32 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



St. Louis. 



There has been quite a noticeable improve- 

 ment in the hardwood demand the past two 

 weeks. A general canvass of the situation 

 reveals a universal satisfactory feeling, both 

 as to volume and prices. White oak, plain 

 sawed, is still in brisk call at well maintained 

 figures. Clear and seconds red oak, plain 

 sawed, is scarce, and is commanding prices 

 somewhat above the list. White quartered 

 oak shows a very decided betterment in de- 

 mand, and prices are accordingly improved. 

 The call for poplar is more active than for 

 some time past, and the upper grades have 

 made a record in sales the past month. Hick- 

 ory is in better request from the wagon mak- 

 ers than for a number of months back, and is 

 showing some signs of revival in price as well. 

 Gum is in continued fair demand at firm 

 prices. Cottonwood also lias shown improve- 

 ment, and is selling in larger quantities than 

 for some time. 



Nashville. 

 Local lumbermen are busy. The market is 

 full of buyers, many of them from the East 

 and North, and trade is reported brisk in 

 nearly all lines. Prices are firm. Plain oak 

 is probably the best seller. There is an ac- 

 tive demand for ash and any amount of it 

 Is taken readily at quotations. The same is 

 true of chestnut. Some improvement is noted 

 in poplar; in fact, there is quite an active 

 demand for firsts and seconds. Owing to 

 approaching cold weather some of the retail- 

 ers are holding off in their purchases, pre- 

 ferring not to carry over large stocks through 

 the winter months. On the other hand, some 

 believe they can readily sell all they get and 

 are buying right along, figuring that the build- 

 ing boom, which has been steady tor months 

 past, will continue. 



Memphis. 



The demand for hardwood lumber here con- 

 tinues satisfactory. The volume of business 

 is as heavy as the limited offerings of dry 

 stock will allow, and prices are advancing. 

 The foreign demand has displayed little or 

 no improvement, and while fair with respect 

 to certain stock is on the whole In rather 

 poor shape. Plain oak continues strong in 

 both red and white and in all grades, being 

 about the strongest item on the list. How- 

 ever, ash and cypress follow very close and 

 are in excellent demand, the movement in- 

 cluding all grades. Quarter-sawed oak is 

 holding its own and if there is any change it 

 is in the direction of Improvement, This 

 applies to both red and white varieties in 

 the higher grades, Cottonwood is gaining 

 In strength because it is growing scarcer con- 

 stantly. Production is limited and shipments 

 are In excess of the output, with the result 

 that considerable inroads are being made on 

 holdings. The most active demand is for the 

 higher grades. Gum is a free seller in all 

 grades, but poorly sawed, poorly handled stock 

 is a drug on the market regardless of the 

 grade. Poplar is very steady in the higher 

 grades, although the general improvement In 

 low-grade lumber Is reflected to some extent 

 In common and cull poplar. 



Rather better weather conditions have pre- 

 vailed In this territory during the past week, 

 but the amount of lumber produced during the 

 past month has been far below the average 

 for this time of year. A prominent lumber- 

 man, who traveled through Mississippi re- 

 cently, says that In hl.s twenty years' experience 

 in Mississippi he had never seen a season 

 when lumbermen went Into the winter with 

 such small quantities of cither lumber or logs 

 as thl.f year. He says he traveled two days 

 without seeing a mill In operation and many 

 of the larger mills are unable to do anything 

 because of the timber shortage. II'- rcprirts 

 similar conditions in Arkansas. 



Minneapolis. 



There is little buying in the northwest at 

 present, but this does not seem to have a de- 

 liressing effect. Dealers have all had a fair 

 run of trade this fall, and expect slow time» 

 iKlween now and the first of tlie year. The 

 situation is strong chiefiy i)ecause the small 

 mills and the commission men who cut prices 

 have run out of stock, and hardwoods in the 

 north are practically all in the liands of mills 

 or dealers who know what the stock is worth, 

 and can afford to wait until they get their 

 price. Consumption of liardwood is heavy in 

 most of the factories, which are en.loying a 

 prosperous season, and it will not be a great 

 while before their present accumulations of 

 material will be cleaned up, and they will be 

 buying again. While dealers are not saying 

 much about conditions and consider llie mar- 

 ket about dead, good sales are being made 

 and the factories are keeping in close touch 

 with the market, preparatory to laying in new 

 stocks after their invoice taking. 



Low-grade birch and basswood are the best 

 sellers; the upper grades of these woods are 

 not much sought after just now. Oak is the 

 subject of frequent inquirj', and any good 

 northern stock offered meets with ready sale 

 at satisfactory prices. There is not enough 

 to be a great figure in the market, and south- 

 ern stock is coming in and selling at almost 

 the same figures. Rock elm is scarce also, 

 and stiff in price, good stock being in de- 

 mand. Soft elm and ash are comparatively 

 active and values are good. 



Flooring is about the only item of hardwood 

 in which country trade is interested. A no- 

 ticeable feature of this business is tliat the 

 smaller towns are calling for better grades of 

 flooring. 



