THE HARDWOOD RECORD. 



21 



CINCINNATI. 



After quite a long ruiuy sjjell, suiumer 

 has at last struck us witli full force anil 

 the hot weather is manifesting itself with 

 a vengeance. Whetlier the torrid weather 

 will materially affect business cannot as 

 yet he determined, I^eoause we have not 

 e.xiierieneed very mucli of it np to the last 

 weel;. The farmers suffered very heavily 

 from the lieavy and frequent rains which 

 were so common during the entire month 

 of .June. This will, no doubt., hurt the 

 business of the country yards in tliis neigh- 

 borhood very much, as the amount of their 

 business is always in accordance to the 

 size of the crops of the farmer. Still it 

 cannot lie claimed that the raius were 

 wjiolly detrimental, as many of the saw 

 mills were in great want of logs and the 

 rain came in the nature of a godsend for 

 them. .\I1 of the rivers of the surrounding 

 territory had a log tide and the mills are 

 once more busily sawing away. The re- 

 tail yards are busy and all indications 

 point to a rushing business for the next 

 few months. The local building records 

 show tliat more building permits were 

 issued during the month of June than dur- 

 ing any month previous, in local records. 

 In fact, the number of permits were more 

 than double those of recent years during 

 the same month. 



The new arrangement, which went into 

 effect July 1st, between all of the railroads, 

 providing that a charge of 20 cents per 

 day be made for all foreign cars left on 

 their tracks and sidings ought to be of 

 great benefit to the trade. A great source 

 of complaint has been the dilatory moving 

 of cars and now that the roads have to 

 pay 20 cents a day for use of foreign cars 

 it will, no doubt, cause them to hurry them 

 on to destination without the delays which 

 have been common recently. Some delays 

 may be caused by transferring of ship- 

 ments, but these will not be frequent, as 

 the cost of transferring would be no small 

 item and would not lie resorted to very 

 often. The general state pf trade is very 

 .satisfactory and no complaints ai'e being 

 heard tiecause of scarcity of orders. The 

 demand for poplar lumber has not under- 

 gone any material changes. In fact, the 

 .same conditions prevail, namely, more in- 

 quiries than sales. This can only lie at- 

 tributed to tlie high prices asked along 

 with the change of grading. Selects and 

 No. 1 common seem to be haying the best 

 call just now. It is a difficult matter to 

 say delinitely whether prices are Arm or 

 not, as it seems that the dealers not mem- 

 bers of the new manufacturers' associa- 

 tion are asking less than the list given out 

 by tlie new organization. 



.\ change for the better seems to have 

 taken place in the demand for gum lum- 

 ber. Clear sap gum is finding a ready 

 market at good prices. Red common is 

 also doing very well. Sap common, how- 

 ever, seems to be a trifle quiet locally. The 

 greatest improvement lias been noticed in 



the demand for lumlier, two common gum 

 and several large sales have been effected. 

 Number 3 common is also on the incline. 



The clumgi s in the demand for oak have 

 been few and of minor importance. 

 Quartered oak at present seems to be en- 

 joying a better call than plain oak. The 

 demand for dimension stock and car tim- 

 bers has been heavy all year and still con- 

 tinues strong. Prices on all grades are 

 firm, and orders are rather plentiful. 



Ash lumbei' has been a little quiet for 

 tlie past few months. It seems, however, 

 that the long-looked-for impro\einent is at 

 last manifesting itself. Quite a numlier 

 of inquiries are now floating around and 

 possibly tliat can be taken as a for.n-unner 

 for improved business. 



The hpavy demand for Cottonwood seems 

 to be unabated and on every hand is he.ird 

 the complaint of inability to procure dry 

 stock. Never in its history has cotton- 

 wood enjoyed such a demand, and never 

 have the manufacturers and dealers been 

 so short of dry lumber. Everything taken 

 into consideration, prices are very reason- 

 able. The strongest demand at present is 

 for the box common grade with Srsts and 

 seconds closely following. 



Chestnut is enjoying a fair demand and 

 stocks in this wood are not so very plenti- 

 ful. Sycamore has fallen off a little in de- 

 mand. The other hardwoods are holding 

 their own. 



