HARDWOOD RECORD 



35 



Francis rivers, but that was years ago. The 

 failure of the railroads to furnish cars promptl.v 

 gave the Reuter Hub Comjiau.v and other con- 

 cerns in that section so much annoyance that 

 the Reuter people decided to put in barges for 

 towing and transporting their material. One of 

 their steamers, in about two months' time, 

 handled nearly 2,000 tons of hardwood material. 

 The company is now engaged in the construc- 

 tion of two additional barges, with a capacity 

 of 150 tons each, whicli will be put into com- 

 mission as soon as completed. 



The shippers along the river have been 

 aroused by the hub company's efforts, and have 

 taken up the question of establishing regular 

 barge lines to ply up and down the river. 



James Euart, formerly one of the managers 

 of the Forrest City Lumber Company, Forrest 

 City, Ark., has connected himself with the Cen- 

 tral Lumber Company, one of the leading lumber 

 concerns of this city. 



Harry T. Alcott, formerly with the Bluff City 

 Lumber Company at Tine Bluff but for the past 

 year with the Alabama Shingle and Lumber 

 Company of Memphis, has returned to Pine 

 Bluff to reside. 



H. Paepcke, president, and William Wilms, 

 vice-president of the Taepcke-Leicht Lumber 

 Company of Chicago, spent last week at 

 Helena looking after the interests of the com- 

 pany there. They have just erected a new plant 

 in that city, this being >Ir. Paepcke's first visit 

 since the new plant was installed. 



George C. Borreson. one of the ofiice men of 

 the Sawyer and Austin Lumber Company at 

 Pine Bluff, and Miss Cora Lee Buck, an accom- 

 plished young lady of the Bluff city, were mar- 

 ried last week at the home of the bride's parents, 

 Mr. and Mrs. T. B. Buck. The wedding was 

 ■one of the prettiest solemnized in Pine Bluff 

 this season. 



Morehead, Ky. 



The Clearfield Lumber Company has under 

 construction about twenty dwellings. Its plan- 

 ing mill and dry house are about completed. 

 The ]S-mile extension of the Morehead & North 

 Fork railway is now under construction, and 

 will extend the road into one of the finest coal 

 fields in the state. This will give Morehead and 

 surrounding country the finest cannel coal in 

 the world. 



S. M. Bradley has just returned from a trip 

 through Pennsylvania and New York and reports 

 a good trade in his lines. He closed a large deal 

 with the Pennsylvania Railroad Company for 

 railroad ties and timbers to be furnished next 

 year. 



The car situation has been a very serious 

 matter. S. M. Bradley says he now has over 

 250 cars ordered, but cannot get enough to keep 

 his inspectors busy one-half the time. 



McGlone Brothers have sold their hickory 

 spoke business to S. M. Bradley and will give 

 all their attention to the stave business. 



S. B. Reese Lumber Company of Farmers, 

 K.V.. is running steadily, with more than a three- 

 months' run of logs yet at their mill. It is 

 also complaining of car shortage, and its yard 

 is blocked with lumber. 



The Licking River Lumber Company, Farmers, 

 Ky., is doing a nice business. The new manager, 

 is looking forward to a good trade in lumber 

 this fall. 



W. H. Brown, Morehead. Ky.. has purchased a 

 new sawmill and will commence to manufacture 

 lumber at once. He was in the lumber business 

 for several years but met with reverses three 

 years ago and has since been out of business. 



The Farmers Lumber Company of Farmers. 

 Ky., closed down this week, liaving finished their 

 cut for this year. This company has consider- 

 able holdings on Licking river and expects to do 

 a good business next year. 



Hardwood Market. 



(By HABD'WOOD BECOBD Exclusive Market Reporters.) 



Chicago. 



The hardwood trade in this city may be termed 

 simply fair. There- is considerable movement 

 ■of lumber, but this is generally in small lots. 

 Large buyers who at this time of year usually 

 place orders for a good man.v million feet seem 

 to be holding off and are buying only in com- 

 paratively small quantities when at all. The 

 general conditions of the trade seem to be- fairly 

 healthy and there is a good prospect of increas- 

 in.g demand as the season advances. A consid- 

 erable tightness of the money market is appar- 

 ently the chief cause of restricted purchases. 

 The trade well understands that no considerable 

 quantity of lumber is being piled up in excess of 

 citrrent demand and is equally well satisfied that 

 there will be no diminution in values. 



.•foO to $58 for one inch. Quartered oak is in 

 very fair demand, although prices vary. Some 

 dealers will not sell under $85 to $87, while 

 others are prepared to accept some business, it 

 is stated, at around $83. Demand for whitewood 

 is moderate and offerings of desirable stock are 

 not large. Quotations range from $59 to $60. 

 Cypress continues in moderate call, with prices 

 firmly held. There is a very fair demand for 

 veneers at firm prices. Brown ash is in snlall 

 offering. Demand for this is fair and no reces- 

 sions are tendered in prices. Chestnut, birch 

 and black walnut all hold fairly steady. 



Boston. 



No abatement in the strength of the market 

 for hardwoods can be reported. Car shortage 

 now that the season of moving crops is at hand 

 is beginning to be a serious problem. Dealers 

 have been talking car shortage to buyers for 

 several weeks, but w^itli the high prices con- 

 sumers have been slow to anticipate their wants. 

