POLES PURCHASED, 1915. 3 
As indicated in the above table, the principal purchasers of poles 
were the telephone and telegraph companies. They reported 44 per 
cent of the total number purchased. The electric railways and power 
companies purchased about 35 per cent of the total, while the steam 
railroads purchased 21 per cent. 
A decrease of 721,844 poles, or 30 per cent, was reported by the 
telegraph and telephone companies as compared with the number 
purchased by these companies in 1911, while the electric railways, 
light, and power companies reported an increase of 642,473 poles, or 
44 per cent. The steam railroads reported an increase of 739,315, 
or 76 per cent, as compared with their purchases in 1911. 
Table II Shake the number of poles purchased, classified by 
length and by kind of wood. Poles are usually purchased in the 
round form, although occasionally a purchaser reported several 
species being sawed. However, these are of minor importance and 
were either redwood or western pine. 
TABLE ITI.—Poles purchased, classified by length and by kind of wood, 1915. 
| 
= : Under | 20to 29 | 30to039 | 40 to 49 50 feet 
Kind of wood. Total. | 90 feet. feet.) feet: | feet. | and over. 
| | 
| 
AUIEKind Sine Some eere eeu ae eer 4, 077,964 | 1,236,694 | 1,531,441 | 980, 091 | 256, 236 | 73, 502 
INorinert white cedans—-- 22-22-52 45--—- ie 747,210 | 540,565 | 755,311 | 373,874 67, 358 10, 102 
@hestnut2 2s jesse eae se ce ce aes 651, 643 23,992 | 255,951 | 295, 717 63, 676 12, 307 
iWiestemsred'ced arses. se aaceet = ee ee 567,7 770 17,874 | 314,010 | 139,041 71, 608 25, 237 
INO ie Neto shore ate ae NR SS oes eee oe 546, 233 | 373,688 69, 931 65, 004 23, 914 13, 696 
Wihtbetontes facie oe ars ee ie esate ce 177,789 | 120,393 33, 550 16, 120 5, 998 1, 738 
Redeced are Saute fae que etme eure sees os 117, 545 94, 997 14, 870 5, 624 1,541 513 
Southernswihite cedars-a = se eee ee 89, 244 4,414 13, 282 49, 264 15, 734 6, 550 
Gypressecte ete ee oe eee 67, 644 13, 048 22,211 26,316 4, 542 1,527 
Red Oakes sats Seis Se Sot eiee ee suet | 21,643 3, 737 16, 341 1, 280 139 146 
VAIO EN er et eae eae a me Se a OL, 233 43, 986 35, 984 7,851 1, 726 1, 686 
| | 
Poles are generally classified commercially in 5-foot lengths and 
by diameters at specified points, principally at the tops and 6 feet 
from the butts. To condense the figures the poles shown in the above 
table are divided into classes differing in length by 10 feet. 
Of the total number purchased 2,768,135, or 67 per cent, were 
under 30 feet. Poles of these lengths are most commonly used by 
the telephone and telegraph companies. The poles under 20 feet in 
length were reported chiefly by the rural telephone companies. 
Among the prominent woods reported under this classification were 
northern white cedar, pine, and white oak. The number of poles 
ranging from 30 to 50 feet in length aggregated about 30 per cent of 
the total, while those exceeding 50 feet in length represent but a small 
proportion. 
All of the leading woods covered by the table contributed poles of 
all lengths, although red oak contributed but a small per cent of the 
larger poles. More than half of the white-oak and pine poles were 
under 20 feet in length. 
