St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-12-17
COMMERCIAL.

ST. PAUL. Dec. 17.--More seasonable weather
than that Of the past day or two could hardly be
expected, and in fact the whole week has been
n this respect great improvement upon the
weeks previous and such weather q month or six
weeks ago would have made q wonderful differ
ence to the jobbing trade before the holidays.
The holidays are too near upon Us; eight days
only to the great festive day OF ali Christendom and
while families are preparing 10 keep the grand old
humanitising festival, business men are paking
preparations for inventories and stock taking.
This Of course refers to wholesale business, the
retail ho uses being just In their busiest time II
may be well TO state. before proceeding to review
the jobbing trade, that the retail dealers through
out the city have experienced quite noteworthy
increase in business the past week, which is
still increasing daily as the holidays approach.
and not altogether is the improvement confined
TO holiday goods. but extended 20 seasonable dry
goods, boots and shoes, and clothing,
caps and furs and heavy bedding. The
wholesale houses, however, have had q quiet
week OF il, not more quiet, however, than is
usual during the week forerunning the holidays,
but on the contrary compared with the same
week Of last year the amount OF business trans
acted during the week under review was consid-
erably larger. And another matter Of very much
greater moment and much more gratifying is that
collections are reported very satisfactorily and
much better than they we're a year ago. Last
year the farmer was getting at least q third more
for his crop than he is now, but he bad
not go bountiful crop, and all commodities
were then from 20 to 30 per cent. dearer than
they now.
The carrying trade seems TO indicate a conSid-
cradle falling of in the general business OF the
city during the past week. The receipts were
1857 cars only, against =, 10 for the week end
ing December 9, being 153 cars OF goods less
shipped into the city during the past week. The
shipments were 1872 cars, and the previous week
$40 cars-s7 cars IN favor OF the week
ending on the 9Th. These are the gross
receipts and shipments Of every
kind. or merchandise the receipts were 436,
against 446 for the previous week, being 10 cars
less, and the shipments were 460, against 543, or
"a cars Less. Seveuty-segen cars mean more
than :, 0OO, 900 pounds Of goods. falling OF or
over Ia per cent. And yet, though this appears
TO be quite a large decrease In trade, IL II not
more than might be expected at this time OF the
year, and the ensuing week will without doubt
show a still further decrease, for the winter OF
the jobbers discomfort is right upon Us, when the
wholesale business is always upon the standstiil-
The snow Of the past week followed by falling
thermometer has had bracing effect upon the
boot and shoe trade. The demand for winter
goods-packs, rubbers, arctics, buckskin and
felt goods has been very brisk during the past
week, and on the other hand feathers and find
ings have been very quiet; harness feathers,
saddlery and harness hardware have been duh,
but the market for feathers Of all kinds remains
very firm. There has been an increase In the
demand for iron and steel for smiths wheel
wrights and wagon builders, the cold
weather having had a salutaiory effect.
General hardware has fairly we'll sustained
the general activity Of the 81 moufh there has
perhaps, been slight falling of in the volume
of orders, but the amount OF business done Is
larger than usual this time of the year. Prices
remain unchanged. The drug trade has
prisingy well kept up, maintaining for the last
six months a steady and healthy demand. There
will be found in the price lists a few minor
changes, the most important being rise, in
quinine. Groceries have been more quiet the past
week, but not more so than is usual in the week
preceding the holidays, and all the leading
houses refer 20 their ledgers making
better showing than they did year ago. Some
of the largest firms say that on the annual bal
ancing of the books and stock taking they will
stand at least 20 per cent. better financially than
they did year ago The market generally is
steady. Foreign dried fruits little higher
and sugars are fractionally lower; in all other
respects the market is steady. The wholesale
dry goods market at this point has been very
dull, and the business almost entirely confined 10
little movement I'm holiday goods,
such ladies' silk handkerchiefs, bows
and ties, gentlemen's neck wear, mittens, etc.
There is a better feeling in the eastern market,
especially in cotton goods, owing 10 an upward
tendency IN the raw material and the determi-
nation OF manufacturers not TO produce goods
for fun but for profit. There are no changes this
week in prices current, but slight advance in
all cotton fabrics may be looked for in the near
future. Manufactured fur caps and clothing
have had slightly increased demand the past
week The lobbers in fancy ar
ticles, stationery, eErthenWare, glassware,
articles for the toilet, jewelry and toys for holt
day presents have not been overrun with bust
ness, and at this late hour IL is impossible that
there can be a sufficient increase in the demand
TO redeem the season from being characterized
as very qniet. In the annexed prices current
which have been carefully revised there will not
be found many important changes.