December 10. lUl'l 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



55 



put into them at present. The building situation improres right along. 

 A lot of big buildings have been started in Pittsburgh and, following in 

 their wake, there has been quite a movement in house building and general 

 construction. The retail lumber business, on this account, is slowly 

 improving, but retailers are still playing a waiting fame and are likely, for 

 this reason, to be much better buyers after the first of the year. Stocks 

 of hardwoods in tri-stato mills are somewhat larger than in the fall, but a 

 little spurt in buying would quickly clean out this suniUis lumber. 



BOSTON 



Demand for hardwoods here has slackened quite a little the past fen- 

 days. But this is the time when poor business in this as well as in all 

 other hardwood fields here obtains usually each year. The near approach 

 of stock taking makes this so. .\lso, a series of warm and rainy weather 

 has injured trade the past ^fortnight. liut there is sufficient business 

 passing for the firsts and seconds at least to remain quite firm in tone 

 and prices are the same as they have been for some time past. There are 

 now and then concessions made, but they are always by those who need 

 ready cash, and such concessions are really not many. The demand con- 

 tinues very good considering for finish, but of course this only covers about 

 a fifth of the trade here. Most of the demand is from the hardwood yards, 

 furniture makers and piano people. In other lines there is very little 

 improvement as yet. 



BALTIMORE 



Conditious in tho hardwon.l tradn of Raltimoro reiiiJiin about as they 

 have been of late, though a slowinj;? up has begun to assert itself in conse- 

 quence of the approach of the holidays and the end of the year. The time 

 is at hand when dealers hepin to take stock or at least start looking 

 around to see what supplies they have on hand and how they stand. It 

 is always expected that the buying will let up to some extent toward the 

 close of a twelve months' period, and dealers as well as manufacturers 

 make arrangements accordingly. However, there may be said to exist a 

 difference. The yards, to be sure, are beginning to hold back in" antici- 

 pation of smaller inquiries and lessened buying, but some of the big con- 

 sumers, sufh as the railroads, which have been out of the market a con- 

 siderable length of time and have been obliged to practice very rigid 

 economies, find they have increased requirements to meet, and this demand 

 is not likely to be affected by the seasonal let-down having too recently 

 begun to assert itself to remain in abeyance. The railroads and other 

 users of hardwoods on a large scale have been resorting to all manner 

 of makeshifts and deferring real wants until extensive replacements are 

 rendered imperative. It will he a case not merely of making provision for 

 the moment but of augmenting holdings, so that there may be a reason- 

 ably free drawing upon assortments at all times and to the end that 

 every contingency likely to arise can he met. It is this business which 

 the members of the hardwood trade are beginning to run into, and that 

 ■will go far to compensate for the temporary curtailment of the distribu- 

 tion among the retailers, until the tiiri of the year is over. The slowing 

 up is being aecomplished without material modifications of the quotations. 



COLUMBUS 



The hardwood trade in Columbus and central Ohio territory is rather 

 firm in all respects. Buying, while not as active as during October and 

 November, is still rather brisk and a good volume of business is reported. 

 The approach of the time for making the semi-annual inventories is near 

 and dealers do not want to stock up any more than is necessary. 



Buying on the part of factories is brisk and this is the best feature at 

 this time. Concerns making boxes, implements, furniture and pianos 

 are the best customers. Railroads are also placing inquiries, indicating 

 that orders from that source may be expected soon. The higher grades of 

 hardwoods are quite scarce and this has the effect of switching the demand 

 to the medium grades. There is considerable strength shown in the 

 lower grades which have been a little slow for some time. 



Prices are well maintained at the levels which have prevailed for several 

 weeks. Quartered and plain oak are both selling well, especially in the 

 higher and medium grades. Maple is stronger and the demand is brisker. 

 Poplar is firm and the same is true of chestnut. Many live inquiries for 

 all items on the list are received from time to time. 



CINCINNATI 



While there has been no material change in the hardwood market for the 

 past two weeks, demand is not quite as keen as it has been. Despite this. 

 prices showed no tendency to weaken under the strain. Values established 

 during the recent upward movement have been maintained in the better 

 grades, and while lower grades are still moving slowly, they arc quoted at 

 satisfactory prices. Indications point to only a fair business from now 

 until the first of the year at least. Demand for practically all items has 

 fallen off some during the past ten days, but this is only natural for this 

 time of the year, in the opinion of the trade in general. The industrials as 

 a whole arc not very active, the planing mill trade in particular is doing 

 very little, while the furniture factories are not buying as much as they 

 were two weeks ago. A majority of these concerns are holding off buying 

 for future needs until after the January furniture exhibits. Two weeks ago 



^iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii^ 



I Plain & Qtd. Red & White f 



OAK 



Even 



Soft 



= Color AND OTHER Texture = 

 I HARDWOODS | 



I Soft Yellow Poplar i 



MADE (MR) RIGHT 



I OAK FLOORING f 



I PROMPT SHIPMENTS | 



I The MOWBRAY I 



i & ROBINSON CO. I 



S ( I NCOBPOB ATED ) S 



I CINCINNATI, OHIO | 



Fitiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii? 



Caiv All the Way 

 Through 



For years this firm has operated on a 

 solid basis of conservatism. Care has 

 characterized its every department. In 

 log selection only the best is accepted; 

 in manufacturing, quality outweighs 

 quantity. 



Soft textured oak ideal for good furni- 

 ture, splendid walnut, a fine stock of 

 poplar, chestnut, gum, hickory, maple, 

 elm, Cottonwood, beech and quartered 

 sycamore make available to any line of 

 woodworking a thoroughly reliable source 

 of raw material. 



Quick shipment, domestic or export, 

 straight or mixed cars, all N. H. L. A. 

 grades. 



Try Stimson the Next Time 



J. V. Stimson & Co. 



Manufacturers of Fine Hardwoods 



OWENSBORO KENTUCKY 



