REDlv()()D ASTONISHIS INGINEERS

2$'year-old Ties fool 'em again; taken from roadbed god a8 new

(Special to The California Lumber Merchant)

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF., April 14.-Engineers of the Market Street Railway were astonished when they unearthed the Redwood ties on the Sutter Street line here and found them in virtually as good condition as when they were first laid in April, 1906.

These ties were buried under the pavement twenty-five years ago when the line was electrified, immediately after the Fire of 1906. The old cable line was one of the first cable railways to be replaced by the electric system, the work having been done before the ashes of the great Fire were cool.

Recent improvements, including heavier steel, were thought to require replacement of the ties, but the excellent condition of the Redwood enables it to be used over on other lines under lighter steel.

This is another proof of Redwood's durability. These ties were not sealed up under the concrete. They were exposed to drainage of water and decayed vegetable matter around the rails.