26 



THE HARD W C) O D RECORD. 



manufacturers are evidently utilizing to a 

 considerable extent the lower grades of 

 beech, basswcod, cottonwood and other 

 stocks for purposes into which heretofore 

 white i>ine had entered solely. 



The export trade in hardwoods has 

 picked up quite a little of late. While 

 stocks are said to be fairly plentiful 

 abroad, there is more of a tendency to buy 

 noted, and still further improvement is an- 

 ticipated. 



With increased demand in other lines 

 counteracting the great retail trade and 

 steadying the market, prices are as fol- 

 lows for the principal items; Ash, one inch, 

 firsts and secona.s, .$42 to $45; basswooJ, 

 firsts and seconds, ^o2 to $a4; inch birch. 

 $42 to $45; inch cherry, $85 to $92; inch 

 chestnut, $40 to $42; cottouwood, $32 to 

 $a5; maple, $28 to $30; plain white oak, 

 $40 to $42; quartered oak, $IJ5 to $(J7; pop- 

 lar, $40 to $42. 



;box common grade still has the best call, 

 although firsts and seconds are not very 

 far behind. Several barges are unloading 

 at the wharves here now. Mill cull cotton- 

 wood also is enjoying easy sale. There is 

 no doubt that the present high prices of 

 poplar have given the demand for cotton- 

 wood great impetus. 



CINCINNATI. 



Cincinnati, U., June 11, 19U2. 



In some respects the general trade con- 

 dition is not as flattering as it was two 

 ■weeks ago. A slight slump has manifested 

 itself during the i)ast week, although this 

 is only considered temporarj'. The local 

 furniture factories are putting in lull time 

 and the carriage manufactories are ex- 

 tremely busy. The buildert' have all of 

 the business they can conveniently take 

 care of. Several skyscrapers are to be 

 built tills summer; in fact, one is already 

 under course of construction. 



The local poplar dealers have had lots 

 of food for discuh'sion since the recent 

 meeting of the Hardwood Manufacturers' 

 Association at Louisville, and the addi- 

 tional advance of one dollar per thousand 

 on ijoiilar lumber doesn't meet with uni- 

 yersal indorsement. 



The demand for red gum lumber has 

 suffered slightly during the i)ast week. 

 Sales of the wood will soon be regularly 

 reported, as inquiries have not entirely 

 ceased to come in. When red gum sold 

 readily sap gum way quiet. Just now the 

 reverse is the order of things, and clear 

 sap gum is enjoying ready sale. The call 

 for mill cull giim is good. 



The oak situation is practically the same 

 as it has been for some time past. Dry 

 stocks are scarce and prices are high, with 

 a good demand. Quartered white oak has 

 fallen off a little in demand, although not 

 to a very great extent. Quartered red oak 

 in the upper grades' outside of stock in inch 

 thicknesses is rather weak. The call for 

 cull oak also might be much stronger than 

 it is. 



Ash lumber is being called for with hard 

 specifications attached, and sales are not 

 heavy. 



Heavy shipments of cottonwood are still 

 the order of the day. At the rate this 

 wood is being shipped now it is only a 

 matter of a few weeks before all of the 

 dry stocks available will be consumed and 

 then prices will go soaring again. The 



BUFFALO. 



Buffalo. X. Y.. .June 10, 1002. 



Strikes seem to be the only clouds on 

 the business horizon at the present time. 

 It is very hard to tell how the great 

 miners' strike will terminate. So far it has 

 caused a loss extending into the millions— 

 the hwgest part t.f which falls upon the 

 mine operators. All users of coal have 

 suffered .to a considerable extent, some be- 

 ing compelled to shut down entirely. The 

 miners themselves are losers, they and 

 their families individually, to such an ex- 

 tent that they will be a long time in mak- 

 ing their loss goi,d. even should they win 

 out in the present strike. 



Xow that the President has taken a hand 

 in the dispute, there will probably be some 

 settlement effected in the early future. 



The local yards are all busy receiving 

 and shipping lumber, and all report doing 

 good business. Prices ou quartered and 

 .plain oak remain about the same. Ash is 

 in a little better demand at good prices. 

