Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-12-10
FEATURES OF TRADE.
Cost of Living Increased Because of
Costly Vegetables.
FLOUR AND PROVISIONS STILL LOW
The Slate and Mantel Trade Very Good,
but Margins Close.
INTERESTING FACTS AS TO RUBBER,
FLOUR AND PROVISIONS STILL LOW
INTERESTING FACTS AS TO RUBBER.
OFFICE OF PITTSBURG DISPATCH, .
TUESDAY. Dec. 8, 1890.

H.
TUESDAY. Dec. 8, 1890. (
Cost of Living.
Household expenses are very much in
creased this season, as compared with former
seasons, by reason of short fruit and vege-
table crops. Potatoes have not been as high
for many years as they are at this time. A
bushel costs about as much as barrel does
in ordinary seasons. A leading hotel pro-
prietor said yesterday: "Since potatoes have
gone up to . cents pound or more, very
heavy expense has been added to my bill for
supplies. With potatoes jobbing at 81 %
bushel, when in ordinary times they are 40
TO GO cents, our expenses are very per-
ceptibly increased" A hard worker,
with . large number of 'olive plants"
around his table, gave this testimony:
My home expenses are 81 80 a week above
what they were a year ago at this time on ac-
count of increased price of potatoes and fruit"
In the line of household consumption the great
staples of meat and -four stand at about the
same prices as a year ago. The shortage of
grain crops has had the effect of overstocking
markets with live stock, and the stringency of
money markets has kept down the price of
wheat and flour, which otherwise would have
been more costly than thev are. When COM
pared with other articles which enter
into household living. meat and flour
are about the cheapest articles
the list and so long as those staples cannot be
manipulated by bulls, there is reason for cor
Gratula;ion and thanksgiving. But for the
money strinEency of lale there would, no doubt,
have been a sharp upward movement of the
staff Of life before this time. The conditions
were all here for such movement when the
drop in securities and close money market put
IN their appearance.
Slate and Fire Fronts.
Builders are every year calling for more ar.
tistic designs in fitting up that important part
of the home which surrounds the hearthstoue
Not many years ago the plainest designs were
thought good enough for fire fronts. Now
nothing is considered too nice A fire front
and mantel which would have been considered
good enough for the ordinary mansion decade
ago would today be rejected even in moder-
atcly expensive homes
A representative of one of the leading slate
and mantel firms of the city reported yestel-
day concerning this industry, as follows: Vol-
ume of business in our line is about equal to
that of last season. Owing, TO irresponsible
competition puce of mantels and fire fronts has
suffered slight decline the past few months
hut roofing materials are steady at last years
prices. Judging from our trade the amount of
building in Pittsburg this season is fully up to
any former season. There is also growing de-
mand for higher order of mantels and fire
fronts"
The following from the New York Tribune
furnishes some items of interest concerning
the uses of rubber:
-Gutta-percha has become a scarcer and
hCEer-priced article, as a matter of course.
for the same reasons that affect the rubber
supply. Gutta-percha buttons are NOT seen as
often as they once were and substitutes are
being employed III other lines wherever prac-
ticabe. The name of Charles Goodyear de-
serves to be remembered by all who walk
through water dry-Shod. or otherwise profit by
the inventions in rubber. The world would,
indeed, lake long backward step if it were
called on to dispense with waterproof cloaks
and fOotgear for humanity, rubber blankets for
horses, rubber hose and all the other devices in
the way of useful articles and fabrics. In the
latter line there is now made an extremely fleN-
IDLE, thin sort of rubber cloth which resembles
fine muslin, having a thin sheet of rubber in
the center. which can be laundried like an or
binary piece of cloth. The fabrics used in
making rubber boots vary widely IN appear
ance. while others are perfectly plain. 1t was
Ia 1859 that Goodyear. after spending fortune
and years of unavaIling study chanced by ac-
CIuent on the secret from whicn he worked out
his process. There could be no disrespect in
the pun if it were said that 1859 was good
wear for humanity"