Great Plant of Central Coal and Coke Company at Vernonia OregonSanta Fe Sells Output in California

E. B. Hazen

The man who said "There is nothing new under the sun," died before the Central Coal & Coke Company built its sawmill plant at Vernonia, Oregon. Had he lived to see that plant, he would have died anyway, from sheer wonderment.

Ninety-eight years ago the first sawmill the Pacific Northwest ever saw, was built by Dr. John Mcloughlin, Chief Factor for The Hudson Bay Company. It wai located at Fort Vancouver. It manufactured at top speed, 2,000 feet of lumber in twelve hours.

Now comes The Central Coal & Coke Company, of Kansas City, Mo., versed for a generation in the manufacture of Southern line and Southern Hardwood, and within fffty miles of the spot where Dr. Mcloughlin started the sawmiil game in the Northwest, they have built and are operating a unusual sawmill institution, which they are operating in a most original way.

A few years ago in the Northrvest they were still doubting the-wisdom of kiln drying Fir. The idea of kiln drying dimension would have been regarded as the utmost fblly-. But kiln drying has developed marvelously in the past few years, and the Vernonia mill is giving splendid ind convincing proof that it can be done praclicilly and successfully with the two inch as well as the thinner lumber.

The sawmill at Vernonia is built on a Southern, rather than a Western plan, except that the equipment is of course oj the heaviest possible type. A huge log pottd stores the timber, and the logs go up an ordinary bull-chain, where they are "bucked," and delivered to the log decks. There are two heavy Filler & Stowell band headrigs in the mill, single sawmill unit that is capable of manufacturing in three minutes the 2,000 feet of lumber that the good Doctor's mill cut every twelve hours.

Who would have expected, even a few short years ago, to see in full and successful operation in the Pacific Northwest, cutting Douglas Fir trees into commercial wood, a sawmill that puts all of its product excepting only its timbers, through steam dry kilns, and piles, and handles, and ships it, entirely under cover?

Yet that is what The Central Coal & Coke Company is doing at its magnificent sawmill institution at Vernonia, Oregonr jqsl a few miles from Portland. There they bought between 2,500,000,000 and 3,000,000,000 feet of -splendid timber, running 92/o of the finest Old Growth Yellow Fir that is to be found in the vast timber standing in Oregon. The stock being manufactured from these treei is truly- remarkable, i! blilg highly desirable for its soft dense grain and its workability. A very small percentage of theiicutting is Cedar and Hemlock. And there thJv built a most and a huge Wickes Gang that cuts up cants from the head rigs. Two 12 by 84 inch edgers, and a 36 foot trimmer, do the rest.

But there is tremendous power in the sawing department. Fourteen inch. shotgun feeds drive the two great carriages, and Martin Air Dogs make it possible for one man to do the work on each carriage. The production power of these two band headrigs thus equipped is enormous.

Thb mill runs two 8 hour shifts every day, and produces in the near neighborhood of 600,000 feet of lumbef daily. Back of the trimmers there is a remanufacturing department for lumber that is to be cut again, equipped with an

B foot resaw, and 6O inch pony edger. All the lumber from itlie mill goes to the staclier on a great transfer chain 237 feet long. This chain is entirely under cover. The lumber is always under cover, throughout its -plocess of manufacture. diying. shedding. and sh'ipping. r

The lumber is mechanically stackecl on kiln trucks, an.l a transfer car takes the stacked trucks to the battery of 28 dry kilns, rvhich are of the internal fan type, designed especially for this plant rvith a vierv to drying all the lumber, both common and upper grades. The advantage to the consumer claimed by this concern is that if the lumber is to degrade in drying, it rvill do all of its degrading at the mill, not after delivery to retailer or tonsumer, and the lumber when shipped is absolutely a finished product, perfectly dried, sized, dressed, and graded. The buyer does no gambling on rvhat his lumber rvill be AFTER it dries.

This dry kilning building is the nervest thing ever done in Fir manufacturing. The kilns are in a single building, 328 feet by 110 feet, rvith 28 compartments, all similar in design and construction. At one end is the green lumber storage platform, rvhere it r,vaits its turn at the kilns, and at the other end the cooling platform;:,,fioth under roof, and each lrlatform 132 by 328 in size. The kiln building is all of reinforced concrete as to floors, and hollow tile in the side walls. Each of the kilns holds 35,000 feet of inch lumber or 42,000 feet of two inch lumber at a time.

In each kiln there is a long shaft running the length of the chamber on which disc fans are mounted at regular intervals. Tl-re shaft is snpported by concrete beams. Otrtside each chamber is an individual motor lvhich fttrnishes the porver for the fans. These fans, through ingenious arrangement of deflection, insure uniform drying conditions inside the chambers.

