28 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



Big Mahogany and Veneer Concern Reports 

 Business Excellent 

 Louisville, Kv., August 25, 1910. 

 llAKDWddU Uecord, Chicago, 111. 



(Jeutlemen : We are in receipt of your letter of 

 (he 24tli instant, and take pleasure in enclosing 

 information as to trade conditions as we find 

 them at the present time, answering your in- 

 •juiries as follows : 



Our stock of dry lumber is considerably less 

 than it was lliis time a .year ago, despite the fact 

 that our importations of logs have been greater 

 than they were for the corresponding period of 

 last year. 



Our volume of business is extremely gratifying, 

 aud from information we have received, the fall 

 trade will doubtless see further increase. 



Prices are satisfactory, and the tendency in 

 mahogany is looking toward a further increase 

 on account of the decrease in the total log im- 

 Ijortations into the United .States in the year 

 1010. 



Our imports during the ne.\t six mouths will 

 lie the largest in the history of our business, 

 "i Ours truly, 



C. C. Mkngel & Bno. Company, 



J. C. Wickllffe. Secretary. 



Looks for Good Fall Trade 



CiNciSNATi, August 27, 1910. 

 IIAKDWOOD Record, Chicago, 111. 



rientlemen : Your favor of the 24th, request- 

 ing our opinion on the general hardwood situa- 

 tion — ■ 



Upon comparing our present stock with that 

 cf a year ago we lind we have a less quantit.y 

 <if the higher, and about the same of the lower 

 srades. Our present volume of business is a 

 little below that of last year at this time. We 

 anticipate a good fall trade. 



Our information shows no accumulation of the 

 liigher grade stocks at producing points, retail 

 yard dealers and consuming manufacturers buy- 

 ing only to cover their actual and immediate re- 

 quirements. If the crops should be as good as 

 present indications, demand should be good, 

 which will b'- felt immetliately by the producers 

 A\ ho are practically the only ones carrying any 

 stock. 



Trices on some items are satisfactory, but as 

 a whole are not. We anticipate a rise in values 

 <)U all high grades as soon as the demand reaches 

 normal. Do not anticipate low grades to advance 

 in price until high grades, especiall,v No. 1 com- 

 mon, reaches a higher level than at present. Our 

 <iutput will be considerably decreased during the 

 next six months. We ha\e l)een operating our 

 mills to full capacity, up to the present time, but 

 will be out of logs within the next two weeks, 

 receiving no additional supply until the tides of 

 next winter. Yours truly, 



ivENTUCKV Ll'.MBER CO.MPANY, 



W. E. D. 



From a Big Eastern Producer 



New Yoric, August 25, 1010. 

 IlAHDWuoD Record, Chicago, 111. 



Dear Sirs : Replying to your kind inquiry of 

 the 23d as to the stale of "trade and what my 

 opinion is as to the future. 



1 believe that stocks of dry lumber — that is, 

 maple, birch and beech, in which we are espe- 

 cially interested, are practically exhausted, or 

 lierhaps it would be Ix'ller to state there is no 

 surplus. This naturally means that with in- 

 creased demand, prices must necessarily continue 

 10 advance somewhat. There has unquestionably 

 silready been quite a little advance in practicall.v 

 all grades of birch and in the good grades of 

 maple. With us, owing to local conditions, the 

 low grades have not accumulated at any time, 

 and we have up to this time been able to dis- 

 pose of our No. 2 and No. :i common practically 

 as fast as it was ready for shipment. Unfortu- 

 nately, prices for these low grades have not in- 

 creased in proportion to the increases in prices 

 of the better grades. 



We have been planning to increase our output 

 both in lumber and handles somewhat in the 

 course of the next sis or eight months. This, 

 however, has not been definitely determined tipon 

 and the decision will be governed more or less 

 by the early fall trade. 



As to the prospect for fall trade, I am very 

 frank to say that I do not believe it will be any 

 more active than it has been thus far this year.' 

 As a matter of fact 1 have felt that trade has 

 Iieen almost normal in the East during the pres- 

 ent year. I am inclined to think that some of 

 us arc too apt to use as our standard for normal 

 trade the conditions which obtained during the 

 years 1906 and 1907, but if we would look at 

 the situation calmly I think we would conclude 

 that those years were just as abnormally large 

 ;.s 1908 and 1909 were abnormally small. Very 

 truly yours, Robert W. IIiobie Company. 



R. W. Higbie, President. 



From a Foremost Gum Producer 



Cape Girardeau, Mo., August 27, 1910. 

 Hardwood Record, Chicago, III. 



Gentlemen : In response to your request of 

 the 2Dth we outline briefly the conditions in our 

 business. 



A year ago we had considerable more stock of 

 di-y lumber ou hand, which was owing to the 

 acciimulation during the panic period. This has 

 all been satisfactorily disposed of and our stocks 

 are well evened up once more. It has been a 

 rather difficult problem to move the low grades, 

 but we have gone out of the usual channels and 

 found special business that enabled us to do this 

 at fair prices. 



Of course gum is our specialty aud this wood 

 in both the sap and red grades has become one 

 of the most active factors in the hardwood mar- 

 ket. The volume of consumption in FAS gum, 

 especially in the moulding lengths, exceeds the 

 supply and we have been unable to cater to all 

 the business otfered. With an adjustment of thi' 

 substitute package problem, which now looks as 

 if it will be effected very soon, there will un- 

 doubtedl.v be a revival of demand for low grade 

 gum and this will put us on a very stable basis. 

