The forests of Indiana were well known all over the world several years ago. Nowhere was walnut of finer grade found or in more plentiful supply. Great oak trees lifted their arms in the forests centuries old and nodded their arms to their neighboring trees of hickory, ash and poplar. The early settlers who set about hewing farms out of the dense wilderness gave the business of milling its first prominence, and at many points where a good water power could be obtained by damming the streams, the sawing of lumber was extensively carried on, the farmer being glad of ridding his farm of an encumbrance so great as that of a grove of walnut trees. Where the distance to the saw mills was great these trees were cut up into rails, or oftener still, burned. These conditions brought the settlers to the realization that a gocd steam-mill would be a great advantage, with the result that George Baker and his two sons, John and Jacob, established the first, which became widely known throughout the state. It was built on lot No. 7, County addition, corner of Spy Run avenue and Superior street, and lying between the canal and the St. Mary's river. The location was exceedingly advantageous and permitted shipments of logs, by canal, river or wagon road.. The mill was fitted with two "muley" saws and employed ten men. It was torn down a few years by ago, the and the site is now occupied by the Foster shirt waist factory.
(The News would like a 150 word contribution on "The First Phoncgraph in Fort Wayne.").
The many large manufacturing etablishments in Fort Wayne and vicinity and the continued growth and expansion of the city, makes the lumber trade quite an important one among its industrial resources.
The firm of Hoffman Bros. have long held a leading position in this trade and have assisted greatly in its development. This bouse, established in the year of 1868 has been so successfully conducted that many additions to its facilities have been made. Their present extensive yards and mill are located on West Main street near the railroad and cover a large area of ground.
Their large mill is fitted up in the most, modern style with all the latest improved sawing machinery and furhishes employment to a large army of skilled workmen. Their stock consists of Band-Sawed Hardwood Lumber, Quartered Oak, Black Walnut, Ash, Cherry, White Wood and Mahogany, and a specialty is made of Quarter-Sawed Oak Veneers, Thin Lumber to 1 inch and Quarter-Sawed Oak and Ash.
When anything in this line is desired no mistake can be made by dealing here.
CHRISTIAN KELKER INJURED AT THE HOFFMAN MILLS WHIRLED ROUND ON A BELT.
Christian Kelker, aged sixteen, had a miraculous escape from a violent death while at work yesterday, afternoon. He was working in the planing room, near a small board partition which separates the planing room from the engine room. In the latter room, the large connect belt which connects the engine with the shafting, runs along side the partion. Kelker was piling lumber when suddenly the partition gave way, it is supposed through the weight of lumber, which was piled against it. The young man fell through the opening, directly on top of the swiftly revolving belt. In a twinkling his body was drawn onto the belt and thrown
with terrific force over the pulley and against the wall on the opposite side. He was picked up bleeding and unconsious and his fellow workmen thought he had been killed by the terrible force of his fall. Such proved not to be the case, however, as when Dr. C. B. Stemen arrived, he found the boy in full possession of his senses. He was suffering great pain, however, and the doctor had him conveyed to his home, Center street. The gravest injuries were to his feet, which were swollen to twice their natural size, so that it was impossible to ascertain, whether any bones were broken. The legs, arms and body were badly bruised, but there was no evidence of any internal injury. There a possibility that amputation of one or both feet will be necessary, but nothing definite can be said until the swelling is reduced sufficiently to make an examination possible.
Northwest Corner of Van Buren and West Main Street at the railroad tracks is now The Fort Wayne Newspapers building is shown in Street View from Google Maps
At the railroad tracks north/behind The Fort Wayne Newspapers building is shown in Street View from Google Maps.
H. Brooke Sale, of Hoffman Bros., Lumber Co., Gives Interesting Address
An interesting address on early history of the Hoffman Bros. Lumber company, of Fort Wayne, was given before members of the University club at noon yesterday by. H. Brooke Sale, one of the members of the firm. Mr. Sale told of the early and present day methods used in the handling of lumber from the time it is received at the company's yard until it leaves as the finished product.
Mr. Sale said, that the first bandsaw used in this country was designed and patented by Mr. Hoffman, the founder of the present company. This style of saw rapidly became very popular and was used extensively by lumber companies. The saw, in the early days, was driven by steam engines, said Mr. Sale.
The Hoffman Bros. company furnishes a large proportion of cabinets for Victrolas and also manufactures propeller blades for airplanes for both this country and England. Following the talk by Mr. Sale, Bert J. Griswold mentioned the banquet of the Fort Wayne Historical society to be held next Saturday night. The speaker at the University club next Monday will be Jack Banning, who talks on zoning and its importance to Fort Wayne.
Local lumber dealers have had good reason to complain of the car shortage during this winter. Red cedar shingles, one of the most important items in building operations, are almost impossible to secure from the Pacific coast, where they are all made, owing to the lack in transportation facilities.
"The price on red cedar shingles," said one prominent local dealer today, "has been sent booming as a result. Today these shingles are selling at $1.30 more per thousand than they were last year at this time. Some advance in price would naturally occur owing to the growing scarcity of the material, but this great increase is due wholly to the car shortage. At least two hundred and fifty million shingles are now on the coast waiting to be shipped, but cars cannot be secured for them."
One of the results of this scarcity in shingles is the use of galvanized iron and slate for roofs that would formerly have been covered with the wooden slabs. Although shingles show the most marked advance in price during the past year poplar lumber, coming from the south, has also gone up materially. This latter wood is fast becoming a thing of the past owing to the fact that nearly all the forests of it have been cut down. Other timbers have had only a normal advance during the last year.
