President of the South Texas Lumber Company, and the West Lumber Company, of Houston, is known j in the business and financial circles of this city as one of the leading lumber men of the Southwest. The West Lumber Company was established in 1900 in Houston by Mr. West and his associates and in 1910 they bought the South Lexas Lumber Company. The West Lumber Company is a manufacturing company, incorporated for $3,000,000.00, engaged in the manufacture of lumber only. The South Texas Lumber Company are wholesale and retail dealers and have twenty-four lumber yards in Texas, with a capital stock of $1,400,000.00. Both companies employ more than fifteen hundred men. Other officers of the West Lumber Company are: C. B. Granbury, Vice-President; J. A. Piatt, VicePresident, and T. H. Monroe, Secretary and Treasurer. The West lumber interests cut about 400,000 feet of lumber per day.

A native of Mississippi, Mr. West was born in Waynesboro in 1871. His father, Silas W. West, was a native of Alabama, and was engaged in farming. His mother was Miss Mattie Clark, a member of a prominent Mississippi family. Mr. West's parents came to Texas in 1880. His education was obtained in the public schools of Texas.

Mr. West started his business career in the drug business at Groveton, Texas, more as a pastime than as a business venture. Later he entered the lumber business at Westville, where he remained for several years before coming to Houston in 1905. The town of Westville in Trinity County is named for Mr. West. In addition to the lumber companies, Mr. West has many other interests. In 1922 he purchased the Beatty Building, and in the near future will add four more stories to this building, making it among the pretentious office buildings of Houston. Mr. West has had plans drawn for a twentystory building, which he contemplates erecting on his corner at Main and Walker Street. He is President of the Fort Terrett Ranch Company, consisting of 120,000 acres of land and 10,000 head of cattle, situated in Culberson County. He is President of the South Texas Hardwood Manufacturing Company of Houston, President of the West Production Company, oil producers operating in the Gulf Coast fields. He is Director of the Second National Bank, a Director of the Joint Stock Land Bank of Houston, and a Director of the Reynolds West Lumber Company.

Mr. West was married in 1895 at Groveton to Miss Jessie Dudley, a native of Georgia. They have two children, J. H., Jr., and Weslie, both of whom are students at the Southwestern University at Georgetown. The West residence, one of the most beautiful in Houston, is located at 2106 Crawford Street. Mr. West is a 32nd degree Mason and a Shriner of Arabia Temple. In social roganizations Mr. West is a member of the Houston Club, Houston Country Club, Lumberman's Club, the Hoo-Hoos, and the Methodist Church. Mr. West is identified with and takes an active interest in all agencies working for the greater development and civic improvement of Houston. He has assisted in the organization of several large business concerns of South Texas, in which he is not now interested, among which is the Great Southern Life Insurance Company. He is a man who knows the secrets of big business from the viewpoint of experience and leadership. Mr. West is one of the big business men of Texas and in his realm as a lumber director, few men are his equal.