Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2017 with funding from Columbia bnlve®yj_ i b r a r i e s https://archive.org/details/cypresslumberitsOOstea Cypress Lumber . . and Its Uses SECOND EDITION. Revised and Enlarged. Copyright, 1895, By The A. T. Stearns Lumber Company. Main Office, Mills, and Wharves at Neponset, \ Branch Office and Exhibit, 166 Devonshire Street, ?■ BOSTON. Branch Office and Warerooms, 104 Friend Street, ' P. O. Address, Neponset, Boston, Mass. s Preface to Second Edition. T HE demand for our first edition of “CYPRESS LUMBER AND ITS PISES” has been so great that it is already exhausted. Inquiries by every mail for the book and for information in regard to cypress indicate that it has supplied, in a measure, at least, a distinctly felt want, which we trust this second edition will do much to gratify. A new feature of this edition will be its half-tone illustrations, reproducing views in connection with our plant at Neponset, together with a few photographs ot buildings, public and private, in the construction or finish- ing of which our cypress specialties have been used. We regret that our space does not permit us to re- produce a greater number of these buildings, but we trust that our readers will be sufficiently interested to come and let us show them some of the originals, ol which there are thousands. OFFICE, MILLS, AND WHARVES AT NEPONSET, BOSTON. Preface to First Edition. E are in daily receipt of so many inquiries con- cerning cypress, its character, durability, appear- ance, the manner of finishing, etc., that we are led to issue this rather comprehensive circular, believing that our customers will abstract for themselves such facts as may be of interest to them. Our Mr. A. T. Stearns, the founder and president of this company, was the pioneer in the introduction of cypress in the North, and has long been recognized as the leading dealer in the wood. The company has fol- lowed in his footsteps, and continues to make a prominent specialty of this lumber. 5 OUR DEVONSHIRE STREET OFFICE. SOME OF OUR EMPLOYEES. 6 How to Reach Us. O UR main office, mills, wharves, dryhouses, etc., are situated at Neponset, in that portion of the city of Boston formerly com- prising the town of Dorchester. Customers wishing to visit our main office or mills should take the train in Boston at the Kneeland Street station of the New York, New Haven &: Hartford Railroad. The distance from Boston to Neponset is less than five miles, and the time in transit but from ten to fifteen minutes. There is also communication every few minutes by electric cars. For the convenience of customers and others who have not suf- ficient time to visit Neponset, we have opened branch offices in the city proper at 166 Devonshire Street and at 104 Friend Street. At both places visitors will find an exhibit of cypress and other woods, from which some idea can be formed as to the exceptional character of our work and the superiority of our lumber. At 104 Friend Street may also be found warerooms containing a large stock, embracing many of our prominent specialties. Our Post-Office Address is Neponset, Boston, Mass., mail matter being delivered there at an early hour in the morning and at in- tervals throughout the day. Customers will prevent delay and thus se- cure more prompt attention to their wants if they will address us accordingly. All of our offices are connected by telephone, and persons at a dis- tance may find our long distance service of convenience to them. Our Facilities. W ITH mills at the South sawing cypress, hard pine, and ash expressly for us, with yards North and South containing many millions of feet on sticks, seasoning at all times, with dryhouses at Neponset holding more than a million feet and having an • OFFICE AND WAREROOMS AT 104 FRIEND STREET. almost unlimited capacity, with mills containing new and improved ma- chinery, no expense is spared to reach the best results in supplying an ever-increasing demand. 8 OUR FACILITIES. 9 We wish to say to all users of wood for building material, including everything from mud sills to finials, that if they will look carefully into the merits of our cypress, and give us an opportunity to tell them what we know, and show them what we have to offer, we feel sure that it will prove to their manifest advantage. We have exceptional facilities for furnishing stock, in great variety and in any quantity. We have the latest improvements in sandpaper- ing machines for smoothing finish, sheathing, etc., at a great saving over the cost of hand smoothing. We solicit the correspondence of all who are interested and shall at all times be pleased to answer inquiries or to fill orders, large or small. Florida Gulf Cypress. HERE are numerous species of cypress and as many qualities as there are species. In fact, there are almost as many grades of this wood as there are localities in which it grows. The wood of each locality possesses its own pecu- liarities, that grown near the coast of the Gulf of Mexico and known as Gulf Cypress being admittedly the best. We have made careful studies to determine where, upon the extensive Gulf coast, is grown the cypress best adapted to our work, and our success with this wood and the reputation our products have attained is the best possible proof that our conclusions have been correct. We have used the Louisiana red cypress, the Alabama cypress, and cypress from Georgia and the At- lantic coast, and have found all of them inferior to ours. We have no hesitation in affirming that our cypress specialties have given more universal satisfaction than any other in the market. Our cypress is of a much finer grain, is more easily worked, and is capable of receiving a much better finish than the cypress of other localities. Cypress which grows a short distance further North is apt to be more shaky and is of an inferior color and quality. Care should be exercised by those intending to use cypress to so word their specifications or orders that only the best of Gulf stock will be furnished them. CYPRESS CAMP. FLORIDA GULF CYPRESS. I I In the following pages our claims in behalf of cypress are made primarily for our own stock, that is, for our cypress. We cannot, of course, undertake