Northwest Lumbermen Succesfully Attack Transportation Problem

Chas. R. McCormick Lumber Company an Example of Rapidly Developing Distribution.

With the finest timber stands in America, the Pacific Coast, until very recently, has failed to realize the farreaching power and value of her basic industry. This alleg'ed lic[ of appreciation has been due to the stupendous problem of transportation which the'location of this timber offered, and it is only within the last decade that western lumbenmen have beeir able to work out systems of organization that bid fair to solve this great problem of their industry.

Recognizing that economical transportation and marketing was to be the keynote of success in the Western lumber industry, the most progressive lumber operators have been giving the problem a good deal of attention for several years and the results they have gained are most encouragrng.

The Chas. R. NIcCormt"p "66rpany is an outstanding example of what can be done in following out a definite objective. Under its program of phenomenal development, it bids fair to become one of the largest lumber rmanufacturers in the West Coast region. This organization saw very early that its continued development would depend upon acquiring and controlling all the vital factors that must contribute to its successful operation. Timber stands, logging camps, logging railroads, sawmills, treating plants, wharves, docks, boats and railroad connections-e.very step required for successful production and marketing-have successively been added to the McCormick organization.

This company now holds seven great tracts in the Northwest's stand of giant timber in Washington. Another great ffact in Oregon. Nearly three billion feet of the finest standring timber in America.

The Oregon tract consists of 15O,000,0O0 feet of very fine timber tributary to St. Helens, while in \Arashington, unit one takes in all the land in Jefferson County; unit two cotnprises the timber tributary to Port Gamble as well as some scattered tracts lying to the south, none of which is more than three ,miles from tidewater; unit three is tributary to Union River which runs into Lynch Cove at the head of Hood's Canal : unit four consists of several small tracts inside the Great Bend of Hood's Canal; unit five consists of two tracts, on between Case's Inlet and Carr's Inlet and the other between Carr's Inlet and Galvos Passage, all tributary to Puget Sound; unit six takes in all the rest of the timber tributiry to Puget Sound not covered by the first five units; unit seven takCs in the timber in Cowlitz County on the Toutle River, tributary to the Columbia River mills.

With the first of May, the St. Helens and the Island mills of this company began operating entirely on logs from their own holdings in Cowlitz County, brought in over the Silver Lake Railway which they have also taken over recently.

Due to the location of these great timber tracts within easy reach of the sea, the McCormick organization early saw the'necessity for building its own mills and dock facilities at strategic points on the Coast. With about two-thirds of the lumber-consuming area of the United States located east of the Mississippi and north of the Mason-Dixon line, with its buying centers directly on the Atlantic seaboard, water transportation has rapidly assumed a key position of importance in the lumber industry of the Northwest'

Thirty boats plying between Pacific Coast terminals and domestic and foreign now fly the McConmick house flag. Their own mills and docks at Port Gamble and Port Ludlow, \Mashington, and St. Helens, Oregon, supply the outbound cargoes and by picking up return cargoes for other companies, the McColmick organization realizes the benefit of the most economical transportation and contributes a generous share in solving the intricate problem of marketing Pacific Coast lumber in distant places' McCormick terminals at every big seaport the length of the Pacific Coast are important factors in the company's well-defined system.

Affiliation with the Munson Steamship company has been effected to establish more direct and Cfficient connections with the Atlantic Coasts of the two Americas. This intercoastal service is known as the Munson-McCormick line and.has not only the fine backing of the Chas. R. McCormick organization but the benefit of the entire resources and personnel of the Munson service, as well. The company operates a weekly service to the Atlantic seaboard, a twoweeks' service to the east coast of South America and a rnonthly service to Florida and Cuban ports.

The varied factors of the Chas. R. ,McCormick Lumber company are concentrated at headquarters in the San Francisco office which is under the direct supervision of Chas. R. McCormick and Sydney M. Hauptman, mainsprings of the company's phenomenal grorvth and expansron,

Besides the main office in San Francisco, sales forces are maintained in Portland, Seattle, San Diego, Los Angeles, New York and Philadelphia. Through these offices, areas of production and consum.ption are efiectively br_o_ug_ht together. Steady, consistent advertising keeps the McCormick selling message of economy and good sgrvi_c,e constantly before the users of lu,mber throughout the United States.

The Port Gamble and Port Ludlow, Washington mills and docks of this company are now being re-built and a fair idea of the scope of this organization's activities may be gained from the St. Helens properties which have already been remodelled, The St. Helens mill has been in operation for the past fourteen years, cutting at pfesent about 225,ffiO feet a day. The recent program of remodelling has included entire re-routing of the lumber through the mill, new docks and a new Colby H. I. lumber handling crane built by the Colby Steel and Engineer- ing Companl of Seattle.