BUFFALO. 



Lumber conditions continue aliout the 

 same as they have been during the past 

 month or more. To be sure. July so far 

 does not show up very good in a business 

 sense, owing to the glorious Fourth break- 

 ing in in it&., usual disregard for every- 

 thing pertaining to business. It is next 

 to impossible to do anytliing during the 

 week of the Fourih, as the most of us have 

 learned by past experience. The strike 

 situation seems to be improving daily and 

 I think we have heard tlie last of a strike 

 of such vast proportions as that of the 

 anthracite coal miners. Of course, the 

 coal operatives do not say the strike is off 

 by any means, but it does not seem as 

 though it could last very much longer. It 

 is within the range of possibilities that as 

 a last resort a general national strike of 

 the coal miners throughout the country 

 may be ordered. It is to be hoped, how- 

 ever, that the executive board of the strik- 

 ers will not deem this to be necessary, and 

 that everything will be amicably arranged 

 before long. 



Poplar lumber keeps well to the front, 

 with prices advancing steadily. Quartered 

 oak holds its own, also plain oak. White 

 ash is a trifle slow at present, but as there 

 is no surplus stock anywhere to fall back 

 on should there come up any demand to 

 speak of, prices keep up. 



Basswood is in good demand and scarce. 

 Cherry is selling well and bringing good 

 prices. It may be said in a general way 



that there is a fairly good demand for al- 

 most all kinds of lumber in the common 

 and better grades. But if reports are true 

 there is more money in pine lumber to-day 

 than in any hardwood that is used. The 

 profits are greater and there is a large 

 stock to draw from which latter cannot 

 be claimed for any one kind of lumber at 

 the present time. 



NEW YOBK. 



There is really no cause for tlie liard- 

 wood dealers in the metropolitan district 

 to utter a word of complaint regarding 

 the conditions surrounding their market. 

 All the furniture and molding manufac- 

 turers are apparently very busy, for the 

 market is an active one, and good orders 

 seem to be coming tliis way quite lively, 

 wliile prices are. if anything, stilfer than 

 they have been for months. 



Quartered oak is in particularly good 

 call just now. with prices ranging from 

 .$(jl to .$66 for the very best grades. Some 

 dealers tell of $07 for choice stock. Plain 

 oak is also in good call, and inch stock at 

 $40 is a fair quotation. Both plain and 

 quartered oak appear to be plentiful in 

 supply. 



The old scarcity of poplar is still to be 

 noted, and as a result prices, while not 

 soaring, are just about where those who 

 have the goods are satisfied to let them 

 rest. The usual figures for firsts and sec- 

 onds are $41 to $42. but even at these 

 prices the lumber is hard to get. Mixed 

 orders are particularly hard to fill. Chest- 

 nut in all grades but soiuid. wormy is 

 scarce, firsts and seconds and commons 

 particularly so. Ash is also scarce, while 

 maple and birch, both of which are quite 

 active, continue to be pretty .stiff in price. 



NASHVILLE. 



The hardwoods at Nashville are all in 

 strong demand. The devotees of the new 

 association keep much encouraged. Or- 

 ders are being filled right along. Summer 

 duliuss is not being mentioned. Summer 

 vacations are being abandoned. The local 

 building trade is improving. Poplar, plain 

 and iiuartered oak. chestnut and walnut 

 all attract attention from the buyers. The 

 business footed up the first of the mouth 

 was encouraging to all the local firms and 

 surpassed by several thousand dollars that 

 of the corresponding period for last year. 

 The local bo.\ factories are generally run- 

 ning overtime. 



MEMPHIS. 



Everything is getting along all right in 

 (Ireater Memphis. Orders are plentiful, 

 prices are firm. New firms and new fac- 

 tories are coming in. In the words of a 

 complaining furniture manufacturer who 

 did not exagerate the situation: "There 

 is 'a wonderful demand for all kinds of 

 hardwood lumber in the ilemphis market. 

 Prices are higher than they have been 

 known for years, dry and available stocks 



