The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1870-01-04
tuAEERCIAL AND FlAANCIhL.


1865 ana 1859 COmPAFed-An EneOur'
aging Exhibit. u.r
From the Financial Article In the New
York Tribune, OF Lat.
The Old Year goes ont with Gold al
l2O p cent. as against l35 ? cent at the
close Of the previous year. The gold
bearing funded Public Debt Of the
United States IL reduced by over ninety
million Of dollars, the present total
standing $20l7, ,O00, 900, az against g..
l07 ,g54 900 at the close Of 1868. The re"
tluctlon has been by purchases by the
present Adminlstration since the 4lh OF
MurCh last, under the Sinking Fund
act Of Feb. 25, 1862. The consumption
OF foreign merchandise through the
New York market Is fifteen y cent IN
advance Of the year 1868, and q cores
ponding increase Is believed to be
y safe calculation upon the sales
Of domestio merchandise. The divi-
dends earned by the railways, the
8NyInRs Banks and the City Banks
are In the main also ahead OF
tho previous year, and especially im'
nroved In the rate of Interest and the
Of deposits upon which
this Increased allowance ls made In the
Savings Banks, And accepting all
these facts aS constituting reasonably
safe criterion by which 10 judge the
relative prosperity In business OF the
two years, we should say that the In
crease In 1869 over 1868 is In a much
larger proportion than the Increase Of
populaIlon. On turning 70 the Stock
Exchange as O barometer Of the relative
credit Of The Government, we ind that
while gold, as measured by our Treas
ury greenbacks, has gone doI0n htteen
per cent, the United States $40 bonds
have gone up full i've per cent.
From the Financial Article in tho PhIlRdeI'
ph!a Ledger OF LIST.
As we to-day enter upon new year.
Il Ia proper 10 look back and Institute
COMPARISONS, that we may see whither
we are tending. Trade In general ls
conceded TO be dull-unusuRlly So
and, as compared With this date last
year, prices OF the leading staples are
lower, The wholesale price OF super
fine flour on the 3ist Of December, 1863,
WaS about 90 ner barrel; It Ia now quo.
. ed at a 50-a decline Of one-fourth Of
ia prICe, Best white wheat was then
quoted at 50 25 per bnshels It 10 now
quoted In this mar ket 81 6O-a decline
OF Is cents per buShel. Rye has fallen
from 81 90 TO 81, corn from IL ~ 70 u,
and oats from 70 10 81 cents Rye,
flour, corn m6al, and almost the entire
direct product Of tho soil have expert
enced very similar decline, while the
indirect produce OF the fArm-pofk,
beef, lard aud seeds, have generally
held their own, and In some instances
advanced. The great staple Of the
country, cotton, a. compared with THIS
time year ago. ls about cent per
pound higher. This, ON crop OF l,2OO,.
O0O, 900 pounds, gives difference OF
Twelve millions Of dollars-A very
handsome addition To the wealth OF the
cotton growing States, and an item That
must tell iavorahly on the national ex"
changes. The other Southern products
Of sugar, mOlRSses, and naval stores
are OF In pricea from 3 70 10
per cent. Wool and whisky remain At
much the same prices as last year-if
anything, Q shade lower. The same lg
true OF hides and leather. Crude and
retI ned petroleum are about 8 per cent
lower. Iron, another Of Pennsyl-
Yanla's staples, has declined In price
materially. The price Of the domestic
article is controlled in a great measure
by that Of Scotch pig and English bar,
the former OF which was quoted last
year at S4OA42 per ton, and 10 now down
10 S32aSi and the latter, which then ruled |
At S9Oa96, 10 now quoted at %9OAS5 per |
ton, The decline Ia the manufactures
Of cotton, wool and 1Ax i9 even greater
Ehan that shown Ia the price OF breads |
9tufYa, 90 ID most Of the other items,
except proViBion5, that make up house.
hold charges. We have mot ct hand
any satisfactory aChedule OF wages last
year at corresponding period, or even |
oi wages now paid, by which 10 make
4 comparlson. In this absenCe OF data,
NO leave this point to each trade or
branch Of industry 10 form lLS own
Relying merely upon |
we are OF opinion that
wages on the average are as high as
they were one year ago, and In some |
Departments OF Industry higher. five
are right In this, the condition OF the
Ia6oring portion Of the population Ia
Improving. The labor u being Rs we'll
paid In the nominal amount OF wages,
while, by the appreciation OF the cur~
rencV, or other causes, the same pay |
buys more Of almost ali the nOcessarIes
DfllEs.
The prices Of stocks and stock ssour.
ltIes have shown the usual Irregularlty.
The Government bonds are all higher
now than this day year ago. The
long o. Of 1881 were then quoted u
ll4N; they are now quoted Of llsX-Rn
ldySnce Of 4 per cent. The lS82s we're
Ihen llOX; they are now quoted at
lI2X. The 1865 and 1868 were then
worth lO7N, and are now held at liz.
The 6,2Os Of January and July were
hen quoted OF lux, and are now held
It lax, The 10 40 i've per cents were
hen worth 1O591, and are now quoted
It lOS9i. Gold was then selling At
I3i%; Il sold yesterday at 1904, The !