HARDWOOD RECORD 



49 



General business conditions at Memphis are 

 «xtremely satisfactory. Bank clearings during 

 November brolie all records for any single month 

 in the history of this city, with a total of 

 $53,000,000. The large cotton sales and the ex- 

 cellent prices obtained thereon have in some 

 measure accounted for this unusual gain in 

 ■clearings, but other lines have made substantial 

 contributions to this splendid showing. It is 

 certain that the lumbermen have rendered more 

 assistance than lor several years at this time. 

 It was in November, 1907, when the lumber 

 business began the decline which lasted for sev- 

 eral years. This is the first November since that 

 time when business has really been satisfactory 

 to the lumbermen of this city and section. 



NASHVILLE 



Conditions of the hardwood trade here con- 

 tinue favorable. The demands are still good and 

 are being well sustained, although letting up 

 slightly, perhaps, with the approach of the 

 Christmas holidays. After the holidays, how- 

 ever, it is confidently believed there will be 

 much activity all along the line. Red and white 

 plain and quartered oak continue to lead in the 

 demands, while cottonwood, gum and chestnut 

 are still in good call. The box malsers are espe- 

 cially calling for low-grade stock. High-grade 

 poplar shows improvement. Walnut, hickory, 

 beech, maple and other woods are about holding 

 their own. There are good calls for railroad ties 

 and timbers. The builders are rushing their 

 work in an effort to get through with outside 

 operations before the advent of real winter 

 weather. The general tone of the market con- 

 tinues good. There has been a remarkable con- 

 tinuation of good weather lor this season of the 

 year. The consuming factories and mill working 

 plants are making active calls for the season. 

 Furniture prices bid fair to remain firm lor the 

 present at least notwithstanding advances else- 

 where. 



BRISTOL 



Hardwood lumbermen of this city report trade 

 more brisk than for some time. There is a de- 

 cided scarcity of stocks and in some quarters 

 a serious car shortage, but a large volume ol 



THREE STATES LUMBER CO. 



Manufacturers oi 



SOUTHERN HARDWOODS 

 Cottonwood and Red Cum 



SPECIALTIES 

 Main Ollice, Memphis, Tenn. 



BLUESTONELAND& 

 LUMBER COMPANY 



MANUFACTURE R S 



West Virginia Hardwoods 



SOFT WHITE PINE 

 OAK POPLAR 



CHESTNUT HEMLOCK 



BAND SAWED STOCK 



Complete Planing Mill Facilities 

 RIDGWAY, PENNSYLVANIA 



businesses being done. Prices are slightly more 

 favorable, with prospects of further improvement 

 during the winter and spring. About all the 

 mills are busy and the railroads are taxed to 

 their capacity in moving the heavy trarttc. 



ST. LOUIS 



1 



The hardwood trade is seasonable, the near- 

 ness to the holidays and stocktaking time reduc- 

 ing the selling to small buyers. The large deal- 

 ers, however, are buying whenever they can get 

 the right kind of stocks. There is an excellent 

 demand lor plain red and white oak and the 

 call lor quarter-sawed white oak is getting bet- 

 ter. All grades ol cottonwood are selling well 

 and so is red gum. There is a good request also 

 for thick ash. Other items on the list are -fairly 

 active. Considering the lateness of the season, 

 a fairly good volume of business is reported by 

 the local cypress dealers, although stocktaking 

 time is cutting down sales. Most of the sales 

 now being made are lor small lots and for quick 

 shipment. 



MEW ORLEANS 



The hardwood lumber trade in all branches 

 continues to share in the general prosperity, the 

 only unfavorable feature being the scarcity of 

 transportation equipment. 



Dealers are pleased to report that some of the 

 lower grades of hardwoods are very active at 

 this time and that satisfactory prices are being 

 obtained. With the lower grade business to fall 

 back on, they can afford to await the freshening 

 up of the movement of upper grades, and as the 

 factory demand for uppers is improving steadily 

 it is the opinion that it will not be many more 

 weeks before all the local trade is back on its 

 regular fall and winter basis and all dealers 

 will be getting their share of the trade. While 

 transportation facilities have had a slight effect 

 on the local business, it has in some cases se- 

 riously affected the export hardwood trade. 



In volume, the exports, as usual at this sea- 

 son, have been at a low figure the past few weeks 

 and so far as it can be estimated the figures 

 have shown a lalling oBE lor November. On the 

 other hand, the shipments from New Orleans 

 have equalled if not excelled those lor Novem- 

 ber, 1911, and a complete compilation will prob- 

 ably show where the movement has been some- 

 what larger. For the remainder of the year, the 

 prospect is for light movement, but as for a 

 long time the limit is placed upon it by trans- 

 portation facilities, and the market on the other 

 side ol the water will create demands on these 

 facilities to their capacity. 



