The morning call., 1890-11-26
CONDITION OF TRADE.
The Position of San Francisco
as Hard Cash City.
Recovery in silver-Break in Cereals-Deciine
in Dried Fruits-Ths Coffee Market.
Dry Goods Trade.

OF trade in general last week there is but
little to be said. Silver touched bottom, for
the moment at least, and after selling down
10 81 cents per ounce recovered to 81 04.
The banks ceased sending money to New
York to relieve the stringency there, after
forwarding s., $780, 900 in gold coin by tele-
graph through the local Sub-Treasury. A
press dispatch from Washington said that
certain San Francisco banks objected to
these shipments of gold TO New York, as
currency on the Coast was becoming con-
tracted. However, funds are still in suffi-
cient supply for all solvent borrowers of the
commercial banks at normal rates of interest,
while the savings banks hold large Quanti-
ties OF spare coin. In addition. some of the
gold coin sent to New York is already on the
| way back to this city, so we have plenty of
actual money with which to carry on the
| business of the Pacific Coast. In fact, in
proportion to its population San Francisco
| generally has about as much hard coin In
| its vaults as any other city in the world, and
| this has always been its reputation. In
deed. American finances appear to be pretty
| solid, judging from the following extract
| from the New York Shipping List anent the
| furry there:
| Most satisfactory have been the strength and
! stability OF American finances that has been
| made manifest by these events, ana the pluck
| with which Wall street has stood up against the
! tide OF liquidation that has set across the At
| dound TO the credit of New York rs one of The
great monetary ccnters Of the world. No surer
| lest of The soundness of American credit In
| Europe could be desired than the fact that upon
| the approach OF danger the strain OF liquidation
which experts knew London could not stand was
| put upon New York. that she bore up maufully
practically
harmed.
THE CEREAL MARKETS.
| Wheat is steady and offering moderately.
Flour has been marked down all around
Barley has broken sharply since last re-
view, the decline being7h cents per GENITAL,
or 81 80 per ton. Corn has also broken
under heavy receipts and is now quoted at
| 81 3212 and 81 50, against 81 37h and 81 40
| as last weeks quotations. Oats have like
wise weakened about 81 per ton, having
been so high that the demand almost
| ceased. Rye is quiet at decline from 81 10
to 81 IS. Buckwheat has fallen from 81 10
to ST 70 and is dull Thus it Will be seen that.
| excepting wheat, the whole cereal market
| has declined since last review.
GENERAL COUNTRY PRODUCE.
An agricultural journal of Chicago, in a
| list of States, figures out shortage OF 80
| per cent this year in the Eastern potato
crop. The grand total for 1899 is 10. 73l, GOO
| bushels, against the estimate for 1859 of
235, l07 900, and for 1888 of 2l6.646,000. The
local potato market is firm, despite heavy
arrivals, and prices are fair. ranging from 10
| cents to 80 cents tor the ordinary Sacra-
ment0 River varieties, while the fancy
| descriptions run up To 81 30 per Genital.
| Hay is easy at last weeks quotations.
| Beans are quiet With fair arrivals. Since
last review reds have advanced and bayos
| declined.
Butter is quieter, the resent advance in
| fresh and picked grades having checked
The demand. Prices are not materially
| changed, however.
Cheese is in moderate supply and good de-
mand and prices are high and very strong.
| Eggs show no particular change. Eastern
| eggs are in amply supply, while stocks OF
| fine California are moderate. Common Cal
| ifornia eggs are weak and hard to sell.
| All classes of fine honey are firm with
| moderate stocks.
Dried fruits, as rule, are weak and dull,
| with lower prices for grapes, peaches, ap-
| pies. pears and plums. The dried peach
| market is very weak, offerings being liberal
| and buyers scarce. The decline In this fruit
| Is sharp. PruneS are steady and in fair de-
mand at the high prices Apricots keep up,
| being in slender stock.
| RaisinS continue to move steadily East
| ward. while the local market is quiet and
unchanged.
