HARDWOOD RECORD 



Bion aud wagon slock, for those wlio had them. 

 proved an easy seller. 



C. F. Osborne, of Osborne & Clark, was one 

 of the initiates who went through the Hoo Hoc 

 rites -at the annual concatenation Jan. 10. Os- 

 borne & Clark distributed to all retailers a very 

 neat souvenir in the form of a nickeled salt 

 shaker. It carried an inscriptiou inviting the 

 receiver, whenever he shook it. to remember that 

 Osborne & Clark carry a complete line of every- 

 thing the retailer wants In hardwood yard stock. 

 Mr. Osborne reports quite a brisk demand for 

 flooring and yard stock during convention week, 

 and expects to see business continue on a good 

 basis for some time to come, though the factories 

 are not taking much lumber at this season. 



E. I'ayson Smith, of the E. I'ayson Smith 

 Lumber Company, is recuperating at Hot 

 Springs, Ark., from an attack of stomach trouble 

 which overtook him while at Cairo. 111., a few 

 days ago. He was on his way to southern Mis- 

 souri points and then to Alabama, but was 

 checked at Cairo, and after getting to Ilot 

 Springs was confined to his bed a few days. 

 He is improving and will soon take up his Jour- 

 ney. 



F. J. Lang, representing Hie Wisconsin Land 



& Lumber Company of HermansvlUe. Mich., had 

 temporary lieadquarters in Minneapolis during 

 the retailers' convention, and will remain In the 

 city for a few weeks, looking after tlie interests 

 of the company's flooring product. 



A. S. Bliss, representing the R. Connor Com- 

 pany of Marsbfleld. Wis., reports an excellent 

 outlook for business in yard stock. Dealers who 

 are up to date and progressive all say the year 

 is bound to be a good one for the trade, and 

 they expect to stock up accordingly. The scar- 

 city of hardwood stocks is the chief drawback 

 to business. 



P. R. Hamilton and W. H. Still, of the Min- 

 neapolis Lumber Company, have just returned 

 from an inspection of the Ruby Lumber Com- 

 pany's plant at Ruby, Wis. It has some stock 

 in good shipping condition now, and has been 

 loading out cars at a good rate. The mill is 

 running full force, and logging operations are 

 going on under lair conditions. It has been 

 too soft for the best work, but with a good 

 freeze they will get along nicely. 



The McCulloch-I'^uhn-Atkinsou Company has 

 been started with headquarters in Minneapolis. 

 to market the product of the R. C. Kuhn Sash & 

 I'om* Company. I. a Crosse. Wis. 



Hardwood Market. 



(By HABD'WOOD BECOBD Exclusive Market Keporters.) 



Chicago. 

 .\n almost phenomenal situation in the hard- 

 wood lumber market exists in Chicago at the 

 present time. This locality probably is enjoy- 

 ing the most active trade of any of the large 

 consuming centers of the country. Thus far 

 the month has proven the largest in sales ever 

 known in Chicago. The business is confined 

 to no particular element of the consuming- 

 trade, but in a general way is almost equally 

 divided between the furniture factories and 

 the interior finish and door makers. Flooring 

 manufacturers are still buyiug large quantities 

 of maple and oak. There is every prospect of 

 the continuance of an excellent demand for 

 months to come, 



Boston. 



While business has not been brisk in this 

 market for hardwoods, there has been a decided 

 tendency toward firmer prices in many in- 

 stances. The car shortage has and is still being 

 seriously felt. A representative of one of the 

 large roads, In speaking of the situatlonj^says 

 that his road has 00,000 cars more than two 

 years ago. and that large orders for cars have 

 been placed. Yet the situation today is worse 

 than at any time previous to this. Representa- 

 tives of other railroads say that they never saw 

 the shortage so bad nor extend over so long a 

 period. All roads have placed orders for addl 

 tlonal cars, and as soon as they arc delivered 

 they are being pushed Into service. One road 

 has turned its gravel cars over for the use of 

 lumbermen. 



The demand for hardwood, so far as the trade 

 In the Immediate vicinity is concerned, shows 

 more of a band-to-mouth character than any- 

 thing else. Those lumber dealers who cover 

 Xew York as well as New England are selling 

 some very good bills for delivery several months 

 from now. Maple flooring Is firm, yet prices 

 remain unchanged. The outlook favors an ad- 

 vance. One Inch rough maple Is selling In rather 

 a slow way at 733. 



Plain oak Is very firm. Stocks In this mar- 

 ket are sipall. This has been brought about by 

 the demand and partly owing to the fact that 

 manufacturers of oak lumber have not been able 

 to make deliveries owing to the car shortage. 

 A leading dealer says that one Inch stock Is 

 practically out of the market. It Is quoted here 

 at $52 to $54, and In some InslnnceH ?.j5 U 

 asked. Quartered oak Is In fair call at S7.') to 

 $Sa. The market for wbltewood Is decidedly 

 flrm, with quotations varying on Nos. 1 and 2, 



one Inch, from $48.50 to .$50. Cypress is still 

 selling on a basis of $45.50 for one inch, ones 

 and twos. Chestnut and elm are in moderate 

 demand. Ash is firm and offerings are not 

 large. 



New York. 



The year's trade opens with the local hard 

 wood market in excellent shape. There is not a 

 weak item on the list and everybody is opti- 

 mistic over the outlook for the year. There 

 .^eems to be a fi-ee movement of practically all 

 hardwoods, both as regards the buying of re- 

 . tall dealers aud manufacturers, and of whole- 

 salers looking to 1900 supplies. 



