HARDWOOD RECORD 



local dealer said recently that it otUer localities 

 were using as much lumber as this city, busi- 

 ness would be about up to normal, for the city 

 building, though not up to last year, is almost 

 all in wood. 



The box trade is slower than last year, which 

 affects trade in low-grade stutf, elm, chestnut, 

 poplar and basswood. iis there is a surplus 

 of low-grade hardwood in the yards the dullness 

 of the box trade is of especial account. 



The furniture factories are important factors 

 in keeping trade down, not so much by their 

 slack running as by their refusing to buy a 

 board, so long as they have a stick of any- 

 thing on hand that can be made to meet their 

 wantg. It is reported that they are now where 

 they must buy if they are to go any further 

 and as soon as they show any disposition to 

 stock up, the end of the slack season will be 

 very near. 



The various woods go on much as usual, with 

 quartered oak in the lead, in spite of the effort 

 to turn out enough of it to meet the demand 

 and lowering the price of plain oak to make 

 it go. It is said that plain oak has declined in 

 price more than any other lumber, and yet 

 quartered oak could be advanced, if a move 

 should be made in that direction. 



The ash trade is quiet, though handlers of 

 black and brown ash have all along been able 

 to find places for it as house trim. .lust now 

 all the cheaper woods are suffering from the 

 activity of all sorts of southern pine, till that 

 has become so strong that it is going up. Maple 

 flooring mills are making a fair season. In the 

 yards the demand seems to be for thick stock 

 mainly, as it is taking the place of ash and 

 other more exaensive woods. 



A few dealers find sales for chestnut and 

 birch, but they are still mainly at the bottom 



end of the year, no 



U be needed before 



SAOINAW VALLEY 



picking up. 



Locally the haidwood bus 

 There is a better movement by rail and „.,,^ 

 inquiry. Thus far buying has been spasmodic 

 in character and along the hand-to-mouth plan, 

 but there is more doing now. The increase in 

 business and inquiry appears to affect all grades 

 of stock. Mills are generally in motion all 

 through this section of the state and stocks are 

 ample for all purposes. Prices also appear to 

 be stiffening. The future is quite promising. 



CLEVELAND 



Hardwood dial, rs are looking to the building 

 trades to help redeem tlie situation this fall. A 

 number of -factories are again in operation and 

 are working close on hardwood stocks, ordering 

 iust enough to get along with. The building 

 permits for .Tuly showed four times as much 

 work started as during June. This means busi- 

 ness this fall and winter for the hardwood trade. 



Oak continues to be the hardwood most in 

 demand, though maple floormg is keeping up 

 well. Poplar, while high, is not so much in 

 demand in this as in other markets. For some 

 reason Cleveland has never been a good poplar 

 market. Ash is some better, but birch is away 

 off. There is no demand for hickory. 



COLUMBUS 



Compared with conditions whicli prevailed a 

 week ago, there is but little change in the mar- 

 ket for hardwoods. Prices are stiffer, but there 

 has been no material advance. One dealer re- 

 ports Inquiries for an unusually large lot of 

 oak flooring and there is a good demand for 

 other hardwoods, especially for future delivery, 

 hut wholesalers are not inclined to sell much 

 at the prevailing low prices. The oaks are de- 



['oplar continues strong and at 

 nd was quite active during the 

 lilt gum and hickory there is but 

 The market in general 



said. 



MILWAUKEE 



The general lumber situation in Milwaukee 

 and about the state is showing decided improve- 

 ment, and the hardwood market is putting on a 

 much brighter aspect. Inquiries and orders 

 have increased to a marked degree during the 

 past week. Stocks are beginning to move 

 in the country yards because of the fact 

 that dealers realize that now is the 

 time to stock up in anticipation of the heavy 

 fall trade that now seems inevitable. Whole- 

 sale dealers in Milwaukee are experiencing ex- 

 cellent trade in the hardwood field and there is 

 every indication that the improved business has 

 come to stay. Retail trade is Just a little more 

 quiet, owing to the fact that the busy harvest 

 season is now on and farmers are delaying build- 

 ing for a short time. Prices show a tendency 

 to become stronger and in some cases there 

 have been advances. The general advances in 

 the hemlock and yellow pine market have been 

 influencing hardwood prices to a certain extent, 

 according to some dealers. Box manufacturers 

 in the city are experiencing a lively run of busi- 

 ness and orders for lumber in this line have 

 been large. 



The oaks are still at the top, with plain oak 

 less active. The poplar market continues to 

 hold its own. Basswood is in good demand, with 

 supply light. Ash and rock elm are scarce and 

 indications are that birch is higher. The floor- 

 ing trade has been showing improvement and 



BRISTOL 



That the outiouK conunues to grow brighter 

 is the general opinion among the local lumber- 

 men. It is believrrl tlim tin i.., nidation Is now 

 being laid for the ^1 . I . liiy the country 



has ever enjoyed .ml i ' i . .;s is being es- 



tablished on a mnri, in., ,i, ii,i,,(i basis. The 

 large amount of building operations throughout 

 the coal fields of this section has given an 

 impetus to the lumber industry which it other- 

 wise might not have had and the impression 

 is that the demand will continue to improve 

 and business will be in much better shape this 

 fall and winter. 



