Vol. VI MAY, 1917 No. 4 B EDITORIAL CHAT Business and War USINESS has been likened to war-an unjust analogy in the light of modern commercial practice. The bitterness, enmity, deception and destruction of warfare have disappeared long since from business. Business is not like war but, paradoxically, actually is war; more, it is a very real and vitally important factor of THE War. The extent to which the business of the nation in all its branches lends its whole-hearted, unselfish, loyal support to this country and its allies will determine in great measure the duration and even the result of the struggle into which we have been drawn. President Wilson in his magnificent appeal of April 15th to the nation declared the preparation of the army and navy to be a small part of the country's task. The development of our industries, farms, shipyards, mines and factories to the highest point of efficient and economical service and adaptation to the nation's requirements was, he said, essential. "And," the President continued, "what I want to say is that the men and the women who devote their thought and their energy to these things will be serving the country and conducting the fight for peace and freedom just as truly and just as effectively as the men on the battlefield or in the trenches. "The industrial forces of the country, men and women alike, will be a great national, a great international, service army-a notable and honored host, engaged in the service of the nation and the world, the efficient friends and saviors of free man everywhere." Not only the men on the field are privileged to serve. Let every one of us, employer or employed, do loyally and unselfishly the tasks which circumstances have best fitted us to perform and we will be serving our country well. Quality Tells You have probably heard of the famous "Hetty Green" or "Old Eureka" mine which has recently been reopened after nearly fifty years of idleness. Among other tools that had been left in the mine so many years ago, and were recently uncovered while cleaning out the shaft at the seventeen hundred foot level, were several Disston saws. Your name and address were quite plain on the large screw in handle, and thinking you might like the same as a souvenir, I saved a set of four screws. You may have them if you wish. I am employed as saw filer at the mine. Yours respectfully, The screws were not cleaned before photographing and the photograph was not retouched, as we JAMES H. Cox, Sutter Creek, Amador Co., Cal. desired to show the condition of the screws just as they came out of the mine. H OWER & STENDER of Scranton, Pa., sent in the Conqueror Swage shown above, with their order for a new one. The swage had been used until the handle was too short for the comfort and ease of mind of the filer who used it. The view at the right shows the dies to be still in perfect condition. The original length of the swage was the same as the one shown beneath it. It would be interesting to know just how many blows of the ham mer these dies have been subjected to or how many saw teeth had been graced by their gentle pressure. We were fortunate to be able to keep this swage long enough to photograph it. Messrs. Hower & Stender were taking no chance of its getting permanently out of their hands. Perhaps they want it in case any question should arise regarding Disston Quality; they'd certainly have a clinching argument. White Oak Copyright Hardwood Record From "American Forest Trees" O وو AKS belong to the beech family, that is, the "food trees,' though most acorns are too bitter and contain too much tannin to be edible; some may be eaten, and for that reason the ancients classed them among the food trees. "Quercus," which is the name of the genus, means oak in the language of northwestern Europe. The name white oak nearly always suffices, but in Arkansas it is often called stave oak, because it is the best stave timber in that region. It could with equal reason be called stave oak nearly everywhere, for it is excellent material for tight cooperage. Formerly it was sometimes called Baltimore oak, because many of the staves of export were shipped from that city. That name, however, belonged more to post oak (Quercus minor) than to white oak, because the fine staves which went out of Chesapeake Bay in the export trade were largely post oak. It matters little now, for the name Baltimore oak is not much used, and white oak may be said to have only one trade name. After the wood is dressed, it has different names referring to the style of finish and not to the wood itself. White oak grows in all the States east of the Mississippi River, and it crosses that stream two or three hundred miles in some places. It reaches eastern Nebraska and eastern Kansas, and runs southward through Okla homa to the Brazos River, Texas. It is scarce in the northern parts of Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota. Its total range covers an area of more than 1,000,000 square miles. Like all other important timber trees, it has regions where the species is best developed. The finest original stands of white oak were found in the upper Ohio Valley, beginning in Indiana. The timber in many other districts was, and in some still is, very good, such as southern Michigan, eastern Arkansas, some of the Appalachian valleys and slopes, and in certain places along the upper tributaries of streams flowing into the Atlantic Ocean. This tree is in the very front rank in economic importance, and it has held that place since the earliest settlements in this country. No forest tree was more evenly distributed than white oak over the eastern half of the United States. It did not form pure forests of large extent, as some of the pines did, but white oaks were within reach of almost every part of the country. Conditions have greatly changed. The establishment of farms where woods originally occupied the whole country, lessened the abundance of oak long before lumbermen made it a commodity; and since then, the cutting of billions of feet of it has depleted or exhausted the supply in many regions. Still, Continued on page 59 HE Marathon Lumber T Company of Laurel, Miss., started operations late in 1914 (November 19th, to be exact) and has been running continuously and to capacity ever since. The company's mill is of modern all-steel construction throughout. The alleyways to the lumber piling sheds are of concrete. The photographs on the next pages will give a comprehensive idea of the size and manner of doing things at the Marathon. The mill cuts yellow pine and has a daily capacity of 150,000 feet per ten hours. It is equipped with: two 12-inch single cutting band saws, one 12-inch horizontal band re saw, one 10-inch vertical band re-saw, two 7-saw edgers, 24-inch saws, Continued on page 58 |