 Stocks in the hands of consumers are of fair 

 size. Furniture manufacturers are doing a fair 

 amount of business and have good orders in 

 sight. The falling off in building operations has 

 resulted in manufacturers of interior house finish 

 receiving a much smaller amount of new busi- 

 ness. Few have the usual volume of orders 

 customary at this season of the year. Demand 

 for plain oak has shown no improvement during 

 the past two weeks. For some little time it was 

 evident manufacturers of lumber have been put- 

 ring their oak into plain rather than quartered, 

 as the offerings of the former are much larger 

 than the latter. Prices of plain oaU range from 



Poplar, ash and oak. which have been strong 

 for some time, have moved up a point or two 

 by reason of the increased market. Chestnut is 

 also moving freely, and birch, maple and the 

 balance of the list are holding their own very 

 nicely. Basswood' is absorbed as rapidly as 

 offered. The dealers all look for an increased 

 fall trade, and in fact the whole situation looks 

 good for the balance of the .year. 



Ne'w York. 



The situation in the metropolitan district has 

 shown considerable improvement during the fort- 

 night, more especially in buying. This fact is 

 undoubtedly due to an awakening on the part 

 of the retail and manufacturing consumers to 

 the fact that the car shortage and the scarcity 

 of the better grades of hardwoods are such as 

 to make necessary immediate purchases if they 

 would be in possession of their usual fall and 

 winter supplies. Such being the case, there has 

 been a marked increase in quick shipment orders 

 for all kinds of stock along the line. A ma- 

 jority of the orders is for quick or rush ship- 

 ments, which is somewhat annoying to the 

 wholesale trade by reason of transportation 

 difficulties. The volume of building permits is- 

 sued during the fortnight 'was fair and it is 

 expected that building in the city proper during 

 the fall and early winter will be about up to 

 average. On the other hand, the trade in the 

 suburbs and nearby sections is very active and 

 the lumber market in good shape. Stocks are 

 not plentiful in the hands of suburban yards 

 and with the increased demand there is an ac- 

 companying increase in purchases. 



Philadelphia. 



The hardwood situation has improved some- 

 what during the last fortnight. Values with one 

 or two exceptions are stiffening and trading is 

 brightening up. It is admitted, however, that 

 considerable hiislllng is necessary to get orders, 

 as buyers are still a little slow. Complaints are 

 coming in concerning the inadequate car service, 

 some stating that cars were not received tintil 

 after a wait of three weeks. Building operations, 

 especially on structural work, are holding up 

 w-eil, and September has broken the record for 

 the same month of previous years. During this 

 month 740 permits were issued for 1..384 opera- 

 tions, at an estimated cost of $3,113,810. It is 

 admitted by those posted that on account of the 

 stringency in the money market considerable of 

 this work will be deferred until capital is more 

 easily obtained. Furniture manufacturers are 

 buying a little more freely ; floor makers and 

 indoor finish workers keep busy ; boxmakers are 

 still active ; sash and door mills are rushing out 

 orders, and veneer and cigar box factories con- 

 tinue prosperous. 



Among the hardwoods, poplar and ash are 

 holding firm ; chestnut varies a little, with a 

 tendency to steady ; basswood, maple and birch 

 keep a good position. Cypress is in good de- 

 mand, but oak is a little off. There is apparently 

 no surplus stock of good hardwoods anywhere ; 

 consequently there is no fear of lower values, al- 

 though here and there some small manufacturer 

 is to be found cutting prices. 



Baltimore. 



There has been no decided change in the hard- 

 wood situation here during the past two weeks, 

 but some feeling of uncertainty prevails. While 

 stocks continue to bring about the same prices, 

 there seems to be a disposition to proceed with 

 caution. Good dry stocks are being taken up as 

 fast as is practicable, and the distribution is of 

 satisfactory proportions. The offerings, however, 

 are quite free, but prices are steady, though the 

 tone as to low-grade lumber remains fairly easy. 

 Oak is about holding its own, the mills having 

 enough orders to keep them running full time, 

 and the markets of this section being as a rule 

 receptive. Large quantities of lumber are being 

 called for and delivery is now fairly good. The 

 danger of a car famine, however, has not yet 

 disappeared, and dealers are consequently more 

 disposed to allow for delay in receiving orders, 

 making them larger than might otherwise be the 

 case. The export business is still quiet. Stocks 

 abroad are still too large to make buyers eager 

 to take lumber at any figure. Ash is moving 

 with tolerable freedom, good stocks being in de- 

 mand, and even the lower grades commanding 

 acceptable prices. Other hardwoods are holding 

 their own, with here and there some sli,ght shad- 

 ings in price, but the strength of the market 

 generally unimpaired. Collections are slow. 

 Altogether the situation affords ground for en- 

 couragement, even though it must be admitted 

 that some reduction in buoyancy has taken place. 



Pittsburg. 



When all is said the hardwood man is by all 

 odds the happiest fellow in the bunch. His joy is 

 perennial this year, for he has had comparatively 

 few hard knocks compared with his brothers. Just 

 now he is congratulating himself that while the 

 hardwood trade might be just a trifle better, 

 there is no reason to kick, for he has much 

 more than his share of the total of lumber sales. 



