42 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



its former magnitude. Several of the local mills 

 have been shut down a part of the past two 

 weeks making repairs, as logs have become scarce 

 and they are getting things in readiness for the 

 time when logs become more plentiful. How- 

 ever, most of the mills are running on an eight- 

 hour schedule. 



St. Louis. 

 While the volume of business In hardwood 

 continues to increase it has not shown the steady 

 Increase that it should have done. Still it is 

 decidedly better than It was a couple of weeks 

 ago. Prices, however, have not advanced. They 

 continue just about the same that they have 

 been for some time. Most of the demand for 

 hardwood comes from the planing mills. The 

 furniture factories are not ordering as they have 

 as a rule quite a supply of stock on hand. Box 

 factories are not ordering as freely as last year. 

 Some calls for oak have been received from car 

 shops, as their stocks are running low. Poplar 

 Is in pretty good demand. Hickory is also In 

 considerable request. There Is quite an active 

 demand also for red and white quartered oak. 

 This item is scarce. Plain oak is quiet. In fact 

 is in least demand. Gum Is also quiet, except 

 for wagon box boards and box material. Ash 

 is also slow. 



Nashville. 



Poplar continues to be the leader in the local 

 market, and is being readily sold In all grades. 

 Quartered oak is also finding ready purchasers, 

 but plain oak is still dragging. Quite an 

 Improvement has been noted in ash within the 

 past few weeks. Plenty of inquiries continue 

 to reach this market, but the number of sales 

 does not approximate that of the aforesaid In- 

 quiries. Many of the inquiries are said to be 

 merely "feelers" from those wishing to pick up 

 cheap stock ; a further reason for a disparity 

 between the Inquiries and actual sales lies In 

 the fact that lumbermen are holding on to their 

 stuff and refusing to sacrifice It : In fact, they 

 are not selling it unless the price realized is 

 fairly remunerative. 



The outlook is regarded as encouraging, how- 

 ever, due to the rapid increase In building oper- 

 ations and to favorable crop reports. The busi- 

 ness of April thus far, as a matter of fact, 

 shows a decided Increase over a corresponding 

 period in March'. March was known to have 

 been a great improvement over February, and 

 it is believed and figured, therefore, that busi- 

 ness is rapidly assuming a normal condition 

 again. 



Memphis. 



Lumber Interests here generally report some 

 Improvement in demand for hardwood lumt>er, 

 but they all admit that the call is somewhat 

 Irregular and spasmodic and that buyers are 

 Indisposed to operate be.vond their more imme- 

 diate requirements. The number of Inquiries 

 is Increasing all the while, and this fact Is 

 taken as basis for the belief that there Is more 

 activity ahead. A number of prominent local 

 lumbermen during the past few days have ex- 

 pressed the view that with Improving business 

 conditions, as reflected In the steel and Iron 

 industry and other lines of activity, there is cer- 

 tain to he Increased demand for hardwood lum- 

 ber. They have likewise expressed the idea that 

 there may possibly be some further holding back 

 on the part of buyers uutll the nominating con- 

 ventions have been held. After that they de- 

 clare themselves to be of the opinion that 

 there will be a return to something approxi- 

 mating normal conditions as regards hardwood 

 lumber. Prices are about as erratic as the de- 

 mand. There is some shading In progress on 

 plain oak, cypress and ash, but the remainder 

 of the list appears to be in fairly stationary 

 position. Production Is being Increased, but, as 

 has been the case for some months, lumber Inter- 

 ests are doing their best to prevent an accumu- 

 lation of hardwood lumber through overproduc- 



tion, and they have been decidedly successful 

 thus far in this effort. Export demand is rather 

 slow. Occasional orders from that source for 

 special classes of stock are received, but the gen- 

 eral call from that quarter is most limited. 

