46 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



NEW YORK 



The local bardwood market is in lair shape at 

 this time, and while the demand for lumbei' 

 of all grades of hardwood lias been somewhat 

 limited diirinj; Ihe past sixty days by reason of 

 the seasonable inaetivity to general Irade. there 

 is every indiealion that there will be not only 

 a firm and fairly active market for the balance 

 of the year but that prices of good-grade lumber 

 will advance considerably by reason of the 

 scarcity in those grades. It is freely acknowl- 

 edged as true that while many of the mills have 

 been sneeessfnl in getting rid of a good portion 

 of their low-grade stock to date, that Ihey 

 have had lo d(j so at prices which have shown 

 considerable concession, but in no instance has 

 there l>een any tendency to allow concessions or 

 crowd the market on good-grade lumber and 

 every manufacturer and wholesaler has rightly 

 appreciated tlie value of good hardwood lumber 

 at this time. Aside from current sales bringing 

 top prices for good, well manufactured stock, 

 there is every indication that with the supply 

 being limited higher prices will soon prevail, 

 and should the fall market develop anything 

 near a normal demand for general hardwoods 

 there will not only be a scramble for good lum- 

 ber but such a condition will inevitably improve 

 the low-grade market in many ways. 



BUFFALO 



They say that it is l)etween hay and grass 

 in the lumber trade and though the hay has been 

 good they are not prepared to say that the grass 

 will follow suit, but they will prepare for ir. 

 There is a report of a slight stir, hitt as a 

 rule the trade is waiting. If the buyer goes on 

 waiting as he has of late it w'ill soon mean much 

 more than it has meant, for the slowness of 

 the warm season has been largely a matter of 

 summer holida.v. 



All lumber moves slowly, with the good sign 

 of hemlock being most active, for that means 

 houses building. The hardwood trade does not 

 get much out of the covering up of hemlock, 

 but if one side of the trade moves the other 

 will follow. 



Oak sells as well as could be expected and 

 with a good fall activity will go higher, for the 

 supply is onl.v moderate and logs are high. Bircli 

 and chestnut, which ran down pretty low in the 

 spring to help out oak, have not become at all 

 plenty yet. Cherry and walnut are very quiet. 

 There has been some sale for white ash lately, 

 but that wood goes in streaks. Black ash is a 

 good seller if it can he found. Both go for 

 inside finish more than one would expect. 



If one knows the hidden places of elm and 

 basswood the.v can be sold pretty readily and 

 maple is getting much in the same line, so that 

 it will soon give yellow pine a better showing in 

 the flooring line. The flooring trade has been 

 good right along. 



PHILADELPHIA 



Almost unexceptionally, trading during the 

 last fortnight has been limp, but signs are be- 

 ginning to be discernable in the commercial 

 sky which are potent for an early revival of 

 activity. One, particularly, denoting a livening 

 up of things, is the sudden disappearance from 

 the large railroad yards of hundreds of cars 

 which for some time have been stacked up from 

 lack of freight. ReiJorts coming In from (he 

 manufacturing field, also, show a quickening, 

 and now that the buyers, who usually choose the 

 month of August for their summer outing, have 

 returned industriously to their desks, a result- 

 ing increase of sales may be looked for. Vacant 

 spots in the piles are plainly visible, which, if 

 not speedily filled, are indications that later on 

 there will be trouble securing the requisite 

 stocks, as stocks, especially the standard woods, 



have not been allowed to accumulate at the 

 camps. A car shortage is unfortunately immi- 

 nent which also urges the alert business man 

 io prepare early for the emergency. Although 

 there exist dire political disturbances to agitate 

 the public, it is not generally apprehended that 

 business will be seriously interfered with, or 

 pi'tisperily an iota impeded. 



PITTSBURG 



("'"nip.iring the prt^Sfnt situiitinn with that of 

 r>ne month ago. the lumber business in Pitts- 

 burg shows a substantial improvement. There 

 i.> a mucli better all-around feeling among the 

 wholesalers. Yard men are buying more stock 

 both for lining in and for winter supplies. Trade 

 with the manufacturing elenuMit is greatly im- 

 riroved. for. although orders are still small, they 

 are coming from this source with a regularity 

 which is most encouraging. Col led ions, bow- 

 ever, fire still quite troublesome. The building 

 situation otTers little encouragement in this dis- 

 trict. It is evident that the new fall operations 

 will be comparatively few, especially in house 

 buildln.g. and with the exception of a few large 

 . struetiu-es it will not require any great amount 

 of lumber to complete the w*ork now on hand, 

 nttsburg is still at the bottom of (he dump so 

 far as being a good market this year for whole- 

 salers. Prices are holding well, for in general 

 very few breaks in quotations are repi>rted. 

 Through the hardwood list there is a uniformly 

 good price feeling so far as good lumber is 

 concerned. For lo\v-gi;ade stock figures below 

 list are being quoted constantly. 



