Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-06-12
CROSSTIES AND TELEGRAPH
POLES,
How They Are Made, and What
They Cost.
lClnc1DLati Commercial. ]


But Few people comparatively have any idea
OF the amount OF timber used in the construc-
Ion OF single railroad. We hear that our
forests lore are rapidly disappearing. and we know
tnat material FOR building and fuel causes the
sacrifice Of many leafy monarchs of the forest:
yet only the Initiated know that 1t yearly takes
9Ss acres Of forest to supply crosses for
viewed gentleman who has been In the busi-
ness ror thirty years, and concluding that his
o,Dservauons and experience would be OF
we give the substance of his talk. II
takes 100000 ties to supply the de-
mand on our railroads, for which, on an
piece, making In the aggregate S., $50 600, In
building new road the contractors figure on
100 Ties 10 the mile, while 1t takes 800 ties to
contractors OF course buy pieces of timber land
as near TO the proposed line Of road as possible.
paying Tor the timber on an average OF about
$40 per acre, or giving the proprietor OF the land
ten cents for every tie gotten out The average
OF a good piece of timber land Is two hundred
ties to the acre and twelve ties to the tree The
size of cross tie differs on different roads but
the usual size demanded is eight feet six Inches
long and eight inches face. White or burr OAK
Is considered the best timber for the purpose.
aithough cherry, maple; ash and even locust
used on the Little Miami railroad, and after a
time thrown aside as unfit for the purpose.
Railroad men much prefer ties heWn out with
an axe 10 those sawed In mill, and many con-
l.
last the sawed ties This theory is probably a
mistaken fallacy, as sawed ties have been placed
alongside OF heWn ties, and remained sound
twice as long. This business gives employment
10 an army OF choppers, who ere paid ten cents
apiece for each tie. A continued practice makes
the choppers quite expert In the use OF the axe,
and single man has been known to get out AZ
Ties In day; yet the average Is only 10, while an
expert Will probably get out 90 During the war.
when ties sold at from 50 to 65 cents, Choppers
were paid 1919 cents apiece. Although the con-
tractor gets IS cents apiece from the railroads
for each tie, still there Is loss OF from 1--WE to
seven per cent on dOckage and Stealape.
An inspector Is sent by the company to In
Spect the ties This Is generally a clerk
from some OF the offices, who frequently
Knows but little as regards the strength or dl-
raDll1ty OF timber, and, In consequence some OF
the best ties are locked and only bring twenty
cents apiece. The stealage is where the section
Ren put In new ties which have not been in
spected and received, and fail to report the use
OF tne same TO the rOadmaSter. Most all cross
ue men also contract for bridge ttmbers and
treStl1ng, as well as telegraph poles For the
latter chestnut and cedar are mostly used. They
DrlBg ABOUT 81 Is apiece, and are cut mostly IL,
the Tamarack swampS of Michigan and the
!ore6tS OF southern Kentucky and Tennessee.
Large sums OF money have been made by LUCKY
contractors In the business above described.
and each only ADDS to increased demands Ohio
has over 1000 900 acres OF woodland. vet the
ever increasing demand for railroad purposes
alone, II supplied entirely from our forests.
would leave rs without a single stick 10 mark
the existence o. our once dense forests