Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-11-03
HIDES AND LEATHER.
Drift of Markets on Light Hides
Toward a Lower Level.
HEAVY HIDES ANDCALFSKINS DULL
Harness and Sole Leather Weak in Sym
pathy With Hides.
COUNTRY BUTTER GROWS FIRMER

OFFICE OF THE PITTSBURG DISPATCH,
SATURDAY. November /, 1890. {
Light hides are still moving downward
and prices are &c per pound lower than they
were week ago. Heavy steer hides and
calfskins are nominally the same as they
were last Saturday, but markets are weak
and the cash buyer would, no doubt, find
holders willing to concede on lost weeks
prices. In the early months of the year
light hides advanced about SIC per pound.
About 234c of this advance has already
been lost, and unless the downward move
ment is soon arrested the advance will be
lost in few days and prices will be back to
where they started last spring. The quality
OF hides is on the decline, fact which VIII
account for the weakness of markets. bun
hides are now selling at 61&c per pound, and at
tins figure are weak. Harness leather-tanners
report quiet market and look for no change
the balance of the year. There is slight &C
cumulation of stock. The heavy fall trade
absorbed all products up to recent date:
Now tanners are getting little ahead OF
orders, but Pittsburg harness leather always
commands premium in the worlds markets,
there Is little fear in the minds of tanners but
that surplus stock will soon be worked OFF.
Sole leather, which has been the strong factor
OF markets for few weeks past gave signs of
weakness the past week and while markets are
nomlhalIy unchanged. the situation is IaVoraDle
TO the buyer.
Friedrich Booming.
Dealers in this line report great scarcity
of stock. From cheapest mill brick to finest
steel there has been a shortage for the past
few weeks and dealers are unable to fill orders.
One of our leading firms reports that they are
three months behind orders in the line of high.
grade friedrich. The demand for paving fire.
brick is also above supply. The trade in all
mnch increased
A leading dealer said yesterday that the con.
sumption of tirebrick had fully doubled in this
city the past year. The wane of natual gas
and necessary substitution of coal and coke in
the iron mills, will make extra demands on the
friedrich output, so that prospects for the COM
ing years trade are immensely heightened by
recent developments as to natural gas.
Said one of our leading dealers in friedrich
to-day: Our trade is in an unusually healthy
condition. There is no excitement, but steady
demand for all our goods. Our principal diff
Guilty now is to satisfy regular customers. New
corners are forced to wait until their orders can
be flied. l have never known the time when
the firebrick industry rested on more solid
basis than 1t does to-day"
Country Butter.
Demand for country rolls has very much inl-
proved the past week in spite of oleomarga-
riue, which is coming to our city in quantity
equal to SIX or seven carloads per week. Ped
dlers have no difficulty obtaining 25c per pound
for fancy country roll butter from the grocery
stores. Commission merchants report 20c as
the outside price for country rolls, but the con-
sumer has to pay not less than 30c per pound.
A Southside grocer said to-day: I'VE pay
per pound to peddlers for all the choice coun-
try butter they bring us, and find ready sale for
all we get at a reasonable profit"
The San Francisco Chronicle estimates that
the fruit shipments from California to the
East this year will reach 10000 carloads, or
200000.000 pounds. 1t says: 'At an average
price of cents pound-which may be consid-
cred low, the above embraces a vast guam
tity of dried fruits, which sell at from to 20
cents a pound-our surplus for export will
bring the State at least Sl0O00,000. This is a
pretty good showing for a section in which
apples and pears sold freely at 81 % to 50 q
pound 40 years ago, and which at that time was
deemed by many persons unfit for any other
purpose than to dig gold and raise cattle for
their hides and tallow."