Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-05-15
FEATURES OF TRADE.
Canned Meats on the Boom, COrned
Beef and Lunch Tongue
In GREATER DEMAND THAN EVER,
Depression in BreadStufS Most Affects Low
Grade Flour.
GOOD PROSPECTS FOR NEW CROPS
OFFICE OF PITTsBURG DISPATCH,
TUESDAY, May IA, 1879.


In such times as these when Pittsburg's IS
leading industries are generally depressed,
and the pessimist is getting in his best lieks,
It is good to find an industry which is on
the boom. 1t was the fortune of the CONNER
cial editor of THE DISPATCH to-day, after
several unsuccessful efforts to find a trade
optimist who could see nothing in the situation
and outlook but what was bright Said a lead
ing dealer in canned meats:
"Our trade was never as good as it has been
this season The hot weather of last week
gave very decided impetus to demand for all
kinds of canned meats.
1.-The leading article in our line is corned
beef, and the amount of stuff we are now
handling is fully so per cent greater than it was
a year ago. This notwithstanding an advance
in prices. Our 2pound cans 2Oc per
dozen higher than last year, and our l4pound
cans s. dozen higher. Lunch tongues are IOc
a dozen higher, and our volume Of trade in tins
line, though not SO greatly increased as IN the
line of corned beef, is 10 per cent better tnan
il was at this time last year" The bulk OF the
canned meat trade is confined to the NOT.
month quarter. Picnickers and hunting and
fishing parties are the principal consumers
Chicago Monopoly.
All the goods in this line handled in this city
come from Chicago from the houses OF Armour,
Libby and Fairbank The Libby canned meat
firm is now consolidated with Swift's. From
now until September the receipts here will ag-
gregate about three carloads monthly total
of $500 cases orTO. 600 pounds The representa-
tives of the Chicago canned meat houses sell
only to wholesale grocers. The trade here this
year will reach 500 900 pounds an amount fully
four times as great as five years ago. a de-
cade ago this industry was struggling to gain
foothold. Now canned meats have become one
of the prime necessities of summer touring.
and Pittsburgers would find it very hard to re-
turn to the good old days Of yore when this In
dustry was IN the future.
The wise man spoke better than he knew when
he admonished, ''Say not that the former days
were better than these" We in this day would
find it very hard to prepare for the summer out
ing without the corned beef and lunch tongue,
of which our ancestors lived their day in bliss
ful ignorance.
BreadstuffG.
The current number of the Minneapolis
Miller finds some cTumps of comfort in the
wheat and -four situation, which it has not
been able to find for some months past The
inquiry and demand for flour has improved,
but prices are shade lower. There has been
slight improvement in the export demand.
OF the IS, 30 barrels of -four turned out by
the Minneapolis mills last week nearly one-half
was exported. The light expert demand all the
past winter has been the depressing factor OF
flour markets. All speculative prognostica-
tions on the score of export demands have
been upset by stubborn facts. The Miller says
''the Northwest is relatively above the rest of
the country in breadstuf markets. Except the
Pacific coast America is better than other
countries which export wheat and -four"
The news comes from Western trade centerS
that low grade flour suffers most in the de-
pressed condition of markets. Only favorite
brands are active, and even these brands can
only be sold by concessions. A week ago there
were essSSNeDprehensions of drought that
You'd seriously sttaSt Incoming c. This
fear has now been dispelled by timely rams.
From over the sea comes the word that the
young wheat plant in England, France and
Germany is most promising. In the French
ports on April the amount of wheat in bond
was u, ,0l6,0O0 bushels, against 100000 bushels
April l. 1883 and 2SS 600 bushels in 1887. These
figures cannot furnish much comfort to those
who still cherish hopes of a strong export de-
mand for wheat and flour.