40 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



land along the Frisco between Hoxie and Mem- 

 phis. The lands were originally granted to the 

 St. Louis & Memphis Railway Company and 

 are located in Desha, Drew and Chicot counties. 

 The parties to the suits are W. S. Bryan vs. 

 Bliss-Cook Oak Company, W. S. Bryan vs. 

 Edward S. Layman, M. G. Rider vs. Bliss-Cook 

 Oak Company, S. S. Moser vs. Edward S. Lay- 

 man, and W. S. Bryan vs. William Bagnell. 



Representatives o£ J. B. York and son Robert, 

 millionaire lumbermen of Pine Bluff, have pur- 

 chased the plant ot the Anne.sdale Lumber & 

 Manufacturing Company at Memphis, the consid- 

 eration being $33,800. The Yorks held a heavy 

 claim against the lumber concern. 



Fort Smith is making a strenuous effort to 

 close up the slock subscriptions necessary to 

 secure the Southwestern Chair Factory, a con- 

 cern incorporated last fall and which seemed 

 fairly established when the financial flurry struck 

 the town. It \\;is ii.m .■ssury t.. raise $75,000 

 in stock. aiMl i\j- ^tiiimoij.v liron-ht subscrip- 

 tions to a slaial^tilL ,\1 t sl(i. is yet to be 



raised. Thf plant iit.ip'i-pd is a v.iy extensive 

 one employing over a hundred men. 



The strike trouble at the Alley Heading Fac- 

 tory at Paragould has been smoothed over and 

 the white men are returning to work. The 

 trouble arose over a demand for higher wages 

 by the white crew, which the company met by 

 employing negroes. Serious trouble was prom- 

 ised, but everything seems now in a fair way 

 to a satisfactory adjustment. 



Col. E. W. Frost, one of the lumber kings of 

 southern Arkansas and northern Louisiana, has 

 sold his magniflcont home at Texarkana and will 

 hereafter reside in St. Louis. 



A. C. Morhstadt, one of the founders ot the 

 hub factory at Paragould, Is now manager for 

 the spoke factory at Marianna. 



J. E. Slack of Delight, who is associated 

 with the Grayson-McLeoU Lumber Company, re- 

 ports that his company owns 8,000 acres ad- 

 joining the recently developed diamond fields in 

 Pike county. It need hardly be added that this 

 part of their holdings has been taken off the 

 market so far as an offer to sell Is concerned. 



J. L. Starrett spent some time here this week 

 in the interest of the Nebraska Bridge & Supply 

 Compan.v. 



Col. J. W. Irwin, for many years manager 

 of the Capital Hotel in this city, the leading 

 hostelry of the state for a long time, has re- 

 cently turned his attention to the development 

 ot extensive hardwood Interests In the northern 

 part of the state. 



Ashland. 



Mr. Saulsberry. of the Wright-Salisbury Lum- 

 ber Company, who has been looking after their 

 timber on Uock Castle Creek, states that they 

 are receiving some of the finest poplar logs 

 that ever floated In the Ohio river. The recent 

 tides brought the logs out of Rock Castle. 



S. B. Reese of the S. B. Reese Lumber Com- 

 pany, Farmers, K.T., is making an extensive busi- 

 ness trip through the East and expects to be 

 away at least two months. 



Mr. Searcy, of the Whisler & Scarry I.timlicr 



Company, Ironton, Ohio, was a business caller 

 here en route to Farmers, Ky. Mr. Searcy has 

 lumber interests at Farmers and is also a mem- 

 ber of the American Boomage Company there. 



R. G. Page, secretary of the Licking River 

 Lumber Company, with general offices in this 

 cit.v, just returned from several days' visit to 

 the Company's large band sawmill and planing 

 mill at Farmers. Prior to last week the mill 

 had been closed about thirty days for the pur- 

 pose of making changes and improvements. The 

 concern has a mill capacity of about 45.0U0 feet 

 daily. N. Goodman, vice-president of the com- 

 pany, and manager at Farmers, reports a large 

 supply of fine poplar and oak logs on hand for 

 this season's run. 



J. H. Koester ot this city has accepted a 

 position with the Hardwood Lumber Company 

 and will buy for the concern. Mr. Koester 

 will spend most ot his time traveling through 

 West Virginia and Kentucky. The Hardwood 

 Lumber Company reports receiving some very 

 desirable orders at good prices. 



The log jam of 100,000 logs In the Guyan 

 river near Huntington, W. Va., will soon be 

 cleaned up and rafted. Most ot them belong to 

 Cincinnati firms. 



W. E. Berger of the W. H. Dawkins Lumber 

 Company is in St. Louis this week attending to 

 business for the company. Mr. Berger will visit 

 several other cities, calling on the lumber trade 

 before returning to this city. 



W. A. Cool ot W. A. Cool & Son, Cleveland, 

 Ohio, called on the lumber dealers here this 

 week, looking after the interests of his company. 

 Mr. Cool expects to make several cities in West 

 Virginia, Pennsylvania and Ohio before his re- 

 turn to Cleveland. He reports business Im- 

 proving and saj-s they are receiving some very 

 desirable orders in bill oak. 



I'robably one of the largest timber fleets in 

 the Ohio river this season was towed past here 

 one day this week by the steamer Enquirer, en 

 route to Louisville, K.v. It was the property 

 of the Norman I>umber Company ot that city. 

 This fleet consisted principally of fine poplar 

 from Big Sandy territory, which will make 

 exceptionally fine lumber. The Norman Lum- 

 ber Company Is fortunate in being the owner ot 

 such a flne lot ot poplar logs. 



