Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-12-21
FEATURES OF TRADE.
Holiday Goods Now Have the Call,
but in All Other Lines
BUSINESS is SAID TO BE QUIET.
Leather and Hides Slow and Green Calf
skins Very Active.
A SOUTHERN VIEW OF THE OUTLOOK
OFFICE OF PITTsBURG DISPATCH, !

| SATURDAY, Dec. 10. (
A survey of the weeks trade furnishes
| few features worthy of note. In general,
| business has been quiet and the volume
| light. Dairy products of high grade are
shade frmer under the influence of colder
weather, but there has been no advance in
prices during the week. Country butter
continues to be drug, and only fancy stock
is wanted. Creamery is firm, as is cheese of
choice grade. The movement Of game and
poultry is more active than it was a week
ago, and prices are shade better. Strictly
fresh eggs are almost as scarce as hens
teeth. The few offered are quickly taken
at outside prices. Alas! for the weakness
of human nature, storage eggs are made to
do duty as fresh laid to large degree.
Among the features of the week is an i'm
proved demand for tropical fruits, especially
bananas and lemons which are shade
higher. Florida oranges are still in supply
above demand and markets are slow.
In grocery lines the drop of &c per fb in
sugar has been the weeks feature. Before
the drop prices were so low that the job
ber's profit was almost wiped out. New
stock cannot be laid down without loss and
the wholesale grocer who has to lay down
sugar at present prices must needs work for
glory, and that at some expense. until there
is change toward better prices. The coffee
situation continues to show great frmness,
but prices are unchanged compared with a
week ago.
Not a Good Time for Cereals.
Cereals are not so firm as they were at
the beginning of the week and corn is a
shade lower. According to precedent,
markets in this line will be dull until after
the holiday season is over, and in this faith
dealers buy only for immediate wants. By
reference to the home market column it
will be seen that receipts of grain and hay
for the week were unusually large. As
compared with last week the increase was
close to 100 carloads. That our require
ments in this line are large is proved by
the fact that 337 carloads were bulletined
at the Grain Exchange between December
II and December 49, Not 10 per cent of
this amount was sold on call at the Ex-
change. 1t is plain, therefore, that the
Office trade is large or stuff is accumulating
heavily.
The hid. and leather situation has under
gone few changes in the week past. There |
heavy harness leather. Medium and light |
weights are still dull and slow. Light |
hides are scarcely as firm as they we're at |
this time last week. Then there was gen. |
eral expectation of stronger markets, which |
expectation proved to be vain one. Green
calfskins are active and firm, with fair |
prospect of an advance.
In general, the volume of trade in regular |
lines has been light all the week, and little
improvement is looked for until after New |
Years. Only holiday goods show signs of |
activity.
Uses for Old Shoes.
The Youths Companion contained the fol-
lowing interesting item on the uses to
which old shoes are put in the Old World, |
where economy is studied to perfection
"1n France children's shoes are cut from !
the larger pieces which are obtained by |
ripping up old boots, but in this country,
as well as abroad, the practice now is to
convert the scraps into a leather pulp,
which may be SO treated as to produce
for the real article, cheap and
worthless, of course.
''Of late the manufacture of an artificial
leather wall covering, selling under high
name, makes a market for all the
worn out boots and shoes of the American
people, SO that in its revised form the dis
carded footwear of the most wretched of
earth's children may look down for years
upon the scenes of splendor such as the for
lorn wearer saw not even In his dreams
''Thcre are other uses as well, including
the manufacture of buttons, combs, knife
handles and other articles which are inter-
esting, but of which the public know little.
Carriage makers, book-binders and picture
frame makers consume this artificial leather
to certain extent for their cheaper grades
Of work.
The South and Trade.
The Manufacturers Record has this to say
Of business prospects in the South: 'The
past week has shown very decided in
crease in the number of industrial enter
prises organized and projected throughout
he South, and careful study of the whole
situation and of the plans that are being
for many others seem to indicate a
tendency to more general activity than
,as been seen for many months. 1t is true
mat there is considerable complaint of dull
hess and of slow collections in some places,
out the outlook apparently shows that the
South, in sympathy with the whole coun-
ry, is gradually entering upon period of
'enewed activity, the full force of which
will not, however be seen until after the ,
irst of the year, and possibly not until the
pring."