Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1865-10-04
The Southern Trade Ahead Of
Our Calculations.

The condition Of trade a { the pres
ent time i'm all the American centres
of traffic is such as to render il mani
fest that the wants Of the South have
far exceeded all the calculations of
our merchants. No one seems 10
have measured the demand accurate
iy, mainly because the South was he
lieved 10 be too much impoverished 10
be able to purchase to any great cN
tent The event has astOnished eve
~ body. The South has rot only
bought freely, but it has pait freely,
also; and old debts have been honOra-
bly, acknowledged, and either dis
charged in full or in part by arrange
ment. In fact, the South appears 10
have been much better off than lis
leading politicians seem to have
thought. The inference may be that
much OF this money may have lain
concealed to save it from the plumber
ing hordes which ravaged the cOun-
try, as we'll as from the intolerable eX-
actions of the ebel government, and
something of this is doubtless true /;
but our impression is that much of
the money had been raised for imme-
diate use by the sale of lard, cotton,
sugar, or anything else available.
The Southern merchants, knowing
the destitution of the country in the
matter Of merchandise, and the fine
chance for profit by supplying it,
have made great sacrifices TO lay IN
sufficient stocks OF goods Instead Of
providing for this addition to our
trade, our Northern merchants have
met it with no more than the Ordina-
ry stocks, which have answered the
purpose Of the last four years As =
consequence, the market has been
swept bare, and prices are all up
again Domestic and foreign goods
siIke are scarce and in demand, so
that all the mills are working as hard
as they can drive to supply the orders
crowding upon them As to Lhe
probability Of Overstocking the S0uth
which some persons apprehend, we
think il exaggerated. Nothing is bet
ter settled than the fact that q fertile
country soon recuperates from the cf.
fects OF war. The Southern crops are
very valuable, and will easily pay for
all the goods we can sell TO Southern
producers. The supply needed Tor
the largely increased wants Of the ne
groes. seems to be left out of caicuia-
ton. Yet this is Just what now
makes the Southern trade good, for
the demand is for the commOner kind
of goods, the cheapest prints and cot
tons, the coarsest linens, the common
contract shoes, and all the other
cheaper lines
In the late telegraph reports. from
New York, we find the following, in
In the dry goods trade the down
ward movement in domestic cotton
fabrics has been arrested for the time
being, and the turn is in favor Of sell
lers Standard sheetings have ad-
vanced to SEC. rise of sc per yard
from the lowest price Bleached
goods and prints are all up, but not so
much as brown goods There is more
business doing at the improvement,
but the demand is far from being very
active or general.
Fhe trade is now going through the
usual lull which almost invariably Oc-
ours between the early and late de
mands, for large business was c'
IDENTIFY expected in October
There is still very active trade in
the boot and shoe business. Prices
are we'll sustained and rule very high
The South has taken an enormous
amount of goods, and the demand
from that quartor has been beyond
the expectations Of the most sanguine
Manufacturers are engaged on orders,
and are largely sold ahead OF produc-
tiOn.
In foreign fabrics there is less doing,
and prices are not full up to the high
est point, but there is no pressure to
sell. The stock is light, and an in
creased demand would probably cause
a rise in prices, especially in se0sona-
BILE and desirable dress goods.