St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-04-16
COMMERCIAL.


innate of the general business. A thousand
four hundred and thirty-four cars for the last
week is about 287 day, while the aver
age of the previous week 243 cars
But of these ,434 cars 515 only were ''merchan-
disc that is exclusive of produce, agricultural
implements, oils, paint, iron, lumber, building
materials, etc and as there were 635 cars shipped
tue previous week it would seem that less
amount of business was done; and in the aggre-
gate this is true, but it should be remembered
that there were but five business days and the
days Immediately following holidays are gener-
ally dull and quiet.
Dry goods merchants arc now well into their
spring trade and they have every reason to be
fully satisfied with what they are
doing and the prospects of the season
with the great staple Of the northwest lower
than it has been for years, season OF moderate
trade was all that could reasonably have been
looked Tor, aud the present very busy time is
therefore doubly gratifying when general stigma
ton might have ensucd. There has been during
the week good healthy demand for domestIcs
OF all kinds and seasonabe dress goods. 1hefe
has been especially heavy buying OF the new
prints. Cotton goods have made an advance IN
the east, but merchants here have not marked
up their goods, being conten
with their very advantageous purchases early IN
the season and are willing to share the advantage
with their customers The demand for silks,
wooden fabrics, velveteens and the more expen-
sive dress goods has been more moderate. White
goods and laces are il fair demand with an easy
market, and better time for buying will not pre-
sent itself again this season. Some of the lead
ing houses here have splendid stock OF these
goods bought with great judgment and surpass
in the selection and completeness of the lines the
stocks carried by the majority of eastern houses.
There is nothing new to report i'll boots and
shoes. Although grain leather has advanced and
sole is dearer, the manufacturers and jobbers Of
st. Paul have determined not to change their
price lists but will sell at present quotations till
July unless something very unlocked for
occurs. The leading houses are now
quite busy some having all they
know how to do and orders have to remain
over in some instances for several days. The
goods most in demand light summer wear.
There continues, however, demand for rubber
goods and heavy mems wear.
Every branch of hardware is just now crush
ing and orders are pouring in fro IN every
quarter of the old ground and territory is
being daily added. Hardware men are on the
whole rather conservative in their methods of
extending trade and unlike the dry goods houses
having their ''touters'' runners haunting every
hotel and searching every register for names of
fresh arrivals, with the object Of inducing them
to s'catch on The hardware men seek the re-
tailers only on their own ground, and conse-
Quently there are not so many personal buyers
in this trade. Demand for builders materials has
been especially active and for shelf goods gener-
ally There have been no changes i'll quotations,
but nails are held firmly and doubt
less there will be long rise-proba-
bly, material one, manufacturers have formed
associations, and these associations are forming
pools The Horse Nail Manufacturers assoCia-
ton has formed a pool, assigning to each manu-
facturer figures at which he is to sell, and first
hand prices have been raised. The Western
Nail association also ''poolng their issues
and higher prices may be looked for. One out
come of this joint stooklike business will be that
the manufacturers will be able to control the
market completely and make prices what they
please, and by regulating the supply to an in
verse ratio of the demand, will be able to destroy
a healthy, free competition. In conse-
quence of this policy the manufacturers
dealers here are already talking of higher prices.
The screw manufacturers have not yet succeeded
in arranging similar combination, but there is
little doubt but the ultimate result of the present
wtrfare between the largest producers will be an
association having the same ends in view. These
combinations for regulating the market are not
so great an evil, however, as the gambling rings
or boards Of exchange, which by manipulations
disrupt and prevent the natural cur
rent between supply and demand-to
regulate current is one thing, but to dam it is
another often resulting as if that little verb had
an additional letter attached. There has been
considerable business III manufactured iron and
steel goods but principally for store trade and
smithy goods Structural iron is dull. Bar iron
is slightly more active, and but for the competi-
ton prices at the mills would rule higher. st.
Paul does not contain any large foundries and for
md 1iory no man INF ctu
ing interests of the city would be surprised at the
quantity of pig iron received during the past
week, no less than 2,8S0,000 pounds of this new
metal were shipped here. The price of Ameri-
can pig at the furnace ranges from about S1S to
$50. so per ton. This is for good gray-forge and
No. X foundry. Some shops, however, have
been disappointed in their castings by buying
cheaper pig, which has been ''cndered.'
There has been good demand for all kinds of
leather, and prices are firm; sole
leather is a little easier, but grain leather
are higher There has been a better supply of
hides, and light hides have been more abundant,
which has eased the market somewhat and pre-
scented more than fractional advance. The
drug market continus steady, and there seems to
be no let up to the general busne So. activity here.
There are few immateria changes in quota
tons; vitriol, shellac and lard oils are lower,
the market otherwise steady and I'M
changed Window glass is in better
demand, but the Pittsburg manufacturers have
decided to maintain present prices-50 and 10
per cent. on single strengths. These rates will
be held till the blow ont of the present fee which
will be at the end of June. In consequence of
this decision it is not expected that there will be
any change in prices here till that time. There
has been considerable improvement in the de-
mand for paint; indeed during the past week
sales have been both large and numerous; prices
of all paints with lead as basis are quiet
and unchanged. Linseed oils
lint oh no obnrh ,si
has during the past week exceeded even the
usually heavy business of the previous week.
The railroad returns show an increase of ten cars
only, but the dir, ct shipments from the various
companies mills exceed the previous week by
several hundred cars. Not only to Missouri
points but widely through northern Dakota and
Montana here shipments extended. Country
dealers are doing well and not only filling up
stocks but increasing them. Prices
changed.
There has been continuation of activity
among the grocery houses, with a market gener
ally steady. Sugars and syrups are tirmer and
advancing, and those who bought largely at the
late low prices did WE'LL as it is thought the OPP
portunity will not offer again for some time.
Coffees are at present steady, but how long the
spectators will let them remain so it is difficult
to tell The late scorching they got, however,
may deter from any rash attempt to g corner -
the berry The same remarks apply equally to
teas. Cheese is easier, and the supply more
liberal. Bacons and hams, mess pork
and all products are very unsteady, and
fuctuating. Domestic fruits and canned goods
are unchanged. There has been an advance in
foreign raisins. All other staples are steady
and unchanged. In conclusion, it may be stat
ed that comparing the past week with its pre-
decessor and with the same week of last year,
and then rejecting upon the unsatisfactory con-
diton of the grain and produce market the
commercial element of the northwest, of which
riff is tO
graduate itself. The following tables have been
carefully revised and corrected:
ST. PAUL WHOLESALE MARKETS.