38 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



demand for hardwoods, as well as other kinds 

 of lumber, depends to a great degree on the 

 prosperity of the farmers, and judging by the 

 excellent crops of all kinds, the demand for 

 hardwoods in the Southwest should bi 

 heavy for the balance of the year. 

 dealers here have had a strong inquii 

 several weeks, and orders are I 

 numerous.. The demand for furniture stock 

 promises to be unusually active, and the same 

 will apply to wagon and implement stock. 

 Railroad and car companies have long ago 

 filled the mills with orders and it is prac- 

 flcally impossible to place an order of any 

 size for railroad or car material for delivery 

 in less than from three to five months. The 

 local demand is strong for the time of year. 

 with excellent prospects for active business 

 until cold weather shuts off building. 



While the hardwood men are not worrying 

 over trade prospects, the scarcity of stock at 

 the mills and the uncertainty of the future 

 is causing apprehension. It has pre- 

 viously been reported that mill stocks are 

 practically cleaned out at most points, and at 

 the wholesale centers the assortment is by no 

 means complete or heavy. July was another 

 record breaker for bad weather in the mill 

 country and the production was seriously cur- 

 tailed. It will be a week or more before the 

 woods will be sufficiently dry so that logging 

 can be done. To make the matter wors 

 spread of ' In the S..uth is causing 



lie at many mill camps, and the workmen 

 are being held to their posts with difficulty. 

 Shotgun quarantines have been established at 

 many points, and they will not let passengers 

 alight from the trains. In Lou 'me of 



the railroad companies are not hauling any 

 dead freight north, and shipments from a 

 good many of the Louisiana mills have been 

 shut oft for a week. In the Memphis district 

 the quarantine restrictions are becoming 

 stricter, and if the spread of i la not 



checked shortly it Is not Improfc ship- 



ments from the entire southern hardwood mill 

 country will be shut off, or at least seriously 

 interfered with. 



It is conceded that the car shortage in the 

 fall will be as severe as in past years, as the 

 heavy movement of crops from now on will 

 force the diverting of thousands of cars for 

 grain, which otherwise could be used for the 

 shipment of lumber. Therefore, at the pres- 

 ent time, the outlook for prompt shipment of 

 hardwoods from the South is not at all en- 

 couraging, and orders for shipment from the 

 mills are not being accepted with any guar- 

 antee of promptness. The hardwood 

 here are fortunately well stocked and in good 

 assortment and orders for local shipment are 

 being handled nicely. 



Prices all along the 11] and 



plain oak, as usual, is the firmest of the lot. 

 There is no likelihood of any decline in the 

 near future on anything in the way of haid- 

 fls, and If the yellow fever situation in 

 the South does not speedily improve, the ten- 

 dency In prices will be decidedly upward. 



St. Louis. 



There Is but little if any change to report in 

 the St. Louis hardwood market since the last 

 i. There are those who note an increase 

 in inquiries, but the actual business booked 

 Is still somewhat below normal and quite un- 

 satisfactory to the trade. 



Oak, especially plain oak, Is in fairly good 

 movement, and is, In fact, the only hardwood 

 showing any noticeable degree of life at this 

 time. A moderately improved condition Is re- 

 ported in quartered oak. Gum is moving 

 slowly, but Is a little more lively than a while 

 back. Poplar of the higher grades is In mod- 

 erately good call, and cherry, birch and elm 

 I quiet on all sides. 



A canvass of I to the in- 



quirer a healthy feeling as to the future of 

 the market for hardwoods generally. Stocks 

 are so low in the hands of both dealers and 

 buyers, and in some places in the hands of 

 manufacturers as well, that the opinion has 

 gained ground that there must be a change 

 for the better before long. Replenishing time 

 is near at hand both for dealers and consum- 

 ers, and ■ the beginning of September will 

 likely witness a distinct improvement at both 

 ends of the line. 



Louisville. 

 The demand for poplar from the East is 

 steady, but is somewhat handicapped by calls 

 for an unusual amount of thick stock. The 

 mills are fairly well stocked with Inch poplar, 

 but nearly every order from the East calls for 

 varying In thickness from i>-4 to 10-4. and 



is always enouc' ilied to delay 



tnent, because most of it has to be cut to 

 order. This feature obtains also In the call for 

 oak and chestnut. Poplar lath is very scarce 

 and prices are stiff. Since pine is unusually 

 scarce, too. oak, ash and anything that can be 

 obtained in the shape of lath Is being snapped 

 up by the yards and building contractors in this 

 territory. The demand for oak, while it still 

 i^ 001 exciting enough t" bring 

 "ut premium prices. 



