Heart-Breaking Disaster Toll Mounts in The California Floods!

December 27,

Lgis

By Mox

San Francisco-First day of sunshine (some) in ll days today. Boy ! This has been terrific to say the least ! The ne\^ispapers covered the flood pretty thoroughly, so you all have a pretty good idea what has happened. The whole thing, of course, dates back to last September, when we had all those forest and brusl.r fires. Loss of all that good coverage made it possible for the topsoil to clog rivers and streams, and thus \\rE HAD IT ! And a lot of good topsoil gone forever, too,

Phones north of San Francisco are still dead today ancl neu's is sketchy, but it looks as if our {riends up north did not fare too rvell. Understand The Iracific Lumber Co. got a thorough drenching, along with Simpson, Arcata, Willits Redu'ood and many others. What lvith the demand for Iumber increasing rvith the birth of the nerv year, and the soggy conditions up north precluding any hope of logging for some weeks, some jokers were dreaming of $100 2x4 along with their "Wet Christmas."

Yes, we're all liable to be in for a bit of a rough time of it, too, because of this flood. I hope I'm rvrong. Maybe it rvon't rain again for a month or so.

December 29, lgls

Extensive damage to small mills throughout Northern California large mills faring better.

Little damage to big mills in Oregon, although many small mills in southern Oregon are shut down due to floods. X ain setback in southern Oregon due to inability to log. \\roods are soggy and logging .ivill be irlpossible for rveeks to come. And mills are short of logs, therefore many mills face a slorvdo*'n or possibly even a shutdown.

Same applies in northern California only rvorse. Cold decks are low and, of course, logging is out of the question (unless we really get a month or so of dry weatl-rer). In California, the big bind on the lumber situation is transportation.

N\\rP reports tracks cleared and freight moving from \\rillits on south. However, due to five major slides and lvashouts, NWP estimates that it will be at least one month before rall service north of Willits to Eureka can be resumed (one of the worst r,vashouts is at Scotia Bluff. a troublemaker from rvay back). NWP has hired MorrisonKnudsen Co. to get the tracks cleared .'at all cost.,, (As an example of just u'hat they're up against: at one spot at least I mile of ballast has been rvashed out, leaving the tracks just hanging in the air.)

Highway 101 is also bad. It is blocked by numerous slides and washed-out fill and bridges. 101 is open to limited traffic to Laytonville, but from there on it,s rough. Estimates run from three r,veeks to over a month for clearing of this section.

Important thing is that this completely cuts off shippers

M. Cook

rrorth of Willits and/or Laytonville the biggest part of the Itedrvood Region shippers. Therefore, many firms are surveying possibility to route trucks to Crescent City and Grants Pass, rvhere they can either reload on rail for eastern shipments or make a long truck-haul dorvn Highway 99 (rvhich is clear) to the Bay area and even L. A. Only other aitcrnativc : Highrvay from Arcata to Redding; horvever, that road is closed due to slides and rvashouts.

Direct Reports from Individual Mills

Hammond Lumber Co. . damage negligible at all mills.

Union Lumber Co. mill and yard stock undamaged, horvever did lose one bridge on company-olvned railroad (Fort Bragg to Highway 101). Probably be trvo rveeks or more before repaired, therefore no shipments of finished dry stock until repairs completed.

The Pacific Lumber Co. neither mill affected by floocls; horvever, tlvo companl' homes, a barn ancl the pavilion in Scotia tvere destroyed. Appro*. ItA millirtn feet of Iumber rvashed out of drying yard. an undetermined amount saivagable. Also had u'ater 3 to 4 feet deep in dry sheds, therefore considerable stock under water and damaged. Town itself fared pretty rvell ancl rvas evacuation center for people from Pepper.ivood and Rio Dell. TPL's woods operation will be dorvn for awhile because two bridges on company-o.il'ned railroad are out.

Holmes Eureka . .reports no damage to operation.

Fortuna Sawmills was under 5 feet of rvater; however, all electric motors, etc., removed before flood. Ecluipment O. K.

Simpson Redwood Co. lost coupie of company-on,ned homes at Klamath. Ilad floods in tou'n, but mill O. K. Stock damaged and lost.

Rockport Redwood Co. (Rockport) and Rounds Lumber Company (Cloverdale) . . .ro damage reported.

Fairhurst Lumber Co. reports damage to several mills that they represent : I{obinet \\rood Products, Klamath . . mill, sheds and yard flooded. Resumption of production undetermined. Trinity National Lumber Company, Fort Seward . mill O. K., but lost suspension briclge, which cuts off shipments. Fairhurst does report tho', that their Willits stud mill rvas unaffected by floodrvaters and production of studs uninterrupted.

Durable Plywood at Arcata and Durable Fir Lumber & Plyrvood at Calpella no damage at either location.

De Velbiss Lumber Company, Calpella mill heavily damaged by high n ater and floating logs.

Arcata Plywood . . . plant O. K., but undetermined loss (possibly ()\rer a million feet) of logs rvashed out of cold deck, don'n river and lost in the ocean.