The advance in pine prices has made hard- 

 wood lumbermen feel that their product is cer- 

 tainly wortii present prices, if not more, and 

 in that way has had a toning effect on the 

 market. No one expects any surplus stock tii 

 be carried over into next season, and reports 

 received here from the mills indicate that 

 Wisconsin will put in as great an amount 

 of hardwood logs this winter as possible. New 

 mills in Minnesota are taking the place of 

 those cut out and quitting business in 

 Wisconsin, but the Minnesota field is not a 

 big one, and is considered only as a temporary 

 factor. 



Louisville. 



The most acti\'e interest in tiie hardwood 

 trade in Louisville of late has been in car 

 stock, which is in very active demand, with 

 a slight advance in price. The entire hard- 

 wood list has improved materially during 

 the past fortnight, both in demand and price. 

 The country mills are busy, and conditions are 

 most favorable. The only dark cloud on the 

 horizon is tlie scarcity of cars, which is met 

 at all points. 



Notwithstanding the fact that the poplar mar- 

 ket appears to be improving right along, some 

 Cottonwood people claim tiiat their product is 

 getting the preference in many Instances at 

 even prices, Cottonwood dealers emphasize 

 strongly the point that it no longer plays sec- 

 ond fiddle to poplar, but now stands alone on 

 its own merits. Some quartered oak is mov- 

 ing, but there is no special excitement in this 

 branch of the trade. Quotations vary con- 

 siderabfy, running $38 to $40 on No, 1 com- 

 mon and $00 to $65 on firsts and seconds, 

 with some exceptionally good stock going 

 above the higher ' figures, and some liargain 

 lots probably changing hands under the mmi- 

 mum. 



buyers are in many instances placing orders 

 for next year's supply. 



There is a steady and firm advance in tlie 

 price of poplar. Firsts and seconds liave gone 

 up $2 and a raise of from $5 to $7 is expected 

 by January 1. 



There is a particularly strong demand for 

 low grade stock, especially numbers 2 and 3 

 and mill culls of different thicknesses and 

 dealers should be able to secure the best prices 

 on all sucli stock. 



Poplar being so low in price is making itself 

 conspicuous in contrast witli other building 

 materials, and indications point toward a 

 scarcity of that wood within the next few 

 months owing to the immense output. 



London. 



Tliere is little activity in tlie movement of 

 lumber at the moment, but prices are firm, 

 and, as freight rates have advanced consider- 

 ably and arrivals are light, it will give holders 

 a chance to sell goods lying at the docks with- 

 out having the fresh arrivals to compete witli. 



Tliere liave been rumors of the failure of one 

 or two lumber dealers here, which has caused 

 a check fo a not overbrisk market, and it 

 is possible that some of the lumber importers 

 liere will see the wisdom, or otherwise, of sell- 

 ing as mucli as they can on contract. Hav- 

 ing large consignments of the same class and 

 grade of stocks to compete witli, it is quite 

 evident that if lumber is contracted for at say 

 $40 and the same grade of lumber arriving on 

 consignment at same time can be bought on 

 the quay at $35 some one loses money besides 

 tlie shipper. 



Walnut arrivals of boards are not heavy 

 and parcels of good quality are realizing (air 

 prices. Logs are not wanted unless abso- 

 lutely prime and fit for veneers, when good 

 prices can be obtained. Oak boards, in prime 

 and medium quality, are firm at good prices. 

 Planks are doing well at a slight advance in 

 prices and are expected to do better. Satin 

 walnut holds its prices and arrivals are 

 scarce at the moment. Quartered oak is sel- 

 dom inquired for now. Of whitewood there 

 is a fair demand for prime dressed stocks, but 

 the cheaper grades are difficult to dispose of. 

 Mahogany is a very good seller at present 

 at good prices, in fact it seems to be the only 

 wood that is selling well. 



r? 



COTTONWOOD 



GUN and HARDWOODS 



PAEPCKE-L[ICHT mm CO. 



Mills: 



I Cairo, 111. 



' Marked Tree, Ark, 

 Arkiitisas City, Ark, 

 Ulylhcrvllle. Ark, 

 (Jrecnvtllc, Miss. 



General Ollices: 

 Tribune Buildint, 



CHICAGO 



•2:1 



JANNEY-WHITINQ LUMBER COMPANY 



w'Httl.i sAl-i r.^sM itr^i i;s ul 

 SOUTHERN AND NORTHERN WHITE PINE AND HARD- 

 WOODS. SQLARES. BALUSTER STOCK, ETC. 

 Yard and Ollicp 1 151 Bench Si. Pier 52 North Wharves 

 l»Hll.Al)l;Li>HlA, PA. 



Ashland. 



Business In local hardwood circles Is un- 

 usually brisk for this time of the year, and 



WHITIN(i MANUFACTL'RINO COMPANY 



M,\NCFAClCHhKs •>!' 



BAND SAWN STOCK WIDTHS IN 

 HARDWOODS AND WHITE PINE 



EI.IZAHHTHION, 



TENNESSEE 



