46 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



timber, which will run principally select white 

 oak and poplar. 



The Mclivain house, which dates back a cen- 

 tury or more, has always been distinguished for 

 its just and courteous treatment of its employes. 

 As an instance, the firm and all of the employes 

 gathered recently at the large farm of J. Gibson 

 Mcllvain, Sr.. in Chester county, PennsylTania. 

 where an exceptionally enjoyable rural enter- 

 tainment was provided. A regular family picnic 

 it was; everybody was in the best of humor and 

 none seemed younger or more impregnated with 

 the convivial spirit than the venerable old 

 patriarch and head of this well known and suc- 

 cessful firm. The day wound up with a regular 

 old fashion farm dinner, to which it goes without 

 saying everyone did ample justice. 



A Canadian Concern Growing 



A steady increase in the business of the Sea- 

 man-Kent Company, Ltd., of Meaford, Fort Will- 

 iams and Toronto, province of Ontario, has made 

 it necessary to open a purchasing office for hard- 

 woods at 503 Standard Bank building, Toronto. 

 The company's factories are located at Meaford 

 and Fort Williams, where there is now consumed 

 from 15.000.000 to 20,000.000 feet of lumber an- 

 nually, consisting of plain and quartered oak, 

 maple, birch, beech, etc. These two factories have 

 been excessively busy. 



The new department will be in charge of Mr. 

 Seaman, who announces that he will be pleased 

 to receive the representatives of any hardwood 

 mills or those having stock to offer, and good 

 quotations and inquiries will receive every con- 

 sideration. 



This concern is a large producer of hardwood 

 flooring of the Beaver brand, turning out a 

 larger amount of this product than any other 

 concern in the British empire. 



Lumbemian-Inventor 



D. M. Rose of D. M. Rose & Co., which concern 

 is a large manufacturer of lumber and interior 

 finish at Ivnnxville, Tenn., has just completed the 

 installation of an entirely new flooring machine 

 at his Knoxville plant, the design of which is 

 the product of Mr. Rose's own brain. 



Some time ago Mr. Rose's concern concluiled to 

 include in its business the manufacture of hard- 

 wood flooring, but after investigating present 

 methods and present product, it came to the con- 

 clusion that it was not entirely satisfied with 

 present flooring machines. Mr. Rose decided upon 

 this after careful study of matching, and imme- 

 diately began to plan a flooring machine which 

 would insure him a product absolutely perfect in 

 manufacture. He had the various parts made by 

 local machine shops and after a good many 

 months of testing, finally bad the machine com- 

 pleted. It is now working to perfection in his 

 Knoxville factory. A patent on the new invention 

 has been applied for. but it is not definitely de- 

 cided whether or not the article will be put on 

 the general market. 



A Smooth Bunco 



Several hardw^ood men of this city are more or 

 less directly interested in the movements and 

 also in the real identity of a man who came 

 to Baltimore during the week of the Democratic 

 National Convention and at that time made the 

 acquaintance of Robert McLean, an exporter and 

 millman of this city. The stranger introduced 

 himself as W. H. Carter, president of the W. H. 

 Carter Lumber Company of .Tackson, Ala., and 

 said he had some good quality of yellow poplar 

 to dispose of. having about 350,000 feet left out 

 of a large assortment which the company was 

 closing out. In his conversation he displayed 

 a thorough knowledge of the business and 

 showed a close familiarity with conditions in 

 different parts of the country. Mr. McLean did 

 not have any use for 350.000 feet, but offered to 

 take two cars of the poplar, stipulating only 

 that he should have a chance to satisfy himself 



that the shipment was up to specifications. The 

 stranger showed bills of lading for the lumber 

 which had ostensibly been put aboard cars at 

 .Tackson. and to dissipate all possible doubt as 

 to the regularity of the transaction he went to 

 the office of the Southern Railway in this city 

 and had the bills of lading exchanged for 

 through bills, calling for delivery at Liverpool, 

 to which port Mr. McLean wanted the two cars 

 sent. "Mr. Carter" also explained that he had 

 been away from home for a time, having been 

 under considerable expense, and had run out of 

 funds. On the strength of the through bill of 

 lading Mr. McLean cashed a check for $.50, 

 drawn on the First National Bank of Jackson, 

 and also arranged for the payment of the two 

 cars of lumber by giving a promissory note for 

 $500, payable in eight days, by which time. Mr. 