 Firsts and seconds white birch, cherry, 

 basswood, chestnut, are scarce, and in good 

 demand. Good maple keeps coming up in 

 price, and I do not think will ever go back 

 to where it was stationary for so many 

 years. 



NASHVILLE. 



Nashville, Tenn., June 10, 1902. 

 The lumber conditions at Nashville are 

 very favorable. Steady demand and firm 

 prices all down the list. Buyers are mak- 

 ing some complaints on the stiff poplar 

 prices that they claim are not justified, 

 but they are paying them just the same. 

 Quartered white oak is, perhaps, even a 

 little scarcer than poplar, and red oak is 

 in fairly good demand. Dry stocks are 

 very low and many times orders are re- 

 ceived that positively cannot be filled. 



from the East ou firsts and seconds, but 

 the contracts are hard to clinch, part of 

 this is jlue to ditficult specifications. Cy- 

 press is having a splendid local demand 

 and also some foreign demand. Quartered 

 white oak occupies its same position. 

 Cottonwood is a very prominent feature 

 here. The Jlemphis holders are having a 

 lot of inquiries and in most instances 

 have uses for their own stock, which is 

 limited. The box factories are all run- 

 ning on extra time. Red oak in firsts 

 and seconds is having a good demand. 

 Dry stock in poplar is very scarce and the 

 best demand is perhaps found in firsts 

 and seconds and clear sap. 



MEMPHIS. 

 Jlemphis, Tenn., June 10, 1902. 

 There are no marked changes in the 

 hardwood situation at Jlemphis, except a 

 tendency at stronger prices that may come 

 in some instances before the summer is 

 out. The mills along the river all have 

 enough logs to run on fair time for thirty 

 days, but the logs are not being replen- 

 ished to speak of. The export business 

 seems to be in good shape. There are 

 numerous inquiries for clear sap gum 

 from the European markets. Much gum 

 stock is being manufactured and many 

 concerns are coming in to Memphis and 

 the Memphis market to avail themselves 

 of this wood. Ash shipments seem to be 

 liiilit. though there are several inquiries 



ST. LOUIS. 



St. Louis, June 11, 1902. 

 The hardwood people of St. Louis are 

 right up to the top notch of prosperity 

 these days and, according to their reports, 

 one would think tlicre is nothing left for 

 them to wish for except that each indi- 

 vidual might desire an inexhaustible sup- 

 pl.y of lumber while the stocks of all the 

 others remained as depleted as they are 

 at present. It would seem from the re- 

 ports from other portions of the country 

 that all markets reflect almost the same 

 conditions as to supply, and it can be 

 said right here that if all stocks of diy 

 lumber are in as bad shape as those in 

 St. Louis, the hardwood supply is in a 

 bad way. It is strictly dry stock that is 

 scarce, green being more plentiful than 

 was the case a month or more ago, but 

 there still being a sliortage as compared 

 with former years. Still, the increased re- 

 ceipts of green lumber have somewhat sat- 

 isfied the demand for it, and the local mill 

 agents who sell dir'?ct to the wholesalers 

 state that the demand is not quite as strong 

 as it was. This is hardly noticeable, how- 

 e\ er, there still being a good market for 

 all that arrives and the likelihood that the 

 market will not be entirely satisfied with 

 either green or dry during all the rest of 

 this ySar. The factories of St. Louis report 

 about the same stock conditions as do the 

 wholesale yards, and they are willing buy- 

 ers of anything offered. They are all un- 

 usually iiusy and are consuming a greater 

 amount of lumber th.an is normal for this 

 season of the year. 



THE ADVANCE LUMBER COMPANY. 



S. P. C. Hostler sent in an order to the 

 Kirk-Christy Company, and received the 

 following letter from Mr. Christy: 



Cleveland, O., June 2, 1902. 

 Mr. S. P. C. Hostler, Chicago, 111. 



Dear Su-;— Replying to yours of 31st 

 iust., wherein you inclose order for three 

 ears 1-inch clear poplar saps, would say 

 that this order will have the honor of 

 being the first order entered on the books 

 of the Advance Lumber Company, which 

 was duly organized on Saturday p. m. and 

 which takes possession of their offices this 

 morning. Formal acknowledgment will be 

 made of this order from their office. 

 Yours truly. 

 THE KIRK-CHRISTY CO., 



Per Henry C. Christy. 



