3" 



While tilt* average lumberman's tiual balances 

 for the year have not been made, in a general 

 way it is liuown that in the majority of eases 

 marly all have made money in a moderate way. 

 It Is probable tliat never before in the history of 

 ihe t'hieago hardwood irade has the general 

 tinaneial condition of dealers been in as good 

 ■^liape as it is at the i)resent time. 



Boston. 



The market for liar<lwoods lias sliowu more 

 '.■ndeney to strengthen I ban for some time i)ast. 

 l-'tirniture manufactn)'ers have been busy Mint 

 have good orders ahead. Veneer mills are well 

 employed. Stoclis of liardwood are not burden- 

 some and in some instances tliere is a decided 

 shortage. One of the largest handlers in this 

 market states that the supply of hardwood lum- 

 ber will be smaller .lanuary 1 than for several 

 years. lie explains tliis condition by saying lliat 

 many cars that slionld have arrived here liave 

 not been sliipped owing to the ear famine or 

 because the railroads did not have engines enough 

 to liandli the business offered them. A shortage 

 of cars is always expected at this time of the 

 year, but it is worse now than ever before and 

 no encouragement is held out that il will be any 

 better for some time. Trices are very tlrm and 

 many predict higher values during Ihe ne.\t few 

 months at least. Orders for spring delivery arc 

 being placed at today's prices. 



I'lain oak is in very good demand. From lei 

 ters received by wholesalers it is learned iliat 

 the supply of plain oak ready for shipment is 

 very small in primary markets. Tractically the 

 ■ inly stock in the market is inch lumber; thicker 

 I ban this is very scarce. One incli is quoted 

 firmer at ?51. (Juartered oak. one incli ones and 

 twos, is in very good call. Some dealers report 

 a very decided increase in the demand. It is 

 quoted at :fT(J to .^TS. but the latter figure Is 

 nearer the mark for business. Tliere is a short 

 supply of brown ash with the greatest scarcity 

 reported in stock thicker than one inch. The 

 latter is quoted at $50. Wholesalers report a 

 very good demand. ^NHiite ash is in fair demaiid 

 at $4i>. 



The call for chestnut is fairly aclive and of- 

 ferings are not large. Iteports of price enlting 

 in maple flooring are still heard, but tliey are 

 not as pronounced as they were. Dealers are 

 receiving reports from the small mills showing 

 liat they are well lilled up with orders and are 

 lot prepared to lake on more business excepting 

 at full prices. Wisconsin red birch demand is 

 not brisk. A very fair call is reported for 

 cypre.ss. A shortage of desirable stock is found. 

 One of the large mills has been trying to buy In 

 fhe open market in order to get stock enough to 

 -atlsfy its trade. Reports of cutting prices are 

 tieard from salesmen who have recently rettirned 

 from trips. With tlie shortage reported several 

 dealei's say that they do lutt see bow anyfjne can 

 expect to fill orders without a loss where lower 

 than list prices are quoted. Ited gum meets with 

 but little InquiiT at present. Whitewood is sell- 

 ing In rather a slow way. One inch ones and 

 twf)s are reported a tittle stllTei-. 



New York. 



There has iieen a decidedly better tone to Ihe 

 hardwood situation during the past fortnight and 

 indications point to a good movement of stock 

 through the winter and spring. I'rices are linn 

 as a whole and in the wholesale market the de- 

 mand for stock Is brisk, considering the ap. 

 proaching holiday .season. While a majority of 

 Ihe yards are carrying fairly good stocks such Is 

 not the case with the trim, furniture and gr-neral 

 manufacturing trade, and it Is current report 

 that Ihe latter buyers are carrying such light 

 sIfM'ks that any rush of tuislness forces them Into 

 Ihe market with orders for Immediate delivery. 

