The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1882-06-22
American Extravagaucea
The Nations Bill for Foreign Luxuries and Artl'
oles Of Taste During 1881.

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 cutail their pur-
chaseS OF luNurics Of life, says the BoS-
TON Heraid In 1879, the last year Of the
period OF business ,tagnalion, our I'M
portatiou Of what may be denominalcd
luyurics amounted to 5000 600, and
in 1850, with the renewal OF good
tines our people bought Of the same
articles some So, 600, 900 worth, an ad-
vance OF So. 900, Ii was in that year
that the people began TO feel like indulg-
lng their taste, more freely. The ig-
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 10 Si,121. 600. in
1850 TO sS.os3,OOo aud last year 20 So
$4,000. The importation Of gem, is a
very good commercial barometer. When
the times press hard upon the people
the importation is small, but with a ris-
Ing commercial barometer the dealers
in this elias, Of Injuries begin 10 buy
more freely in anticipation Of sure de
mand for tbcrco>tly wares. Since 1879
we have more than doubled our pur-
chase OF foreign fancy goods, the figures
being $3.50, 600. against S9,OlS, OOOlaSt
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, 10 Sl.!59,0Jp last year. In silk
goods, we are buying third more than
in 1879. the figures tor last year being
S33,O30,0oO, 4 dcciueo Of H2,OOO,O0O from
the imports tor 1850, but this decline is
no indication If diminished purchasing
power among the people; it may be- as
cribcd 90 0vcr-tocking the year before
and 10 changes in the fashions. The
variation is, however 50 slight as TO
scarcely call for explanation. OF silk
hosiery, certainly a luxury, pure and
simple, we are importing ei2L0Jt
worth. OF foreign jewelry we never buy
heavily. owing to the duties, and cspe-
cially to the great skill Of our home
manufacturers. Oar bill in this partlc-
ular can be covered by $3.50, 600 for 1881.
OF gloves, principally kid, we continue
TO buy nearly $1,000, 900 worth yearly.
but in hard times people curtail their
purchases Of gloves very quickly. As
with diamonds, SO with paintings and
staluary; theincreased purchased of these
articles is a sure indication of the 'Ilush-
ness of the national pocket. In 1879
we bought of these worksof art 81 ,G0S.-
600, and last year S2,i29,0O0 worth.
Foreign books and engravings made an
item of over S3,O0O,OOO in our imports,
but two years ago our book buyers and
print-collectorS were far less lavish of
their money. The wine and spirit trade
is importing nearly S3,0O00OO worth
more Of these luXuricS than during tho
last panic year; the figures for 1881 are
:9,j13,0OO, The development of the
brewing business in the United States
rcndcreditunneceSsary TO buy more than
1881, 900 worth of Bass bitter and of
German lager last year. OF foreign to-
bacco and cigars (moStly Cuban we
bought in 1881 to the value of $7,1O0,-
GOO, an Increase of about $2,OOO,00O
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 ourimports are
about double what they were in 1879,
the figures for 1881 being S2,SlS 600.
OF foreign leather goods, fine harness
es, etc, we are purchasing at the rate of
something over Sl,000,0OO year. Of
fur and dressed skins we imported last
year 80, $50, 900 worth, as against some
$4,000, 600 in 1879 Our imports of for
oign glassware have increased from
about Sl,60O,000 in 1879 to S2,7i9,0O0
last year, and this does not include our
purchase of foreign mirrors, which, in
1881, amounted to $50, 900. Our for.
ej.n buttog bill shows that the domestic