30 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



iirms are all busy takiug stock and preparing 

 for the big trade of the early spring. 



Everywhere are heard complaints o£ the scarc- 

 ity of cars, many Arms being unable to fill orders 

 In consequence. 



L. E. Hunter, manager ot the Keys Plauing 

 Mill Company at Graham, Va., spent a few days 

 in town this week in interest of his company. 



George L. Carter, Bristol, Tenn. ; W. A. Cool, 

 Cleveland : P. A. Gordon and \V. O. Hugert, 

 Grand Kaplds. were here during the week. 



M. W. Thomas of the Thomas Lumber Com- 

 pany, accompanied by his wife, is home after a 

 visit to Knoxvillc. While away he visited the 

 company's extensive plant at Farmer's. Ky.. and 

 found everything in tiptop shape. The mill is 

 running steadily, with a big supply of logs on 

 band. 



E. M. Hampton has returned from a business 

 trip to the East. While away he identified him- 

 self with S. F. Mlnter of New York in a new 

 firm to be known as S. !•". Miutor & Co. Mr. 

 Hampton will look after the southern interests 

 of the company, with headquarters at Knoxville. 

 and Mr. Mintcr will represent the eastern inter- 

 ests. 



W. K. Vansant is in from an extended trip 

 through Virginia in the interest of his firm. 



'Wausau. 



The mill erected during the fall by the Johnson 

 Creek Lumber Company, five miles east of Enowl- 

 ton station on the C, M. *< St. I^ Ry., was start- 

 ed In operation last week. The mill was built in 

 a tract of hardwood owned by the company and 

 with what logs can be secured of farmers the 

 company is insured of a ten years' run. 



The Quaw Lumber Company's mill at Edgar 

 has been started in operation tor the winter 

 and will cut 6,000.000 feet of mixed hardwoods. 



The Wheeler, Holmes & Timlin Lumber Com- 

 pany of Wausau is one of the new incorporations 

 lately organized which bids fair to meet with 

 success from the first. L. H. Wheeier has been 

 In the lumber business for years and thoroughly 

 understands it ; C. P. Holmes was formerly lum- 

 ber buyer for the Curtis & Yale Company of 

 Wausau ; Frank Timlin was formerly bookkeeper 

 for the C. C. Y'awkey Lumber Company, Hazel- 

 burst. The new concern has opened offices and 

 will deal principally in hardwoods. 



The new mill recently erected by the Wausau 

 Lumber Company at Rib Falls will be started 

 In operation Feb. 1. It will liave a daily capac-. 

 Ity of 40,000 feet and will be operated night and 

 day. The company will in the spring erect thirty 

 houses for Its employes. 



C. P. Crosby has opened olHces in Rhinclaudor. 

 For several years he has been doing a wholesale 

 hardwood business and his trade is increasing 

 so that the above move was necessary. 



It would be hard to convince any of the men 

 employed by B. F. McMillan of McMillan that 

 he is not a prince of good fellows. Every Christ- 

 mas he remembers them in a substantial man- 

 ner. This year each family, twenty in number, 

 was presented with a basket containing a goose 

 and a can of select oysters. The baskets were 

 distributed by Mrs. McMillan, who takes a great 

 interest in her husband's affairs. 



The W. D. Connor Company's mill at Laona 

 recently had a narrow escape from being de- 

 stroyed by fire. As it was the dry kiln con- 

 taining about $;i.ouO worth ot hard maple floor- 

 ing was a total loss. Prompt action on the part 

 of the employes aided by a splendid fire system 

 saved the mill and yards. 



Gerald Doyle, Marinette, has started a factory 

 for the manufacture of patent folding wagon 

 boxes, delivery wagons and sleighs. 



The I. Stephenson Company, Marinette has 

 .just erected at its Wells plant an enormous steel 

 tank for its chemical works. 



Work has been started on improvements which 

 will double the capacity of the .tohn Schroeder 

 Lumber Company's plant, Milwaukee. Tlie com- 

 pany announces that it is about to install a 

 new process in the manufacture of flooring, which 

 is as yet a secret. 



Initial steps have been taken in a fight which 

 the Western Chair Manufacturers' Association 

 will make against prison-made goods. Members 

 say they will ask for legislation requiring a 

 label "prison made" on ail goods made in prison. 

 Such competition, they claim, is ruinous to their 

 business. 



The F. MacKinnon Manufacturing Company. 

 Grand Rapids, has Increased its capital stock to 

 .fl 00.000 and has consolidated with the Grand 

 Rapids Wagon Company and hereafter the busi- 

 ness will be carried oh on a more extensive scale. 

 Wagon making Is the work of the company ex- 

 clusively. About 1,500 wagons ai-e turned out 

 yearly and the pay roll amounts to $145,000. 



The Nelson I, umber Company, lately moved to 

 Two Rivers from Manitowoc, Is completing a new 

 mill and other buildings. 



The Two Rivers Woodenware Company, re- 

 cently reorganized. Is completing new dry kilns 

 in place of those destroyed a year ago. 



The year just closed has been a banner year 

 In hardwood consumption in Wisconsin. Prices 

 never were more firm and manufacturers have 

 coined money. 



Hardwood Market, 



(By HASD'WOOD BECOBD Exclusive Market Beporters.) 



Chicago. 



Tbe Chicago jobbing and manufacturing trade, 

 from the volume of business transacted during 

 (he last tew weeks, scarcely realizes that the 

 usually dull holiday season has come and gone. 