 McLean calculated, the shipment would have 

 arrived here and could he inspected. In a day 

 or so Mr. McLean was notified that the stranger 

 had attempted to have the promissory note dis- 

 counted, the bank taking the precaution to ask 

 if everything was all right. Mr. McLean had 

 no reason to think otherwise, but as a matter 

 of additional caution he requested that the note 

 be held until maturity, by which time he fully 

 expected to have seen the lumber and satisfied 

 himself that it was up to the representations. 

 Meanwhile the check came back unpaid, the 

 notice, however, giving no information as to the 

 specific reason why it had not been honored. 

 Mr. McLean now felt reasonably sure that there 

 was something irregular, and this suspicion be- 

 came an absolute certainty when the lumber 

 failed to arrive. Southern Railway officials here 

 were seen, but could not find that any such 

 shipment had ever been turned over to them, and 

 the poplar is still to arrive. Mr. McLean is 

 secured b.v the through hill of lading issued b.v 

 the railroad company and has suffered no loss, 

 but E. Rickard of Norfolk, Va.. appears to have 

 fared worse. To him the stranger represented 

 that he had a lot of oak logs in transit, obtain- 

 ing $130 on account. "Mr. Carter" informed 

 Mr. Rickard that he was closing out his log 

 business in West Virginia, having purchased a 

 tract of timber land in Mexico, from -ivhich 

 he intended to bring mahogany and other costly 

 woods into the United States. He exhibited a 

 Norfolk & Western railroad bill of lading for the 

 logs. Both this bill and that first shown to Mr. 

 McLean are now believed to have been clever 

 forgeries. "Mr. Carter" showed as intimate a 

 knowledge of oak logs and West Virginia lumber 

 trade conditions as he had of affairs in Ala- 

 bama. The stranger was about five feet six or 

 seven inches tall and weighed from 130 to 140 

 pounds. He was of fair complexion, with sandy 

 hair and blue eyes. When he laughed he showed 

 all of his teeth, which were rather large and 

 flat. He was clean shaven and dressed quietly, 

 though in good taste. Since his own experience 

 Mr. McLean has heard that "Mr. Carter" tried 

 unsuccessfully to obtain money from other Bal- 

 timore lumbermen on lumber or logs supposed 

 to have been in transit. 



Liverpool Trade 



Advices from leading lumber houses of Liver- 

 pool show that business during the month of 

 .Tune was fairly active. An increase of fifty per 

 cent in consumption during the month was noted 

 over June 1, 1011, which fact is partly accounted 

 for by serious labor troubles during that period 

 of 1911. There have been large imports in some 

 instances ; stocks in general are not excessive 

 and values are steady. Ocean freight rates con- 

 tinue firm. 



The demand for ash logs maintains a rather 

 quiet condition with unchanged prices, while 

 prime parcels of ash lumber of good quality are 

 inquired for. 



Black walnut logs of good size and quality en- 

 joy a good demand and continue to bring satis- 

 factory prices. On the other hand the demand 

 for black walnut lumber is weak, which condi- 



tion is traced mainly to labor conditions in the 

 cabinet making trade. 



It is advised that supplies of hickory logs 

 should be curtailed until autumn as shipments 

 have arrived freely. Values of oak boards are 

 weak in Liverpool ow'ing to arrivals in excess 

 of demand both in plain and quartered stocks. 

 Round oak logs of good quality are in consider- 

 atile demand, while in cabinet oak planks the im- 

 port has been ample to meet the demands. Coffin 

 oak planks have been supplied in excess of con- 

 sumption, while wagon oak planks have also been 

 imported heavily, but owing to activity of de- 

 liveries this class of stocks remains mobile and 

 prices have not materially weakened. 



There is a fair request for prime poplar logs 

 of good size and length, while plain poplar 

 boards have been imported in excess of demand 

 resulting in a considerable amount of stock be- 

 ing yarded and a considerable loss in value. 

 The arrivals of red gum have also been ex- 

 cessive. 



