June 25, 1917 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



59 



in point of botli activity and strength. Tlie higlier grades are finding 

 ready outlet, while the lower grades continue to pass steadily into box 

 manufacture at record quotations. The lower grades of Cottonwood are 

 as strong as the box grades of gum. Demand is exceptionally active and 

 quotations represent the highest marl; ever witnessed here. Oak is selling 

 In good volume and at enhanced prices as compared with even a fortnight 

 ago. Both the higher and lower grades of plain and quartered oak are 

 wanted at ruling quotations and there is considerable inquiry for later 

 shipment. The position of ash, hickory and elm is sound and there is a 

 good demand reported for both the higher and lower grades of cypress. 

 There is no complaint on the score of either demand or prices so far as 

 hardwood interests are concerned. They are manufacturing all the lumber 

 they can because they believe there is going to be a continued active de- 

 mand at remunerative prices and they are shipping as fast as they can 

 secure cars. Deliveries are being greatly delayed. 



=-< LOUISVILLE >= 



Wtiile merchants and manufacturers in various lines of business have 

 adbpted the "Business As Usual" principle, this would be impossible for 

 the hardwood lumbermen, as business is not as usual, but abnormal, 

 featuring a tremendous Increase, however, instead of a loss. According 

 to local manufacturers, business has never been better than at the present 

 time, the only drawbacks being the uncertainty of the car supply, slow 

 traffic conditions, and trouble in making deliveries. However, the traffic 

 situation is much better than it was. The demand for furniture manu- 

 facturing is oft considerably from what it was. but other lines are im- 

 proving, truck, auto, wagon and aeroplane manufacturers buying freely, 

 there being a demand for gunstock material, and other war munitions. 

 The building trades are showing some improvement locally, and conditions 

 out in the state are fairly good. Most of the present demand is for thick 

 stock in ash, elm, hickory, oak and gum. Hickory in 6/4 to S/4 is in good 

 demand, and oak is active in all thick grades from inch mill culls to 6 and 

 S/4 common and better. Quartered red oak is not so active as it was due 

 to the slowing up of the furniture trade. Poplar is good in inch low 

 grades, and 3/4 and up FAS. Ash is out of sight, the market being 

 clean as a whistle, and a big demand for all grades and thicknesses. 

 The supply is so short that ash can hardly be found at any price. Com- 

 mon and better hard maple, 8/4 and thicker is also very good at this time. 

 In mahogany and walnut the demand continues big, and plants are very 

 busy in supplying the demand. All grades of veneers continue active. 



=-< MILWAUKEE >•- 



The hardwood market throughout Wisconsin remains strong with a 

 heavy demand for flooring and woods required in the production of crates 

 and boxes. 



Although reports of relief In shipping conditions are cheering parts of 

 the country, the Improvement is as yet not apparent to any remarkable 

 degree. The lumber section in the latest official report of the freight traffic 

 bureau of the Chicago & Northwestern railway indicates that lumber ship- 

 ments at the present time are running even in amount with those of last 

 year. The demand this year, however, is very much greater in all divisions 

 of lumber and what was normally a sufficient supply of cars is hardly 

 adequate today. Besides, coal tonnage shows an increase of thirty per 

 cent and thereby requires an increased amount of rolling stock. 



That the difficulty in procuring hardwoods takes root in the fact that 

 the' traffic situation in general is not favorable to shipping, was demon- 

 strated a short time ago when a stringent lack of hardwood fuel at Mil- 

 waukee bakeries for a time threatened the entire city with a bread famine. 

 One Milwaukee baker tegMfled before the common council that he himself 

 has three hundred and fifty cords of wood in northern Wisconsin all ready 

 for shipment, but that it is refused by the railroad company because of 

 lack of equipment. The State Council of Defense was appealed to by 

 Mayor Daniel Hoan and the Milwaukee road has promised to provide suf- 

 ficient cars in northern Wisconsin to haul the needed fuel to Milwaukee. 

 That there are 1,000 idle freight cars today in Milwaukee was declared at 

 a recent meeting of the Rotary Club. 



Unable to satisfy the big demand made upon its production, the Stevens 

 Point Box & Lumber Company is installing a lot of new machinery and 

 expects to increase its capacity about fifty per cent. 



The Schroeder Lumber Company has let the contract for sawing approxi- 

 mately 5,000,000 feet of lumber to the Sprague mill at Washburn. It 

 comes from the Schroeder camps at Stockton Island and under normal 

 conditions would be sawed in the Schroeder mill at Ashland, but at present 

 it is impossible to get help for a night run. 



The Willow River Lumber Company. Grand View, has completed ship- 

 ping for the present season. About 17,000,000 feet of lumber were shipped. 



The best evidence of good business is busy building. The Gold Medal 

 Camp Furniture Manufacturing Company, Racine, making the famous 

 Gold Medal cots, is erecting another addition to its large plant and will 

 equip it with another new set of modern woodworking machinery. 



Industrial business in the various lines of wood and wood products is 

 very good. Although builders for some time have been talking of decreased 

 construction operations, investigation shows the falling oflf to be confined 

 in the main to residence structures. While the records of 113 large cities 

 in this country showed a decrease in building operations during May, 

 1917, as compared with the same month last year, Milwaukee records 

 revealed an increase of 14 per cent under the same comparison. 



All Three ef Ut Will Be Benefited if 



Walnut 



Of Character and Color 



Manufactured at Kansas City, U. S. A. 



Large Stock of All Grades and Thickness 



Thirty-five years' experience 



IN WALNUT ONLY 



Prompt Shipment, and 

 Guaranteed Inspection 



FRANK PURCELL 



515 Dwight Building, KANSAS CITY, MO. 



illllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllljs 



I Plain & Qtd. Red & White I 



I OAK I 



AND OTHER 

 HARDWOODS 



i Even Color 



Soft Texture = 



MADE (MR) RIGHT 



I OAK FLOORING I 



= We have 35,000,000 feet dry stock— all of E 



E our own manufacture, from our own tim- E 



E ber grown in Eastern Kentucky. E 



= PROMPT SHIPMENTS E 



f The MOWBRAY [ 



I & ROBINSON CO. I 



i: (incorporated) — 



I CINCINNATI, OHIO | 



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