The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-03-31
THE EAST, SOUTH AND WEST.
BaltirnOre'S Increase Of COT
fec importation.
New Orleans Regaining Her
Commercial Prestige.
MONEY SCARCE IN ST. LOUIS.

OuuoE Tue IRON Speu Oh WINTER TRACE ltSelt Syms
pathiz's with sensitive human nature. The rorpor
bred OF leaden skies ana frozen streets makes Its
influence Ielt through almost the whole range OF
mercantile and Industrial pursuits From the
depths OF the winter the business eye turns iondy
20 the advent Of spring. 1t Is the to repay
she weary. weary waiting OF the winter, TO bring
the country to town, to people the vast ware
houses Of the wholesale merchants down town, to
Ill all the side streets with busy drays and
wagons and put millions on millions OF green.
backs IN active circulation. The spring IL I'm.
doubleday the great season OF the year for most
kinds Of business. 1t Is especially 80 Tor the dry
go0ds-the paramount trade OF the country. 1t Is
needless to point out how deeply the character OF
she spring affects this great interest. as we'll as
every other. An early spring, bright and bamy,
which lifts the winters embargo OF ice and snow
OF river and railroad Is worth countless millions.
A late spring makes an incalculable loss. At this
time OF the year
COUNTRY BUYERS
should be swarming into town from North, South,
East and West, but unfortunately every part Of
she land has suffered more or less from the terri
BILE winter, railroads have been in Interrupted, foods
produced from ice gorges have done vast damage
and the general bad weather has operated to
deter business men from entering In any active
plans.
For a month or more before the advent Of the
Gne weather which began on Saturday last the
merchants were gum and almost devoid Of hope
IN relation to the revival OF trade. Hence there
was IN the stores OF Broadway and the mercantile
streets which run from that thoroughfare an alb
sence OF that busting on the part of merchant
salesman, porter and boy which usually preludes
the opening Of the fall or spring season. There
was indeed. nothing apparent which the business
man could grasp in order to buoy up his courage
IL seemed as II winter had settled and intended to
be perennial resident In this region. This
possibility was sufficient OF itself to pre-
vent that trading which Is often done
In anticipation OF q season. But there
was still another hindrance to this kind
Of trading. 1t was result OF the panic
OF the lall OF 1873, which event still has
an eject upon general business. Since 1t &C.
cured there has been no sanguineness, no conf
dence In season's results, displayed bv mercan.
tile men, before those ends have been achieved
1hers has ever since been lack OF vim among
dry goods men particularly, and 1t viii be neces.
Bary for couple or more first class trading sea.
Bons to elapse before they will recover the
abandon and esprit with which they were once
wont to do business. It 10 q question, however,
whether IL would or would not be good thing
for them to recover their former dashing spirit,
but one too profound to be discussed at this time
ana place.
OF the mercantile community SO that the belief IL
Widespread that the sales during the spring VIII
Dxcsl In amount those Effected during tue cor.
responding season OF 1873, as we'll as those made
n the spring OF last year. There ia much evidence
" support Of this belief 10 DO gained from On OBJ.
Derivation OF the styles In which people are begin.
hing to attire themselves. Though the season
inst passed was by no means one OF very great
prosperity everybody now appears to have the
means to procure new clothing throughout The
':oudest" patterns for shirts, collars and Guns,
md the most strange looking scarfs, are IN Do.
hand on every side.
THE DIFFERENT TRADES
The wool business Is back ward, and the receipts
show falling or this year OF 900 bales compared
with the corr esp onding PERIOD OF last year.
The grocery trade has felt the influence of I'M.
favorable weather, but the quantity OF business
transacted during the few ans days Of the month
has been large, and there Is no rumor OF any
shrinEage in values.
The provision trade Is seldom depressed.
Nothing out plague or an earthquake could
stop the sale OF porK. Pork Is up, and further
advance in price Is anticipated for next week.
The export trade shows a failing Oh.
The wholesale hardware men are In good spirits.
The boot and shoe trade Is some what depressed.
Local purchasers are numerous enough. but
buyers from . distance are only few ana far
between. The weather Ia the great complaint OF
the boot and shoe men. Southern buyers were
expected In large numberA bus only . few have
come.
The trade in breadstuns IL light for this season
OF the year. The exports denote falling on. The
Produce Exchange was closed on Good Friday,
and little business OF any moment was done.
The large cotton houses report Q buoyant open
ing Of the market for the week. The total sales
for the week reach lose2 bales including 1857 for
export 3,ss1 for consumption, 4,SO4 for specula-
sion, and 800 in transit For forward delivery the
sales have reached during the week 153, 900 bales,
ali low middl!ng or on the basis OF low mlddlng.
The brick business Will take new lease OF life
from the warm weather which has just set In.
The opening OF river navigation Will revive this
trade Immensely.
the coal trade is rather staguans. Cargo lots
are hard 10 sell.
Tne leather trade reports no decided change for
weeks. Prices remain steady.
The carriage manufacturing business Ii very
duh. Fewer orders Tor carriages nave been re.
ceived tEiA winter than Tor several years past
Tue only way OF accounting Tor II Is the absence OF
surplus cash among the socaIled rich or the cd.
vent Of moro economic habits Of living In the cir.
cies that usually patronize tho carriage manuiac'
turer.
One touch vi summer now makes the dry goods
world rejoice, As has been Indicated before, an
from purchasing Oh account oil the cold. they are
now beginning to dock In for lighter goods, with
which 10 replace she materials IN use during the
winter.
II. b. CLAFLIN co.
are behindhand several weeks. THIS enormous
establishments, with ak AMI hall acres OF dry
goods and Q business OF $70,000,000 year,
mus ieel TO some degree the loss oecasi0nod nv
late sprlug. Were IN tue Duey season an average
days saoS reckon tbree-quarters OF million, ten
or twelve days OF enforced s,agnation count ADJ
verscly 70 some purpose. A HERALD reporter
making the rounds OF the business houses,
ea.ied a. this mammoth emporium anu saw
oDs oil SIX immense noors stgewn wltn goods 40
tack that II hardly seemed possible LOT anybody
20 move about among them. hut hundreds Of
0usy men. statesmen ia their shirtsleeves and pur-
chesers IA stoyepipes and wideawakos, we're
GATHERING ~ and lro buyinR and selling Tor dear
lie. MI Montague, polite attacne OF the
establishment, iniornled the reporter that busl.
ness was backward. you seem 10 be pretty busy
now" remarked the reporter. "OA tnaty
no.hing.' ne replied, ITO tue stir you may see
ON right busy day. ns IKE bedlann.n II wasa
very Impressive scene to observe the mountain
LlinS Of muailn nud cnltCO.-euOupb. ona yvm,iQ