Those shippers who have ocean contracts ex- 

 tending to the end of the year are making special 

 efforts to get off as much as possible under the 

 old rates, but this business is not of sufficient 

 magniture to affect the general situation, a 

 great many contracts having expired Oct. 1. 

 Outside ol this, it is to be expected that Decem- 

 ber will be a comparatively quiet month, but 

 there is no reason why the shipments should 

 not equal the standard of the month lor previous 

 years. 



lactories and other manufacturing plants to 

 begin slocking up soon after the beginning of the 

 new year, when Inventories are out of the way 

 and business for 191,'? begins to make itself 

 manifest. Dry stocks in all lines are still at a 

 low ebb, in fact, were never lower at this sea- 

 son ol the year. Reports from the northern 

 mills would indicate that both logging and 

 sawing operations will attain a new high mark 

 this winter, If weather conditions are lavorable. 

 Considerable trouble is being experienced in get- 

 ting stocks Irom both the North and the South. 

 Birch and maple in all grades are hard to 

 get and advanced prices are being paid cheer- 

 lully in most cases. Basswood is wanted, but 

 stocks in both upper and lower grades are light. 

 Plain red and white quarter sawed oak are still 

 the leaders in southern hardwoods and prices 

 are somewhat higher. 



miLWAVKBB 



Although the demand lor hardwoods is largely 

 only lor immediate wants, business is holding 

 up especially well and is decidedly larger in 

 volume than it was at this time a year ago. To 

 a certain extent, this is .due to the excellent 

 weather which is keeping the building activity 

 high above the point usually experienced at this 

 season of the year. Conditions in the Milwau- 

 kee building field may be taken as a criterion of 

 ' the situation all over the state. 



Local wholesalers look for the sash and door 



DETROIT 



Notwithstanding serious handicaps the De- 

 troit hardwood market is in first class condi- 

 tion. One of the big problems the hardwood men 

 are lacing is the shortage ol Ireight cars and 

 resultant del.a.vs in shipments. Practically every 

 dealer reports orders on hand which cannot be 

 filled owing to dela.vod consignments. Prices 

 have been steadily advancing and dealers ex- 

 pect lurther increases. 



Red oak, maple, birch, ash and cypress have 

 been the leaders in the demand. Red oak and 

 maple stocks are reported scarce. Poplar is 

 again In demand, automobile interests placing 

 orders lor this wood quite liberally. The build- 

 ing boom in Detroit, \^Ich has continued well 

 into the winter months, has also done Its share 

 towards strengthening the hardwood market. 

 The hardwood flooring and interior finish fac- 

 tories are all busy. The box and veneer trades 

 also show considerable activity. 



LIVERPOOL 



The market position here is exceptionally 

 strong and firm, even stronger than was re- 

 ported in last report. The mahogany export is 

 very firm. Very "bullish" reports have been re- 

 ceived ol the luture market from the West coast. 

 All the leading people prophesy even higher 

 figures than were ruling at tl»e last sales. The 

 next sales will occur the second week in Decem- 

 ber and although there are three down on the 

 fixture list, the wood offered is only small in 

 quantit.v. Advices from Africa are that prices 

 will have to advance still higher as the present 

 supplies are being drawn further from the sea- 

 board and consequently the cost of importation 

 Is much higher. The first shipments of hickory 

 and oak logs this season have arrived and were 

 sold at extraordinary prices. Hickory brought 

 2/11 and the 2/7 ex quay Liverpool. Round 

 ash logs of any size are also wanted badly and 

 prices are very firm lor the small stocks on 

 hand. Birch of any quality is practically non- 

 existant. Only a lew logs — old shakey stock — 

 is on offer and this is not of much commercial 

 value. Wagon oak specillcatlons are going very 

 well, and firm prices are being realized lor all 

 sizes. Coffin oak specifications are also very firm 

 and are bringing good figures. Several orders 

 for oak scantlings are much overdue, probably 

 because ol the high freights. Much grumbling is 

 heard among trades here at the absence of ship- 

 ments when the market is against the shippers. 

 01 course the shippers who do not fulfill their 

 contracts at times like these will lose much 

 sympathy and it would be a more business-like 

 policy for those who want future business to de- 

 liver all the stock they have contracted lor. 

 The volume ol business during the past lortuight 

 has been quite bad even in spite of high prices 

 though it is mighty difficult to get anyone to con- 

 tract far ahead at present values. 