to indorse inferior qualities or stock which has been improperly manufactured or insufficiently seasoned. The faults which we most frequently hear that cypress possesses are largely those common to all woods, but which in any new wood attract attention. But there are imaginary faults too numerous to mention which are far more troublesome. If, however, our readers will look about them they will find that our Florida Gulf cypress possesses more real merits and fewer faults than any of the woods now in use for building purposes. We have many voluntary testimonials of appreciation of this fact from architects, builders, and owners who have recommended and used our cypress. Uses and Characteristics of Cypress. O NE of the most notable characteristics of our cypress is that the longer it is seasoned the better it becomes. It may be piled up and left untouched for years and during that time will be continually growing better and more valuable. Cypress is cheaper than pine, and it will stand the weather better. RESIDENCE AT BROOKLINE, F. M. WAKEFIELD, ARCHITECT. It will shrink and swell less than pine or other woods. It will take paint better than spruce or pine and the paint will not peel off. It is more durable than any of the woods in common use. It is not subject to the ravages of insects and vermin and does not afford a harbor for them. 12 USES AND CHARACTERISTICS OF CYPRESS. It contains no pitch and will resist fire much longer than othei woods; its tendency when exposed to fire being to smolder lathei than to burst into flame. Our cypress has a beautiful grain and much more character than pine, or whitewood, or than any of the usual run of woods. It is a species of cedar, and is used at the present time for almost CHURCH AT NEWTONVILLE, CRAM, WENTWORTH & GOODHUE, ARCHITECTS. every purpose for which lumber is sold. 1 here is no wood so well adapted to such a great variety of purposes. It is exceptionally well adapted for all interior and exterior work in the construction of residences, stores, office buildings, churches, schoolhouses, greenhouses, and other buildings, both public and pi irate. i4 USES AND CHARACTERISTICS OF CYPRESS. For floors for mills, factories, stables, cellars, etc., or for other pur- poses where the wood is likely to be exposed to moisture, there is nothing so durable among available woods. For such purposes a cheaper grade of lumber, which is just as durable, is usually furnished. Cypress has been used in some instances for framework of wooden OLD DORCHESTER CLUB HOUSE, WM. H. BESARICK, ARCHITECT. buildings on account of its fire-resisting qualities, but its cost as com- pared with spruce prevents its use to a great extent for this purpose. Extremes seem to meet in this wonderful wood, for, while in some sections of the South it is used, among other things, as a substitute for paving stones, it is used to some extent by Northern manufacturers in the building of pianos, organs, and other fine musical instruments. USES AND CHARACTERISTICS OF CYPRESS. The following extract is taken from the Scientific American of Decem- ber, 1891 : — •• Cypress timber, owing to its beautiful finish, and durability, and lightness has long been in favor in the Gulf Coast States, and is fast growing in favor in the more Northern States, especially among those who have tested and know its many good qualities. •• Cypress is especially adapted to building tanks, tubs, and vats, and when used for such purposes it never will decay. It also makes better sash, doors, blinds, and frames than white pine, and many railroads use it for water tanks. It stands the weather better than white pine ; does not warp or twist and does not shrink or swell. •• No lumber in the world equals it for tanks, vats, siding or weather boards, exposed floors or shingles. Siding can be used and not painted, and will last fifty years. •• The durability of cypress is illustrated by the examples of roofs in Mobile and New Orleans in good order laid sixty years ago.” (From the New York Lumber frade Journal ' F eb. 15, 1S95.) “In building the Tampa Bay Hotel I used nearly one thousand cypress doors, and although this hotel has been completed some years, yet not one of the cypress doors has required altering in any way, and they to-day hang just as true as when first put in the building. If I were to build another hotel similar to this magnificent structure, I would use cypress, not only for doors, but for sash, and in fact for all the woodwork.” The above is an official report. , Durability of Cypress. ^^jYPRESS has a world-wide reputation for durability. This has been demonstrated under many conditions most adverse to other woods. History teems with facts concerning the wonderful life of this wood, but our space does not permit of much more than a bare statement of the fact. NAHANT PUBLIC LIBRARY, BALL & DABNEY, ARCHITECTS. We desire, however, to call attention to a few newspaper notices which have come under our observation, and will then refer our readers to the encyclopedias and to a few articles in the back part of this book from the pens of more able writers upon the subject. DURABILITY OF CYPRESS. 17 (From the Northwestern Lumberman , June, 1S94.) The phenomenal durability of cypress is believed to proceed from the presence in its natural chemical composition of an acid having the active qualities of creosote. There is, of course, some natural cause for its demon- strated proof against the ravages of water, air, and time, and that cause is equally, of course, of a chemical character. In other words, nature seems to have treated cypress in a manner somewhat corresponding, in its results, at least, to that of the artificial use of creosote as a preservative. SCHOOLHOUSE AT CAMBRIDGE, C. H. MCCLARE, ARCHITECT. (From the Northwestern Lumberman of Jan. 15, 1887.) “At Charleston, the other day, the workmen, in examining the earthquake- shattered tower of St. Michael’s Church, found a coffin of cypress bearing the date 1678. “ The wood was sound throughout, although the bones in the coffin had long ago turned to dust.” DURABILITY OF CYPRESS. 