33 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



In either plain or quartered oak, and especially 

 is this true of plain stock. It is the concensus 

 of opinion here that stocks will be light in this 

 market for the next year. The supply of logs 

 by river will fall short of any year since 1890. 

 The mills handling logs coming by rail will get 

 their usual supply, but from this source the 

 (juantity coming to this market has in no year 

 amounted to twenty-five per cent of what has 

 come by river. 



There is an unusual activity in the pine 

 market here growing out of the unprecedented 

 activity In the building trade in Chattanooga 

 and adjacent towns. 



Within the next twelve months this city will 

 spend a great deal of money in public improve- 

 ments, including streets, sewers and public parks. 

 The city recently acquired an entire block near 

 the postoffice on which will be located a new city 

 hall. A stock company with $45,000 capital 

 stock has been organized to build a new opera 

 house. The Chattanooga News is erecting an 

 eight-story building near the postoffice, which 

 will be ready for occupancy the first of the year. 

 Work has actually commenced on the big lock 

 and dam power plant. It is expected that the 

 gigantic enterprise will be completed in about 

 two years. The power plant will have a capacity 

 of 40,000 horsepower. 



Nashville. 

 The lumber business here is decidedly brisk, 

 and the sales lor this time of the year are ex- 

 ceeding those of a corresponding period last 

 year. One local firm reports $13,000 more busi- 

 ness for September, 1905, than for September, 

 TJ04, and up to October 21 had shipped ten 

 more cars than for the entire month of October, 

 1004. A noteworthy feature just now is an in- 

 creased demand for quartered oak. and the in- 

 dications are that quartered will attain fair 

 values. Most of it is being sawed from stocks 

 on hand and a shortage would not be surprising. 

 Plain oak is still in good demand. The mills 

 are behind on poplar sidings and upper grades in 

 wide poplar are in demand and very scarce. 

 There Is a good deal of the lower grades on the 

 market. Chestnut is reported very active, with 

 prices firm. Many chestnut poles are being 

 shipped from this point for use as telephone 

 and telegraph poles. Crossties are active and 

 there Is a strong inquiry for them. Cedar as 

 nsnal Is scarce, in great demand and bringing 

 fancy prices. 



Memphis. 

 Practically all inombor.s of the hardwood 

 trade here report a marked improvement in 

 the demand during the past fortnight, and 

 conditions now are better than they have been 

 at any time this year. Buyers are manifest- 

 ing an increased Interest; they want lumber, 

 and they are paying the figures demanded by 

 the trade. Manufacturers and wholesalers in 

 this center have for a number of months held 

 up prices In anticipation of a more active call, 

 and they are now not only getting the better 

 demand but they are securing the best prices 

 of the season on a numter of items. The de- 

 mand Is coming almost altogether from the 

 domestic market, the Inquiry for lumber for 

 shii.mcnt on firm contracts abroad being 

 rather limited owing to the large amount of 

 consignment stock now held on the other 

 side of the water. 



Production has been on a rather liberal 

 scale recently. However, there have been very 

 heavy rains throughout this section the past 

 few days, and many mills will find It difficult 

 to secure sufficient timber to keep In steady 

 operation. Kvery minute of the pretty 

 weather which prevailed In September and 

 the first half of this month was Improved by 

 the mills, and some of them have secured 

 enough timber to keep up operations for some 

 time to come. But, In face of the Increased 

 production referred to, there Is nothing sug- 

 gesting an accumulation of stock. In fact. 



there is as pronounced a scarcity in some 

 items as there has been at any time this sea- 

 son in stock dry enough for immediate hand- 

 ling. Bad weather Is now at hand, and, in 

 view of the effect this is likely to have on 

 production throughout this district, the trade 

 believes not only in the maintenance of pres- 

 ent prices but in the possibility of some fur- 

 ther advance. General trade conditions in all 

 lines of activity are excellent; there is the 

 largest corn crop in the history of the coun- 

 try; the wheat crop is second only to one 

 other in the history of the United States; 

 the cotton crop gives promise of being far 

 above the average, and building activity is 

 phenomenal, with the result that prosperity 

 seems assured for some time to come. Lum- 

 bermen here believe these conditions should 

 be strongly reflected in lumber values and 

 they are not pushing anything for sale, but 

 are holding prices firm on every item on the 

 list. 



Plain oak is strong in both red and white, 

 with the amount of dry stock available very 

 light. The demand for this wood in all grades 

 is excellent, and prices are firmly held. Quar- 

 ter-sawed white oak is reported in slightly 

 better demand, but the movement of quarter- 

 sawed red is unusually light considering the 

 activity in some other items. Ash is in splen- 

 dirl call in all grades. Cypress is in as ac- 

 tive call as heretofore; the amount available 

 is not large enough to give evidence of any 

 surplus, and buyers are not losing any time 

 in securing their wants. Cottonwood in the 

 higher grades, including box boards, is in good 

 call at higher prices; there is some impi'ove- 

 ment noted also in the call for the lower 

 grades. The supply of this wood is very lim- 

 ited, and box men and other large consuming 

 interests are wondering from what source 

 they ■will secure enough with which to busy 

 their plants during the winter and spring. 

