HARDWOOD RECORD 



49 



DETROIT 



GRAND RAPIDS 



Iioi)iar are only fair. A sHjjht IniprovonK'nt is 

 Dotod in the export l)iisin(*ss. Tlie hnrdwood 

 lUioi-in;i inaritet is firm. 



Sixty cars of choice maple ami hircli liimlier 

 were dumped onto the Detroit mai-ket last week 

 because the consignees. Flint automobile manu- 

 facturers, had cancelled their orders for the lum- 

 ber, having temporarily closed (hiwn on account 

 of linancial difficulties. Freight charges alone 

 on the consignment amounted to .$S.">(; and the 

 lumber had to b<? di>;posed of. I'rices were 

 slashed accordingly and maple and birch can be 

 obtained here at l)argain prices. 



The Thomas Forman Company last week re- 

 ceived a flee cargo of maple lumber from Grand 

 Mara is. The c<mipany expects one more cargo 

 of hardwood lumber before the end of naviga- 

 tion. This will be from Harbor Springs. 



"Business is much lietter than two months 

 ago." says E. W. Lei'ch. "The market is firmer 

 and prices consequently are better. The de- 

 mand from automobile manufacturers for hard- 

 woods for use in machines lias diuii- nnu^li to 

 improve the market." 



S. C. Major, Sr., of Memphis, Tenu.. and 

 "Ginger" Brown of Louisville, Ky., were Detroit 

 visitors last week. 



Georg«< E. Avery, a son of llii- late Newell 

 Avery, one of the larg*- lumbei- operators of 

 Michigan, and of the old-time Avery & Murphy 

 ■combination, died in Detroit last week after an 

 Illness of several months. ^Ir. Avery was largely 

 interested in lumber and had big holdings. 



The Detroit Board of Trade has establi.shed .n 

 bureau of transportation which is expected to 

 be of great service to shippers and receivers of 

 freight. The bureau will quote rates, trace cars, 

 collect claims, adjust demurrage, secure better 

 rates, etc. 



\\. H. Jlorsc. representing (he Strable .Manu- 

 facturing Company of Saginaw, was in the city 

 November 10. The company is operating an oak 

 flooring plant at Nashville, Tenn.. and a maple 

 flooring plant at Saginaw. Mr. Morse reports :i 

 fail' bu.-iness Iti luirdw'oods and a good outlook 

 for the coming year. He says that the smallpox 

 epidemic in Saginaw is now under control but 

 that the scare has hit the general trade interests 

 there very hard. 



H. J. Dudley of the Dudley L\imber Company 

 has gone to New York City for a week. 



The Dennis Brothers Salt & Lumber Company 

 has found expansion necessary and two rooms 

 have been added to the office suite in the Mur- 

 ray building. A new safe has been installed and 

 other improvements made. A. L. Dennis, presi- 

 dent of the company, reports a cut of lO.dOd.lHMI 

 feet this season at the mills near Dlghton. Only 

 one of the mills is running at present, but the 

 others will start as soon as sleighing begins. 

 The timber is in Osceola county and will largely 

 overrun the first estimates made. It was thought 

 I hat there was a cut of eight years, but the com- 

 pany has already been operating there for that 

 length of time and expects the cut will last four 

 ycar.s longer. 



W. L. Fassett of the Skillman Lumber Com- 

 pany is making a ten days' trip through the 

 South, visiting the mills and some of the trade. 



10. K. Dennis of the Dennis Lumber Company 

 left November 18 on a short business trip South. 

 He recently purchased 160 acres of fine hard- 

 wood timber, located in Ionia county, near Port- 

 land. Mich., containing some of the best oak and 

 basswood in southern Michigan. 



Hardwood Markets 



(By BA3DWOOD SECORD Esclnslve Market Reporters.) 



CHICAGO 



Now that the local market has come to a 

 point where the trade can reasonably expect a 

 satisfactory amount of business, many local 

 men are reporting that the buyers are alread.v 

 beginning to fortify themselves behind the old 

 excuse. "Taking inventory and can't do any 

 more business before the ttrst of January." This 

 condition seems to have become quite general in 

 Chicago and has reacted to an appreciable de- 

 gree on the local trade. The yard men at 

 present are doing the largest amount of busi- 

 ness and are, as a general thin.g. commanding 

 the best prices for their lumber. The whole- 

 salers are, nevertheless, in a more favorable 

 condition than they were a short time ago. and, 

 in fact, they are now carrying several items 

 which command unusual strength. The furni- 

 ture trade remains about the same, though there 

 is certainly evidence of an absolute necessity 

 for buying in some quarters. The handlers of 

 ear lumber believe that the railroad comi)anies 

 have about reached the limit and will be forced 

 to put on new rolling stock in the very near 

 future. With the evideut surplus of cars for the 

 entire country down to a little over 7,0(10 a 

 week ago, this reasoning seems entirely logical. 

 The sash, door and blind houses continue to 

 give local trade a good volume of business, as 

 do flooring manufacturers and all lines of 

 building trade. 



