HARDWOOD RECORD 



15 



"I kin lick any (more things of an unprintable nature) from 

 Michigan, Wisconsin or Minnesota!" 



Now, by aU the gods of war, this was too much even from a 

 mighty man like Riley Jinigin. Over in the far corner of the room 

 a big, blue-eyed, tow-headed Swede "upheaved his ponderous vast- 

 ness. " The card-players ceased their play and the sleeping riverman 

 roused himself as if sensing the approach of epic conflict. The 

 Swede came across the sawdust-covered floor like a traction engine 

 on its way to a threshing bee. Eaising a hand like a steam hammer 

 he shook it in the air and shouted: 



' ' Ay bane from Mannasotay, an Ay tank you bane tam big liar ! ' ' 



Eiley rushed upon him with a howl and gave him the counter check 

 quarrelsome right behind the ear. The blow was well aimed and 

 well timed; ordinarily it would have felled an ox, but the Swede was 

 not an ox — he was a buU, and he came on with a bellow of rage. 

 He grabbed Riley by the neck and pushed him back over the bar. 

 He hit him in the cosey corner and kicked him in the ingle nook. 

 Thev both went to the floor and EUey squirmed around like an eel. 



but the Swede swarmed over him like a ton of hay, his fists rising 

 and falling like trip hammers. 



When Riley finally capitulated, his adversary helped him to hi« 

 feet and brushed the sawdust off his clothes and the blood out of 

 his eyes. His face was pushed around nearly to the back of bia 

 neck and looked like a futurist picture of the battle of Waterloo. 

 Several fresh bites had been taken out of his remaining ear and his 

 nose was half an inch further out of plumb. He shook hands sol- 

 emnly with his gigantic foe and they lined up to the bar to cement 

 their new-made friendship over the flowing bowl. Said the Swede: 



"You bane a good man, Yinigin. " 



"Yes," answered RUey, sadly, "but I tried to take in too d ^n 



much territory." 



There is a moral in this for you, William, if you can find it. 

 Maybe you can stretch yourself out over all your territory at one 

 time, but believe me you'll be mighty thin in spots. 



Very truly yours, 



John Mitchell. 



V i;gOTiJiB^;^»o^.<j.uh>i~b^ i^fe.^:>t^^^ 



Review of Scotland Timber Trade 



The year 1914 has been an eventful one in the history of the timber 

 trade. At the beginning conditions were quite encouraging, but very 

 soon a decided dullness characterized the market. One important 

 cause for this was shipbuilding. This industry has been the main- 

 stay of the timber trade for many years and had then begun to 

 present a less favorable aspect, and thus through time curtail the 

 demand for timber. Buyers all over displayed a tendency to buy only 

 for immediate requirements, owing probably to the fact that imports 

 were made on a larger scale than was warranted. At the commencement 

 of hostilities business in the timber trade was brought almost to a 

 standstUl. In a very short time it was found that the stock of pack- 

 ing case material was quite inadequate for the requirements of the 

 market, causing prices to advance very rapidly. Previous to this 

 Russia had been supplying a fair proportion of the stock, and with 

 this source out of the count, it became necessary to look to Canada 

 and Sweden to meet the market's demands, and naturally the cost 

 was greater than before. Later on wood was declared contraband by 

 Germany, and this left only Canada. In November, however, a sudden 

 advance in freights took place, causing a material addition to the 

 import C9st of timber of aU descriptions. This was particularly felt 

 in the case of pitch pine and spruce, where the freight forms a large 

 proportion of the delivered price. 



Government orders contracted for by sawmillmen and joiners called 

 for large quantities of spruce especiaUy, although the general effect 

 on wood consuming industries was unfavorable for quite a long time. 

 Boxmakers have been busy making cases for the transport of food- 

 stuffs for the troops. Wagon builders secured large orders from the 

 government for transport wagons, and have been weU employed. 

 Cabinet making has been very duU, and as a result furniture woods 

 have been slow, and prices accordingly dropped. Mahogany, owing 

 to the large import, began to drop and Gaboon stock was much less 

 in evidence than in 1913. 



Shipments of Japanese oak have come in in larger quantities than 

 usual, probably through shipments intended for Hamburg being di- 

 verted here, and naturaUy prices became somewhat easier. American 

 hardwoods latterly hardened, owing to the depleted stocks and high 

 freight rates. Birch logs were imported on a much smaller scale than last 

 year. Greenheart, hickory, ash and California redwood remained 

 firm without much variation from the previous year's figures. 



Freights 

 The year opened with a considerable slump, and continued on a low 

 level during the summer months. On the outbreak of war, chartering 

 •was suspended for three or four weeks during August, and a good 

 many of the charters that had been previously arranged had to be 

 rearranged or canceUed. Since November freights have reached an 



extraordinarily high level, and there seems little to indicate any falling 

 off. There are many reasons for this — losses through capture, seizure, 

 and destruction at sea, supplies having to be brought greater dis- 

 stances, the time for voyages thus being prolonged, and delays at differ- 

 ent ports through congestion and scarcity of labor. 

 Shipbuilding 



The year 1914 was more eventful on the Clyde than in any other 

 shipbuilding district. AU previous records were eclipsed in 1913, so that 

 there was hardly any chance that 1914 would maintain the record. The 

 output for 1913 was 370 vessels of 756,976 tons. Nothing anywhere 

 near approaching this had been turned out in any previous year, and 

 it was generally anticipated that a falling off would certainly take 

 place. From the beginning of the year down to the eve of the war 

 operations were regularly lower over stated periods than those of 

 1913. One of the first effects of the war was to convert three of the 

 largest shipbuilding and engineering establishments into government 

 dockyards for the time being. 



Lloyds' annual summary, just published, of the world's shipbuilding 

 shows that 656 vessels of 1,683,553 tons gross were launched in the 

 United Kingdom. The Clyde (including Greenock) occupies first place 

 with 444,621 tons. 



Prospects 



With Europe in the melting pot, it would be a wise prophet who 

 could foretell trade conditions of the coming year. It is not possible 

 to view the outlook from the same standpoint as hitherto, and the 

 fluctuations will be swayed to a great extent by the progress of tho 

 war. One thing that is clear, however, is that unless the demand falls 

 away altogether, which there is no justification to assume is likely 

 to happen, there will be a serious shortage in stock in several 

 instances, and high prices appear assured. No one at the present 

 time will bring in supplies at the existing prices; especially with the 

 high freight, and until these become easier, there is bound to be a 

 serious check to imports. Everything points to a shortage of sup- 

 plies, and there is no escape from the conclusion that prices all over 

 must advance. 



Increasing use of the national forests by local farmers and settlers 

 to supply their needs for timber is shovm in the fact that smaU 

 timber sales on the forests numbered 8,298 in 1914, against 6,182 the 

 previous year. 



Recent sales by the government totaling 126,000,000 feet of 

 saw timber in the Olympic national forest, in western Washington, 

 mark the opening of this hitherto inaccessible storehouse of timber, 

 estimated to contain a stand of 33,000,000,000 board feet. 



