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Show Word 'Excelsior' Adopted From Latin 'Excelsus' How the term, "excelsior" came lo be applied to long, fine wood shavings used as a packing material mate-rial (or eggs and other breakable objects is not known for certain. It is a purely American term and apparently originated as a trade name. Undoubtedly it is the same word as the comparative degree of the Latin "excelsus." which means elevated. Thus "Excelsior," the title of a well known poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, means still higher, more lofty or ever upward. New York state adopted the word as its motto. Aspen, Cottonwood, basswood, willow, red gum, spruce and certain pines are the favorite woods used in the manufacture of excelsior, or wood woo as it is also called. The logs are first cut into blocks abou'. 18 inches in length and the fibers are separated from the blocks by knife points. A cord of wood produces about 2,000 pounds of excelsior. |