HARDWOOD RECORD 



41 



tion. but Anally came to the end of his re- 

 sources. A short lime ago he applied to the As- 

 sociated Charities of Milwaukee for admission 

 to the county poor house, an institution to 

 which he gave liberally in his wealthy days. 

 When his destitution became known relatives 

 aud former business associates came to his 

 rescue and cared for him until his death. 



The Robert Brand & Sons Company of Osh- 

 kosh has purchased the plant of the Oshkosh 

 l-"urniture Compnn.v. The plant consists of three 



large buildings, with a total floor space of 

 70.000 square feet. The company proposes to 

 make a number of improvements and additions, 

 inoluding the building of a drykiln 50x20 feet. 

 An automatic sprinkling system will be installed 

 as a protection against loss by fire. The Brand 

 company was burned out last February and 

 since that time has been filliug orders from 

 stock manufactured in leased quarters. The 

 firm has been in business since 186G, and manu- 

 lactures bank, office and saloon fixtures. 



Hardwood Market 



(By HARDWOOD BECOBD Exclusive Market Beporters.) 



CHIC AGO 



There have been some very satisfactory sales 

 made locally during the last fortnight. This 

 business seems to cover nearly all lines. Furni- 

 ture manufacturers have been buyers in com 

 paratively small lots, but the aggregate of their 

 purchases has been large. There is some little 

 trade in car stock, some wagon trade, and a 

 specially large number of orders placed by box 

 and crate manufacturers. Local jobbers and 

 manufacturers feel very good over the situation 

 and anticipate a largely increased demand with 

 the advancing season. 



BOSTOS 



'Ihe market for hardwood lumber is gradual- 

 ly improving. Dealers have been anxiously 

 awaiting reports from the furniture sales both 

 in the East aud West. The New York exhibit 

 closed August i and the hardwood buyers have 

 nearly all ret.^HMl i- n,. ,r factories. Reports 

 received in l;- : r ;: '. nd Rapids are very 

 favorable. \\.i. ^ k for a larger busi- 



ness values ar>: 41 ->Miii; i.ini.i-, but buyers today 

 can still obtain stock at low prices. Manufac- 

 turers of interior house finish are only mod- 

 erately busy, as a whole. 



The piano trade is beginning to improve but 

 manufacturing plants are not yet running full. 

 Reports from the various salesrooms indicate 

 they are selling more pianos than lor several 

 months. 



The call lor veneers is showing a slight im- 

 provement. Good figures in mahogany have been 

 in very lair request. The veneer mills are run- 

 ning from lour to five days a week, a few being 

 reported on full time. White holly has been 

 selling for export. 



Quartered oak is firm although only the best 

 will bring top prices. Demand at present is 

 not active, but as offerings are not large an ad- 

 vance is predicted. Plain oak is in free offer- 

 ing with prices easy. Hickory is in moderate 

 request with offerings light. Ash is well held. 

 The better grades of whitewood are firm, but 

 low grades are offered at concessions. North 

 Carolina pine and cypress are not active, but 

 manufacturers are trying to work prices up to a 

 biih.M- level. 



dullness, but there is a better as- 

 pect and tone to things, and, while there may 

 not be a normal fall trade, it is believed that 

 there will be sufficient to not only pretty well 

 absorb the offerings of high-grade lumber, but 

 create a general advance in values therefor. 

 This is particularly true in ash, high-grade 

 poplar, quartered oak, basswood, etc. 



The belief in much improved conditions in 

 the fall is based not only on the general outlook, 

 but also on the fact that stocks are low, and 

 ever.vbody is going to want lumber just as soon 

 as the general improvement begins to strike 

 home, and indications point that that date is not 



PHILADELPHIA 



long compare favorably with that prior to the 

 depression. 



Everything points to a heavy freight move- 

 ment next fall, when the crops are to he dis- 

 tributed, and the railroads will have need lor 

 all of their rolling stock. Much of this is at 

 present out of repair, and, while some of the 

 lines have lately felt impelled to curtail expense*! 

 by the reduction of lorces, the men dropped will 

 have to be re-employed, and the acquisition ol 

 much material, with lumber as a large propor- 

 tion, will be necessary. Stocks ol hardwoods at 

 (he mills are very small, and any appreciable 

 increase in the demand will create something ol 

 a scarcity. 



No Important concessions in prices are being 

 made. Such a course would not accelerate the 

 movement and would mean merely the sacrificing 

 of profits on the part of the holders ol stocks. 

 Values have steadied somewhat of late and the 

 inquiries are more numerous, although the actual 

 demand is much the same. The export situation 

 is practically unchanged, stocks abroad being 

 large, the accumulations keeping prices at a 

 low level. Notwithstanding this fact, som' of 

 the exporters have received quite a number of 

 inquiries of late, the purpose of the authors 

 of these letters evidently being to continue the 

 present congestion and check any upward move- 

 ment which might otherwise develop. All such 

 letters, however, fail of their intent for the 

 reason that the quotations in the domestic mar- 

 ket are too high to permit ol lorwardings on the 

 terms offered. 



