Twelve Years Aso Today

By Jack Dionne

Twelve years ago today the first number of The California Lumber Merchant rolled off the press.

There's a swell chance to pull that grand old bromide about how much water has run under bridges since that eventful date.

But in THIS case it would be both true and provable. Certainly twelve of the most eventful years in California history have been the twelve years during which this journal has striven for its ideals-and fo,r existence. For arnong those years were numbered the biggest boom time this territory has ever known-and the deepest depression. Just between us girls, we liked the former the better.

Ours was an auspicious start. The first month we were in business we printed 37 pages of paid advertising. To show you how things go, the LAST month of our twelve years in buslness we printed just 17 pages of paid advertising. Looks kind of bad, doesn't it? But then, think of dl the months in between those two when we printed as high as 150 pages of paid advertising. THOSE are the months to think about. Will they return, do you think?

You'll have to credit me with catching the boom just right. It was a first class guess. The big upward swing that made California the center of building attraction the world over, got started just about the time we got the Merchant going good, and we had a lot of fun for a while. The California folks were mighty good to me. We gave them a live, interesting journal right from the start, and right from the start they gave us generous patronage and generous friendship.

What a thrillingly live thing the lumber industry was those first few years of our history. The building boom was on. Everyone in the game was making money. Everyone talked, and acted, in big figures. We used to be able to sell advertising over the telephone-and did. There were lumber meetlngs everywhere, and always a crowd out. Hoo-Hoo was riding the crest of the wave then. There were several clubs that met every week, others semimonthly, others monthly, all of them well attended and full of pep. The old Hoo-Hoo Club in Los Angeles met every week with big attendance, fine programs, and lots of frolic and fun. Such men as Dave Woodhead and Curtis Williams acted as President, and gave the movement wonderful leadership.

Good times may come-WILL come ef s6u1ss-fo this grand lumber country again, but I'm afraid those good old Hoo-Hoo days with those grand old Hoo.Hoo enthusiasts, are gone for good. In San Diego they had a wonderful Hoo-Hoo Club, with weekly meetings, and plenty of life and interest. I rise here to remark that the Coricatenations they pulled off in those days at San Diego far surpassed in dignity and cleverness anything that Hoo-Hoo has ever known. Every member of the team lmew his ritual by heart, and when his turn came he gave it in delightful fashion. There was no horse play. It was a really beautiful ceremony.

In San Francisco they met twice a month, and had wonderful meetings. So did they in Oakland. Many of the strongest hearts that ever beat for Hoo-I{oo, and many of the best men that ever worked for the preservation of the Great Black Cat, were in the Bay District of California. I really marvel that such spirit did not keep the thing alive and booming.

The first advertising order f got for The California Lumber Merchant was frorn Gus Russell, of San Francisco. In characteristic fashion he told me I was a damn fool to start a lumber journal in California, that my merchandising talk was all bull, etc., etc., and then he gave me the first real advertising order he ever gave anyon+and it has been running ever since. The first subscription I got was from R. C. Merryrnan, then of Exeter, California, who was called to his reward in the last couple of years. We still have a picture of that first two dollar sub check.

When the first number of The California Lumber Merchant was issued, California was well organized in the way of associations. Jack Ferger was President of the San Joaquin Valley Lumbermen's Club, J. G. Martin was Treasurer, and Frank Minard was Secretary. W. C. Ball was President of the Douglas Fir Club, of San Francisco, with Frank Paramino, Secretary. The Southern Retail Lumber Dealers Association was then presided over by W. T. Davies, of Pasadena, and the veteran F. L. Morgan was Secretary. The Central California Lumber Dealers Club was headed by B. R. Duvall, of Ripon, with H. S. Fuller, of Lodi, Secretary. C. W. Pinkerton was President of the Orange County Lumbermen's Club. Henry Patten was President of the Lumbermen's Exchange, of Los Angeles. And there were others I have forgotten.

It used to be a real sight to watch them unload lumber in Los Angeles harbor in those days; it used to read like a fairy tale to go over the building permits in all parts of California.

Checking over the advertisers in the early days of The Merchant is rather depressing. The number who were here, and are gone, is surprising. More than one.half the advertisers in the first month's papers, no longer exist. By

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