LargestSingle Rail Shipment of Lumber Trainload, 58 cars Packaged Lumber

One of the most phenomenal lumber-distributing exploits in the annals of tlie country was brpught to a successful conclusion August 16 by the arrival in Fargo, N. D., of the "Weyerhaeusei North Dakota packaged lumber special"a solid trainload, 58 cars, of packaged lumber orders. t

I. N. Tate of Spokane, general manager of Weyerhaeuser Sales Company, is authority for the statement that this is the largest single rail-shipment of lumber on record. Before taking in all this territory, Mr. Tate had the reiords ef railroads and of various lumber concerns searched. No report of a previous shipment exceeding this in size was turned up.

More than I,566,000 feet of the products of four Weyerhaeuser-affiliated mills in Western Washington and Idaho comprised this shipment. Certainly it is the largest single trainload ever sent out of the Northwest by one producer or producing group.

Every car contained a percentage of the re-manufactured, packaged and consumer-guaranteed "4-Square" line. The train constituted the most extraordinary movement of this stock yet on record.

"This train consisted of mixed-car orders," Mr. Tate stated, "but every car contains at least the minimum of 4-Square required. This is consistent with our announced policy on the sale of 4-Square. We never have intended or expected that any dealer must, carry this package goods exclusively. Our services to Weyerhaeuser dealers, and theirs to the building trades, continue complete."

One of the 58 cars was billed fo Carlyle, Mont.; one to Rosholt, S. Dak., and three went through to Moorhead, Sabin and Wolverton, Minn. But all the other 53 contained the orders of North Dakota retailers along the Northern Pacific Railway and its branches. If any previous railroad shipment of lumber to one state has exceeded this in size, record of it has yet to appear.

"And that is another surprising thing about this special trainload of special lumber orders," Mr. Tate pointed out. 'lAgricultural conditions during recent years have led the rest of the country to believe that North Dakota is the last state in the Union that could carry off such a remarkable buying-project as this. No one would have expected the lumber merchants there to commit themselves so confidently to a quality-product, the distribution of which is based entirely upon preference for quality-goods as against the cheaper ordinary lumber. The fact that North Dakota did so vividly reveals a fine, and presumably justified, optim1Sm.

1'Most of these dealers are in small communities. If they see in packaged, advertised, consumer-guaranteed and display-able lumber an opportunity to improve their business, I believe it is evident that merchants in larger communities will do so likewise. North Dakota has accepted with a flourish the advanced stand we have taken in pre- senting the products of the sawmill to the public. Other regions have done so just as definitely, though less spectacularly. We are pleased with the results, so far, of our effort to improve basic selling conditions in the lumber industry."

D. J. Robinson, representative of Weyehaeuser Sales Company in Southern Dakota, is the man who "put across'f this history-maker. On Juiy 15 he received permission from Spokane headquarters to undertake the project. Within little more than two weeks he had all the orders in. The bverage successf,ul lumber salesman places about 1,500,000 feet a year. Robinson's achievement lies in the fact that he sold more than this in a day or so more than a fortnight.

His oiders were assigned to four mills in the 'Weyerhaeuser g'roup. Twenty-five cars came from Weyerhaeuser Timber Company's Mill "8" at Everett, 'Wash., 23 from the Snoqualmie Falls Lumber Co., Snoqualmie Falls, Wash., and 10 from the Potlatch Lumber Company, Potlatch, Idaho, and'the Edward Rutledge Lumber Company at Coeur d'Alene. Each mill turned out its quota in ample time, which means that they re-manufactured the stock and loaded it within seven days from receipt of specifications.

"I think this will be of interest throughout the industry." Mr. Tate said, "because it indicates plainly that the major problems involved in the production of 4-Square have been solved. This demand for the re-manufactured stock would have taxed the resources of mills which have been per- forming the new operation for a long time. We feel that great credit is due these operators for their rapid fulfillment of this exceptional demand."

Orange Belt Hoo Hoo to Hold Golf Tournament and Concat

The Orange Belt Hoo Hoo Club will meet at the San Bernardino Valley Lumbermen's Club on Friday, Septem- ber 2L. A golf tournament will be held in the afteinoon on the new eighteen-hole course of the San Bernardino Valley Country Club. Prizes will be.awarded for the low gross, low net and high gross scores. The golf tournament will start at 1:30 p.m.

Dinner will be served at the Club House at 7:00 o.m. Officers for the coming year will be elected and installed immediately following the dinner. This will be followed by a concatenation when a large class of Kittens will be initiated; _ A large number of lumbermen from the Los Angeles District will attend. All lumbermen are invited to attend.

Peninsular Hoo Hoo Club Elects Officers

At the Northern Pacific yards, Spokane, (left to right) David N. Fisher,_general superintendeni of ihe' Snoqiot*iu Fo[s"Limier Coi4!"y; B. W. Walker, Northern Pacific trainmaster at Spokane; Gene V. Reynold^s, in charge 9f the fir department, ll/eyerineusei Sales {a'_on!any, Sp_o_han9; L. M. Ackerman, traaeling freight agent for the N. P.,.and H._H. Paysant of Eaerett, deaelo-pment- engiieer 'for thi Il'eyerhae4ser Forest Products, in the foreground,

Accompanied by H. H. Payzant of Weyehaeuser Forest Products, who had exercised a general supervision over the p.reparation of the load, and David M. Fisher, general superintendent of the 'Snoqualmie Falls plant, the Coast cars arrived in Spokane Saturday, August 11. They were consolidated into one train, which left as fast freight the next day.

Tom Brown Back On The Job

Tom Brown, salesman for the J. E. Higgins Lumber Co., returned to his Sacramento headquarters recently from his vacation, half of which was spent around the San Francisco Bay District, where Tom and his wife, who are both enthusiastic golfers, spent many happy hours on the links at the Orinda Golf Club and Claremont Countrv Club. The latter part was spent in Sacramento, mainly on the gdlf links.

At a meeting of the Peninsula Hoo Hoo Club, held at the Commercial Club, San Jose, on Monday evening, August 27, the following officers were elected for the coming year: President, J. C. Ellis, Ellis Brothers Lumber Co. Menlo Park; Vive President, Fred Boes, Hubbard & Carmichael, San Jose; Secretary and Treasurer, Paul E. Overend, Field Representative, California Retail Lumbermen's Association.

Tom A. Mc Cann Hoo Hoo Club Reelect Club Officers

At a recent meeting of the Tom A. McCann Hoo Hoo Club of McCloud, the following officers of the Club were reelected to serve for the coming year: President, C. B. Daveney; Vice President, H. C. Braden; Secretary-Treasurer, L. E. McGonagle. The following are the Directors: J. M. Langdon, William Fishburn, John Kennedy, William Ponto and R. L. Ferral. William Ponto was nominated for reappointment as Vicegerent Snark.

E. K. WOOD OFFICIALS VISIT LOS ANGELES

H. F. Vincent and H. W. B. Taylor of the San Francisco office of the E. K. Wood Lumber Company, recently spent a few days in Los Angeles.