In regard to the various stocks, plain oak is 

 exceedingly scarce and the demand very active 

 and prices for firsts and seconds, are ruling 

 firm at $48. Quartered oak Is a little slow of 

 sale and while prices are not as high as the 

 value of the wood seems to warrant, Indiana 

 stock is selling firmly at $75. and Southern 

 sleek at $C7 to $G8. Poplar is moving freely, 

 especially common and sap. I'revalllng prices 

 are .$48 for firsts and seconds : common, $31 to 

 $33, and sap $.'iG to $38. Chestnut is particu- 

 larly active with firsts and seconds common in 

 special demand. Sound wormy is fair. Firsts 

 and seconds are strong at $40 to $47 ; com- 

 mon $34 to $30, and sound wormy $19 to $'J(i. 

 .Ash Is scarce, but Is not in very active demand. 

 I'"lrsts and seconds are strong at .$48. Basswood 

 Is In fair call at $43 for firsts and seconds ; 

 common $30, and log run $26.50 to $27. Birch 

 is very active, especially in the furniture and 

 manufacturing trade, and dry stock is scarce. 

 Cherry Is In Its usual call and good well-manu- 

 factured stock Is bringing good prices. 



Tile whole situation Is strong and Indica- 

 tions point to an upward tendency In price be- 

 tween now and spring. 



Philadelphia. 

 Philadelphia hardwood lumbernicu admit that 

 they have no reason to complain of business, 

 although It Is the general opinion that It Is not 

 as good as In December. Some advances are 

 still being made In prices and as yet the buyers 

 appear to take them cheerfully so long as they 

 are assured of deliveries. The trouble with car 

 shortage has eased somewhat, and railroads 

 have during the past fortnight placed almost 

 an adequate number at the service of the trade. 



Baltimore. 

 Though some diversity of opinion exists as to 



the state of the hardwood trade at this time, 

 tliere is no denying the fact that dealers are 

 busy after stocks, and not a few admit that 

 last year was the busiest and most profitable in 

 their entire career. Some firms here, among 

 them the most conservative, assert that stocks 

 in the hands of dealers are not merely adequate 

 for current requirements but actually plentiful, 

 and that there is doubt about the ability of 

 manufacturers to maintain price lists. By these 

 luiuberinen the news that the Hardwood Manu- 

 facturers' Association of the United States has 

 advanced the quotations from $1 to $2 per M. 

 feet is received with much skepticism : they con- 

 tend that it is one thing to say prices shall be so 

 and so, but quite another to get consumers to pay 

 the figures asked, li'or confirmation of this view 

 they point to the fairly large stocks on hand 

 abroad, although the conditions there have been 

 admittedly very unsatisfactory and are jtill by 

 no means attractive. This state of affairs. It is 

 argued, can only be due to the action of manu 

 facturers in shipping surplus stocks in order to 

 stiffen the market at home. The fact remains.* 

 however, that notwithstanding such discouraging 

 views, a fairly active demand for stocks exists, 

 and the asking price has not been lowered In 

 any department of the trade. On the contrary. 

 a marked improvement in poplar and other woods 

 is noted, while oak, ash, etc., are quite as 

 strong as they have been. The local inquiry is 

 moderately large, furniture manufacturers and 

 other consumers being in the market, while the 

 lumbering districts are being scoured by repre- 

 sentatives of firms with instructions to close 

 deals for delivery. The car shortage, which was 

 very troublesome in November and December, 

 causes considerably less inconvenience, and 

 stocks are now luoving quite freely. The open 

 winter, too, has facilitated operations at the 

 mills, and the available supplies are larger than 

 they would have been otherwise. 



The outlook is regarded as very promising, and 

 an excellent year is anticipated. The domestic 

 trade continues to call for walnut in relatively 

 large quantities, while the local manufacturers 

 are freely buying mahogany to be used for 

 store fixtures and similar purposes. Some im- 

 provement is being noted In the export busi- 

 ness. Foreign buyers show a disposition to 

 meet the terms of American shippers, though 

 prices in the main are still comparatively lower 

 than those prevalent in the domestic market. 

 Much is hoped for from the general improved 

 business conditions abroad, which are expected 

 to afl'ect the inquiry for lumber. Altogether, 

 the year so far Is most promising. 



Pittsburg. 



The hardwood market shows a very perceptible 

 Improvement over Its condition .Tan. 1. This 

 is manifest In the greater 'number of Inquiries 

 received, in the larger orders placed, in the 

 anxiety that wholesale firms show to contract 

 for big lots of choice hardwood for early spring 

 delivery, and In the reports of the traveling 

 salesmen, who say that trade Is picking up 

 steadily. There Is little fear of strikes, and 

 unless an epidemic of ruinous high prices comes 

 along the trade In building luiubor will be good. 



Prices remain as at the opening of the year. 

 There Is a tendency to advance on some woods, 

 nolably chestnut and oak. but this disposition 

 is held In check by the largest firms, who be- 

 lieve that It conduces to a more healthy con- 

 dition of the market to keep quotations where 

 they are, at least until the spring movement Is 

 more fully determined. Oeneral business con- 

 ditions warrant the prices that are now asked, 

 but a reasonable degree of caution will be 

 practiced by the hardwood firms of Greater 

 Pittsburg In view of any change In the busi- 

 ness world that might alTcct the lumber trade. 



The outlook for big buying Is excellent. Tiw 

 railroads and large manufactories are already 

 making their wants known in no mild terms and 

 their orders are causing the wholesalers to go 

 out and buy up large lots of timber In antlclpa- 



