HARDWOOD RECORD 



29 



been in the business. As yoji know, our spe- 

 cialty is gum, and tlie demand for this Steele in 

 all grades has been very strong with us during 

 the past thirty days. Red gum has been the 

 most active item on our entire list, with the 

 result that we arc now entirely sold out of this 

 class of stock, all grades and thicknesses ; in 

 fact, are oversold on some items and are holding 

 orders at the mill waiting for the stock to be- 

 come dry enough to ship. Sap gum is in some- 

 what better supply, but is moving more freely 

 than it has in the past. 



(2) Our shipments during August broke all 

 previous records uot only for this time of the 

 year, but for any month in the year. It has been 

 our observation that the wise consumers are 

 foreseeing the increased scarcity of lumber dur- 

 ing the fall which, together with the expected car 

 shortage, is going to make it very difficult to 

 obtain shipments just when they are wanted. 

 The same conditions will naturally bring about 

 a stiffening in prices, and from our point of 

 view the prospects for fall business are excel- 

 lent as far as demand goes, but we feel that the 

 supply will be far short of requirements. 



(3) Prices are quite satisfactory on most 

 items of oak. In red gum prices are very firm, 

 with a strong tendency towards a further in- 

 crease within a very short time. On sap gum, 

 especially in the lower grades, prices are not all 

 that could be desired, and there seems to be no 

 possibility of any strong advance in this class of 

 stock in the near future. However, a stiffening 

 in values generally will naturally have its effect 

 on this class of stock also, and we look for a 

 shade better conditions during the fall. 



(4) We do not expect to increase the output 

 of our own mill during the next six months, but 

 it is possible that we may contract for the out- 

 put of other mills and thus increase our hold- 

 ings to that extent. We find that our trade is 

 calling for more gum and oak than we can sup- 

 ply from our own mill. It will therefore be 

 necessary for us to fill our requirements on the 

 outside. Yours truly, 



Bellghade Lumber Co., 

 J. W. .McClure, Sec. & Treas. 



From a Well-Known Indiana Operator 



Cr.\wfordsville. Ixd., August 30, 1910. 

 HiRDWooD Record, Chicago, III. 



Gentlemen : Referring to your favor of the 

 25th inst. 



We are not carrying much over 60 per cent of 

 the amount of dry lumber that we had at this 

 time last year. We have orders for several nice 

 bunches of stock at very fair prices. We are 

 cutting a better class of timber than we have 

 been for some time, as we have preferred, when- 

 ever possible, to let our best timber grow. 

 Prices have been too low. considering the scarcity 

 and the price of real good stumpage. The old 

 law of supply and demand can not fail to boost 

 prices some time in the near future. 



Our small mill in Louisiana has been running 

 for several weeks. We do not intend erecting 

 our larger one before next spring. 



When our Louisiana proposition gets to run- 

 ning in good shape we will handle several times 

 as much stock as we have been handling in the 

 last few years. Our two mills in Indiana are 

 both running and we are getting out some mighty 

 nice stock. Yours very truly, 



S. BUKKHOLDER LU-MBER CoMP.lNT, 



Roy Burkholder, Sec'y. 



Reports Business Somewhat Below Normal 



St. Louis, Mo., August 31, 1910. 

 H.iRDwonD Record, Chicago, 111. 



Dear Sirs : In reply to your favor of August 

 SO. we beg to advise that our stock of dry lum- 

 ber is much lower than it was one year ago ; 

 we would say at lea.st 35 per cent less. 



Our present volume of business is somewhat 

 below normal, but we feel encouraged at the 

 prospects for fall trade, as inquiries have been 

 ;omIng in at a lively rate. 



Present prices on high-grade, plain and q,uarter- 

 sawed oak are satisfactory, but the common 

 grades, especially in plain, are dragging. It is 

 our belief that No. 1 common plain oak will ad- 

 vance shortly, owing to an increased demand. 



At the present time two of our mills are 

 closed down, and we do not expect to start them 

 up until a material betterment in prices shall 

 have developed. Yours truly, 



Garetson-Gre-ison Lumber Co., 



W. W. Dings, Sec'y. 



Expect a Normal Fall Demand 



Nashville, Te.nn., August 30, 1910. 

 Hardwood Record, Chicago, 111. 



Gentlemen : Answering your favor of the 

 24th. Our present stock of dry lumber is not 

 quite as large as it was at this time last year. 

 We usually carry about ten million feet on sticks, 

 two-thirds of which is dry, but at present we 

 liave only about eight million, about six of which 

 is dry enough to ship. 



The volume of our business at the present 

 time is a little ahead of last year, owing to the 

 fact that we have had some large orders booked 

 ahead. New business has not been coming in as 

 lively as it was at this time last year, but we 

 have noted an improvement during the past two 

 weeks aud we believe that matters are beginning 

 to shape themselves for a healthy and normal 

 fall and winter business. 



Prices have been steady all the while and we 

 have seen no serious disposition on the part of 

 any of the larger dealers to cut their lists to any 

 great extent. 



We are planning to keep our output up to nor- 

 mal during the next six months. We may handle 

 more or less according to the dictates of our 

 customers. We do not see anything about the 

 market now that is discouraging. Yours very 

 truly. Love, Boyd & Co. 



