John C. Lisht

Iohn C. Light

Over in the friendly city of Miami, Arizona, lives a fine and friendly old lumberman named John C' Light. He's been on earth a good while, but his heart is light and his mind is young because he keeps it filled with -youth-provoking thoughts. Besides being a good lumberman he is an enthusiastic Rotarian. Not long since the Rotary Governor of his district prevailed upon John Light to writq a brief sketch of his own career, and he did it in so interesti.ng and loveable a fashion that we feel that it belongs in this lumber journal, read by so many good men who know and love him.

So here is a brief ,fiographical sketch of John C. Light, of the Jo,hn C. Light Lumber Company, Miami, Arizona, written by John

C. Light, Rotarian: Dear Bill:

You asked for it, here it is, 82 years after-born March 2,1857, in a log cabin on an Illinois feirm about 100 miles south of Chicago.

The Grand Old Republican party was born about the same time, probably has to do with my affiliation all these years.

Rotary was born many years later in Chicago, probably had to do with my Rotary activities.

Bully old life Bill, bully old world, bully old time I have spent here. I have lived to see our America develop from coast to coast, from Canada on the north to Old Mexico orr the south.

Many things have happened in my 82 years of life, no man ev'er lived in a better country, under a better government and in a better period of time than I, from 1857 to 1939. No man, in all probability, will ever live to see greater achievements accomplished.

Our forefathers laid a good solid foundation, they built well. It's up to you Bill and men like you to persevere' perpetuate and keeP it so.

My life has been devoted to service and activity for my fellowmen, working on my father's farm until I was 21, , then entering business-that of furnishing building material and supplies to build homes for folks on earth. . . Sixty-two years, almost without exception, I have worked at that job. It's a long beautiful story, full of romance, love and service.

Never entered politics, my Creator did not give me the gift of gab nor the vocabulary. He said, John-your job is service, doing things, then talk about it afterward. Build 'homes for folks on earth, yes, that great American home.

. . . That home that will and has made America the greatest, safest, richest, and best gov€rnmerlt on earth.

So Bill, I became a knothole peddler and a member of that great fraternity called the Concatenated Order of HooHoo, a lumbermen's fraternity, whose ethics are one and the same as Rotary International, and that has been my job for 62 years.

Never cared for so-called honors attached to many organizations, but was always interested in my friends who did like it. They called me a "Jiner" of lodges, clubs and service groups. I am a member in good standing in almost every so-called secret organization, and the Churc,h. Why? Because I wanted to belong and work with every group of men who stood for that sort of thing.

I found the so-called secret organizations had but few secrets outside of pass-words and ritualistic work. I found that every organization had almost the same objective . that of developing and building young,men into splendid manhood, better citizens-to create b'etter government, their duty towards God and their fellowmen. While working witlr young men one finds he is developing himself at the same time, so I was a "Jiner." I wanted to be doing something-Yes, a builder.

We organized our Rotary Club April 2, l9?l-ours was the fourth club to organize in the state. I am a charter member, only four of us left, T. H. Qbrien, Jedd Stone, Charlie Van Hook and John Light. . I have served in almost every capacity, was elected President in 1927-made a darned good President too-I believe you were President of your club that same Jear.

Things hap,pened that year, we eleqted Fred Shaffer of the Globe Club Governor of our District and the next year we all got behind him and elected him Director of Rotary International.

We have had many fine programs. Miami Club is the biggest and best little Rotary Club in the r4'orld located in the biggest and best little old copper producing mining camp in the U.S.A.

Naturally Bill, it has been a pleasure, a privilege and an honor to belong to and work with such a group of men. Bill, I could go on and on and on, but my 82 years are weighing heavily. I have fought the good fight, I have about finished the course.

Again I say-It's up to you Bill, and men like you, to carry on. Keep building on the old foundation-it's solid as the Rock of Gibraltar. You can't go wrong.

If I had my life to live over again I would like it about the same. It's been a bully old life, full of romance, happiness and service.

Rotarily yours in the faith, Just Old John Light.

Southern Pine Ass'n Midsummer Convention Given Ovet to Criticism of New Deal

Edgewater Park, Mississippi, July 14;-\qys1 in the history of qhe South has a formidable convention of business men been so given over to vigorous verbal panning of Government as was the midsummer meeting of The Southern Pine Association here today. The Governor of Mississippi, a famous newspaper publisher, a,noted Southern lawyer, and an outstanding Southern manufacturer, took turns in castigating the workings and tendencies of the New Deal. Taxation, the wage-hour act, a.nd the invasion of personal and businesq liberty by the government, were the chief topics of discussion. T,he administration was bitterly scored for imposition of excessive taxes, for altering our form of government, for regimenting industry a.nd agriculture, and for creating a great spoils system of spending and lending.

W. A. PRIDDIE VISITS S. F. FAIR

W. A. Priddie of W. A. Priddie Lumber Co., Beaumont, Texas, and Mrs. Priddie, were recent visitors to San Francisco, where they saw the Golden Gate International Exposition.

MADE TRIP TO TRANS-PACIFIC MILL

Bill and John Gorman, sons of George W. Gorman, g€neral manager of Trans-Pacific Lumber Co., made a trip last week to the Trans-Pacific sawmill at Port Orford, Ore., on the steamer Port Orford. The boys, 16 and 14, proved themselves to be good sailors and had a fine time.