Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-02-01
THE OUTLOOK BRIGHTER.
BUSINESS SPRINGING UP IN ALL
ITS BRANCHES.


Merchants and Bankers, Wholesale
Dealers and Retailers Looking For
! ward to Better Business for the Next
| Twelve MOnths-The over Product on
of 1884 Nearly Consumed.
With the first month of the new year
/ gone business men are beginning to ask
! themselves whether the promises Of a re-
vival Of trade and an escape from the de-
/ pressing conditions which marked 1894,
/ which was to come with the change in
7 the calendar, have really been fulfilled,
! Chats with prominent business men lead
/ to the general conclusion that there is a
better feeling prevailing, and that it
1 would not be at all surprising il the open
/ Ing spring would witness a general re-
+ vival OF trade and a Frightening up Of
traAc in many directions. No business
man, be he ever so sarguine, is rash
enough, however, 10 look for boom Of
any kind worthy the name.
4 Bankers report money plentiful and say
! That safe business men realize no diff
/ Guilty IN getting all they need. The bank
( ing business is generally good, and bank
ers, as rule, are cheerful. Money is not
coming into the banks now as rapidly as
usual at this time of year. but this is due
I almost entirely TO the cotton crop being
sold much earlier than IS generally the
/ case. They regard it entirely safe 10 pre-
dlct a tair spring trade i'm about every de-
partment Of business.
Cotton brokers state that trade in their
line is about over tor the season. Ii has
/ closed much sooner than usual. The
stock of the producers VINO market their
cotton st savannah is exhausted aud
large factors are now selling out of their
D q
handled in this markell passing through
/ 20 other points Those who have held
their cotton cannot do ag well with it as
they could have done In October: hut
/ such persons now show a disposition to
\ I'll. As a general thing the trade in cot
ton has been satisfactory.
Boot and shoe men are not particularly
pleased with the prospects for spring
trade. Wholesale dealers report cOllec-
/ tons about up to the average OF last year,
I except in Florida. The depression in sea
island cotton has materially affected col
lectiODs there. 1t is too early yet TO say
what the spring trade VIII bring forth.
Wholesale grocery dealers report that
they have no reason to be dissatisfied
with the condition of trade. The bottom
has been reached. and they anticipate
fair spring opening. Stocks are down,
which IS a good sign. They find cOllec-
tons coming in about the same as last
year.
Among provision dealers the outlook is
generally regarded as favorable to a good
trade and healthy business is looked
forward to. or course business now is
slack, the fall trade being over and the
spring trade not yet opened, but healthy
trade is anticipated when it does open,
which Will be in a very short time. Col
lectiOns have been satisfactory. The
losses have been heavier than last year.
but not heavy enough to do any real dam
age. notwithstanding the depression in
trade which prevailed during 1884, pro-
vision dealers who have attended to their
legitimate business and have avoided
speculation have made some money" re-
marked prominent dealer when ques-
toned regarding the condition of trade in
his line. THE stock on hand is up to the
average"
Wholes ale dry goods dealers. as a rule,
say they have found business thus far
about the same as last year. Spring trade
is now commencing, but it will be two
or three weeks yet before it is fully open.
Country merchants will soon have to put
in spring goods. and orders Will COM
mence coming in. Losses have been a
little heavier than usual, and orders will
be closely scrutiniZed and credits granted
with greater caution than usual. A
prominent dry goods merchant said he had
several orders on hand from parties to
whom he had been selling heretofore. but he
IS compelled to hold the orders back until
he sees how they are going to make out
with their accounts. The general i'm
preston among dry goods men is that
while the trade viii be a healthy one,
there viii not be as many goods sold this
spring as last.
A summing up of the general business
situation in Savannah shows that in the
opinion Of most merchants the bottom
has been reached and the outlook is now
improving. A boom is not anticipated;
in fact, it is not desired All legitimate
merchants regard booms as unhealthy
and injurious. y good spring trade is
expected, however, and general re-
vival Of business is looked for in the near
In TIM