BOSTON 



The market for hardwood lumber has ruled 

 rather unsatisfactory the past month, but now 

 that the time has come for fall business to start 

 up a better demand is anticipated. Wholesalers 

 slate that it has been rather difficult in most 

 • instances to get bu.vers to anticipate their wants. 

 There has been a feeling for several weeks 

 among many of the buyers that prices would 

 seek a lower level and this has tended to check 

 the demand from those who were not in actual 

 need of supplies. No activity is reported in the 

 piano manufacturing industry and the furniture 

 business in the East is only moderate. 



Tile demand for quartered oak has ruled quiet 

 and prices named have been lower. Many who 

 formerly used large amounts of this wood have 

 changed over to something else, as the prices 

 asked have been too high. IMain oak has sold 

 fairly well. Office furniture manufacturers are 

 using more plain oak and are also larger con- 

 sumers of mahogany. A very fair call is noted 

 for brown ash in the Boston market, according 

 to some dealers. The latter state they have 

 found it rather difficult to find supplies. White- 

 wood and cypress are held with a fair degree of 

 steadiness, but the demand is not very active. 



BALTIMORE 



The hardwfiod trade of this section is not 

 especially aeti\e, but an appreciable improve- 

 ment has taken place, and while the range of 

 prices is very much the same as it has been, a 

 steadying is to be noted, together with a more 

 active' movement. Furniture factories, wood- 

 working establishments, planing mills and even 

 the railroads are buying with greater freedom, 

 and as a result the yards find it necessary to 

 replenish their supplies so that they may be in 

 a position to take care of the needs of their 

 patrons. 



The higher grades of poplar are holding their 

 own very well. These stocks find ready takers 

 at figures which yield the manufacturers liberal 

 profits. This advantage, however, is set off h.v 

 the dullness in the lower grades, which have 

 continued to accumulate for some time past. 

 However, there is a little better feeling with 



respect to the low grades, and millmen are hope- 

 ful that it win become more pronounced before 

 long. Similar conditions have prevailed with 

 respect to common chestnut, btit the good grades 

 have fared much better, a fair margin being 

 realized on them. Common oak has improved 

 materially of late, and the demand now suffices 

 to prevent further accumulations, while the 

 high-grade lumber is in fair request, and brings 

 prices that encourage production. Ash is also 

 in a satisfactory condition, with nearly all other 

 woods on the list stronger and steadier, even 

 though no actual advance may have been noted. 

 The exporters are going along in much the 

 same way. The outlook abroad is a little better, 

 but no material gains have been made, and 

 stocks continue to be too large for a brisk 

 inquiry. The general foreign bnsiuess situation 

 appears to be more hopeful, and further improve- 

 ments in the lumber trade are looked for. 



MEMPHIS 



Hardwood business is fairly active but some- 

 what irregular. Some members of the trade 

 report a good business, while others say that 

 they are meeting with only fair inquiries. There 

 has been little change in the position of the 

 variou.s items. Plain oak is a good seller in the 

 upper grades and the same is true of quartered 

 stock. The lower grades are comparatively slow. 

 Cypress is a good seller, the inquiries being sat- 

 isfacloiv in all grades above shops. There is 

 practically nothing doing in ash at the moment 

 and the market thereon is somewhat heavy. 

 The demand for red gum is still quite good and 

 prices are well maintained. Offerings are not 

 extensive. There is some business doing in sap 

 gum, but prices have not improved and are just 

 about where they were sixty to ninety days ago. 

 This has been quite a disappointment to the 

 trade. The lower grades of Cottonwood and 

 gum are showing the effect of the improvement 

 in the box industry. However, prices have ad- 

 vanced but very little if at all. Some fair sales 

 of Cottonwood in one-inch and thinner have 

 been reported during the past few days, includ- 

 ing one lot of %-inch containing more than half 

 a million feet. 



CLEVELAND 



Business along general lines has improved 

 somewhat. Big lumber dealers here say that the 

 approach of fall has given an impetus to trade. 

 The favorable reports concerning the crops seem 

 to have reassured certain interests, and money 

 for building and manufacturing operations is 

 now freer than for some months. 



The demand for oak seems unabated, (he 

 finer grades of quarter-sawed being the strong- 

 est, although common oak is also moving well. 

 There is a good call for poplar, but the demand 

 from the automobile companies is not as brisk 

 as it was during the spring and early summer. 

 (>ther hardwoods fail to show much strength, 

 although there is a fair movement in nearly 

 all lines. 



COUNTERFEIT CHECKS 



are frequent 

 except where 



our 



Two Piece 

 tieomelrical 

 Barter Coin 



Ifl In nse, then 

 Imitation isn't 

 possible. 

 Sample If you 

 ask for it. 



S. D. CHILDS 

 t CO. 



Chicago 



We also make 

 Tim«Ch»cke, 

 SteDcllE* and 

 Los Hammers. 



