Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-05-29
COMMERCIAL NOTES.
Unusual Activity in Lines of General
Hardware Trade.
ABOOM In WIRE FENCE AND NAILS
Increasing Demand for Riding Saddles and
Road Carts.
WHEAT AND FLOUR DRIFTING DOWN
OFFICE OF PTTTsBURG DISPATCH, I
TUESDAY, May Is 1889.

April and October are usually the bes
months for hardware dealers. "April, 1888,
said one of our leading merchants in thil
line, "showed larger volume of trade with
us than April 1855. and May so far shows nc
decline We have sold more goods thus far il
1859 than we did for the corresponding period
of last year, but margins have been so close
that our profits have not increased with in
creased volume of trade"
There has been unusual activity the past
month or two In such lines of hardware as wire
nails. barbed and plain wire fencing fly screens
and refrigerators. The patent picket fence
made of No. II wire for which farmers are re-
uuired to pay a handsome bonus to the pat
entee, has a great run this season throughout
Pittsburg's bailiwic&.
TIE wire nail is about the only thing in the
nail line that has been yielding any profit to
manufacturers of nails the past year or two. 1t
would be hard TO find any more Improbable
stock than that invested in nail mills.
Pittsburg cut nail mills have been
a0d aTT those Of w6eeling' N.Y. Belisire and Iron,
ton might as well have been idle for all the
good they are doing for stockholders. 1t is
doubtful if any nail mill of the Ohio valley can
be run without loss to the owners. Mills which
paid stockholders regularly 1910 20 per cent
decade or two ago, are now running at loss
There is nothing in the nail line remunerative
to the manufacturer at this date outside OF the
wire nail
Hardware dealers report very active de-
mand for fly screens and refrigeratorS the past
week or two, and present indications are that
this season will keep up the record as 20 vol
ume in general hardware lines, so far as this
city is concerned.
Carriage Hardware.
Trade in this line is at its best In the early
months of the year prospects looked rather
blue. As spring opened trade at once improved,
and the months of April and May have been
the best in the history of the trade so far as
volume is concerned. The slack time in the
carriage hardware industry is usually from the
middle of June to the middle of August
There are no signs of slackening up as yet
There is growing demand for riding saddles
and road carts. The rage for horseback riding
which came from England to the Eastern
States of America several years ago. is grad
ually travelling Westward. That it has reached
Pittsburg is very evident from the growing de-
mand for riding saddles, demand which is
greater this spring than ever before.
A leading dealer in carriage hardware said
to-day, 'Our business has been fully 10 per
cent better this year than last at this time.
This Notwithstanding the fact that the closing
up of so many saloons has materially dimin-
ished cur trade in certain lines. A single
order for $500 worth of our goods was can
celled by large dealer in brewers supplies,
because of the knocking out of SO many
saloons We have sold more goods than last
year, but would have done much better if the
License Court had been more liberal in grant
ing licenses"
Wheat and Flour.
The current number of the Minneapolis
Miller finds nothing hopeful in the situation.
New crop prospects keep improving and old
stock, which is large, grows heavier every day.
The output of Minneapolis mills last week was
the heaviest since last November, being 1850
barrels daily, or total of ll3 200 for the week.
Export demand has been checked.
Reports from England, France, Germany,
-TN-- Il
provement in prospect for the incoming crop
of wheat. This, with the timely rains and i'm
proved prospects of the Northwest crop, has a
depressing influence on wheat and -four.
All signs point at present to lower level of
prices for breadstuffs. One of our leading
-four jObbers said to-day: Il cannot see how
-four can fail to drop in few days to a lower
level The pressure is very strong on tho part
Of Northwestern mills to sell Their stuff"