After more than a year of actual operation, The Central Coal & Coke Company is convinced that this kiln drying system for both inch and tr,vo inch lnmber is a complete and thorough success, and they recommend and guarantee the quality of their lumber in every respect.

A few months ago they began a dignified invasion o{ the California market. Offering for sale kiln dried Fir Dimension, to say nothing of inch stock, rvas something so nerv, that they looked about for a medium of experience, strength, and ability, through which to sell the California trade, and they finally arranged a deal with A. J. Russell, by which The Santa Fe Lumber Company became exclusive rail sales agents for Vernonia stock in the State of California and Arizona. Mr. Russell made several visits to the Vernonia mill. acquainted himself at close range with their stock, and their ability to supply the California trade, and then through his fine sales force he began offering "4C" Kiln Dried Fir to the lumber trade of California.

Each car that was delivered excited interest, rvas given close attention, and the quality and character of the lumber was a matter of intense interest to the buvers. But thev found it good. It is beautifully manufactured, the grades are uniform, the lumber is bright and clear in color, and very attractive to the eye. It is light, handles easily, has lost none of the virtues of air dried lumber, and possesses many characteristics of superior character.

Through Mr. Russell's counsel the needs and clesires of the California trade have been given attention in the supplying of the California business. Chas. S. Keith, President of the Central Coal & Coke Company came to California and talked the situation over with Mr. Russell, follorved shortly afterward by Mr. E. B. Hazen, Sales Manager. Mr. Hazen is an experienced and highly respected Northwestern lumberman. He now makes his headquarters in Kansas City, handling all of the sale of the Central Coal &.Coke Company mills, both South and West.

Well known as "E,d" rvherever Pacific Coast lumber is manufactured, Mr. Hazen was for many years manager of the Bridal Veil Lumber Company and previous to that was in charge of the Tongue Point Lumber Company, at Astoria. He has handled many large sales organizations, but none larger than at present, rvhile selling the output of three large Yellorv Pine mills and this tremendous Fir plant at Vernonia, all ou.ned b1- the Central Coal and Coke Company.

XIr. J. E. Cool, forrnerly in sales office at Kansas City, is

Western Sales Agent, with offices in the Veon Building in Portland, Oregon.

"Joe" Cool has had many years' experience in Pacific Coast woods, both in rnanufacturing and marketing and is thoroughly conversant with western conditions and needs.

Mr. Judd Greenman, General Supt., is also an old timer in the game, and is one of the best and most favorably known operators in the northrvest. He was formerly in charge of the Union Mills, Seattle.

F'rank Schopflin, of Kansas City, is Assistant to the President, and the executive manager of the Central Coal & Coke Company, with Messrs Keith, Hazen, Greenman, and Cool, he makes up the coterie of "4C" officials who are of ir-rterest to the State of California through their Vernonia o1-lerations.

All parts of the Vernonia plant are in keeping with the sarvmill and kiln units that have been 'described. The planer is 100 percent motorized, and is the latest word that can be spoken in planing mill equipment. The monorail system for handling lumber to and from the sheds is one of the biggest and best on earth.

The sheds are enormous. The dressed lumber shed holds 10,000,000 feet. There are two rough lumber sheds for storage. Each of them holds 12,500,000 feet of lumber. A thirC shed of this size is in prospect.

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Something of the size of this plant may be gained from the following figures, which show the exact size of each of the roofed buildings:

Twenty thousand copies of The Book of Lawn Futniture were ordered by retail lumber dealers within a month after the book was announced.

One dealers writes: "You are doing a lot in preparing this sort of material. I have long contended that if lumbermen and makers of millwork would push their business as the motor makers push theirs, the former would inore nearlv secure their proper proPoriion of the moniy availible for the better thinss in life. There is about only- so much money of this kind and they who get it frrst must need deprive others."

On receipt of the books, a Kansas dealer savs: "This should be the meine of us selling a considerable amount of m-aterial that we would otherwise not sell."

Other comments were:

"We have had many requcsts for plans of this kind."IIlinois.

"A very fine assortment-of interest to any dealer."-lowa.

"Will be geat help for Spring business.'-Ohio.

"It flls a lone felt need."OLlahoma.

"Very good-just what we have been looking for."Wisconsin.' t'Home Owners and Contractors like it."-Texas. fhe cover of Tfu Book of LawnF urnitttre is attractively done in three colors. Inside pages are one color, printed on smooth, glossy paper.

The book is ideal for manual training classes in the echools. Interest the teacher and the boys in his classes.