44 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



< INDIANAPOLIS > 



Mr. and Mrs. W. W. Knigbt are homo £iom their wedding trip to 

 Panama and have talien apartments in the Buckingham. 



The name o£ the Root Furniture Company at Shelbyville has been 

 changed to the Albert Furniture Company. 



Building operations in the city during 1912 amounted to $9,150,407 as 

 compared with .$8,349,477 in 1911, establishing a new record for the city. 



The first big patron of the parcels post out of Indianapolis was the 

 Interior Hardwood Company, which, on Jan. 2. mailed several hundred 

 samples of hardwoods to various points throughout the United States. 



The property of the Ford & .lohnson Company, furniture manufacturers, 

 has been sold by Elmer W. Stout, receiver, to Harry Wehmer of Cincin- 

 nati, representing the bondholders. The consideration was $496,000. 



With an authorized capitalization of $8,000, the Paoli Hardwood Com- 

 pany has been organized and incorporated at Paoli and will conduct a 

 hardwood manufacturing business. Those interested in the company ar5 

 George M. Wells, W. H. Coppock and A. M. Wells. 



J. V. Zartman, secretary of tbe Indiana Manufacturers' and Shippers' 

 Association, has opened a permanent office in tbe Lombard building. The 

 association will have its annual banquet here Jan. 16. 



J. A. Ross, M. C. Caldwell and J. S. Powell have organized the Midland 

 Manufacturing Company at La Porte to manufacture woodenware. The 

 company has been incorporated with an authorized capitalization of 

 $25,000. 



After a two weeks' shut-down for repairs, the plant of the Udell 

 Works, manufacturers of furniture, ladders, etc., has resumed operations. 

 The company reports an excellent business during 1912. 



=-< MEMPHIS >• 



The Valley Log Loading Company handled during 1912 11,703 cars 

 of logs and It is estimated that about twenty per cent of these logs 

 went to points other than Memphis, with the result that the receipts 

 here were slightly more than 9,000 cars. All of this timber came over 

 the Yazoo & Mississippi Valley lines of the Illinois Central System. The 

 movement was reasonably free during January and February, when 1186 

 and 971 cars, respectively, were loaded. In March the total was 671. 

 During April, May, June and July the movement ^as very much re- 

 stricted as a result of the conditions growing out of the flood in the 

 Mississippi valley. Cars loaded during this period numbered 400 for 

 April, 564 for May, 787 for June and 755 for July. After that the 

 movement increased until December when there was a reduction on 

 account of the inability to secure cars for the prompt handling of log 

 shipments. The totals for the last five months were : August 1089, 

 September 1138, October 1286, November 1464, December 1152. The 

 company is loading logs now at a very rapid rate and it is confidently 

 stated by the officials of the company that the amount of timber loaded 

 by it for Memphis will be the largest on record for the month of 

 January unless there is some unforeseen development. It is estimated 

 that the average output of a car of logs is about 4300 feet. It will 

 therefore be seen that the movement of timber to Memphis over tbe 

 Yazoo & Mississippi Valley line of the Illinois Central system amounts 

 to slightly more than 38,000.000 feet. 



The plant of R. J. Darnell, Inc., is temporarily closed down on account 

 of inability to bring timber to Memphis. This firm owns extensive 

 timberland holdings near Batesville, Miss., and is handling its logs over 

 the Batesville Southwestern and the Illinois* Central. It has been im- 

 possible to secure sufficient cars to keep the firm in timber and it has 

 been necessary, on more than one occasion recently to close down pending 

 the receipt of more timber. 



The firms in Memphis which depend upon the western roads for their 

 timber are meeting with slightly better results than a short time ago. 

 This is due to the fact that the car situation is somewhat improved. 



The hearing in the case of the Anderson-TuUy Company, involving 

 the issuance of through bills of lading on export shipments over lines 

 west of the Mississippi river, did not result in anything definite. Special 

 Examiner Marshall of the Interstate Commerce Commission was in 

 Memphis and a number of prominent lumbermen appeared before him 

 and gave testimony bearing upon the subject at issue. Owing to the 

 limited time, however, it was impossible to present all of the evidence 

 and the hearing was adjourned sine die. It is anticipated, however, that 

 there will be a continuation of tbe presentation of evidence at a com- 

 paratively early date. Exporters here are of the opinion that, as the 

 commission has made the ruling that it will force the railroads in 

 Texas to issue through bills of lading on cotton shipments if the steam- 

 ship companies are willing to honor these documents, it will hold a 

 similar view with respect to shipments of lumber intended for export. 

 They are therefore anticipating victory when the decision is handed 

 down in this case. It is suggested that the next hearing will be held 

 in New Orleans. 



W. H. Greble of the Greble-Sine Lumber Company has recently returned 

 from a trip to Mississippi and Arkansas. His firm is handling the output 

 of several mills in these states. He says that the car situation is con- 

 siderably improved, especially on the Iron Mountain between Helena and 

 McGhee. He also emphasizes tbe fact that there is a decided shortage 

 of dry lumber in the Memphis territory. He reports a good demand. 



