Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1910-04-28

most important factor In the material
development Of the country Is a great
truth that Is little understood by peo'
pie outside of railroad circles. The
putting engine that speeds at the rate
Of a mile or more a minute over the
country Is o slave to the two rails
that insure q smooth and safe road,
and these rails in turn depend on the
old-fashioned wooden cross-tie which
holds them in place.
Yankee invention has not yet found
a substitute which has induced the
railroads to give up wood, although
experts say that the day will surely
come when the country's forests will
no longer be called upon to supply the
demand for ties. Up to the present
time 1t seems that no other material
has been found which has the resill'
ency of wood and which at the same
time causes less wear and tear on the
rails, fastenlngs, and roadbed.
The country's railroads during the
last two or three years used 100000
900 to 150,0O0,0O0 Of sawed and hewn
ties a year. The ideal tie timber Is
white oak, which combines the quail
tiles OF durability, hardness, strength,
and close grain. It is not only excel
lent for ties, but Is widely used in ship
building, for general construction, In
cooperage, in the manufacture OF car
riages, for agricultural implements, In
terror finish Of houses, and for furnl'
ture. On account of this wide use,
the supply has been greatly reduced
and some Of the railroads have been
forced to pay almost prohibitive prices
for ties, or to substitute other and
cheaper woods to replace the white
oak ties rapidly disappearing from
their lines.
Over 40 per cent. Of the ties recently
purchased by the railroads Of tho
country are oak, according to latest
statistics Of United States for
est service. Cross-ties Of south
ern pine formed somewhat less
than Is per cent. Douglas FIR
ties ranked third, with approximate
ly ten per cent. Of the total.
Cedar. which is very durable, has
been extensively used to take the
place Of white oak for ties, but 1t 10 80
soft that It is readily cut by the rails.
This necessitates the use Of tie plates
and other protective devices when
cedar ties are used. AS the supply OF
cedar Is also running short, 1t Is nee
essary for the railroads to seek fur
Their for new tie timber. One OF the
woods which has all the requisites OF
a good tie, with the exception Of dura'
billty, is the beech.
A beech tie generally consists large |
" of sapwood, which partly accounts
for its lack Of durability, but, on the
other hand, allows a thorough and
easy preservative treatment. In Ger
many and France, beech ties have
been successfully preserved from de-
cav. and are used very extensively,
Beech is found widely distributed
throughout the eastern part Of the
limited states, and at the present time
e comparatively cheap and abundant.
II therefore, the railroads whose lines
are located in the regions where beech
IA abundant can make use Of this
wood treated with some suitable pre-
servatiye. another source Of supply
of tie timber viii be opened up.
stumpage values have been increas
ing SO rapidly during the last few
wears that many railroads have found
IL necessary to modify their timber
policy, and they yearly apply preserv.
atiyes TO a greater number OF ties
and to more kinds of wood. Substi'
tute woods naturally vary with differ
emit sections Of the country, but in
most cases they lack the two essen.
tiai qualities found In white oak,
namely. resistance to mechanical wear
and 10 decay. Experience proves that
wear can be successfully retarded by
the use Of tie plates and other me
chanical devices and decay can be
postponed by the application Of proper
preservatives. The new conditions
have made It necessary for many rail
rad companies to meet the problem
Of preservation b. establishing treat
in~ pIants e central points Of dlstri 4
button nl0u9 TIER iine1