 To make a long story short, trade In all kinds 

 of hardwoods In this market Is excellent, and 

 values are advancing. 



Boston. 



The local market does not show any activity 

 and has not for several weeks. Nearby yards 

 are buying only what they need to fill Imme- 

 diate wants. All reports from mill sections both 

 south and west Indicate that there will be no 

 lower prices and In some Instances an advance 

 Is anticipated. Dealers who have been west 

 state that the mills they visited had but com- 

 paratively few logs. There arc fair offerings 

 from manufacturers but no surplus Is reported. 



ITie demand for plain oak has been moderate. 

 Prices of one Inch firsts and seconds vary some- 

 what. One dealer has stock that he can sell 

 at ?50 while others arc holding at $51 to Sn.-i 



and will not sell less than Ibis. Ofterlngs are 

 not large. Quartered white oak Is decidedly 

 stllfer at $78 to .$82. Brown ash has been In 

 very good demand. It Is quoted at $52 for one 

 inch stock and oflerlngs are not large. White 

 ash is held at $50. Maple flooring has sold In 

 a very fair way and Is In moderate call now at 

 $.'!0 for 2 M -Inch face. There has been some 

 talk of using a s\ibstltute for maple flooring, but 

 the majority of dealers have not found that 

 this has been done to any extent. Wisconsin red 

 birch has been In rather quiet demand. 



The demand for cypress has been large enough 

 to take off all of the desirable grades olTercd. 

 There Is talk of price cutting, but these reports 

 are not confirmed and dealers discredit them, 

 especially now when an advance Is expected, 

 fine Inch firsts and seconds are held at $-l5,no. 

 WhMewood Is very firmly held In fair demand 

 considering the general business that this wood 

 has attracted during the past few months. One 

 Inch flrsts and seconds have the largest call and 

 the volume Is only fair In the aggregate. 



New York. 

 New Year dawned bright indeed for the lum- 

 ber trade of the metropolitan district, and Its 

 ovc marked the close of one of the best years In 

 the history of the trade. The New Y'ork market 

 has been bullish and many new price records 

 have been established. Dealers today are win- 

 tering less stock than usual. The open and de- 

 lightful winter thus far is productive of more 

 business than usual, and stocks move freely, 

 which still further depletes holdings and pre- 

 sages an active buying period between now and 

 spring. Not a single big user of hardwoods in 

 this district has a sufficient supply of stock to 

 take care of a few good sized orders for trim, 

 furniture, etc. The activity of wholesale buy- 

 ers in arranging for 1900 is further evidence of 

 the general belief in the year's prospects. There 

 have been more large contracts made of late 

 than in several years, and hardwood at present 

 prices is a good asset. While 1905 showed an 

 enormous amount of building In all boroughs, it 

 i^ stated on good authority that 1000 will un- 

 doubtedly surpass it, although building during 

 1905 was almost double that in 1904. These 

 general facts coupled with conditions at supply 

 points, seem to give reason to a prediction for 

 an exceptional year for the New York trade. 



Baltimore. 



While the holidays and the work incidental to 

 the close of the year occasioned a lull In the 

 lumber movement, the quiet has been followed 

 by marked activity, and as far as can be de- 

 termined now the business will continue in 

 excellent condition. Millmen have everything 

 their own way at present and are in a position 

 to name practically their own terms for good 

 merchantable stuff. The demand for all hard- 

 woods is decidedly spirited, and perhaps more 

 lumber could be sold but for the dlfBcuItles at- 

 tending distribution. The car shortage is still 

 in evidence, and stock deliveries are attended 

 with annoying delay. The weather has so far 

 been favorable to logging and to other operations 

 connected with the manufacture of lumber, and 

 the plants have had comparatively little Inter- 

 ruption. Wliether this will result in a material 

 increase of the production and help to bring on 

 n measure of congestion remains to be seen. 

 For the present no sign of any undue excess Is 

 discernible, and the Inquiry Is very urgent. 



Good dry oak takes the lead In volume ot 

 movement. The values that ruled during the 

 latter part of the year are sustained and there 

 is every incentive to expedite manufacturing 

 operations. The local stocks are barely ample 

 to meet the wants of consumers and advance 

 orders are being placed to Insure supplies In 

 adequate (piantltles. Ash is not far belilnd, 

 being called tor in large quantities and at prices 

 which leave large margins of profit. The In- 

 quiry for poplar has perhaps less snap than 

 any other wood, though some slight Improve- 

 ment has been noted of late. The foreign mar- 

 ket for poplar Is hardly more spirited, the quo- 

 tations here being still high enough to make the 

 |)rice abroad seem far from attractive to the 

 buyers there. The domestic demand for walnut, 

 which received rather pronounced emphasis dur- 

 ing the latter part ot 1905, apparently still as- 

 serts Itself, and lops as well as lumber are 

 being brought out In Impressive quantities. Many 

 lumbermen were surprised at the extent of the 

 supplies still to be had In the eastern section of 

 the country, hut prices have remained firm and 

 logs as well as lumber of good quality continues 

 to command high figures. Mahogany remains 

 relatively cheap, and the quantifies of this wood 

 which enter Into the manufacture of ofllcc fix- 

 tures and store furnishings show the popularity 

 of the wood. The foreign export business as a 

 whole does not nlTcrd room for much rejoicing. 



Pittsburg. 

 A welcome pause Is notcil in the lumber trade 

 In Greater Pittsburg. It Is very mtich less 