Walnuts are in large supply and weaker
| Almonds and peanuts are in moderate stock,
and tie latter are somewhat frmer. All
| imported nuts are scarce and high
| Wool is reported very quiet and by no
| means firm.
Hops are also quiet, but holders refuse to
| let go under the recently ruling prices, and
| buyers bid almost up to them. Fer choice
37h cents is bid, 10 cents per pound asked
Hides are cheap. dull and demoralized,
| owing to depressed and declining New York
market, where the financial Stringency
| keeps things weak and unsettled.
Exports OF California wine from this port
| by rail and sea during the first ten months
of 1890 were 7,46l, 800 gallons, against $685.
| 600 during the same time in 1889, and $685.
| 600 liz 1888.
GROCERIES AND PROVISIONS.
Groceries show few changes. Sugar has
| been marked up Il of a cent per pound since
| last report. Rice sells steadily at previous
| prices. OF coffee the private circular of L.
| Hochkoher says:
Our last review was issued November lst
| from which date 10 the 10Th inst. a light bust
| ness TRANSFERRED at prices the whole slightly
| lower than previous nominal quotations, dealers
| finding no Incentive to buy IN other than band
| 10 mouth way In view OF diSappOIDtingly small
| demand from the interior. The sudden and xn-
ected hnaucial distuf bance IN London aud
| New YORK during the past len days. while not
felt here 10 the same extent has further height.
ened the prevailing duiness and magnfed tie
| general distiu,t OF coffee, Notwithstanding its
| favorable statistical position. transactions
| from first hands during the three weeks scarcely
| total 2oOo bags (reducng Importers stock to
1851 bags, aud while with few exceptions deal
| ers carry inadequate supplies, sales of any I'M
| portance could not be effected at present with
| out granting material concessions. About 500
| bags new crop Guatemala have been lately
| placed on private terms. The New York market
| mas declined under combustion OF unlavOrable
| Influences, closing quiet ana dull without any
| decided tendency. Receipts at Brazilian ports
| are somewhat smaller, but stocks there have
undergone no material change. the figures on The
| 18Th showing $4,000 bags at Rio aud Al 900
| at Santos-595,0oo together. The statistical
| position is everywhere favorable, but there Is
mn ht&n IN in fAu nf l.nfh
the present and coming Brazil crops. Tie Bra
| lillian Government has decided 10 defer the
trail America since The 1st Inst. have been: 80
bags Costa Rca, 824 bags Salvador and 405
bags Guatemala; IN all 1868 bags.
In the minor groceries, we note advanced
prices for imported sardnes, imported
blueingS and the leading brands of Balti-
more oysters, and lower prices for all East
| ern syrups. Spices are in good demand for
the approaching holidays.
The c0dfishins fleet has arrived in port,
| the last vessel being the Gar which reached
here on the 18th with 40, 600 fish. making the
| total catch this season 1,15S,500, which is
| somewhat in excess Of estimates made
earlier.
| Since the beginning of the codfishing in
dustry in 1865, the total catch has been 3D.
| 743, SEQ fish.
MISCELLANEOUS.
Dry goods are reported in active move
ment at firm prices, holiday goods being
| particularly in demand.
Tin plate has again advanced. being now
que ted at Sc 30 to So 63R per box.
Coal continues firm, but now that the
| Australian collieries are working again.
| less talk of famine prices this win
| ter is heard. In fact some dealers go
| so far as to say that the. market
| is hardly as strong as It has been, though a
| spell of cold weather would have pro-
nOunced tendency toward hardening prices.
| Several cargoes have already sailed from
Australia for this port. This resumption Of
| shipments Is unexpectedly soon, and has 1t
| effect on the market. Consumers may
thank the dry weather of the past few weeks
| for it has steadily operated against an adj
vance in prices to the famine point. Had it
| been rainy and cold the result might have