^^ 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



have settled the question thoi-oughly yon will 

 realize the importance of comparing and getting 

 together on matters of common interest. I have 

 been preaching I his snb.iect for twenty years, 

 because I see good coming from it all the time. 



Mr. White: I feel there is one thing we need 

 jnst at present, and that is to get acquainted. 

 I do not Ivnow the names of all of you. and I 

 would like to call on others to give us some- 

 thing on this subject. 



Mr. McClellan : 1 think we all feel that we 

 ought to join the parent organization eventually. 

 and I think an organization of Michigan manu* 

 facturers would be a good thing fir the pL-esenl. 

 I believe there is a lot of enthusiasm here that 

 has not come to light yet. 



Mr. Freeman : I never made a speech in ray 

 life, but I am here to talk this matter over and 

 I think this is a very got.d thing to do. It 

 looks all right to me as far as I can see. dur 

 cedar a.s.sociation has done us a got d deal tif 

 good in a way. I am willing to do all I ran 

 toward this movement. 



Mr. I'ox : I think this urgauizali^n would be 

 a great benefit to everybody concerned. I cannot 

 .see any reason why it would not. 



Mr. Odeil : It occurs to me that there is con- 

 siderable room for an organization along the line 

 we have been talking about when we look around 

 and see what uther organizations have done. 

 One thing I have in mind at present is that 

 gum very recently was a despised wood, and is 

 now selling in Chicago at the same price as our 

 Michigan birch. Our cnli hardwood especially is 

 selling anywhere from '^1 to $V). with cull hem- 

 lock from $l-i to $ltJ. We all know our cull 

 hardwood is worth as much as cull hemlock. If 

 we could do nothing more than get a price for 

 our cull hardwood lumher it would be well 

 worth while. 



Mr. White: I wish to present to you II. M. 

 Crawford, manager of the machinery department 

 of the Unssel Wheel & i-'oundiy Company, Ue- 

 troit. who will addiess the meeting on the sub 

 ject vf hnrdwoi d li gy;inii l>y steam. 



Hardwood Logging by Steam. 



A number of years ago, 1 am told, a Michigan 

 lumberman first conceived the idea of handling 

 logs from the stump by steam power. lie be- 

 lieved in that way better resuhs could be ob- 

 tained than by means of the method then em- 

 ployed of using horses or oxen for pulling logs 

 to 'loading ground and loading with animals. 



After more or less experimenting witu vary- 

 ing degrees of failure and partial success oniy, 

 the plan was practiially abandoned in Michigan 

 and for a number of yeai's thereafter, while the 

 ox soon gave way to the more lively hoi-se. 

 animal power was practically the i.niy power 

 used in this state in moving logs from stump 

 to loading point. 



Year after year rolled around with practically 

 no change in general methods of logging as 

 regards power employed in getting the logs to 

 transportation point. 



During these years, however, logging railroad.-^ 

 were introduced, proving in a great majority tif 

 cases popular, and in creasing rapidly both in 

 number and mileage until, at the present day. 

 as you doubtless all know, it is in a great 

 majority of eases unquestionably the most desir- 

 able way of moving logs. 



Some tive or six ytars ago an active effort 

 was made to introdiite steam loading machines 

 in Michigan, which after some setbacks proved 

 successful, and today a large proportion, at 

 least of the larger operators in Michigan, con- 

 sider a steam loading machine as neces.sary to 

 their logging equipment as anything they have. 



A few steam skidding plants have been in 

 practic-al bse for several years in this state, but 

 as far as my observations go, they have been 

 used by smaller operators only. Steam skidding 

 has been for a number of years regarded by 

 the larger lumbermen of Michigan as impos- 

 sible from a practical point of view — admitted 

 to be practical for various other lumber sec- 

 tions, hut impractical for Michigan. 



Meanwhile in other lumber sections where the 

 physical and climatic conditions were less fav 

 nrable. or rather more unfavorable, to auimal 

 ])0wer logging tiian they were in Michigan, news 

 had traveled of the Michigan steam skidder. and 

 in the course of a few years from those so- 

 called failures of logging by steam in Michigan 

 were developed several types of machines, which 

 not <mly revolutionized logging methods in cer- 

 tain sections, but also made available several 

 valuable woods, which otherwise would probablv 

 never have been prominently on the market, at 



least for this generation, on account of the 

 excessive cost of getting out tne logs by anii.jai 

 power. 



