HARDWOOD RECORD 



49 



passed througb Grand Rapids Aug. 2. Tbey are 

 making an extended eastern trip in tlieir touring 

 car. 



E. B. Gorin o£ the Frost-Johnson Lumber Com- 

 pany, Shreveport, La., was in town Aug. 3. He 

 is on a business trip through the east. 



J. K. Bertles, representing the Sawyer-Good- 

 man Company of Marinette, Wis., cailed on the 

 trade here Aug. 5. 



L. L. Slsillman of the Skillman Lumber Com- 

 pany ieft Aug. 6 for northern Michigan on a 

 trip combining business with pleasure. Mrs. 

 Skillman accompanies him and they will take 

 in some of the summer resorts. 



"The hardwood business is fair for this season 

 of the year," says G. W. Perkins, Jr., of the Per- 

 kins Lumber Company. "There is a little slack- 

 ing, but this is to be expected. I am looking for 

 a nice fall trade." 



Members of the local lumbermen's association 

 who accompanied the Grand Rapids board of 

 trade on its excursion to Grand Haven and 

 Muskegon Aug. 4 reports a flue time. The 500 

 boosters rode to Grand Haven in special inter- 

 urban cars, thence to Muskegon in the new boat 

 Alabama. There were speeches in Hackley park 

 and games and other doings at Lake Michigan 

 park. 



Local lumbermen have been notified that the 

 second annual picnic will soon be ripe and will 

 probably be picked oSE and enjoyed Aug. 20 at 

 Mona lake. Both place and date, however, are 

 tentative as yet and await olficial confirmation. 



\Vm. K. Cox of Nichols & Cox Lumber Company 

 is again chairman of the picnic committee, which 

 insures an enjoyable outing. 



The Nichols & Cox Company is adding another 

 story to its warehouse at the Godfrey avenue 

 factory. This is one of the busiest concerns in 

 the city. 



Chas. Dregge of the Dregge-Grover Lumber 

 Company has returned from a business trip to 

 Detroit, Toledo and other points. 



W. C. Hull of Traverse City was in Grand 

 Rapids Aug. 5. 



Director C. A. Schenck of the Biltmore Forest 

 School with a class of about 20 students, will 

 spend Aug. 13 in Grand Rapids, and will be con- 

 ducted through the furniture and other wood- 

 working plants. They will go from here to 

 Cadillac. 



Chas. W. Garfield, president of the Michigan 

 Forestry Association, has returned from a 

 month's pleasure trip to Boston and its environs. 



The forestry exhibit in the Kent Scientific 

 Museum in this city is to be entirely rearranged 

 and given the space and prominence that it de- 

 serves. Another feature to be added at the 

 museum will be a display of the different woods 

 that are being manufactured into furniture here. 



B. L. Scott, manager of the Scott-Lugers Lum- 

 ber Company at Holland, and well known in this 

 city, was quietly married July 30 to Miss Mabel 

 A. Rhodes of St. Joseph, the ceremony taking 

 place at Elkhart, Ind. Mr. Scott is one of the 

 li'Sidina business iiii'n of Holland. 



Hardwood Market, 



(B; HASDWOOD BECOBD Exclusive Market Beporters.) 



CHICAGO 



The past two weeks have shown evidence of 

 spasmodic buying on the part of the local con- 

 suming trade. There seems to be no settled con- 

 dition of business so far as buyers are concerned, 

 and inasmuch as they seem disposed to place 

 orders, in the majority of cases, for immediate 

 shipment, and usually with the dealers, for 

 wagon-load lots to be delivered as soon as pos- 

 sible, it seems that they are simply buying from 

 band to mouth and are not yet willing to lay in 

 any supply of lumber in anticipation of future 

 business. It has been contended by many that 

 the factories and various consumers of lumber 

 have been holding off in anticipation of a break 

 in prices, as there has been really no absolute 

 necessity for their buying, but the consensus of 

 opinion seems to be, however, that such is not 

 the case, that they are simply very much un- 

 settled, and don't want to overcrowd their facili- 

 ties. 



The car builders have received some encourag- 

 ing orders, but mostly for future delivery, and 

 while some of the handlers of car lumber have 

 benefited thereby the encouragement has not been 

 especially material. Factory trade in general, 

 including furniture, wagon builders, etc., is still a 

 slow buyer. Dimension stock has been sold in 

 some quarters in reasonable quantities, but there 

 is by no means a satisfactory sale. There is no 

 doubt but that in the near future the situation 

 will naturaly right itself, as there are many 

 causes at present to contribute to the general 

 dullness, such as the vacation period and the 

 Knights Templar conclave, which undoubtedly has 

 a more or less demoralizing influence on all busi- 

 ness. 



The same conditions prevail as to the various 

 woods which have been evident for the last 

 month or two. There is a growing tendency to 

 pick up the lower grades, such as cottonwood, 

 birch and oak for the box anil furniture indus- 

 tries. Oak as usual commands the best market, 

 with plain red oak and quartered white in the 

 lead. Very fair prices are being realized on the 

 majority of sales. Th*' market for ash and 



hickory shows no material deviation one way ur 

 the othifr ; one largo car builder company, bow- 

 ever, has placed a large order with a local branch 

 of a southern concern for immediate shipment. 

 The upper grades of both these woods are in 

 satisfactory demand considering the season of 

 the year. 



Gum is in fair consumption and seems to con- 

 tinue uninterruptedly its steady advance into 

 popularity in all lines. It is being increasingly 

 used and in all lines where it has been tried 

 out it has nor only proven its worth but has 

 demonstrated that it is here to stay. 



Lower grades of poplar and cottonwood are 

 being taken in fair quantities by the box manu- 

 facturer though the demand is anything but 

 steady. Upper grades as usual are selling about 

 as fast as manufactured. 



The cypress people are having to contend to a 

 certain extent with the competition of pine, and 

 in a good many instances the first named wood 

 seems to have demonstrated that it will fulfill 

 requirements at a less cost than the pine for 

 which it is gradually being substituted. Stocks 

 at the mills, while not long In any special line, 

 are ample to supply all the demand. The mills 

 are holding prices firmly. 



Northern maple and birch are being taken in 

 good quantities, and trade in elm is satisfactory 

 for this month. Thick maple and flooring stock 

 are especially active sellers. Prices are being 

 maintained at as high a level as ever before. 



In general it is safe to say that, all things 

 considered, there is nothing really serious about 

 the outlook, and the spotted buying seems to be 

 merely an indication that trade is beginning to 

 awaken and will be normal by fall. 



NEW YORK 



The hardwood market at New York continues 

 firm, although the volume of business has of late 

 shown the effects of the usual midsummer dull- 

 ness. This condition, however, is always ex- 

 pected, .ind the outlook is certainly bright for 

 a very fair fall trade. Prices are well main- 



tained on good grade lumber, but on low grade 

 stock there is more or less competition, by reason 

 of Its more plentiful supply. Taken as a whole 

 the general situation in hardwoods calls for no 

 anxiety and the opening of the fall trade Is 

 expected to give a material impetus to both 

 buying and consumption. Oak, poplar, ash, bircb 

 and chestnut are particularly strong. 



BUFFALO 



Local lumbermen generally are looking forward 

 to an active period as soon as the fall season 

 opens up, although, as one of the most wide- 

 awake lumliermen of the city said recently, It is 

 not possible to say with any certainty whether 

 the present slack period usual in midsummer 

 will be followed by an active one or not. How- 

 ever, lumbermen are generally optimistic and 

 are preparing for a good trade. Consumption 

 seems to be about as heavy as could be expected 

 at this time, which would seem to be all that 

 is necessary to force buyers into the field early 

 in the fall. Stocks are not well assorted, 

 although as to quantity they are quite satis- 

 factory. Low grade stock is plentiful, and un- 

 less some of the consuming lines absorb con- 

 siderable of this class of material there It is 

 going to become a drug on the market. 



Again Is heard the report that gum Is taking 

 the place of some of the better hardwoods, and 

 it may force its way into this section, although 

 it has never been popular here. There Is a fair 

 amount of plain oak to be had, but neither 

 bircb nor chestnut are in large supply. 



Maple finds a ready market and beech is being 

 sold to take its place in certain lines. Poplar 

 is more quiet than usual, and there is a strong 

 effort to keep cypress and yellow pine in the 

 foreground of southern woods, yellow pine being 

 ilnll and low in price. 



PHILADELPHIA 



The hardwi n 1 -^iiuatiou remains practically 

 unchanged, but conditions are evidently shaping 

 for increased business in the fail. In proof of 

 which, building operations show an advance in 

 Ijermits applied for. Seventeen garages are on 

 the list for immediate construction and con- 

 siderable alteration and construction work in 

 iipartment and commercial houses is being 

 pushed. Stocks in yards show vacant spots, and 

 lurniture manufacturers, interior finish an-d 

 sash and door works are more active, conse- 

 quently buying becomes imperative. The pile in 

 the higher grades of hardwood keeps low, but the 

 lower grades, of which there is considerable 

 accumulation, move slowly. Reports from the 

 different firms show a lack of snap in buying, 

 but there is a fair volume of business going, and 

 an optimistic disposition as to outlook is shown. 



PITTSBURG 



A marked improvement has taken place in the 

 lumber market here within the past two weeks 

 and especially since August 1. Reports indicate 

 a belter feeling among wholesalers and yard 

 men and more orders and inquiries. Coming 

 jiist at the height of the vacation season when 

 very little activity is expected seems especiall.v 

 good, and many believe that the gain will con- 

 tinue right along now on a gradual scale. That 

 the bottom of not only the stock market but 

 general business has been touched here is the 

 belief of the majority of manufacturers and 

 wholesalers in this district. Hardwood buying 

 has been resumed this week on a larger scale 

 and by more determined purchasers. They do- 

 not want any deliveries in August, but orders 

 now being taken for shipments to start in Sep- 

 temlier and October indicate that many concerns 

 have started to replenish or to Increase their 

 manufacturing operations and will want lum 



