360 SELLING LUMBER 



Gentlemen, consider what a large quantity of lumber was con- 

 signed by manufacturers without any knowledge of what they 

 would receive in price, measurement or terms, as it was practic- 

 ally auctioned off to the highest bidder. At that time there existed 

 Hit-Or-Miss and does exist today in these large cities, an association whose 



Methods of interest was and still is only in their own particular business; 

 Marketing 



that of buying and selling lumber; totally disinterested in the 



manufacturer's problems or troubles. Their interests were con- 

 cerned only m making sales at prices, regardless of the weal or 

 woe of the manufacturer. 



My first vocation in the lumber business in the year 1879 

 was as tally-boy to inspectors on the Chicago River in the old 

 lumber market at the foot of Franklin Street, where I had the 

 personal experience of seeing lumber handled in the above de- 

 scribed manner. Early in the morning during the open navigation 

 the wholesale yard dealers, or buyers as they were classed, would 

 congregate at the lumber market, arriving as early as 5 :30 a. m. 

 The commission men would meet them, provided with but meager 

 information of the boat load of lumber, showing the name of the 

 boat, approximate quantity and about what the cargo consisted of. 

 The buyers would make a sort of preliminary survey of the cargo, 

 "dig up," so to speak, four or five layers of the lumber, turn it 

 over and examine it as well as they could from the hatchways, 

 E 1 M " an< ^ ^ e car wou ld then be auctioned off by the commission 

 Sales at ' man to the wholesale and yard buyers. After agreeing on a price 



Auction f or w h at {-1^ wou id c j ass as merchantable and better, a term 



that included everything 4-inch and wider, 10 feet and longer, 

 1-inch and thicker, from the grades of what are now known as a 

 portion of our No. 3, all our No. 2, No. 1 flask stock, D, C, B 

 and A Select, 1st and 2d Clear, No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 Shop, 

 and some others. They would then agree upon a price for the 

 so-called mill culls in the cargo, this term being about as elastic 

 as the inspector's conscience would allow. The buyer selected 

 from a dozen or more inspection firms one to measure the lumber 

 under inspection rules adopted by the Chicago wholesalers, who 

 said they were legal because authorized by a charter from the 

 state, and in the consideration and adoption of which the manu- 

 facturers were never consulted. You can appreciate under such 

 inspection, practically influenced and controlled by the buyers, the 



