28 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



replenished by arrivals by rail from the South. 

 Dealers who have auy quantity of it feel quite 

 independent. 



There is some complaint of the accumula- 

 tion of various low grades of hardwood, for 

 which there is not quite the use that is some- 

 limes found. It is also claimed that prices 

 of most hardwoods are too low and there is 

 no prospect of advance right away. Some 

 dealers say this is because the producer and 

 jobber are too easy in their prices, but it 

 is difficult to fight against white and yellow 

 pine when they are wanted so badly at stead- 

 ily increasing prices. It is claimed that a 

 rush in pine is followed by corresponding ac- 

 tivity in hardwood, so next year ouglit to 

 show more movement than has been the case 

 lately. 



Oak is a good seller, but there is no change 

 of account to be noted in either plain or 

 quartered. Ash and birch hold a leading 

 place in the market and some dealers are 

 selling elm. but maple and basswood arc slack. 

 maple selling in more quantity than basswood. 

 but at no higher prices. Cypress will always 

 sell well while it is lower than white pine. 

 Poplar is doing better than for some time. 

 l)Ut is lather quiet. Prices are not very 

 strong, it doe.i not appear that hardwood stocks 

 from Ihe Soutli will come in very fast, as cars 

 are very scarce and the weather bad. so that thi- 

 plan should be to hold all lumber at a good 

 price. All southern hardwoods are reported ac- 

 tive. 



Saginaw Valley. 



The hardwood market isn't rushing, but it is 

 in better form than it has been before this sea- 

 son, and that is something to its credit when 

 it is taken into account that business just now 

 is settling down for the holiday season and the 

 close of the year is at hand. There is quite a 

 demand for maple and a number of large con- 

 tracts for stock for future delivery have been 

 made. Prices for this commodity are also fairly 

 satisfactory. Oak ana ash have had a good 

 season this year and are just as much in de- 

 mand as ever, with good prices obtainable. Deal- 

 ers are carrying very good stocks of maple, beech 

 and basswood and the latter is doing much bet- 

 ter than It did earlier in the year. Not much 

 activity is expecied. however, until after the 

 beginning of the year, and the car tie-up mate- 

 I lally hinders the shipment of lumber. There 

 has never been a time when the scarcity of 

 cars was so acute in this valley in the lumber 

 trade. Kecch. elm and birch are not in large 

 supply, but iliere Is more inquiry for them for 

 future wants than has been the case in some 

 time, anil Ihe prospects for the trade all alonR 

 the line aii- much more satisfactory than they 

 have been. 



Grand Eapids. 



The car situation is improving and. on the 

 whole, this can also be said of the hardwood 

 market. Four-quarter ba.sswood. elm and 

 thick maple are moving slowly, though somi- 

 Improvement is noted. Birch seems to be in 

 belter demand, while oak and ash continue 

 active. According to the present outlook dry 

 stocks will be well cleaned up by the (Irst 

 of the year. Some of the dealers in Michigan 

 hardwoods report a good Pacltic coast trade. 



Milwaukee. 

 While admitting that It Is lime for the usual 

 holiday depression In business, .Milwaukee deal- 

 ers and tl-.oHf throughout the stale, so far as 

 reported, are iinwllllng to admit that there will 

 be the cubtomnry slack of trade. They assert 

 that orders ahead are now of sultlclent volume 

 to warrant the prediction that they will be 

 kept busy and that after the new year they 

 will he con!i,elliil to work an extra force In order 

 lo catch up with the orders which may have 

 occumulattd. 



While some of the local jobbers are inclined 

 lo complain over the margins they obtain, the 

 majority of the hardwood men in this section 

 of tlie slate say they are getting all out of the 

 huslness tluit existing conditions warrant. 'I'herc 

 is a shortage in some kinds of material, notably 

 oak and maple, and this is responsible for 

 prices which rtile above the range of the ordi- 

 nary consumer. But in other kinds of material, 

 where there is a proportion between Ihe supply 

 and demand, the conditions arc such that there 

 is little complaint on either side. 



Wisconsin purchasers of hardwood himbcr 

 liave come to realize that the timber supply oC 

 the state is limited. With the onward march of 

 ilie settler the felling of the forests has kept 

 pace and the pine and other soft woods which were 

 easily disposed of at a good profit have lieen 

 cleared away. But the task of "luirvesttng' 

 the hardwood and turning it into marketable 

 material lias been a more arduous one, and as 

 a result timber that was wasted or burned with 

 Ihe slashings a few years ago is now being tunii'il 

 to account. It is conceded that this state is still 

 in the hardwood field as a producer as well as 

 a consumer, but as the supply of timber nears an 

 cud it is being husbanded more carefully, with 

 the result that it is becoming more scarce and 

 there are more of the poorer grades ou the mar- 

 ket. Those who are close to the situation assert 

 I hat there is no cause for alarm and that Wis- 

 consin will be a hardwood state for twenty years 

 ;o come, but it is believed that the quality of 

 local timl'cr will gradually decrease and that Ihe 

 prices will advance in corresponding degree. 



,Iust now there is little in the hardwood line 

 that is a drug on the market. Anything that 

 will pass the scaler as hardwood is snapped up 

 greedily and while the jobbers have been cul- 

 ling down their stock intentionally, at the same 

 time they have found that the demand has 

 made this not a dilBcult process of elimination. 



