48 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



Green Bay, Wis., will begin cutting April 1. 

 The company has been delayed somewhat by 

 the railroads and now has a season's cut ahead 

 of 15,000,000 feet, about 10,000,000 feet of 

 which is hardwood and the rest hemlock. 



Edward Lowe is home from southern Califor- 

 nia, where he has been spending the winter. 



E. L. Ewing of this city, who represents fur- 

 niture manufacturers and lumber dealers nere 

 as traffic manager, will go to New York March 

 27 to attend the meeting of the official classifi- 

 cation committee of railroads. This committee 

 has under consideration eighteen proposed 

 changes in the furniture classifications, also 

 changes in nihei- lines that afifect Grand Rapids. 



It is expected that the veneer plant at Reed 

 City, which was destroyed by fire two years ago, 

 will be rebuilt soon. A company, with J75,000 

 capital, $45,000 paid in, is being formed by 

 Grand Rapids, Chicago and Reed City men to 

 start the plant again. Already ,$13,500 worth of 

 stock has been taken in Reed City. 



The will of the late A. E. Cartier of Luding- 

 ton has been admitted to probate and disposes 

 of an estate valued at $2,000,000. The widow 

 is given one-third, and the balance is divided 

 among the eight children. 



Ceylon Williams is enlarging his planing mill 

 at HowMrd City and will start the manufacture 

 of a line of chairs this spring. 



Hardwood Market. 



(By HA3DWOOD BECOBD rxclnsive Market Beporters.) 



CHIC AGO 



The conditions which prevailed in the lumber 

 business before the panic are being rapidly ap- 

 proached in the local trade, although in a saner 

 and more conservative way. With few excep- 

 tions, stocks are increasing steadily in demand, 

 and prices are strengthening. Basswood might 

 be said to be an exception to this rule, as the 

 stocks were moved early and a consequent weak- 

 ening has resulted. While the actual volume of 

 business is not as great as might be expected, 

 the advance in prices is sufficient to make up for 

 this deficiency. Lumbermen in general are in- 

 clined to be optimistic over the situation, and 

 all view the gradual but steady improvement 

 with complacency. It might be said that the 

 wagon trade of Chicago is better than the trade 

 in carload lots. 



Oak shows a continued increase in demand 

 and decrease in supply, and hence a gradual but 

 unwavering advance in prices. Quartered white 

 oak is probably slightly slower than when last 

 reported, prices from $79 to $S3 being quoted on 

 firsts and seconds, $81 being an average price. 

 Plain white oak is worth, for firsts and seconds, 

 around $50, though prices have ranged from $48 

 to $57. The Chicago market is never very strong 

 on white oak, plain-sawed, and hence the wide 

 fluctuations in prices, as they are governed by 

 individual demand and necessity. Plain red oak 

 is still a scarce article ; few firms report hav- 

 ing all the stock which they could dispose of. 

 Pri.:es vary according to dryness of lumber. 

 Common plain red oak brings from $33 to $34 

 and firsts and seconds $48 to $50 for 1" stock ; 

 thicket stock is worth about $2 more. There is 

 a great demand and likewise a great scarcity of 

 oak step stuff, both red and white, from 1%" 

 to 1%" in thickness. 



The cypress trade maintains its firm position 

 and steady advance, both in prices and volume of 

 business. There is no boom in this material, 

 but a good healthy increase in trade. Shop and 

 select show the principal improvement. Tank 

 stock and shop are both rather short, generally. 



New shipments of dry birch stock are not due 

 before Jui»e in the Chicago market, and there 

 is still a scarcity in firsts and seconds. The 

 lower grades of birch are showing a slight tend- 

 ency to pick up in some quarters. Firsts and 

 seconds, 1" thick, are quoted at from $36 to 

 $40, the average price per thousand being about 

 $38. An additional $2 to $3 is charged for thick- 

 er stock. No. 1 common, 1 inch thick, is worth 

 $23 to $24. 



Maple continues in great and increasing de- 

 mand, and there is now no dry stock to speak of 

 in the Chicago market. Firsts and seconds, 1 

 inch, bring $33 and $34. 



AS stated, basswood has weakened slightly. 

 Firsts and seconds are now worth $37 and $38. 



Poplar panels still sell for almost any price, 

 according to individual requirements of consum- 



ers. Poplar box boards are bringing from $02 

 to $65 and average about $64 ; firsts and sec- 

 onds are worth about $55. 



The trade in 1-inch ash is rather slow in most 

 quarters, firsts and seconds bringing $44. Thick- 

 er stock is in better demand. 



Both sap and red gum are noticeably stronger 

 than a short time ago, as stocks are lower and 

 the demand continues. Firsts and seconds sap 

 gum is worth $23 ; No. 1 common. $18.50, and 

 No. 2 common, $16. Firsts and seconds red gum 

 is quoted as high as $33. 



Cherry continues to hold a high price and is 

 in great demand whenever it can be secured. 



Good prices and a large volume of trade con- 

 tinue to keep the mahogany men in good spirits. 

 Uppers show an advance of almost three cents 

 per superficial foot. The large manufacturers 

 are sending out notices of an advance in the near 

 future. 