 Wo have noticed a lessened amount of price cut- 

 ting lately and hope this indicates a firmer mar- 

 ket during the fall and winter. 



As to future production, we have sought out 

 and established a line of permanent consumers 

 that will absorb practically all of our capacity 

 Therefore, we expect to run steadily right along, 

 "i ours truly, 

 Hi.mmelberc.er-IIarri.son I.u.mber Company, 



C. L. II., Secretary. 



July, 1910, a Record Month for Big Southern 

 Producer 



Charleston, Miss., .August 27, 1910. 

 Hardwood Recohd, Chicago, 111. 



Dear Sirs : I have your favor of the 23d, ask- 

 ing for a brief analysis of present conditions in 

 the hardwood market. 



At the present time our stock of lumber is 

 about sixty per cent of what we had on hand at 

 this time last year. Last year low grades were 

 very slow and predominated our supply. This 

 .year low grades are moving very fast with us. 

 and our supply on same is limited. High-grade 

 stock is also iu good demand, with the exception 

 possibly of sap gum. 



.Tuly, 1910. was the best month we ever had In 

 shipments, both for footage and prices, while 

 August will apparently be just as good or better. 



Orders are coming in very nicely, and our dry 

 stocks are being taken up rapidly. Judging 

 from present Indications, there should be a good 

 fall trade, especially as dry stock seems to be 

 very scarce. 



With few ex';-eptions, prices have held up very 

 nicely during the summer months, and we see 

 no reason for a decline. On the other hand, we 

 feel that dry stocks will be in demand this fall 

 and command better prices in both oak and gum. 



They are from ten to fifteen per cent higher than 

 at this time last year. 



We have been operating our mill constantly all 

 summer, and will continue to do so iildefinitely. 

 Yours truly, Lamb-Fish Lumber Company, 



A. G. Fritchey, Sales Manager. 



Expects Prices to Advance This Fall 



SWANTON, Vt., August 2G, 1910. 

 Hardwood Record, Chicago, III. 



Gentlemen : In reply to yours of the 23d, will 

 say that business is much better than it was last 

 .year, prices are satisfactory and we have no 

 reason to believe that prices will decline, but 

 rather think that they will increase with the 

 fall business. We are going to increase our out- 

 put and handling during the next six months and 

 liave a very small stock of lumber compared with 

 a year ago. Very truly yours. 



The Webster Lu.mber Company. 



From a Prominent Eastern Exporter and 

 Wholesaler 



Boston, Mas.s., August £7, 1910. 

 Hardwood Record, Chicago, 111. 



Dear Sirs : I have your favor of the 23d inst. 

 nsking me for my opinion of the hardwood situa- 

 lion. We find that the better quality of our 

 stock is lower than usual at this season, par- 

 ticularly ou account of the quality of logs that 

 has come to us. We have not cut any of our 

 standing timber, preferring to take the surplus 

 logs that we were oft'ering in our territory. 



It is difficult to analyze the prospects for fall 

 trade. Some users of lumber are asking quota- 

 tions on their tisual amount, but the yards are 

 only buying to keep some in stock. There is a 

 tendency to sell stock in our market at a little 

 under the regular prices, showing a desire of 

 tile shippers to dispose of their lumber. We in- 

 tend to replenish our stock and keep our mill 

 running this fall. I believe that prices will be 

 maintained, but should there be any increase in 

 business or a tendency to put up prices to any 

 extent, it would only diminish or retard the mov- 

 ing of lumber. 



The users of high-priced lumber are constantly 

 figuring out some method of substitution, and for 

 this and other reasons, I believe that prices In 

 some lines of high-grade stock have reached 

 their limit. Yours truly, 



William E. Litchfield. 



The Views of a Well-Known Eastern Whole- 

 sale Concern 



New York, N. Y., August 25, 1910. 

 Hardwood Record, Chicago, III. 



Gentlemen ; Replying to your favor of August 

 23 we wish to state that our stock of dry lumber 

 is smaller than that of a year ago. Our business 

 at the present time is very dull and the prospects 

 :ire only fair, not good, for fall trade. Prices are 

 unsatisfactory, but we believe that gum and 

 Ijoplar will increase iu value, while ash and oak 

 will decline. As yet we do not know whether 

 we will Increase or diminish our output and 

 handlings during the next six months, as this all 

 depends on the fall demand. Very sincerely 

 yours. Indiana Quartered Oak Company. 



Ai-.gust Shipments Broke All Records 



.ME5IIHIS. Tenn., August 30, 1910, 

 Hardwood Record, Chicago, 111. 



Gentlemen : Your favor of the 23d inst. was 

 recel\ed during the absence of the writer from 

 the olRee, hence our delay in replying. We are 

 glad to have an opportunity to give you our 

 views on the different subjects which you sug- 

 gest, and we therefore reply in detail as follows: 



(1) Our stock of dry lumber is much smaller 

 than it was at the same time last year. Con- 

 sidering the fact that during the past winter 

 and spring we operated our mill more regularly 

 aud cut larger quantities of lumber than ever 

 ijefore for the same period of time, we may 

 safely say that our dry stocks are now compara- 

 tively smaller than at any time since we have 