Building operations In Memphis during 1912 involved a total expendi- 

 ture of $7,159,214.15. The gain amounted to about 22 per cent as com- 



pared with 1911 when the total was $5,869,146. The actual gain in 

 money value was $1,300,068.15. The best showing was made in August 

 when the total was $1,101,595. The smallest was In January, which 

 recorded a total of $232,170. 



The Green River Lumber Company is enlarging its offices in North 

 Memphis considerably. Several rooms are being built and a new vault 

 is also being installed. Tbe office was originally built lor the Green 

 River Lumber Company, but it is also being used by S. M. Nlckey and 

 his assistants. Mr. Nickey is interested in the Green River Lumber 

 Company. 



The St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern has begun tbe operation of 

 trains over tbe Marianna cut-off. This runs from Memphis to Marianna. 

 It materially shortens the distance between Memphis and St. Louis and 

 New Orleans. In addition to providing another outlet for export ship- 

 ments of lumber the cut-off operates through a section which is quite 

 rich in timber resources and will make the development of these possible. 

 There has been considerable activity in timber lands in the territory 

 which is opened up by this line. 



J. T. Willingbam, president of tbe National City Bank, bas asked 

 that he be relieved from his duties. C. T. Whitman of Earle, Ark., who is 

 prominently identified with the hardwood lumber industry of that 

 section, is scheduled as his probable successor. 



Miss Frieda Moore bas bci n elected assistant secretary of the Builders' 

 Exchange and was able to secure the position only upon her agreement 

 to resist the wiles of Cupid for an entire year. The exchange has lost 

 so many of its assistant secretaries through the marriage route that the 

 directors extracted a pledge from Miss Moore to this effect before ten- 

 dering her the position. 



One of the principal problems confronting the lumbermen from a 

 purely local standpoint is that of securing lower rates on lumber insur- 

 ance. This subject has been discussed with considerable vigor for some 

 time and the lumbermen have about reached the point where they are 

 willing to give some of their Insurance to outside companies instead of 

 confining their insurance to the board companies, if the latter do not 

 show some disposition to make concessions. The rates are regarded as 

 entirely too high and out of all proportion to those obtaining in other 

 cities with which Memphis has to compete. What has worried the local 

 lumber interests more than anything else has been the failure of the 

 board companies to furnish the lumbermen with details regarding the 

 amount of money paid in premiums and the amount paid by the insur- 

 ance companies covering losses. There have been many promises but no 

 executions. The lumbermen are quite determined in this matter and 

 it is expected that very definite developments will occur in the near 

 future. Already some insurance is being placed with non-board companies. 



The year promises to be one of marked activity in opposition to the 

 proposed advances in freight rates on the part of the railroad companies 

 operating through this gateway. Advances of from one to five cents per 

 hundred pounds have been announced in practically every direction and 

 the Lumbermen's Traffic Bureau, according to present indications, will 

 have its hands quite full. Petitions have been filed before the Interstate 

 Commerce Commission in one instance and it is expected that every 

 single advance proposed by the railroads will be fought before that body. 



The Tennessee Hoop Company has increased its capital stock to $100,00(7 

 and is now building a large plant for the manufacture of slack hoops, 

 heading and staves. The plant of the Memphis Stave Company will 

 be continued in operation on Henning island, but the hoop plant of the 

 old Tennessee Hoop Company will be dismantled and the machinery 

 removed to the new plant. S. B. Anderson is president, C. J. Tully vice- 

 president, Andrew Harris secretary and treasurer, and Mr. Taylor general 

 manager. The latter was formerly vice-president of the old company. 



=■< LOUISVILLE y 



Most local hardwood men, who have discussed the subject of substituting 

 flat rates for the milling-in-transit arrangement in effect In most manu- 

 facturing cities of this section, have agreed that flat rates would be pref- 

 erable, provided they were placed on the right level. The difficulty, of 

 course, would be found in arriving at a mutually satisfactory conclusion 

 as to what satisfactory rates would be. 



The Louisville Hardwood Club is considering arranging a series of 

 talks by consumers of lumber, with an idea of developing the views of 

 users as to difficulties, if any, they have experienced, and ways in which 

 service to them by lumbermen could be improved. It is believed the talks 

 would be very interesting and helpful. 



Members of the W. P. Brown & Sons Lumber Company have secured 

 control of the Robe Lake Lumber Company of Memphis, Tenn., and have 

 changed its name to the Brown Brothers Timber and Land Company. 

 The concern does not expect to operate, but will hold its property, a large 

 block of hardwood timber in Arkansas, for investment purposes. 



The Big Sandy and Kentucky rivers have been filled up by recent rains 

 and a tide has developed which will bring down a lot of logs. A number 

 of mills on both rivers, which have been closed because of lack of material, 

 will start operations again on the strength of the heavy receipts of logs. 



The Alfred Struck Company of Louisville, large manufacturer of interior 

 finish, has increased its capital stock from $75,000 to $175,000. The 

 concern does not expect to enlarge its plant, but requires the additional 

 capacity on account of Its expanding business. 



Thomas Moore of Paris, Ey.. has bought some Perry county timber and 