These developments in other sections just • 

 referred to scon i)roved practical two general 

 methods of skidding — the trolley system and the 

 ground or drag system. These two systems are 

 today the rec guized ways of skidding logs, and 

 with mi re or less special features brought cui 

 liy diffei'ent n-aniifai tureis are the ones univer- 

 srllly used. 



You gentlemen are all doubtless well aware 

 of geneial methi-ds employed in these two sys- 

 tems of steam skidding, making a description of 

 thom unnecessary. 



Taking up the two systems separately. I call 

 your attention to. first, the trolley system. 



Starting from, rs it did originally, a snmll 

 light outfit with engines of 15 to 2;i hi:rsepnwer. 

 l-eavier machinery has been gradually employed 

 until now trolley system machines with engines 

 developing -as high as 100 horsepower are nut 

 uncommon : ones that handle, from a distance 

 of l.iioo to 1.2on feet, several logs at one time: 

 a single load or draw i*,r>00 feet being, while 

 pissibly not often accomplished, made at times 

 and could be made often were timber located 

 so that a quantity could be readily "tonged" 

 at one tim?. 



The advantages of the IroIIey system as used 

 in recent years are. first, its successful adapta- 

 bility in very rough, broken country, wber * 

 stony ground, deep ravines and tangled under 

 brush and windfalls interfere very little if any 

 with operation of a machine. Second, its 

 adaotability in very wet swampv couutrv. 

 Third, its ni)eratiou. requiring no animal power 

 wliaiever. all parts of work not done by machine 

 itself being di ne by men en'ployed on machine. 

 This is so univ»*rsaliy so that the trr Iky ma- 

 chine that has use for any animals is now veiy 

 rare. 



These three advantages would seem to make 

 this system the ideal one for all conditions, and 

 for a numher of years it wa i genersiUy belie.eM 

 that it was the only successful system that 

 cituld I'C used in a steam skidder. no uia'ter 

 what the condiiions rf the operation were. I)h 

 veh itments i_f tl-e last few years, however, have 

 shown that, while under certain conditicus the 

 trol'ey system is unquestionably the proper one. 

 ■A great majority of conditions can be handled 

 in a betler way. So with this brief statement 

 of the trolley system I will pass in the second 

 or groufld system. 



I have been unsuccessful, so far at least, in 

 Uarning who the originatcr of this system was. 

 :i" d have about come to the 09ncIusion that like 

 the famous "Topsy." it just "growed." 



It stands today, however, the most used 

 method of steam skidding, and is now being 

 used successfully in places, where even a shori 

 time ago no one. even those best posted on the 

 subject, would have had the temerity to ; -y 

 or even recommend any other system t'"an the 

 trolley, the last three years particularly hav- 

 ing shown very rapid advances in its develi.p- 

 ireiit and use. more, probably, than in any pre- 

 \ious ten years. 



Com oared with Ih.e trolley system its Kd 

 vantages are found to be as follows : First. 

 Ada^taidllty to thinly timbered land. Second, 

 simpli'ity of e(iuii)ment and consequent ease of 

 oneration. 'ihiid. ea'se if change or movement 

 f r< m one point or "set" to another. Fourth, 

 the absence of necessity for these skilled men 

 failed "riggers." without which a trollev ma 

 chine accomplishes little. 



Heretofore ground system skidders have 

 largely been used w itb horse or mule rehaul : 

 viz.. when a draw of log or logs is made, the 

 line is pulled back by horse or mule to next log 

 desired, the horse following load in and then 

 dragging it back. 



This method of rehauling empty line limits: 

 First, size of line used : 'Second, radius of 

 action. 



It has been shown that a good-sized horse 

 tan handle only about 900 feet of Ofe-inch line, 

 and a proportionate length of larger line and 

 even then can stand only about five hnurs per 

 da.v of such work, while a machine can be oper- 

 ated continuously. 



Various power rehaul systems for getting line 

 back from machine to tree have been emploved. 

 so far used I ut infrequently excti)t in places 

 where it is irauoss ble on account of swampy 

 ground lo get line hack by animal powei*. 



There is unquestional>Iy. however, a strong 

 probability that before even the i)resent year is 

 gone there will be in operation powerful ma- 

 chines opei-ating under the drag system and 

 pulling timber in ipiantities from a much longer 

 distance than now generally thought practical ; 

 where line will be rapidly rehauled by power 

 and where operation will be conducted entirely 

 without the use of animals. 



