The National tribune., 1886-09-30
THE AUTUMN TRADE.
A Decided Boom for the COuntry'S
Business.
Feeling OF Security Manifest-Ths City's Retail
Trade Vastly Better Than Last Year.

vorable Not since 1850 have the minds of
traders and dealers in all commodities and the
feelings of manufacturers been so buOyant and
hopeful. The New York market is the pulse
of the country's prosperity, and any offending
cause having tendency to depress the markets
of the West or south is Immediately felt here.
When merchants and manufacturers of New
York are active and we'll satisfied with the
condition of their business it may be taken as
a certain indication of the general prosperity
of the whole country. All this is in spite of "a
cent silver dollars. Merchants declare that
with honest coinage the march toward wide
spread prosperity would be much moro rapid.
Wherever one looks he sees hopeful signs.
In Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Iowa and Wis
consin, after a week of forcing weather, the
corn crop is sufficiently ripened TO resist any
injury from light frosts A full average yield
is promised in Ohio, Michigan, Indiana and
Minnesota. The average prospective yield in
Illinois is between 90 and 90 per cent; of Iowa,
81 per cent; of Kansas, 66 to ~ per cent. One
half the Counties of Minnesota indicate full
average yield, with s. per cent. of an average
In Nebraska. The whole crop is estimated at
1,6OO,000,000 bushels. These are pivotal States
and are taken merely rs a sample of what may
be looked for in the corn CROP of which, per-
haps, the least has been expected this year.
In cotton, for the year ending Sept. 1, the
total crop will number 6,550,2l5 bales, the ex-
ports are 4,3i3,99l bales, and the spinners' tax
ings are 2, 1855 bales, leaving stock on hand
of Ia, 725 bales The average gross weight per
bale was ass 40100 pounds against 43l 2l-100
pounds in 1875, or I9-100 more than last
year. This shows an increase of IS $500 per
cent. in the total weight of the crop. The -four
| market shows a steady demand for export and
home consumption.
Great activity is also displayed in real estate,
particularly on the west side. The goat pas
lures of the upper part of the town are daily
disappearing by the aid of builders. On the 1st
day of September, 1886, there were $50 build
ings erecting on the west side, from 59th street
to 155th street. "a having just been completed.
In this part of the city 10000 artisans regu-
larly employed, representing an investment of
$20O00,000.
Railroads show great prosperity. The gross
| earnings. for example, of the New York Central
& Hudson River Railroad Co. and its leased
lines for August were s., $50, 973.55 an increase
of 81 OBJ, 779.51 on those of August, 1885. The
Pennsylvania is building new freight cars at
the rate of 80 per diem.
In boots and shoes an impetus is shown in
the autumnal trade. Orders by mail are in
creasing. and buyers are taking some large con-
tracts. The Western trade continues good. An
| improved demand is observed from Brooklyn
and New Jersey retailers. The traffic in leather
| is steady and prices unchanged.
The demand for crockery and glassware is
| increasing. and the business record shows an
| tinue low. Some materials, such as soda ash,
are going up. The prospects are favorable for
| good Autumn trade. The glass traders ex-
| press a grudge against the small results from
the New York earthquake because it broke no
dishes thus failing to give rise to an over
| wheiming boom in crockery.
THE DRY GOODS TRADE.
| Looking at the dry goods trade, a continue
| ton Of activity is seen among jobbers. The
| city is full of retail buyers from nearly every
| State in the Union, operations in staple cotton
| goods, ginghams, prints. ETC., reaching large
/ figure. There is decided movement in Au-
tumn and Winter goods. Prices are firm and
| imported fabrics are steady. All the wholesale
dry goods houses are busy. and at many places
of business night force is required to move
the goods. Business with commission agents is
improving. The city retail trade is brisk. owing
to the fact that people are coming home in large
numbers from the country.
To a reporter of the Commercial Advertiser
Mr.. Enrich. of Enrich Brothers, said this morn
ing: Trade is decidedly heavier. People are
| buying more literally, and are selecting a bet
ter class of goods. The strikes are all practi-
cally settled, and this causes better feeling in
general. We are doing splendid business in
| Missouri, Kansas and Texas, where last Spring
We could hardly do anything on account of the
labor trouble. Many goods are advancing in
price,"
COnkling & Chivvis report an increase Of 10
per cent. in business during August over the
corresponding month last year and 10 per cent.
| improvement so far in September. "We shall
be way ahead from this out, /" said Mr.. Chivvis,
I" in every department, both jobbing and retail.
To our jobbing customers we have sold just
| about double last years sales. Some of our
bills are the largest we ever made. The crops
are good and times are better. That is the
| secret of the Improvement in trade"
| At lie Boutilliers's il was said that prices
were good. There are no sacrifices being made
by the downtown jobbers. They are throwing
| no enormous lots on the market at low rates
| There is no r-supply. 1t makes big differ
ence in our sales if we have to cut down prices
5 per cent. In all departments we are doing
well, In some even 200 and 300 per cent. better
than last year."
WHOLESALE GROCERIES.
At the store of Thurber. Whyland & Co., Mr..
Whyland was found. and he courteously made
to the reporter the following statement as to
| the grocery business: while the Autumn
trade is somewhat late in opening the indica-
tiOns so far very encouraging. The month
of August showed a marked improvement over
the same period last year. the volume of sales
| showing handsome increase In view of the
fact that values are very much lower than they
were q year ago, this is in itself more than
usually gratifying, for it proves that the guam
tity of goods handled must have been very
much greater.
- have made it." continued Mr.. Whyland.
"a special feature To inquire of all visitors and
customers coming into the store from various
sections of the country what the prospects were
in the particular sections from which they
hailed. The answers have been uniformly
hopeful. While all have expressed the opinion
that the outlook was good many have been
moderate in their claims. This fact in itself is
gratifying, for the reason that it would indi-
cate that they had n solid foundation for their
hopes. And even where they are unusually
sanguine, the result is apt to be entirely salts
factory. The merchants from the West and
South are buying more conservatiyely, and
while their purchases are liberal, the cautious
ness exercised in the selection Of the goods,
shows a marked improvement in the capacity
of the general trades.
Collections are easy and money seems to be
plentiful. The entire grocery trade, both
wholesale and retail, seems To be ON as solid
footing as ever. In the wholesale trade the
number OF failures during the last year has
been small rs To attract hardly any notice
whatever, and we cannot refer 10 a single fail
uTe of any magnitude. And this noticeable
feature of the retail trade is the remarkable
success of the cash system through the West
and South. \ few years ago the cash grocer
was almost an unknown person i'm those dis
tricts, and the readiness with which the re-
taller extended his credits was largely the
cause Of so many failures among them. Now
cash grocers are many in number, and the re-