December 10, 1916 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



47 



and almost total loss of the manufacturing plant by flre. Eighty men 

 are out of employment and plans are being made to immediately replace 

 tlie buildings. Machinery, lumber and finished material were badly dam- 

 aged. The loss is well covered. 



The Hardwood Market 



-< CHICAGO >- 



The slight easing up which has marked the local situation in the last 

 couple of weeks Is probably attributable to the near approach of the new 

 year. With Inyentories and other matters coming along shortly, the 

 tendency is necessarily toward the purchase of as small quantities as 

 possible. While the movement has been representative as far as main- 

 taining the balance In the different woods and grades is concerned, there 

 has been a little easing up all along the line, although not enough to 

 make anybody wonder. Optimism still abounds and it is not Inflated 

 optimism, but a genuine faith in the future months, which is builded 

 upon a solid foundation of understanding and strong basic conditions. 

 The local market is suffering probably as much as any on account of car 

 shortages and insufficient mill stocks. In fact, a great deal of complaint 

 has been heard here as in other sections. However, a large volume of 

 business is always being transacted in or passing through Chicago, and 

 the quantity of lumber now moving gives ample Justification for the firm 

 values prevailing. 



=■< BUFFALO > 



The hardwood demand is about as good this month as a month ago at 

 most of the yards, and some report that December promises to be one 

 of the best months of the year. The market shows much firmness, owing 

 to the lack of available stock for quick shipment from the mills. The car 

 shortage shows no signs of being over and the local market is getting many 

 hurry orders, so that assortments bid fair to be considerably broken during 

 the next few weeks. Wholesalers who usually have cargoes coming down 

 the lakes at the close of navigation find it next to impossible to get boats, 

 and rates have been very high for weeks. 



Thick maple and thick oak are moving most rapidly from the yards, 

 and prices on these woods have been advanced lately. Ash is also selling 

 well. Poplar trade is on a fair scale, with a good deal of it in the lower 

 grades. Elm and basswood are showing improvement. At some yards it 

 is stated that the demand now covers more woods than it has for some 

 time past. 



=-< PITTSBURGH y 



Hardwood men are feeling mighty good over present business and pros- 

 pects for the immediate future. The demand from manufacturers who 

 use hardwood extensively is good. This is especially true of the auto- 

 mobile and furniture makers. There is every indication that 1917 will be 

 a record year in the consumption of hardwoods for these two purposes. 

 Trade in mixed hardwoods for mining concerns was never better and 

 prices are very firm. Yard trade has been excellent of late. The car 

 shortage is showing no let up in particular, and the scarcity of labor at 

 the hardwood mills is even worse now than in the summer. 



-< BOSTON >= 



The local market continues about the same as in recent reports. Values 

 remain strong with the extremes on some items. There is very little evi- 

 dence of the high costs in other commodities applying to hardwood lum- 

 ber. This fact is a matter of some surprise, as cost factors are constantly 

 increasing. This situation also disposes many to buy at current prices, as 

 there could be no expectation of lower hardwood prices unless on account 

 of some foreign complication there should be a reaction in the whole com- 

 mercial field, or "the rising prices overtake the country's purchasing 

 power," as remarked by a large Boston bank in its current communication 

 on conditions. The car shortage is not felt so badly at hardwood shipping 

 points as at those in other kinds of stock, but embargoes are adding to the 

 diflSculties in all branches of the trade. Some relief is expected from the 

 increasing use and manufacture of northern New England hardwoods, sev- 

 eral large operations in which are being consummated on scales corre- 

 sponding to production in the West and South. Building operations in 

 New England have not abated, the figures from January 1 to November 15 

 showing this year stUI some $13,000,000 above the highest year of record. 



=■< BALTIMORE >= 



Such changes as have taken place in the hardwood trade here during 

 the last two weeks are for the better. They have brought about stUl 

 greater firmness in prices, with a chance for the rising tendency to assert 

 itself and with the outlook very promising. For a time salesmen reported 

 a holding back with orders on the part of buyers. It seemed as though 

 the stocks in the hands of the consumers after the raising of the raUroad 

 embargo attained far greater proportions than had been expected, and that 

 in the face of the liberal holdings the consumers desired to wait until 

 some of these accumulations had been worked off. This appears now 

 to have been done to a considerable extent, and the movement once more 



Have you seen any better Walnut logs than these? 



T^ HEY all grew right in Indiana where 

 ■*■ hardwoods have always held the 

 choicest farm lands. The best growth of 

 timber as well as the best yield of wheat 

 comes from good soil. The soundness of 

 the log-ends shows that they fed on the 

 fat of the land. My 



Indiana Oak 



comes from the same soil 



CHAS. H. BARNABY 



Greencastle, Indiana 



You Can See Logs Like These 

 on Our Yard Any Day 



STIMSON 



p. O. Box 1015 



VENEER AND LUMBER 

 COMPANY, INC. 



Memphis, Tenn. 



MANUFACTURERS 



Hardwood Lumber, Rotary Cat 

 Veneers, Rotary Cut Gum Faces, 

 Cross Banding and Cores. 



All Three of Us Will B-. Benefited if You Mention HARD VOOD RECORD 



