, 1875-03-11

THE STRING TRADE,
In Tie Inst ISSUE Of The 1'RtnuEE An elnE-
orato statement Of tho business prospects Of
Chicago for tho coming spring was presented,
which in full Of encouragement. Az tho re-
ports in each department Of business wers
derived from personal interviews with repre-
sentative firms IN those departments, they
can 10 regarded rs authoritative. In some
cases. equally competent jndgca disagreed in
their views, but tho majority Of opinions
wcro favorable in regarding m oarly and s,lc-
ccssful resumption of business md m In
crrnsca volume Of trade ns entirely probable.
This riow is sustained by tho testimony Of lend
ing ha,kers, showing t1at tho tliscoun. lines
l,ase all rencllcd high figures, growing out OF
tho liberal rcponishnlcnt Of stocks by our
merchants. So for rs ccrcnls, provisions,
and lumber, the principal items Of business
in Chicago, aro concerned, the prospect Ia
encouraging. It Is estimated that thero will
be movement OF not less than m average Of
COO, coo bushels por week from tho 18th Of
May to the 1st Of August. No very decided
Improvement In -four is looked for, but tho
corn movement promises to DO very active,
Willie oats, rye, and barley look well. Tho
provision business is In very hca1tl,y con-
dition, and meats nro called for In such
quantities that thero will DO very small
stocks on hand by tue time wnrm
weather comes. Although tho lumber season,
owing to tho weather, will open Inter than
! usual still there is decided improvement,
and most of the dealers anticipate n good
business Tho dry goods dealers aro more
| tlan ordinarily hopeful Business has bee,
good, notwithstanding tho inclemency of tho
season, and every indication points to m i'm.
| mense Increase Of trale this spring, ono I'M.
portant item in which is the fAct that country
| merchants arc finding that they can buy
cheaper aud moro advantageously in Chicago
ihnn in New York, and consequently, in.
stead Of being "sorting" market,
as heretofore, 1t is now stock
market, In which merchants hnve tho
advantage of buying small purchases
md buying moro frequently, thus keeping
within tho demand upon them. In iron.
things look better. Tho pig iron market
shows signs Of revival, md tho hardware men
are very much encouraged at tho prospects
before them. The grocery trade Inns been
dull for two months past, but with the ad'
vent Of better weather it is improving, and
tho spring trado will 10 rs good, if not better,
than it WINS lust ycnr. The boot and ahoe
ilca9crs aro unanimous IN the opinion that tht
spring trado will be c1collont, and all Of then
have sold thus far this season much mort
heavily than last season up to the same tmo
In miscellaneous branches Of business, Euct
as hats mud caps. agricultural implements
drugs, croc1sery md gloss, millinery, coal
canned goods, dried fruits, and tobacco, tht
reports como in in tho Same cheering man
ner.
It only needs tho bright sun aud balm,
weather to set tho great wheels Of trade il
motion onco more, and bring about q hope
ful feeling among our business men, ant
restore to Chicago that elasticity, mud energy
and briskness characteristic Of tho antc-fr
aud antc.panic days. Ono moro such scaso'
will place Chicago upon her feet again, road..
10 travel the highway Of prosperity slowly
steadily, and successfully, recovering WIN
has boon lost in tho unprecedented disaster
which lave l'cen visited upon her.