Ileferring directly to the sulijei t < f my paner. 

 "Hardwood Logging by Steam." 1 lielieve that 

 in a great majority of cases a properly de- 

 signed and built steam skidding machine will 

 prove invaluable to the hardwood operator of 

 any size, not only in Michigan, but also in 

 hardwood sections of other states : that the 



steam operated machine has now been developed 

 to the point where c<Jmpeteut management will 

 prove that fact, and that the time is not far 

 distant whtn their use even in our own con- 

 servative Michigan will be more imiversal than 

 the steam loader is today. 



Looking ahead a short time (probably a 

 shorter time than most of you would grant) I 

 tan picture a new kind of logging camp— a log- 

 ging camp on wheels. For with the animal 

 eliminated from the logging proposition, no 

 barns, large store houses, teamsters and hostlers 

 will be required, and with the numl)er required 

 to man a certain sized operation greatly reduced, 

 whar wi I prevent having a logging camp on 

 wheels - moved each time the skidder is moved 

 and keeping men always right at the scene of 

 action, and the employment also of, perhaps, a 

 different class of men. all of whom will be work- 

 ing within such a small radius from the ma- 

 chine or central point that each man will he 

 under the eye of the foreman, with his part of 

 the work, allotted in advance, to keep up. 



The short space of time allotted me permitted 

 only generalities on this subject. Allow me in 

 r'onclusion to thank you for the opportunity 

 given to appear before you to talk "shop." as 

 well as for the courtesy of your attention be- 

 stowed. 



The chairman then called for further expres- 

 sions from those present. 



Mr. (instine : I do not know as I have auy- 

 tbiug to add. There is no question in my 

 mind, however, that the manufacturers of Michi- 

 gan are proceeding along the right line: if they 

 can organize under proper conditions I believe 

 within the next two or three years the prices 

 of maple will advance at least from $;^ to $5 a 

 thousand : in other words, that manufacturers 

 will be benefited to that extent. There is no 

 iiUe-;tion that those assembled here recognize 

 ass;)ciatii n work as a good thing. Maple floor- 

 ing never had its proper place until it was taken 

 up by the Maple Flooring Association. The ad- 

 vantages thus derived these men know best 

 themselves. As the representative of one of 

 the manufacturers of Michigan I certainly will 

 do aM in my power to keep Mr. Anderson in line 

 and a member of this proposed association. The 

 question has arisen in my mind whether the 

 association would not accomplish better work 

 through lieing afhliated with one of the national 

 bodies. That will have to be discussed by the 

 committee and I think will probably be brought 

 up more fully tomorrow. I'ut. gentlemen, I as- 

 sure you that I believe you are on the right 

 track, and that the sooner you can form an 

 organization and get it tirmly established, the 

 better it will be for the manufacturer of hard- 

 wood lumber in Michigan. 



Mr. Oreble: Centlemen. I, as a representa- 

 tive of southern manufacturers, have really 

 uiithing to say this afternoon. I think this 

 is all for Michigan manufacturers. Frohably to- 

 nn rrow I will say something. 



Chairman White tlien called upon Charles 

 Wescott of the International Harvester Com- 

 pany. Chicago, for some remarks. 



Mr. Wescott : I do not know that my re- 

 marks will be of interest : I never expect to 

 make any maple in Michijian. I did jot down 

 a few notes as I listened this afternoon. It 

 occurred to me that there was some danger in 

 the remark that association work was re- 

 sponsible for advanced prices. The consuming 

 demand regulates that matter entirely. The 

 Iirice must be a matter lo be adjusted between 

 the buyer and seller, and will be regulated by 

 the demand of the market. It seems to me that 

 association work is rather to bring buyer and 

 seller together. I believe that ninety per cent 

 of the lumber, save maple flooring, requires four- 

 side inspection. I want to say freely and 

 frankly that we must have four-side inspection 

 in our business. 



.Mr. White: What per cent of Michigan hard- 

 woods goes into implement manufacture? 



Mr. Wescott : I do not know exactly. I 

 haven't much more to say on this subject, ex- 

 cept that the Michigan men don't know at the 

 present time how the consuming trade uses the 

 lumber : that they will learn in time, and I 

 shall be very glad when they do. 



