St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-07-16
COMMERCIAL.

OF. HAUL, July IO.--lu lne SOOU OIU IIihSo VI
mule trains, bull whackers and COW punchers the
hot and sweltering days Of July were about as
busy as any Of the year with the jobbing men OF
st. Paul, but now that the iron horse has super
seeded the OK team, and it takes but as many
hours to reach the uttermost boundary of our
commercial field as in those days it did days,
there is complete change in
the flow and ebb of business.
Now the merchant in the most distant city, town
or village need not order his goods till he actual
ly wants them; then he had to send in his orders
even months before the goods would be required.
Now he can order the demands of trade re-
quire then he had to purchase sufficient at one
time for q whole seasons trade. The conse-
quence to the wholesale merchant is that July is
quiet and dull month with ample time for stock
taking and leisure for holiday making.
In reference to this, last week it
was stated that the week then ending had been
the dullest OF the year, and that the volume of
trade was very considerably less than the pre-
vious week. Besides the reason for this just
alluded to 1t was then stated that one reason for
50 large a falling off was that the national holt
day virtually curtalled the week by one third
That this actually the case will be presently
seen, for not only are the receipts
and shipments of the week ending
yesterday equal in bulk to the receipts and ship
ments for the week ending July /, but consider
ably larger. Railroad returns show 1854 cars
of goods received at st. Paul against 1857 for
the holiday week and 1859 for the previous
week, and adding to this 458 tons received by
boat, say 35 and we have an excess of
222 cars over the holiday Week and 30 cars more
than the week before. The shipments, too,
show an increase over each OF the previous
weeks named. The shipments by
rail were 1892 cars; by boat
81 tons or about cars, making a
total of ,199 cars against 945 for the Fourth of
July week, and ,0S6 for the week ending July 1.
This is gain Of 254 cars over the one week, and
III over the other 1t would appear from these
figures that instead of business falling off in
these dog days that during the week just con-
cluded there has been considerable picking up,
and this we think will be found to be the case.
Referring to the receipts and shipments of ''mer-
chandise,'' the foregoing figures include all
goods, cord wood, grains, iron, etc. We find 1872
received by rail, and 400 tons by water, or a
total Of o 1t 518 cars, against 373 cars for the
week ending July &, and 1873 for the week ending
on the 18th, making gain on the former of AS
cars, and on the latter of 80 cars
Nor do the shipments show lesfs 69vorably /;
for the week just ending, the figures were 554
cars shipped by rail and about 6 cars by water,
making a total $50 cars against 42S and 476
for the two previous weeks, being a gain of
other. 1t would appear from these
fgurcs-and they say figures cannot lie-that the
shipments OF ''merchandise" is, goods
handled by the jobbing houses, for the week I'M
der review exceed the best week III June and
July by some 100000 pounds, and any one see
ing the immense piles Of goods ready for ship
ment yesterday in front OF the warehouses of p.
II. Kelly s. Co., Maxneld & Seabury, Allen,
Moon Sc Co., Beaupre, Keogh ~ Co., Glidden,
Greggs IL Co., Yanz 81 Howes, all grocery
houses and all contiguous, would certainly think
business was greatly increasing.
Al grocery houses report good and increas-
ing trade, with heavier orders in anticipation of
the approaching harvest. 1t viii be seen from
the prices current following that there are some
important changes in values, notably in sugars,
which are higher and firm. The indications are
that there will be another rise before the berry
season is fully over. Cotfees are a shade easier,
and teas steady. The new crop. of the latter is
coming into the market, and is Of excellent
quality. Foreign dried fruits are frmer, as are
also domestic; canned goods are in demand and
firm; provisions are firm and higher. Jobbers in
boots and shoes have issued their new list which
will be found considerably changed to the adj
vantage OF the purchaser. Men are out on The
road with fall goods but II is yet too early to
form any idea of how business will open.
Leather is quiet and steady. Hardware has been
scarcely so active during the week past rs It has
heretofore ana Jlefe are no changes IN prices.
The only feature OF the market calling for special
notice is the continued low price Of nails The
prices here are s. 80 by the car lot and 81 90 in
smaller quantities. the freight from Pittsburg is
SOC per hundred, which will put the price al the
factory at 81 0 per hundred or 1i0c per pound,
! being less than the price of cou,mon iron at this
point Or in other words nails are offered here
at Just three -twentieths of cent more per
/ pound than is charged for common iron.
! As was stated last week the mills generally
have closed down on bar iron, but sheet is being
produced at about the full capacity Of the mills
| The drug market has been fairly active, with
| prices about steady. There win be found two OF
three changes in the prices current the principal
! one of which is chloroform marked down to gjc.
Medicinal sorts-ginciug and senica, are weak
and unsettled and lower figures may be looked
/ for There has been considerable picking MP in
/ dry goods during the week aud sorting up
! orders for cotton goods and prints
have been upon the increase; there has also
! been large demand for grain bags. Some conn.
! try merchants are beginning to direct their at
teution 10 fall goods such Cottons, lannels and
] heavier domestics; wOolens are also engaged fOl
/ by country buyers, and have formed quite per
/ ceptbe items in the weeks shipments. Buyers
are still In the Eastern markets preparing for The
/ fall trade The lumber business has slightly
fallen off during the past week kailroae. returns
! show decrease of IS cars compared 70 the wees
ending July :. buNaS WAS StdNGu III ttSSt
some time ago owing 20 the suicidal policy Of the
| railroads in discriminating against St. Paul and
/ in favor of Chicago, the great bulk of the lumber
/ trade has gone down the river. Firms here shiI
! from their mills on the St. CroiN down to Hanni
/ bal at SOC per 1000 feet; from Hannibal to Oma
/ Ia the freight Is 9lSe per one hundred pounds
! which makes the full freight from st. Croix t
/ OmahS 81 Is per thousand feet while the freigh
| from saltwater by rail Is $3.50. Upwards o
/ Il, 900 coo feet were sent by the waite
route to Missouri points last week
The indications are that there will DE very larg,
! increase in the amount of business in lumbe
/ next month. Prices remain steady.
In reference To the railroad policy Of trying L
make St Paul way station TO Chicago, and by
| their united EFFORT to squeeze the only indcpen
dent road-that from Duluth, it should be state,
j that the st. Paul jobhers and the St Paul boar
have at length become full,
the question and win shortly be able to hold III,
railroad despots in check And il viii be don,
by means Of the river and the lakes with III,
Duluth road which the city, had il been Wis,
! should have purchased when it was in the mar
/ ket Again referring 10 the amount Of bushes
transacted during the past week it may safely ,,
inferred from the comparison Of figures with th,
! former weeks that the second week in july ha
| been very satisfactory one in 9 commercia
point Of view. The following prices current hav
| been carefully revised and corrected.
ST. PAUL WHOLESALE Markets.