This is a combined cargo and rail mill, completely equi,pp'ed to furnish anything which may be wanted, although it is now busy getting out a good deal of long timber, 3&3Ox90 feet long and 36x36x70, as well as car material, ties and cross arm ,stock. Clear flitches in 6x8x12 and wider than the six inch widths are in constant demand from Australia at this mill.

Although this mill has both rail and water connections, it is estimated that around 90'/o of its output is shipped out by water. This dock is equipped with every modern convenience for ,quickest and most economical handling of lumber. Ross carriers glide about noiselessly and quickly here and there the length of the dock while the new Colby travelling crane alone is estimated to have increased the storage facilities of the dock 250/o.

This crane has a capacity of hoisting four tons of lumber to 100 feet per minute and has a radius of 80 feet with full, revolving boom, covering a path down the dock 160

Mt. Chas, R' McCotmtcft feet in width. Its travel speed is 300 feet per minute and it serves the entire face of the dock, or about 1300 feet. The crane handles from 600,000 to 800,000 feet every eight hours. Colby cranes are being installed at many laige docks as standard equipment and two additional orr." "r. being installed at the Port Ludlow and Port Gamble docks of this company. Th.e capacity of these cranes at the three plants for storing lumber on the dock for .ressels will be' about 1,200,000 feet of lumber for ."Ltv iOO feet of the crane track. The reduction in h"ndtins costs where Colby cranes are used is claimed to be bitween 4O/o and 7O-/o, depending upon local conditions.

The new St. Helens dock thus equipped with Colby Crane and Ross carriers gives doubled dock facilities and already has afiorded berihing space for four vessels at one tiine, making it possiblp to load as much as 2,000,000 feet a day. Besi"des [his, it is now " tltn'ple matter to pile up the lumber and put the slinger on it, thus reducing cost and labor for the boats handling it.

Outstandirig improvements within the mill colsist of two new resiws which have replaced older and smaller machines. ,One of these is a Prescott 7 foot vertical roller feed; the other, an Allis-Chalmers divided bed 7 foot horizontal.' Complete re-routing of the lumber, through the mill from log boom to dock has added greatly to the efficierit and ecoiomical handling at this plant. As much as tr50,000 feet in a single shift have been picked in the new sortin$ shed.

Two kilns are now used at the St. Helens plant, but as soon as the company gets into its own log tract, both th-e St. Helens and ihe- Iiland Mill directly opposite it, will have additional kilns.

A s'hort way up the river from these mills the creosoting plant has been equipped with new facilities and modern methods and improvements are constantly being added. The plant is now operating on several large tie orders. 'Greenlee incising and boring machines Prepare the ties for the retorts, insuring thorough treatment of all parts exposed to the elements and to the strain of the spikes.

This plant takes care of ,more than 13O,000 feet of 7x10x8 ties a day with its four retorts of a capacity of around 33,000 feet of these ties. The plant is operating now on an srder for 175,000 pieces or 7,291,000 feet. In addition, 160,000 pieces, 4/2x8x6 in size, are destined for India for qse on a meter gauge railroad. Another order for Zf1ffiO pieces destined for a South American point is now being handled by this plant also.

Oae of the fineSt instrument boards yet devised for f.ull control of temperature, vacuum and pressure and all essential operations connected with the most efficient methods of treating, is in use at this plant. A new condenser has also been perfected in the retort room, affording a distinct im'provement over usual methods.

This system takes care of all water and gases coming off the timber in the retorts, non-condensable gases and vapors being exhausted through pipes, while the water vapor is condensed and measured. The measuring of the condensed vaoor makes it possible to arrive at the exact rate of drying per hour and establishds absolute accuracy in determining the moisture content of the wsod.

Typically illustrating what must be done to realize the full possibilties of the lumber industry on the W..tt Coasl is the Chas. R. McCormick organization, controlling as it does, every factor from sources of supply to great distribution yards at San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego, the last of which is especially equipped for the storage of mine timbers and treated lu,mber.

With the completion of the mills and dock facilities at Port Gamble and Port I,udlow, this organization will have plants for manufacture and treating, boats for shipping and sales offices located strategically for the successful marketing of its own forest products. This company takes a for'emost 'place among the pioneers in recognizing and building for the permanency of the lumber industry of the Pacific Northwest.

LOS ANGELLS

GALIFONNIA UOULI'ING GO.

For 18 Ycan

..CHTCKASAW BRAND' OAK FLOORING hu bcco r rtandrrd of Gradc-Qudity-Manuf acturc

Menufecturcd By tlemphis Hardwood

Fl oofi ng Go. ilemphis, Tmn.

And Dbtributcd By

E. M. SLATTERY BRoedwey 1496

315 Producc Bldg., lan Aryclg

GEO. C. CORNITIUS

Amcr. Ned" Bank Bldg. Su Francirco

SAMUEL R. NORTON Hoory Bldr. Portlend