E. A. Padula at Longvale damage reported heavy to mill and stock.

Crawford Lumber Company, Longvale mill, equip- photogrophed oi Eureko, colif., December 23 is iust one of mony typicol mills in Northern cqlifornio thot wos weeks when rhe rompoging Eel River swept over its bonks, isoloiing se"erql co-munities. (-Wide world Photos') high *,atcr. Dry kilns clamage just about evervl'here homes and inclustrial ltuilclings rrrinecl or se\-ere1v damaged . millions of cloliars some flooclitrg oi ecluiirment lost or rcrlrriring extensive rellairs to sav nothing of '1!l people killccl at l:rst count.

\\-il)ed ()t1t.

Willits Redwood Products Co. . rel)orts n()rth ()f ton n. f Iill rlrr- ltn<l stocl< ( ). li.

Bee River Lumber Company (oltl llelrr Lreek mill) " ' floorlu ltcrs \\.:rSltc(l orrt log lyrtt<1. No cstitlr:rtc ()11 illll()t11lt o[ logs lost.

Retailers Hurt:

Ilonrc l,tttnlrct- (otupittr,r', t-.t1,', (iitl' y:Lrtl u':Ls 10 fcct rrnrler \\'iltc1.. Shol-ro91t ryirrrl()l-s lrrr.rl<c1, nrercllittttlise 1.1she<1 ,lrt, exLclsiyc tylttcr (1ztll][Ii]-c t9 Vltrtl c(ltlil)ment al1(l :tl1 varrl itll'ctltorr-. Salvagc olrt:t':tti'rtls ll()\\' tll-trleru'rtr-.

Spcckert Ltttrtlrer ('o., -\[llr-r'sr i11c ' rcl)()rts little <'r nt' \\'rlter dtlnrag'c. N() floodins ir.r that location.

Afternoon RePorts:

Ilaclntosh Lrturber Cttmllanr-, I{clrbcl <liLmagecl ancl coml)1eteh' urrcler \\-ater. 1Ii11, ilr-entorv and ecluipmellt sc\-erclv 11:rtnagetl.

Tou'ns of I'eppers'oocl ancl Iilarlath Glerrrr literallv u'ipcc1 orrt. Ton't-t of I{lanath lracllr- hurt. 1'llpcrs have not e-raggcr:rte(l clamage to t'tt'tts' ct;lllntrttticlrti.ns :Lnd highu'a1's' As neu's lreginrtitrg to lcak ot1t, licel)s ltloking Norsc' I 1)elict.e that vou coul<l safelv sar.- that this has llcen the \'orst clisaster in \orthcrn (llLlifortri:r historv. 'l-here scents to lre

XIoPPiilu ttlt oPerltliolls 1l()\\' starte<1 llrrd irrrther thre:it rlcljriitelY ()vcr. \\-ill lrc tttotrths lrefore things lrre lrlrck to n ortrr:Ll.

'['o g-ivc \'()Ll illr irlelL oi iorcc of thc floot1 : T"r'o full-v* IoiL<lc11 luntlrcr trucl<s \\'erc l)arlie(1 in lrolrt of Cran-for<l mill in l-onsr':tle n'hctr n'lttcr hit. 'flltlY H.\VI'l NOT lllilr-N .\lll-lr 'fo i"l\l) 'f lll'-SI'- 'f I{UCKS AT THIS WIiITI\(, (thosc trttcks \\'cigh lrlrout 35 or'10 tons rl'hen loacie<l)'

-'\ ('rlL*'i,r11 liit rrrrcl< *':ts i.rtncl a t1ile ar','ar'llttried in nltttl' .\r.rother loaclccl lrtrnlrer trttck l'ils s\ve1)t o1T Highu'ar' 101 ncar \lirar-r<12r. 'lhe-r- fottrrcl it 3 miles a\\'A\', ' 'f ct 'ttrse a corlpletc 1oss. Tllcsc itrc rlot isol:rted cases' Just examples ol force c.rf floocl.

JonuorY 4,1956

-\gain rainirrg hear-ilr' iror.r'r Oregon borcler to Healdsllurg todar- anci cor.rlci brir-rg another floocl. Perpers don't say anr-thing altortt a irrolongecl stortn vet, so mar-be it'll jtlst be a sh()rt 'un. Troublc is evervthing is so u'aterlogged that it u'rin't talie ttrrtch trt lruiltl ttp another flood'

\\\'l' sitrtrttiorr still holrls. I{ellairs itre 1)eing hilnlllereil

(('orrtinrre<l on I'age 58)

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Send For

Infonnative, helpful grade sheets in full golor. They fully ex. plain all grades and point out suggested uses. You will find these a help in ralking to or mailing to architects, builders, cabinet shops and home owners.Write for your lree copies today.

**>8

Here is Goethe's New Year's wish: Health enough to make work a pleasure.

Wealth enough to supply your needs.

