Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-12-29
tsrEcIAL rELrcRAM 70 THE D1sr AroH.,

CudIdcteI.
TePECIAL TELEGRAM THE DIsP ArcH.l
NEW YORK, December 2S.-From every
branch of the wholesale drygoods trade
from jobbers, importers and the commission
houses-comes the prophecy that the busi-
ness next year will be one of the largest a nd
most successful in the history of the trade.
The business of the past year is generally
regarded as being very fair and satisfactory.
but all hands are unanimous in the opinion
that in the coming season business will be
better still.
John Clafin, the head of the house of II.
B. Clafin & Co., said: "The prospects of
the wholesale drygoods Business for the COM
ing wear are favorable In the extreme. Just
at present merchants have very little stock
on hand, and goods are about sold up. Many
of us will commence the new year with
clean floors, ready for brand new goods.
The warm weather has been q little unfav-
orable, but people are rich and able to buy
freely. We have all done a big fall busi-
ness, I think, and we look forward to an
even better spring business. The main fact
is that throughout the country we have had
magnificent crops, and that these, in most
cases, have brought good prices. The cot
ton crop, for instance, has been one of the
largest ever raised, and the growers have re-
ceived big prices for their cotton, too.
''In one or two spots the cotton crop has
been poor, but on the whole, the crop is
magnificent one. This is great thing for
the South. Crops in the South have been
better, comparatively, than in the West and
Northwest, though here the crops have been
abundant You must remember that the
benefit of big crop in the way of putting
money in circulation cones not In the year
in which the crop is raised, but in the fol-
lowing year. This is just what will happen
now. look for decidedly better year
than the present one, prosperous as the pres
ent year has BEEN"
A BANKERS OPINION.
W. L. Strong, of W. L. Strong & Co.,
and the President of the Central National
Bank, said: "There is only one opinion in
the trade regarding prospects for 1890. Un-
less all the indications fail, we are going to
have an exceedingly good year, and better
year than the present one. There seems to
be lots of money in the country. The crops
this year are known to be very large, and
that will cause purchases, of course. We
all did big business this fall, and we are
going to do a bigger business, think, in
the season to come. / don'twant to particu-
larize about any one branch Of the business,
but. generally speaking, the indications are
ali favorable, and extremely so for wonder
fully good business next year."
Mr.. Walter Stanton of Converse, Stanton
& Cullen, said: with the single exception
Of the weather here, all the indications are
favorable for an active business next sea-
son. In the first hands in the trade every
thing is sold up. There is little old stock
on hand, and We are in good shape to be
nrni IN prices In fact, look for moder-
ate advance in prices in many lines Of
goods. The past year has been a good one,
with some exceptions, the most prominent
among these being the bad weather in some
places. One very important feature of
the past year and one of the present bust
ness is the fact that its prosperity has
been characterized by no artificial
boom or wild speculation. There has not
been anything that could really be called
speculation. It has been a good, honest
year. and next year, though il will be more
prosperous, think, will be an honest year,
TOO. The tact is, that the mills running
now in this country cannot supply the de-
mand for goods here. With the advance in
the price of woollens, our mills nave Just
all they can do. 1t is a fact that a great
many would-be buyers who went abroad
this summer did not make any purchases,
finding that they could do much better at
home. Lots of people who usually buv
abroad are buying at home this year. 1
think prices will be a little higher in some
branches. /"
WHOLESALE GRoCERs ENCOURAGED.
Mr.. Whyland, of Thurber whyland &
Co., takes a very encouraging view of the
grocery trade. Business in that line, be
said, had been better this winter than usual
and there was every prospect that a good
holiday trade would be followed by good
winter business.
I'm fact he said, s'we have every reason
to anticipate a good and a steadily increas-
ing trade for at least two or three years to |
come"
The export trade, for which his firm had
been fighting for dozen years, was grad |
ually increasing, he said, and American |
dealers seemed TO be getting a permanent |
toothold In that department. BE looked for |
an increase in the South American trade |
from the Pan-American Congress, and the |
increased intimacy between this country and |
the Spanish h-American Republics that will |
result from it.
Mr.. Wallace, of Francis 81. Leggett & |
Co., said: cit is early vet to talk about |
trade for next year, but it has been steadily /
increasing yearly for three or four years
back, and we see no reason why this increase
should not continue. We are making our
plans for the year in the idea that business
VIII be better than ever. The prospect for
1890 is what you might call very encOurag-
ing"
Austin, Nichols & Co. also thought the
outlook for next year encouraging, and
agreed with their associates in the trade
that the business of New York in this line
was constantly improving, in spite of the
fact that the operation OF the interstate
commerce law bad cut off a considerable
portion of Western trade that formerly came
torHew York
COAL AND IRON PROSPECTS.
Mr.. Edward j. Berwind, President of the
Colorado Coal and Iron Company, said of
the anthracite coal trade that it depended
somewhat on the temperature. This. how
ever, applied only to the demands for con-
sumption in homes. ''The manufacturing
demands for anthracite promise TO be very
large" said Mr.. BerWind; more SO
than in years past. The reports from
ell the manufacturing districts support
this opinion, and as for bituminous,
there is scarcely doubt that the demands
for 1890 will exceed that OF any year in the |.
history OF the country. The railroads are
very active; they are in full operation all
over the country; and all the appearances
warrant belief in the continued activity. 1
am also strongly inclined to the opinion
that prices for bituminous coal will be ad-
ranced. The supply is small. Transports
tion facilities for bituminous coal are not by
anv means equal to the demand The out
mt could be increased, but little or nothing
could be gained as long as transportation
facilities are not at hand
M. Berwind referred to the prospects for
the iron and steel trade. Both iron and
rfeel said be, "will command better
-. l.Ln r.,illa will he rnn nm fnlI 20 |