The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1883-02-17
Our 0lio.
THE FASHIONABLE WOODS.


wood to-day there is no uncertainty about
the answer Mahogany is in demand upon
every hand. IF it is question of dining
room furniture mahogany, if hall. chair
oh Spanish hides with mahogany; but
| if we question a little closer we find that,
after all, this is but one of many woods
which may be called almost equally fash
ionable and popular 1t is curious to no
tice how fashion fuctuates and hesltates
when brought down to fine point. so
and so furnished two months ago, and
bought absolutely nothing but mahogany;
neighbor, with an intense desire to be
fashionable or nothing, furnishes to-day and
buys nothing but walnut. Further even
than this locality makes difference; satin
wood and oak may be "the thing in Fifth
avenue, while ash and maple, cherry and
butternut are absolutely the rage In Har-
lem. A great authority upon fashions as
serts that, as regards clothes, "a dress has
ceased to be ''the fashion when one sees
it.on the streets; in other words, what every
one has is no longer the height Of fashion,
and if we apply this principle to other
things and consider woods in the light of
the same wisdom, the least seen is the most
recherche Black walnut is unquestiona-
bly the rarest of decorative woods to-day;
it is extremely expensive and, being very
much in demand in England, the price Is
raised from the fact that, besides, being
scarce, much of that which might supply
the market here is exported. Yet there is
no good reason for it's rarity. 1t has been
satisfactorily proved that the black walnut
will thrive in Canada, and that it could be
grown to very great advantage in many OF
the Western States, where no attempt has
vet been made to introduce it. 1t would
be difficult to mention more beautiful
wood, and its popularity if it were readily
accessible would be unquestionable. AS 1t
is, the great price asked for good quality is
a strong argument against its USE 1t Is
certainly as well fitted for dining rooms and
libraries as the popular mahogany, but the
latter can be had in various qualities, and
so comes within reach of the many. San
Domingo mahogany is the most costly, and
much of it is used in New York, while
Cuban mahogany is in popular demand on
account of the great size of the logs, many
of which are sixteen inches in circumfer-
ence. Ordinary mahogany is worth twenty
two cents foot, and from that the prices
rise to considerable sums. 1t is strange
that this wood, which is so plentiful, should
still retain its price; it is never really scarce,
and can be obtained from so many different
localities that one would imagine it should
be one of the cheapest, instead of remain
inc one of the dearest, of decorative woods.
There is no question as to its great beauty,
and now that it is again becoming fashion
able to use the polished mahogany table In
preference to the modern innovation of the
dessert upon the damask cloth, the demand
for it will increase. One would almost
suppose that the days of veneer were at
an end, the preference for polished woods
is so marked. Yet doubtless to-day, as
truly as thirty years ago, Dickens would
find plenty to say of its prevalence in our
midst. But at any rate, it is not conspic-
uous in modern interiors. The fittings of
houses valued at $4,000 or $4,000 are
of polished woods, and those, too, of any
thing but inferior quality.
The question Of fittings is one of very
marked importance in the new dwellings
that are rising on every hand, and notably
so in those which are building at the upper
end of the city, and which supply accom-
modation for persons of easy means. In a
three-storied dwelling house the hardwood
fnishings will vary in every room. The
reception room may be finished off in wal
nut, the dining room in combination of
wood, in which, perhaps, white oak, maple,
and cherry each play part, while in the
bedrooms ash and birds eye maple, with
ebonized cherry, are conspicuous. The
hall fittings and stairway may be of dark
oak or of mahogany, and the upper portion
of the house finished in white ash. The
liking for dark-red fittings is so marked that
a new wood is coming into use, which is
less expensive than mahogany and not un-
like it in appearance. 1t is known simply
as redwood, and comes from California; 1t
takes polish well, and forms an admirable
contrast with the lighter woods which are
used in combination with 1t.
How impossible it would be to glance
over any old inventory of beautiful furnl-
ture, or to consider the fittings of any man
sion of note for beauty of decoration, with
out coming across some mention OF ebony
Somehow one always associates wealth and
costly furniture with the idea OF ebony,
mother-of-pearl inlay, or marqueterie, and
vet the fashionable decorators to-day assert
that there is absolutely scarcely any demand
for it for the newest houses. So tickle is
fashion that ebonized woods are rapidly
replacing it. The only quality of ebony
for which there would appear to be steady
demand is that known as "striped, which
is shipped from Madagascar. This change
in public taste is probably referable to the
fact that SO much more is demanded in the
way of decorative work than ever before,
and that price becomes grave consldera-
ton. Cabinets of this wood can be found
in the leading stores, and one such Is gen