1 8 The following appeared some time since in the Boston Evening Record , taken from the Richmond Despatch. AN OLD COLONIAL MANSION. “This house, from a tablet over the frontdoor, was built by Michael Braun (now spelled Brown) in 1776, and is still owned and occupied by his descend- ants. The fireplace is eight feet wide, five feet high, and five feet deep. _ sufficiently large to roast an ox, and of sufficient size to contain over a cord of wood. The house is forty by thirty, two stories, and is built of granite obtained near by; windows arched with granite blocks about the size of RESIDENCE AT BROOKLINE, A. G. BREWER, ARCHITECT AND BUILDER. bricks laid in mortar, now so strong that it would require a sharp pick and a stron-arm to remove it; walls three feet thick; doors and window facings of black walnut ; and the house covered with cypress shingles %***£" '” such a state of preservation that they have only been removed since ,880 (104 years V These shingles must have been wagoned from or near Charleston South Carolina. 180 to 200 miles. The house was built on the then grea traveled road from James River to the Catawba Indians by the trading fort on the Yadkin River. This fort was the home of the Lapona Indians when Lawson who was sent from England by the proprietors, visited it in 1700. For Exterior Work, W OOD for this purpose should possess great durability, although too little attention is often paid to this point. The exterior finish of a house or other wooden building, including shingles, clapboards, gut- ters, conductors, piazza sills, and frame, together with columns, rails, balusters, etc., constitutes no small fraction of the cost of the building, and if decay is rapid, as is the case with nearly all woods commonly used for outside work, repairs and the accompanying expense recur with a frequency not at all desirable. Cypress costs less than any other suitable wood for exterior work ; yet, were its cost considerable more, it would still be much more eco- nomical to use than something more perishable. Cypress is not only more durable, but it will take paint better than other woods and the paint will not peel oft. This is another point of great importance, for the expense of repainting is considerable, and no painter will guarantee a permanently nice appearance where paint has once peeled. \Ye have seen buildings shingled with cypress upon both roof and walls upon which no stain or paint has been used. In time such buildings take on a beautiful gray color which is greatly admired by many people, especially for a country, seashore, or suburban residence. The natural qualities of the wood make it possible to use either shingles or clapboards in this way, without paint, and there is probably no other wood upon which vines can be grown with so much safety from in- jurious effects. 19 For Interior Finish. YPRESS for interiors has now a conspicuous place in the favor j of architects, builders, and owners. The varied effects obtain- able are a source of surprise to everybody who is not familiar with it, and we can show residences where nearly every room is of an entirely different character, although finished in the same wood. INTERIOR AT FALL RIVER, CRAM, WENTWORTH & GOODHUE. It is susceptible of a very high polish, and when finished in the natural color of the wood is very handsome ; some of it, in fact, is equal in beauty to any of the more expensive finishing woods in the market, and, finished in this way, it requires little or no attention to preserve a fine appearance for many years. 20 FOR INTERIOR FINISH. It is also highly recommended by prominent architects as a basis for the ivory-white finish which many people fancy, but, in our opinion, the wood, when used for interiors, possesses too much natural beauty to be covered with paint. Cypress is used to a considerable extent for floors for residences where they are not to be subjected to much wear. For carpeting or when bestrewn with rugs they are very nice and have many advan- tages. They are not so noisy as hardwood floors and the repugnance which bugs and vermin are said to have for cypress ought to be some recommendation. BUSINESS BUILDING, AUGUSTA, ME., J, C. SPOFFORD, ARCHITECT. Our Door Factory. O UR doors are made to order in the best possible manner from care- fully selected woods of all kinds. Our facilities in this department are unsurpassed for turning out veneered or solid work of every description. Our ash and cypress doors are usu- ally made solid, except when rooms are to be finished in a variety of woods, in which case it becomes necessary to furnish veneered work. f We manufacture doors of oak, sycamore, mahogany, and all the other woods used for the purpose and our work in the hardwood line cannot be excelled. Hardwood doors, except in the case of our Florida ash, are generally veneered upon a core of softer wood. SUMMER RESIDENCE AT POINT ALLERTON, ARTHUR G. EVERETT, ARCHITECT. Solid Cypress Doors. O l'R solid cypress doors have already gained a wide and enviable reputation for themselves. Made from the best of Gulf stock, we make a point of warranting every door. They will stand better than pine. Comparison of our doors with those of other makers will convince all of their superiority, both as to construction and DELIVERY HALL, NAHANT PUBLIC LIBRARY, BALL & DABNEY, ARCHITECTS. appearance. For beauty they have no equal, and for rich and varied effects there is no wood available for the purpose which can compare with our cypress. We wish that everybody who is building or ever expects to build would favor us with an inspection of our stock. 