Wilmington daily commercial., 1874-09-18
FIRST EDITION.


| CONDITION OF THIS cIry's MANUFACTURING BusI-
| NEss-cARRIAdEs, CAR BUIIDING AND COTTON
| GOODS.
After making inquiry amongst number of
those engaged liz the several industrial enter
piihes OF Wilmington, we are enabled TO give
the following details as to the present condition
OF those named
| CARRIAGES.
The carriage trade is dull, but promises limited
employment for some time to come. The South
ern trade is not done yet, aud very fair orders
are being received which it is thought will CON
tinuc, the cotton crop being good one, unless
business should become unsettled by the poiti-
cal troubles in that section. There is this dis
advantage, however, in this trade-the class of
work ordered is inferior to that OF the North and
West and requires less time and labor in it's pro-
duction. The prevailing style is this no top wag-
| on, which can be rapidly built with the facilities
which our factories poBHesH. Still, the usual
complement Of men find steady employment,
| but make less money, being limited in the
amount of work given them. Prices for all kinds
of work are lower
| In review OF the year, our manufacturers rep
resent that very fair business has been done
| almost as good NJ in former Years. The retail
trade has been especially good and tho season
| has been tho best experienced for many years
| past. The demand in this city, on the Penin-
sula, and in the neghboring counties Of Penn
eylyana and New Jersey has been unusually
brisk, and large sales are reported. The small
manufactures in those SECTIONS have all been
| very busy throughout the entire Season. and
| taken altogether. our home demand has been a
most satisfactory one.
cAR-BuILDINa.
Gar building remains in the quiescent state
which it assumed after the panic. The season
has been very dull one, with small production,
and there is very little immediate prospect
of revival Railroads being the source OF
| the depression, their interests will be like
| ly to be the last to recover from the effeci OF
| it. Still there are hopeful signs of recovery.
| Commerce and trade arc moderately active
other branches of industry are reyving; the cost
| of production has been reduced by n decrease in
| the price of labor and material confidence Ia
being restored, and with it it il believed will
| come, by degrees, renewal OF Investments in
| railroad enterprises which will once more get in
| operation the numerous oar-building establish
| ments throughout the country. Ii isa mistake to
suppose that the wear and tear OF the rolling stock
upon the railroads now in operation is sufficient
| to produce demand for new cars. The depres-
| sion extends to all branches of trade, and there
| is consequently decrease in tho amount of rail
road business, 80 that the retirement of cars has
| only been about in the same proportion as the
decrease in the business of tho roads. Many OF
the old established roads have their own shops,
and ID is significant fact that they as idle ae
those owned by independent companies and cor
porations full revival in oaI-building is looked
| for only through the construction of new rail-
| roads. The Jackson Il Sharp Co. have, perhaps,
| been more bubily engaged during the past sev-
eral months in the manufacture OF railroad cars
than any of the other establishments in this city,
| they having several orders to fill for Cuba and
AMI South America with scattering orders from
different parts Of this country. Bowers, Dure 4
| Co. have been principally engaged in the build
/ ing of City Passenger Railway cara. Very little
| work of any character has been done in the cal
shops of the Harlan Holliagsworth Co.
COTTON GOODS.
| The cotton mills are all very busy now and
| have been since tile first of the year. brisk
demand has continued throughout the season
| and production has been maintained in proper
tiou to il without the manufacture of fabrics fol-
future aales During the early months of the
year tlle Arlington Mills engaged in the manu-
facture of an entirely new line OF goods, and some
thing never before made III this city, we believe
--awnings-producing very popular article
| and one which has come into very general u5e
1t il a grade below this line of goods heretofore
made aud little cheaper, but MS durable rs an!
goods used for such purposes, except cotton
duck. 1t has met with great favor in New York
Philadelphia, Baltimore and other cities, and {
much larger stock will be prepared for another
season. During these same months the othe
mills, with tho Arlington, were running along OF
linens, denins and tickings, which trade has late
ly given way to new line of goods. cheviots
for which there is strong demand
How long this demand will continue th'
manufacturers are unable to say, but are hope
full that it will extend at least until the first o
the new year. They have nothing, however, oil
which to predicate such hope, for the demand
depends altogether upon the state of trade il
general and Elay fall off at any time. Still th'
season has been quite satisfactory one AM
the aggregate production is very little inferior
if any, to previous years. There is also pres
ent considerable demand for tickings. The mar
gn of profit is very small and has been through
out the season. Comparatively speaking, price
are lower than ever before that is to say, tn
prices beyond the cost of production are les
than ut any previous time. This has bee
brought about by the increased production Il
New England and the operation of the mills upo
the eleven hour systenl in that locality, Will
our mills are run only ten hours daily.