The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1882-06-22
American EXtrayagances.
The Nations Bill for Foreign Luxunes and Arti-
cles Of Taste During 1881

The Treasury statistics Of our imports
for the calendar year closing with De
ccmbcr 81, 1881, show that our people
have not yet begun to curtai their pur-
chases Of Injuries Of life, saws the E0y-
TN HrraH In 1879, the last year Of the
period Of business >tagnatlon, our im-
purtaIion Of what may be denominatcd
luXurie, amounted TO SOS, 900, 600, and
in 1850, with the renewal of good
times our people bought Of the same
articles some $4,000, 900 worth. an adj.
vance Of $4,000 II was in that year
that the people began to feel like indulg-
ing their tastes more freely. The ilg-
ures Of the Treasury bureau indicate
that the flush times are still with US,
Of which, perhaps. there's no better sign
than the purchase Of precious stones. In
1879 the importation OF diamonds and
other gems Amounted to Si,72TCOO, in
1880 to .. oS3, 600, and last year 10 S.
III 600 The importation Of gems Is a
very good commercial barometer. When
the times press hard upon the people
the importation is small, but with "A rs
ing commercial barometer, the dealer,
in this class OF Injuries begin to huy
more freely in anticipation Of a sure de-
mand for tEerco,tly wares. Since 1879
We have more than doubled our pur-
chase Of foreign fancy goods the figures
being Sl.ijo,OUO, against S9OlS, 0Oplast
year. In musical instruments, a trade
which quickly senses any change in
the feelings of the people who have
tastes to crafty the imports have
doubled, rising from SOP, 600, two years
ago. TO SitS90pp last year In silk
goods We are buying a third more than
in 1879, the figures for last year being
So, Uu0OUO, derliueof $1,000, ouV from
the imports for 1850, but this decline is
no indication of diminished purchasing
power among the people, II may re as-
cribcd 20 oycr>tocking the year before,
and to changes in the fashions. The
variation is, however, So slight rs to
scarcely call for explanation. OF silk
hosiery, certainly q luxury, pure aud
simple, We are importing %i2iu0l
worth. OF foreign icwcIry we never buy
heavily, owing to the duties, and espe-
ciallv to the great skill Of our hone
manufacturers. Our bill in this partic-
ular can be covered by &l59,O 900 for 1881.
OF gloves, principally kid, we continue
to buy nearly Sl,Oo0,OOO worth yearly,
but in hard times people curtail their
purchases of gloves very quickly As
with diamonds, SO with paintings and
staluary; the increascd purchase OF these
articles is a sure indication Of the "iush-
ness of the national pocket. In 1879
we bought Of these works Of art 81 ,60S,-
coo, aud last year S2,i29,O0O worth.
Foreign books and ongrayiugS made an
item of over S3,0O0,OOO in our imports.
but TWO years ago our book-buye@ aud
print.collcctors were far less lavish of
their money. The wine and spirit trade
is importing nearly $4,000 worth
more of these luNureS than during the
last panic year; the figures for 1881 are
$9,j73.OO The development Of the
brewing business in the United States
rendered unnecessary to buy ulore than
1881 900 worth of Bass bitter and of
German lager last year OF foreign to-
bacco and cigars (mostly Cuban we
bought in 1851 to the value of $1,000
GOO, an increase of about S2,OOO,OO0
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 also to the very cheapest
Swiss grades for the supply of auction
shops and the swindling OF the simple.
But even in these goods our imports arc
about double what they were in 1870,
the figures for 1881 being 81, 3lS coo,
OF foreign leather goods, fine harness
en-, etc, we are purchasing at the rate Of
something over Sl,00O,0O0 year Of
fur and dressed skins we imported last
year 80, 0j0.0 600 worth, as against some
S3, 600, 600 in 1879. Our imports OF for
eign glassware have increased from
about 81. 100000 in 1879 to s2,7l9000
last year, and this does not include our
purchase of foreign mirrors, which, in
ISL, amounted to 1922 900. Our for
eisn buttor bill shows that the domestic