Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-12-18
THE TREND OF TRADE
Views of an 0. 4. Produce Dealer
From Ashtabula as to Crops
AND FRUITS ON THE LAKE SHORE.
The City Of Giddings and Ben Wade is
Rejoicing in a Boom.
UNCLE SANS BIG CHRISTMAS TRADE
oFFIcE OF FPITcsBURe DISPATCH |
TUESDAY, December IL 1889

TUESDAY. December IL. 1850.
.. K Ralph, produce dealer from Ash
tabula, D., was ia the city to-day looking
after the dispo sition of three carloads of
cabbage, WHICH found ready buyers at
double the Sgices Of two weeks ago and
more A liberty street commission mer-
chant was confident that the net profits of
the three carloads was not less than $500 to
the Asht ibula dealer. Last month there was
no MARI ssf here for cabbage, and stock went
beggln 4 for customers. Now customers are
Deggl e for cabbage Said Mr.. MCGOWAN, the
bloe Hy street commission merchant, to-day:
found it much harder to sell cabbage at 50
per- hundred two weeks ago than tnd it now
u 4 sell them at s. per hundred. When stuff
Fas cheap buyers were few, now that it has
gone up buyers are plenty and eager for the
goods"
index to his character and business capacity,
thus speaks of the agricultural interests of the
Western Reserve:
Outlook on the Western Reserve.
"In our section of the country the fruit crop
was almost an entire failure the past season,
and in this line our people are mainly depend
ent on the southern part of Ohio which was
more favored in this regard. The yield
Of vegetables was fair along the lake
shore, and in our town of Ashta-
bula there are plenty of the best potatoes at 35c
per hushel from stores. There is no shortage Of
vegetables, and. with abundance in this
line. we are not disposed 60 murmur over the
failure of the fruit crop. With plenty of hay,
grain and vegetables, the people of the Reserve
have their share of the good things Of the earth.
~As TO dairy products, we do not produce
enough In our immediate vicinity for home con-
sumption. The house which represent last
fall, in the height Of the season, handled 25O0
pounds OF butter per week. which was shlpped
70 rs from creamery at Plymouth, Ind And
even this late in the season we handle over
1900 pounds from the same source"
Iron Ore's Wonderful Iudux.
Departing from produce lines Mr. Ralph had
something of interest to tell of the iron ore iu-
.dustry which has had phenomenal develop
ment at Ashtsbuls the past year or two. THE
amount of Lake Superior ore received at that
port" said ne, ''the past year, has been over
100000 of { ons. an increase of nearly 100000
over the pr revious year. The receipts of iron
ore at Af.htabula from Lake Superior are now
greater t'aan at Cleveland and Fairport COM
bined.
.1"As TAresult of this iron ore boom real estate
in Ashtabula has doubled in value the past
year or two, and our population is steadily
gro Eing until it is now little if any short of
10 900. There is little doubt that ours is to be
one of the great ports Of entry on Lake Erie.
IN fact, it has already attained this position.
Our connection with Pittsburg grows closer
every year. by reason Of the fact that
the ores with winch the furnaces
here are fed are more and more handled
:at our port every year. Our great trouble
now is to get cars enough to take away
5the ore that is landed. The Lake Shore Rail-
way has orders for 300 cars day, and the Pitts
burg and Ashtabula for 200 cars daily. A few
days ago 1900 tons of ore were unloaded from
q vessel at our port in eight hours and 40 min
utes-the quickest time on record"
Uncle Sans Trade.
Atthe Pittsburg Custom House on Garrison
alley and Penn avenue it was learned to-day
that Christmas trade was never better than it
has been this season. This trade is now prac-
1ically over as far as the Custom House is con-
cerned. and goods are IN the hands Of mer-
chants. Secretary Heating said: ''Our De-
-cember trade has been the best we ever had
Toys from Germany. cigars from Havana, silks
and wines from France have been coming in
more freely than ever.
'sOur receIDts of cigars this month viii not
fall below 150 900 and these are the kind which
sell from l5c up to 81 piece. Recently we re-
celVed from Yokohama, Japan, the first in
stallment of raw silk which ever passed
through the Pittsburg Custom House This
consisted of 25 bales weighing over 2OO pounds
each, and came by way of San Francisco to
manufacturer at Harrisburg. The duty on this
EaVs silk was 80 per cent.