THE SUNDAY OREGONIAN, PORTLAND, SEPTEMBER 10, 1923
Concern Which Operated Small Mill on Lower Harbor 10 Years Ago Now Ranks Among Big .Industries of Oregon, and Intends to Double Present Capacity in Near Future, Says President and Organizer.
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ITHE PENINSULA LUMBER COMPANY PLANS MORE EXPANSION
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f BT HARRY B. CRITCHLOW.
EN YEARS ago mention of the
Z I Peninsula Lumber company did
not mean much to the average
citizen of Portland. He knew that
Jhe concern owned and operated a
fcmajl mill on the east side of the
jsity's lower harbor, but did not
classify the institution as one of
feal importance to the financial
" welfare of the comniunity.
4 Today the situation is quite
different. The Peninsula Lumber
fcompany, through its almost new
nd modern plant, is manufacturing
250,000 feet of lumber daily, is ex
porting to bdth domestic and foreign
trade, and is keeping constantly at
work hundreds of employes. Within
two years it will mean twice as
much to the city as it does today,
for plans have already been drawn
for the erection of a new and
modern mill Just below the one now
In operation.
, Double Output Wanted.
" This plant, according to F. C.
Knapp, president of the Peninsula
Lumber company, will manufacture
250,000 feet of lumber each eight
hour shift, and will double - the
present output of the company. If
lumber conditions continue to im
prove in the future as they have
during the past few months, the
two mills, running double shifts,
will be placing on the market
approximately 1.000,000 feet daily.
Back in 1903 Cone Brothers
operated a little 3000-feet an hour
mill on the present site of the
Peninsula Lumber company. Then
came the Peninsula Lumber com
pany of Ashland, Wis., which pur
chased the plant and in a short
time increased the output to 15,000
feet an hour. This concern, of
which Mr. Knapp was secretary and
a minority stockholder, operated the
mill until 1914, when It was closed
down.
.' Two years later Mr. Knapp
organized the Peninsula Lumber
company of Oregon, purchased the
assets of the old company and
started operations.
Plant la Remodeled.
. The first act of the new company
was to remodel the plant.. It then
jut in an export dock 1000 feet in
length and 125 feet in width, which
Is now regarded as one of, the best
of its kind in the entire country.
Also the company acquired addi
tional frontage between its original
holdings and the Spokane, Portland
& Seattle tracks, which, brought its
(water front to 3500 feet in length
and its holdings to an area of 125
acres.
5 Within a short time the mill, with
new and modern equipment In
stalled, was cutting 30,000 fept an
hour. It was electrified throughout
and the two resaws, which were
retained under the control of steam.
A large percentage of the mills
of Oregon operate their plants on
logs taken from their own camps.
Not so with the Peninsula Lumber
company. All logs used by -this
concern are purchased from inde
pendent logging concerns operating
on the Columbia river.
There was a time when the
concern at that time under the
control of the Peninsula Lumber
company of Wisconsin did its own
logging. Camps were operated at
Columbia City, near Deer island.
When Mr. Knapp reorganized the
plant and became the president, he
abandoned the idea -of doing his own
logging - and started purchasing
from independent concerns.
"We found in logging that we
could not always find timber that
was adapted to our needs," said Mr.
Knapp a few days ago. "One season
we would run into timber that was
suitable only for the manufacture
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market that season, due to building
campaigns, would be for high-grade
materials.
Suitable Loga Lacking,
"We would not have the logs
available for the production of the
needs of our customers. The next
season we might be logging timbers
that would produce high-grade
lumber and the demands of the
market would be for common lum
ber. Now, since we have been buy
ing logs in the opn market, we
can take what we choose. If we
want high-grade logs for high-grade
lumber, we purchase them. If we
have orders for 'Jap squares' we
purchase those logs that will make
the best "squares."
"Our plant has been made so that
it eaters to all markets. The fact
that all transcontinental railroads
are adjacent to our plant and that
the export dock permits the loading
of the largest ships, gives us the
opportunity to sell to all markets."
Rafta Towed Vp River.
The logs are purchased down the
Columbia and made into rafts. River
steamers bring them to the "plant,
where they are stored' in booms
until they are needed by the saws.
The log deck upon which the logs
are placed after being taken from
the water is large enough to accom
modate from two to six logs of ordi
nary size. From the deck the logs
pass to- the carriage, which is capa
ble of handling a timber 100 feet in
length and 10 feet in diameter.
Ther head saw or head rig. which
Is one of the largest on the coast
and that means the United States
so far as the lumber industry is
concerned takes off the slabs and
breaks down the timber for the re
saw, gang saw and edger.
