Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1884-01-11
THE YEARS TRADE.
Commercial Condition of the United stntet
"A Formidable Listof Financial Wrecks
The Depressed State OF the Iron and
Steel Industry.

Commercial Condition of the United statet
"A Formidable Listof Financial Wrecks
The Depressed State OF the Iron and
Steel Industry.
NEW YORK, Dec. %.
The concluding week in December, which
is generally the dullest of the year in mer
camille and Industrial circles, has proved
no exception to the rule in 1884, Reports
from leading trade centers show that the
merchandise movement. has been much
slower. The general feeling appears to be
an unsettled one. Traders in all lines CON
less to no anticipations of special activity
In the near future.
THE LIST OF FINANCIAL WRECKS.
The commercial wreck list of the year il
formidable one. The following table
gives the total number of failures reported
during each of the last FIVE years:
rn,,.a &C.,. lsss $50 ISL; lsSs. Isss
canada and Prov-20s5 SO co. 6i2 l,4G
The table below gives the failures dur.
ing each of the two last quarters of 1851,
1SS2 and 1885,
ISL 1859. 1859
No of failures fourth quarter I.FOi 2.267 a.Sss
NO. OF futures third quarter Il40 I65S 2O6l
No. OF failures six months .a65 3alj sol
The returns of to-day and Monday will
Increase somewhat the total for the last
quarter OF 1888, and, there fore, of the years
total.
IRON AND STEEL.
The year 1885 has been less salts factory
to the iron and steel trades than its prede-
cessor. The latter comprised a prolonged
strike at Western iron mills and steady
reduction in prices. This year has brought
no such disturbing labor agitations. but has
continued the contraction of prices below
limits which were thought to rest on bed.
rock. The dec inc in prices OF pig-iron has
been from S2o.Ju, January |, to S20G20 20
cash for foundry No. TX. Early last
spring contracts for rails We're offered at
sSS. and I'm the summer at $3.50. Bv fall
the figures had settled to $3.50. though not
announced November prices were revo-
lutionized by the Lackawanna CompanvSs
cut 10 So at the mill. Excessive prodJ,c.
ton of steel-raiis unduly stimulated hy
the phenomenal railway building OF pre.
ceding years, combined with other and ar.
tihcial aids, have caused this. The result
was the forced closing OF several mills and
the reduction in wages of nearly if not ali
from 10 to II per cent. Imporfafions of
British steel rails have rapidly declined.
Receipts for eleven months are 63j19 tons.
against l61,ll2 tons in eleven months OF
1852, and lS2 .0jl tons in 1881.
ANTHRACITE COAL.
The anthracite coal trade closes the wear
in moderately satisfactory condition &c
producers. The preceding year was more
satisfactory than 1883, owing TO the scale of
prices at that time having been a steadily
rising one. while in 1888 it has been falling.
notwithstanding this the trade is in a gen.
orally healthy state. States in the West
nave exceeded those of any other wears.
anu promise to increase in the future. The
total output OF anthracite coal lin Pennsyl.
van;a) from January ! to December %. was
SO,s14, 225 tons, as compared with 81 C. cOI
tons in a like portion of 1882. The outlook
Tor the production durin the remainder of
December is approximately :51,C0) tons.
This points TO a total production of anthra.
cite for this year of l,0Gi 900 tons, as com.
pared with 2G,12O,0OJ tons in 1892.
THE WHEAT CR)P.
Floods and drouh fell upon the winter
wheat crop of 1882 and 1873 Rust and pest
crept in, and, as shown by the Govern.
met reports, the harvest was 100000, 90C
bushels short OF that in the proceed ng year.
This ranks the total, allowing slight gain
Tor spring wheat, at about 10000, 800 bush.
els, as against 80, 0U0 900 in 1881 and 3jS..
10000 in lSSDl. There were lS6 Goa. 0CC
bushels reported as wheat and -four i'm lSS J.
81. In lSS1-2, I2I, 5000, and in lSSl-S;:,
t12,4 1000 bushels. Since July exports
nave been restricted and prices relatively
ow. The visible supply has increased
beyond all precedent being to-day
n excess OF 100000 bushels, as
against 9,tlS,0l3 bushels July /. Farmers
nave sold tLeir wheat freely and appear to
De Sill doing So. The gross exp prts from
he crop of iSS2-Si have been 90 December
10 from July - but $3.50 ,9IS bushels, as
against "a, l03.Ti3 bushels in n like part of
lSS2, and 4j,4I0,92l bushels in 1881, and still
Russia, India and Australia are offering
grain cheap for future delivery. The price
Of wheat (No. red at New York; opened
II January at about Sl.I3is, advanced to
Fl.lI February >, TO SHE February Il and
20 Sl.29 during the month. To-day it touched
eL11's.
CORN EXPORTED.
The exports of Indian corn have been on
4 more liberal scale than those of wheat,
out less than formerly. Gde total from
July to December is 4,S11,1lD bushels,
as against 3, 30, I2I bushels in a like period
II 1882. In 1888 the exports aggregated
we're 4l.6j5,6 3 bushels of corn and meal
lgaint q 3l0,6S3 bushels in 1SSl-S2. and 3d.
jS4, LA bushels in IS39-S2, and g3,GIS. III
bushels in iSS)-Sl. The price of corn on
January = la was g. = cents. February 6
Z was 12's cents, and February l., ~ cents.
To-day it touched 81 cents.
THE PETROLEUM INDUSTRY.
This year has brought IA decreased pro.
1uctl0n of oil, aud has shown a uniformity
IF the tendency of the various petroleum
districts to yield less and less, and has ne
August, September, October and Novem-
Der, and naturally developed higher
range OF prices. The exploration of the
regions" has been very great, with but
little encouragement thus far as tonew and
rich fields Of oil. The main hope in that
direction lies in the statement tina. uuex-
pected deposits have been discovered.
Others may be following. On the prime OF
the Bradford district came the Allegheny,
and after that the Cherry Grove tracs,
and the average annual price of crude
down to 9iis cents: in 1881, to SIX
cents, and in 1852 TO 19'5 cents. This
year thus far the average annual price is
Sl.O6 per barrel. TAe average daily pro-
auction this year, to December - has Leen
2,1aD,OO gallons, and the eXpor,s 1,f30.O00
gallons. The average daily quantity added
10 stocks has been $1,000 gallons, waich in
dictates an average daily home consumption
Of ,21I,OO0 gallons during the year 20 De-
from January to December - aggregated
1921, 2l9 gallons (aclua), against 40.
I164S2 gallons (crude) refined, naplrtha,
ETC., in a like period in 1SS3. New York
continues To monopolize the trade. it's share
OF these exports being AS, 00l ,522 gallons
in 1888, against 312, $1,000 gallons IN 1882.
Boston, Philadelphia and Baltimore this
year, to December -. exported 80, 369, 697
gallons, against 102,a90,452 gallons last
year.
THE COMING YEAR.
AS things are now, there is no adequate
reason for concluding that the business of
1884, but on the other hand the enforced
stopping of mills and further reduction
of wages in the concerns still in operation
NAV bring about further depression