The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1891-04-18
THE WEEK IN IRON CIRCLES.
GENERAL FEATURES or THE rRADE-IRoN
oRE-PIG IRON.

GENERAL FEATURES or THE TRADE-IRoN
oRE-PIG IRON.
The Cleveland Iron Trade Reviews
resume OF the week in iron circles:
GENERAL FEATURES. important
element OF encouragement that is begin
ming to give an undertone TO the iron
trade generally IN the crop prospect. The
winter has been very favorable to wheat
throughout Ohio and in the western
states. The stand WIS never better at
this season, and the acreage is very large.
The retarded spring ALSO gives promise Of
"a heavy fruit crop. These influences are
imparting lirmer tone To railroad oper-
ations, and our information IN that good
sized orders for equipment will shortly
he placed. The tone oil the Cincinnati
market is dull and firm. Values are al
ready 80 low that further concessions
seem impossible. Buyers everywhere
seem To think that as soon IN the coke
strike is settled, there will be n large in
crease 81 production aud prices must go
lower. Some experienced iron men look
for just the opposite effect. For two
months purchases have been withheld
largely Tor this cause, and IL IL thought
that when the strike Is settled more free
buying will begin, and as IL will find very
low stocks, the actual effect may be Ia
is true TINT consumption has been con-
sidorably reduced, but not SO much as
production. Transact ons hav been
nsmcly for small lots during the week,
but the aggregate IL pretty lair. While
business ut Detroit continues dull, and
f,r the most part is confined to small
orders, yet some lew are being booked
Tor quantities. ranging from 300 to 900
tons, aud occasionally one M large as
900 tons is secured. Notwithstanding
these few bright spots, the market gen
orally IL considered dull one. The call
Tor foundry iron tx not very great, and
the majority have contracts running Tor
some months yet. The orders received
are for prompt shipment. The impress
sion IN very general that prices ON coke
iron cannot well advance aud buyers feel
pretty secure in waiting, M they think
when the Valley furnaces get to blowing
again, there will Ice n surplus of foundry
irons, and prices ON southern iron will
fall buck to figures made Some months
ago. aud possibly shade lower. Lake
Superior charcoal is generally conceded
Co be as low as II can be produced, and
II any change rs made IL must be- to -
higher buris. The Chicago market still
shows the same conditions which pre-
vailed a week ago. The amount Of bust
nvss going h. light, orders 20 "A large ex-
tent consisting 81 en- load lots. Inquiries
continue 10 be mainly for small quaint
ties and nearby deliveries, but few al
the large consumers OF the Chicago di.-
trict have endeavored 90 find Job lots at
special cut figures. The amount ofsouth-
ern coke iron pressing the market FOR
sale, however, IL small, Chicago furnaces
being well supplied with contracts for the
present.. There ha- been no change In
Lake Superior charcoals, and the present
stiiiening 81 values In this line. The con-
sumption ~ iron continues 60 ran light,
many ~ the jobbing foundrics reporting
that business has fallen largely off. but
manufacturers of spccialtics ARE running