The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1885-11-05

It is now reported that seventy yes
sells and 800 lives were lost during the re-
cent hurricane on the Labrador coast. Few
erai OF the castaways have perished from
exposure. and hundreds who escaped from
the wrecks are in starving condition.
The statement of the business done
by the Grand Trunk Railway for the six
months ended June 80 last was laid before
the annual meeting of the company at Lon
don by Sir Henry Tyler. There was &c.
crease I'm earnings and an increase in work
ing expenses. This was attributed to the
low rates brought about by unnecessary
competition.
Louis Riel and twenty-four other
half breeds lying in prison in the Northwest
forwarded TO the Canadian Government peti-
ton begging for mercy on the ground that they
had suffered systematic oppression.
The Canadian Pacific Road last
Monday commenced running passenger trains
from Montreal TO Winnipeg in sixty two hours
The track now in use extends westward from
Montreal 2, PA miles.
The authorities of Montreal predict
that the smallpox epidemic will bring that
city into debt to the amount of $500, 600 before
spring On one street in Ste. Cunegonde there
is a case to every house. An official request
has been made by the isolation department
for hospital accommodation for fifteen hundred
patients.
There were ITO failures in the
United States during the week, against
146 id the preceding week, and 2o5, 1876,
and 154 in the corresponding weeks of 1884,
1888, and 1882, respectively About 81 per cent
were those of small traders, whose capital was
less than $1,000 In the principal trades they
were as follows: General stores, %; grocers,
%; liquors, II; clothing, IS; hotels and res
taurants, -; manufacturers, 10; bakers and
builders, 6; drugs, 5; dry goods, 5; hardware,
5; tobacco and cigars, 5; furniture, 3; lumber,
3; jewelry, 3; millinery, 3; produce and pro-
visions, g. Bradstreets Journal, in its weekly
review of the trade situation, says:
@The most conspicuous feature in the gener-
al trade situation reported this week to Brad
streets is pronounced Improvement in the
iron and steel industries. Pig iron, even NJ
the East, is in more general and in frmer de-
mand, and makers are, as result, waving
aside all negotiations for deliveries in 1886.
The prospect is that 1886 will
prove busy one for the rail mills.
The movement of general merchandise is
no heavier than last week with the exception
that at Chicago it is reported that soasonabe
lines of goods move briskly, and that with
continuance of the existing rate of country
purchases another period of noticeable activity
is likely to result. At St Louis, too, dry goods
are selling actively. Cincinnati also reports
better business, especiallyin dry goods: Phil
adelphia, Memphis, Cleveland, Detroit Bur-
lington, Iowa; St Paul, and Minneapolis have
had n more moderate volume OF trade, though
of fair proportions. The dry goods move
ment is still ahead of that at the like period
in 1884, but below that OF one month
ago. Prices are steady. Wool sales too are
checked, with prices firm. Minnesota and Da-
kota farmers are blowing and are shipping very
little grain The export movement in grain
and provisions is as light as ever, and ocean
freights are very low and quiet There
has been fair but somewhat forced distribu-
ton of grocery staples, with lower prices for
tea, coffee, and sugar Dairy products are dull
except for fancy butter, and the export trade is
disappointing"