MaMwol Roipfl 



Published In the Interest of Ha-rdwood Lumber, Amerlc&n HsLrdwood Forests, Wood VonoeT Industry, H&rdwood Flooring, 

 Ha.rdwood Interior Finish, Wood Cl\ennic&Is, SslW Mill aLnd Woodworking Machinery. 



(SEW Y( 



UOTANl 



Vol. XXVI. 



CHICAGO. JUNE 10. 1908. 



No. 4. ^-«"' 



Published on the lOlh and 25th of each month by 



THE HARDWOOD COMPANY 



HENRY H. GIBSON. Edllop. EDGAR H. DEFEBAUGH. Mao.tcr. 



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



Telephone Harrison 4960 



REPRESENTATIVES 



PhiladelDhia ..... Jacob Hohzmin, 916 Rothschild Buildml 



Pillsburs H. A, L.oe. 906 Wabash BuildinJ 



Canlr.l Territory . . . F. M. Clotler. 355 Dearborn St., Chicajo 



TERMS OF ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION 



In the United States, Canada, Philippine Islands 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 Posloffice at Chicago. 

 111., under act of March 3. 1879. 



General Market Conditions. 



For months past the trade has hoped, apparently against hope, 

 that market conditions would show an improvement, but within 

 the last two weeks, for the first time there has been a manifesta- 

 tion of some activity in the hardwood field. Manufacturers and 

 dealers from all parts of the country report that they have realized 

 on a good many inquiries, and have made actual sales to a con- 

 siderable extent. 



Considerable hardwood is arriving at lower Lake ports from 

 northern sawmill regions, and the movement of lumber by rail 

 both in and out of Chicago is very much stronger than it has 

 been since last autumn. Apparently the wholesale consuming 

 trade has awakened to the fact that values have reached a mini- 

 mum level, and are placing orders with considerable freedom. 

 Again, many astute jobbers are figuring the same thing, and sup- 

 plementing depleted stocks with lumber from milling points. 



Quartersawn oak and the good end of poplar are still the strong- 

 est items on the list, although plain oak is doing much better than 

 it has for some time. There is a good deal of call for thick ash 

 and hickory and comparatively little of this class of stock in the 

 hands of manufacturers. Another encouraging feature of the situ- 

 ation lies in the fact that the railroad trade, which has been nil 

 for months, is now showing considerable activity. In Chicago 

 some very good orders for car material were placed last week. On 

 the whole there is every indication that trade from this time for- 

 ward will improve very rapidly, and that a normal stage of de- 

 :." mand will be reached early in autumn. 



> Beyond question there are a good many varieties and grades of 

 . hardwood lumber that can be bought at a very low range of values 

 ( at the present time, and the man who expects to need any quan- 

 tity between now and even next spring, shows wisdom in making 

 his purchases on this low scale of prices. There are a good many 

 I kinds of lumber that are being sold at prices ridiculously low in 



comparison with present schedule on other commodities, and there 

 surely will be an advance in the price of numerous items of stock 

 immediately following a moderate demand. In spite of the re- 

 stricted consumption of the last four or five months there are com- 

 paratively light stocks of hardwoods of any description in first 

 hands, in jobbers' yards, or in the possession of consumers. 



If there was ever a time in the history of the hardwood trade 

 when lumber was a purchase, it is today! 



National Hardwood Meeting. 



As the Eecoed goes to press the National Hardwood Lumber 

 Association is holding its annual session in Milwaukee. It is to 

 be hoped that this association of hardwood lumbermen will take 

 advantage of the opportunity presented to formulate and posi- 

 tively inaugurate a logical and just system for the inspection and 

 measurement of hardwood lumber. 



It is not to be expected that a set of rules can ever be formu- 

 lated and put into elfect that will be pleasing to everyone in the 

 trade, but if the large majority can be satisfied with the proposed 

 new rulings of this association, the rest will needs fall in line. 

 As a matter of fact, had it not been for the financial depression 

 and slackening of trade during the last few months, there would 

 have been little or no time for restless minds to work up an- 

 tagonism to the set of rules adopted a year ago; moreover, the 

 prejudice against the Atlantic City rules today is based very 

 largely on a misunderstanding of their character, and the belief 

 that they are not only too radical, but tend to lower specific grades 

 to an undesirable point. 



Mahogany. 



It was but a few years ago that mahogany was regarded as a 

 precious wood, and was employed only in the interior of the very 

 finest private houses, and for the making of the most expensive 

 furniture. During the last few years there has been a wonderful 

 development in mahogany importation and use, and it has become 

 one of the foremost departments of the lumber industry. 



The statistics of hardwood consumption collated by the Hardwood 

 Record indicates that today the number of buyers of mahog- 

 any in this country is exceeded only by those of oak, maple, 

 poplar, basswood, ash, birch, chestnut and cypress. This is a 

 wonderful standing for the "aristocrat of woods," with its higher 

 prices, in competition with native forest products. Of course 

 there is good reason for the popularity of mahogany. The im- 

 porters of the logs and the manufacturers of the lumber have 

 never advanced its price beyond a very modest profit, and it is 

 relatively so low that it now makes little difference in price 

 whether an office building is finished in mahogany or quartersawn 

 white oak. 



Another reason for the popularity of the wood is the fact that 

 it is one of the few lumber materials that improve in tone with 

 age. After much experimentation leading car builders of the 

 country finish practically all their cars in mahogany as being the 

 one wood that will stand the severe usage and hold its finish bet- 

 ter than any other material. The chief centers of mahogany im- 

 portation and manufacture are Boston, New York, Louisville, New 

 Orleans, Chicago and Indianapolis. 



