HOBBS WALI !s oN THE MOVE

Block Liquidoting Montrose Yord

Montrose, Calif.-Emmet Black, who bought out the Amelang Lurnber Co. at Montrose and Pennsylvania avenues in Septernber 1936 and changed the name to the Black Lumber Company, expected to take down his sign and dispose of the stocks by June 19, liquidating the business after his wife persuaded him to quit and his sons showed no disposition to continue the business.

Lurnberman Black has seen great changes in La Crescenta, lr'Iontrose and the entire Valley area in the 21 years he has been selling lumber to build the hundreds of houses that n<,w dot what was only acres of sand and brush, with scarcely anything above Foothill boulevard, when he arrived lrom Missouri in 1912. Now 80 years old, Emmet Black followd the sun to arrive in Los Angeles when its population was 185,000 and he took up residence at "Athens-onthe-Hill" in the south part of L.A.

He started his first yard at Indio, which was a patch of mesquite and sand at that time. The desert lost its .hold on him and Indio and, after a short stay in Inglewood, he 4cquired the La Crescenta yard which went out of business iast month.

Out of his store of memories, the octogenarian lumber dealer told The Montrose Ledger, "The building business has made millionaires of many in this part of the state, and many others have grown wealthy by contracting. Some knew no more about the business than a jackrabbit." He said some men didn't know a 2x4 f.rom a 4x6 and, with scarcely enough money to buy a door jamb, started in the contracting and building business and prospered. Some had no knowledge of lumber or carpentry but luck and the SoCal boom was with them. He told of one man who was a ffeat cutter before he switched to cutting studs, rafters and joists-now he cuts coupons from investments he acquired in the building trad,e, the elderly dealer declared. He believes the Southern California building boom will last another decade or two.

Of ttre retiring dealer's two sons, Kenneth was helping him out at the yard until the stock is liquidated, when he r,'r'ill return to the construction business, and Leo, the eldest, sells automobiles. Property values in the area of the retail yard have increased four or' five times.since the dealer started the yard in 1936, and there is a prospect a large market may take the large tract lately occupied by the lumberyard and office. The roads bordering fhe yard are also to be widened for traffic. Mr. Black and his wife make their home at 3304 Mills in La Crescenta.

Gorehime Wins Notionql Aword

San Francisco-The Garehime Corporation, 450 Townsend St., last month was named Wholesaler Firm of the Year by the National Retail Hardware Assn. for the third consecutive year. The local firm, which has been winning increasing recognition in the state also for its outstanding work in remodeling retail lumberyards, was competing with 600 hardware wholesalers over the country.

Goudill Ghonges Address

E. G. Caudill, Jr., in charge of the Los Angeles district for the National Hardwood Lumber Assn., has a new mailing address: 3661 North Denton Ave., South San Gabriel, Calif., but retains the old telephone number: ATlantic 4-2339, for hardwood inspection department calls.