The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1882-04-11

1 Il .
The Treasury statistics of our imports
for the calendar year closing with De-
cember 81, 1881, show that our people
| have not yet begun to curtail their pur-
chases of luxuries of life, says the Bos-
ton Herald. In 1899, the last year of the
| period of business sSagnatfon, our inn
portation of what may be denominated
| luxuries amounted to sos, 900, 600. and
| in 1880, with the renewal Of good
| times our people bought of the same
| articles some 1898, 900, 600 worth, an adj
! vance of $4,000! 1t was in that year
that the people began to feel like indulg~
| ing their tastes more freely. The fig
| ures of the Treasury bureau indicate
/ that the ssflush'' times are still with US,
of which, perhaps. there is no better sign
| than the purchase Of precious stones. In
| 1879 the Importation OF diamonds and
| other gems amounted to $4.727,0 900, in
1880 to 81, 083, 900, and last year to 49,
| 727, 900. The, importation of gems is
| very good commercial barometer. When
| the Zines press hard upon the people
the importation is small, but with a ris-
| ing commercial barometer, the dealers
| in this class of Injuries begin to. buy
more freely in anticipation of sure de-
mand for their costly wares. Since 1879
| we have more than doubled our pur-
chase of foreign fancy goods, the figures
being 81, 730, 900, against $9,018, o0olast
year. In musical Instruments. trade
which quickly senses any change in
the feelings of the people who have
tastes to crafty, the imports have
doubled, rising from 100000, two years
ago. to 81, 489, 900 last year. In silk
| goods, we are. buying. . third more than
in 1879. the figures for last year being
,<>e
the imports for 1880; but this decline is
no indication. of diminished purchasing
power among the people; it may be as
cribed to oyerstocking the year before,
and to changes in the fashions. The
variation is, however, so slight as to
| scarcely call for explanation. Of silk
hosiery, certainly luxury, pure and
simple, we are importing S424,O00
worth. OF foreign jewelry we never buy
heavily. owing to the duties, and espe-
cia1ly to the great skill of our home
manufacturers. Our bill in this partic-
ular can be covered BY $459, 900 for 1881.
OF gloves, principally Kid we continue
| to buy nearly 100000 worth yearly,
but in hard times people curtail their
| purchases of gloves very quickly. As
with diamonds SO with paintings and
statuary; the increased purchase of these
articles is sure indicationo of the Flush
ness of the national pocket. In 1879
we bought of these works of art 81 $685.
| 600, and last year 50, 429. 600 WORTH
I Foreign books and engravings made an
| item of over S., 900, 900 i'm our imports,
| but two years ago our book-huyers and
| print-oollectors were far less lavish of
their money. The wine and spirit trade
/ is importing nearly $4,000, 900 worth
more of these Injuries than during the
last panic year; the figures for 1881 are
| SO, 573, 000 The development of the
| brewing business in the United States
| rendered it un necessary to buy more than
| 1881, 900 worth of Bass bitter and of
| German lager last year. OF foreign to-
sbaeco and cigars (mostly Cuban) we
| bought in 1881 to the value of $780,
| 600, an increase of about $1,000, 200
| since 1879. Our Importation for foreign
| watches-thanks to the excellence, and,
| indeed, superiority, of American ma
| chine-made watches-is confined mainly
to very costly English and European
makes. and alsosto the very cheapest
| Swiss grades for the supply of auction
shops and the swindling of the simple.
But even in these goods ourimports are
| about double what they were in 1879,
| the figures for 1881 being 81, SIC. 900.
| OF foreign leather goods, fine harness.
es, etc, we are purchasing at the rate of
/ something over 81 100000 year. Of
| fur and dressed skins we imported last
| year s., 050, 600 worth, as against some
IS, 000.0 900 in 1879. Our imports of for
] eion glassware have increased FROM
| about 81, goo, 900 in 1879 to 50, $4,000
last year, and this does not include our
purchase Of foreign mirrors, which, in
/ 1881, amounted to 1922, 900. Our fors
eign button bill shows that the domestic
industry is not yet up to the demands O.
taste and fashion. Buttons to the value
| of IS, 7s6, 900 came in 1astyear: In per-
| fumery and cosmetics little money
would seem to have gone great way,
| If we may believe the French labels on
| the preparations on the druggists coun-
tiers. The bill for 1881 was only $475,-
600; but, as has been limited, our manu-
| facturers have grown very expert in the
| preparation of these wares. The carpet
industry in this country has reached
| high grade of perfection and to this rea-
son may be ascribed the fact that S812.-
600 viii cover the purchase of foreign
carpets last year. French stationery, as
sold in the shops, is pretty sure to have
| been made in western Massachusetts,,
| for our imports of foreign writing paper
| in 1881 only amounted to $40, 900. In
| wooden dress goods our foreign purchase
/ fell from S14, 607, 900 to $13, 765,000 in
1881. In foreign fruits there was an in
| creased importation, the values being
So, $4,000, as against S14.4o1, 900 in
1880. The ''gilded youth and returned
tourist patronized the foreign tailor and
| dressmaker to a smaller extent in 1881
than in 1880, the figures being $4,000
against S80S, 900 respectively. The fact
! is, that the foreign tailor does not suit
the American taste, except in the case
of over-English young swells. THERE'S
a lack of style in English tailoring, and
the peculiar cut of the garment is apt to
! render the wearer ridiculous o>the or
binary American citizen. At the pres
ent time we are buying abroad fully SO
per cent more of foreign luxuries than
two years ago.
/