Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-08-04
THE. HARNESS TRADE
Moving Freely and Prices Drifting to
Higher Level.
BUFF HIDES AND CALF SKINS FIRM.
Absenteeism Affects Demand for Fruits and
Vegetables.
FEATURES OF THE WEEKS BUSINESS
OFFICE OF PrrTsBURe DISPATCH,
SATURDAY. August 2, 1890.

OFFICE OF PrrTsBURe DISPATCH,
SATURDAY. August 2. 1890
The hide market continues to give signs
of strength. Buff hides and calf skins are
in very active demand and prices shade
higher. Stock of calf skins is unusually
| light in the hands of our dealers. repre-
sentative of one of the largest of the ALLIE
ghenv harness leather tanneries said: "There
has been no time for many years when the
demand for our products was so active as it
is now. This demand has been on all
summer aud gives no sign OF letting up, but
the reverse, We have usually been able to get
some stock ahead during summer to meet fall
trade. This season the product goes out as
fast as 1t is ready, and more would go If we had
it. Harness leather has been advanced &c a
pound in the past few weeks. but not enough
to correspond with the advance in hides. A
wear ago light hides dropped to 4c and heavy
hides to SIC. Now, the same grades are about
&c per pound above these figures. l consider
the harness leather trade in a very healthy
condition and outlook unusually good. The
ch asy' S.1s slaSbt rsao,iops n o.hsr
years Trade rests on solid basis"
The Situation In the East.
The following is from an editorial note In the
current number of the Bo ston Shoe and Leather
Reporter: THE tide in the leather traffic
turned in May from ebb to flood, but it has
coursed somewhat sugglishly since then until
this week. except as to rough leather and the
finished stock produced therefrom, in which
the rise has been very great The leather
market appears to be in thoroughly sound
condition. Holders are dong nothing that
savors of effort or inclination to enhance
values. They sell all the leather they receive,
getting of course, as good rates for 1t as buyers
the rates BY Withholding the goods they have on
hand from market For obvious reasons they
will not sell in advance at current rates. They
have shown such conservative spirit that
crate advance In prices of the majority of the
kinds of leather they have to dispose Of"
The absence Of so many customers from the
city, say produce commission merchants, has
lessened the demand for fruits and vegetables
the last half of July. The month through.
however, shows larger volume Of trade, and
much better prices in this line than the
corresponding month of last year. One OF our
leading Liberty street commission merchants
said, to-day, that his trade for June and July
was largely beyond any two months since
he had been in the business. Markets were
glutted the past week one or two days with
Southern tomatoes and cantaloups. The glut
was partly do to delayed express trains, which
prevented stuff from getting here in time In
the line of dairy products the demand has i'm
proved and prices are irmer for good goods.
Produce Commission Trade.
Manufacturers of cheese are stronger in their
views of values and New York has been NOV
ing very freely the past week. Bottom prices
have been touched, and as this fact is recog-
nized sales have been larger this week than
any time this season. The butter situation Is
unchanged and eggs have weakened since the
beginning of the week owing to large arrivals
of Western stock. Receipts of tropical fruits
are large. The hot weather OF the past few
days has ripenec bananas very fast and large
Quantities of cheap over-ripe fruit are on the
market.
In cereal lines the marked feature of the
weeks trade has been the upward movement
of corn and mill feed. Supply of feed IS very
scarce in this market. The corn crop esti-
mates have considerably declined the past 10
days owning to to drought in the corn sections.
and a strong bullish movement has been in
augurated on the strength of the decline. Oats
have barely maintained their steadiness during
the week. in fact they are a shade lower. Wheat
and -four have advanced. The lay-down price
of fancy spring patent -four is about S. SO in
wood. Hay is practically the same in
price as it has been for month past.
A sharp upward movement in many lines OF
groceries has appeared within the past week OF
two. The stock of rice in the hands of jobbers
is almost exhausted. and prices have advanced
York importers show an extraordinary demand
for rice. Canned syrups and fruits are steadily
moving upward. Said a representative of a
wholesale grocery house to-day: People are
Wild on the question of canned and dried
fruits. Prices have advanced fully 20 par cent
this week. The question is not what to payf
but who has the goods.