The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-08-16
OAK FURNITURE THE BEST.
It Furnishes Less Opportunity for De
ception Among Dealers.

| In the last score Of years the tendency
| has been to adopt hard wood not only for
| furniture, but for the paneling and inte-
rior woodwork of the house. Oak furni-
| ture of fair quality may now be pur-
| chased as low as was the painted or enam-
eled pine furniture of years ago. 1t is
true that good deal of this cheap furni-
| ture is made of inferior wood in which the
defects are concealed by filing in before it
is polished or brushed Off But even then
| wood that is thus treated is far more dur
able than the cheap veneered furniture of
half century ago.
Oak is undoubtedly the most popular
wood today 1t is found in both natural
and antique finish. All antique oak and
all the various fancy finishes, such as the
Sixteenth century finish, the malachite fin
ish, are artificial methods of treating the
natural wood. They are produced by the
use of stains of various kinds, and are there
fore to be condemned as shams.
Another artificial method of treating oak
is to bleach it, so it becomes as light colored
as white maple. This etfectually destroys
all the natural beauty of the wood. In
ferior pieces Of oak furniture are invariably
treated in antique finish or some artificial
/
this is another reason why they should be
avoided. The best choice in low priced
furniture is good set of oak. Ash is not
especially durable. 1t is likely to split off.
Maple, which is very beautiful and ex-
pensive wood, is so delicate in color that it
is liable to become soiled and is not very
durable.
Care should be taken to buy oak furni-
g 81 4lry1 aaIa
as no wood is more liable to warp than
oak if it is used before it has been seasoned.
When once well cured it is probably the
best and most durable of all woods, ma
hogany alone excepted.
Black walnut is one Of the strongest and
most durable of woods, but it is not fash
ionable at present and is not as expensive
as it was at one time. The most valuable
wood in market is the genuine Spanish
mahogany. 1t is dark, has considerable
curl in the grain, and is fine and close in
texture. Honduras mahogany, on the
contrary, is coarser and straighter in grain
and is much less valuable. The best ma
hogany is very heavy. The old variety Of
mahogany, known as San Domingo, is al
most out of market and is the most valua-
BILE of all. 1t is found chiefly in antique
pieces.
There is new kind of mahogany which
has come into use of recent years and
which grows chiefly in Lower California
and Mexico. 1t is known as prima vera,
or white mahogany. 1t is wood with a
beautiful grain, nearly as light in color as
maple, with a beautiful golden tone and
grain. 1t has been used for the interior of
the houses of millionaires on the western
coast and for fine pieces of parlor furni-
ture. Genuine ebony is one of the most
expensive of woods and Is seldom seen in
entire pieces. The best ebony comes from
Africa. Most Of the so called ebony furni-
ture in market is hard wood, which has
been stained and treated to a good polish.
Cherry wood, which is frequently stained
to look like mahogany, is a cheap imita-
ton and should be avoided, because it is
not durable. Cherry is far more durable
finished in it's natural color, gray brown
hue. Rose wood is another old fashioned
wood no longer in much demand for fur
niture. 1t is used chiefly for the cases of
pianos, but even for this purpose it is pass
ing out Of date.
There is a fancy at present for enameled
furniture, but this is as expensive as hard
wood furniture if it is properly made, as it
must always be finished over hard wood to
be durable. Even then it is easily Clipped
and defaced.-New York Tribune.