It is somewhat remarkable to note how elosely 

 the prices of low grade poplar, cottonwood and 

 common sap gum run these days Shipping cull 

 ar brings ?1G ; box common cottonwood 

 practically the same, excepl for ;i wider varia- 

 tion between different manufai irers, the quota- 

 actuallj i im 1 1 I i" ?it. No. i 



common sap gum sells B.1 v ' I and $15, and 

 also applies to log run gum. Box makers, who 

 are the heaviest purchasers of gum here, show 

 a preference for common sap over log inn nt 

 even figure 



Saginaw Valley. 

 The hardwood market |u I uneventful 



with hut ' Oak Is particularly 



linn ami sills readily at good prices, but tie 



bandied is lie me dealers here 



handle a good dee ithern oak. Ash is also 



Brm and in l' I demand The stock, however. 



Is somewhat limited. Maple is slow, at least 



for log ion Ba ■■ 1 Is also a little slow, hut 



there is not an excessive quantity in hand and 

 it will doubtless he worked off at reasonably- 

 satisfactory prices before long Owing to the 

 depression in the cooperage Btock trade quanti- 

 ties of elm have been converted Into lumber that 

 otherwise would have gone Into cooperage, and 

 the lumber Is a little weak in price and slow in 



id Maple flooring is In good demand and 



are satisfactory, the trade taking all that 



Is offered. Some Arm outputs go almost wholly 



■ I. Beech and birch are moving fairly well. 

 There are apparently no excessive stocks. 



Wausau. 

 Since the settlement of the teamsters' strike 

 in Chicago there has been a marked picking 

 up of trade conditions In the hardwood belt 

 "t Wisconsin. The past week sales have been 

 very brisk and some dealers state that they 

 have all the business they can handle. 

 In some instances the season's cut of mills 

 has been contracted for in advance. Another 

 factor that is helplrg trade conditions here 

 Is the prevalence of yellow fever in the South. 

 Northern buyers of southern woods are skep- 

 ing southern lumber at present 

 for fear of a spread of the dread disease and 

 are buying at home, consequently improved 

 northern market conditions 



London. 



' Owing to the near approach of the summer 

 holidays most buyers are out of town, or are not 

 Inclined to Increase their stocks. Trade here, 

 generally speaking, Is dull, but arrivals are for 



this time of the year heavy and most of the 

 stocks are being stored. 



storks arriving are mostly medium and cull 

 grades of oak and whitewood. Prime parrels 

 are arriving under contracts, but there is a gen- 

 eral disinclination to repeat orders at the mo- 

 ment. Michigan soft elm is being inquired for 

 and finds a ready market among the coffinmakers 

 and some of the furniture men. The coffin sizes 

 are 1 by 12 inches and up, 12 to 16 feet mot 

 more than 15 per cent 12 feet), and furniture 

 sizes 1 to 3 inches thick by 6 inches and up. 

 Southern elm has been shipped here for these 

 purposes, but is not liked, as it is found more 

 difficult to work, but it is probable that if buyers 

 cannot get as much Michigan elm as they want. 

 they will be forced to use the southern. 



;fo re 



Industrial Locations 



In Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, Minne- 

 sota, Upper Michigan, North and South 

 Dakota, write to W. B. Davenport, 

 Industrial Commissioner, Raiiway 

 Exchange. Chicago. 



Chicago, Milwaukee 

 & St. Paul Railway 



WHITING MANUFACTURING COMPANY 



MANUFACTURERS OF 



BAND SAWN STOCK WIDTHS IN 

 HARDWOODS AND WHITE PINE 



ELIZABETHTON, 



TENNESSEE 



[cottonwood! 



GUM and HARDWOODS 



PAEPCKE LEICHT LUMBER CO. 



Mills; 



Cairo, 111, 

 Marked Tree, Ark. 

 Arkansas City, Ark. 

 Hiytheville, Ark. 

 Greenville, Miss. 



General Offices: 



Tribune Building, 



CHICAGO 



i!!J 



JANNEY - WHITING LUMBER COMPANY 



WHOLESALE CASH BUYERS OF 



SOUTHERN ANDN0RTHERN WHITE PINE AND HARD- 

 WOODS. SQUARES, BALUSTER STOCK, ETC. 

 Yard and Ollice 1151 Beach SI. Pier 52 North Wharves 

 PHILADELPHIA, PA. 



