.,\lllHo's wHonn

cloe Rolando

The subject of this sketch, Joe Rolando, one of the largest operators in the lumber business of the San Francisco Bay atea, and one of the lumber industry's most colorful figures, is a Native Son, having been born in San Pedro, California.

He is also one of the industry's veterans, for he started his career 45 years ago as a boy of 13 with the San Pedro Lumber Co. at their San Pedro yard, where his job was picking up lath and r,vorking in the moulding shed. His next job was rvith E. K. Wood Lumber Co. After three years with this firm he worked for the Southwestern Lumber Co., a yard started by L. \M. Blinn in Wilmington on the site now occupied by Consolidated Lumber Co.

Mr. Rolando recalls that there were only three lumber companies operating in San Pedro when he first went to work there. These were San Pedro Lumber Co., Kerckhoff-Cuzner Lumber Co., and W. H. Perry Lumber Co. He also recalls the fact that L. W. Blinn was the first lumber dealer to ship Douglas Fir doors to Los Angeles, and that, incidentally, a lot of promotion work had to be done to sell these doors at that time in competition with California Pine doors.

After five years experience young Joe at 18 became the youngest lumber surveyor on the Pacific Coast when he went with the Lumber Surveyors' Association, and spent several years with this organization. He came to San Francisco in 1908 to work for the Albion Lumber Co. as salesman, and left this position to go with the Hooper Lumber Co. as shipping clerk and later as salesman. He became associated with the Christenson Lumber Co. in 1915, and left to become a salesman with Hart-Wood Lumber Co. He returned to Los Angeles to represent Hart-Wood Lumber Co. there in the wholesale business. He managed their boats and was joint manager for this concern for the period r9zl-1923.

He left Los Angeles to return to San Francisco, where he took over the management of Sudden & Heitman Lumber Co. After three years in that position he bought out the Hart-Wood Lumber Company's yard in l92B and entered business for himself. He has been very successful and has a host of friends both in and outside of the lumber business.

Joe is known the country over as a result of his main hobby-horse racing. He is joint owner of the Mill B Stable with Jimmy Lyons of Irwin & Lyons, lumber manufacturers of North Bend, Oregon. Another hobby is fishing when he has the time. He is successful at this pastime, too, and doesn't need pictures to prove it.

Joe is a charter member of the San Pedro Elks Club, a member of the Olympic Club, San Francisco, and a member of the California Jockey Club.

He is married and lives in San Francisco. Mrs. Rolando is an accomplished golfer.

Likes Editorials

I have been subscribing to yovr magazine for many years, chiefly because of your Editorials, which are so well written; which carry so much meat, philosophy and humor as to be well worth the subscription price alone. As an architect, the news concerning the lumber business, while interesting, is only of secondary importance to me. I also get numerous chuckles from "Fun, Facts and Filosophy." More power to you and lots of good luck.

Walter H. Nash Washington, D. C.