Live rolls convey the "cants'
edger or gang saws. The edger Is
capable of cutting lumber anywhere
from one by six inches to 12 inches
by 60 inches. . -
Part of the cants that leave the
edger are taken to the. trimmer,
vhich consists of 42 saws two feet
apart. These saws are regulated by
compressed air and can be raised
and lowered by the operator.
The slasher saws are two feet
apaft, and the slabs cut by this are
made into lengths suitable for the
manufacture of laths.
Lumber Sorted Next.
When the lumber has passed
through- the mill and has been
sawed into proper lengths, it passes
upon the sorting tables, . which are
approximately 300 feet in length.
There it is graded according to di
mensions and quality, is placed upon
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trucks and passes either to the dry of the Peninsula Lumber company
kilns or the yards for seasoning. can turn out a carload, of lumber
The dry kilns are six in number! each 60 minutes,
and are canable of curing about four I One thing that can be noted
carloads of lumber each day. The
lumber which passes to the yards is
piled and placed under covers, where
it remains for a curing period of
approximately 90 days.
The planers, matchers and sizers
around the Peninsula Lumber com
pany is the lack of waste in the
manufacture of lumber. There are
no smokestacks belching forth
clouds that come from the burning
of refuse slabwood and sawdust. All
of the slabs of the mill are. manu
factured either into lath or wood.
One fuel company of the city takes
the entire slabwrfod output of the
mill.
Rrfnxe la Sold. ,
The refuse material from which
no lumber 'or wood can be made is
mixed with sawdust and loaded on
barges for use in the boilers of the
Port of Portland drec'ges.
The faith and confidence that the
Peninsula Lumber company reposes
in Oregon as a future lumber man
ufacturing center is proved by the
fact that Mr. Knapp soon contem
plates the erection of a new mill
equally as large as the one now in
constant operation.
"I am not worrying about the fu
ture and personally am satisfied
with conditions as I now find them,"
said Mr. Knapp. "I have no com
plaint against car shortages, as our
plant is so situated that it has ac
cess to all the main railroads. Situ
ated on the water, it has the advan
tage over many mills and does not
have to depend upon rail shipments
alone, but can do an export business.
Future Declared ' Bright.
"Oregon is Just at the open door
of Its future in lumber. Jt now
rankg second in production and first
in its area of standing timber.
Within a comparatively short time
the state will take the lead in the
lumber manufacturing game. The
fair-minded lumberman welcomes
all manufacturers to this state
There is room enough for all of us
for many years to come.
"The world's lumber markets are
the markets of Oregon. The rail
mills of eastern Oregon and the Wil
lamette valley cater almost exclu
sively to the domestic trade of the
United States, reaching that trnde
via every transcontinental line. The
mills from Portland to the sea have
a mixed domestic rail, domestic
coastwise, domestic intercoastal and
export trade and at all manufactur
ing centers in the state local con
sumption represent. a very good
percentage of the output.
"Probably no state has ever been
so well fitted by nature to deliver
the product of her forests to do
mestic offshore trade as la Oregon.
Her railways and their connections
reach every nook and corner of the
United States, while not less than
30 feet of water at all season of
the year In the. Willamette and Co
lumbia rivers offers unparalleled
advantages for the 'exporting of
lumber.
"Mild weather and an even tem
perature over a large part of the
state enable the manufacturer of
lumber to operate 12 months In the
year, which Is a great advantaic
when one considers overhead ex
pense." Shipyard f lour II 7.
The war period caused the or
ganization of the Peninsula Ship
building cojnpany. This conrern
was not a part of the Peninsula
Lumber company, but the two plant!)
wera side by side and lumber turned
out from the mill went into the
ships upon the ways. More than n
dozen wooden vessels were made hjr
this company during the war. At
the signing of the armistice the
building of ships was practically
discontinued, but now the concern
Is engaging In building in a email
way.
The Tenlnsula Lumber company
In a comparatively uhort period haft
increased its operatiosn until it la
regarded as one of the big plants
of the city. It employs a large
number of men and its payroll runs
into thousands of dollars each
month. In addition to this. It la
bringing Into Portland thousands of
dollars each month for manufac
tured lumber products that have
been sold in the markets of the
world.
with the exception of the head rig from the head saw to the reaaw.
MANY ENDOWMENTS COVER
GOOD SAMARITAN BEDS
Members of Public-spirited Pioneer Portland Families Aid Hospital
and Give Needed Assistance. ,
I
BY RODNEY L. GLISAN
T is difficult to estimate the
value of the Good Samaritan.
hospital to the city of Portland.
