St. Paul daily globe., 1884-11-26
COMMERCIAL

ST. PAUL, Nov. 26.-The sudden and severe
cold snap which has come upon us so unex-
! pectedly seems TO promise, at last, q continua-
ton Of seasonable weather. Winter appears
IN fact, to haye"come 10 stay:'snd quite a little
ripple may even yet be expected in the jobbing
trade before the holidays. The holiday trade,
however, is not expected TO be quite so brisk as
II would have been under more favorable circum-
stances and it is thought that the farmer viii
confne his purchases more closely than ever TO
mere necessities and in some sections, notwith-
standing large crops, he viii be considered
lucky man who can supply himself with ali
necessaries Economy undoubtedly will be
preserved by the rural population more
than it has been. The farmer has learned a Sc
we're lesson and he is profting by it. He had an
ticipated a large crop but did not foresee such
low prices for his produce, and now only the
strictest economy will enable him 70 clear of his
Indebtedness and right himself again. Although
the carrying trade does not show il there has
been considerable improvement in the general
mercantile business Of the city, the improvement
however, has grown principally during the past
two days, stimulated no doubt by the cold
weather. The railroad companies report that
the number Of cars OF goods brought into the
city for the week ending November
25 was 2,147. The receipts for the
week ending November 1s were 2,sO6;
these figures show afalling of Of no less than $50
cars or something like 100 cars day. The ship
ments were LOSS cars while for the week ending
Nov. 1s they were 1,l64 cars or 70 cars more
than during the week under review. The items
showing the greatest falling of are grain, pro-
duce and fuel. Merchandise shows receipts 467i
against 4s3 for the previous week, being lG cars
less than they were during the week ending
Nov
cars. being cars short of the receipts for the
previous week. These figures seem TO indicate
that the jobbing business of the city has Lot been
SO large compared with the week ending Nov. .Is.
While it is probably true that there have
not been so many goods handled
in the gross during the past
week it is certainly true that lines Of busi-
ness have had a considerably better week, and
this would imply that others have been unusually
dul.
The cold weather has effected the boot and
shoe trade considerably, making the demand for
arctics, rubber goods and heavy winter wear very
brisk, but there has been nothing 10 canse any
changes iu the price lists. the market remaining
steady. There has been a moderately good de-
mand for leather, especially sole and harness
makers supplies have been in fair demand, but
there has been no increase in the volume of
business when compared to that Of the last three
weeks. Grocery houses have been quiet and IL
chances for rest during the lul OF the last two
weeks. There are but few changes in prices cur
rent to mention, and staple articles may be quoted
as generally firm. Iron and steel continues 10
improve; the cold weather is just what this bus
mess wanted. and orders are consequently COM
ing in quite brisky, chiefly for trace chains and
smiths goods. The demand for shelf and gen
eral hardware continues quite active and collec-
tions are reported as being much better than we
expected. Prices are steady; the only change
IN arfTnG lnafu
Drugs have been for some weeks very quiet and
during the past week there has been no improve
ment The market is generally steady, the only
exception being quicksilver and iodine, which
with all their various forms are
dearer. Paints, oils, window glass
slow but unchanged in price. The cold weather
has given quite little movement in seasonable
dry goods and on Monday and Tuesday the num-
ber OF personal buyers in town was quite large.
The order trade is also increasing considerably.
Blankets, hannels, knitted goods. hosiery, muf-
fers, scarfs, shawls, buck gloves and other
winter goods are principally enqured after. The
market is firm and steady. Fancy articles and
holiday goods are in nowise improved and this
holds not only with this department Of dry
goods but with fancy goods generally-station-
cry, toilet articles and the like. Notions, laces
and white goods have been very quiet. Manufac-
tured furs and heavy clothing have been in
better demand since the cold wave rolled in upon
US Inc IumDer interests have had no relief
from the railroad magnates, 3nd consequently |
there has been no improvement in the amount |
of business transacted. The river Is now frozen |
over, and OF course shipments by raft have
ceased more than week since. but the ship
ments by rail have declined rather than increased.
The companies here cannot compete with the |
Chicago firms when the difTerentials are so much
against them, and some firms would not II they
could, preferring 10 ship goods into the market
while negotiation is open. To sum
marise, it may be stated that
in dry goods, heavy woolens and seasonable !
goods generally have been more active; that
hardware and manufactured steel and iron, that
boots and shoes have all been more active during
the past week. Other branches of commerce
have been quiet and somewhat dull. The fol-
lowing tables have been carefully revised and
corrected up to date: