Contacts Old-Time Lumb ermen

Bv \fl. F. Montgomeryt Los Angeles

Contacts made recently with some of the old-time lumbermen, have given me much pleasure and satisfaction.

Along about the year 1885, three young men were fello'lv workmen at the lumber yard located at 5th and San Pedro Streets, operated by the Los Angeles Storage Commercial & Lumber Co. Frank H. Ransom was a clerk {or the California Door Co., occupying a portion of the warehouse, L. E. Behymer was foreman of the lime and cement department, while the writer had a short experience rvorking in the yard.

Frank Ransom left Los Angeles and I met him later at the Shaver plant in central California and also at the Eastern & Western plant in Portland, and so kept up onr acquaintance. Not long ago I read a notice in The CaliTornia Lumber M'erchant of his appointment as president of the Eastern & Western Lumber Co. and wrote him a letter of congratulation. I had 4 fine letter in reply rvhich I passed on to Mr. Behymer, which "Bee" replied to sending me a copy of the letter he had written to Mr. Ransom, recalling old times and expressing his pleasure of contacting him again after a lapse of over fifty years. I was happy to have been the means of bringing them together.

I used to see Mr. Behymer acting as usher and renting opera glasses at the old Childs opera house, which started him on his career as one of our leading impresarios, and our most beloved citizen. I have been honored by his friendship and have letters from him telling of his early misadventures. I attended the celebration of his 80th birthday a year ago which was attended by over five hundred of our leading citizens.

The writer, the third member of the trio, in later years become one of the owners of the yard when it was acquired by the Montgomery & Mullin Lumber Co.

I also had a letter from Ernest Dolge of Tacoma, Wash., telling of his retirement from business, having disposed of his interest to the Stimson Mill Co. people of Seattle. He was the son of the Mr. Dolge, who at one time operated a felt factory in paftnership with H. E. Huntington at Dolgeville, near Alhambra.

Dolge left Southern California when quite a young man and located in Tacoma and for a time acted as purchasing agent for the Montgomery & Mullin Lumber Co., to our mutual satisfaction, and he insists on giving us credit for helping him to get started in the business which he conducted so successfully. We have maintained our friendship all these years and I have visited him at his beautiful hom'e located on the shore of a small lake outside of Tacoma. In his last letter I was gratified to have him give credit to Frank Ransom for good advice rvhen first starting in business.

My last contact was with Chas. E. Dant of Portland, from whom we used to buy cargoes in early days, but whom I had not seen or heard from for over twenty years. Mr. Dant wrote me a long letter telling of his numerous activities which place him among the leading operators in the Northwest. Tfe spoke of his connection with the InmanPoulsen Lumber Co. of Portland. for whom I once sold car lots in the'l\Iidwest many years ago. Itre also mentions outbidding Frank Ransom in the purchase of a large timber tract for fnman-Poulsen. Mr. Dant is now at his winter home in Palm Springs and I have his promise to call on me at an early date.

The writer is the eldest man in the quintette, all of .rvhom have surpassed me in accomplishments, but I am quite content to rest in reflected'glory.

United States Plywood Corp. Opens New Brqnch in Oaklcnd

A new branch has been opened by the United States Plywood Corp. at 570 3rd Street, Oakland 7. Don L. Kesselring is in charge.

Stock carried includes Douglas fir, California pine and hardr,vood plyr,r'ood, also Weldwood glue.

Program to lncrease Production of ForestProducts from Farm Woodlands

J. Philip Boyd, director, Lumber and Lumber Products Division, War Production Board, in the following letter to the lumber industry on the subject, "IJse of War Food Administration Program for trncreased Production of Forest Products by Famers," states:

"At the request of WPB, the War Food Administration has developed a program to increase the production of forest products from farm woodlands and to provide farm labor for forest industries during the off-agricultural season. This program will be carried on through the County War Boards in every county having marketabe timber.

"Bulletins have been sent out by the War Food Adrninistration to the State War Boards, outlining the forest production program to be undertaken by County War Boards. Briefly their program involves the contacting of farmers having farm woodland products in order to promote a maximum of timber harvest and to give assistance whereever possible in the harvesting and marketing operation.

"Agricultural workers of the WFA have extremely close contact and considerable influence with farmers throughout the country. The support of this agency should be of great value in stimulating the farm production of forest products. However, their program will be of little value unless the in_ dustry actively follows up the work that has been started by making direct contacts with state and County War Boards.

"The WFA program is designed to help the forest prod_ ucts industries meet their own raw material requirements. We, therefore, strongly urge you to take full advantage of this program by cooperating closely with State and County War Boards by furnishing them with specific information as to your needs for raw materials, giving them specifica_ tions, prices that you will pay, and all necessary marketing instructions. The WPB lumber advisers and the Timbei Production War Project personnel are fully informed about ancl are cooperating in this program, and may be utilized in securing the assistance of County War Boards, It is also recommended that, when you secure agricultural workers for your opefations and desire to continue their employ. ment for more than six weeks, you promptly apply to your local U. S. Employment Service office for their Certificates of Availability."

Buys Ycrd ct Whittier

R. A. Seemann, Seemann Lumber Company, Encinitas, has purchased the San Pedro Lumber Company yard. at Whittier and will operate it under the name of Seemann Lumber Company. Mr. Seemann will make his headquarters at the Whittier yard.

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San Diego Hoo-Hoo Reorganizes

Members ofthe San Diego Hoo-Hoo held a reJl organization meeting Frii4t day evening, January 14, at the La Mesa Country Club, La Mesa. Following dinner there was a business meeting, and the following were elected to serve on the Nine: Snark, Frank Park; Senior HooHoo, Bill Cowling; Junior Hoo-Hoo, Al Frost; S'crivenoter, Mearl Baker; Bojum, John Stewart; Jabberwock, Carl Gavotto; Custocatian, Clifi Charles McFarlane; and Gurdon, Nihl

Brief talks were made by Dee Essley, Snark of the Los Angeles district, Ben Seymour, G. E. Mattison, Huntley A. Wark, and Ed Martin. Snark Essley invited the San Diego Nine to come to Le5 Angeles and put on the initiation work at the concatenation to be held there in March, and Snark Frank Park accepted the invitation. Mearl Baker presided at the meeting.

Nine Old Cats were reinstated and included C. C. Yelvington, W. L. Loizeaux, G. V. Johnson, R. L. Wright, W. J. McDermott, P. M. Barker, G. E. Mattison, O B. Wilson and A. A. Maas

Charles McFarlane, Nihl Hamilton, Frank Park, Bill Cowling, Cliff Roberts, John Stewart, Mearl Baker, R. W. Reid and Carl Gavotto were the mer4bers of the committee that arranged for the meeting.

The fbllowing attended:

H. C. McGahey, San Diego Lumber Co. San Diego

Syd Smith ....San Diego

J. H. Stewart, Frost Hardwood Lumber Co. .San Diego

G. A. Mattison, Frost Hardwood Lumber Co. San Diego

C. C. Yelvington ....Sa.t Diego

Nihl Hamilton Lumbermen's Service Bureau San Diego

Mearl Baker, Miller-McDermott Hardwood Lumber Co. ...San Diego

Art Jensen, Dixie Lumber & Supply Co. San Diego

Frank Park, Park Lumber & Investment Co. ....La Mesa

P. M. Barker, San Diego Planing Mill, Inc. San Diego

Frank O. Benz, San Diego Planing Mill, Inc. San Diego

Carl Gavotto, Ambrican Products, Inc. San Diego

O. G. Gray, Park Lumber &fnvestment Co. ......La Mesa

Dick Gurney, Dixie Lumber & Supply Co. ..San Diego

Charles D. McFarlane, Dixie Lumber & SupplyCo... ....San Diego

G. E. Mattison .. La Mesa

R. A. Piersall, Western Lumber Co. .... ....San Diego

Bill Cowling, Dixie Lumber & Supply Co. ....San Diego

W. Z. Loizeaa, National Lumber Co. National City

R. W. Reid, Park Lumber & fnvestment Co. .. .La Mesa

Cliff Roberts, Benson Lumber Co. .. ....San Diego

A. A. Maas, Benson Lumber Co. .. San Diego

Huntley A. Wark, Pacific Cabinet Co. .......Los Angeles

W. J. McDermott, Miller-McDermott Hardwood ' LumberCo... ...SanDiego

Orville B. Wilson, San Diego Lumber Co. San Diego

George Johnson, National Lumber Co. ....National City

Ben Seymour, Coronado Building Material Co. Coronado

Dee Essley, D. C. Essley & Son Los Angeles

R. L. Wright, La Mesa Planing Mill La Mesa

Ed Martin, The California Lumber Merchant Los Angeles

Hoo-Hoo Club No. 39 Makes Good Start lq 1944

A good beginning for the New Year was made fy HooHoo Club No. 39 at their regular dinner meeting held at Hotel Leamington, Oakland, on Monday evening, January 24.

Program chairman Tom Jacobsen of Piedmont Lumber & Mill Co., Oakland, lined up some good entertainment, the principal item of whi,ch was an interesting talk by John Standish, district traffic manager of United Air Lines on the subject, "The Present and Future of Air Transportation."

In addition there was the showing of a 30-minute sound picture, released by the U. S. Army, and furnished to the Club by the Standard Oil Co. of California. The picture was in two parts, "Communique Noi 1," and "Kill or Be Killed."

President Normen Cords presided.

Los Angeles Hoo-Hoo Meeting

Chief Yeoman J. L. Peebles, U. S. Navy, was the speaker at the tneeting of the Los Angeles Hoo-Hoo Club held at the University Club, Tuesday noon, January 18, and gave an interesting talk on his war experiences. Chief Yeoman Peebles has been in the Navy eighteen years, and was in almost every major engagement in the South Pacific from October 1942, excepting the Coral Sea battle. He is now on convalescing leave. Bob Osgood, of the prog.ram ,committee, introduced him.

Snark Dee Essley announced that the next meeting will be at the Biltmore Hotel, Friday noon, February 11. The War Industry Conference of the Southern California Retail Lumber Association will be held there on February l0-11, and the Club will be in charge of the program at the Friday luncheon.

Roy Stanton presided at the meeting, and several of the "old timers" present were asked to stand and take a bow. The gathering stood in silence for thirty seconds as a tribute to Navy Chaplain K. P. Buswell who was re,cently reported killed while on duty at sea. Chaplain Buswell was the guest speaker at the Club's meeting last October.

The meeting was well attended, over 60 being present.

Lumbermen's Association Incorporates

Incorporation of the Willamette \ralley Lumbermen,s Association as a non-profit corporation under.the laws of Oregon was announced recently by H. J. Cox, secretarymanager of the Association, which has headquarters in Eugene, Ore.

C. W. fngharn, Glendale, Ore. is president; Guy Haynes, Carlton, is vice-president. Directorq are J. H. Chambers, Cottage Grove; T. W. Rosborough, Springfield; William Vaughn, North Bend; Stervart \Meiss, Sweet Home; F. A. Graham, Jasper; A. A. Lausman, Medfordi T. U. Larsen, Noti. H. J. Cox, Eugene, is secretary-treasurer.

The organization was founded in 1915. Objectives under the new set-up as outlined by Mr. Cox include furnishing of statistical data and other information to the industry and the general public; transportation and traffic services to rail and shipping regions of .WeStern Oregon, south of Portland, and promotion of research work and uses of wood.

Sacramento Hoo-Hoo Club Honors Two Old Timers

Sacramento Hoo-Hoo Club No. 109 held its regular rnonthly dinner meeting January 19 at Wilson's Confectaurant, Sacramento,

Homer M. Derr, J. M. Derr Lumber Co., Elk Grove, Calif., the Club's president, presided.

The program was dedicated to Burton Flays Smith, Sacramento representative of the Long-Bell Lumber Co., and Charles R. Webber, Sacramento representative of Cooper Lumber Co., Portland. Both of these men have completed more than half a century in the lumber business, and both have been members of Hoo-Hoo f.or 49 years.

Russell E. Tracy, T+acy Lumber & Supply Co., Sacramento, is secretary of the Sacramento Hoo-Hoo Club.

Building Restrictions to Continue

Los Angeles, Jan. l2-Prospects for an early spurt in Southland civilian building construction today were definitely "out the window" local 'War Production Board headquarters announced.

Watt L. Moreland, WPB Deputy Regional Director lor Southern California, received word that after extended consideration of the matter at a full meeting today of the War Production Board in Washington it was decided to continue present restrictions on new building "until the probable course of the war becomes clearer."

.Shortages of lumber for military construction and for crating of shipments to troops overseas was the major factor in the decision, Mr. Moreland said, and sudden developments overseas might require huge additional quantities, hence an adequate reserve-in this country is necessary. IXe added that manpower shortages here would make a local residential boom out of the question.

"This does not mean that there will be no more housing for war rvorkers in Southern California," the WPB chief cautioned. "\N'e are expediting the building of nearly 32,W new homes schedules for completion within the next several months. It is this cgnstruction program that is absorbing all available material and manpower in the arca.. Priorities therefore will continue to be available only for housing and other construction that is of utmost urgency to the war program."