24 SOLID CYPRESS DOORS. Like most other good things, our doors have met with a competition, which in itself is the strongest possible recommendation and indorse- ment. Many manufacturers are now claiming that their doors are “just as good as Stearns’.” That claim was doubtless what influenced the builder referred to in the following circular to venture from the path of safety. This circular is one which we felt compelled to issue, in justice to ourselves and our customers, and which we think should be reprinted here. Caution. “ Some months ago we offered to furnish a lot of cypress doors for a building in a neighboring town, and, as is customary with us, guaranteed that they would stand. In the course of time the building was finished and occupied. “Complaints soon followed, and the architect, after investigation, reported to us that the doors, with but four exceptions , had ‘ all gone to pieces,’ as he expressed it. It was supposed by the architect and owner that the builder had purchased the doors from this company, as it was agreed he should do so, and the man himself asserted that he had actually purchased our doors. “Further investigation developed the fact that he actually had pur- chased four of our doors through a local dealer, and they were the four exceptions noted above which, to use the architect's own words, had not started a hair. We are now making doors to take the place of those which the builder had purchased elsewhere. “ It is not necessary for us to point a moral in this, but, as it is one of many similar cases, we think a word of caution may not come amiss.” RESIDENCE AT DORCHESTER, G. WARREN HAYWARD, ARCHITECT. Solid Doors of Florida Ash, I N our first edition brief reference was made to our Florida ash. This wood has now taken a conspicuous place among our choice specialties. It has proven to be an exceptionally choice variety, of light and uniform color, and has been warmly received. Specimens of interior work in this wood may be seen at our several offices, and we shall be greatly pleased to show them. At our Devonshire Street office we have a door made of this Florida ash and finished in white shellac, which is pronounced superb, and we can also show bank interiors, residences, and other buildings finished in this wood. RESIDENCE AT DORCHESTER, LORING & PHIPPS, ARCHITECTS. We exercise the same careful selection of stock in the manufacture of our solid ash doors, which characterizes all of our work, and every one is warranted to stand. We offer our Florida ash for all interior work with the utmost confidence. z6 CHELSEA SAVINGS BANK, FINISHED IN FLORIDA ASH, S. EDWIN TOBEY, ARCHITECT. Cypress Sash. W E have been obliged to greatly increase facilities in our sash factory in order to meet the increased demand for cypress sash. People who have be- come convinced of the supe- riority of cypress are unwilling to use inferior woods, espe- cially for windows, which are subjected to more variable conditions than almost any other portions of a building. Exposed on the inside now to the effect of furnace heat and then to the humid atmos- phere of summer, with all the intermediate changes, and on the outside to the intense heat of the direct rays of the sun, followed, perhaps, by rain or snow ; subjected to heat and cold, wet and dry, alternately ; required at all times and under all circumstances to work up and down, freely and easily, without being loose enough to permit the ingress of cold or storm, and expected to resist decay and abuse under all conceivable conditions most adverse to durability, it may well be said that nothing but the best is good enough for windows. We are sending our cypress sash and cypress store fronts all over New England, and they are admittedly superior to all others. 28 Cypress Clapboards. W E now carry in stock, ready for immediate delivery, a full as- sortment of widths and qual- ities, in random lengths up to 16 ft.; longer ones can be furnished, if desired. The advantages in using long clap- boards are many. There is much less waste in cutting to length, short splicing is entirely avoided, and better work is the result. These cypress clapboards are butted ready for use, and can be furnished either plain or rabbeted (3, 4, 5, or 6 in.), in all qualities as follows : — RIFT. Rift grain and free from all defects. CHOICE. First quality, differing only in not being rift sawed. CLEAR. More or less sappy, but otherwise free from all defects. We call attention to cuts herewith, showing both the plain and rabbeted clapboards. It will be seen that in one case the nail passes through two clap- boards. while in the other it passes through only one, — a manifest advan- tage in favor of the latter in case of shrinkage, which in the first case may result in splitting. This rabbeting is a new feature of our own, which is meet- ing with great favor. Its purpose is to make tighter joints, and to enable them to be laid more rapidly and with greater 29 3 ° CYPRESS CLAPBOARDS. accuracy. It has the advantage of laying close to the boarding, and nails being driven just above the rabbet, splitting is entirely over- come. If, however, in case of accident, one should be split, it can be readily removed and replaced, without in any way damaging the others. RESIDENCE AT DORCHESTER, G. WARREN HAYWARD, ARCHITECT. Rabbeted clapboards will always show even faces, and, besides mak- ing tighter work, are better and more economical to use. They will cover as follows : — iooo ft. (face measure) 3 in. clapboards (2% ins. to weather) will cover 792 sq. ft. 1000 ,, ,, „ 4 ,, ,, (3 Y% ) „ ,, 844 ,. >°oo„ ., „ S .. .. (4% „ „ - ) „ >, 875 >• The plain clapboards will, of course, cover more or less surface, as they may be exposed to the weather. Cypress Shingles. T HESE shingles are manufactured expressly for us, and are dried before packing, thus making it more easy to detect defective pieces which might otherwise pass the inspectors as perfect. There are no other mills which take the precaution to dry their shingles in this way. RESIDENCE AT SARATOGA, H. LANGFORD WARREN, ARCHITECT. They are sawed Q in. thick at the butt, c8 ins. long, and plump in width. EXTRA. Dimension shingle. Rift grain. All heart and free from all defects. No. i. Put up in both dimension and random widths. First Quality, differing from the “ Extra ” only in not being all rift sawed. SAP. Dimension shingle ; free from all defects except sap. No. 2. Random shingle, 3 to 7 ins. wide; free from sap, shakes, or unsound knots 8 ins. from butt. 32 CYPRESS SHINGLES. PRIME. Dimension shingle; free from sap, shakes, or unsound knots 8 ins. from butt. S. L. CO. This brand measures 14 ins. in length, T 7 ff in. thick at butt. Dimension shingle, each width separately bunched, 2 '/>, 3, 4, 5, and 6 ins. wide. First Quality. Free from sap or other defects. The narrower widths of this brand make remarkably pretty work. Our heart cypress shingles will last two or three times as long as the best sawed pine or cedar and cost no more for a like area. JACOB T. GLINES SCHOOL, LORING & PHIPPS, ARCHITECTS. Below will be found the number of square feet per 1000 pieces which each size will cover. 