 In view of this fact II Is predicted that with 

 Ihe tlrst touch of spring there will be a big rush 

 to buy. While It seems to be the consensus of 

 opinion that there x\\] be n fair supply of stock 

 at mill points for spring delivery, the prospective 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



(lemaiul is sudi as in gtv«' a linu'ly warning; "in 

 come early and avoid the rush.*' There is at 

 preseul a shortage of rcmmon and better plain 

 (tak, ash. bircli and chestnut, alihciugh the poorer 

 grades are plentiful eudugh and it seems a safe 

 prediction thai this shortage will not he relieved 

 between now and sprinj;. In<h plain oak and 

 ash are strung at $47. and chest nut at $4r). 

 Hasswood is steady at .fiUT.riO for log run. (.mar- 

 terod oak goes begging, and there is more than 

 enough stock for current wants at prices ranging 

 as low as $(;s to $7o. Birch is strong and scarce. 

 Alaple is in ample supply and unly fair call. 

 I'opiar is moving fairly well. I»ut is slow getting 

 back to its former ground. I'rice.s show a slighi 

 change, and concessions are being asked and 

 granted in some instances. As a whole, however. 

 tUt year closes witli the hardwood market stronu. 



Baltimore. 



Tht* b;irihvood trade lont -uncs in tlie same 

 jirosperous condition. The market is remarU 

 ably strong and values are lirmly sustained. 

 iAood dry oak i?; still very active, stocks beng 

 eagerly sought by dealers as well as consumers. 

 and the range of prices benig high enough lo 

 stimulate production to the utmost. The com- 

 n;on grades are considerably easier than for 

 some time, both as to supply and values, nnd 

 the stocks held here arc ami^le for current re 

 ouirements. It is only the better quality of 

 lumber in which, a shortage may he said lo 

 exist. Ash is hardly less active than oak, the 

 holiday season having so far exerted no very 

 appreciable effect upon th<' demand. Huyers 

 are in the market to a <'onsiderable extent and 

 the movement is fairly large, being restricted 

 somewhat by ihe freighl emliargo on the rail- 

 roads. There is still a good call for mahogany 

 from manufaf turers of slore fixtures and fiirni- 

 lure. The revival in the domestic pt)pularity 

 of walnut also continues and relatively large 

 quantities of this wood are entering into con 

 sumption. Chestnut, maple and other hardwoods 

 are all being used freely at the i)resent time, an<l 

 the movement would attain even larger pro- 

 portions but for the transportation problem. 

 Poplar alone appears to be rather dull, wilb 

 prices hardly up to the general range. The 

 diversion from this wood whi<'h to(ik place some 

 time ago has not yet been neuti'alized. so that. 

 ^otwith!^tandi•lg attractive olTerings. the call for 

 stocks is only fair, while there is more or less 

 fluctuation in values. 



The exporters continue to report trade cjuiei. 

 They state that the range of prices in the do 

 mestic market makes it impessible to lay down 

 stocks abroad at Iigures satisfactory to foreign 

 buyers. One thing in favor of the exporter is 

 comparatively low ocean freight rates, wiiich 

 goes far to keep the quotatiuus within such 

 bounds as make selling f)ossible. The stocks 

 held in England and on (be continent are mod- 

 erately large regardless of the quiet in ilw 

 trade, which is taken as an indication that mu<'li 

 lun;il:er is being forwarded cm consignment. 



Pittsburg. 

 The year 1905 is closing In a way cxlicniely 

 satisfactory to the trade. Uuring most of \\w 

 year the majority of concerns have had orders 

 away ahead of stocks. Kxcellent prices have 

 prevailed for hardwood all the year. The con- 

 stant tendency of quotations has lieen upward, 

 and hardly a week has passed the latter half of 

 the year (hat a higher Hgure has not been an 

 nounced ff>r some wood. Itullding operations 

 have been fairly aclive anrl in I lie industrial 

 world the activity has been such as to cause one 

 of the best markets for oak thai I'lltsburg ever 

 saw. More than all. nutney has been plenty. 

 coIlectlnnH were unlf'unily belter than in lornier 

 years, and the general spirit *)f business was 

 hopeful with a strong leaning toward hlglu'r 

 prices lor all cominodlties. The rittshurg 

 Wholesale f.uinher Dealers' Association Is en- 

 titled to much praise lor Us part In keeping 

 thliiuK up to a uniform high standard nil lb*- 



yt ar. There \.:\^ been no haggling over prices. 

 the association has lixed quotations, and they 

 liave been adhered to with a readiness and 

 st'i'adiness that showed conclusively how well the 

 a.s.sociation stands In Ihe minds of the dealers. 



