Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-12-30
ON CHANGE.
Spot Cotton Unchanged. Futures were
From One to Four Points Lower.
Wheat Opened Weak, Fluctuated Narrowly and
Closed Higher-eoffee and Wool I'm
ehanged-Mopey Easy
Daily Review.
OFFICE OF THE GAZETTE, \
.,nr,.r NNor1.rr NJ nAn 20 1899


FORT WORTH. Tex. Dec. %. 1SSs.
> Bad weather to-day has cut trade on
this market to q small amount. Mer-
chants do not think any time will elapse
after the entrance of the new year till
business picks alp and is going ON with
that rush and boom that the prosperity
of the surrounding country calls for.
st. Louis Globe Democrat: The Mala-
ga grape crop is short this year, and only
f50 goo barrels are coming to this eoun
try in place of the 800, 200 that were ex-
pected. A single storm destroyed 100, =
600 barrels of the fruit. The crop of ma
tive fruit was so large that the Malagas
will not be missed.
A Pennsylvania oil expert says there is
more oil under the soil of California than
in all of Pennsylvania.
Bradstreet S reports that the steel rail
situation is improving, and that the sales
during the past week foot up 90 ZOO tons.
The bulk of these orders were taken by
western mills.
The Louisiana sugar season is now at
its height, and grinding on the planta-
ton is more than half over Popular
OplAlou places Tic leIu dL IL -NtIS lluCu
larger amount than was at first expected
but the production is, of course, below
last year s phenomenal figures.
Attempts have been made heretofore to
enter into. combinations to advance the
price of salt, but without success, and
while salt manufacturers admit that they
would be glad to have some combination
formed that would give them relief from
sharp competition, they express but lit
tie faith in the proposed trust. The presi-
dent of one salt company said recently
81 do not believe the trust will succeed
even if it is contemplated Salt deposits
are too numerous all over the country
and there is nothing to prevent any one
going into business. Still, if a
trust could be formed, it would I'M
doubtedly advance the price of salt
and benefit the manufacturers. There
is no profit in the business at the present
time. In 1866 salt at Chicago was 81 80
per barrel, including the barrel, which
cost 20 cents. In 1871 the price had fall
len to 81 .46, in 1876 to 81 .05, in 1881 to
90 cents, and last year it was but So
cents a barrel. From this sum the 20 cents
per barrel must be deducted and the
freight to Chicago must be deducted
profits, and some companies were oper-
ated at loss. The American Salt Com
pany at Syracuse went into bankruptcy
only the other day. American compete
ton is the cause of the decline.
The movement of grain, -four and pro-
visions eastward from Chicago for the
week, ended on Saturday last, was the
heaviest known to railroad history, the
total reaching los, 1911 tons, as against
SO .S9l tons for the previous week, and
80 ,062 tons for the corresponding week
last year.
That the general business situation is
relatively good is shown by the returns of
bank clearings to Bra6street's for the
week ended on Friday last, the aggregate
for the whole country being 81 ,090 1913 =
094, as against 81 ,02l 1922, 1877 for the
corresponding week last year.