William Eckman ot the R. G. Page Lumber 

 Company ot this city Is making a business trip 

 calling on *he lumber trade in several cities in 

 Wisconsin and in Chicago. Upon his return be 

 will visit South Bend, Ind., Richmond, Ind., and 

 .several Ohio cities. 



L. D. Cooper ot Plkeviile was a business vis- 

 itor in this city and Catlettsburg. Mr. Cooper is 

 one ot the largest stave dealers up Big Sandy. 



J. II. P. Smith, president ot the Hardwood 

 Lumber Company, has returned from his busi- 

 ness trip through Ohio and reports some very 

 good orders for poplar and oak. Although prices 

 are shady and customers are a little more spar- 

 ing ot their orders, Mr. Smith believes that a 

 general renewing ot trade is at hand. 



W. R. Vansant, who operates a sawmill at 

 Rush. Ky., was a business visitor In the city 



Hardwood Market. 



(By HABDWOOD BEOOBD Exclnsive Market Beporteri.) 



Chicago. 

 The Chicago hardwood market is practically 

 featureless. The aggregate ot trade is consid- 

 erable, but It is ot the hand-to-mouth variety. 

 Some jobbers are even trading among tiiemselves 

 to take care ot their wagon-load trade rather 

 than buy any large quantity of stock. On the 

 contrary, there are other large and well financed 

 Institutions which are buying mill stocks right 

 and left. On the whole, local trade shows a 

 slight Improvement, but nothing remarkable. 



The market for hardwood lumber Is not active 

 and very little Improvement can be reported over 

 conditions that have existed tor several months. 

 The consumers are passing through quiet times, 

 and In few Instances only have they taken ad- 

 vantage of the easier tune to values to replen- 

 ish their stocks. Buyers have considered it to 

 their advantage to restrict their purchases to 

 actual wants for some time. This means that 

 when business does start up the demand will 

 be brisk and quick delivery will be wanted. It 

 Is difficult to predict the future course ot values. 



as reports are very conflicting. Some buyers 

 feel the bottom has been reached, but do not 

 believe they will be higher right away. Others 

 are of the opinion that there will still be much 

 lower quotations named. Furniture manufactur- 

 ers are not very busy, according to salesmen 

 visiting this trade. The demand for stock from 

 manufacturers of interior house finish is quiet. 

 The market fcr quartered oak is still rather 

 dull. One inch, ones and twos, continues to be 

 quoted at ,$80 to $83. The best stock cannot 

 be had at less than $82. but at this figure the 

 demand cannot be termed active. Plain oak is 

 in quiet call and offerings are large. Prices 

 of one Inch, ones and twos, range from $49 to 

 $51. There is a fair call for ash. Offerings ot 

 the latter are yet large and prices are held with 

 a fair degree of firmness. Brown, one inch, is 

 quoted at $55 to $57. Maple is not very active 

 at present and prices are a little soft. Interest 

 in whltewood is limited. Buyers state they 

 are able to get along by placing small orders 

 only, and many say they look for lower prices. 

 North Carolina pine is in moderate call only. 

 Cypress continues in a very unsatisfactory con- 

 dition. Large mills are still cutting prices, 

 one against the other. While such conditions 

 exist dealers find it very hard work to interest 

 buyers. The latter do not feel like anticipat- 

 ing their wants in a quiet market, especially 

 while the mills are engaged in a price-cutting 

 conflict. Veneers ot all kinds are in rather 

 quiet demand. Mahogany veneers are not as 

 lirm as they were. 



New York. 



There has been some improvement noted in 

 the local hardwood situation during the past 

 fortnight, although consumption does not yet 

 compare with that ot a year ago. There is little 

 tendency to push matters or to crowd the market 

 and prices are holding up well, especially on the 

 better grades of stock. Some quotations have 

 been shown which rule $3 or $4 off on certain 

 items, but a study ot the character ot the ship- 

 per in these instances usually shows that these 

 prices are based not on strict grades but on a 

 belief that one thing can be sold and another 

 shipped. Ot course, this Is a tendency which is 

 apt to arise under conditions like the present, 

 but cutting prices and selling one thing and 

 shipping another can be done only once, and such 

 quotations do not reveal actual market condi- 

 tions. When It comes to the market conditions 

 governing well-manufactured and graded hard- 

 woods of the better grades prices are ruling ex- 

 ceptionally firm, notwithstanding rumors to the 

 contrary through manipulations above referred 

 to. 



Ash is strong In price, and the demand Is suf- 

 ficient to preclude any shading of prices. Plain 

 and quartered oak are firmer than they were a 

 month ago, and good, well-manufactured stock 

 Is bringing good prices where wanted. Chestnut 

 lias been ridiculously quoted on some sharp ma- 

 nipulation, but when It comes to the standard 

 grades prices are holding very firm. Birch is a 

 little sluggish and there is ample stock for all 

 wants. Maple and basswood are also a little 

 slow, but there Is some stock moving. The gen- 

 eral yard trade Is not buying freely as yet, hav- 

 ing carried over considerable stock from the win- 

 ter, but there is quite some Improvement noted 

 in actlrlty in the furniture and some other con- 

 suming lines, which is expected to Increase as th€ 

 season advances. But as a whole, while there 

 Is not a large trade looked for between spring 

 and summer. It Is believed that prices and gen- 

 eral market conditions will hold up well In view 

 of the volume ot supplies available for those sea- 

 sons. 



PhUadelphia. 



During the month ot March there was great 

 encouragement as to a resumption ot actlvit.v In 

 the hardwood business, but it is evident from 

 reports nj the trading during the last fortnight 

 that buying is done only with great caution. 



