I,PencilMyFamilyTreeastoldtoLeonardE.ReadIamaleadpenciltheordinarywoodenpencilfamiliartoallboysandgirlsandadultswhocanreadandwrite.*Writingisbothmyvocationandmyavocation;thatsallIdo.YoumaywonderwhyIshouldwriteagenealogy.Well,tobeginwith,mystoryisinteresting.And,next,Iamamysterymoresothanatreeorasunsetorevenaflashoflightning.But,sadly,Iamtakenforgrantedbythosewhouseme,asifIwereamereincidentandwithoutbackground.Thissuperciliousattituderelegatesmetothelevelofthecommonplace.Thisisaspeciesofthegrievouserrorinwhichmankindcannottoolongpersistwithoutperil.For,thewiseG.K.Chestertonobserved,“Weareperishingforwantofwonder,notforwantofwonders.”I,Pencil,simplethoughIappeartobe,merityourwonderandawe,aclaimIshallattempttoprove.Infact,ifyoucanunderstandmeno,thatstoomuchtoaskofanyoneifyoucanbecomeawareofthemiraculousnesswhichIsymbolize,youcanhelpsavethefreedommankindissounhappilylosing.Ihaveaprofoundlessontoteach.AndIcanteachthislessonbetterthancananautomobileoranairplaneoramechanicaldishwasherbecausewell,becauseIamseeminglysosimple.Simple?Yet,notasinglepersononthefaceofthisearthknowshowtomakeme.Thissoundsfantastic,doesntit?Especiallywhenitisrealizedthatthereareaboutoneandone-halfbillionofmykindproducedintheU.S.A.eachyear.Pickmeupandlookmeover.Whatdoyousee?Notmuchmeetstheeyetheressomewood,lacquer,theprintedlabeling,graphitelead,abitofmetal,andaneraser.InnumerableAntecedentsJustasyoucannottraceyourfamilytreebackveryfar,soisitimpossibleformetonameandexplainallmyantecedents.ButIwouldliketosuggestenoughofthemtoimpressuponyoutherichnessandcomplexityofmybackground.Myfamilytreebeginswithwhatinfactisatree,acedarofstraightgrainthatgrowsinNorthernCaliforniaandOregon.Nowcontemplateallthesawsandtrucksandropeandthecountlessothergearusedinharvestingandcartingthecedarlogstotherailroadsiding.Thinkofallthepersonsandthenumberlessskillsthatwentintotheirfabrication:theminingofore,themakingofsteelanditsrefinementintosaws,axes,motors;thegrowingofhempandbringingitthroughallthestagestoheavyandstrongrope;theloggingcampswiththeirbedsandmesshalls,thecookeryandtheraisingofallthefoods.Why,untoldthousandsofpersonshadahandineverycupofcoffeetheloggersdrink!ThelogsareshippedtoamillinSanLeandro,California.Canyouimaginetheindividualswhomakeflatcarsandrailsandrailroadenginesandwhoconstructandinstallthecommunicationsystemsincidentalthereto?Theselegionsareamongmyantecedents.ConsiderthemillworkinSanLeandro.Thecedarlogsarecutintosmall,pencil-lengthslatslessthanone-fourthofaninchinthickness.Thesearekilndriedandthentintedforthesamereasonwomenputrougeontheirfaces.PeoplepreferthatIlookpretty,notapallidwhite.Theslatsarewaxedandkilndriedagain.Howmanyskillswentintothemakingofthetintandthekilns,intosupplyingtheheat,thelightandpower,thebelts,motors,andalltheotherthingsamillrequires?Sweepersinthemillamongmyancestors?Yes,andincludedarethemenwhopouredtheconcreteforthedamofaPacificGas&ElectricCompanyhydroplantwhichsuppliesthemillspower!Dontoverlooktheancestorspresentanddistantwhohaveahandintransportingsixtycarloadsofslatsacrossthenation.Onceinthepencilfactory$4,000,000inmachineryandbuilding,allcapitalaccumulatedbythriftyandsavingparentsofmineeachslatisgiveneightgroovesbyacomplexmachine,afterwhichanothermachinelaysleadsineveryotherslat,appliesglue,andplacesanotherslatatopaleadsandwich,sotospeak.SevenbrothersandIaremechanicallycarvedfromthis“wood-clinched”sandwich.My“lead”itselfitcontainsnoleadatalliscomplex.ThegraphiteisminedinCeylon.Considertheseminersandthosewhomaketheirmanytoolsandthemakersofthepapersacksinwhichthegraphiteisshippedandthosewhomakethestringthattiesthesacksandthosewhoputthemaboardshipsandthosewhomaketheships.Eventhelighthousekeepersalongthewayassistedinmybirthandtheharborpilots.ThegraphiteismixedwithclayfromMississippiinwhichammoniumhydroxideisusedintherefiningprocess.Thenwettingagentsareaddedsuchassulfonatedtallowanimalfatschemicallyreactedwithsulfuricacid.Afterpassingthroughnumerousmachines,themixturefinallyappearsasendlessextrusionsasfromasausagegrinder-cuttosize,dried,andbakedforseveralhoursat1,850degreesFahrenheit.ToincreasetheirstrengthandsmoothnesstheleadsarethentreatedwithahotmixturewhichincludescandelillawaxfromMexico,paraffinwax,andhydrogenatednaturalfats.Mycedarreceivessixcoatsoflacquer.Doyouknowalltheingredientsoflacquer?Whowouldthinkthatthegrowersofcastorbeansandtherefinersofcastoroilareapartofit?Theyare.Why,eventheprocessesbywhichthelacquerismadeabeautifulyellowinvolvetheskillsofmorepersonsthanonecanenumerate!Observethelabeling.Thatsafilmformedbyapplyingheattocarbonblackmixedwithresins.Howdoyoumakeresinsandwhat,pray,iscarbonblack?Mybitofmetaltheferruleisbrass.Thinkofallthepersonswhominezincandcopperandthosewhohavetheskillstomakeshinysheetbrassfromtheseproductsofnature.Thoseblackringsonmyferruleareblacknickel.Whatisblacknickelandhowisitapplied?Thecompletestoryofwhythecenterofmyferrulehasnoblacknickelonitwouldtakepagestoexplain.Thentheresmycrowningglory,inelegantlyreferredtointhetrad