The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-05-06
TRADE AND COMMERCE..
Rather Il Blue Monday-Business Ofish and
Rather Slow All Around.

INDIANAPOLIS. May s.
Rainy weather for two or three days past and
bad country roads contributed to other draw
backs upon trade, yet there are some encourag-
ing as well as discouraging features. There is a
slow improvement, which apparently comes to
stay, and indications are that the worst, at least,
has been passed. The Indianapolis Grocer says
of trade: 1.-The whole country is making but
slow Roadway against the adverse trade winds.
still it is a Roadway, and not a dropping back.
Grocery jobbers are not dlsheartened, for taking
the business by paragraphs it is found that:
More goods have sought a n market, and gone into
actual consumption, than for the same period in
1883 Collections are up to what they were at
% equal date III 1883. The small traders are in
a much safer shape, have more good business
sense, are more industrious readers, are wiser
in all things, and can prove dp o greater degree
of prosperity, than they could in the spring of
1888, Whereas, the first quarter of 1888 repre-
scented an inclined plane, red hot, where profits,
as a block of ice slid down, till at the bottom
nothing remained but a poor quality of water,
the first three months of this year show a mar
ket of greater stability, and not an altogether
obliteration of profits. From these brief notes
it is agreed that the view ahead can not be a
bad one, when added to them are the crop feat
ures, which grow better daily, and upon which
all Improvement is finally anchored for support.
Dry goods men say then trade aggregates fully
up to that of last year, though ackwar Col
lections are fair and each weeks trade is an i'm
provement over the former one. Prices are gen
orally firm, and brown and colored cettons are
higher.
"Drugs-Collections slow. Trade about one
per cent short of 1883. Prices are generally
steady"
The egg market is weak and this farm-yard
merchandise, as an exchange puts it, will for a
few months be less profitable. Choice country
butter is still scarce; but there is plenty of poor
stuff-worthless except for grease. Imitation
butter, as well, is under a cloud. The Grocer
says: New York wheels into line as the ban
ner State on the butter question, They do not
seem to fear to go in and take this dirty business
by the collar and snatch it out of its boots. The
Legislature found more than they ever thought
possible, and the widest imagination never con.
ceiyed anything more abominable than the filthy
dens where the imitation butter compounds
were manufactured We are glad that there are
but a few weak apologists for the disagreeable
mixtures in this city, yet regret that so much is
sold here. If it was scld on its merits as coun-
t%erfeit w-butter, then We should give it a place
in merchandis Sc, just as is given to any i'm
itation of a genuine article; but, so long
cry dairy ETC., we will cry out
against it. There is an article of genu-
inc creamery butter sold here by many of our
dealers, and their word is a guarantee of its
purity; pity it is so limited. Country butter is
still scarce for choice stock; New York market
is duh. Grease is worth 21-203c, and good to
choice ~ 1Sc."
GRAIN.
Firmness was the characteristic of the
local market to-day. The Board of Trade Price
Current says of wheat: Local markets con-
tinue firm, Demand is good for cash deliveries.
Arrivals light, and all gradable stock will readi-
ly bring fun quotations. Shippers as yet find
no money i'll seaboard deals, and confne ship
ments to interior points. New York is l4c
higher, Baltimore 3-4c to l 1-4c better and Chi
eago is l $40 drmer than Saturday. We quote: