24 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



formed In rtem and that still menace tlie log- 

 ging and lumber interests which use them as 

 moans of transportation. 



The situation up to the present time remains 

 serious, although the gradual thaw which has 

 BSi in has somewhat reduced the danger which 

 at first threatoDed the general lumber trade. As 

 it is, the damage will aggregate thousands of 

 dollara. due to the breaking of booms and the 

 scattering of rafts of logs. 



More than $1,000,000 worth of iogs have been 

 delivered to the various mills along the Cum- 

 bcrland river within the past three weeks. There 

 are still millions of dollars' worth of logs in that 

 stream, the fate of which depends almost en- 

 tirely on the weather. However, later reports 

 are to the effect that the river Is falling slowly 

 and that the gorges are breaking up in such a 

 manner that little loss will be incurred. 



Bristol, Va.-Teim. 



Lumber conditions In east Tennessee and 

 southwest Virginia are generally reported good, 

 and it Is believed that the situation will con- 

 tinue improving. The extreme cold weather 

 which has been prevalent in this section for 

 some two and one-half months has materially 

 handicapped the business, inasmuch as it has 

 been almost impossible for the mills to operate, 

 owing to a lack of labor. This trouble has 

 been encountered chiefly by the country mills, 

 which form a potential factor in the output of 

 lumber of this section, and which has necessarily 

 resulted in a considerable scarcity of stock. 

 which is reported from all over this section. 

 However, it is thought that the situation will 

 be relieved with the advent of better weather, 

 which Is now prophesied. Large quantities of 

 stock, which has been held owing to the de- 

 pressive market conditions, are now being moved. 

 Poplar is bringing good prices, and indications 

 point to its further advance in price and de- 

 mand. This stock Is bringing something over 

 $2 per thousand feet more now than it did 

 Jan. 1. Oak Is also advancing further in prices, 

 and the present demand for this stock in this 

 section is unprecedented. This section is flooded 

 with foreign buyers of oak, all of whom are 

 offering high prices. 



Chestnut has assumed an encouraging posi- 

 tion in point of price and demand, and an es- 

 pecially good demand for the sound wormy 

 stock, which Is being moved In large quantities. 

 Lumbermen In this section are beginning to 

 manufacture hickory In unusually large quanti- 

 ties, and are finding a ready market, with good 

 prices for the stock. 



Several mills near Bristol, which have been 

 Idle for some time, are about ready to resume 

 operation under flattering circumstances, while 

 others hope to begin active operation within a 

 very few weeks. 



Evansville. 



Owing to the extreme cold weather and 

 everything being covered with ice. business has 

 been at a standstill and most of the sawmills 

 have been shut down for the past week, but 

 there Is a continued Increase of Inquiries tor 

 Inmber and quite a few orders are being placed 

 for early spring shipment. 



The Ohio river is still full of ice, so that 

 It Is impossible for the boats to operate, and the 

 river mills are at a standstill waiting for logs. 



Detroit. 



Weather conditions the last ten days prac- 

 tically paralyzed the trade. It has been dull 

 generally since the beginning of the year, but 

 the recent storms placed an embargo on the 

 movement of hardwood products that hasn't yet 

 been lifted. The market continues firm and 

 steady. Some buying has taken place on the 

 part of dealers and there Is no weakening 

 as to values. Maple flooring Is a little slow 

 as to price, which has been for some months 

 below figures deemed by dealers to afford the 



proper margin of profit, but the tone of the 

 trade appears healthy and manufacturers are 

 confident they will dispose of their stock at a 

 fairly decent price. Buyers are offering $14 

 and $15 for maple lumber at manufacturing 

 points. $18 for birch and $20 for basswood. 

 The manufacturers are carrying fairly good 

 stocks of dry lumber, but there is not so much 

 basswood offering as the dealers would take. 

 The weather conditions are expected to lift in 

 March, as February usually is the month of 

 snow in this latitude, and an early revival of 

 trade is confidently looked for. Just now 

 there Is not enough doing to waste paper to 

 write about. 



Grand Bapids. 



The hardwood market is slowly improving In 

 most lines. While quartered oak seems to remain 

 about the same, there is a better demand for 

 plain oak, common No. 1 being worth $45 to 

 $46. While maple, as a rule. Is moving slow, 

 quite a call Is reported for thick stock. The 

 furniture manufacturers are beginning to take 

 hold, money is easier, and industrial conditions 

 throughout this territory are bright. Building 

 Inspector Davidson says that this will be the 

 banner year In building operations in Grand 

 Rapids. The Increase for the past month over 

 last year was 213 per cent. 



Minneapolis. 



Dealers In the twin cities who cater to the 

 factory trade are already beginning to feel 

 the spur of the spring building operations. 

 An unusually heavy line of building has already 

 been contracted for and will be started as soon 

 as excavation can be made. Forehanded con- 

 tractors are placing their orders for mill work 

 and finish and the factories are preparing to 

 fill them. They have a fair amount- of stock 

 on hand, but are using It fast, and are buying 

 steadily against the coming demand. Trade 

 has picked up quite noticeably In the last few 

 days, and hardwood men are feeling very cheer- 

 ful. They are selling not only here but in 

 Chicago and eastward. 



