Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-12-28
FEATURES OF TRADE.
Soft Weather the Cnfavorable Factor In
Produce Lines-Poultry Plentiful and
Lower-Heavy Steer Hides Weaker and
Light Weights Steady-Boston Notions
as to Footwear

1
| OFFICE OF PITTBURG DISPATCH,
| SATURDAY, Dec. %
Mild weather has been the unfavorable
factor of this weeks markets in lines OF
country produce. Christmas week proved
to be week of rains and soft weather, and
| all perishable goods were sod at very low
prices. The poultry supply exceeded the
demand, and the markets in this line
touched their lowest price for the season on
Christmas morning. The buyer who bought
early OH that day would have done
much better if he had waited.
Dressed turkeys were sold at 1oc per
pound and under on Christmas. The same
could not have been bought the day before
for less than 16c per pound. In dairy product
lines there has been little change in the
past week as far as prices are concerned.
Supply of country butter is still in excess of
demand, and markets are dull. Choice
creamery is barely steady, and common
grades are very dull and slow. The sur
prise of the week was the drop of package
coffee.
Markets in this line had been reported
very firm for a week or two past, and very
suddenly, without warning, prices declined.
At the decline there is little or no margin to
our Pittsburg dealers, who are not stocked
up ahead.
Graln Markets very Uulet.
The tendency of cereal markets has been
toward lower level for the week past. The
holiday trade in this line is uniformly quiet,
and this holiday season is no exception to
the rule. Receipts of grain and hay for the
week have been close to 400 carloads.
II memory fails not, this was the largest for
any one week III the past year. The great
crop of the past season begins to tell. This
is n poor time for bulls who deal in farm
and garden products. In hide and leather
lines there are few new developments in
the week past. Heavy. steer hides are
shade lower and bulls are steady. Calf
skins are firm. Harness leather of light
weight shows an improved tone the past
week and heavy weights are firm. The de-
past weeK, and it is evident that prices are
now at their lowest. Heavy weight harness
leather Itatl has been firm al along, and I." now
future prices will be upward
Shoes and Leather.
The Boston Herald has this to say of the
situation and outlook in this line OF trade:
The boot and shoe market is very quiet this
week, but it is claimed that it naturally
would be ut this peculiar season, in the
midst Of the holiday trade. The movement
is steady in the way of making and deliver
ing of the small orders of the jobbers, al
ready placed, and the feeling in some circles |
is that this is to be the feature OF the |
trade all the season; that the jobbers are to i
order in unusually small lots. but that the
frequency of these small orders will make |
up the usual volume OF trade. Indeed, it is |
already suggested that there is an increase |
in the volume OF orders of late. Values ap- |
pear TO be well sustained, with the indica- |
tion that goods are scarcely to go lower this |
season. On the present low basis OF leather |
it would be possible for manufacturers to |
build up profitable busine were the vo'- |
ume OF business more actually assured. |
Christmas and New Years over, a better |
trade is looked for.
The Leather Market
is very quiet, as it naturally would be under
the influence of the rather small orders for
boots and shoes, and the fact of the peculiar
season. beading dealers in heavy fin islfed I
leather say that they are having very
small trade, strictly on the wants of their
customers. These customers take the small |
amounts of leather they require. and for
these small amounts they pay regular prices
without any attempt at beating the market.