HARDWOOD RECORD 



43 



San Francisco. 



Since the dullness of last fall, caused by the 

 financial crisis all over the United States, San 

 Francisco business has been slowly but steadily 

 improving. Business is today very good, al- 

 though of course it is not as active as it was a 

 year ago, when abnormal conditions existed 

 on account of the enormous activity in rebuild- 

 ing the city. 



The heaviest demand is for oals (principally 

 quarter-sawed). Most of the large office and 

 store buildings here call for this wood. Some 

 are being ordered in jenisero and a few hotels 

 have been completely finished in interior trim 

 with red birch. In all this kind of worlc ve- 

 neers are naturally cut with large figure, and it 

 has been the tendency of architects to reducv 

 as much as possible the width and thiclcness 

 of trim, finding it convenient, satisfactory and 

 quite attractive to use a great deal of finish 

 about one-half inch thiclj. 



Mahogany is another wood which has had a 

 great deal of attention : in fact, more so than 

 before the fire of April, 1906. Some of our 

 most handsome buildings are finished in this 

 wood, and, although the eastern lumber is used 

 principally, the west coast mahogany Is being 

 more extensively used every day, as It seems 

 to show figure almost without exception. 



The interior trade, which is supplied from 

 San Francisco, has also been fairly active and 

 all the dealers are receiving their share of 

 the business from the interior towns, which 

 have generally been supplied from local yards. 

 There seems to be considerable inquiry among 

 some of our manufacturers for cigar box lum- 

 ber or Spanish cedar, and also for the imita- 

 tion which is made from Pacific coast woods. 



Minneapolis. 



There Is a good demand reported from some 

 of the factories, but trade Is siill running to 

 small orders, and the tendency of consumers of 

 hardwood is to buy only for present needs. 

 These are somewhat less than usual owing to 

 the fact that considerable worii is late this 

 season. Contractors did not put in foundations 

 last fall to such an extent as usual, owing to 

 the financial condition and the fear for the fu- 

 ture. Accordingly there are few buildings com- 

 ing along this early to the point where they 

 call for finish. Some local concerns have large 

 contracts closed, but will not need to fill them 

 before fall, and being confident that the hard- 

 wood market will not get any stronger after 

 the new spring cut Is In shipping condition, they 

 will not buy till along In the summer to cover 

 these jobs. There is no contracting or buying 

 ahead reported. 



Oak Is holding up fairly well, northern stocks 

 being about exhausted and southern offerings not 

 heavy. Plain oak is selling here at $4j and 

 $46. There is no strength yet in birch, though 

 It Is selling about as well as any wood on the 

 list. It is quotable here at $18 for common and 

 J28 for first and second clear. There Is a fair 

 call for upper grades of basswood, but culls are 

 about out of the market, and little call for them 

 also. Country demand Is quiet, running mostly 

 to wagon stock. Flooring is rather slow also. 

 The outlook for building is not as heavy as last 

 year, but Is nevertheless good. It should bring 

 a better hardwood situation by next fall, but 

 northern hardwood Is not going to be a drug 

 on this market if reports as to curtailed con- 

 sumption are all true. 



LitUe Bock. 



The lumber market continues sluggish. As 

 one well-known buyer here expressed It, "there 

 is simply nothing doing." This buyer reports 

 that he has recently made an extensive round 

 of the manufacturing centers and finds every- 

 thing exceedingly dull. This dullness, of course, 

 reacts on the market for raw material. A car 

 of lumber which at this date last 5'ear would 

 have brought $400 was bought for $240. 



Still there is the regular round of work among 



many of the mills, and it Is Interesting to note 

 that the hardwood mills are not as much affected 

 as the others. 



Ashland. 



Market conditions are gradually improving, 

 which is very encouraging to lumber manufac- 

 turers and dealers in this section, and C'ey are 

 confident this is a sure indication that business 

 is reinstating Itself in such a manner that is 

 sure to demand more lumber. 



There is no trouble in disposing of quartered 

 rak and poplar at good prices. The demand 

 f<ir plain oak continues to increase. Building 

 operations are picking up somewhat, causing a 

 demand for the output of the planing mills and 

 retail yards in hemlock, pine, poplar, oak, etc.. 

 which promises to increase during the next few 

 months. 



