St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-07-21
ST.PAUL'S BRIGHTDAY
The Wheat Crop Reports Make
Business Prospects More
Favorable.
Collections Easy, and Old
Debts Being Showed Un-
der With Cash.
Retail GrOcePS Have a Little
War Among Their Kind
for Blood.
Building Permits Show a
Great Gain Over Last
Years Record.

VI HOG WedIuGI. Lie uldllS MY VI Ctl-
| tain Chicago papers in depreciating the
condition of the North Dakota wheat
crop and the state of cereals in Mime
sofa has not obscured the shining truth
| contained in the railroad and mercan-
tile agency reports. The rains and hot
weather while not early enough to in
sure a full crop, or even 90 per cent.
have yet rescued large amount OF
grain, and made the prospects good for
| 70 per cent crop throughout Mime
sofa and Dakota. This is an infinite
| gain over the dismal outcome of last
year, and promise of better times.
| The time of harvest is near at
| hand-a week OF fortnight more. will
| see the reapers among the golden
| sheaves. If the good God is favorable
and neither blight nor storm interfereS.
| the Northwest is certain of the largest
and best crop harvested since 1885. ST.
| Paul merchants, OF course, feel the
impulse of these prospects. While
| there is general complaint as to the
scarcity of money, the demand for sup
plies in many quarters is greater than
ever before, and in none is there less
call than in previous years. Whole
salers have their hands full with out-of
town orders. AS all illustration of the
extent to which their capacities are
being pushed. prominent st. Paulite
said to the GLOBE: 81.
while in Montana some time ago l
was surprised to find a large amount of
goods from Chicago in the market and
competing with st. Paul stocks. On re-
turning to St. Paul l complained to
several of our wholesalers that they
were not reaching out far enough.
Their invariable reply was that every
wholesale house of St. Paul was at
present working up to the full limit of
its capital and covering every inch of
territory that it could afford to-"
1t would seem from this, and it is said
to be the case, that new capital can at
once find profitable field in St. Paul'S
wholesale territory, and with the
SANITY City for base of operations,
reach out even to the Pacific coast. The
movement of the new wheat crop will
necessarily cause several eXDan-
siOns of capital, but there, is
ample room for new enterprises.
A good wheat crop means not
only good business for st. Paul, but
prosperity for the state. The prosper
ity of the one is that of the other. The
two must stand together. st. Paul has
|
and Chicago is the common enemy of
the city and state.
The banks report easy movements as
to Indebtedness on the part Of country
merchants. Engagements are being
met as promptly as year ago at this
| time, and there are no large failures.
To an extent the banks and wholesalers
have on their hands two years of credit
paper held for the country trade. But
it is reported to be less in bulk to-day
| than at any time within the last twelve
months. There is very little, if any,,
mercantile speculation rife, which in
sures not so heavy sales, but Surer and
more prompt payments.
There is a demand in the wholesale
district for second wholesale clothing
house. There is but one in the city
now, and a tlrSt-claSS one at that: but
the opinion that competition would tend
to make St. Paul still greater center
for that class of trade. In the retail
trade the feature of the week has been
the bursting of the alleged grocers'
trust by the advent of a large Minneap-
oils house. Sugar has gone down sew
eral cents, and the bottom is being we'll
knocked out of canned goods. A lively
war has been in progress between the
different houses, with the result that
groceries have never been so cheap in
ST. Paul, and the general public so
much benefited by the cut. Fruits and
vegetables have not changed much in
their prices, owing to the backwardness
of the season and the scarcity OF these
articles. Retailers have not had such a
shaking up in months, nor prices such a
scaling. An appreciableincrease in the
frnA do y1rnS
The meat inspection law continues to
worry the consumers, although the
stockyardS are happy and individual
farmers. Butchers complain that the
quality of the meat is poorer, and that
the first cost is greater to them than
under the old law. There is large
amount of second-class meat on the
market that sells at ridiculously low
price. but good ribs and loinS and choice
steaks. except those Sneaked in from
Chicago and Kansas City; are very
scarce. Prices range about as they did
in the spring, from two cents to five
cents higher.
In the building line there are more
five and six story structures beng
erected than last year, but no sky
scraperS are under way. Carpenters
have their hands full of work at from
very contented. The use of brick
this year in dwelling districts is
commented upon as a solid evidence
of the tendency toward first-class work.
A contractor estimates that the amount
of brick used in st. Paul this year eX-
ceeds all that was used last year. The
building permits issued for June had a
value of S1.159,OO0, and for this month
already exceed 100000, fair indication
that July will pass the million mark
with ease. The total building permits
for the half year closely touch $1,000, 900,
or $500 900 more than Kansas City fol-
the same period. On the basis OF the
increase of this year over last the total
building permits will be near to &c.,
COO, 900 Oh Dec. 81.
The banking house clearances point
to the same healthy condition of affairs
wear, period for period. and keep con.
stantly rising. July II. II, Is and Il
the total st. Paul bank clearances were
81, $780, $3.50; July 1917. IL and 10 they
were 50, S97, 1862, an increase of 16,373
These clearingS are indexes to a city's
prosperity, even under the most ad
verse circumstances.
The city engineer is busily engaged
upon new improvements, whose aggre
gate value is already more than
S2,OOO,OO0. The amount of street paving
and sewer work being done is in excess
of last year, as is also suburban grad
ing.
Take it all in all this cursory review
gathered from city officials and mer
chants, indicates quiet. but healthy
state of affairs. The intrinsic value Of
real estate maintains rational advance
hurtful speculation has ceased, and the
growth of the city is maintained OF
legitimate lines. The directory show:
a gain IN population, and the creates
gain made by any city west of Chicago
has gone long way toward maintain
ing past confidence in st. Paul's pros
perity.