Oak piling is i>ringing from twelve to eighteen 

 cents in the Chicago market. Mixed oak ties 

 are worth about 55 cents and white oak ties 

 average 70 cents. The demand for heavy con- 

 struction timber is rather lax at present. Mixed 

 oak for this purpose averages $26 and white oak 

 about $34. 



Manufacturers of flooring report excellent pros- 

 pects for a steady and sane advance in prices 

 and general business conditions. The building 

 trade is lively and consumers in general do not 

 refuse orders at the prevailing advanced prices. 



NEW YORK 



The local hardwood market continues strong ; 

 prices are firm and strengthening all along the 

 line. Plain and quartered oak, poplar, ash, 

 birch, maple and chestnut seem to be most 

 active. So far as good-grade lumber is con- 

 cerned, its market is assured for the spring and 

 summer trade, and although prices are now on 

 a fairly high range, there is every indication 

 that they will advance, as supplies-are limited. 

 While for a time it looked as if there were but 

 little opportunity for changes in prices on low- 

 grade stock, that feeling has given way, and 

 the general impression prevails that low-grade 

 hardwoods are going to enjoy a profitable busi- 

 ness this spring and summer. The scarcity of 

 high-grade lumber is bound to affect the low 

 grades and bring them more generally into u.se, 

 but aside from that the general business de- 

 velopments in low-grade consuming channels 

 give evidence of a fair volume of spring and 

 summer trade, which cannot help but be re- 

 Uected in firm and better prices. 



BUFFALO 



There is some report of slacking off in the 

 demand for hardwood lumber. It is not at all. 

 serious and is thought to be on account of the 

 weather, the fear of strikes and the like, for 

 the business outlook in general is good enough. 



.Some of the dealers refuse to see anything off 

 in any direction and say that they are doing a 

 lull business and do not look for any weakness 

 this spring. 



Quartered oak and poplar still are the big 

 sellers if they are to be had, and plain oak, 

 cliestnut and birch follow in their places as a 

 second choice. The demand for maple is large 

 iiud prices are higher than they were awhile 

 ago. Basswood and elm go if they are in stock. 



Hardwood dealers are paying more and more 

 attention to yellow pine and cypress and some 

 of them are buying Pacific coast woods, though 

 that latter shift is being made by white-pine 

 dealers more than any others, on account of 

 that wood running so short. 



All prices are strong and there is every in- 

 dication of an advance in almost everything be- 

 fore long if business remains good, for the cost 

 of production is greater than it was and if the 

 jobber cannot get more also he is going to lose. 



PITTSBURQ 



There is quite a stir among Pittsburg hard- 

 Mood men this week and in general they are re- 

 porting much better business. In fact, it seems 

 to be the case this year that when there is any 

 business going, the hardwood fellows get it. 

 The proportionate demand for good hardwood 

 compared with fine hemlock and other lumber 

 IS increasing in Pittsburg right along and there 

 is every reason to believe that this year will be 

 a banner period for the hardwood trade if busi- 

 ness conditions are at all favorable. The trouble 

 just now is with the strikes. The Philadelphia 

 situation is not one that affords much encour- 

 agement and the threatened coal strike which 

 may be decided upon at Cincinnati this week 

 would be a very serious injury to Greater Pitts- 

 burg business. Outside of this trouble things 

 are moving along fairly well. 



Factory and manufacturing trade in general 

 is increasing steadily and purchasing agents 

 seem disposed to pay better prices for lumber 

 than they have offered for many months. The 

 railroads are coming into the market with 

 large requisitions for hardwood timbers and 

 ether heavy stocks. Especially encouraging at 

 this time is the large amount of mixed hard- 

 wood being sold to coal mining companies. Min- 

 ing operations have been increasing very fast 

 of late and improvements and extensions are 

 the order all along the line even in the face of 

 a possible coal strike. The sales for govern- 

 ment work have also been fairly good, espe- 

 cially in the way of prices obtained. Hardwood 

 mills are running steadily, many of them hav- 

 ing started up recently after the heavy snows 

 were off'. The tone of quotations is good with 

 considerable prospect of gains in prices soon. 



BOSTON 



The demand for hardwood lumber is improv- 

 ing and prices are becoming much firmer. Manu- 

 facturers in most cases are independent holders 

 and are not offering large stocks of desirable 

 lumber. Wholesalers are more careful to have 

 lots of lumber located before making sales than 

 they were. Inquiries for stock are numerous, 

 and a good market is anticipated from now on. 

 Retail yards are carrying rather moderate stocks. 

 Furniture manufacturers are more actively en- 

 gaged. The piano trade has been fairly busy 

 and is constantly in the market for supplies. 



One of the strongest features of the market 

 is quartered oak. Demand is good and offerings 

 are small. Most dealers are asking $00 for one- 

 inch, one's and two's and sales are being made 

 on this basis. Plain oak is very firm and in 

 better request. Maple flooring continues high 

 and firm. Ash is well held. Quite a demand 

 for basswood is reported, but offerings are not 

 large. Cypress and whitewood are firm under 

 small offerings of desirable grades.. 