4x18, laid 5 ins. to the weather, will cover 167 sq. ft. 5 x 18, ., „ „ „ „ „ 209 „ 6 x 18, „ „ „ „ „ „ 252 „ Random widths, 8 bundles to the 1000, 21 in. bands, full count, will cover, laid 5^ ins., 167 sq. ft. These shingles are the best on the market, and will last 50 to 75 years. There is no other kind or make so profitable to use. We can furnish planed cypress shingles S/% in. thick, if desired. Cypress shingles are considered a great safeguard against the spread of fire by falling sparks. CYPRESS SHINGLES. 33 A Boston lumber dealer publishes a circular which incidentally gives the life of shingles other than cypress. We append that portion of it herewith : California Redwood, 25 to 30 years. Sawed Pine . . 16 ,, 20 ,, „ Cedar . . 12 „ 15 „ Spruce . . 5 „ 7 » The above scale has reference to the best quality only. Compare it with the life of our cypress shingles. On a preceding page, under the head of “ Durability of Cypress,” will be found an account of some cypress shingles which were removed from a building after 1 04 years of exposure to the weather. We have used cypress shingles ourselves under all conditions and have furnished many millions of them throughout New England and the Middle States. They are equally well adapted for interior or sea- shore locations. Persons desiring cut or fancy shingles for walls will oblige us by sending for special sheets showing our numerous patterns, from which, perhaps, a selection may be made. We can, however, make any special pattern that may be wanted. Gutters and Conductors. O UR gutters and conductors have been on the market for many years, and are already well and favorably known. They are made of cypress sawed for the express purpose, and will be found to be more durable than iron, which, even though galvanized, will rust in course of time. Many attempts have been made to substitute other woods for these purposes, but they have failed to fulfil requirements, and persons who have experimented with the view of determining the actual merits of the different woods now insist upon having cypress. There are many ways of hanging these gutters, most of which are familiar to those who have used them. To those who have not used them we shall be pleased to send sketches and suggestions. It is not necessary to pitch or incline them or to dig them out in order to create a flow of water. If put on level, they will give perfect satisfaction. Our conductors, beside being more durable, make a better, more appropriate, and more attractive finish to a wooden building than anything on the market. Those using our conductors should also use our malleable conductor irons, which screw into the woodwork and are adjustable. We furnish these at about cost, and no other iron should be accepted. 34 Cypress Fences. f OR fence rails and pickets, cypress is pecu- liarly well adapt- ed. W e h a v e supplied m a n y thousand miles of fences to towns and cities, rail- roads, cemeteries, corporations, and individuals. We can furnish cypress pickets rough or dressed, in various widths and lengths, as may be desired. They are free from sap, are very durable, either with or without paint, and cost no more than pine, which are more or less sappy. Cypress Columns. W E can furnish quarter-sawed cypress columns up to twelve or fourteen inches in diameter, which are very handsome and much to be preferred to other wood, if for no other reason than their durability. We have special machinery for boring lengthwise through the center of columns and squares up to sixteen feet in length when it is desired. For all piazza work, sills, etc., cypress will be found to be better than any other available wood. Greenhouse Stock. RHODE ISLAND GREENHOUSES, PAWTUCKET, R. I. W E are furnishing large quantities of cypress sash bars and other stock for greenhouses, hot beds, etc., and would re- spectfully ask those interested in this particular branch to send for our special circular showing cuts of all the various parts used in construction. We can furnish cypress sash bars up to 32 ft. in length, or longer, and cypress plant stakes, as desired. 36 Cypress Tanks. (From the Northwestern Lumberman.) There is one feature of the cypress demand that could be made much of ; this is the requirement for brewery tanks. White pine is now mostly used for this purpose. The manufacturers of tanks prefer to use pine, because it rots and gets out of repair quicker than cypress. They say, privately, that if cypress were to become commonly used much of their occupation would be gone, for the reason that cypress lasts forever. In order to prevent the employment of cypress, they allege that it is shaky, liable to split, and gives off a bad odor. Each of these allegations is wide of the truth, when well- selected cypress is used. In respect to purity from unpleasant odor, cypress is the best wood that can be employed. This is proved by the fact that where TANKS, CISTERNS, DYE TUBS. it has been put into creamery tanks the manufacturers of butter will use nothing else. A few years ago the brewers of Galveston, Texas, appended their names to a circular which attested the value of cypress for the building of beer vats, and their opinion was spread broadcast. If Northern brewers were fully aware of the peculiar fitness of cypress for their purpose, they would demand it in every instance. If Northern dealers were to take pains to inform brewers in respect to the adaptability of cypress to tank making, a large demand for thick stock would soon grow up.” Cypress is probably at this time more extensively used in paper mills, dye houses, etc., for the construction of tanks, vats, and for mill floors exposed to dampness than any other kind of lumber. It is also used extensively by the makers of paper mill machinery and of creamery apparatus. Our Tank Department is very complete. 