1000 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



tation that a further export market for creosoted Ameri- 

 can timbers will be found. 



THE Santa Fe Railroad is conducting extensive 

 experiments to determine the best methods of 

 eliminating the loosening of spikes in cross ties, 

 and the mechanical wear under the rail or tie plate. Since 

 methods have been perfected which prevent the decay 

 of ties, the next problem is to keep them from wearing 

 out. This is usually done by using large tie plates, and in 

 the more advanced practice holding the tie plate to the 

 tie with lag screws, and using a screw spike as a rail 

 fastener, which is independent of the tie plate. Even 

 with this equipment, ties which are soft in character, as 

 loblolly pine, wear out long before they decay, or fail 

 to give the necessary holding power to the spikes. To 

 overcome this, if possible, the Santa Fe, through the 

 activities of George E. Rex, Manager of Treating Plants, 

 is experimenting with what is known as hardwood 

 "dowels." 



These dowels are extensively used in Europe, but are 

 entirely new in the maintenance of way departments of 

 American railroads. They are simply a large wooden 

 plug, bored through the center for the rail spike, and 

 with a wood thread cut on the outside. In the case of old 

 ties from in the spike is loosened the old spike hole is 

 bored out to the proper size, and the hardwood dowel 

 inserted. The rail or plate is then laid on top of the 

 dowels and fastened down, preferably with screw spikes. 

 The result is that a softwood tie becomes essentially a 

 hardwood in respect to wearing qualities. In fact, the 

 result is even better than with hardwood ties, such as 

 oak, because the vertical ends of the grain on the hard- 

 wood dowels carry the load, and as is well known 

 through the principle applied in putting creosoted pav- 

 ing blocks on end, the grain of wood in this position is 

 very resistant to wear on breakage. As carried out by the 

 Santa Fe, this can be applied both to old creosoted ties 

 which are taken out and dowels inserted in the old spike 

 holes, and to newly treated ties which are prepared with 



dowels at the time of treatment. This is an extremely 

 important matter, not only from the standpoint of 

 economy in cross tie maintenance, but also in the con- 

 servation of timber resources, because it permits the use 

 under heavy traffic of softwood ties, which otherwise 

 could not be used except under very light traffic. By 

 this practice the forest resources of the south can be more 

 generally utilized. 



IN THE promotion of creosoted wood block for city 

 pavements and factory flooring, the question of cost 

 is an important consideration. Although it is gen- 

 erally recognized that wood block is superior to any other 

 form of pavement other materials are frequently used 

 because of their lower first cost. In the effort to correct 

 this condition a new idea in wood block treating practice 

 has been developed independently by two well-known 

 engineers, G. B. Shipley of Pittsburgh, and J. B. Card 

 of Chicago. The essential feature of the new plan is 

 that the blocks are treated in vertical instead of horizontal 

 cylinders. The vertical cylinders are open at the top, and 

 are filled direct with blocks which are carried by con- 

 veyor from the wood block machines. By simply dump- 

 ing in the blocks without the use of cages, as in the case 

 of horizontal cylinders, a greater volume of wood per 

 cubic unit of cylinder displacement can be treated, with 

 the further great advantage that mechanical handling 

 figures entirely throughout the whole process. After 

 treatment the blocks are either dropped direct by gravity 

 to cars through a door in the bottom of the cylinder or 

 pushed out through the top by a piston which operates 

 from the bottom of the cylinder. These vertical plants 

 are very cheap compared with the usual horizontal type, 

 and can be easily erected in connection with saw mill 

 plants or wherever facilities for block treatment are 

 necessary. It is estimated that the saving in the cost of 

 treatment will run from 20 to 25 per cent, which largely 

 removed the handicap of higher cost, which the wood 

 block people have been trying to overcome. 



The Fool and Our Forest Dollars 



By E. T. Allen 



Good-by to the fool with the empty gun; 



Forgotten his bid for fame. 

 Though he kills his friend, it only counts one. 



And that, nowadays, is tame. 



The fool who playfully rocks the boat 



Is on the front page no more. 

 He may rank high with the fools afloat 



But his glory is gone ashore. 



There's the fool with women, the fool with wine. 

 And the fool who games with strangers. 



And the joy-ride fool (he does well in his line 

 By combining these ancient dangers). 



But they're all still down in the primer class. 



Mere novices taking a flyer, 

 Compared with the prize-taking criminal ass. 



The fool in the woods with fire. 



A few hearts break for the deeds they've done 



In their pitiful amateur way. 

 But fire slays dozens where they slay one 



And scourges a state in a day. 



P'or the ruined home and the smokeless stack 



.\nd the worker unemployed 

 Know a hundred years shall never bring back 



The things that his match destroyed. 