Dependence 



Jobbers seeking absolutely dependable 

 columns are sure of satisfaction in our 

 Solid Bored Colonial Columns. They 

 will please your trade and can be sold 

 to them with the guarantee they will 

 not check, crack or warp. 



London. 



The market for lumber here seems to get worse 

 instead of better ; the manufacturing trades are 

 very slack indeed and this has had Its effect on 

 prices, especially as consignments have been 

 heavy, and most of these consignment parcels 

 are going into store, as agents find that buyers 

 have heavy stocks and will not make an offer 

 of any sort. There are of course a few orders 

 being given to shippers, but these are only on 

 special lines. 



There Is very little demand for whltewood. 

 and agents have had to drop their prices to sell 

 even prime stocks that might be held here or 

 only recently arrived. 



Oak boards, one inch and under, have arrived 

 in large quantities, being mostly No. 1 or No. 2 

 common grade ; these are difiicnit of sale and 

 are being stored. 



There Is a little better demand for walnut, 

 especially prime grades and good, medium boards 

 and planks. Satin walnut should on no account 

 be shipped. Stocks are large and prices are low. 



John N. Penrod of the American Walnut Com- 

 pany, Kansas City, has returned after a trip on 

 the continent. lie reports that he finds busi- 

 ness as bad generally as It is here. 



I. U. Williams and Mr. Raschenburg of the 

 Ferd Brenner Lumber Company, Norfolk, Va.. 

 visited some of the principal buyers of lumber 

 here recently. 



LiverpooL 



The mahogany sales this coming week are ex- 

 pected to bring slightly higher prices owing 

 mainly to a slackening of the import from the 

 West Coast. The wood offered is of a prime 

 description and contains a fair proportion of 

 panel and board logs. Complaints are still being 

 heard In numerous directions about the state 

 of trade, though the general opinion prevails 

 that business Is going to be better. The volume 

 of trade has certainly been better in March than 

 it was in February, but that, of course, is only 

 what can be expected in the ordinary course of 

 events. The prevailing opinion is that prices will 

 have to be lower before we see much Improve- 

 ment in demand. Already in many directions 

 there arc signs of a falling market and if ship- 

 pers want to realize anything approaching pres- 

 ent values they should ship at once. 



nickory Is still In active demand and good 

 prices are being obtained for prime parcels. In- 

 ferior wood of course never is wanted and when 

 poor prices have been paid recently for wood 

 at this port shippers may rest assured that there 

 was something wrong with the quality. High 

 prices have been obtained without any difficulty 

 for good wood and It is a known fact that many 

 buyers at this port have not anything approach- 

 ing the quantity they will need to cover their 

 requirements. Large ash logs are in quiet de- 

 mand and shipments in moderation would receive 

 support. Small second growth wood is still very 

 flat. Oak and poplar are much as when last 

 reported, with a weaker tendency, while birch 

 Is firmer and fresh wood will be soon picked up. 

 It should be said that buyers are rather nervous 

 of handling this wood, fearing that the import 

 is going to be heavy. 



Dealers in Columns 

 are satisfied only when 

 theyget a Column that 

 will meet all require- 

 ments and one that 

 takes readily with the 

 trade. Such an article 

 is our Sohd Bored Co- 

 lonial Cohimn. This 

 Column is equally 

 serviceable in all cli- 

 mates and weather, 

 Xorth, South, East 

 and West ; sleet, snow, 

 rain, sun, heat, cold 

 and dampness. There 

 are no joints to open 

 lip in either the shaft 

 or trimmings. 



These statements 

 are facts which are 

 proven when we sell 

 our Solid Bored Colo- 

 nial Columns with 

 the absolute guaran- 

 tee against cracking, 

 checking and warp- 

 ing. 



We are manufacturers of Solid Bored 



Colonial Columns exclusively. 



® 



COLUMNS RIGHT 



PRICES RIGHT 



SHIPMENTS RIGHT 



@ 



INQUIRIES FROM THE TR.\DE 



SOLICITED 



MEMPHIS 



COMPANY 



MEMPHIS. TENN. 

 (TRADE M.tRK REGISTERIJD) 



PLUM ST. & I. C. R. R. 



