The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-09-09

Just ut this time there Is an apparent
suddenly developed demand for most ar
ticles Of commerce, such as did not exist
six months ago. One can hardly under
stand how there could be such a changei in
few months. To illustrate the change in
the situation the better We may remark
that Il to-day there was not a strong feel
ing upon the country that prices had
touched bottom, and were really once more
on the up turn, there would be none Of
the apparent scarcity Of supply in mer.
chandise that is now urgently felt. Take
pig iron, for instance. 1t has sold in this
vicinity in the last few days at $2S 80 per
ton. This time last year-yes, even Elk
months ago-it could have been bought
for SIS, or less. There is ut least al ad.
vance Of s. 50 per ton, o:30 per cent, in a
very shorttime. The supply Is not by any
means 80 per cent less than 1t was six
months ago. The absolute amount Of pig
iron in the country is not very materially
different from what It was six monthsago.
1.-THE feeling OF the country was the same
now as then there would be a great abun-
dande OF it, and the price would be as low
or lower. A change in the feeling Of the
country has made vast difference in the
relation Of supply and demand, and
whereas there was six months ago an
abundance for all demands there is now q
decided and growing scarcity. a
Not long since the London Tina dis
cussed the future Of trade in England in an
elaborate article, and in the course OF its
remarks touched upon this very point. II
asked the Question, What makes the differ
ence between good and bad times? This
was asked with reference to what had been
said about England having :.over.burdened
her own and foreign markets with IN ex.
cess Of production. The Times held thatit
was not necessary that former conditions
should be again absolutely restored before
prosperity would come. On the contrary
it held that a comparatively small change
for the better in the foreign markets Of the
worldmightnaturallyte tell with exaggerated
effect on the situation in England. We
quote its remarks on this head, as follows
This can be illustrated by reference to
the well known facts observed with re,
spect to the prices Of corn in the Kingdom
in the old days when VIC depended for It's
supply almost entirely upon ourselves.
II the harvest was a fifth below the aver
age, the price went up out Of all proper.
ton to this deficiency. In a CONVERSE way,
We know that the rise OF the price OF coal
six years since was wholly d~isproportion-
ate to the increased demand for it. 1t was
impossible to add at once to the quantity
Of coal produced; and the effect Of q IA
mine resulted, without any falling of in
the quantity brought TO market. 1t is al
most needless to add that the greater the
habitual economy OF life, the greater must
be the strain Of any sudden variations
in Its circumstances. We know that the
actual amount added 10 our production six
years since was but q SUI all proportion Of
tle whole; and the experience OF stagna-
ton through which we have since passed
has scarcely resulted from any real dimi-
mutton in the quantities OF commodities
produced, so much as from the disappear
ance OF the abnormal increase that for a
short time told 80 sharply upon our con-
dition. 1t is thus that the effects Of good
harvests in America affect US so quickly
and so deeply. They put in the hands Of
our customers the means Of administering
that stimulus to u industries to which
our traders and manufacturers are 10
prompt TO respond"
The above references Of tho Times APP
plies, by way Of illustration, to what we
have been saying about the apparent
narrow margin that stands between an
ordinary and an extraordinary demand
for merchandise. We had six months
ago a very ordinary demand for most
articles OF trade, while to-day We have a
decidedly active demand. AS confidence
grows broader and deeper, the demand
becomes more urgent. Contrary to gen.
eral expectation, We have passed almost
at a bound from sluggishness and letharry
to activity and urgency. There is at
once, as it were, q legitimate and specu-
lativo %denand-fOr that which was only
recently a drug on the market.
1t has suddenly been discovered that
the supply, which onlya short while ago
seemed excessive, is now far short Of the
wants Of buyers. Aslong sthis feeling,
now so tnlly aroused, exists, the present
urgency Of demand will also exist.
HEAVY sHIPMENTs TO EUROPE.
What Last Saturday's steamers Took ont
From New YOrk-Inrra Ou,nnt ~