37 Finishing, T HIS is largely a matter of individual taste, but we find that most people prefer the natural color of the wood. To obtain this we recommend the use of pure white shellac, three or more coats, as may be desired, each coat to be smoothed down with sand paper and the final coat with pumice stone and oil. This treatment of the final RECEPTION ROOM, SUMMER RESIDENCE, ARTHUR G. EVERETT, ARCHITECT. coat will produce a dead, or what is termed an “ eggshell ” finish. The final coat may be left bright if so desired. The wood requires no filling. Caution : There are many so-called painters who think it essential to work some color into their work, and who will advise the use of orange shellac, instead of white shellac. We have known of many cases where such men have taken the liberty of using orange shellac in spite of explicit instructions to the contrary. We advise watchfulness upon the part of owners, architects, and builders to prevent this if they desire to preserve the natural color of the wood. It takes but a moment to destroy it forever. 38 Staining. \i A fjE have never favored the staining of cypress or the use of »fmf any color whatever in the finishing of this beautiful wood. We consider it far too handsome to disguise in any way. Cypress will take stains well, however, and we know of architects V, RESIDENCE AT HACKENSACK, N. J„ F. W. PHELPS, ARCHITECT. and others who claim to have produced fine effects through their use. We believe, nevertheless, that we can eclipse all such efforts and produce much richer effects without the use of artificial colors. 39 Painting. W ITH the introduction of cypress to Northern markets we learned from those who had never seen or used the wood that it was utterly worthless. Among the most conspicuous faults which such men imagined was that it would not take paint. They urged this so persistently that it is only recently that we have ceased to receive inquiries if such were the fact. With thousands of buildings now erected, in New England alone, having cypress for exterior or interior work, and taking paint and hold- ing it better than any of the woods previously in use, we feel that further argument is unnecessary. RAILROAD STATION AT CONCORD, MASS., ALDEN FRINK, ARCHITECT. 40 Cypress. (From the St. Louis Lumberman , June, 1894.) This word (and the wood, also) was a symbol or sign of both beauty and durability in the times that are long past. We find that we have the same article now, with all its beauty and durability not in the least impaired. In regard to its beauty as a wood to be used for finishing, we are tempted to say RESIDENCE OF DR. T. MORTON HILLS, WILLIMANTIC, CONN. it has no equal, and we would be right were we to say that no one of the woods that are in common use now can be made to form the beautiful com- bination of colors that is possible with cypress, and yet use only those parts that are sound and good. 41 42 CYPRESS. It is necessary for the wood to earn its own way in the markets of the coun- try, which it will certainly do if it can have the assistance of a proper intro- duction. When a comparison is made with the other woods that are now in such general use as a finishing material in the finer apartments of the dwelling- house of to-day, and that cost so much more as to material and so much more to manufacture and finish in that perfect condition that is required by the modern house builder than is required to bring the cypress to the same per- fect condition, the balance is certainly in favor of cypress. And when these hardwoods have been brought to that condition of finish, there is a monotony UNITARIAN CHURCH AT CHESTNUT HILL, CABOT, EVERETT & MEAD, ARCHITECTS. of color that is distasteful to the eye and would be changed in many cases were it not for the expense attending it. This is not so with cypress, as it can be selected and used with sufficient care to break all monotony or same- ness in its appearance. The red, white, and very dark may be made to blend so beautifully by the artistic selection of color that the eye can never tire look- ing at it, but every look cast upon it cause greater admiration. In regard to its cost compared with the other woods, it ranks in price cheaper than any hardwoods, and is, in fact, being manufactured and placed on the market in competition with the cheapest factor}- wood of the North and West, — white pine. CYPRESS. 43 When these facts (which are fully established to the trade of the few States that have had it in use for many years) are as well known and established to the satisfaction of the country at large, it will not then be necessary to sing its praises. And from the signs of the times we read that the tide has turned and that the near future will see a condition of prosperity such as the most sanguine prophet of the future of cypress little dreamed. The indications, to SCHOOLHOUSE. NEWTON HIGHLANDS, HARTWELL, RICHARDSON & DRIVER, ARCHITECTS. those who are watching its movements with an anxious eye, are very encourag- ing at the present time, as we have evidence that the demand is increasing from day to day for the manufactured goods, as they are now offered to the trade by those factories that have foreseen the possibilities and prepared for the cheapest and most improved mode of making the goods from cypress in its most beautiful forms and in the most durable manner. The cypress trade is steadily increasing through the legitimate agencies employed for this pro- motion, to such an extent that those who are engaged in the manufacture of the other cheap woods are becoming alarmed at its encroachment upon their 44 CYPRESS. territory, and are casting about for the opportunity of manufacturing the cypress goods themselves. This is the very best evidence that the public are learning to appreciate its merits and demand its use in their work. The increased orders that are coming from new territory, the many and varied inquiries that are received in regard to the wood and its possibilities are cer- tain evidence that in the near future the cypress trade will have all the busi- ness they can care for. The States bordering on the cypress territory are now RESIDENCE AT SPRINGFIELD, S. E. WALTON, ARCHITECT. the objective point or the battle-ground between the cypress and white pine trade. The feeling in regard to the two is in the balances (cypress a little the heavier), and at the same price for the goods the cypress man generally books the order; so that the trade is gradually but surely growing, and a continua- tion of the manufacture of the goods in the first-class manner adopted b} some of the factories will not only hold the trade already secured, but contin- ually add to it. CYPRESS. 