, 1879-01-01

sarinksge IN values Was b07l5 per cent. The
most severe decline was In staple eoods, though
tevcral lines Of shelf hardware lcprcclstel, fancy
articles sssttertng most; but shelf goods, on Tho
whole, weTs more uniform than staples. The bus,.
ness yielded moderate profit. Tin plates closed
about Is per ceat lower than In 1871, sheet Iron
10 per cent Oft, stI other standard articles hsye
shrnnk In like PROPORTION. Tho dealers lave
carried light, though adequately assorted,
stocks, and thus avoided the serious copse.
Goods arc now down to snctis basis; indceI.
many Of them are cheaper than thoy ever wers
in tllts country.
Ths .a,e. .ie placed at the sans figures "a IN
ss,ooo, ,ooo. Ths number Of 6rms h't' hss been =,
spring. Trndo llas Wv
covzaso WIDER AREA
than 10 former sensons, having gained enor.
n,ousfy in tho new and Tap,dly developing tec-
ttons Of knnsns, Nebraskn, Colorado, Minnesota,
and tho Territories. An mportant business has
also been bul1t up with tho ned Rlrer couusry
The increase In the number Of new stocks fur.
hardware branch OF trade. The older statcs-
lown, Wisconsin, and ll1lnois-hase bought
fewer goods shan usual, owing to the low prize
OF farm products and the depression In bultl-
tuR improvements.
The new ycar opens With much brighter out
look for the harlware trade. Prices, which
have been scaled down md down IN the past stt
no speculative feeling exists to dlsturb values,
and the cancellation OF old debts IL constantly
EoInE on It Is not expected that the heatthIer
condition trade 10 assuming will be followed lin
will Inspire cuut'dence md insure greater per-
mancucy to the market generally.
STOVES, ETC.
a marked 1ncreata 10 the sales OF stoves Is ro-
a
prosperous condition. Tho heavy spring emf.
grafton to tho West greatly enlarged the ttado
in that quarter. aud tho home huatncss gained
In volume, thus compensatinR for shc loss in tho
121{ per cent lower, aud the sales wcro mado On
rather slim marRfps.
The carsiaae. cabinet, and other speciality
hardware houses did a fair business, and wera
pro1ltably low carly, but closed In more prom
}siug condition.
Tho sales Of nails reached about the usual nc.
RTc9atc; Prices fell about 70 per cent, and were
tion was $2.Go@215, then for lon0 stne e.. TO
Ge2.20 was the rate, and last month the pr,co
waa fixed At S2.225. Nails havo been 10 low that
the ias.osytmsn aags @ dose 2S lsrs' att o. tho
The low river frcehts permit the manufacturer
to. uudersell markets TINT arc dependent on
tlilroads for supplies, and tue West evcn to
Minnesota IL stocked With uails direct FROM the
factories. In winter buyers come here. In
order to insure greater skcadtness TO prices,
manufacturers talk o. forming m hasocistup,
and putting the whole business At distributing
polnts ia tho hands nf ONE nEent.
IRON AND HEAVY HARDWARE.
The sales OF iron, railrond supplies. and heaYy
hardware rcrc abont % 900 OK. .-au tprreaso of
per cent over 1877. Tho general market
weakened early, but WIS uniformly steady
afterwards, and advanced slightly on iron III
the autumn A larger qnantity Of iron, meas-
urcd In tons, was sold. and the trade 10 Wagon
materials augmented In volume A uGw house
was added to the list, but another retired, 50
the number Of AFn7s rcA1a!Ds the sanao a. year
ago. Tho invested caplta! ts about Sl.80O,OGO.
The teasou WAS satisfactory, having yicldetl Iair
protits for tho times. md closes with tho busl-
tsess ia healthy state. The sales Of railroad
0utlook k Tor this department is said to bu better
than since 1879. Thc nveraEe prtcs Of common
bar iron was $37 pcr net ton.
a distinguished feature t1lfs past year. and 4
West. This South Chicago aud tho Milwaukee,
mills hare each run about nine mouths, aud sud
their product at homo. The increase in tralo
| lius prevented this hcw supply feam competing
much with the Eastcrn Eoods, but iron can ts
made as ,cheaply hero Al elsewhere.
time when many art,cIss 81 this taetal
WILL ha furnished TO tho West By the West.
| The Ohio mills sent moro material llcre than
! usual. md flttaburE lost trade, being blocked
out by eisalvantngc0us frcishsa.
}a .y41tlttpg tPaAun promises to ho pru~rces
ols. Too much irun has btcn the banc Of thu
| trade for several years past, hut several tnts
nre NOW aiormunt the surplus stock has been re-.
tlureu, aud uniees prices should materially nd
vance. tile production Il not likely to be nRain'
excessive.
Tj,e iotal sales Of hsr]ware VI Ill klpls us
nhout k.kl mn INAl