Extracts from letter of Walter Gebhart From "Somewhere in France" Walt is one of the many boys taken by Uncle Sam from Disston Saw Works. I T'S a long, long way from "home," and, believe me, I know it. A full month without news from town, SO one realizes how wide the Atlantic Ocean is. We have located in a lovely part of France. The weather is about the same as when we were in Phila. I must say we knew something when we linked up with the French people. They are the greatest people you ever ran into. Can't do enough for you. Actually, I never was showered with so much hospitality in all my life. They are exceedingly polite. We are in very comfortable quarters here and as an instance of hospitality, there is an old woman here at the barracks, I would say not less than seventy years old, and when, after dinner, we took our dishes to the kitchen to have them washed, she almost was indignant over the fact that we started to wash them ourselves. She said in French, "My boys, my boys," took the dishes from us, a crowd of about twenty, washed them and then thanked us for letting her do it. They are giving us the best of food. Today for dinner we had beef soup full of bread, beef steak and mashed potatoes. For supper we had meat and potato stew and beef soup again. The beef soup is called bouillon and they have it every meal. Now you can tell why we are in good health. They serve beer with all meals; at breakfast you can have coffee, so you can figure on me not drinking anything for meals for some time. I just finished talking to two French soldiers. They walk along the halls of our barracks, look in the door and just wait for you to ask them to come in. I asked these two boys and they jumped in like bullfrogs. Have talked with them about half hour. It may seem funny to say I talked, but nevertheless I did. You see, I bought a French conversation book while in England and it helps out a great deal. Then again there are a few French soldiers who have gathered the English language from being near where it was spoken the last three years and they are willing to sit by the hour and teach you French. It is hard to understand but I am getting along real well. Last night one of my Masonic friends went out with me for supper. We had two suppers apiece of roast pork, mashed potatoes, all the bread you could eat and he had a quart of wine. The four suppers and all cost us $1.25; now can you beat that? Don't worry about us getting thin. I think I am gathering close to the 170-pound mark at this writing. Now, I tell you that is some flesh. You should see me eat. The French officers are the greatest fellows you ever met. Just as anxious to help us out as one of the privates of the army. Was talking with one last night for about half hour. You should come to France if you care to see flowers. The flowers here beat anything that I have ever seen, and, ahem! I've traveled some. But the fact is they are great. Roses are wonderful. Their farms I say cannot be surpassed. There are some unique facts about the farms of England, but for real farms France takes the ribbon. If I could write all I knew and have seen it would take you a week to read my letter, but the trips, etc., must be well guarded and it's up to us boys to keep them so. Saw a building today that is over three hundred years old. The churches are immense buildings. They have everything in America skinned to a frazzle. I used to think the Cathedral on Eighteenth Street above Race was some big church, but it's only a primary room to what they have over here. If the people of America could get a glimpse at them, they would not quiver every time they were asked for a hundred dollars to get the roof fixed or something like that. You could set our church in the entrance of the church which is very near us. Am going to a service this Sunday if I get a chance. I imagine that it will be worth seeing. Just over my head is a great saw. They have taken pieces of steel and filed teeth in them. Drilled holes in the backs of the pieces and then nailed them on a piece of board. You should see it. Some saw. Am writing by the light of a good, old-fashioned American lamp. I have charge of quarters tonight, which accounts for my being in. The wine shops are a great thing. Open right out on the streets. No windows; just open, that's all. Walking along the streets as I did last night, all you need do is just walk in from the pavement and you're there. Gay old places. So far I have written at least once a week. You may get them all together, but we should worry. Played baseball this morning. Can run now as good as ever I could, so you know this life is building me up inside and out. Tell everybody you heard from me and that I was asking about them. George White and his car would go good now. Am getting sleepy, so think I shall steal a nap. Answer to "Saw Mill Man's Dream" By W. B. MARTIN The following verses have been received from Mr. W. B. Martin, Cass, W. Va., in reply to the poem "The Saw Mill Man's Dream," which appeared in the July issue of the CRUCIBLE: The above appeared in September issue of Disston CRUCIBLE and is repeated for the reply of Mr. W. S. Wood, of Lawrence, Kansas, as follows: "Mr. Martin possibly forgets how regular HIS PAY HAS BEEN, no matter whether the stock he manufactured was selling or not. If he had gone without his SEVEN in the time when the owner was making no living, then he might have a valid claim to some of the profits coming when the mill output began to move with a good margin." "Above is all very true, But Martin must remember, too, That when the owner was blue, blue, blue, And never could squeeze for himself a sou, With no GHOST to say 'SHOO!! Get up here quick and pay that TWO!!!" A superior quality of saw steel must possess to the highest degree that perfect combination of ductility and toughness which will enable it to successfully withstand the extremely severe strains given in the "fitting-up" processes of swaging and shaping the teeth. That's Henry Disston & Sons, Inc. Keystone Saw, Tool, Steel & File Works Philadelphia, U. S. A. Plain Swaged Swaged and Shaped Swaged and Filed Live Oak (Quercus Virginiana) From "American Forest Trees" Continued from October Copyright Hardwood Record T HE sapwood is light in color, the heartwood brown, sometimes quite dark. The pores in the sapwood are open, but many of them are closed in heartwood. The annual rings are moderately well defined. The large pores are in the springwood, and those of the summerwood are smaller, but numerous. The medullary rays are numerous and dark. Measured radially they are shorter than those of many other oaks. They show well in quarter-sawed lumber, but are arranged peculiarly, and do not form large groups of figures; but the wood presents a rather flecked or wavy appearance. The general tone is dark brown and very rich. It takes a smooth polish. When the wood is worked into spindles and small articles, and brightly polished, its appearance suggests dark polished granite, but the similitude is not sustained under close examination. Grills composed of small spindles and scrollwork are strikingly beautiful if displayed in light which does the wood justice. Composite panels are manufactured by joining narrow strips edge to edge. Selected pieces of dressed live oak suggest Circassian walnut, but would not pass as an imitation on close inspection. It may be stated generally that live oak is far from being a dead, flat wood, but is capable of being worked for various effects. Its value as a cabinet material has not been appreciated in the past, nor have its possibilities been suspected. It dropped out of notice when shipbuilders dispensed with it, and people seem to have taken for granted that it had no value for anything else. The form of the trunks makes possible the cutting of short stock only; but there is abundance of it. It fringes a thousand miles of coast. Many a trunk, short though it is, will cut easily a thousand feet of lumber. Working the large roots in veneer has not been undertaken, but good judges of veneers, who know what the stumps and roots contain, have expressed the opinion that a field is there awaiting development. Published reports of the uses of woods of various states seldom mention live oak. In Texas some of it is employed in the manufacture of parquet flooring. It is dark and contrasts with the blocks or strips of maple or some other light wood. It is turned in the lathe for newel posts for stairs, and contributes to other parts of stair work. In Louisiana it is occasionally found in shops where vehicles are made. It meets requirements as axles for heavy wagons. Stone masons' mauls are made of live oak knots. They stand nearly as much pounding as lignum vitæ. More live oak is cut for fuel than for all other purposes. It develops much heat, but a large quantity of ashes remains. The live oak is the most highly |