Building Record to June 



The American Contractor issues the following 

 statement showing the building record for va- 

 rious cities up to July 1, for 1911 and 1912: 



Jan. 1 to J,in. 1 to Per Cent 



Julv 1. '12 July 1. '11 Gain Loss 



AtLinta S 3,44.5,613 $ 3,624.840 .. 4 



Baltimore 3,673.372 .5.937.020 .. 37 



Riiiningham 1.S20.74S 1.607.45S 13 



Buffalo 7.12.=;, OOo 4.030.000 76 



Cerlar Rapids 740.000 911,450 .. 10 



Cliattanoot'a S47.oln 4H.97S 106 



rliicnso 40.892.500 37.391.100 9 



Cincinnati 4,001.312 fi.oS5.665 . . 39 



<'livcland 7.206.702 7.8S7.179 .. 6 



Colnmbus 2.601.122 2.348.021 10 



Dallas 2,805.620 3.443.422 .. IS 



Dos Moines 993.665 907.874 9 



Detroit 14.387.200 10.018.160 '43 



Duluth 1.04S.04S 1.. 308.726 . . 19 



Fort Wavne 1.. 360. 120 1.071.630 26 



Grand Rapids 1.204.037 1.044.918 15 



Harrisbm-g «lS.r,95 693. .500 .. 10 



Ilaitford 4.707.085 3.402.2.50 38 



Indianapolis 3.907.0,50 4. 600.496 .. 13 



Kansas Cit.v 8.127.0,58 4,974.173 23 



I.,)S -\ngeles 14.714.274 11.550.573 27 



Mancliester 958.585 804.618 19 



M..mplns 3,021,648 3.648.9S5 . . 17 



Milwaukee «,9(!1,453 6.245,6.52 11 



Minneapolis 6.298,940 8.494.38,5 .. 25 



Xashville ,570,435 603,708 . . 5 



Newark 5..374.5,S9 5.926,461 .. 9 



New Haven 2.861.888 2.925,761 2 



X.-w Orleans 2.112.601 1.. 582.292 33 



IManhattan 73.416.697 02.662.717 16 



Brooklvn 22.031.147 20.079.284 10 .. 



Bronx 20.9.30.794 11.004.117 90 



X.-\v York 116.378.638 93,746.118 24 



Oakland 4..3.59.090 3.423..566 27 



rattrson 1.182,400 1,373.303 .. 15 



I'hil.iilelpllla 19..349.203 22.991.760 .. 15 



I'ittshnrull 5.701.222 5.426.987 5 .. 



Portland 8.798.267 9.583.364 . . 8 



Rochester 6.895.809 4.506.785 48 



St. Louis 11.888.503 10.260,7.56 15 



Salt Lake City 1.8.S3.99CI 1.4S9.6llo 26 



San .\ntonio 1.464.4.58 1.115.. 386 31 



San Francisco 12.428.273 10.9'26.n.»l 13 .. 



Scranton 682.633 903. .820 .. 24 



Seattle 4.852.990 3. 072. .335 22 .. 



Sliiovepoit .568.751 S43.302 . . 32 



Siiokanc 1.343..595 2.174,870 .. 38 



Toledo 3.104.025 1.624.170 96 



Wllkesharrc 1.264,133 1,2.35.021 2 



W.ircester 2.320.668 2.416,148 .. 3 



Total $.356,821,025 $321,800,998 10% 



It is a notable fact that more cities in the 

 list have gained in building during this period 

 than have lost. The actual gain in greater New 

 York comprises more than one-half of the total. 

 In all, twenty-nine cities showed an actual gain 

 over last year, while only twenty-one recorded 

 a falling off in building during this period. The 

 greatest percentage of loss occurred in Cincin- 

 nati, which city issued permits during the first 

 six months of 1912 aggregating thirty-nine per 

 rent less than similar permits for the first half 

 of 1911. Chattanooga showed a gain of 106 per 

 cent. In general the figures in the percentage 

 of gains were materially higher than percentages 

 of losses. An average gain of 10 4-5 per cent is 

 an encouraging feature. 



Statistics for Ohio, Massachusetts and New 

 York 



A recent summary of the manufactures of the 

 state of Ohio discusses the fact that the lumber 

 production in Ohio decreased 45.2 per cent dur- 

 ing the decade from 1899 to 1909. The produc- 



