HARDWOOD RECORD 



3i 



ton fir and red cedar which it has sold for some 

 time from its offices in this city. R. H. Grin- 

 sted, an experienced salesman in pine, hemlock 

 and hardwood Lumber, is in charge of the new 

 department. A full stock of oak, birch, maple, 

 elm, basswood and other hardwood will be car- 

 ried. 



A. H. Barnard, the local wholesaler, has re- 

 turned from a successful trip to Chicago. 



P. J. Lang, representing the Wisconsin Land 

 & Lumber Company of Hermansville, Mich., is in 

 town for a few days working up trade for the 

 company's maple flooring and other products. 



C. F. Osborne of Osborne & Clark is in Illinois 

 looking after their retail interests there. 



Ashland, Ky. 



A rise in the headwaters of the Big Sandy 

 and Guyandotte rivers has caused one of the 

 largest log runs in years, and from 75,000 to 

 100,000 logs have been received. The supply 

 will mean a run of from two to three months 

 for all the river mills in this section. The logs 

 are extra fine, and with the high rate of today's 

 market will sell at top prices. 



The heaviest logging tide in years is reported 

 in the Cumberland river and tributaries, caused 

 by the recent snow and heavy rains. Logs have 

 been accumulating for several years in the small 

 feeders of the Cumberland, and it is claimed 

 that runs aggregating over $100,000 in value 

 have been made on this rise. 



Col. Jay H. Northrup, a prominent lumber- 

 man of Louisa, Ky., has filed a petition in bank- 

 ruptcy, covering a sum of probably $250,000. 

 His assets, which are principally in land, will 

 not nearly cover his indebtedness. About three 

 years ago a sudden rise in the Big Sandy swept 

 a fortune in cross ties out into the Ohio, and 

 Col. Northrup lost at that time between $50,000 

 and $75,000 worth of timber, cross ties and 

 staves. His business has never been on a solid 



footing since, ami lately be baa been interested 

 in various enterprises with poor success. He is 



.1 stockholder in the White House Cannel 1 



Company. No man in the Sandy valley has 

 stood higher in the financial world, ami his 

 trouble is very much regretted. He is a man 

 quite advanced in years 



John W. Kitchen is in Asheville, N. ('., (los- 

 ing a deal for a big tract of timber land for 

 Vansant, Kitchen & Co. 



Huntington, W. Va., capitalists will develop a 

 large timber tract in Tennessee, a charter bav- 

 in;; I n granted to the Lick Fork Lumber Com- 

 pany. The incorporators are Z. T. Vinson, T. J. 

 Bryan, E. M. Watts, Dabney Caldwell and A. E. 

 Bush, all of Huntington. The capital stock 

 is $75,000. 



Engineers on the Keuova division of the Nor- 

 folk & Western railroad report numerous forest 

 fires in the West Virginia bills, anil state the 

 light from them is so great they have no need 

 for their headlights. 



Toledo. 



That there has been a slump in building activ- 

 ity is indicated by the number of permits 

 which have been issued since the first of the 

 month. Just forty-five permits, with a total 

 valuation of $80,918, have been issued up to 

 November 22, and it will hustle things consid- 

 erably if a total of GO permits of a total valua- 

 tion of $100,000 are issued for the month. 



Maeomber Brothers have succeeded O. F. IIol- 

 loway in the Holloway Lumber Company. 



Some of the local sash, door and blind con- 

 cerns report business a little quieter than it was 

 two weeks ago. 



Roland Stan- of Barbour & Starr, the largest 

 manufacturers of inaple flooring in the state, is 

 expected home this week from a southern trip. 



The Western Woodworking Company is en- 

 larging its plant to double its former capacity. 



HardWood Market. 



(By HARDWOOD RECORD Exclusive Market Reporters.) 



Chicago. 

 With the delayed mill operations in the South 

 and the disastrous shortage of cars, local deal- 

 ers are hustling around in the effort to secure 

 stocks. Poplar is very scarce. Oak is decidedly 

 better than it was some weeks ago. In the 

 northern woods birch remains about the same. 

 and soft elm shows a better condition. Maple 

 is moving more briskly and basswood is still 

 scarce. Prices are holding strongly in all lines 

 and the indications are that the season will 

 be an unusually prosperous one. 



St. Louis. 

 There has been a brisk movement in local 

 supplies of poplar and ash. but in oak the mar- 

 ket as a general rule has been quiet for some 

 time, although of late there are reports of im- 

 provement in this wood, quartered white oak in 

 first and second grades being a ready seller. 

 Both cottonwootl and gum are strong, the box- 

 makers being in need of all the stock they can 

 get, a condition which tends to force the prices 

 up even more than they have been advanced 

 during the past three months. 



Boston. 

 The hardwood market is showing a little 

 improvement. Consuming manufacturers are 

 very busy. A few of the woodworking estab- 

 lishments have been running evenings trying to 

 keep up with their orders. The yards in this 

 vicinity are carrying very fair sized stocks, 

 yet are in the market for supplies from time 

 to time. With the furniture manufacturers, 

 business is of a very satisfactory character. The 

 fall business for the holiday and regular trade 

 has been good and the prospects are favorable 

 to its being continued during the remainder of 

 the year. Manufacturers of interior hardwood 

 finish are working on full time and find it 



difficult i" keep abreast of their orders. 



