H A R D WOODR E CORD 



51 



The J. S. Sterns Liunlw^r Conipauy of Odanali, 

 which has been operating in tlie Bad river reser- 

 vation, has inirchased two tracts of timber on 

 Laice Superior, one ;it the northern end of May- 

 Held county and another in the northweslem 

 corner of the upper peninsula of Michigan. The 

 timber is being cut and towed to the mill at 

 Washburn to be sawed. 



The Oelhafen interests of Tomahawk were suc- 

 . .-ssful bidders at the sale of state timber, having 

 -icured a tract lying north of Tomahawk on 

 the Tomahawk river. Three camps will be 

 started on the tract, the estimates calling for 

 ' ver a million feet of timber. 



Official announcement by William Tcmpleton 

 <i( Chicago, president of the Peshtigo Lumber 

 Company, whose sawmill was recently destroyed 

 by tire, confirms rumors that the plant will be 



rebuilt as soon as possible. It will cost $150,000. 



The Smith Manufacturing Company of La 

 Crosse, manufacturer of wagons and agricultural 

 implements, has found it necessary to erect an 

 additional building to its plant. 



Isaac II. Crawford, for thirt.v-two years chief 

 engineer at the Paine Lumber Company at Osh- 

 kosh, died at his home at 364 New York avenue 

 recently, as the result of an internal cancer. Mr. 

 Crawford was a native of Canada, having been 

 born in 1,S47. He lived at Oshkosh for about 

 forty years. A wife and three children survive 

 him. 



The sawmill of the Fred Schubring Lumber 

 Company of Wausau has been started for its 

 winter run. during which time the cut will 

 exceed twelve million feet of hardwood and 

 hemlock. 



cniCAOO 



Local w-holesalers. as for some time in the 

 past, are concentrating their main energies on 

 the buying end of the business, as it seems to 

 be possible for almost anybody to effect sales 

 at reasonably strong prices. The most efficient 

 of the local trade arc showing their ability in 

 taking up stocks at figures which will net them 

 good profit and in disposing of their lumber at a 

 little higher basis than the majority of the 

 trade. 



It cannot be said that any items in the local 

 hardwood business are weak, although red gum 

 and wide poplar, as at other centers, are the 

 slowest movers. Ash, hasswood, oak, birch, 

 maple and chestnut are the leaders in the local 

 market, and there is very little difficulty en- 

 countered in marketing stock of good quality of 

 these woods. 



Owing to the difficulty in securing lumber 

 from the usual sources of supply, there has been 

 quite a little trading of late between the whole- 

 salers themselves, and the good effects of asso- 

 ciation and club work are shown in the fact 

 that the members of the local trade are willing 

 to sell their fellow members at a price which 

 will net both of them some profit rather than 

 to do everything possible to freeze out each 

 other, as was the custom tmder the old method 

 of conducting the lumber business. 



The local trade is considerably excited over 

 the proposed increases in freight rates from the 

 South to Ohio river crossings and western ter- 

 ritory. Tlie fear is expressed in some quarters 

 that it these increased rates go into effect it 

 will seriousl.v endanger the local market for 

 low-grade material, which holds an important 

 place in Chicago lumber consumption. It is 

 feared that an increase in rates such as is pro- 

 posed would make the ultimate selling price of 

 low-grade stock so nearly on a parallel with 

 the cost of getting it into the local market that 

 there would not be enough margin in the trans- 

 ;ieii(ms to make them worth while. 



SBW YORK 



The hardwood market shows a continuance of 

 the strength that has been noted for the past 

 several months. Inquiries are brisk and prices 

 remain firm with some advances noted. Local 

 yards are by no means earr.ving a normal supply 

 of material and new stocks are drawn from 

 almost as fast as received. This, with the diffi- 

 culties experienced by shippers getting cars and 

 forwarding stock, practically assures a strong 

 tunrket for the entire winter season. 



Oak, chestnut, birch and maple show advances 



111 111. IM. some items bringing two dollars more 

 than a month ago. Cherry continues firm. The 

 rest of this list shows no change in price. Hard- 

 wood flooring is in good demand and an advance 

 in oak flooring is noted. 



PHILADELPHIA 



In spite of the more or less unavoidable con- 

 cern in the November election, there has been no 

 diminution of activity in the hardwood lumber 

 business during the last fortnight. AH standard 

 grades, especially of dry lumber with a reason- 

 able guarantee of delivery, find a ready market, 

 and prices are well sustained. Although the fall 

 rush in furniture buying is practically over, the 

 factories have all they can do to catch up with 

 orders. The other wholesale consuming indus- 

 tries continue active, in many instances being 

 obliged to work overtime several nights in the 

 week. This is a good word for the prosperity 

 preachment which has begun. There is a little 

 relief in the car shortage handicap in some of 

 the lumber distributing fields, and a fair volume 

 of stuff is being shipped, but orders are still 

 delayed at many points. An encouraging sign 

 of the times is the stout optimistic feeling which 

 prevails everywhere as to outlook. 



