, 1881-01-01
HARDWARE.

In l6Sl.
HARDWARE.
TIE sEAsoS HAS NEES 4 vAnlEp
and excited ono for hardware. III tho first
mart OF tho year tho "boom" that developed
III tho preceding full was strnfned 10 lts ut
most, md finally broke III The spring, denlor-
alizlng tho market for Il time. AS sOon MS
order wis restored tho demand revived, and
traie during tho past Elk months llAs bcc, |
continuously heavy. Fur tho year j0bDers |
estimate MI incrcasu III the tonnngo sold Of |
~, aid some sny TO, per cent. rho business
of tho 1,ast eight mouths Inns been done partly
on falling market, yet 1t hns been found
fairly rc,nuneratlvc. Tho gnin III territory
by tito Chicago trade Inns been principally In
tho direction OF Dakota, Wyoming. Colorado,
and New Mexico. All tho older sections have
bought more heavily than in late years.
The ycar closes with tho business apparently
III n sound and vigorous condition. The
speculative tendencies arc now believed to
be completely obllturnted, and ,nobn.ly wants
to SOC another such r,lanEa. Tho tratle
docs not wart 10 haya prlccs pushed UP
agnin to q point tllat Invites freu iitlporta-
tlons.
foot up s0, 600, against SCI 50o 600 in ls7p.
s1fEI.F.1rAnIwAl,EA AND METALS.
trhosa'es of fsl'cIf-hnrlware, cutlery. metals,
nails, md cogllnto lines are esti'latett ut
3lb.0 000,-n1l Increase over lStD nt T. - Eer
cent Is eatal ts 5asf ,a1, to at: S49p t Is
Tho season through THO profits exceeded 9; thg
losses by n respectablv sum. The. gengrnl
market WINS very sensitive early to every
S|nhso II ,Aa 1E0 st.I n ost IE sfapes aSassS nnsfy
camo cam III Iron. hardware yns. 1uicE 10
follow, and was not very steady before Az. Az;
Gad bcen beioro tho big atlvnlico VI tho pre-
vious fall. The break had stunning effect
early, but after confidence was restored
business ASSUMED healthy tone In every ~
| ilrst two months OF tho year, when the boom
was at fever hrat, WIS largely w.Iped out, IN
the next four; hut II, tho past six trade has
been uniformly heavy mid tairly satEstactory E'
losses fell lnrgcly on spec,1IntorS. though
merchants, OF course, lsut to rrplonlsE stocks
nt high figures, anl lost ns woll. ,v
per si eent beiow tic IEhsst pf!co of tSo yenr
Tic great rise III tho tASt alf Of 1s79 stilnt-
lated tho produeton u! i exceeded arst est,
mates. md the imports snto this country wero
Wiz wiz, III iren M@ did, ths latter 6en,g nj i1,por-
tant element hi their composition. ;Il!ey IRE
now nearly rs low rs ut any tlMo ln the cent
N.Y. The direct Imports so ware M l,t 3Mcrcase4;.
uniform III price. Sheet.iron declined a561:D
per cont, and Inns lately stiffoGet up, rs tllero
seems t9 he na SURPLUS o., Of Ia,;a i On hel; a4 4.
per ID carly, and closing it Ike. Tho bnsi;;
ness Of tho first months, wins active nnt'
profitable, but II has been dull recently. The
receipts were larEer. Z'nc wcakene sn1'IS; e
Mills opened ut $3.50 rntcs, and were at-
vaaced by factory.1ncn 70 S5...sHt55.U 1T tii1s
t.L. ali tt10
Pittsbars li'Nt cartl. Tley tnmbloti witl, iron,
md tho decline was accelerated III tie aprllis
! by tho pressure on tho market Of largo lots
! tint lnll been held biy SPECTATORS, Colnpe-
, helped To cfcnpel, mills. Tho market dc.
ciiised 10 Sas0,-lllnre thar, 43 per cent from
+ the highest rate aud closed stcattior Mt $500
rites, with stocks reported not inrgo at any
: large, the business Of tho first two Or three
i months being llenyy.
! 1.oN AND HEAVY GOODS.
D In heavy hardware md IRON the tonnage
. sold was ::s0Qe1.5 per cent greater than III tbp
J. 'rhe ercat iron boon, tl,at started ~ July .
/ tic previous year continued through TIL
t first three months Of 1872, md exhIolte!
u symptoms OF weakness ltttlo before Aprl
t from Europe. AS SOM as 1t bccnMu bvlden
i TINT the boom l,ad spent itself, urge spcc,!
Il lnttye aats wer0 thrown out, nlNl these, wit
II | Inc DlB lHlpOrtS lulu luo IMEs0 0ulpHt u W
i !nestIc manufactnrerss. sool, Gl4tteA the ma. u
II kat. From April to August pr1ccs had slt
o citncd 45ttSo ler cent, rcncttng IN, Septen1
+ ber; tl,ls cllnngo Was not sustaInet, bll
i rato on common bar-lron Mns st.4o eariy !!
il tho year, nl,l tho lowest Sa..eeoGt!:5 H. a,l
i, mer; tho present rato Is about Sa.sD. None
Il was 1nntlo ranlttly nMl ~ llg sums n u
/. In the subsequent I,eavy shrinkago .yl1
Il trAde having nlnde contracts lon
,d es,, %ot shoor ' nv Tue fall hnrs sGi;
70 u the. falling, market. Tho ei.orlnolls d
Il !nand from ratlroulis has doubtless preycnte
u iron from declining still! more. 'flle rnilroat
xs i fsS, sy 9o9y se9of e he ~ ssnss M
~ ~ demand hns been unusually heavy, uxtell.
~ ~ Ing through December ase1, and tho ton
n. now is strong, with manufacturers Eetllsil
i. ut Higher rates. Tho lnarkHt ls now beliovs
o e " neete M ii that i 9e psoteetoniss viii rua pr!s
Il Vi vii psr1aIt III Sisy lnpostatons from Ill liz
e, ~ NeaTly al .hs heavy e9o!ls ,sympathlze
en With Iron. Steel declined, md tn is at preael p
be- thu bulge. The hest American tool steel
~ now l3IJlQ9l8o per ID. Owing to u sharp tigl
among manufacturers, bolts ot ~ kinds = !,
sG4 sa4s o5 s ssFy wd4s s fft Se q 90 geF Cont
W; ~ carly, while now the discount ts So per eel
~ WHICH makes them lust onerl,alf tho prtco
"a the first raGt Of the scar, Wood Or Wng
s t"Sk NroxE s seaseas aSsear TIC s' %see 4e q m
~ ~ now furllisi, sntist of tho stock thut Is 81
lis s5e The i1fsrsnsIs r. sroEht ,yc Gna1 y
ns ias sales of Iron, heayy hardware, wagon sto
Il; @ @s%atsd y s1sS sSl tse espl