The demand for whitewood is of moderate 

 size. Prices are very firmly held and some 

 predict a higher level. Dry stock is not plenti- 

 ful, and the car shortage is causing considerable 

 delay in making shipment. Plain oak is in very 

 fair demand. Offerings are of fair size. Prices 

 are a little easier. The demand for quartered 

 oak is not active although a moderate business 

 is reported. Maple flooring attracts a fair 

 amount of new orders, but the demand is not 

 active. Cypress is firmly held. Offerings tire 

 not large. Yards here are carrying good stocks. 



New York. 



The hardwood situation in the metropolitan 

 district at the present time is very satisfactory. 

 The conditions as noted in a travel through 

 the district during the fortnight reveal a good, 

 healthy tone to the demand all along the line, 

 with prices not only firm but showing advances 

 in many lines. The yard trade is in possession 

 of fair stocks, but the general consumption in 

 all branches is of sufficient volume to create a 

 good, healthy demand among buyers. The man- 

 ufacturing trade, such as furniture, piano, cabi- 

 net work. ele.. have allowed their stocks to 

 run low and they are all active buyers for im- 

 medlate wants. This shortsightedness on the 

 pari of buyers was due to the belief that hard- 

 wood values would ease off. In general, the 



1 1 situation in hardwoods is very satisfactory 



an.l phenomenal in many respects when the sea- 

 son nf the year is considered. 



The leading stocks in current trade are No. 

 1 common oak, the demand for which is ex- 

 ceedingly brisk and the supplies, short : the 

 same applies in all thickness of No. 1 common 

 poplar, the call for which is exceedingly large. 

 In the better grades of both ties,, stocks the 

 di uianil is also very fair and prices lirii). The 



demand for high-grade poplar has been such 

 that prices have moved up from two to three 

 dollars a thousand during the past fortnight. 

 Ash is also in brisk call with prices ruling firm 

 on a range comparing favorably with plain oak 

 prices. The situation in regard to chestnut is 

 also very satisfactory. The better grades are 

 not very plentiful and are therefore command 

 ing good figures, and the lower grades, such as 

 sound wormy, are in brisk call in the coffin and 

 general woodworking trades. Basswood has im- 

 proved in demand. Stocks are only nominal 

 and prices are holding well. Maple, which has 

 been a little easy for some time, shows more 

 strength, although there seem to be ample offer- 

 ings to meet demands. Prices, however, are 

 holding firm. The local demand for red gum is 

 improving. New York has never been a red gum 

 market, and sales of that commodity have been 

 very limited, but it is fast coming into its own 

 now, and during the past six weeks prices on 

 is and 2s and common red gum have advanced 

 about $1.50 per M. Quartered oak is in very 

 fair supply. Well manufactured and figured 

 stock of good average width is commanding very 

 lair values in the local trade. 



The mahogany and cedar market continues 

 to show strength, and prices still hold to the 

 highest bv.l which they have achieved for a 

 long time. The total receipts of mahogany and 

 cedar h>e.s from all points in the local market 

 during the month of October totaled 18,398 

 logs, but the state of the market was such that 

 all receipts were immediately sold, and on No- 

 vember 1 there was not a log of either com- 

 modity left unsold in the market. 



Philadelphia. 



There is but one opinion expressed at this 

 time concerning the hardwood market, wherever 

 lumber is discussed, and that is, business in 

 these woods is moving along in excellent shape. 

 The railroads are still doing just as it suits 

 them in and near the mill districts. The latest 

 outrage reported is the searching of cars by 

 inspectors, who instead of passing mouldings as 

 lumber, as heretofore, classify it under the head 

 of building material, furniture fixtures, etc., 

 anil raise the freight rates accordingly. 



A careful look over the field shows the hard- 

 wood dealers endeavoring to make such connec- 

 tions as will keep them in constant supply, in 

 view of the great demand for these woods. Pop 

 lar and walnut arc being shipped to foreign 

 markets from this port ; the first named is 

 selling well also in the local trade. Plain oak, 

 ash ami chestnut are hard to get at any price. 

 Quartered oak is still a little off, and mahogany 

 slow. With the exception of parts of the Ca- 

 nadian territory, the furniture factories are 

 busy, good orders are being sent in, many 

 inquiries also as to future supplies of certain 

 woods, and encouraging reports come as to the 

 outlook for winter trade. Building operations 

 have been pushed to the extreme and every 

 advantage taken of, the seasonable weather of 

 the last month. The millwork establishments 

 have been tried to the utmost in their effort to 

 keep up stocks to meet the demands of the 

 operations at the stages when such supplies are 

 required. There are indications in the hard 

 wood market that these conditions will continue 

 for an indefinite period. 



Baltimore. 



All the newt, obtainable about the hardwood 

 trade is ,,r an encouraging character, g 

 are in excellent demand and prices are firm, 

 the one drawback to the situation being the 

 car shortage. Representatives of local lirms tell 

 of inability to get cars, and slocks are piling 

 op at the mills t., such an extent that some of 

 the plants have had to suspend operations. 



Meanwhil n timers of lumber are calling for 



deliveries. Supplies have run low nearly every- 

 where, and unless conditions are bettered shortly 

 a hardwood famine may result. 



Oak is in strong request and according to 



