 wood Record : Should you know anything more 

 about the Pittsliurg I'"uel Company, we would 

 be glad to hear from you personally or through 

 the columns of your paper. We have a note 

 against these people which became due and 

 was protested for non-payment. We have not 

 been able up to date to locate any of the par- 

 ties interested in the firm in order to attempt 

 to make a collection. Company. 



Tlie loss sustained by the Buckhannon cor- 

 respondents is to be regretted, but their 

 chances of "getting even" with this bunch 

 are very remote. They never have been known 

 to pay a note. The Record supposed that it 



About Black Walnut. 



TtiNoHAMTUN, N. Y.. .luly 18 — Editor Hard- 

 wt'tiii Ri:coRD : Should liice to have information 

 ahnut black walnut and the demand and approxi- 

 mate price of the wood. — Jones op Binghamton. 



Black walnut is produced in this country 

 at an annual rate of about 3.3,000,000 feet. 

 The larger portion of it now comes from 

 southwestern Missouri, .Arkansas, Oklahoma 

 and Indian Territory, although there is some 

 scattering growth still picked up in Indiana, 

 Ohio, Tennessee and West Virginia. The 

 most considerable stand of the wood remain- 

 ing east of the Mississipjii is on the upper 

 waters of the Guyandotte river in West Vir- 

 ginia, where C. Crane & Co. of Cincinnati own 

 about 20,000 trees. The home demand for 

 black walnut lumber is only for comparatively 

 small quantities. Its use is largely confined 

 to gun stocks, novelties, electrical work, etc. 

 Tlie chief demand for walnut comes from 

 Germany and Hamburg is the commercial 

 center of the market. The larger portion of 

 the choice logs are faced on four sides ani'' 

 shipped to this market in that form. Spe- 

 cific prices cannot be supplied, because black 

 walnut varies much in quality. The general 

 range is from .$125 to .^l.'iO for firsts and sec- 

 onds, and about $7.5 for rejects, and $30 to 

 $50 for shipping culls. — Editor. 



