Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-09-03

/ A large number of We. sells arrive and depart
( coastNise that are not required to enter or
clear. The above statement only includes
/ those vessels that actually entered or cleared
! at the custom house.
GROCERIES,
/ The wholesale grocery trade Of Savannah is
conducted mainly by men OF very conservative
! tendeDcies-aS those who have watched the
I oscillations of the pendulum Of trade for many
/ years are apt to be-several of them being
among the Oldest merchants of this section.
But the past season has witnessed the infusion
of much new blood, junior members having
been admitted into some Of the staid old firms
and new shingles having been hung out on that
ambitious tn lroughfare, The Bay, :" by houses
not before in the jobbing trade. These we
must take as signs of the increase of legitimate
business, due probably to the gradual Increase
OF population, and if these younger fry will
start from where their predecessors have ad-
vanced to, aiding their energy to The ripe ex-
/ peIisnce of their elders, we may expect 10 see
this branch Of trade wO thily upheld.
Drumming has become systematic and regu-
( lar, and the country merchants rather expect
it. Although Savannah has not lately extended
/ her commercial domain, she fairly holds her
own and works her territory well, and having
water routes as well as all rail from the North
and West, our city has at most of times an ad-
/ vantage in freigh-s over interior points On
/ the Savannah river she pushes three-fourths of
/ the way to Augusta both on the Carolina and
/ Georgia sides; on the Central Railroad and
branches she travels we'll up into Middle
! Georgia, though somewhat restric ed by the
rates or the Railroad Commission of this State;
on the Gulf Railroad and 10 Middle Florida
/ and on the peninsula, lately made more easily
accessible by the WaycroSs and other roads
l she is at home; in Southeast Alabama and
/ West Florida she meets New Orleans in friendly
] rivalry; for some articles she finds marked in
} Central Alabama and North Georgia.
As our city and section grow there seems
disposition among merchants to take up
4 specialtieS, and, perhaps, in few years the
main branches of the grocery trade, will be
represented by separate houses, as we see
already in meats, tobacco and crackers A
concentration of capital in this way must we
think, result in securing more complete con
troll OF the market for the dealer in any
speciality.
The season beginning September / 1880. fol
lowing the partial failure of the corn crop in
/ this part of the State for the second year in
[ succession, found the country bare of money
which had gone in the summer for grain. But
| merchants hoped that good price for the
| very heavy cotton crop might eniiven trade
and make collections good. Up TO December
1880, trade was very good, as prices Of cotton
held up Then came the long rains and bad
I weather, lasting over two MONTHS which
stopped the forwarding of cotton and the
preparation of the land for next year. and
| made every body feel blue. When the weather
finally cleared cotton began to fall, as re-
ceips continued heavy And now came
another disappointment, for the business ex-
pected from the vegetable aud orange growers
| of Florida was materially cut off by the great
freeze and cold spring. Prices of goods ruled
at moderate figures, and coffee was notably
4 low in the early part of the year. Grocery men
have now decided to be content with mode
rate spring and summer business, as it was ap-
parent that the grain dealers would gather in
all the ready money, as they had done the year
before. Factors with us DO not advance in the
summer to the extent they formerly did, and
the grocery trade has had to shoulder part of
the load. so naturally they feel an interest that
the bread and meat should be raised at home.
! so that the summer strain may be lightened,
and the 70 ks in the country be able to buy
| something besides the short profit staples The
/ past season the trade was overrun with appli
cations for credit, and often the big hearted
/ grocery man had sOrrowfully to send his
/ country cousin home to practice an enforced
/ economy and more far-sighted policy as to
/ raising supplies. All the way through, how
/ ever, the business with the saw mill men was
/ considerable and satisfactory. The season will
/ probably show about the same in volume IS
/ usual. with about the same profit, but more
\ slow accounts to be locked after.
So we have come to the opening Of another
season, as we start everything down here
when cotton starts ami the outlook for the
fall and winter trade is better than for two
| years past, as the cotton in our territory is
I supposed to be ample, and corn is the best On
I the average for several years.
P.iceS of staple goods are high and advaBc-
ing, on account Of poor crops in some of the
I Western States. Though this state of affairs
! may check trade to some extent, still at the
/ present time all kinds CT goods are moving
/ largely. and canned goods are specially active
ftockS ara ful and well selected in all lines,
staples and fancy.
/ 1t only remains for merchants not to rush
into foolish and destructive competition in
prices, and not 10 overdo lines of credit. end
we may all 6e in fix to meet Santa Claus
smiling.
PROVISIONS.
In our review of the provision market on
September !, 1850, we remarked that there was
every reason to look for lower prices the COM
ing season, but advised our readers not t. put
their views too low. Our predictions have been
! n a pXfRnt a
as we had reason TO believe An unusually SO
we're winter set in very early destroying large
quantity of corn and killing off young pigs,
/ upon which the summer supply is based Ia
! addition, Europe began early in the season to
/ buy very large quantities of hog product. TIE
/ decline in prices, which commenced in Novem-
/ Der and continued steadily for some weeks.
was arrested in January from which point an
! advancing tendency set in, and has so continu.
Z Cd, with scarce an interruption, to the present
WTlEnE. 60 that prices noW are fully he
/ per pound nien eT, on meats ana &c per pound
/ higher on lard than Tno, we're O wear ago
/ when they were considered unusuaiIv high AT
the present time, the outlook for the corn Urop
/ in the West looks rather blue, drought being
the prevailing complaint, and there is NJ doubt
that the crop will be shorter than the previous
sea ION. AS a short corn crop means a small
supply Of hogs our readers can form their
own deductions as to the future.
With failure of the corn and hog crop in
our section last season, an unusual strain was
placed upon our merchants to meet these short
comings. We are glad to say, that with the IA
cilitiss our provision dealers enjoy for the
rapid handling OF this product, no delay what
! ever was experienced curing the season. and
! sales were decidedly larger than ever known in
! this section. Savannah is now justly claimed
to be one of the largest provision centres in the
/ South.
TIMBER AND LUMBER.
4 Since our last annual report lumber has
/ made further advance Of fully 10 per cent,
making total of about 2J per cent. since our
/ review Of 1879, in which we made the predic-
/ ton that prices would advance. Lumber is an
/ article that makes no violent fluctuations
! either way. 1t has no speculative value and
/ prices advance or decline very gradually.
/ Prices have gradually risen from $13 in Sep
| TENDER, 1879, to Sl6 at the present time per
I thousand superficial feet. For good orders
more difficult, higher in proportion. At pres
ent prices our lumber manufacturers are max
ing fair profits upon their investments, and
would be making handsome profits were it not
for the large increase in the price of labor,
feed and everything necessary in the manu-
facture of lumber.
We have to record a marked advance in tim
Der lands in locations tributary to railroads.
This is caused not only by the rapid coHsump-
ton of timber for mill purposes, but owing
largely to the increased prices of turpentine,
which has stimulated its manufacture, and
consequently enhancing the value Of timber