Ued oak in large lots enjoys its old time 

 scarcity. Small concerns can pick up odd lots of 

 good stock here and there and in the course 

 of time accumulate quite a supply, but it is 

 difficult to buy large quantities. Quartered white 

 oak is still manifestly long at the mills, and 

 commands a price delivered at Chicago con- 

 siderably lower than a few mouths ago. Seventy- 



Rix dollars in Chicago is not by any means an 

 uncommon quotation. Lower .grades of oak 

 are. as always, not very active. 



High-grade birch lumber is firm as to sales 

 and prices, as is Its northern sister wood, maple, 

 which always finds a ready market. These two 

 woods, on account of their extensive utilization 

 for interior work of all descriptions, are sel- 

 dom weak. Red gum is another strong article 

 on the Chicago market, its constant booming 

 evidently effectually keeping its strength alMJve 

 that of the average. Sap gum, on the other 

 hand, is weak. Tupelo is another wood which 

 is rapidly coming to the front here as well as 

 in other sections of the country. It is evidently 

 destined to occupy an important position in 

 lumberdom. I'oplar and Cottonwood boxboards 

 r.ud panels are, as usual, strong, and the low- 

 grades are enjoying a little better sale than 

 they have for some time. It seems as though 

 the box people are beginning to manufacture 

 in more normal quantities. Ash and liickory 

 are not strong as far as vehicle manufacturers 

 are concerned, though the best grade of hickory 

 is always sold without much difficulty. 



NEW YORK 



The local hardwood market shows little change 

 from that last noted. Ofiferings, particularly in 

 low-grade stock, are plentiful and much in ex- 

 cess of the demand. High-grade stock continues 

 to hold its own. both as regards prices and 

 demands. Generally speaking, the local lumber 

 trade is dull. Buying is being largely confined 

 to a hand-to-mouth order being generally lim- 

 ited to actual orders in hand. 



Ash. birch and cliestnut are well held and some 

 fair business is being booked. Maple and birch 

 are particularly strong, with a marked scarcity 

 in some sizes. Quartered and plain 'oak and 



BUFFALO 



The lumbermen say tliat tlic diflicuily is not 

 in selling certain hardwoods, but in securing 

 llu' stock, particularly the better grades. The 

 market Is well supplied witli stocks of low grades 

 in m(jst hardwoods and low ju-ices contintie to 

 rule. 



The higher grades of oak are in good de- 

 mand. Thick stixk in maple and the . better 

 grades of poplar, especially panel poplar, are 

 very scarce. 



Birch is anotlu'r scarce wood. Ijeing used 

 more and more for Interior trim. In furniture 

 it is not so extensively used, mahogany veneer 

 having become cheaper as well as more popu- 

 lar, other woods selling well are ash and chest- 

 nui. 



The trade in cypress has been quiet lately, 

 and prices have not been strong, especially in 

 the common grades, which are .selling cheap. 

 The demands in this market are mostly for 

 small lots, to be used for trimming purposes. 

 While Louisiana cypress Is usually given the 

 preference, an occasional purchaser buys Mis- 

 sissippi cypress on account of its light color. 

 Gum is a wood which is becoming more useful, 

 not only for doors, but for various farming im- 

 plements. Prices are firm. 



PITTSBURG 



Local hardwood men an- IVc-liug better, in 

 spite of the Democratic landslide, which most of 

 tliem do not take seriously. Prosperity talk is 

 increasing every day. New ind\istrial projects 

 or extensions to old plants in the Pittsburg 

 district to the total of nearly .f^.-). 000.000 have 

 been authorized and published during the past 

 three month.s. Added to this line of prosperity 

 ilems is the passage of the $10.:{00,000 bond 

 issue November 8 for the municipal improve- 

 ments. The first block of .f4.ooo.oOO of bonds 

 will be sold very soon and it is expected that 

 work will slart on a number of the projects 

 authorized shortly after the first of the year. 

 Things are ripe for much lietter business here In 

 all lines next .year and predictions are freely 

 made that 1911 will nearly or quite equal Pitts- 

 burg's best boom years. 



At present the hardwood market is waiting 

 somewhat on the resumption of railroad buying, 

 which must occur soim. Manufacturers who 

 liavi' been holding oft in hopes of getting lower 

 prices are beginning to load up now with stocks 

 tor next year's consumption. Itetail yards are 

 also buying more freely. High-class hardwood 

 is in very small supply at the mills and prices 

 are steadily moving upward. In hardwoods it 

 looks good all around in this city. 



BOSTON 



Demand for hardwood lumber lacks that snap 

 that goes to make up a satisfactory volume of 

 business. However, there are a few dealers 

 who have actually received more business dur- 

 ing the past month or six weeks than at any 

 lime during the same length of time for a year, 

 rbe demand is evenly distributed, however. One 

 dialer says that October was the largest month 

 he has bad this year, and that November has 

 been a generally small one. while another states 

 that this month's business Is far ahead of that 

 of October. Buyers here worked their reserve 

 stocks down rather close in many instances, and 

 will be obliged to replenish as soon as their 

 businr'ss Improves. There is a general feeling 

 (hat prices will seek a lower level, and some 

 selections are already easier than they have been. 

 Manufacturers have shown more anxiety (o sell. 