Oak, both red and white, still heads the list : 

 stocks are scarce and prices are stiff. Quarter 

 sawed oak is strengthening right along, and 

 prices are moving up. Chestnut, plain and 

 sound wormy, holds a good position, ash has 

 many friends, poplar remains steady, the ma- 

 hogany and veneer market continues active : 

 birch and beech are selling freely and cypress is 

 improving. 



PITTSBURGH 



No bad after-election effects are visible in the 

 hardwood market here. The volume of inquiries 

 keeps up surprisingly well, considering the fact 

 that the inventory season is close at hand and 

 that the usual first of the year statements will 

 have to be made shortly. Purchasing agents as 

 a rule are making ready to buy more lumber 

 for 1913 than they did this year. Evidently they 

 are determined not to be caught again with a 

 shortage, and they also foresee that their re- 

 spective plants are going to he crowded with or- 

 ders if present business conditions continue. All 

 kinds of fine hardwood for use in implement, fur- 

 niture and automobile factories is in excellent 

 demand. Prices are firm with small increases 

 noted every few weeks. Stocks at the mills are 

 very low, although all mills are working nearly 

 or quite to capacity. The splendid undertone in 

 the hardwood market is evidenced very plainly 



by the number of purchases of hardwood timber 

 that are being made and the number of new 

 operations being started. Yard trade in hard- 

 woods is very fair, but it is not quite so heavy 

 in comparison as the selling of hemlock and pine 

 lumber. 



BUFFALO 



The hardwood trade is on a good scale of 

 activity and the prospects are good. The local 

 yards are carrying well-assorted stocks, some of 

 them having supplies in excess of those of last 

 year. The car shortage has not been very serious 

 in this section, and there is no great complaint 

 over the delays to shipments from the South, 

 In the general list of hardwoods prices are hold- 

 ing very firm. 



Good and common oak is short and bringing 

 a very strong price. Quartered oak is in a little 

 better demand than recently ; the furniture fac- 

 tories employing it to a larger extent again. 

 Priplar is inclined to be slow. Cherry has taken 

 a little start, but has not become active. Chestnut 

 and ash are in steady inquiry, while birch and 

 maple are good sellers. 



BOSTON 



The market for hardwood lumber has been 

 moderately active during the past two weeks, 

 and prices are well held. Some dealers in this 

 market state that quotations on some classes 

 of hardwood lumber received by them within 

 a few days are firmer and higher than any price 

 previously received and they do not consider 

 that top prices have yet been seen. Others 

 believe that it will be very difficult to get fur- 

 ther ad^■auces unless there is a decided improve- 

 ment in the demand. Offerings of dry lumber are 

 smaller than they have been for several months 

 at least, and it really looks as if the manufac- 

 turer -who has stock in good shipping condition 

 can get practically his own price. 



Shippers are still forced to contend with the 

 lar shortage, for which condition no immediate 

 relief is expected. Those dealers who brought 

 in lumber ahead of orders are having no real 

 difficulty in making sales, as the average buyer 

 has not greatly anticipated his wants. 



Quartered and plain oak is very firm, an ad- 

 vance in price of two dollars being reported in 

 some instances. Black walnut is in small offer- 

 ing with a fair demand reported. Maple flooring 

 is fairly active. Prices are well held. White- 

 wood is in fair call and prices are very well 

 held. 



BALTIMORE 



Perhaps the only change in the hardwood 

 situation to be reported during the last two 

 weeks is a further advance of .$2 to .$3 in the 

 price of oak, which, however, does not seem at 

 all to have checked the movement. The demand 

 keeps up undiminished, and there is every pros- 

 pect at this time that the year will end with 

 the requirements of the trade up to exceptional 

 proportions. Mills report that they can get 

 offers for all the lumber which they are able to 

 turn out. Not even the merest' tyro in the 

 matter of selling can fail to dispose of stocks 

 if he has them to deliver. This state of affairs 

 extends to practically every division of the 

 trade, with the sole exception of extra wide 

 poplar, which fails to find favor among buyers 

 at such prices as would be commensurate with 

 the scarcity of the wood. The absence of a 

 yrpirited or even moderately active demand for 

 . xtra wide poplar is noted abroad as well as in 

 the domestic trade, and has come to be accepted 

 as a fact which cannot be altered. The ordinary 

 widths are active enough, inquiries being numer- 

 ous and the buyers showing a disposition to meet 

 the prices asked by the producers. 



