THE HARDWOOD RECORD 



CHICAGO. 



SiK'ukiiig generally, tlie local trade sit- 

 uatiou is good. Factories are all runnins 

 full time, prices are being steadily main- 

 tained and dry stocks are not in over 

 plentiful supply. The usual number of 

 shipments is being made, yet there is 

 current the report of a dearth of in- 

 quiry just now and orders are not being 

 booked with the accustomed regularity. 



Tlie dealers here, however, are not dis- 

 couraged over the outlook. They are get- 

 ting their order books cleaned up and are 

 replenishing their supply on every justi- 

 fiable occasion. The salesmen of the dif- 

 ferent concerns here are not finding the 

 picking so easy. During "the early part 

 of the year it was simply a question of 

 "have you got the stock dry?" It re- 

 sulted in boosting prices all around and 

 now since trade has dropped ofE values 

 are being hammered, but to no appreci- 

 able extent. In fact, price conditions 

 throughout the entire hardwood line are 

 very satisfactory, and while actual trad- 

 ing has slackened up a bit, the present and 

 future supply is of such nature that good, 

 steady prices are likely to be maintained 

 tlu-oughout the year. 



In plain-sawed red oak there is no new 

 feature. 



The liest selling thickness is 1-inch and 

 both No. 1 common and firsts and seconds 

 are active, and there is no reason for their 

 selling below the top price. 



Quartered white oak is not quite so ac- 

 tive, but there is no apparent feeling of 

 uneasiness among the larger liolders of 

 this class of stock. 



There is no change in the poplar situa- 

 tion either. Tlie usual amount is fnov- 

 ing and the same strength in prices pre- 

 vail. Trices should advance under e.Kist- 

 ing conditions. White pine is way up in 

 the better grades and poplar is just as 

 good for most purposes. The present con- 

 sumption is comparatively large and dry 

 stocks are in short supply, both locally 

 and at the mills. 



Cottonwood is enjoying its usual pros- 

 perity and the other southern woods are 

 in their usual good demand. Gum is b?- 

 ing used to a greater extent tlian formerly 

 and is growing in favor. 



'I'lie northern hardwoods are arriving 

 in considerable quantity just now, but 

 ])rices are not affected thereby. The 

 local and small consumption of dry stocks 

 in maple, birch and basswood is large. 

 Basswood is particularly active and prices 

 Maple maintains its earlier position, 

 high. Birch is increasing in demand. 



CINCINNATI. 



Cincinnati, O.. May 27, 1902. 

 All branches of the lumber business are 

 very busy and everyone is looking forward 

 to a very prosperous summer. Thus far 

 the state of trade has been extremely gi-at- 

 ifying to everyone concerned, and there is 

 no good reason why these prosperous times 

 should come to an end in the near future. 

 A matter which is causing a great deal 

 of inconvenience at present is the manner 

 in which some of the southern railroads 

 are handling freight. Delays ai'c frequent 

 and rolling stock scarce. 



The Cincinnati lumbermen who attended 

 the meeting of tlie NaUonal association are 

 all back at their desks and profess to be 

 very well pleased with results. They were 

 pleased with their reception and had a 

 good time. 



The demand for poplar is strong, lint it 

 is a matter of record that sales are not 

 as numerous as they should lie. High 

 prices may be the cause of that; in fact, 

 it must be, as the stocks of the manufac- 

 turers using poplar are reported very light. 

 It is not to be wondered at that dry 

 stocks of Cottonwood are very scarce, as 

 large sales in this wood are a daily occur- 

 rence. Admitting the fact that an enor- 

 mous amount of cottonwood is cut every 

 year, it is still a matter of surprise that 

 this wood has lasted as long as it has. 

 Higher prices are now being realized on 

 Cottonwood right now than at any other 

 time in its history. This is true of all 

 grades and thicknesses. 



For a long time cypress lumber has 

 been rather difficult sale, but it seems as 

 if the time is at hand for this lumber to 

 take its accustomed place in the matter of 

 sales. During the past two weeks one of 

 the local wholesale firms made a sale run- 

 ning up in the hundreds of thousands. 

 I'rices are firm and bid fair to continue so. 

 A continued steady demand is still the 

 order of things in gum. Firsts and sec- 

 onds red gum in almost every thickness 

 is meeting with steady sale. Red common 

 gum is still the best seller, while sap com- 

 mon is a trifle slow. Clear sap gum, how- 

 ever, is steadily improving. Mill cull gum 

 is moving readily and at good prices. 



Ash lumber isn't in as strong favor as 

 it has been lately. The call for inch stock 

 is rather light at present. Ash' IV2 and 2 

 inches thick in firsts and seconds and com- 

 mon is doing pretty well. 



Plain Avhite and red oak in the upper 

 grades is easy sale, at the right prices. 

 Quartered white oak is also enjoying a 

 good call, while quartered red oak is in 



better demand than for some time past. 

 Prices on all kinds of oak lumber are high 

 and firm. 



Plain-sawed sycamore is in good demand 

 and a scarcity of dry st<]ck has manifested 

 itself- 



Of the other hardwoods, chestnut and 

 (herrv are in the strongest demand. 



NEW YORK. 



New York. May 27, 1002. 

 It is a queer condition of affairs that con- 

 fronts the local hardwood dealer just at 

 this time. Yard tradi' is dull because 

 building operations have not nuUeriali/.ed 

 to anything like the extent anticipated and 

 —stocked up for. 



During the winter, when everything 

 pointed to splendid business this spring, 

 not alone the yards, but the door and trim, 

 manufacturers, and the hardwood manu- 

 facturers, bought heaviliy so as to be all 

 prepared for the big business. 



It did not nmteriali/.e. The tenement 

 house law, the high prices of material and 

 the strikes combint-d did what, perliaps. 

 either one alone might not have accom- 

 plished— took the wind out of the sails of 

 contractors, builders and investors, so that 

 spring came with l)ig stocks on hand in 

 the retail yards and few new building 

 operations started. 



Conti-act work continues, of course, but 

 that can hardly be termed the support of 

 the lumber trade, and as far as ilanhattan 

 and the Bronx locally are concerned mat- 

 ters are dull. 



There is a bright side to the picture, 

 though, and tb.at is to be found in the 

 condition in the outlying districts: Of 

 course, there have been the usual strikes 

 in New Jersey and elsewhere, but a large 

 amount of liuilding was done despite these 

 temporary disagreements with labor. This 

 has undoubtedly sustained the wholesale 

 market, for local manufacturers of inte- 

 rior woodwork and trim are carrying am- 

 ple stocks for all present needs and have 

 therefore largely shut off on their buying 

 proclivities. 



There are even rumors that local hard- 

 wood wholesalers are finding it incumbent 

 upon them, in efforts to dispose of stocks, 

 to visit near-by cities, and it is remarkable, 

 if this be true, that prices not only re- 

 main firm, but have a tendency to ad- 

 vance. 



None of the woods can be picked out as 

 stronger than another. All are steady, due 

 naturally, to some extent, at least, to scarc- 

 ity of stock. Taking everything into con- 

 sideration, the demand is good and nothing 