Expects a Rise in Prices 



Memphis, Tenn., August 31, 1910. 

 Hardwood Record, Chicago, HI. 



Dear Sirs; We acknowledge receipt of .your 

 letter of the 23d inst., in regard to the general 

 hardwood situation, and reply to same : Our 

 stock of dry lumber is less than what it usually 

 is' at this season of the year and we know that 

 stocks of dry lumber, generally speaking, are 

 much less than they have formerly been. While- 

 we have not had a large volume of business dur- 

 ing the past sixty days, our business, we think, 

 would compare favorably with these months of 

 other years and we look for an increased volume 

 of business after September 1. In fact, in case 

 there should be anywhere near a normal con- 

 sumption of lumber during the coming fall, 

 there is going to be an extreme shortage of 

 stock. The mills, generally speaking, have not 

 been running and there has been considerable wet 

 weather in this section, which has interfered 

 with logging operations, so that with at least 

 a fair volume of business there will not be a 

 normal amount of stock, hence necessarily a 

 shortage of lumber to supply the requirements, 

 and we look for higher prices during the fall 

 months. There can be no question but that 

 there is to be an upward tendency of values, as 

 the present prices are at the lowest ebb. We 

 are not anticipating any increased output our- 

 selves during the next six months, at the same 

 time we shall continue about along the same 

 volume of production as formerly. Yours very 

 truly, .Tames E. Stark & Co. 



The Opinion of a Wisconsin Wholesaler 



Rhinelander. Wis., August 25, 1910. 

 Hardwood Record, Chicago, HI. 



Gentlemen : My stock of dry hardwood is less 

 than it was a year ago. The heavy trade of last 

 winter and spring completely exhausted the old 

 stock and I began shipping new stock before it 

 was fairly dry, and since that time have had all 

 the orders 1 could take care of with two in- 

 spectors. 



The volume of business for July and August 

 has been fully as great as the past two years 

 during the same months. 1 think fall trade will 

 increase after September 15. 



Prices are satisfactory in most items, especially 

 maple and birch and soft elm. Basswood is un- 

 naturally weak, but there is a good deal of it 

 moving. If there is any change in prices it is 

 likel.v to be an advance on everything. 



1 expect to be all cleaned out of hardwood 

 lumber by next .Tanuary. C. P. Crosby. 



From a Prominent Cincinnati House 

 Cincinnati, O., September 14, 1910. 

 Hardwood Record, Chicago, 111. 



Gentlemen : We have your letter of August 

 24 and would say in reply that we are carrying 

 about as much stock this year as we did last 

 year. 



Our .Tuly and August business compares favor- 

 ably with other years, and this year's volume of 

 business we think will be a little ahead. of last 

 year, but we do not look for anything big for 

 the balance of the year. 



Prices on common and better of most all kinds 

 of hardwoods that we handle have been satis- 

 factory so far this year, and we believe they 

 will be firm the balance of the year. We do not 

 look for an advance in prices. 



Low grades are dragging with us, and what we 

 do sell are not bringing their full value. 



If the blending of grades by the manufac- 

 turers and wholesalers of lumber could be 

 stopped it would be a great help to the market, 

 but so long as the manufacturers put up better 

 grades than their rules call for and blend grades 

 for buyers, so long will you see a variation of 

 prices. Yours very truly. 



The T. B. Stone Lujiber Company, 



T. B. Stone. 



Sees Prospects for Fall Trade Favorable 



Cincinnati, 0., September 1, 1910. 

 Hardwood Record, Chicago, HI. 



Gentlemen : Reply to your favor of the 24th 

 ult. has been unavoidably delayed. In answer 

 to your questions would state : 



(1) Our stock of dry lumber runs about 25 

 IH-r cent less than it did one year ago. 



We make a specialty of Cottonwood, which 

 seems to be getting very scarce this fall, espe- 

 cially in the upper grades, although the lower 

 grades are becoming short also, owing to large 

 demand of late. 



The quality of our stock is about the same, 

 as we cut nothing but high-class timber. 



(2) Relative to volume of our business at 

 the present time, would state this is as good or 

 better than it was a year ago. 



We see very favorable prospects ahead for fall 

 trade, as stock all over the country seems short 

 in the consumer's hand. -\ great many of our 

 orders at present are for rush shipments, which 

 would indicate a decided shortage of dry stocks 

 in the consumers' yards, and taking into con- 

 sideration shortage at mill points also, together 

 with increased fall demand, we predict that in- 

 quiries for stock will soon increase decidedly, as 

 the lumber business is naturally better during 

 the winter time : besides, manufacturers in all 

 lines have let their stocks decline to the lowest 

 ebb. 



(3) Prices at present are satisfactory con- 

 sidering conditions, arid we see no reason why 

 they should not improve considerably during the 

 winter months, for lumber history repeats itself: 

 besides, the large prospective demand will have 

 a tendency to increase values. 



We have always noted that after a slump in 

 values and requirements, such as we have been 

 going through for the past two years, that when 

 demand does pick up again values in lumber go 

 higher than ever before. This is due to the fact 

 that the timber supply in the country is con- 

 tinually becoming less, and when there is a de- 

 cided demand it is very difficult to get an ade- 

 quate supply ; so it will be this year with the 