At present con<litious point to an excellent sea- 

 Sim of hardvood selling after the holidays. 

 Stocks are low and prices high with an uitward 

 tendency. The big nianufaciories are rushed: 

 Ihe coal companies are developing thousands of 

 acres in this territory; architects and contract- 

 (U's predict an active season of building next 

 year; and the railroads and street railways are 

 getting ready for lots of work in the spring and 

 :Iip work of improving the three rivers is g<»ing 

 on apace, all of which means that Pittsburg will 

 be a biir luirdwood distributing center next year. 



Mill cull cliestnut is hard to get and is bring- 

 iuii fancy prices for quick delivery. Sound 

 wormy on the other hand is a little more plenti- 

 Mil in market and some firms report the prices 

 •olV a trifle of bite. 



Maple flooring is stilt at prevailing ciuotations. 

 Itumors of an advance are frequent, but there 

 has been no definite announcement to this effect. 



Cood oak lumber of any kind is bringing excel- 

 lent prices. The poorer grades are fairly plenli- 

 lul and are selling well. Heavy timbers are not 

 in such active call as a few- weeks ago. but bill 

 si off for building is badly wanted. 



Ash is having a steady sale to handle and 

 spoke factories and for use in inannfaciuring • 

 cars. Probably miu-e of this wood has been sold 

 the last year in Pittsburg than for ten years pre- 

 vious, owiiig to the fact that I^ittsburg whole- 

 salers have scattered their salesmen over terri- 

 tory where are located the big furniture factor- 

 ies and the carriage, automobile and handle fac- 

 lories which consume so much second growth ash. 



Sctme beech is selling for the hub factories, 

 north and east of Pittsburg. Considerable elm 

 Is also finding a market in these factories. 



Several local firms have lately bought or I'on- 

 1 racted for good lots of hickory timber for inn.'> 

 delivery. One large tract in northwestern Penn- 

 sylvania has just been cleared, netting the con- 

 f factor a large profit. Ohio hickory leads in 

 market on account of its superior grain. The 

 price on No. 1 stock is satisfactory and firms 

 ihat can suppl.v siock for sucker rods, spokes 

 and handles have no irouble in sretting their own 



Buffalo. 



Hardwood InmlK-r is selling at a fair rate. 

 I hough sales have been reduced slightly by 

 the holidays and the coming: furniture exposi- 

 tions. The expositions after the holiday lull 

 affect business for the hardwood interests con- 

 siderably, especially in oak and the woods that 

 are used in its place. If people who use large 

 amounts of lumber in that line stay away 

 from the meetings or leave without placing 

 tnnny orders it means a slow trade, at least 

 inv awhile. 



The sale of white and yellow pine and hem- 

 lock has been so brisk that the theory that 

 liardwood conditions follow will be disproved 

 if lliore is not a big revival in trade next year. 

 This does not mean that the past year has 

 been unsatisfactory. It only means that the 

 year has not been as good in hardwood as it 

 has In other woods, and but for that no one 

 would comi>Ialn. Most varieties of lumber 

 have been In light slock and the demand good. 

 The difhculty has been mainly with maple 

 and basHwood. The stock of hasswood has 

 not been very heavy, and It Is felt thai the 

 demand for It is going to ho bettor soon. 

 Mapie is too plentiful and with the sluggish 

 »all for 11 It does nol seem likely lo decrease 

 right away. Elm remains quiet, but tbr mill 

 prices are still too high for this market. 



Oak, ash. chestnut and birch are doing well. 

 Chestnut Is snapped up Just as soon as It 

 comes on the market. The dealer who has 

 any black ash Is lucky, for h*- can sell It 

 immediately. Rlrch sell.s In place of oak and 



