Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1875-03-24


city, and that the mass Of our nc
tive business men take a cheerful
view of the situation, and while
they do not expect the rushing
times for trade that have prevailed
at times during the past ten or
twelve years, they believe trade is
in a healthier condition than fol
several years before. Their hope
ful expressions will go long way
in the right direction. The panic
has continued too long already, and
the time has arrived when there
must be an Improvement for the
better. There can be no more I'M
certainty regarding financial legis-
lation at least for two years. Con-
gress, instead Of relieving the
country, only piled upon the people
additional burdens. Having no
longer any hope for relief in this
direction, the people realize they
must depend upon their own e1er-
tons and resources, and we believe
they will grasp the situation hope
fully. In prices the bottom has
undoubtedly been at last reached,
and therefore there can be but
little to fear in this direction.
In the Saginaw Valley much de-
ponds upon the state of the lumber
trade. The winter has been a re-
markably favorable one for opera
tions in the woods, and very large
quantities of logs have been put in.
The stocks of lumber on hand,
however, on the river, are consid-
erably less than they were year
ago, while the indications are that
a large proportion Of logs banked
will not reach the mills this season
1t is early to prognosticate regard
ing this, as much depends on the
weather. An early opening OF
navigation is impossible, and with
present indications the shipping
season will open at least six weeks
later than q year ago. Very few
of our mill men have commenced
making preparations for spring
operations, and even should the
logs be at hand before river and
lake navigation is fairly open, mill
men would hardly start up with
their present ample stocks on the
docks. But the logs are not likely
to be forthcoming so soon. Many
Of the smaller streams are frozen
solid to their very bottoms, and
this condition, in connection with
the drvness of the swamps, makes
it extremely probable that very
large quantity of water will run
off on the ict and frozen ground
and be absorbed by the dry earth,
making tho needed fresh
cts needed for running out the
ogs. These indications point to
l short and busy season, and JUS
y the growing feeling of firmness
manufacturers as the sea-
son advances. The deep SHOWS in
and otherlumbering Sec
lions, together with other causes,
nave cut down the estimates Of the
product made in the fall largely.
There will be of necessity a con-
stantly increasing demand for the
lumber product, and should there
DO no excessive production over
the past two years, firmer state
Of the trade is inevitable.
In other sections of the country,
representations OF the business
for 1875 are being made.
The New York Tribune has been
careful and extended in
quiry among business men relative
to the prospects of the spring trade,
and says:
The spring trade in general has
opened with bright prospects, and
those wholesale and retail dealers
who have been seen give hopeful
reports. Confidence has been in
spired both in buyers and whole
sale houses, and the discreet man
ner in which the country dealers
have made their purchases has
given wholesale houses the belief
that reckless trading, to a great
extent, has been done away with.
The prospects Of good export
trade in produce has also helped
to improve other classes of business
and the depressing influences which
acted against business during the
early part Of last fall have been less