St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-03-26
COMMERCIAL.

shown most decided increase in the volume Of
business transacted by the jobbing houses and
manufacturers of ST. Paul, If the assertiuns OF
heads of firms to this effect were doubted the
large increase in the carrying business of the
railroads would certainly put to test any such
doubt. During the past week the railroads have
brought into st. Paul 1904 cars of freight, and
they have taken out LOO cars, the largest
amout of freight carried over the roads in one
week since the beginning Of the year.
These cars do not as it has been pointed ont be-
fore, nearly cover the whole amount of business
as many honses send large quantities of goods
by express but the returns answer well enough
for means of comparison of one week with
another. OF the 1904 cars of goods shipped
in 723 only were designated by the railroad re-
ports as ''merchandise,'' the remainder consist
ing of grain, millstufs, cattle, agriculture imple
ments, lumber, coal, wood, oil, meats, iron,
''sundries,'' ETC., etc. Against the 723 cars Of
merchandise" of the week ending there were
GIG cars the previous week making an increase of
81 cars or about 9, 900, 900 pounds, Cars of mer-
chandise shipped out amounted to 626 againt $50
Of the previous week or an increase of 40 cars or
1000, 900 pounds, about per cent. A very
fair increase of business at this time OF the year.
luO ldlt WulCH Lucse uSuIGS BUELL. " ICIl Woo
more than confirmed by all the business men
called upon and it has been some time since
they have spoken SO hopefully and
cheerfully of the future and so thoroughly con-
tented with the present outlook. The conclusion
arrived at is that the apparently settled and de-
cidedly spring-lik appearance of the weather is
having most wholesome effect upon all branches
of business, more especially those which depend
more particularly upon the seasons and season.
able weather. The boot and shoe trade particu
larly has been stimulated by the past weeks
thaw-out and splendid weather, and the several
houses report very considerable increase of
business which has opened up in all directions,
even along the Northern Pacific, which hitherto
has been quite slow and almost stagnant. There
has been good demand for summer wear, and
rather good, more especially the latter.
Prices are unchanged. Leather has
shared the improvement in the boot and shoe
trade, and the demand for all kinds of leather,
especially sole has been greater than the pre-
vious week. The leather market is stiffening
and there is little doubt that before another week
has passed prices will have advanced. The ac-
tivity of drugs has not at all diminished but on
the contrary has materially increased and the
leading houses during the past week have had
their resources taxed to the
utmost requiring in more than one
instance the employees to work over time. There
are no changes in quotations, the market being
quiet and unexcited. Hardware has made great
bound toward activity, and everything begins to
look now like real business, affecting every
branch of the hardware trade, but more especi-
ally shelf goods. There are no changes in quo
tatons to record. The position regarding screws
is unchanged, but still further reduction may be
expected as the war between the contending
manufacturers is still being waged with increas
ed ferceness. Manufactured iron and steel
are steady and firm, with very material increase
in the volume of business transacted the past
week The lumber trade has very largely ex-
tended itself within the last few days. The
number of cars shipped direct from st. Paul for
the week ending was 206 against 1874
of the previous week. But this does not
show nearly the extent of the trade, as all the
lumber companies here, over twenty in number,
ship direct from their mills. and one of these
companies has been shipping an average of
twenty-five cars day for the past week. The
prices given in the table are bottom quotations
and for cash.
The jobbing houses in dry goods have felt the
luhuSASO VI IhC SPSSIolly hiiO NCaehSi3 anu
orders the last two days by mail
have greatly increased; personal
orders also have been more numerous and larger.
The market is steady and quiet with no change
in prices, except for the whole line of Pepperil
shirtings, which have advanced hc on account Of
the active demand. There has been q marked
improvement in the demand for bleached and
brown muslins and for cheviots and shirtings
Cheviots especially attract attention from their
superior qualities of material and
manufacture. Although for the
week ending business has been considerably bet
ter than during the previous week, there has
been no great rush and no one house has been
particularly busy, but the mail orders for the last
two days as well as the increase in personal
buyers augur favorably and if the present
vernal weather continues the dry goods houses
will have all the business that they can con-
veniently attend to.
The grocery business all are unanimous in de-
claring to be ''booming.'' Mail orders for the
past few days have been very heavy and greatly
in excess of the previous week, and the number
of country merchants in town have been much
larger. The latter fact is accounted for by at
tributing it to another fact that ''ra navigation
is open where week ago travel was uncertain
from blockades. Increase of business is reported
from all circuits including the Norther Pacific.
There are no changes in quotations except do
nestle pickles, which are a little higher. Coffee
is little weak owing to the break on the coffee
change and it is not possible that shade down.
ward will occur. Tea and coffee gambling rem
ders it impossible to know from
one day to another how
the market will be much less from one week to
another. In conclusion it may be stated that at
last the spring trade has commenced in earnest
and with hopeful promise of a good seasons
business. The following tables of quotations
have been carefully revised and corrected.