Perhaps the best way to appre
ciate its worth would be to contem
plate what would have happened if
at any time during the last 30 years
the Good Samaritan or St. Vincent's
had closed its doors. It would have
been a most serious, calamity, as
the city has depended upon these
two hospitals for most of its hos
pital service. "' .
The Good Samaritan owes its con
tinued existence, and Its growing
ability to care for the sick and help
less to the loyal support- given by
public-spirited members of the com
munity who are brought in touch
with its needs perhaps more closely
than others equally responsive.
A brief summary of some of the
gifts and endowments may be of
Interest at this time in connection
with the completion of the new east
wing. Bishop Morris gave a great
deal of his time and energy to the
hospital in its early history. It
started with a small wooden build
ing on its present site when the sur
rounding land was largely emergirig
from its original logged-off condi
tion with very few buildings in the
vicinity. Several wooden buildings
were added and soon the need of a
brick building became so urgent
that in 1900 the heirs of C. H. Lewis,
one 01 pur most respected pioneer
merchants, erected in his memory
the brick building facing Twenty-
third street, the first- unit of the
larger permanent hospital. f
In 1905 the heirs of Captain John
H. and Caroline Couch completed
the memorial surgery in the upper
northwest corner of the west wing.
The hospital is located in the Couch
claim. In 1908 the center or admin
istration portion of the hospital was
erected and designated' as the
Bishop Benjamin Wistar Morris Me
morial building. the funds being
furnished by a number of Portland
citizens. At the same time the chil
dren's ward in this building was
completed in memory of Dr. Rodney
Glisan and his son. Dr. Clarence
Glisan. Dr. Glisan being one of the
pioneer physicians and greatly in
terested in the hospital..
In 1910 the men's ward was com
pleted in memory of Captain George
H. Flanders and his son, John C.
Flanders, another pioneer. In 1910
a memorial lectern .was furnished
for use in the chapel, the gift of the
parents of Marjorie E. Johnson, a
nurse who had rendered valuable
services to the hospital. In 1910 the
surgery was completed, called the
Hannah Mason memorial surgery,
Mrs. Mason being the widow of one
of the pioneer merchants and for
mer mayors of the city. -
The hospital from its inception
announced that it would set aside
beds if a certain amount was given
the hospital. This amount being
originally $3500 is now $5000. This
was an. idea conceived by Bishop
Morris and largely made use of by
him in soliciting help for the hos
pital from friends and relatives.
In 1882 a bed was endowed in
memory of H. Rodney Morris, son
of Bishop Morris, who lost his life
in the vain attempt o save others.
Another bed was endowed In mem
ory of Mary and Lewis Flanders,
children of Captain Flanders. N An
other bed was endowed in memory
of S. Morris Wain of Philadelphia, a
relative of Bishop Morris. .
The British .consulate endowed a
bed originally called the British
vice-consulate bed and changed it
to the British consulate bed when
the change was made in the con
sulate. James Laidlaw, the consul,
and -other British residents secured
the funds for the bed.
' Another bed was endowed in mem
ory of Grace Charlotte Stark, sister
of Benjamin Stark, who platted an
addition lying between the Lowns
dale and Couch claims in the center
of the city.
All these beds were endowed in
1882.
In 1885 another bed was endowed
in memory of George C. Morris of
Philadelphia, a relative of the bishop.
In 1887 a bed was endowed by the
heirs of Caroline Couch in her mem
ory, Mrs. Couch .being the widow of
Captain Couch, before referred to.
The same year the British residents
secured funds to endow a bed called
the Queen Victoria jubilee bed to
commemorate the first Victoria
jubilee. The following year another
bed was endowed in memory of
Ellen Wain, and jn 1890 a bed was
endowod called thePhiladelphia bed
and another the stranger's bed and
still another in memory of Arthur
William ' Morris these four gifts
coming from friends and relatives of
the bishop in Philadelphia.
The bishop secured a small dona
tion from one of the Sunday schools
and with the hospital ever in mind
and with wonderful foresight and
enthusiasm he announcedit should
be the nucleus for a bed in the hos
pital. Other Sunday schools were
stimulated to make offerings, which
accumulated until in 1891 sufficient
funds were raised for a bed called
the child's Christmas cot, these of
ferings having been made as Christ
mas offerings by the children.
In 1892 a bed was endowed Jn
memory of Maria E. Blancbard,
resident in the east and a friend of
BishoD Morris.
