THE EAST ASIATIC COffTPANY

(Heod Oftce, CoPenhogen, Denmork)

SAN FRANCISCO, CAIIFORNIA lmporters of Hordwood lumberPlywoodV6nsE15

RANGOON, BURMA

Export Agents for Stqte Timber Boord

BANGKOK, THAIIAND

Teok Merchqnts Since | 897

T E A K

Gleeson Powers lo Bqxler & Co. Dislrict Job When Gordner Pond Steps Down on Jonuory I

On January 1, Ga,rdner P. Pond (left), a vice-president of J, H. Baxter & Co.. will relinquish the responsibility for operations in his area after serving 38 years as district manager of Southern California and Arizona. He has been with the compalry since 1921.

J. II. Baxter & Co., with headquarters in San I'rancisco, is a large producer of pressuretreated telephone and transmission poles, as well as pressuretreated wooden piling and timbers for wharf and bridge construction. The company also specializes in chemically treated foundation lumber for use in residential and commercial buildings to protect against rot and termites. J. H. Baxter & Co. has been in the utilitY Pole and piling business since 1895.

When Gardner Pond went to the Southern California ofrce of Baxter in 1922, he was sent down on an emergency, with the assurance he would be there only a few weeks! Those weeks stretched into 38 years.

Under his guidance, the first commercial pressure - treating plant in Southern California was placed in operation some 30 years ago. The 1?-acre plant, located on inner Long Beach harbor, has produced a large share of all the poles used by public utilities in Southern Califorriia and Arizona over the intervening: years. He has seen his company increase tenfold in sizeas Southern California has grown-during his tenure.

Mr. Pond will retain his present post as a vice-president of the wood-preserving concern, a position he has held since 1940, but will serve on a consulting basis.

Pn January 1, Gleeson A. Powers (right), now assistant district manager, will take over the duties of district manager for J. H. Baxter & Co. in Southern California. Mr. Powers has been with the company fot 20 years, and in the Los Angeles office since 1950. He became assistant manager in 1956.

lO9,9OO Housing 9toris in October Rise

Work was started on 109,900 housing units in October 1960, according to preliminary estimates of the Bureau of the Census, If.S. Department of Commerce, in comparidon with the 102,300 units started last month, and the 123,300 units started in October 1959.

Privately owned housing starts totaled 107,100 units, representing: a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,231,000, up 15/o f.rom the estimated annual rate of 1,066,000 in Septembet, and 77/6 below the October 1959 seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,378,000.

Nonfarm housing starts in October amounted to 106,600 units, 1tp 6Vo from September and 12/o below October 1959. Privately owned nonfarm starts numbered 103,800 units, representing a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,192,000 units, up 74Vo frorn September and 12/o below the October 1959 estimated rate of 1,354,000.

Son Francisco Hoo-Hoo-Ette Glub Will Stoge Christmqs Porty-Dec. 13

The lumbergals of San F'rancisco Hoo-Hoo-Ette Club 3 will hold their annual Christmas Party the evening of December 13, at Torrino's restaurant in San F'rancisco. A cocktail hour commencing at 5:29 p.m. will precede the banquet and after-dinner program, which will include an exchange of gifts. Also slated for the afterdinner prograrn, according to program chairman Helen Ash, will be the popular corn'edy team of Toodles & Wider.

Givic Dignifories Dedicote New "Mount Vernon of Pocific"

With the raising of a flag which once waved over the White House, civic dignitaries formally dedicated Pacific Savings and Loan Association's unique "Mount Vernon of Pacific" at 10 a.m. September 29.

According to Wm. -Moseley Jones, president of the association, County Supervisor E,rnest E,. Debs and Jan-res S. Cantlen, president of the Los Angeles Chpmber of Commerce, headed the list of special guests. Actress Elena Verdugo, member of one of California's oldest and most prominent families, also participated in the public ceremonies, along with a quartet of Purple Heart veterans who saluted the Stars and Stripes.

"Mount Vernon of Pacific," located at 400 N. Vermont Ave., overlooking the Hollywood Freeway, is an exact exterior replica of George Washington's famous Virginia estate. It was built at a cost of $257,000. Pacific Savings duplicated the mansion as a tribute to Washington and the democratic ideals he fostered. The full-size basement features a museum of Washingtonian relics and one of the largest bank vaults in the world. The new structure also provides the association with a branch office for metropolitan Los Angeles.

In honor of the official celebration, Pacific Savings will open "Mount Vernon" from 10 a.m. to 6 p.-. on weekdays, to accommodate the expected large number of sightseers ar-rd customers. Southern California elernentary school pupils will visit the unusual structure on guided tours each *".kd"y of the school year to aug-etti their studies of United States history.

PR,OJECT: DUPTICATE MOUNT VERNON

Anslinger, Inc., Spends 6000 Man-Ifours' Makes 400 "Sets" For Paclfic Sa,vlngs Iieplica of Washlngton Ifome in Los Angeles

Duplicating the detail and elegance of Mount Vernon's 18tlt Century woodwork with 20th Century equipment and know-how might seem as easy as crossing the Delaware in a power launch. But it's not a job without many challenges-especially when it must be completed in 120 days. Mike Anslinger knows; his crew of 35 carpenters and cabinet makers have just finished such a project.