Since the severe weather that prevailed up 

 to Feb. 15 there has been a decided moderation, 

 and building operations that were suspended 

 by the sub zero weather have been resumed. 

 This Is bringing added activity In the market, 

 which promises to continue lively at an ac- 

 celerated pace. There Is no cloud of labor dis- 

 turbance In the sky and the northwest seems 

 starting on an unusual building year. 



Hardwood stocks are growing thin and few 

 dealers have enough in sight to feel any cer- 

 tainty of supplying orders two months from 

 now. Oak Is almost out of the market and 

 what Is held In wholesale yards Is sold at a 

 nice flgxire. Birch Is also stiff In price and the 

 stock now In sight will soon be exhausted at 

 the present rate. Elm Is not freely offered, and. 

 while basswood Is more plentiful than harrl 

 woods, there is no embarrassing quantity of 

 basswood stocks now. and the price situation on 

 that article is much stronger than It was a 

 while ago. 



The yard trade is calling for white oak 

 wagon stock, also for maple wagon stock and 

 flooring, with occasionally some elm and birch. 

 It is taking considerable stock in mixed cars 

 In connection with the spring stocking up move- 

 ment, which has just fairly begun. The scarcity 

 of stock In other markets Is evidenced by the 

 long distances from which some orders are be- 

 ing sent. 



Operations In the woods are now proceeding 

 successfully. There has been some thawing 

 weather lately, but not enough to hurt the 

 roads or the bottoms. The mills are nearly all 

 In active operation and getting In logs with 

 large crews. 



Undoubtedly the cause of this inactivity in the 

 situation Is due to the inclemency of the 

 weather. For the past ten days or two weeks 

 the weather conditions- have been very unfavor- 

 able for business. Despite this fact, however, 

 the dealers continue to hold a decidedly opti- 

 mistic view for a satisfactory trade in the im- 

 mediate future. The sloppy weather can not 

 continue long, and as soon as the weather 

 breaks, dealers look for a good rush of business. 

 Owing to the fact that so much building will be 

 done in Indianapolis during the coming spring 

 and summer, lumbermen say the season can not 

 be anything else but an unusually good one. 



Nearly all of the smaller mills throughout the 

 state have been shut down for the past month 

 or more on account of the unfavorabe weather 

 that has prevailed. Shortly after the first of 

 March these mills will practically all be re- 

 opened again. This will serve to enliven business 

 conslderaby. 



Inquiries have been plentiful for plain oak, 

 and especially for plain red oak. Dealers who 

 have plenty of this dry stock on hand will be 

 able to name their own price for it. for a good de- 

 mand Is predicted with only a fair supply. Quar- 

 tered oak Is also moving well, with a fair de- 

 mand. The prices in all lines are steady, with 

 few perceptible fluctuations. 



The furniture manufacturers of the city have 

 a good outlook, they say. and this will con- 

 tribute materially toward Increasing business for 

 the lumber dealers. These encouraging reports 

 from the furniture men have, of course, been 

 glad news to the lumbermen, and a gradually 

 steady improvement in the hardwood situation Is 

 confidently expected from now on. 



Pittsburg. 



The prevailing opinion among hardwood deal- 

 ers in Greater Pittsburg is that It will be much 

 easier to get orders the next three months than 

 to get lumber to fill them. For six weeks orders 

 have been coming in at a rate that exceeds any 

 for the past eighteen months. But when firms 

 start out to buy stock they are handicapped. 

 The extremely cold weather has forced a shut 

 down of many mills and tied up navigation and 

 the deep snows have made It impossible for the 

 farmers to get logs to mill unless they were 

 skidded before hand. There Is considerable lum- 

 ber offering at the mills, but a large part of It 

 Is far from being up to grade number one. 

 Dry hardwood Is extremely hard to get. There Is 

 also a big scarcity of heavy oak for construction 

 work and of the finer grades of hardwood for 

 Interior finish. Local firms are scouting the 

 field for new lumber tracts and are bidding 

 freely for the product of oak and hemlock mills 

 In West Virginia and the neighboring states. 



There is a slight upward tendency In prices. 

 No material changes have been made In quota- 

 tions but prices are holding very firm and buyers 

 are hunting dealers for the first time In many 

 months. Oak Is the strongest in the market. 

 Hemlock Is selling well. Nobody looks for any 

 cheaper lumber this year and some of the local 

 retail dealers are holding off from buying now 

 simply because of the Inclement weather, which 

 Is a serious drawback to building. 



Indianapolis. 



The hardwood lumber business has not been 

 especially active here during the past two weeks. 



St. Iiouis. 

 It Is with relief that the St. Louis people this 

 week witness the breaking up of the abnormal 

 cold spell which has put a quietus upon all 

 business affairs since Feb. 1. It has been the 

 coldest winter on record in St. Louis and, ex- 

 cept within the past few days, practically noth- 

 ing has been shipped out of the local wholesale 

 yards. Only those having switching facilities 

 in their yards were even able to get stock Into 

 their yards and none of this could be piled be- 

 cause of the snow and Ice. The receipts, how- 

 ever, have been exceptionally llglit. as the river 

 has been completely frozen over at this point, 

 putting the car ferries out of business and caus- 

 ing something almost akin to a freight glut In 



