The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1876-12-27
Commercial.

IL not large, but Indianapolis merchants Are,
all things considered, doing rs much as their
rivals at other trade centers.
In general merchandise merchants report
only a moderate business Solvent buyers
are cautious. showing no disposition to carry
large stocks. Merchants here are only press
ing sales when customers are cash or its equiv
alent. AS a result of this sound policy of bust
ness, IL trade is not large there is little proba-
bility of bad debts, and at the close OF the year
profits may be as satisfactory as if the volume
Of trade had been larger.
In dry goods stocks are complete and prices
are fiuctuating in the extreme range. The
Tslly Bulletin of Monday reports the New
York market rs follows;
The package trade has been Irregular. but I'm
aquiet way a fair aggregate distribution Of
clttOn goods, fancy and shifting prints, etc.
has been accom- lished by several Of the lead
ing houses, and there is perceptible improve
II ent In the general tone OF the market,
which is indicative of growing confidence In
the future. City iObberS, being about taking
stock, are operating sparingly at present but
a more active demand on their part Il ex-
petted carly in January. a. stocks are much
brt ken and viii soon require replenlshlnent.
7 e jobbing trade continues light, but Is
about as good as usual at this time If year,
when, as a rule, retailers have laid In their
supplies OF holiday goods Jobbers' prices for
cotton goods are generally flrm, and some
leading makes of brown sheetings, uckings,
advance, In accordance with agents quota
tons.
G. ton goods have presented few new fes-
tur ofinportance, butare firmly held at cur
reL prices. Brown sheetings are in steady
demand from first hands and firm. Beached
shirtings are more active and the increased
discount has enabled agents 10 close out the
entire line of Hope Al, while liberal sales have
been made of Lonsdales and the other makes
Ofbieached goods represented by Messrs. Wood
ward. Lawrence & Co. White Rock bleached
shirtings have been charged up, with an extra
discount OF 213 per cent. IL Is understood that
nearly 500 cases of Fruit of the Loom" shirt
ings were destroyed at the late fire at Pontiac,
aud goods of this make are firmly held at cur
ront quotations. Dyed ducks have been sold
10 a considerable amount on private terms,
and denims are moving steadily. As an evil
dence OF the growth of the export trade in cot
ton goods, IL may be stated that the ship John
Nicholson, which has just cleared for Shang-
hia, takes out, as part of her cargo 2S9 bales OF
domesticS from this port.
Prints.-There has been a steady hand-to-
mouth demand for dark fancy prints, and
ShirtingS are receiving a good deal of attention.
The American print works have determined
upon &c as the opening price for spring fan
CTS and ii Is more than likely that other first
ella - prints will be marketed at the same figure
which price Is fully warranted by the present
price OF cloths.
Groceries are in good request and sugars and
cOffees rule firm.
Provisions are firm though the market is
quiet Packers are pay Ing from S. IS to So per
100 lbs for hogs, and the product is held firm
with no disposition 10 maxi. concessions. The
theory is that prices viii advance during the
month of January.
The Chicago Commercial Bulletin of Satur-
day says of the progress of pork packing:
Pa clSerS Lave been enabled 10 transact
fair business during the week just closed-the
receipts OfhOgS being good, but hardly up 10
general expectations. Prices for the specula-
tive articles OF product have been well main
tanned during the past two or three weeks,
and packers were liberal sellers, consequently
they neede>i the hogs and purchased quite
literally, Notwithstanding the fact that values
were advanced 2la25c on the whole range.
The demand has been mainly for the better
qualities, packers being engaged in the manu-
tacture OF mess pork, lard and the heavier cuts
OF meats. During the early part of the week
the receipts were of rather poor quality, but
toward the close the arrivals were large of
go d loose. The tone ofthc foreign advices was
rather unfaVorable for the production Of the
lighter cuts of meats, and the houses engaged in
their manufacture have not been engaged 10
their full capacity. The packing for the week
eXhibitSa material Increase, about 1900 in eX-
cess of last season To date. The general opinion
prevails here that the packing here Will fully
reach that of last season, but opinions regard
ing the aggregate packing of the west are
somewhat confiicting-if short of last season,
the shortage will probably be at interior
points. at the larger packing points the re-
ceipts OF hogs were quite liberal during the
week, and the aggregate packing in the west
to date may be safely estimated at 2.7O0OO0
hogS-about 10000 in excess Of this tune last
season. AT Cincinnati, the receipts of hogs
show a liberal increase, and packers have been
enabled TO increase the business and reduce
the shortage as compared with last year At
Louisville packers are doing moderate bust
ness, the receipts OF hogs not being liOeral and
the quality not SO good. AT st. Louis, the
receipts OF hogs have been fair, and the pack
ing rs still considerable in excess OF that of
last season TO date. At indianapolis and Mil
waukee the receipts OF hogs were fair. and
erage weeks work. At Cleveland. Toledo,
Detroit, Peoria, Quincy, Cedar Rapids, Coun-
Gil Bluffs, Omaha, Des Molnes, Keokuk, Sa-
points. packing Is progressing favorably. and
IN most cases exceeds that of last season TO
date.
The following is the packing to date, rs COM
pared with the slme time In previous years:
1876. .e5s 95s IS7s.... O2si
lS75. ISL 63i 1872. e 7e5
MI. ......... 30 oo0
In NJ department of grain trade is only
mode ately active, and prices, as compared
with asst week, have not materially changed.
There is good demand for country produce,
aud prices, as will be seen by our review, are
steady. The New York Bulletin reports as fol-
lows for poultry and eggs:
Poultry.-The demand for live continues
moderate and uncertain and quotations are ir-
regular among the trade. There does not APP
pear TO be mnch strength on values, however.
Dressed show better demand for chickens at
trifiing advance. Turkeys not plenty but
selling slow at former rates. Ducks and geese
unchanged. We quote prices today: Dressed
turke =, state and western, l5al6c; do poor,
l2al3c dressed spring chickens, choice. per 10,
lOal3c. Fowls-Jersey prime, per To- loo; fair
20 goof Sa9c; DO state and western prime, &c;
do do fair TO good, 6aSc. Ducks-state and
western prime, i2al3c do fair to good, salOc: do
Jersey, lsal4c. Geess-Prime to choice, llal3c;
fair TO good, 7aec. Live Poultry-Sp' ing chick
ems per 10, western, 9alic; Jersey l0al3c.
FoSis state and Jersey, per ID, salOc; do west
state and Jersey, per Id. 9al0c; do western per
10, saec; ducks, state and Jersey, per
p1tf, 65asO; ducks, weatern. per pair, 5Ost
=; geese state and Jersey, per pair,SI 5Oa2 90;
1oH stern, per pair, 81 l2al 81.
E. Receipts to-day, 80 pkgs. The mar
ket is not very active, but the supply OF desi-
rable stock continues moderate, and sellers
still retain most OF the advantage. Full former
rates may still be quoted, and some of the best
selections have reached 30c. Southern do