The Houston Lumberwomcn

By Mrs. Herschel Cochran *

In October, 1939, a group of Houston, Texas, women interested in the lumber industry met for the purpose of organizing a fraternity. This meeting culminated in the only organization of its kind in the southern states, The 'Houston Lumberwomen.

Tlris organization serves a two-fold purpose. It promotes .fellowship amoirg lumbermen's wives, and it facilitates their 'study of the various phases of the lumber industry in Texas.

Since this was the fifth attempt to organize the lumberwomen of Houston, the lumbermen were a wee bit skeptical of our success. Through the combined efforts of our women, a few wholesalers, The Gulf Coast Lumberman, Neal Pickett (former secretary of the Lumbermen's Association of Texas) and, last but not least, F. W. Sternenberg, president of the Lumbermen's Association of Texas, our organization has increased in membership more than 50O per cent in a year's time. Now the lumbermen have become enthusiastic about our progress and the results lve are obtaining. We have a membership representation from approximately 85 per cent of the lumber yards in IIouston.

Our luncheons once a month are attended by approximately sixty-five wives of the active lumber dealers in Houston. These luncheon programs are planned in quarterly cycles. The first month in the quarter is devoted to the business of our organization; the second month to our educational program; the third month is purely social rvith our fellowship ,chairman in charge.

Without contributions other than our yearly' dues ($3.00) we have placed our organization on a self-supporting basis. Our educational features have included an extensive study of the history of the lumber industry in Texas, a study of the manufacture of lumber, this being followed by a visit to a sawmill where we actually saw lumber in production; and at our luncheon a moving picture was shown with an 'accompanying lecture. Also, we have had lectures concerning the preservation of lumber rvith an open forum followirg. Oui fellowship or social programs have been varied 3o as not to become boresome. The three dances sponsored by our Organization (one a Red Cross Benefit) have each been attended by more than three-fourths of the lumbermen of Houston and their rvives.

We enjoyed the distinction of having a representative of our organization appear on the program of the State Lumbermen's Convention in Fort Worth, Texas, in April, 194O. She was the first non-professional and the second woman ever to speak before this association in its fifty-five years of existence. As a result of this we received inquiries from cities in Texas and several other states for facts concerning our organization; and we hope that this expression of interest means that more organizations of this kind will be created. I might add that we have also been invited to participate in next year's Lumbermen's Convention, assisting

Houston Lumbersomen's lirst cnuiverscrry luncheon. the lumber dealers of Galveston, Texas, who will be hosts.

The results obtained from The Houston Lumberwomen's organization are as follows: first, a closer contact and personal feeling among the wives of the men in the lumber industry; second, a deeper insight into, and ap:preciation of the lumber industry, which is second only to the oil industry in Texas; and, third, a mutual understanding between husband and wife concerning an industry so vital to each of them.

We who have spent much time and effort in organizing our Houston Lumberwomen are proud of our results and feel that the benefits derived have repaid us more than a thousand-fold.

Beautiful Calendar

One of the most interesting and beautiful 1941 calendars to be received at the office of this paper was that of the South Sound Lumber Sales, Inc., of Seattle and Los Angeles.

The illustration, reproduced from the original painting by the American artist, Grif Teller, is of the oldest sawmill in North America. The mill is pictured as the artist found it after an early winter snowfall-stained and weatherbeaten, but still operating in its 254th year of continuous service. Only 68 years after the Mayflower reached the New World this little mill was set up on the banks of Silver Mine stream in southwest Connecticut, and the swift waters have never failed to keep its saws going.

New \|fHlZ Electric Tool

WHIZ, the all-purpose electric tool, is a rugged power tool, weighing less than 3l pounds, with so much flexibility that it handles equally as well heavy power jobs and delicate precision work.

Itcan drill a hole through r/a-inch iron plate in 42 seconds flat, or can carve intricate designs in jewelry, plastics, wood or metal with accuracy. Plug in the WHIZ on any light socket-A.C. or D.C.-and it is ready to operate, It is sturdy enough to do the toughest drilling or grinding, yet can be operated with one hand while some delicate material is held in the other.

'WHIZ is a versatile tool, following are some of the uses : Drills any size hole up to t/+" in any material, including steel.

Grinds with large 4" r'r'heel or small mounted grinding wheels in a variety of shapes to fit any job. Grinds everything from tools and dies to jewels. Smoothes rough edges of castings and welded joints.

Sharpens axes, chisels, scissors, knives, lawn mowers.

Wire-brushes to remove rust from machinery and from auto fenders before repainting, to remove paint from woodwork and to roughen rubber tires before vulcanizing or patching.

Sands with drum sanders or disc sanders of different sizes. Used to sand furniture, woodwork and metals, remove paint and rust and finish all surfaces.

Polishes with large muslin buffing wheels or small mounted rubber wheels containing an abrasive compound to give a mirror finish to all metals.

Saws any material with high speed circular saws.

Shapes all metals-using the steel cutters for softer metals, such as brass, copper, aluminum, babbitt, lead and bronze, and using the special shaped mounted grinding stones for metals of high tensile strength, such as steel and cast iron.

Etches glass or any softer material as easily as writing. Enables you to initial drinking glasses, decorate mirrors and trays.

Engraves steel, copper, wood-in fact no substance is harder than the abrasive wheels used with the WHIZ.

Carves in wood, plastics, bone, cork or other materials, using many-shaped steel cutters.

The WHIZ electric tool is distributed by Paramount Products Co., 545 Fifth Avenue, New York, N. Y.

MODEBNOBEAI'TTFI'LOECONOMICf,L