"Mount Vernon of Pacific," an exact external replica of Washington's home, was conceived last year by Wm. Moseley Jones, president of Pacific Savings and Loan Association, to serve as headquarters for the association in metropolitan Los Angeles. After Rick tr'arber and Associates completed desigrts for the structure early this year, craftsmen of John M. Anslinger & Son, Inc., of Pasadena, went to work putting the drawings into wood.

No Orlgtnal

Plans

Six-thousand man-hours later, the new Mount Vernon was crowning: a knoll above the Holl5rwood Freeway near the four-way access on Vermont Avenue,

Looking up at the delicate moldings, intricate cornices and detailed pediments, Mike Anslinger, president of the millwork firm, recalls some of the problems which they represent.

"Plans and specifications for the original Mount Vernon have never been compiled because the house was not "planned" in its entirety. It is actually a series of additions and improvements, including the familiar portico George Washington added in tlte late 1780s which was quite an architectural innovation."

Matthew Goodwin of the Farber organization journeyed to the Virginia estate, Anslinger continued, and photographed the structure detail-by-detail, computed angles and measurements, and took samplings of colors to assure precise duplication. From this information, he drew up plans which Anslinger used to reproduce the woodwork.

400 "Sets"

"Colonial carpenters took nearly flve years to complete the exterior as vre know it," he pointed out. "They worked at a leisurely pace, making every detail by hand. Though we had four months and modern methods to do our work, we were hindered by the inflexibility of machines compared to the by-hand technique.

"Therefore, we had to make some 400 'sets' (knives) to use in the sticker which made nearly all of the molding. The average number required for most modern structures is from 10 to 12 'sets'."

Another major challenge was duplicating the paneled doors. Like the originals, Anslinger noted, each of the six walnut doors in Mount Vernon of Pacific is made of 158 separate walnut pieces.

"F'ive types of cants and nine members in 20-ft. lengths, 350 bandsawn brackets and 30 brackets cut on a rig make up the main cornice. The portico beam is composed of seven separate members." the official related.

In addition to the Douglas fir and sugar pine molds, the Anslinger shop also turned out the fluted pilasters and cap, neck and base molds used in the cupola set on the roof.

Carpenters and cabinet makers aJso made the beaded, inset louvered shutters which flank each window, as well as the broken pediment, pilasters and archway making up the magnificent Palladian window. The shortest special run during the project was the two-piece, four-inch bedmold on this window.

Elltptlcal Window

"More than 56 man-hours were spent on the elliptical window which enhances the pediment above the Vermont Avenue facade," Anslinger stated, "since 16 key blocks, made of 12-inch-long 4-by-10's, had to be cut and set along with the 4-by-8 elliptical mold. This window has. 12 splayed and 13 suspended circular lights."

Other elements of Mount Vernon which the shop duplicated are the architraves, window frames, eight famous columns on the portico, the seven dormer windows extending from the roof.

Because of the inadaptability of the original floor plan to the purpose of this structure, interiors are toally different. Anslinger, then, had to create several original components for the new structure.

Walnut Stalrways

"Perhaps the most impressive interior feature is the black walnut spiral stairway from the basement to the first floor," Anslinger believes. "It has five-foot stairs, two turned-walnut balusters on each tread, and a full-circle balustrade."

"Walnut is again used for the first-floor to mezzanine stairsa straight run with a half-circle landing at midpoint-and the 84 panels in the wainscoting which lines the 90-by-30-ft. main floor."

Among the unique services offered customers at Mount Vernon of Pacific is the sit-as-you-save plan devised by Pacific Savings and Loan's president. To provide this service, desigter Farber created a trio of circular teller booths where customers will sit as they transact business with tellers on mobile chairs within the booths.

"Each booth is made up of. 22 five-piece walnut panels," he noted. "Every panel, all flush molds, rails and interior cabinets are bent to provide a perfect circle."

Some 17,000 ft. of sugar pine and 8,000 ft. of walnut was used by Anslinger craftsmen. The millwork contract totaled $68,950nearly one-fourth the cost of the $257,000 structure.

Unique Sldtng

Ward & Harrington Lumber Co. of F'ullerton made the unusual wood siding for the replica which, again, is another duplicated feature.

Simulating Washington's techniques, company workmen etched 16- by 10-ft. boards of glued-up, vertical grain Douglas fir to resemble mortar indentions. They were applied to the framework in a running bond pattern, shiplapped for waterproofing and painted with bland white Lithitex similar to the paint-and-sand mixture on the original. The result is a quasi-masonry frnish.

Paciflc Savings and Loan Association has five other branch offices located throughout the Greater Los Angeles area. In addition to the unique sit-as-you-save convenience, the Association also ofiers free safe-deposit boxes for all customers who maintain an account of $500 or more.

Colif. Refqil Trode Up in '59

Sacramento, Nov. 12, 1960-California retail trade was l$.$% greater last year than in 1958. Improvement in business has been widespread. In only 13 oi the 350 cities where sales were reported for both years did the retailers fail to record gains.

During 1959, population in California rose some 3.6% and personal income approached $40 billion. Cost of living, consumer credit, and the number of employed persons also reached new highs.

In more than 100 cities, gains in retail trade have exceeded 20%.

(TelI thern Aou sau it in The California Lumber Merchant)