The Trinity Episcopal church in
1893 completed funds for a. bed
called Trinity Church Free bed. The
Sundav school funds continued to
roll in and in 1898 sufficient funds
were on hand for another bad called
the Child's Comfort cot. In 1898
two funds were combined, one from
the estate of Hannah Moore Smith,
widow of Hiram Smith, a pioneer
and her legatee, Margery L. Linds-
ley, who had received treatment at
the hospital and was deeply appre
ciative of its work
In memory of Lloyd and Genevieve
Hamilton Brooke and Edward and
Catherine Royer Hamilton a bed
was endowed in 1901 from the funds
contributed by the Brooke and Ham
ilton heirs. In this connection it
may not be out of place to state
that Colonel and Mrs. John S. Parke,
"the latter one of the Brooke heirs,
have recently completed arrange
ments for another bed.
In 1901 the British residents again
showed their wonderful interest in
the hospital by raising funds and
endowing a bed called the Queen
Viotorla Diamond Jubilee bed, to
commemorate the Victoria diamond
jubilee.
In 1902 a bed was, endowed in
memory of William Sherlock, one of
Portland's pioneers and owner of a
large tract in, the northern portion
of the city.
In 1906 a bed was endowed called
the Sailors' bed, as a memorial to
Benjamin H. Buckingham, a lieu
tenant in the United States navy.
The following year a bed was en
dowed in memory of Benjamin C.
Stanton. In 1909 a bed was endowed
in memory of Samuel Welle Morris
snH Anna . "Rllis Mnrrin of Philadel-
The following year funds accumu
lated from the gifts of the children
for a third cot, and the bishop, at
a loss for a name, stated It should
be called child's cot No. 3 until he
could give it a more suitable name,
and it has remained thus designated
ever since.
In 1910 two gifts were combined
and a bed endowed called the Henry
Whiteaker and Amanda Reed bed
Mrs. Reed was the wife of Simeon
Reed and the donor of the estate
which caused the Reed college to
come into existence.
In 1913. through the gift of Ar
thur H. Devers. one of Portland's
prominent citizens, a bed was en
dowed called "bed for cancer cases.'
in memory of Nellie H. Devers. In
1914 a bed was endowed for Masons
under bequest of the late Seth Luen
Pope
In 1918 a bed was endowed in
memory of Marie Louise Flanders,
widow of Captain Flanders, before
referred to.
In 1921 a bed was endowed in
memory of Benjamin I. Cohen and
his wife. Mr. Cohen was one of
our respected citizens and president
of the Portland Trust company. In
the same year a bed was endowed in
memory of Anna Mary E. Mann.
Most of the Portland citizens will
recall Mrs. Mann and her philan
thropic gifts for the welfare of the
city.
In 1921 George Boschlin died,
leaving his residuary estate to the
hospital, and a bed was founded In
his memory from a portion of the
proceeds.
The east wing, a moaern nre-
proof building, is nearing comple
tion, the funds being donated by
public-spirited citizens. The entire
top floor is taken for the Joseph
Kithcart- Clark memorial surgery,
the funds contributed by Mrs. Clark.
This surgery is equipped with every
thing to make it equal to any surg
ery on the coast and is of great
value in the hospital work.
The heirs of the late Theodore B.
zens, have constructed in hla mem
ory, on tho hospital property a mod
ern hospititl which was completed
the early part of thla year.
The above n-pr-nents only a por
tion of the gifts of rltizena of Port
land and othf-r places toward the
hospital and have been a great en
couragement to the trustees and
hospital officials. All who havecon
tributcd no doubt feel that they
could not have made a better In
vestment, as the work done by the
hospital is vitally necesnary to the
city's health and efficiency.
phia, relatives of the late bishop, ' Wilcox, one of our foremost citi-
ROADS COST $350,000,000
Federal Alt! Bulhlt 4 6,000 Miles
of New Highways.
The $350,000,000 appropriated by
congress as federal aid In conjunc
tion, with state fund's will result In
the construction pf about 46,000
miles of road, saya the bureau of
public roads of the United States
department of agriculture. This
mileage would parallel the railroad
from New York to San Franelaco
nearly 15 times, or. If divided equal
ly among the states, would give
nearly 1000 miles to each state.
The status of road building 011
April 30 was as follows: In proj
ects entirely complete, a total of
16,375 miles; under construction, IS.-
950 miles in projects, averaging t2
per cent complete. A conalderable
part of the latter mileage la actually
complete and in service. In addition,
funds have been allotted to 7511
miles, much of which will come un
der construction during the present
season. Besides this there Is still
available for new projects ttit.ltft,-
000, which on the same basis as
previous federal aid construction
will result In the construction of
8200 miles of highway. In Marck
the fund available for new projects
was taken up at the rate of 112.000,-
000 a month.