 It is estimated on reliable authority that pro- 

 duction this season has not been fifty per cent 

 of normal for the first nine and one-half 

 months of the year. Gum in the higher grades 

 moves with moderate freedom, but the lower 

 grades are somewhat slow, though the amount 

 of gum available in well sawn, well handled 

 stock is not as large as some buyers seem to 

 believe. High-grade poplar is passing freely 

 into trade channels at very satisfactory 

 prices, but there is only a moderate movement 

 shown in the 16wer grades. 



New Orleans. 

 The consensus of opininn n'i;.irding conditions 

 In hardwoods is that the approach of the fall 

 and winter (rade i.s having a mildly beneficial 

 r-ITect upon the demand. Complaints are heard, 

 however, of the high rates and poor car service. 

 All exporters are having trouble with cars, but 

 conditions on the west side of the river are 

 reported almost Intolerable. One large exporter 

 states that he has several carloads of logs and 

 lumber on the Southern Pacllic tracks and has 

 been unable to have the stuff moved, although 

 his elTorts in this direction have extended over 

 a period of about forty-live days. The same 

 exporter complains that thirty or forty cars 

 have been In the city for thirly days and It has 

 been impossible for the railroads to move the 

 lara alongside the ships. Complaints are also 

 made that ocean rates have not been Improved, 

 and that It Is almost Impossible to get space, 

 on this latter point there has been a difference 

 of experience In the case of large concerns. The 

 IH'Kslralstlc man says: "Rates are too high and 

 bookings arc hard to make. The rallr(iad.s give 

 UK beastly service, and, besides, the west side 

 lines have advanced rates. lictween the high 

 rail rates, the high ocean rates, the unsatlsfac. 

 tory car service and light stocks, we are having 

 a hard time doing any business nt all. The ap- 

 proach of fall has shown no relief and things 

 are likely to be worse from now on because there 

 will be no drop In ocean rates and because the 



car scarcity will get more and more pronounced 

 every day." The optimistic side says : "The 

 effect of the fall conditions are being felt. Ocean 

 tales are still high, but they were advanced on 

 the prospect of business and will not hold rigid 

 all fall. It is comparatively easy to get space 

 and some bookings have been made even at July 

 and August rates. There is greater inquiry for 

 ttock and more of it Is moving. Labor conditions 

 at the mills are improving with the raising of 

 quarantines and those mills which were forced 

 to shut down for a while are now running 

 again." 



riain oak is still leading in favor, but stocks 

 are scarce. Some exporters have been advised 

 not to ship any more of the common grades of 

 oak. The call for quartered oak remains about 

 the same, inch stock having a very poor sale, 

 thicker stock being in demand but hard to ob- 

 tain. Gum is reported in a very unsatisfactory 

 condition. There is still some call for cotton- 

 wood, but a few exporters claim that orders 

 have been refused since the advance in rates. 

 Ash and poplar are also being asked for. 

 Cypress manufacturers continue to report satis- 

 factory conditions. Demand is very good and 

 orders are coming in in gratifying volume from 

 all sections. Pi*ices are firm and there is a 

 reported prospect of some items being advanced 

 before long on account of scarcity of stock. 



Bests lead in the shingle demand and stocks 

 are consequently very scarce and there is little 

 prospect of the mills getting any of this stock 

 ahead until after the present volume of busi- 

 ness lets up. No trouble is reported in getting 

 the new list prices for bests. 



There has been little falling off In the demand 

 for lath. Mills are still unwilling to accept 

 straight car orders, but a few of these are being 

 loaded out when customers are willing to pay 

 a premium over the list. 



Minneapolis. 



Large operations are the order of the day in 

 the northwest. Some big railroad deals have 

 been closed lately at top prices, involving large 

 shipments of bridge timbers and oak ties for 

 switches. Some big orders have also been placed 

 lately by manufacturing concerns. The factory 

 demand for finish woods is growing somewhat 

 slacker as the building season draws to a close, 

 but there will be something doing In special mill 

 work through the winter, as the rush this sum- 

 mer caused quite a little work to be deferred, 

 and some large structures are just beginning 

 to be enclosed. Birch is still a fair seller, and 

 prices remain steady, although it Is evident that 

 (luite a little bircli stock will be carried over. 

 It is in strong hands, and the holders feel confi- 

 dent of its value. Ilasswood is quiet again, and 

 the upper grades are somewhat weaker in price, 

 but culls are active and commanding a higher 

 figure. 



Quartered oak Is advancing and is now com- 

 manding $2 a thousand more than a fortnight 

 ago. The factory demand for It has been steady 

 and the mills have not put so much on the 

 market lately, having run more to plain oak on 

 account of stllT prices offered for that article. 

 Plain oiik Is still firm: !f'M Is the price pre- 

 dicted before the holidays. There Is a little 

 white oak offered from Wisconsin, but northern 

 red oak Is cleaned up and orders are being filled 

 from southern stock. 



The car situation Is easier and Ibe white pine 

 mills are making heavy sblpinints. .\ fair 



amount of hardwood Is going out In mixed cars. 

 Flooring Is the chief Item In demand and lately 

 a number of straight cars of flooring have been 

 shipped. Hardwood stock has gone out to quite 

 an extent in cars with mill work. The general 

 situation Is very satisfactory, except for the 

 comparative scarcity of slock. The upper grades 

 of finish woods seem to be getting more exclusive 

 every day. 



.V feature of the market Is a great revival In 

 (•iio|)eiage, which has been a drug all the year. 

 There Is a heavy movement and the shops are 



