Western Lumber Replaces Huge Casualty List of Southern Pine Mills

Western lumber has found a wonderful and fertile new field during the past three years-and particularly during the last eighteen months-in the great Southwestern and Middle Western territory, replacing the product of a great list of Southern Pine mills, which, during that time, have cut their last log, and gone out of business permanently.

The great flood of western lumber that has been going into Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas, for instance, growing bigger with each season that passes, is easily understood when the casualty list of Southern Pine mills that formerly served that particular territory, is considered.

In order to catalogue this situation, The Gulf Coast Lumberman, of Houston, Texas, has been for the past three years, listing the mills as they pass and go, and recapitulating the totals. It is amazing to note that the figures furnished by that publication show that since the first of January, 1924, there have g'one out of business for good in thc three states of Texas, Louisiana, and Arkansas, Southern Pine mills whose total volume of production amounted to 4,625,W feet of lumber DAILY. All these mills catered to the Southwestern territory, and their passing marked the passing of exactly that volume of lumber removed from Southwestern competition.

This list is composed only of major sawmills. No little mills are included, although a large number have gone out of business in the period mentioned. While there has been some starting of small mills in that territory during that period, The Gulf Coast Lumberman estimates that the small mills that have gone out of business more than cover 'the volume of small mills that have started. so that there has been absolutely not a foot of replacement of this great volume of lumber that has disappeared.

This list does NOT include any territory east of the Mississippi River, but strictly Southwestern mills that engaged in Southwestern competitive markets.

It is interesting to note that all the mills that have been built in the west by Southern lumber operators during the past three years:will not produce anything like the volume of lumber that has gone out of business down in the Southwest alone, the casualty list in the Southwest being more than sufficient tg cover all Pacific Coast production that has started during the samb length of time.

And it has opened a prosperous and valuable territory to the markets of \Mestern Lumber, that means much, and will with every season that Passes, mean more, to the Western manufacturers. More Southern Pine mills will close with each coming season, leaving still more business for the Western mills to supply.

The following is The Gulf Coast Lumberman list of Texas, Louisiana, and Arkansas mills that have cut out and quit for good, since January lst,1924:

Nine Kittens Initiated at Riva Ranch Concat

The Los Angeles Hoo-Hoo District staged a successful Concatenation at the Riva Ranch, Ventura, on Saturday afternoon, June 18. During the afternoon there were several exciting horseshoe contests with Frank Burnaby, the Beverley Hills retailer, winning the playoff from Robt. McKee of the San Pedro Lbr. Co.

The Concatenation was staged outdoors at 5:30 P. M. The "Nine" in charge of the initiation was made up as follows:-Snark, W. B. Wickersham; Senior Hoo-Hoo, James Jenkins; Junior Hoo-Hoo, M. G. Coe; Bojum, F. M. Slade; Scrivehoter, Russell Edmonston; Arcanoper, M: Landam; Jabberwock, J. E. Cole; Custocatian, Frank Connolly, and Gurdon. W. W. Wilkinson.

Following the Concatenation, there was a barbecue beef steak dinner served in the grape arbor. About 50 attended which included a large delegation from Los Angeles.

The folowing Kittens were initiated:

Walter S. Riley, Peoples Lumber Co., Ventura.

Walter Long, Peoples Lumber Co., Ventura.

Sherman S. Karns, Peoples l-umber Co., Ventura.

Ernest L. Vehlow, Sun Lumber Co., Ventura.

Charles E. Bonestel, Peoples Lumb_er Co., Ventura.

Edw. L. Clark, Sun Lumber Co., Vehtura.

Dewey L. Thompson, Hull Bros., Lumb_e_r Co., Fillmore.

Benton G. Brown, Peoples Lumber Co., Ventura.

Russell M. Castell, California Lumber Co., Montebello.

E. D. Tenno*.