Published In the Interest of HaLrdwood Lumber. Amerlca-n HsLrdwood Forests. Wood Verveer Industry. Ha.rdwood Flooring, 

 Ha^rdwood Interior Finish. Wood CKen\lca.Is. Sa^w Mill and WoodworklnS Ma.chlnery. 



Vol. XXVI. 



CHICAGO. AUGUST 10. 1908. 



No. 8 



Published on the 10th and 25th of each month by 



THE HARDWOOD COMPANY 



HENRY H. GIBSON, Editor. EDGAR H. DEFEBAUGH. M.».Ber. 



7th Floor, Ellsworth BIdg., 355 Dearborn St., Chicago, III.. U.S.A. 



Telephone Harrison 4960 



REPRESENTATIVES 



Ph.ladelphi. .... J.cob Hohiman, 916 RolkschiU Bmldinl 



Pi„,burl H. A. L.n.. 906 W.b..h Buildini 



Central Territory - F. M. Clutter. 355 Dearboro St.. Chicajo 



TERMS OF ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION 



In the United States, Canada. Philippine Island, and Mexico . . $2.00 



In all other countries in Universal Postal Union 3.00 



Subscriptions are payable in advance, and in default of written orders to the 

 contrary are continued at our option. 



Entered as second class matter "May 26. 1902. at the Postoftice at Chicago. 

 III., under act of March 3, 1879. 



' General Market Conditions. 



During the past fortnight intense heat has prevailed throughout 

 many parts of the United States. Such weather is invariably dis- 

 astrous to the transaction of business, but notwithstanding these 

 unfavorable weather conditions there has been a gradual accretion 

 of orders in all sections, which has been particularly noticeable in the 

 Middle West. The railroads report a distinctly increased movement 

 of lumber and even anticipate a decided car shortage within the next 

 month. The ISTew York Central Eailroad and several other impor- 

 tant lines have issued orders calling in all their cars from other 

 roads, and it is certainly the belief of the average railroad man- 

 agement that they are going to find use for all the equipment 

 they have within a very short time. Money conditions are still 

 very easy and anyone who has a license to borrow from banks 

 can be accommodated to a very liberal extent. 



Agreeable to anticipations the midsummer furniture sale season 

 closed in very good shape. The aggregate of orders was far in 

 excess of those covering the January period. Furniture orders placed 

 are very largely for cheap and medium grades of goods. The makers 

 of high-class lines have not had their full share of sales. Furniture 

 manufacturers are buying lumber quite freely, and as their require- 

 ments run quite largely into common oak it has cleaned up about all 

 the surplus of this grade there is in the country. The good end of 

 both red and white oak was already very well taken care of and 

 there is .no surplus in first hands. Undeniably there is some excess 

 of cull oak, as well as the low grades of other varieties of hardwoods, 

 but there has been a considerable renaissance in buying for boxes 

 -and crating purposes of late, and it will not be long before the coarse 

 end of hardwoods is cleaned up as closely as the good end. The call 

 for the good grades of poplar still remains active, and the lower 

 grades are selling fairly well. There is also a fair demand for all 

 varieties of northern hardwoods. 



The mahogany trade, though not active, is in very fair shape, and 

 there seems to be an increased use of this magnificent wood for fur- 



niture purposes. The export trade is far from satisfactory. It is 

 alleged that consignments still continue in spite of the loss they 

 entail. Foreign merchants and brokers are protesting against this 

 incessant delivery of lumber on the other side; that is not wanted, 

 but it seems impossible to stem the tide of the consignment evil. 



Veneer and panel manufacturers state that their business is still 

 rather inactive. Generally they are keeping their plants going on 

 hurry-up orders, but there is very little accumulation of advance 

 business. There is increased inquiry for dimension stock of all varie- 

 ties, but there seems to be less activity in wagon material than in 

 other lines. 



On the whole, the hardwood situation is improving and it is prac- 

 tically certain that the lowest stage of values has passed and that 

 both business and prices will improve with the advancing season. 



Buffalo's Strategic Position. 



Xotwithstanding the decadence of the handling of hardwood 

 lumber through wholesale and retail yards in many manufacturing 

 centers, there is one community of hardwood lumbermen that occu- 

 pies such a strategic position that their business will probably 

 be perpetuated for an indefinite period. This locality is Buffalo. 

 Generally speaking this city is remote from all general sources of 

 hardwood supply, and it is at the very threshold of one of the 

 largest wholesale consuming hardwood sections in the United 

 States. Dealers there draw their trade from Ontario, New York, 

 Pennsylvania and all New England. This is the section of the 

 country where things are made out of wood and the totality of 

 demand is immense. Buffalo's prestige in the hardwood field is 

 based not alone on its geographical position, but from the fact that 

 the numerous hardwood houses in that city have been long estab- 

 lished and have built up a very desirable and extensive clientage 

 throughout all the section named. They have also established a 

 reputation for fair dealing and for fair grades that is enviable. 

 Perhaps the greatest factor, however, that contributes to the large 

 volume of Buffalo hardwood business, is the ability of the dealers 

 there to make quick shipment from their large and well-assorted 

 stocks. A manufacturer in central New York can telephone his 

 Buffalo hardwood dealer that he wants a rush shipment of a car of 

 lumber, and can have it delivered on his sidetrack within twenty- 

 four hours. 



Another point of advantage possessed by Buffalo in its geograph- 

 ical position is its ability to secure low freights on all varieties of 

 northern hardwoods via the Great Lakes. Again its railroad facili- 

 ties from and to all other sections of the country are superb, and 

 local dealers are able to group stocks of lumber to the best possible 

 advantage. There is no gainsaying the fact that Buffalo will be 

 engaged in the merchandising of hardwood lumber for many years 



The Selection of Woodworking Machinery. 



Long before woodworkers awoke to the value of high-class tools the 

 metal working industry learned the lesson that their real value is deter- 

 mined by what they will do, not by original cost. Latterly succe«§fHl 

 leaders in the woodworking industry have learned that it pays 

 to buy high-class, well and accurately made and thoroughly up-to- 

 date woodworking tools. But it is somewhat difficult to educate 

 small woodworkers to see the final profit in the paying of $2,000 



