On The Other End

by Allen E. Sorrell

Pacific Coast lumbetman, formedy with Pope & Talbot, who has just completed a four-month cruise to South America and Vest Indies Pofts on the McCormick

Pacific Argentine liner Vest Notus.

How often, as we load boat after boat with millions and millions of feet, for off-shore, do we give a thought as to just what sort of place it is to be delivered-how it is discharged-how they take care of it, once they have it-how it is distributed for the purposes intended-and why?

Should we take for granted that ports, docks, yards, mills, equipment and methods are similar to our own, making allowances only for differences in scenery, climate and people characteristic of the "destination mark"; and just forget it, once loaded-our part of the deal ?

I believe we are all a little too willing to let it go at that, "just get it loaded"-excusing ourselves with the alibi that "we haven't time to think about those things, we MUST turn our attention to getting the next steamer loaded."

It's a guilty and poor excuse, as we all know, full well; working from each end makes the job easier for both. And sort the cargo for the different sizes, which are then piled up for storale in a manner similar to our ways, although an attempt is made to keep most all stock under cover. it is really, getting right down to the facts, up to THIS END to help the other, as we have far more advanced methods and WE ARE the producerq, shippers and SELLERS.

And when it comes to "delivery" we don't see any motored lumber truck pull up alongside of the pile, but in its place an awkward, heavy, two-big-wheeled bullock team. We think most of our yards do too much handling and are frightfully slow with deliveries (and we are correct at that) 5ut those troubles of ours :Ire comparatively nothing to what they have.

We also made a delivery at one of the out-ports of the Island of Porto Rico-Humacao by name. Here, again, it was a case of anchoring miles off shore and discharging into an assortment of dilapidated lighters of various sizes and shapes. And if the towing launch didn't break downit was i case of waiting for empty lighters or holidays to pass.

Conditions are much different in all those places 'away from home.'We made a stop at a small port on the southern end of the Island of Cuba-Manzanillo. The harbor was very shallow, the piers short, lightly constructed and very scarce, which made it necessary to drop anchor in the stream some few miles away from shore. We had a high deck load of 75O000 feet for this port, which was all transferred, piece by piece, to the barges alongside, by a swarm of small natives, who seemed to make as much use of their calloused, hardened, bare feet as they did their hands.

The barges must all be unloaded again, piece by piece, at the outer end of the small piers, onto small hand cars, which are then pushed into the yards located on shore. It is in these small yards that the first attempt is made to

In the city of San Juan, the beautiful capitol city of the Island, the situation changes entirely. Here we have docks and fair sized lumber yards, which distribute all over the island, mostly by motor trucks. Here, again, we see everything under cover to protect it from the tropical heat and rains.

In the small towns scattered throughout the island lumber is stocked and sold in small handful quantities. Small racks about three feet square, are built in the stores and a small amount of each variety is always kept in stock for immediate "cash and carry sales."

Lumber conditions are considerably different in these out-of-the-wa/ places and woe to the one operating there who is not familiar with them. There are many things to take into consideration and THIS END should give these conditions careful thought and study.

Arriving at the city of Bahh f,lxnc,a, a new, modern, progressive city in the southern part of The Argentine, it looks somewhat better. Here we find modern railroad