i 



E HARD \V OOD RECORD. 



23 



big liimbei' combines that have been 

 formed this summer show that tlie local 

 lumber situatiou is iu very good shape and 

 tliat a steadily increasing demand is loolced 

 for iu nearly all grades of ordinary sellers. 



NEW YORK. 



Trade in hardwoods is draggy. and the 

 very satisfactory lirmness iu prices noted 

 right up to a fortnight ago is absent from 

 the scene. It is liard to explain the change. 

 except on tlie score of the usual midsum- 

 mer dnllnes.s. with, as added causes, the 

 labor strilies liere, the cessation of almost 

 all building operations, and the resultant 

 backwardness on the part of the retailer 

 to replenisli his stock, no matter how low 

 it has become.. 



As hardwQods enter so largely into man- 

 ufactures mauy are inclined to think that 

 any dullness in building ought not to af- 

 fect its sale. They forget that the man 

 who is building a new house and has it 

 delayed by strike, waits uutif the struc- 

 ture is finished before he buys his furni- 

 ture, and his piano. His hardwood trim 

 may be ordered, but it doesn't go in until 

 the structure is near enough to completion 

 to permit of it. All of these things count, 

 and they are beginning to tell on the de- 

 maud for hardwoods, as far, at least, as 

 the New York City district is concerned. 

 Of course, the strikes are practically over 

 now, but not all the building has been re- 

 sumed, and until it is the early spring 

 conditions cannot be expected. 



Poplar Is, from all accounts, sagging off 

 a little in price. Onl.v a week or so ago 

 it was scarce at .$.32.50 for first and s-c- 

 onds. Now .$50 would be a nearer quota- 

 tion. The fact of the matter is, that the 

 search for substitutes for this wood has 

 helped to lessen the demand, for the 

 search has not always been unsuccessful, 

 while down at the mills the lumber is get- 

 ting dry and the manufacturers are show- 

 ing considerable activity in the effort to 

 market it. From all accounts such a thing 

 as an occasional concession in price is hot 

 unknown. 



The firmness of quartered and plain oak 

 continues. Quartered brings $7S to .$80 for 

 the best inch stock, and plain oak is quoted 

 at .$45 to .$48. There is a free movement 

 in both. 



Ash and chestnut are in good call, while 

 mahogany is firm and active. Export de- 

 mand generallv is only fair. 



MINNEAPOLIS. 



The large consumers are holding off, and 

 are not in the market for anything except 

 quartered oak and basswood. The fuvni- 

 t\ue factories seem to bo practically out 

 of stock, and dealers are trying hard to 

 get them to order. l)ut with poor success. 

 The manufacturers seem to think that if 

 the.v wait long enough prices will droi> 

 after a while. From the standpoint of 

 jobbers, this is ver.v exasperating. Stock 

 " is difficult to get now. and they fear that 

 in .another three months it will 'not be 

 possible for them to fill orders. One local 

 dealer predicts that some of the factories 

 will be left in the lurch when they finally 

 get ready to buy, and that they will be 

 crying in vain for stock. The sash and 

 door men are using birch and basswood in 

 fair quantity, and some ash. They are 

 buying verv slowl.v. but are not entirel.v 

 out of it. < >ne Large factory has a large 

 quantity of quartered oak coming ou con- 

 tracts, and is wailing for it Impatiently. 

 The contra<'t was for $(!0, and the factory 

 will not pay more. I'lain oak is hard 

 to get, especially northern stock. White 

 (iak in greatei' th.-in 1-nich thickness is 



.iractically unknown here now, and deal- 

 ;'s are not able to supply the demand for 

 ^' agon tongues. What little wagon stock 

 (•' nies in could be sold three times over. 

 Cc-iislderable gum is coming hei-e in staves 

 and beading for the Hour barrel coopers, 

 and it is commanding a good price, $8.75 

 being asked for the staves and 014 cents a 

 set for iieading. 



BtTFFALO. 