BY JACK DIONNE

-Clipt.

Stre,ngth enough to battle with difficulties, and overcome th€m.

Grace enough to confess your sins, and forsake them. Charity enough to see some good in your neighbor. Love enough to move you to be useful and helpful to others.

Faith enough to make real the things of God.

Hope enough to remove all anxious fears concerning the future'

Looks like the great thinker and philosopher covered that subject very beautifully. I just second the motion. The two colored gents were talking about what they would like for their Christmas dinner. One of them said: "I wants me some poke chops in nachal gravy, some yellah yams' some possum swimmin' in de gravy, some turnip greens' some boiled okra, some cawn-pone dipped in melted buttah an den soaked wid black 'lasses; and I wants some fruit puddin' drippin'wid brandy sauce. Dass all. Whut does you want for you Christmas dinnah?" And the other one said: "Boy, you done said hit all !" So did Goethe.

Well, the holidays *rri "llu.-ent. They were recordbreaking days from a thousand viewpoints. Just to mention a few: more money was spent than in any previous season, more people were killed violently than ever before, more likker was drunk than ever before, more drunk drivers killed more human beings than ever before, more people were arrested than ever before; let's just say it was a wilder season than ever before.

On the other hand, more charity was dispensed to the needy than ever before, more helping hands went out to the poor than ever before, more kindness was manifested than ever before. Blind and crippled beggars along the streets were treated more generously than ever before ; orgaqizations of welfare character found their tasks easier than ever before. So it was not all on the debit side, this holiday season' * * *

Because of a new movie based on the life of that great prophet and soldier called "The Court-Ma,rtial of Billy Mitchell," the public is learning more than it ever knew be- fore about that important historical event, and about Mitchell. And there comes to us from Billy Mitchell through his sister, Ruth Mitchell, a wonderful bit of advice. She says that American youth should know and remember the following Mitchell rule of living: "Be ever open to new ideas and willing to fight for what is right; never compla. cent or set in their minds."

Billy Mitchell, the first great prophet concerning air travel and air war, was haled into court because he declared for the supremacy of the air department of our armed forces. He predicted the present amazing growth and development of flying as though he was looking at it, and coming events cast their shadows before. And he found himself in about the same fix that Galileo did when he announced that the earth was round, and about the movement of the heavenly bodies.

The torture cha,rnbers ; itJ. made Galileo announce that he had changed his mind, for which I have never blamed him. f would have cried "uncle" long before the great astronomer did. Billy Mitchell was spared such gadgets as thumb screurs and racks, but he got a mighty rough deal just the same without ever backing up a step. A.nd becaruse of him, who loved his country more than his own security, our supremacy in the air has been steadfast and continuous. And his advice to the youth of today, as printed above, is in itself i t"f"? of great worth.

Right here I want to relate an incident reported in the newspaper that warmed the cockles of my hearrt more than almost anything I read during the good year 1955. In Pasadena, California, they choose a queen of the New Year's Rose Bowl football game and parade, arnd the lovely young ladies of that district vie for that high honor. As a preview to choosing the most beautiful young lady, more than 70 of the contestants were gathered together for a news preview. They were dressed in their finest, and each wore a ,number on her left shoulder to identify her, while scores of cameramen and newsm.";"T them parade.

A sweet-faced little old lady walked up too close to where the cameras were whirring before the assembled beauties, and a quick-witted cameraman said to her: "Lady, where is YOUR number?" After reviewing the situation very thoughtfully for some time, I wish here and now to nomimate that young man for chief of all our diplomatic services in Washi,ngton. If there is anyone in the diplomatic corps one-half so delightfully diplomatic as that cruneraman, the fact has not been $ublicly revealed. It has been repeatedly said in recent iears thart diplomatically trhe United States loses all its battles. Here is a man who would I snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. Let's take his camera away and give him a top hat. ***

A fellow nagned Marx, in advising Communists how to destroy Capitalism, put more emphasis on bleeding them white, coercing them into spending and wasting their substance, than even on brute force. And the Reds never lose a trick along that line. They simply throw out their wellprepared bait and we, in particular, swallow it whole. It has happened scores of times in the last decade. It is happening right now. We are told that Congress will be asked for a huge increase in foreign spending money. Why? Because the big Reds at Moscow have blaringly announced that they are going to spend a lot of money to help other Eastern nations. So what do we do? We take those statements for granted, and prepare to spend more than the Commies. Based on their past record it is a million-to-one bet that they aren't going to spend or give away a dime. They have ,never kept their word about anything; have never been known to tell the truth. Yet just becagse they say so, we will be asked to spend about five billions of dollars in the next year on foreign aid.

I get so dad-blamed ** ,".a thinking of how those brutish Reds suck us into all their traps, I almost choke. And so does every man and woman with whom I discuss this subject. If it were put to a vote of the American people, foreign aid would be instantly termina,ted by an overwhelming vote. Not just cut down-killed. That's what I firmly believe. The notion that the "deducts" should over-