.\ gradual but sure reaction ol late has been 

 noted in the hardwood trade. Stocks have been 

 allowed to dwindle so that buying, in many 

 cases, has become compulsory, and a stiffening 

 in quotations in some of the woods testifies to 

 the fact that orders are beginning to come 

 in. It is noticeable that many who have held 

 strong pessimistic views are now feeling more 

 encouraged over future prospects. It is believed, 

 however, that conservatism will still be the rule 

 in buying, and a normal state of affairs is 

 confidently looked for by the first of the year. 



The furniture manufacturers of eastern Penn- 

 sylvania have received a new impetus, as during 

 the recent exposition here buyers, who in the 

 past have thought it necessary to go to New 

 Vork, Chicago, Grand Rapids and other furni- 

 ture markets for their •.;... ..Is. plac.l orders here, 



estimated at a total \.i si. -,...000. The 



buying was conservati\' :,n.l M..i.' was the tak- 

 ing of considerable ra. 111.^:111. hi. l.m the reports 

 from different sections of the country state that 

 the consumer is once more purchasing articles 

 which have been tabooed as too expensive lux- 

 uries since the recent panic. Trolley car build- 

 ing is holding fairly active right along. Pack- 

 ing-box and cigar-box factories have been run- 

 ning about even and are looking hopefully for 

 an early revival of trading. Veneer men re- 

 port things holding fairly steady. Taking the 

 situation as a whole there has been considerably 

 more hardwood lumber moving during the last 



fortnight than im - lime. Though values 



are not str.MiL. Im iiin_ ^. 1 . i:.lly. there is a tend- 

 cncv to still. II 111 -'■■"■■ " ".Is. as basswood, the 

 better grades ..1 iiupUu ;.ii.l quarter-sawed oak. 

 and a climb up the ladder is confidently looked 

 for all along the line, in the near future. 



While the hardwood iiiiukei at .N.-w lorK 

 has not shown the same degree of either dull- 

 ness or price deflection since the panic as some 

 other classes ol lumber, the volume of trade 

 has, nevertheless, shown sympathetically marked 

 reduction. Of late, it Is gratifying to note 

 that, while the volume of trade could be con- 

 siderably larger, there is undoubtedly a general 

 improvement all along the line, however slight 

 it may appear to some, and, based on conditions, 

 is such that a marked improvement is expected 

 with the approach of early fall. Of cour.sc, at 

 Iho present time we are in the midst of the 



BALTIMORE 



PITTSBURG 



A steady though slow gaiu in business is 

 noted in hardwood circles in this city. If one- 

 fourth the inquiries received would develop into 

 business nobody would have any cause to com- 

 plain. Pittsburg firms are doing much more 

 quoting now than at any time since last fall. 

 There seems to be a good number of responsible 

 concerns coming into the market which have re- 

 frained from buying any lumber since hard times 

 began, but peculiar as it may seem, these con- 

 cerns arc extremely slow in closing up their 

 contracts. It is hard to account lor this policy 

 on the part ol shrewd business men, lor 11 indi- 

 cations account ior anything they point to 

 higher prices lor hardwood before next January. 



At present quotations are barely maintained 

 at list figures. Poplar is the one exception to 

 this rule and wholesale firms are able to get 

 slight premiums now and then on first-class 

 stock. The oak market is disappointing. Bill 



oifk especially is weak 



the stocks are larger 



The hardwood trade of this section continues 

 to show a tendency toward recovery, although 

 so far no very decided change has taken place. 

 The requirements of the trade show considerable 

 fluctuation, oil.' w.-.'k developing a relatively 

 Inr:?. 11. Mill. I .1 .1.1 1- Hull brings the total of 



(,.;,, I I Ill Hie most active period, 



„,i,l ,1 ,, , ,1 ii 1.1 be desired. The 



.T,.,|,,,ii 11. ml iiM. . I 1 , i- toward recovery, and 

 There is ev.ry 111. .sp.. I that business will before 



than the market demands. Timbers are moving 

 in better form but do not bring the prices they 

 should with the increase in big construction 

 work which :s going ahead. At present chest- 

 nut is sagging below list and there Is appar- 

 ently no life in the demand. The factory trade 

 seems to. lie quite improved, especially in Ohio 

 and the states of the Middle West. These take 

 off about all the hickory, ash and elm that is 

 available for current shipments. The market 

 f,,,' :i'i,i irni; liiiil. 1- of a high grade is slow as 



^',.i ^ , I : .1 buildin.gs have got to the 



p,,i„i , , . n.'ed lumber of this kind. 



•111,,,,. i. -,,. Ill, .1.11 ..r a gain in building opera- 

 tions bill it will not be manifest in the lumber 

 market lor six weeks or two m.u.tbs in this dis- 

 trict. The most encouragiug feature of the sit- 

 uation for wholesalers is the large number of 

 railroad and trolley operations which are going 

 ahead rnpidlv and the increase in the number 

 of industrial and mining plants which are re- 

 suming and which are buying more or less lum- 

 work. 



for repairs 



ood lumber luoves quietly, but there 

 expectation that it will be better this 

 I it has been at any time this year. A 



