Lott@trs

A Tragic Fire

The Merchant Magazine

David Cutler, Editor-Manager

678 So. Lake Ave.

Pasadena, Ca. 91101

Dear Dave: We had the fire Tuesday night, June 19th. We are cunently operating out of a 65' trailer, bringing our in' ventory up to date for the adjusters. The hardwood room was saved \rith the museum itErns intact, The total loss will be around $800,000.

Recently my architect, my insurance agent and I flew to Loe Angeles to look at a couple of new structuree there to get ideas for a new store. We expect to have plans and permits in by the end of July and v/e ahould be in full operation by November 1st.

Regarding insurance, we were fortunate enough to have an excellent agent, Jim Brown, now with Bali', Martin and Faye in San Francisco. Jim has kept our insurance up to date and has been a tremendous help wit'h the adjusters. 'We also had business interruption insurance which allows us to keep our excellent employees on the payroll during our shut-down time. If you are to give your readers any "helpful thoughts" make sure they have had their insurance reviewed annually, allow for increased costs of inventory and insure all equipment at replacement value, We had one of the eleanest yards in the country" but that makes no difrerence when a fire starts in a lumber yardit goes like hell and nothing can stop it. Make sure you have a g:ood fire vault and put all of your valuable papers in it every night. Have an appraisal made every two years.

We were always of the opinion that "it would never happen to us" but nothing made us realize how inconect our thoughts were as watching my father's 36 years of hard work go up in smoke.

The whole thing has been a tragic experience, but we have learned from it and the ofrers of help from our fellow lumbermen are still coming in. Yours very truly,

Bruce J. Pohlg vp.

Southern Lumber Co

1402 So. 1st St. San Jose, Ca.95110

Postal Iiigriises

Dear Sirs:

Glad to see that you have taken a page advertisement in your good magazine to plump for a halt to the shocking postal increases that are planned.

The mail service is lousY enough as it is without having to PaY more for it.

Sincerely Yours, Allan

Powning

1161 Ceres Blvd.

Apt. #r7

Seattle, Wash. 98144

YOUI{G WESTERIIERS

Hello Dave:

President Chuck Link sent his and the Western's appreciation for the recent artiele on WBA's Young Westerners Club. I'm not certain whether I expressed my thanks or not, Dave, but if so it's worbh repetition.

Thank you so much for the article! Reprints were mailed out to the officers and thanks from the g"oup wag expressed at the June 23-21 YWC meeting in Boise, Id.

Thirty-four Young Westeraer's gathered in Boise with most of them bringing wives or girlfriends and without question it was one of the top meetings of the year. It's great to see this young group getting to know one another and as a result really making progress in the indugtry.

Sincerely yours;

Ross G. Kincaid Exec. vp.

Western Building Material Assn. P.O. Box 1699 Olympia, Wash. 98507 llonufoclurst:

Windov ond Door Fromes

Dctailad Millvork

Wardrobos o touvcrs

Disfribulors

Hulcor <rnd Kodor Folding lfosonile Heritoge Brick Ponels

Arob Termite Control and

Cox Hordvarc

Polybcams

Old World Arts

Woddcll and Fara Wood *louldings

Timely Salety Decals

Fomowood and Epoxybond

Poritions wentcd 25( a word, minimum 22 wqrds (22 words = $5.50). All othcrs 35c !-word, min. 20 words (20 words = $7.(X))l Phone numbcr sounts as one word. Boxed adr $! cxtra. Fancy hcadline or borders $2 crtra. Box numbercd ads add 31.50.