The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1890-02-25
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Not Now Thing, Not Much of It, md Moth
Ing to Get Excited Over. 5A. p
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r.. G. Dun & Co.'s Weekly Rtriew Of
Trade OF the week that has just closed
notes "a better tone" in tho iron bust.
ness in New York and Philadelphia, 70,
which, 1t says, "itis difficult to account"
unless it is duo to the movement Of
Southern iron" from Sheffield, Alabama,
to Pittsburgh, where, 1t alleges, such iron
Is nov selling somewhat largely" To
this II is added that tho hope is thus
created "that tho Western rather than
the Eastern market may be affected
thereby" a-'t, IN -
This is IN extraordinary statement to
be put forth by publication that pre-.
tends to furnish reliable trade indica.
tons and the reasons therefor. Where
did r. G. Dun & Co. obtain the infor.
nation that iron from Sheffield was
selling in Pittsburgh quito largely"
now or Mt any time? Conccdiug that
tho statement be true, by what mode OF
reasoning could hopes for the trade in
the future be based on 1t? \
Very little iron from Sheffield or auy
o.her point in tho South, considering
Pittsburgh's total consumption, has ever
been sold in Pittsburgh, and it is sale
presumption that it will be long time
before much will be. The statement
that is going the rounds Of the papers
that Sheffield is supplying iron to Pitts.
6urgh, so far as 1t has the semblance OF
fact, is misleading. Were it o fact il
would be nothing new. Southern pig
iron has been sold in Pittsburgh for
forty years and it has only realized the
old saying, carrying Goals to Newcastle. !"
Newcastle never was affected one way or
another and tho shippers didn't keep it
up long. So far rs Newcastle town had
any feeling at all, it regretted the stop.
page. Pittsburgh likes-or would like
to see Southern iron coming into it's mar.
ket. But judging from experience there
is not much prospect OF that. This
5000 tons Of pig iron from Shelf.
field" on which K. G. Dun & Co. rest
the statement that Southern pig is s'sell.
ing in Pittsburgh somewhat largelyn has
not yet arrived. A number of.mouths
ago a leading Pittsburgh firm, We under.
stand, in response to solicitation for an
order for Southern iron, did olT.hand tell
:he makers to scnd it along, 1000 tons
but the last We heard OF the matter, not
pound ever came to hand. The amount
was 30 insignificant compared to what
the firm uses that no concern was ever
given the matter. 1t is said that this
1000 tons is included in the 5000, about
which so much is said. During the last
year or two there have been occasional
small lots of Southern iron to BIO sold
here. The significant part Of the bust.
ness is that such operations were seldom
repeated. Whether it was because the
iron did not come up to the standard of
iron which Pittsburgh uses or the max
ers did not find it profitable, we do not
know, nor does the mats rlpo:sess sufli-
Gent consequence to lead to much in
quiry.
The statement pu! forth by R. q. Dun
& Co., so far it possesses any importance
whatever, is one of sentiment almos,
wholly. As hard trade fact it can be
said to possess very little, if any, and we
are sorry for it, for Pittsburgh would be
glad to see pig iron in appreciable guam
titles coming in from the South,-it
would be such q telling fact of the coun-
try's prosperity.
If any hopes Of the iron trade in New
York and Philadelphia have been based
on the statement of r. G. Dun & Co.
that Southern pig iron is "seiling come.
what largely" in Pittsburgh, we fear that
they are bound to suffer disappointment,
tho fact being that Southern pig iron is
not and never has been sold IN Pitts.
burgh "somewhat largely" More is the
pity.