 Some of the largest exporters here hold the view 

 that no radical Improvement in the export situa- 

 tion may he reasonably expected until the con- 

 signed stock now at foreign ports has been dis- 

 posed of. Quarter sawn oak is even scarcer 

 than heretofore, and those who own any of it 

 .nre able to name their own terms thereon. The 

 offerings locally are the smallest they have been 

 for years, and, owing to this scarcity, the de- 

 mand appears to be even larger than it really 

 is. Plain oak is In slightly better request, but 

 prices have suffered to some e-vtent. as already 

 indicated. Offerings are fairly liberal, but there 

 is no burdensome surplus. Ash Is moving fairly 

 well In all thicknesses of the higher grades, but 

 the lower grades are not much wanted and are 

 moving slowly. Prices on high grade ash have 

 suffered somewhat, but the loss in the better 

 grades has not been as large as In the lower. 

 There are plentiful offerings of cypress, and sales 

 are made at concessions from recent prices. 

 Gum In the lower grades Is better property than 

 in the higher, judging by the greater demand 

 for the former than for the latter. The box 

 factories and a number of miscellaneous sources 

 are taking considerable quantities of the lower 

 grades. Cottonwood continues slow In box- 

 l)oards and firsts and .seconds, both wide and 

 narrow. The offerings are rather liberal, too. 

 The lower grades, however, are offering In only 

 a moderate way, and most of the stock avall- 

 •able is finding ready purchasers. This Is and 

 has been for quite a while one of the best sellers 

 In this market, and prices have been remarkably 

 well maintained when the weakness In other 

 directions Is considered. Poplar Is moving In 

 only a moderate way, but so far as local dealers 

 are concerned prices are well raalnlalned. 



New Orleans. 

 Conditions have changed very little here dur- 

 ing the Inst fortnight. The export demand 

 continues light .and prices which shippers are 

 getting are far from being satisfactory. The 

 interior demand on hardwoods continues to hold 

 up fairly well, but conditions are still somewhat 

 discouraging. No marked change is looked for 

 for some time. 



Norfolk. 



The general tone of the market here Is about 

 as last detailed. If any change is noticeable 

 It Is a slight decrease. April exports, so far 

 during the month, have not been as large as 

 those of March, and exports are now forming 

 the greatest portion of the trade here. 



The weather throughout this section, as well 

 as in North Carolina, has been balmy the past 

 two weeks and favorable for both good logging 

 and easy milling. Most of the mills operating 

 are running on full time, and If orders are 

 scarce lumber Is being piled or kiln dried and 

 assorted in anticipation of business which la 

 bound to come. It Is believed, in the near futuro 

 Irecause of the resumption of spring building 

 operations and a general stimulation of buy- 

 ing. 



Charlotte. 



Despite the effects the panic has had on the 

 lumber business of this state, the fact that new 

 lumber concerns are organized and chartered 

 every few days points to an abiding confidence 

 among capitalists In the early resumption of 

 more favorable business conditions. During the 

 past two weeks business has shown considerable 

 Improvement. Inquiries are coming in more 

 freely and manufactories are turning out more 

 goods. With labor easily obtainable and with 

 the regular spring revival in business It Is the 

 opinion of lumbermen that soon a much better 

 business will be done. 



Charlotte Is enjoying a season of unprece- 



dented building activity, there being under con- 

 templation or In course of construction new 

 buildings to the value of $750,000. and as a re- 

 sult local manufacturers are busy filling orders 

 for building materials. Numerous plants that 

 had to close down several months ago are re- 

 suming operations now. 



However, although prices are better than for 

 some months and general conditions show signs 

 of improvement, it is hardly likely that normal 

 business conditions will he restored for some 

 weeks, and probably some months, to come. 



WHEN IN DETROIT 



THE TULLER. 



Adeems Ave, & PtvrU St. 

 Absolutely Fireproof 



room. Seri'ice unexcelled. Every room 

 has bath. 



Rate.s, tl.50 per day and upward. 



M. A. SHAW. Manajer. 



CORRESPONDENCE SOLICITED 



HARDWOOD LUMBER 



cnoss TiFj OR pii.isa 



Norval Osburn, Seaman, Ohio 



COUNTERFEIT CHECKS 



POPLAR 



Rough and Dressed 



SOUTHERN HARDWOODS 

 M. A. HAYWARD 



1021 Saving and Trust Bldg.. Columbus. O. 



