Arthur A. Koyser

Arthur A. Kayser, a SO-year lumber veteran, and one of the most widely known lumbermen in the west, died at Los Angeles on May 11 after a short illness.

Kayser's career began in the Puget Sound country when sailing vessels still carried a sizable part of the northwest lumber cut to foreign ports. He started with the pioneer Skinner-Eddy Company mill. at historic 'Port Blakely at the turn of the century, and rose rapidly to become mill superintendent. In the 1920's he worked for the Portland Lumber Mills and East Side Lumber Company at Portland in various official capacities.

In I9D he began his long and noted career with the West Coast Lumbermen's Association in the department of grades (later changed to West Coast Bureau of Lumber Grades and Inspection).

lVlore than any single man he was resPonsible for the introduction of grade marking into the Los Angeles area where he spent most of the last quarter century. For a year around 1940, Kayser came back to Portland as assistant superintendent of the department of grades, but by 1941 he returned to Los Angeles to resume his enthusiastic promotion of lumber'grade marking and west coast lumber specifically.

Kayser was recognized as one of the keenest minds in the lumber industry. He knew lumber and he knew what it would do. Under his leadership, association work spread and expanded tremendously in the southern California area. Probably no man in lumber was better liked by all segments of the industry.

Two years ago Kayser retired, but the industry he loved and which so respected him would not let him completely retire. The Detroit Lumbermen's Association employed him for several months as a constlltant on some special proj ects.

Last year, the West Coast llureau of Lumber Grades and Inspections coaxed him back out of retirement that we suspect was tiresome to him and he handled some special assignments in the southern states.

Kayser was a walking evangeiist for tl.re u,est coast lumber industry. No problem about lumber was too tough for him and he was never knor,vn to duck a good friendly argument on the relative merits of the species he represented. It was always a big day when Art Kavser shou,ed up at the U. S. Forest Products Laboratorl' at Madison, Wisconsin. Kayser's name was a legend and his fabulous knowledge of wood was even more u'ondrous to those in the trade.

Kayser was a prime story teller and it was an unforgettable pleasure to sit in on a good Kayser story-telling bee. He claimed he was some day going to rvrite his experiences, and it most surely would have been a best seller. But there was always a job at hand that needed doing and the writing job was never tackled.

Kayser was a walking evangelist for the $rest coast lumwas one of the older members of Hoo-Hoo holding card No. 20,054. Among his many affiliations rvas l-ris membership in the Los Angeles Chamber of Cornmerce, rvhich he prized highly.

Mrs. Art Kayser passed away tu,o years ago. They are survived by a daughter, Mrs. H. G. Helmer, and a granddaughter, Kirsten Ann Helmer, both of Los Angeles. Art Kayser is survived by a sister, Mrs. Lily Stephenson, of Seattle, Washington. Funeral services l'ere in Los Angeles on May 15.

Redwood Empire Hoo-Hoo Club Holds Moy Meeting

Redwood Empire Hoo-Hoo Club No. 65 held its first annual golf tournament Friday afternoon, N{ay 2l at the Santa Rosa Golf and Country Club. Arrangements for the tournament were made by Bob Schenck, the meeting being held one week later than usual so as to not coincide with the Oakland Reveille.

Following the tournament, the boys vieu'ed the fight over television, and then topped off the evening u'ith a filet steak dinner and entertainment.