, 1872-12-28

iuasnuch as it is difficult to obtain transporta-
tion tsy rail nt o1y price. The cold woathor has
it,terfe1oa terribly with the movement Of rail- !
road trains, nearly all the available motor~forco
being needed to move passengers, and the surplus
force is necessarily expended on perlshab1o ar.
tcles &c. included in the classification Of fral!
creatures. Houco. those who want to snip gram
and flour and provisions are Obliged to wall,
whercat many Of them funle and rave terribly,
and We are cory to know that Homo OF them haFo
been heard to Bwear.
two fS faSa9 hoRe e par dssppear
It certainly is much to be desired, aa re are in
imminent danger Of clogging up .; added to
which j. is tightnceH Of money that would not
exist if tho property could 10 moved out, III
which case the money would be received there
for. At present our leading produce markets
arc partially perelyzed f'y this condition Of
things; and there is no prospect OF a return to
/; q healthy activity till tho clog is removed.
most pertinent suggestion was made in this
column this ,rorning. by a correspondent, to the
elect that the stockholders Of the railroads as
certain for whose benefit certain determinations
are ulade in the matter OF freight rates, said dis
criminations being uniformly against Chicago.
! They are probably the men to whom VIC will hive
to look ultimately for the abolition OF system
that has gradually grown to the dimensions Of
moustrous injustice. Our present freight tariffs
would seem to hare been constructed with the
express design Of injuring Chicago to the great
est possible extent; and that without any conn-
| terbalancing benefit TO the roads which are mado
! the instruments Of such injustice. The fact is
| that the railroad system Of the country is ridden
] to death By q few men, who combine to put
| all the profits into their own pockets,
and make the stockholders pay all
! the expenses it il these few men who dlscrimi-
nate against Chicago, as q part Of the monstrous
! system OF wrong they have built up, compared to
which our own warehouse monopoly Of the past
! was 1eabite to an attack Of measles 1t should
}1-+% #
railroads waken up to q sense of the situation,
| and insist upon their rights They would scarce
) ly be willing that any other business Of theirs
| should be managed solely for the benefit OF their
employees and why the railroad should be ex-
cepted from the rule Of business equity is q
| mystery.
t There are probably very few who know really
to what an enormous extent Chicago is discrim-
| mated against in this matter Of freights. Some
! interesting tables on this point will bo found in
! q separate article in this issue.
| THE MARKETS.
| The leading produce markets we're lees active
to-day,-some Of them almost stagnant with
but little change in prices. Tho railroad block
ade in freights interferes with the shipping
movement, and speculation is dull, in tho ab-
Eence Of cash trading. especially as cash itself
is scarce. Our receipts OF grain keep up won
derfully for the hard weather VIC hare expert
enced recently; but the lack Of shipping facil-
tiles does not seem to materially weaken prices.
! Groceries mot With only light demand either
OF local or interior account and values were not
| subjected to any material fluctuations. The
most side goods. No Improvement is anticipated
until after the holidays, when dealers look for q
revival Of trade, and higher prices for certain
i lines. Dry goods we're again reported inactive,
with little or no vatation in prices. Orders from
country merchants we're few and small, and the
general demand was OF - hand to mouth "
character. The butter trade continues fairly
active, and prices are firm all around /;
notably 80 for choice packed, which is
coming in rather sparingly: Eastern and
local buyers we're operating at 8@26c for poor to
medium, and at 22@28o for good to choice.
Grain bags renein inactive, but are held with
great fr111ness at the late advance, at SEC for
Stark, at 35c for Ludlow, and at 3411c for Lewis
ton. The cheese trade continues dull, and quo
tatlonB OF Now York factory were lowered q 15c.
Coal Has more quiet, without change in prices.
There was d fair amount of trading in dried
fruits, and domestics we're comparatively firm
good request for shipment East, but the snow
blockade prevented the filling Of orders, anG
sales we're confined to supplying local wants
Hides and leather G:,. remain remain tim hr19 az a:
pig iron remain without quotable change
Building materials we're dull and without i'm
portant change Iron, tin, copper, etc., Serf
quiet and steady at previous quotations. Lum
ber was dull and prices we're no1ulnally unchang
ed. Wool and broomcorn we're quiet. The firm
! feeling noticed in the hop market continues
Eastern markets are also quoted firm. Seed
were quet and unchanged. There was 4 moder
ate inquiry for poultry at previous prices tn
| was selling slowly ut reduced prices; groun'
we're held at 94.00@4.50. Apples we're in ngh
, request from the local trade. Potatoes we're II
. fair demand, and sound lots OF choice brini
{ from 7o@75c in car lots. Quito number O.
loads we're in, but we're badly frosted, and At
unstable. Eggs were firm at 29@30c.
: Highwines were less active, but strong at IS
advance on the outside quotation OF yesterday
, owing to the presence OF two or throe orders Of
/ ported of 200 brfa at 90c per gallon; and th
: market closed With sellers at Soc.
: Dressed hogs we're in good demand, and aver
a aged about SC per 100 lbs higher, in sympsth
r with rather hrmor feeling in live and q httl
Sales Sales we're es reported q 50 head light s4s5
276 head ut S4.35; 100 (avcrago 218 ibs) 8
s4s215: 236 leverage EGO tbs) at $3.50. Tota
d 1872 head.
d Provisions we're quiet and unchanged, e1cep
3 month or next. Live hogs were quoted flrn
n with lighter supply at the Stock Yards, but th
il stinening in product which this might othermis
10 have produced WAS negatived by the freight di
k fculty, and also by the fact that there WAS MOI
10 country product offering than heretofore.
ot was remarked to-day bF several brokers th'
% this is the quietest season. thus far, that the
,e have known in" several years. Their bnsinet
ar probably does not average more than one-tent
10 Of the volume Of trading at this time last yea
Il cal capitalists seem afraid to operate I
to they do not oven now look upon prices
co safe to operate upon. The mark
closed quiet at the following range
prices: Mess Pork-old, $11.25@ll, ,5o ne
do seller January, s1l. .5o@115 SIS; do seller Eel
- r1iary, S11 1160@11.G5; do seller March, $11.S0
); 11.85; do seller April, 911 @12.00; prime mea