St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-12-31
COMMERCIAL

81. PAUL, Dec. sl.-with to-day expires the
old year and throughout the country generally
the old fellow will be bat little regretted zmoag
business men. Still he has been good fellow
aud kind with not nearly the amoanr OF sever
ity that might have been expected of hun and
his scoWl and his frosn have been-likc nans
3 dogs bark-severer than his bite. This 10 es-
peciaIy the case In this highly favored north
west where the merchant Is not tossing resflessly
upon bis bed At night and In the day assitinz
with fear and trembling the oTerhanlng Of his
books in the inevitable stock taking. With the
few neeting hours now fast ebb-
ing viii close business year
upon which the merchant Of ST. Paul
may look back with something more than com
plsisance II not complete satisfaction. with gen
uine gratitude n not exultation, Tor norwirh-
standing low prices In merchandise and almost
unprecedented low prices IN produce. all the job
hing houses have done At least healthy and .
good living business. IL they have not made for
tunes. All houses a. this time are taking stock
aud balancing books-some have Just com
meDeed and others have well nigh finished. but
the work Is not sufficiently completed 70 enable
each house 70 form an estimate Of net
grsin-net loss none Of them have suffered. bnt
each merchant knows sufficiently how be stands
70 enaLle him 70 await the result Of the anal
balances with eompOsare. equanimity and even
pleasureAble anticipation, and this IL saying q
great deal hen the general state OF business east
is considered. The last seven days OF the old
years life woald expect 70 be very lively; moth
ing shows much vigor and vitality in lis last
hours. especially II IL Il expiring from having
run its full course, and the last
week Of 1884 has been no exception
70 The rule bat like the last week Of all previous
years Il has been very quiet indeed. In fact
there has only been just sufficient business
transacted 10 prevent lie beng characterized =
general suspension. No one expects 70 do busi-
ness the dag or two preceding Christmas day
and no one cares 20 do business durirg the day
or two following Christmas day. and in this
respect everybody has been satisfied. The
months trade compared to that for November
will DO given next week when win also
be made comparison with SO OF all leading
lines Of business. Some idea, however, Of the
importance and the rapid growth Of the mercan-
tile interest Of the city may be obtained from the
extensive fgn-es given in another column. The
receipts and shipments as retained By the rail-
road companies show q considerable falling OF
during the week under review. For the week
ending Dec. %, the receipts were l,54s. cars and
Tor the week ending yesterday, 1.420. n
decrease Of iss ears. The shipments
were Gee and -793 cars respectively,
being lo7 cars less for the week just finished.
Receipts and shipments OF s'merchandise- were
December %. and $50 and 363 for the week end.
ing yesterday, which show = decrease Of sew
enty-hve cars received and 1873 shipped. Beyond
these facts there Is little 10 say. Grocery houses
report 4 very dull week indeed with nothing
moving except very small orders for immediate
Ill a. fakg II
market in groceries and grocer's sundries Is
quiet and steady with no changes in prices
current OF any importance. Boots and
~hoes have hsd an excellent week for holiday
week. principally In rubber goods, packs. snow
shoes etc This Is owing wholly 10 the phenom.
email weather. Leather has been very dull
scarcely anything has been doing either in shoe
or harness leather findings and sEdder's hard.
ware. Tue lesther market continues firm. The
10 bers In the line Of merchandise are busily
engaged in stock taking. There Is a very light
demand for smith and wagon wrIght's supplies
OF iron and steel, and general hardware has
Oeen very quiet during the week; price lists
remain unchanged. Stock taking prime pally en-
crosses the attention OF merchants just now In
these branches Of business. Dru - and druggist
sundriss participate In the general dullness which
always eharatterizes Christmas week. The
years business in this as In nearly all Wholesale
businesses IS virtually furnished some weeks be-
fore Chri<tmqs. The market Is quiet and prices
current remain with just one except on rs they
were week ago. Paints, oils. window glass aud
siszier's materials are nomlnaliy UNCHANGED with
no demand Stock taking is the order OF the day,
both with drug jobbers and oil and paint manu-
facturers. Dry goods houses are busy taking
stock; business i virtually suspended till after
the holidays visit 10 three Of the leading houses
showed stocks reduced % = minimum
which must be highly gratifying 10 the mer-
chants, and shows that their buyers have bough
With great Judgment and discrimination. Imme-
diately after stock taking buyers will proceed TO
the eastern markets for spring 20 IDS and novel
Ties in specialties aud their frst consignment
viii reach here the second or third week in Jan
uRry. The market is now dull and quiet, with no
changes in prices current. There is nothing
more 20 add than 10 express the hearty
wish of the GLOBE (Which. by the way
has always been soiicitous and jealous for ST
l'aul's welfsrel that ali and every jObber, rner.
chant aud manufacturer may find .'true friend
in the coming new year, and that all mAy ON De-
cember 81, lSsA look hack upon & year Of IN
preoedenied prosperity and unalloyed happiness,
and into the future with hopes OF rossaTe hue,
or In other words the GLOBE wishes YOU a happy
and prosperous New Year. and many OF them.