Published In the Interest of Hardwood Lumber. American Hardwood Forests. Wood Veneer Industry. Hardwood Flooring. 

 Hardwood Interior Finish, Wood Chemicals, Saw Mill and Woodworking Machinery. 



Vol. XX. 



CHICAGO, JUNE 25, 1905. 



No. 5. 



MMiil RecoM 



Published on the 10th and 25th of each month 



By The HARDWOOD COMPANY 



HENRY H. GIBSON President 



FRANK W. TUTTLE Sec-Treas. 



OFFICES: 

 Sixth Floor Ellsworth BIdg., 355 Dearborn St., Chicago, III. U.S.A. 



Telephones: Harrison 4960. Automatic 5659. 



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Entered at Chicago Poslofflce as Second Class Matter. 



Advertising copy must be received five days In advance 

 of publication date. Advertising rates on application. 



General Market Condition.'. 



While the hardwood trade generally in the United States is far 

 from dull, in some localities it is more or less "spotted." This 

 fact is notably true of Chicago, although lumber can still be sold 

 in this city to a considerable extent, notwithstanding the strike con- 

 dition that has prevailed for two or three months, by people who 

 seriously go after business. 



Generally in the East the situation is better than in the middle 

 West, thus reversing the condition that prevailed a year ago. The 

 consuming trade of the South is generally pretty dull, and this is 

 doubtless owing to the fact that the manifold new enterprises that 

 have been started in that great section during the last few years 

 are undercapitalized. While money is very easy in the North, it is 

 close in the South, and people are working as close to shore as 

 possible. A review of the hardwood lumber situation at this time 

 marks nothing of serious import to it. It is naturally the begin- 

 ning of the dull season of the year. 



The furniture trade, the largest buyer of hardwoods, has not 

 for years bought any lumber during the month of June. Furniture 

 people sell their goods in large blocks in January and July. June 

 is always a eleaning-up month among plants, many of them shut- 

 ting down for general overhauling and repairs, and for the getting 

 together of their regular semiannual new designs. What the volume 

 of trade in the furniture industry will be after the middle of July 

 remains to be seen, as it will depend entirely on thi of 



manufactured goods marketed at the great Chicago ami G 

 exhibit sales next month. 



The wagon people are buying with reasonable fr lo 



is the coffin trade. Perhaps the strongest elemenl of bi ing in the 

 market is for the hardwood interior finish business. The immense 

 building boom in nearly all the commercial centers of the country 

 is making a great demand for hardwood doors and trim, aad this 

 trade of necessity will prevail throughout the year. 



On the whole, nothing but an optimistic vie* iken ,,f the 



future of the hardwood lumber market for the remainder of the 

 year 1905. Specifically, the strongest items of stock are plait. 

 white and red oak and the good end of poplar; maple is doing 

 fairly well, and birch and elm splendidly; hickory and ash are 

 in demand clear up to the possible supply. The coai of some 



woods is dragging materially, notably poplar and cotton* 1. but 



there is no serious menace to values even in these il 



The hardwood flooring people are enjoying a good trade, and 

 many of them are turning down orders. 



The veneer people, both in sawn and rotary cut veneers, are gen- 

 erally reporting a very satisfactory business, and in thr. 

 cited during the past ten days, veneer manufacturers reported that 

 they were obliged to turn down ordi rs, 



Timber Land Deals. 



During the past twelve months timber buyers who have formerly 

 devoted their attention to white pine and yellow pine and more re- 

 cently to Pacific coast timber properties, have turned their atten- 

 tion to the buying of hardwoods. The last twelve months have 

 witnessed the scouring of nearly all the hardwood area remaining in 

 the United States for anything thai looked like a reasonable deal 

 in hardwood stumpage. 



There has been great activity in this direction in the noi 

 peninsula ol Michigan and in northern Wisconsin. Tract 

 hardwoods that have been passed up for years as not being worth the 

 attention of timber buyers have been greedily absorbed, with the 



result that values in that section of tl untry have very materially 



advanced. Incident to the buying of these hard* Is in the lake 



country, the remaining cedar and hemlock lands have been ta] 



The last twelve months have also witnessed a great w 

 transactions along the lower Mississippi d while thi 



era] search has been for oak properties, nearly everything that grows 

 out of the ground in the waj of timber, has been eagerlj purchased 

 at prices that would have been deemed ridiculous two v :irs &€"■ 

 With the making of a marketable lumber out of red and tupelo 

 gum, which has implished within the last two or three 



years, timber areas with a preponderance of these woods have been 

 actively purcha - 



The hard* I lands of West -< P**t 



went begging for years, now have been so closely absorbed that it 

 Bve-thousa left in the state that 



is not in the hands ■ 

 lachian rang antry has I 



have taken place. 1 

 search for hardwood timb 

 that thei 



sawmill men. 

 In verity then 



age at a 

 his holdings. 



