The Vinita weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1905, 1904-04-21
WOOD FOX RAILROAD TIES.
aespectIye Merles os the Lseust and
CafaIpa Trees--Grown ~ HALL
uas Companies.

published Il. indianapolis. in the interest
Of the International Society OF Abort
culture. devoles considerable space IN
recent issue 70 cossidtration ~ the
Pennsylvania Railroad company's
project 10 raise locust trees on large
scale for tics. rhe locust Is an excel
lent wood for posts. but Arboriculture
does not think 50 well Of Il for railroad
tics. II says:
"1f locust Is used for ties the holes
must be bored. When a spike Is once
driven into n locust and the wood sea
soned Il viii break on, but cannot be
Withdrawn. There Is no more elasticity
IN a locust tie than IN cast iron. In
track removals Il VIII be found extreme
~ difficult and SLOW work with cross
ties Of locust so much 50 as with metal
ties"
The ideal tree to grow for railroad
Ties, IN the opinion Of Arboriculture. Is
the catalpa apecIosa This Is a QulcR-
growing, tall. upright foreattree. There
are q number of species and varieties.
and when they grow near the speciosa
they readily hyhrldize, and the trees
raised from such seeds are disappolnt-
Ing. Most or the catalpa seen IN this VI
cinity have a short trunk, while both
The trunks and larger limbs are more or
less crooked anG rot promising as tie
material The Pennsylvania Railroad
company, we understand, experimental
with catalpa tree growing some years
ago. but II was disappointed with the re-
suit, for the reason, Arboricalture
states, that their trees were not he ca
alpa speciosa. but hybrid. The Illi-
nois Central railroad have some 200
600 catalpa trees growing near De Quoin,
III. The catalpa speciosa is a western
tree II will be the subject Of special
exhibit at the st. Louis exposition, under
the auspices OF the international Society
Of ArborIculiure.
Formerly the best heart wood Of
white oak trees was the only timber used
for railroad ties. The supply OF this has
long since ceased to be sufficient for the
demand for ties, and inferior wood Of
various sorts Is now accepted. and the
life Of a railroad tie, that was about nine
years when heart white oak was used.
Is now only half that time, except when,
by treatment with creosote or other pre-
servatiye the life Is materially extended.
The catalpa speclosa. !. Is claimed, con-
talns ia own prsservative and will last
indefinitely, at least IFS limit Of life u
not as yet ascertained. Instances are
given OF catalpa ties sound and good
after thirty-one years Of service.
The capacity OF wood 70 resist decay
under the conditions which surround a
railroad tie determines only one ese.
ment OF It's suitability for tbs service
Its capacity 10 resist indtntatlon under
pressure ia a consideration quite as Inn
portant. The redwood Of California
which has been extensively used for tieE
on the Pacific coast. is rapidly worn bs
the grinding and pressure u the rails On
the soft wood. aidee by the sand which
finds rs way between the tie and the
rail- The power OF western cataipa Il
resist decay has been proved. Has If
capgflty 10 resist indentation under ths
! EfElNNA NANNHs HHfzEHNE VI a. AAtttNAA HNAat
The business the Pennsylvania does also
been demonstrated
This. says the Philadelphia Press. Il
q most imporisat matter II, as Is
rlaImed. catalpa trees can be grown 4
l6 years that VII meet every requisite
n a rood tie for 50 Years or more. a
araye problem ooafronilng our rail
roads ls olfed The penreylyanie's To-
rust tree pisatinr Il experimental Il
convinced that the cntaipa specioss
| PROMISES better rssnl's. no doubt the
comu,v WITH msi ~ future plania-
slons * catsipss Thc iocusis aireudy
saried win aei b wasted. II they q
90. uske n ssilsfasiory ties as estalpa
'asir timber i exec Glnely durable ard
frr ros's. ard ~ mirht add police.
mems nieht stis..s. & s. iho best possible
material