Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1890-01-09

dent Feeling Prevalent in All Parts
of the Countr--7ao thief Industries
Unusually Prosperous-Window Glass
Higher Than for the Past Five Years
Coal Protection Largely ESceo,i-
8 Consumption.
I New YORK, Jan. Ar. G. Dun &
CO.. Weekly Review of Trade says:
The new year opens with a most conf
dent feeling prevalent in all parts Of tine
country, and yet with some features
which suggest especial caution. Tie
volume of business in progress, though
a little more curtailed than is usual near
the end of the year in wholesale and
jobbing lines, was nearly, if not quite,
the largest ever known in holiday goods,
and on the whole close TO the maximum.
| But in several important trades profits
have not been commensurate with the
magnitude of transactions, and slow col
lections have caused many failures.
with apprehension of more in the near
future. The money markets are strained
at the east. close at Chicago, Cleveland
and Detroit and closer than before at
Kansas City and Omaha. but at other
western points fairly supplied. But the
advance in the Bank of England rate
and the signs of possible disturbance re-
sulting from excessive speculation
abroad, render the monetary outlook
here less clear. The heavy disburse-
ments fo- interest and dividends, esti-
| s.rp
nearly per cent. more than last year,
will doubtless give present relief. Re
ports from other centerS of trade all
show that unseasonably warm weather
is having depressing influence, but in
other respects are generally fiourishing.
Cotton Goods Trade Quiet.
Boston finds the cotton goods trade
quiet, but at firm prices, and the boot
and shoe trade not very active, though
expecting a large movement; in spruce
lumber and hard wood the trade has
been very good, but shingles are over
stocked and weak. The furniture trade
is satisfactory and wool sales 2,76O, 100
pounds for the week. Philadelphia notes
small dealings in dry goods and in cloth
ing decrease, and many iron and other
mills temporarily closed for repairs.
Chicago foots up transactions in 1899
amounting to SLIT, 900, 900 against
81 125. 600, coo in 1888, a gain of 3 1-2 per
cent: in cured meats the gain has been
100 per cent, and i'll dressed beef, lard
and cheese large. but flour receipts are
smaller. with an increase in grain. The
dry goods trade was fully up to the pre-
yious years, with easy collections. st.
Louis notes the largest holiday trade on
record. but dealings in winter goods re-
stricted by warm weather, and receipts
of grain and produce limited only by
the transporting power of the railroads.
No heavy failures have occurred at Mil
waukee, but there is uneasineSs as to the
near future and weather causes slow col
lections and similar fears at Detroit. AT
Kansas City and Omaha business is fair
for the ses son.
Chief Industries Prosperous.
The chief industries are on the whole
unusually prosperous. A fuller state
ment of cotton mills dividends for 1899
indicates that they were larger than in
any previous year of specie prices. The
leather trade has become hopeful and
consumption of boots and shoes is pro-
digious, but over production pushes pri-
ces too low for healthy profits. The
iron trade pauseS at this season, but pri-
ces are firm at previous quotations, and
though sales at the advance are scanty
as yet there is general confidence that
the demand will prove equal even to the
unprecedented supply. An open winter
makes even the restricted coal produc-
tion largely exceed consumption, and
the output for 1889 was but "a, 80, 900
%o,~ iNr,f
luminous coal is indeficient in supply
for lack of transportation. The Monon-
gahela mines are at work, an advance
in wages having been gained by the
strikers. A combination of glass pro-
ducers has raised the price of window
glass higher than for the past five years
and expect to make the business profita-
BILE. Copper is selling at IA IA for lake
with increasing consumption. The
woolen business is still the cloud in the
sky. Stocks carried over at the chief
cities prove to be %, 900, 900 pounds more
than q year ago and sales at Boston for
1889 were 34.000,000 pounds against
166, COG, 600 for the previous year, a de-
crease of nearly 20 per cent.
stock Market Weakened.
The stock market has been weakened
by monetary pressure for the past two
weeks, but the average of prices is s.
per share higher than a year ago. The
larger earnings and dividends would
Justify fully that advance, if the prices
of last year were not too high, and the
recent stringency, with considerable
selling ON foreign account, have caused
but little depression In railroad stocks.
The treasury has put out only 800, 900
more than it has taken in the past week.
the large disbursements for the new year
having not been felt yet, but the avail9
BILE surplus has been reduced 1900, 600
for the month of December indicating a
large addition to circulation. The de-
crease in the net debt in December was
SO, 128, ,093, and the half years revenue
showed gain of 50, 200, 900, in spite of
decrease in receipts from customs.
Foreign trade continues heavy, ex-
ports for five weeks at New Y 1ork falling
only 1.S per cent. below those of the
previous year. which indicates an excess
of 1900, 900 or more in exports over
imports for December.
Failures for the Year.
The failures in 1889 numbered 10,SS2
in the United States, or in every 81
firms, and l III in Canada, or in every
45 firms. In 1888 the failures were
1859 in the United States and ,677 in
Canada. The aggregate of liabilities
was S14S, ,7S4, ,337 in the United States
against S123, ,S29, ,973 in 1888, and Sl4, 49,
223 in Canada against S14, ,0S1 1859. But
the average of liabilities for each firm
failing was lower in Canada, S, ,279 last
year against 1896 in 1888, and the in
crease in the United States, if an un-
favorable indication, was still not enough
to denote an unhealthy state of COM
mercial credits, for the average in 1889
was but S13,672 against S11.592 in 1888,
ST, ,392 in 1887 and $50, ,632 in 1884.
Pennsylvania Convict Pardoned.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 4.-The president !
Yesterday cOmmuted the sentence of |