It was expected that the opening of this week 

 would bring about an end to the car shortage, 

 hill this is not the case. Many of the shipiiers 

 report that they are still behind with their or- 

 ders and that they expect to be for several 

 weeks to come, at least until all the western 

 wheat crop has been sent to the seaboard. 



Prices are tirm in all lines, inquiry is strong 

 and there is a general optimistic feeling in the 

 business throughout the state. 



Bristol. 

 The situation here remains unchanged and 

 liiinbernien are still expecting a heavy winter 

 aud spring business. The mills are all very 

 busy, and as far as permissible on account of 

 recent wet weal her are operating steadily. A 

 matter of the most serious concern here is the 

 car shortage, which lias practically shut some 

 concerns out of their shipping altogether, tin 

 the side lines it is almost impossible to gel 

 cars, and It Is feared the conditions will not be 

 relieved before they have been far-reaching in 

 their ilaniiiging consequences. 



Cincinnati. 

 The hardwood situation during the past 

 two weeks has been highly satisfactory. Ow- 

 ing to the approach of stock-taking time it 

 was feared b.v some members of the trade 

 that there would be a falllng-oft in the de- 

 mand, but on the contrary. It appears that 

 orders are Increasing. The fear tliat there 

 will soon be a decided shrinkage In stocks 

 iind that the dllllcully In obtaining sulllcieul 

 freight cars lo ship will lncrea.se has causi'd 

 consumers to purchase on a liberal scale so as 

 to be prepared for whatever happens. In the 

 la.'lt fortnight plain oak surrendered Its iiosl- 

 tlon as the leading seller to ash. which was In 

 special request from carriage manufacluriMS. 

 Thick ash has sold more readily than Inch, 

 but the latter was not a laggard b.v any 

 means. Plain red oak continued as active 



as previously and tlie same may be said oi 

 plain white in desirable grades. Prices have 

 been sustained on a very firm basis. Quarter- 

 sawed oak has held its own. Poplar. In tno 

 liigher grades, continued its gradual improve- 

 ment at strong values. Common was moder- 

 ately free in movement at old figures. Cotton- 

 wood stocks are decreasing and show a 

 hardening tendency under .a brisk demand 

 from box manufacturers. Red gum require- 

 ments have been urgent and this wood has 

 maintained its position. Chestnut and birch 

 icmain firm and are eagerly sought. 



Chattanooga. 



Tliere is a decided impruveiiienl in the de- 

 mand for lumber in this market. The exten- 

 sive Iniilding in Chattanooga and vicinity has 

 given local planing mills the busiest year that 

 they liave ever had. Prices are well ninin- 

 maintained on all hardwoods. 



The supply of oak continues unusually short, 

 and the demand exceptionally good. There are 

 constant inquiries for high-grade oak that mills 

 and dealers cannot fill for want of stock. 



'Jlie mills here handling river logs are all 

 shut down waiting a rise to bring in more tim- 

 ber. Before this new stock is dry enough to 

 ship tile old stock will he exhausted. There are 

 several mills here running very largely on logs 

 brouglit in by rail wliich are kept busy all 

 through the season, but their stocks are being 

 exhausted just as rapidly as they become mar- 

 ketable. 



In the way of chestnut of high grade tliere Is 

 nothing in the market of any conseipience. 

 Sound wormy chestnut is moving more rapidly 

 than at any time during the past three .years. 

 Casket manufacturers are the largest buyers 

 of this grade of lumber and are now placing 

 orders to provide for their wants during the 

 winter months. 



High grade poplar is very scarce. There is 

 practically no Xo. 1 common poplar In the city 

 except a limited supply of 1-lnch. There Is 

 probiibly not a carload of box boards in any 

 one yard in the city. 



If indications as they appear now to tiiosc 

 familiar wilh lumber conditions are to be taken 

 as a criterion, it is safe to predict not only a 

 great scarcity of lumber during the next few 

 months, but a considerable advance in prices. 



St. Louis. 



Willi the coming of December a slight falling 

 ofl" 111 business is expected, but up to this time 

 such has not been the case In this market. 

 There is an excellent demand for nearly all 

 hardwoods, at .somewhat better prices than have 

 ruled in transactions closed late in November. 

 Stocks are badly broken In many instances, and 

 anxious buyers are more eager to get what they 

 rtqulre than to haggle over a slight difference 

 in price. 



Plain oak Is still in active denuuid. and the 

 inroads made on stocks In dealers' hands have 

 luen heavy, until now some anxlet.v Is felt as 

 lo where future supplies will be obtained. IJuar- 

 tered oak has shown some iiiiproveiiKMil. ami a 

 few nice orders for It are reported, with Indica- 

 tions that the early future will show a more 

 active call for it than for several weeks past. 

 Ash Is In pretty good demand at well suslained 

 jirlces. Poplar has lost none of its hold on 

 buyers' favor, and both nppiM- and lower grades 

 are Helling In large (piautltles. tliim Is In bct- 

 ler Inquiry than for some time, and Iransac- 

 lions reported are quite large In (piaiitily and at 

 full list prices. Cottonwood Is having n brisk 

 call. Box boards are going oul lo (he wagon 

 makers In huge quaiitllles. ami box nnimifac- 

 tiirers are placing good sized orders at full mar- 

 ket prices. The situation viewed from an.v 

 staiulpolnt is eiu'oiiragliig for early Deceinber 

 and It looks as If the hardwood people will 

 Have about nit the business they I'an coinfort- 

 i.hly handle under present seasonable conditions. 



