THE HARDWOOD RECORD. 



23 



THE MARKETS 



CHICAGO MARKET. 



There has been during the few days that 

 have succeeded the election a feeling of 

 jubilation among the lumbermen. 



There is no doubt but that they believe 

 the election of Roosevelt means higher 

 prices for lumber. It is not .thought that 

 prices will advance very rapidly, but it is 

 believed there will be a better demand. 

 The consumers of Chicago have for some 

 time been following a hand-to-mouth 

 policy, buying only what they need to run 

 them until the election was over. The 

 dealers look for a good demand from the 

 con.sumers to supply their wants until 

 after the first of the year and then they 

 expect them to go to buying freely. We 

 do not know whether the consumers will 

 do this, but that is what is expected of 

 them. 



There is not much doing this week, but 

 still some good orders are being placed. 



LOXTISVILIiE 



Louisville. Ky., Nov, D, 1904. — t Special 

 Correspondence.) — There is little or no 

 change in the local lumber situation, 

 except possibly a little more accentuation 

 of the general dullness due to the election 

 Tuesday, While the interest in the elec- 

 tion, that is, that interest which disturbs 

 business, has not been as great during 

 this campaign as is usual, business has 

 been affected to some extent in all lines. 

 This with the approach of winter has 

 reduced business to a state where it can 

 be said there is little doing. This refers 

 to the actual lumber industry, although 

 business in the affiliated trades is very 

 good. The box factories and the furniture 

 factories are enjoying especially good 

 trade, particularly the latter. The stave 

 and barrel factories are also working full 

 time. The Avery Plow Company, the 

 largest plow factory in the world, is also 

 worlcing full time and putting in some 

 overtime. Yards generally are ex- 

 periencing a period of quiet. Prices on 

 the whole are steady to firmer, especially 

 on oak and poplar. The yellow pine mar- 

 ket is still booming and prices are ad- 

 vancing. 



CINCINNATI. 



Cincinnati, Ohio, Nov. 8, 1904. — (Spe- 

 cial Correspondence.) — Conditions in this 

 market during the past two weeks 

 have been most favorable. While there 

 hasn't been any noticeable improvement 

 in the general demand, it has not fallen 

 off, and in consequence, dealers are In a 



happy state of mind. Plain and quartered 

 oak are still the leaders. Dry stocks of 

 these woods are scarce and holders have 

 experienced no difficulty in disposing of 

 them at full prices. Here and there, 

 dealers are met who claim that quota- 

 tions are $2 per 1,000 feet higher, but this 

 advance is not general, though il is with- 

 in the range of possibility that such an 

 advance will soon be made, owing to the 

 limited supplies and prevailing good de- 

 made. White and brown ash are in good 

 call at stiff quotations. The same can 

 be said ia regard to hickory. Box manu- 

 facturers are eagerly taking the little Cot- 

 tonwood that is offered them at advancing 

 prices. Basswood is firm and moving 

 well. Demand for poplar has been con- 

 fined within rather moderate limits, and 

 with holders not pressing their offerings, 

 prices have been well sustained. High 

 grades of chestnut are in good demand 

 from eastern dealers who are making 

 good bids. 



MINNEAPOLIS. 



Minneapolis, Nov. 5, 1904— (Special Cor- 

 respondence). — The factories in this city 

 and in St. Paul are in the market for stock 

 to a greater extent than any time this 

 fall. Dealers here are also getting some 

 good sized orders from consumers in ter- 

 ritory east and south, and are marketing 

 some of their stocks in Wisconsin at Chi- 

 cago. The furniture people are doing a 

 good business, and are getting in orders 

 that insure them plenty of work for the 

 winter. They are in better shape than for 

 a long while, so they are preparing for a 

 good season by laying in some stock. Even 

 now they do not order heavily. They seem 

 to have become committed to the policy of 

 buying in small quantities, and though the 

 stocks on hand are small and needs steady, 

 they are only taking stock to carry them 

 along without "skimping." m the present 

 condition of oak, birch and other stocks, 

 their policy is probably wise, as concerted 

 heavy buying would clean up the yards 

 and force an advance of prices. 



NEW YORK. 



New York, Nov, 4. — (Special Corre- 

 spondence,) — The improvement noted in 

 general business conditions in our last 

 letter continues to manifest Itself, notwith- 

 standing the fact that politics form the 

 chief topic of discussion on the whole. 

 But by the time this issue of the Record 

 reaches its readers this quadrenniel dis- 

 turbance will be over, and in line with 

 the general opinion expressed in the trade 



business will with little doubt revive still 

 more. 



Taking the hardwood trade as a unit, 

 the demand during the fortnight has been 

 very fair, although, of course, both whole- 

 salers and retailers could handle a good 

 deal more business than is offering. But 

 on the whole very little complaint is 

 heard, owing to the fact that it is gener- 

 ally appreciated that until election is over 

 and the commercial world settled down 

 again, it is unreasonable to expect very 

 much activity. It is a source of gratifica- 

 tion, however, to all that prices continue 

 to maintain themselves firmly. Even pop- 

 lar, which has been the sore spot for 

 many months, has shown a tendency to 

 improve slightly in demand, although 

 prices are still low. 



MEMPHIS. 



Memphis, Tenn., Nov. 7, 1904. — (Special 

 Correspondence.) — The Memphis folks are 

 shipping rather more lumber to the west- 

 ern states and middle West than a month 

 ago, and business continues to pick up 

 slowly. Nevertheless occasional com- 

 plaints of dullness can be heard. The 

 feeling here is that the export business 

 has now reached the stage where it will 

 begin to pick up. No heavy stocks, with 

 perhaps one exception, are in condition 

 anywhere, the exporters say, to be pushed 

 upon the market. There is a touch of the 

 car shortage here already, but not acute 

 as yet. The cypress and poplar trade 

 shows a little improvement, and a more 

 trifling improvement is noted on cotton- 

 wood and gum. Everything else is In very, 

 good shape. 



PITTSBURG. 



Pittsburg, Pa., Nov. 7, 1904— (Special 

 Correspondence), — The lumber business In 

 Pittsburg might be much better than it is 

 just now. And it might be a whole lot 

 worse. Which means that while there Is 

 plenty of business in the air orders are 

 coming In at a rather slow pace and In 

 small amounts. A carload of lumber is 

 now entered up on the books with a relish, 

 and local dealers are scouting among the 

 outside buyers with a determination to 

 get all the trade there is in sight. Most 

 of the salesmen have been returned to the 

 road. These men report an excellent in- 

 quir.v, but comparatively few orders placed. 



It is a little hard to explain the situa- 

 tion. Election interest may be responsi- 

 ble for some of the trouble, but that has 

 cut so little figure this year that it has not 

 previously been taken into account. Man- 

 ufacturing firms are bracing up all along 

 the line and are announcing projects that 

 will require big bills of lumber to carry 

 out. The railroads, too, are getting ready 

 to make extensive Improvements, but most 



WM. H.WHITE & CO., 



iBojrrxe Cltjr, J!kIiolx« 



MANUFACTURERS 



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ANNUAL CAPACITY: 



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 10,000,000 Cedar Shingles. 



MAPLE, SOFT AND ROCK ELM, 

 BASSWOOD, BIRCH, BEECH, 



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RAIL OR WATER SHIPMENTS. 



C^reo Slniijnaiexits £i ^%i&G±&Xt:y 