There is still a large amount of idle cars, but 

 the number is being gradually reduced and the 

 volume of lumber business being handled is 

 slowly increasing. About 7'> per cent of the 

 mills are running, with bul a III tie more lumber 

 in the yards llian usual. 



CINCINNATI 



While the transactions during the month of 

 July did not equal those of the month previous, 

 there was a fair volume of business. A repeti- 

 tion of the month previous was hardly antici- 

 pated, and the lumber dealers here were much 

 gratified to note the comparatively light depre- 

 ciation. Usually the month of July brings on 

 a sharp decrease in all grades of lumber, but 

 this year the decline was not as large as usual. 

 The sentiment expressed among local dealers is 

 very encouraging, and few look for anything 

 but an improvement in the general situation 

 during the coming two months. The month of 

 September is looked forward to as the banner 

 month of the year, and after the election a de- 

 cided Improvement is anticipated. 



The demand for poplar during the past two 

 weeks has been very urgent and prices have 

 been firm. All grades of oak have developed a 

 much brighter outlook and a number of trans- 

 actions were made at Jlrm prices. The furni- 

 ture trade is expected to get Into the market in 



the near future. As a general rule the situa- 

 tion is better now than it has been for several 

 months, and confidence is gradually returning. 



EVANSVILLE 



The 



arket for hardwood lumber is still im- 

 proving and the mouth of July was the banner 

 month of the year up to the present time. 

 Building oijerations are looking up and it is 

 considered certain that the improvement is sub- 

 stantial and will continue from this time on. 

 The month of July is generally considered a dull 

 month, but this year more improvement was 

 noticed in July than any month this year. 

 Prices are improving steadily and inquiries are 

 improving in volume. Quartered oak seems to 

 be the best seller and is one of the first woods 

 to be affected by the increased demand as the 

 stocks of quartered oak are considered light. 

 The local mills have not nearly come up to 

 their standard of output this summer and with 

 (ho picking up of fall business the effect of the 

 curtailment will be felt. The outlook of the 

 furniture trade is better than at any time this 

 year after the fairly satisfactory sales at Grand 

 Rapids and Chicago. Logs are a little more 

 plentiful than formerly, and with fall coming 

 on it is exnected they will be. 



ST. LOUIS 



There has not been much betterment in tlio 

 hardwood situation during the past fortnight, al- 

 though some business is being done all the 

 time. The better grades are most in request. 

 Receipts of hardwoods in this market during 

 the past month have only been about 80 per cent 

 compared with last year. Quartered oak is in 

 pretty good demand and stocks are scarce. Fully 

 half of the inquiries are for quartered red and 

 white oak. In the South there is very little 

 of this stock in any grade, and from present 

 indications and from the opinions of the best 

 informed hardwood lumbermen, during the next 

 six months there will be a big business done 

 in this wood. There is a big improvement mani- 

 fest in poplar and the demand for it is good for 

 this season of the year. Inquiries for all grades 

 and thicknesses are coming in and there is 

 .a good deal of this stock moving. Ash offerings 

 are plentiful and prices low, firsts and seconds 

 boing most in demand. The railroads are doing 

 n little more buying and it will not be a 

 great while before this wood will be showing an 

 iiiipnivcnu'iit. I'laiu r.'d and white oak has 

 ■^'ii'"'" ■! ■'!■ :ii I'i'ii' -III. i.ilily in the first 



.11:1 ■ ■: ! - i : .. I i: , low throughout 



III. : I, ih I ,1 ,1 . ,.. ,,,;,. of this have 

 I. II -.1 111. II |iih,^ :i,,.,i >j I,, x| ,„,,. thousand. 

 No. 1 .rimmou has improved a little in price, 

 duo to the constant advance In firsts and sec- 

 onds. There is little change in the cottonwood 

 situation. It shows little or no improvement. 

 There is a noticeable quietness in the grades 

 used by the wagon companies. No. 2 common 

 is the best item and it is being asked for freely. 

 '■ii'ii '"nfiiiii.^ 1.. be a fair seller but has not 



^'" I 'I I ' in'ivement in price, except sap 



'III iiiil \ii _' .i.mmon. These two grades ap- 



I" " ' -riling scarcer and show a little 



"['"iiiil I mil ih \ In price. Cypress continues 



' '"■ iiiiilv Hill, prices remaining about the 



siiiin :i- ill ilii |,ast thiry days. Many dealers 

 bill' :iir nun laliiiig vacations in expectation of 

 liaviiig much better business this fail, when 

 trade opens un about the first of September. 



CHARLOTTE 





ks has witnessed decided iiu- 

 ■nvement in the hardwood situatbin In North 

 iiroiina, as well as other sections of the South, 

 bis is, in part, accounted for by the general 

 vival in all other lines of industry. Gum, pop- 

 r. oak, ash and other varieties of lumber are 

 iiiging better prices. On some grades of tim- 