45 The Tradesman of Nov. 15, 1891, prints the following article, prepared by Mr. Richard Hines, which contains much of interest regarding cypress : — “ Owing to its beautiful finish, its durability, and lightness, cypress timber has long been in favor in the Gulf coast States of the South, is fast growing in favor in the more Northern States, especially among those who have tested and know its many good qualities, and is beginning to supply the place of white pine to Northern builders. Cypress is specially adapted to building ST. MARY'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH, DORCHESTER, HENRY VAUGHN, ARCHITECT. tanks, tubs, and vats, and when used for such purposes it will never decay. It also makes better sash, doors, blinds, and frames than white pine. A great many railroads use it for water tanks, and it is also used for ties and bridge timbers. It is used all over the lower South for shingles, and in ever}' instance where a fine finishing lumber is desired. It stands the weather better than white pine, does not warp or twist, and does not shrink or swell after being once thoroughly seasoned. Exposed to the weather, it will last twice as long as white pine, and makes better shingles, tank stuff, fence posts, etc. “Very few Northern people understand the nature of cypress. It is easiest described as a water cedar, growing in swamps. It has the durable qualities 4 6 CYPRESS. of red cedar, combined with lightness and softness of white pine, but it has a great advantage over white pine in that its lasting quality is three times as great. No lumber in the world equals it for siding or weather boards, exposed floors or shingles. Siding can be used and not painted, and it will last fifty years. If painted, the paint will not crack or peel off, nor will the sap of the RESIDENCE, NEWTON HIGHLANDS, GEO. R. CLARKE, ARCHITECT. wood show through the paint, as in the case of yellow pine. The durability of the cypress shingle is illustrated by the examples of roofs here and in New Orleans, in good order, laid sixty years ago. “ Probably the largest body of cypress is in the Teche country of Louisiana, and lies west of the Mississippi River, from the Lafourche on the south to Red River on the north, extending west to the Gulf coast. About the only other localities having cypress timber are Mobile, Vicksburg, Natchez, certain places on streams tributary to the Mississippi, Amite, La., Lake Charles, La., CYPRESS. 47 Orange and Beaumont, Texas, and small tracts in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. In the latter State the wood grows along the St. Johns River, and, in fact, anywhere along the streams and in the swamps. The quality is said to be very fine. Tributary to Mobile there is a plentiful supply of cypress in the glades along the river sides as far north as Tuscaloosa. Cypress timber grows very tall, straight, and thick, in isolated patches or groups called ‘brakes,’ in the shallow swamps, lakes, and bayous, usually in from one to five feet of water, and, under favorable conditions, attains an TWO RESIDENCES AT DORCHESTER, A. WARREN GOULD, ARCHITECT. enormous size. The trunk is straight and without limbs often to a height of 75 ft. or more, and large trees measure 120 ft. in height, and 25 ft. and over in circumference about the conical base, which at the ground is often three or four times the diameter of the trunk. Authorities disagree as to the varieties, some claiming that there are three kinds. — red, white or yellow, and black, — while others claim that they take their names from the color of their heart wood, which varies according to soil and conditions. The white or yellow variety grows largely in Arkansas, while the red and black varieties are found in Louisiana and other Gulf States. “ The method of getting cypress out is as follows : The swampers, who are 48 CYPRESS. a hardy set, generally go in the swamps in August to ‘ deaden ’ and * trail.’ The former term signifies the undercutting, or cutting the tree half down, and then ‘girdling’ it. The latter is to cut the ‘ knees ’ or cypress spurs and undergrowth close to the ground, making a trail or road for each tree out into the main roads. All this is done in the fall. When the water rises in the spring the trees are cut down, sawn off, and floated out to the bayous or lakes, where they are rafted ready for the towboat or to be floated to the mills by raftsmen. Ten trees usually make a ‘crib.’ They are fastened together with ‘binders’ laid across them, holes are bored through them into logs, and a 2 in. pin, 14 ins. long, driven in. On the rivers tributary to Mobile it requires a very high stage of water to reach the best cypress, and nearly all the cypress that reaches this market is rafted down the rivers. When the rafts of cypress have been gotten out of the creeks and bayous into the main streams they are secured to await a fall in the rivers, as the rafting to market cannot be safely done at a very high stage of water, the current then being so strong as to endanger the breaking up and consequent loss of the logs. “ ‘ Brakes ’ of white cypress are to be found in Arkansas, containing from 25 to 100,000.000 ft., but this variety of cypress is said to be limited, and there are probably not more than 2,000,000,000 or 2,500,000,000 ft. in that State. The timber will average about 6,000 ft. to the acre. “ One peculiarity about cypress is the uncertainty of the supply. The history of cypress freshets have been examined into, and it has been ascertained that they come about every ten years. There is high water every year, and some cypress is gotten out annually, but the floods, which go back all over the swamp lands, and stay there long enough to permit of a fine cut of timber, do not come oftener than once a decade. - ’ The Cypress Tree. S OM K years ago there appeared the following article in the American Lumberman, by Prof. Charles Gayarre, which is correct in essen- tial particulars, and which will serve to give those who choose to read a fair idea of the nature of the cypress tree and the conditions under which it flourishes. RESIDENCE AT BROOKLINE, A. G. BREWER, ARCHITECT. “ The cypress is a deciduous tree, indigenous of Louisiana and the States bordering the Gulf of Mexico. Webster says in his dictionary : ■ It is the popular name of a genus of plants or trees. The most remarkable are the sempervirens, or common cypress, the evergreen, American cypress, or while 49 5 ° THE CYPRESS TREE. cedar , and the distchia, or deciduous American cypress. The wood of these trees is remarkable for its durability. The coffins in which the Athenian heroes and the mummies of Egypt were deposited are said to have been CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH AT NEWTONVILLE, HARTWELL & RICHARDSON, ARCHITECTS. made of the first species.’ The lexicographer might have added that Solomon preferred that wood for the building of the famous temple which he erected to God in Jerusalem. “ The growth of the cypress extends a considerable distance up the valleys of our Southern rivers. It is quite a large tree, averaging from 3 to 5 ft. THE CYPRESS TREE. 5 1 in diameter, and some trees are exceptionally large, — having a diameter of 6, 7, and S ft. I measured one whose circumference was 27 ft. The cypress grows in the bottom lands, sometimes in standing water, and also on lands that are not Hooded. There are two notable varieties, — the white or yellow, growing in water and in the lowest places, and the red. REAR OF RESIDENCE AT DORCHESTER, G. WARREN HAYWARD, ARCHITECT. growing in the higher lands. The wood of this tree is of a red color, some- what harder than the white, and does not float readily on account of its weight. The cypress grows well only in rich soils, and the high lands where it is found are the very best lands in this State. This timber is most excel- lent for fine work, such as furniture, counters, shelving, and wainscoting. It is susceptible of receiving a high polish, which brings out its beautiful veins and designs. As this wood does not split easily across the grain, it is well adapted to carving. Exposed to the weather, it is almost everlasting. Shingles of THE CYPRESS TREE. 5 2 well-selected timber will last fifty years. Picket fences sunk in the ground will last more than twenty-five years, if all the sap is removed. “ Cypress is much stronger than white pine, and in our market is worth more than twice as much ; it has more elasticity : it is nailed without splitting ; it does not warp at all ; it does not readily absorb moisture. When sawed up into planks and piled up exposed to the weather, it does not warp and crack. It is exclu- sively used in Louisiana for hogsheads, barrels, tanks, or cisterns, etc. RESIDENCE AT FALL RIVER, WM. R. WALKER &. SON, ARCHITECTS. “ It has been worked into very good sounding boards for violins. And the roots of the tree are said to be excellent for veneering, for making corks and razor straps. “ There is a particular season for felling the trees in order to obtain lumber of a good quality. It is late in the fall or in the beginning of the winter, when the sap is solidified. If cut earlier and suffered to lie on the ground some time, the sap is attacked by a very small worm ; but if seasoned after THE CYPRESS TREE. 53 being sawed, both the heart and sap of the tree can be used profitably. The sap. however, may rot quickly if externally exposed to the heat and moisture of the atmosphere. “ A third variety of cypress is of smaller size, harder and close grained — suitable for exquisite fancywork. •• The trees growing on the high lands make the most lasting timber. It contains a small quantity of gum, resembling much that of pine, and making it almost imperishable. The trees grow very large at the bottom, and are often hollow to the height of four or five feet, but above that they are solid. The trunks of the large trees are fifty feet or more up to seventy-five feet in height, without branches, and usually perfectly straight. In places where the trees are comparatively slender in size they grow close together and attain a greater height. Spots could be selected where the standing trees would be sufficient, when felled, to build a two-story house on the area on which they stood. •• This timber is universally used for making picket fences. The logs being cut in ten-foot sections, the pickets are split by skimming and going round the log, in thickness of two inches or more. It is almost impossible to split the log centrally like oak or other timber. For clapboards or shingles it splits perfectly straight and as thin as can be desired. “ Pirogues, or hunting boats, are made from the large cypresses by scooping them. These boats form but one solid piece and are as strong as they are light. “ The French and Spanish authorities never failed, during a hundred years of colonial rule, to recommend to their respective governments the cypress timber as one of the most valuable that could be found. My surprise, there- fore. was very great when I lately ascertained that this wood in the Northern and Western lumber markets was almost entirely unknown to architects and lumbermen, who, for purposes of construction, attach so much importance to white pine, which is so vastly inferior to white or red cypress. I could show the architects and lumbermen houses in New Orleans that were built of cypress in toto more than one hundred years ago, and the materials are as sound as on the first day on which they were used — down to the very founda- tions.” SUMMER RESIDENCE AT AN NAWOMSCUTT, GEN. WM. R. WALKER. ► SLOOP YACHT, BUILT OF CYPRESS, STEM TO STERN. 54 CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH AT WINTER HILL, HARTWELL, 'RICHARDSON & DRIVER, ARCHITECTS. 55 RESIDENCE, THOMAS L. BARLOW, ARCHITECT. RESIDENCE AT WABAN, H. LANGFORD WARREN, ARCHITECT. 56 SCHOOLHOUSE AT EVERETT, J. C. SPOFFORD, ARCHITECT. 57 A STREET OF CYPRESS HOUSES AT SOMERVILLE. 58 RESIDENCE AT BROOKLINE, A. G. BREWER, ARCHITECT. APARTMENT HOUSES. 59 HOSPITAL AT WEST ROXBURY, LITTLEFIELD BUILDING CO., BUILDERS. RESIDENCE AT DORCHESTER. 6o A STREET OF CYPRESS HOUSES AT DORCHESTER. 61 A METHOD OF APPLYING CYPRESS GUTTERS. 62 ■acta A METHOD OF APPLYING CYPRESS GUTTERS. AVERY LIBRARY COLUMBIA UNIVKJify The Barta Press, Boston. *