Allhough it is tlu' dullest time in all the 

 .vear supposedly, in the Itimber business, 

 still there is enough doing in Buffalo right 

 along, so that you cannot find a dealer but 

 vvhat has all lie can do according to his 

 capacity for filling orders. Prices con- 

 tinue firm in almost all lines and it looks 

 now very much as though good busi- 

 ness was going to hold over for the balance 

 of the year. The products of the smaller 

 mills throughout the West and 8outh are 

 beginning to come to the front now, and 

 it may be that there will be a tendency 

 toward lower prices on some woods. This 

 will undoubtedly be the case with poplar. 

 In fact, there is a noticeable change in 

 the poplar market as regards prices al- 

 ready, and ever.vone looks for a decline 

 from the prices that poplar has been held 

 at for so long. Of course, this may only 

 last until the stock from these smaller 

 mills gets. worked off, but it is not such an 

 eas.v matter to .get prices tip again after 

 they have commenced to go tlown. 



The demand continues good for quar- 

 tered oak and plain oalc in all grades, and 

 prices hold up, although plain oak is con- 

 siderably easier than quartered oak. 



There is quite an improvement in the 



movement of ash and I think prices will 



improve accordingl.v. Ash has not been 



■ bringing the prices it should, compared 



with other woods. 



NASHVILLE. 



The lumber market of Nashville shows 

 an easier tone for the lower grades of stock 

 and more now than a fortnight ago 

 the delayed summer feeling is on. This 

 shows an easier tone for the buyer, but 

 not particularly on prices. Very few items 

 have been carried downward by the sum- 

 mer season, it is only that the mills have 

 rather more stock of partially dry and 

 green stock and the demand is not so 

 spirited. Oak, chestnut, poplar and cedar 

 are still selling at stiff prices, and the 

 export man is still bunting walnut. I'he 

 mills are all running. The furniture manu- 

 facturing business in Nashville is develop- 

 ing right much these da.vs, and the wagon 

 stock people have an eye on this p;irt of 

 the hardwood wor'ld. 



MEMPHIS, 



Conditions are rather niorr quiet in this 

 market now than at any lime this season. 

 The rest time of summer seems to be 

 breaking a bit. Some orders are coming 

 iu, but contracts and work is being done 

 largely on orders previously placed. This 

 usual sunnner easiness some regard as the 

 iipening \i]) of a (luiet season of trade, tint 

 this cannot be told yet. Stocks are very 

 moderate in Menii)his and lu-ices remain 

 .•iboiit the same. fJiun is being manufac- 

 lured i-ight along, with its principal demand 

 confined to the export trade in firsts and 

 seconds. Cottonwood is more jilentiful 

 and the price tone seems easier, tjuarter- 

 sawu red oak is not ver.v plentiful, and 

 the price is firm. The same is true of the 

 same in white oak. The interior mills are 

 said to he quartev-sawing considerable o'' 

 I heir stock now. 



W. V. Davidson Lumber Co. Benedict Bros. 



W.'V. Davidson. M. P.Greenc. .t. N, lliclts. 



C. H. Benedict. n. B. lienedict. 



Davidson-Benedict Co. 



Wholesale Manufacturers and Sliippers 



IVIBEIR 



ROUGH AND DRESSED OAK, POPLAR, 

 ASH, CHESTNUT, WALNUT, 



NASHVILLE, - TENN. 



GEORGE B.ZEARINQ 

 COmPANY, 



Manufactiirersand Dealers in 



Qum, Oak, Ash 



AND COTTONWOOD. 



DE VALLS BLUFF, ARKANSAS. 



The Best of All 



The Shimer Cutter Heads 



.Vre made lil;e Itic illuslraiion above, 

 wtiich shows ttie E.ipansion feature. 

 Oilier styles are sliovvn in our catalogue 

 No. 24. X copy tree for the asklns. 



S. J. Shimer & Sons, 



MILTON, PENNSYLVANIA. 



JOHN 



BENEDICT 



WAGON STOCK 

 and HARDWOOD LUMBER 



ALWAYS IN THE MARKET. 



135 IJALSTED ST.. 



CHICAGO. 



