The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-12-14
CONDITION OF TRADE.
Bradstroot's Weekly Review of
tho Business Situation.
\ BETTER FEELING IN THE IRON
And Steel Marlscts-Wool Trade Dull.
Hailroad Earnings Greater Than
Ever Bcforc.--1he Great Movement
~ofth Grain Crops...i,uslncss Fall
urcs During tho Week.

800 S"'f'E 'hc hGCh.
Brrdarors
Special kilograms to Bradsree's report
the customary falling Off in jobbing and
other wholesale lines due at this season
OF the year, in practically all directions,
though 1t is Il little intensified by unex-
pectcdly mild weather, which tends to
check sales OF seasonable staples. Coun-
try merchants quito generally arc buy
ing stocks as they need them, and there
is a widely manifested disposition to 20
ahead slowly. Dealers have begun stock
taking in many instances, and tho only
noteworthy animation aside from tho
grain trade is in Christmas holiday
specialtiea. Tho mercantile failures
continue TO increase from week to week,
a~ggrcgating $50 in tho United States for
this week, against S07 last week, and
3il in the like week last year. The
tota! number OF failures in the United
States, january | to date, Is 1i,620, as
compared with 0,Si2 in 4 like portion of
1900.
The distribution OF woolens and cot
tons is checked. Wool is very dull,
and cotton AS low and unsatisfactory In
price as evcr. Boots and shoes are in
little better demand for spring delivery,
and leather is more active, with the
price tending upward. Petroleum is OF
slow movement and prices arc heavy.
Live cattle and logs arc in free receipt
ut western packing centers and prices
lower. Logging preparations are being
pushed III the northwest, and in louis
lana the rice crop promises to be large,
fully 100000 bags OF rough. At Phila-'
dclphia Il good deal better feeling en-
lists in the iron and steel industries, due
to recent large orders Tor steel rails and
cur iron. At Pittsburgh 4 four-months
delivery contract has been accepted for
pig iron at lowest prices made, and pig
and billets drag n little. Iron is quite
dull ut Cincinnati, but merchant and
pig iron are in better request ut st.
Louis. New York, Boston, Philadcl-
phia, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Chicago,
Duluth, st. Louis, Omaha, New Orleans
and san Francisco all report decreases
IN sales OF winter goods, and mercantile
collections are fairly prompt only in
exceptional instances.
Gross earnings OF 100 railroads in No
vcmber aggregated fully . per cent
more than in November, 1890, last
months total exceeding somewhat &c.
100000. The significance OF tho excen-
t!onal November gain (causcd by the
unprecedented grain movement) is
shown when it is recalled that in Octo-
Der last the increase was only 81 per
cent over the total gross in October,
1880. Granger. trunk-line and south
western railways enjoyed the heavier
ratio OF gain. For eleven months the
total OF gross earnings exceeded $780,
0OO,OC0, which is 81 per cent more than
in eleven months OF 1880. Changers,
eastern roads, Paciilcs and trunks lines
make relatively the better returns.
Bank clearings ut 81 cities in the United
States this week equal Sl,213,070,S72, a
decrease OF SIS per cent from last week
ana M increase OF is per. cent over the
week II year ago.
Without any decided speculative ac-
tivity the Wv York share market has
displayed marked tendency to i'm
prove, the most noteworthy advances
having-bcen in the Vanderbilt trunk
lines, the granger shares and some Of
the dividend paying spccialties. The
heavy demand and advancing prices for
bonds encourages the market, although
bearish manipulation and the weakness
Of the Gould group and OF Northern Pa
clt!c has at times obstructed the.upward
movement. Foreign interests have
been moderate purchasers in the mar
ket, and the decline OF rates for money
in London, with the reduction OF the
Bank OF England rate TO 81 per cent,
has a favorable effect. Foreign ex-
change has advanced &c. on increased
inquiry, but some small shipments oil
gold from Europe have nevertheless
been announced.
When has sagged of during the week,
after an advance due to decreased sup.
plies reported atloat, sharper demand
by cable, and news by the increased cx-
port noycmcn: made public by Brad
streets last Saturday. Indian corn has
been higher for December delivery ON
short supplies at leading points Of ac-
emulation ard inabilityot the railroads
to handle the cereal any more rapidly.
The decrease OF available stocks of
wheat last week of. sumcthing less than
100000 bushels is only nominal, az there
are (were) about 1000, 900 bushels OF un-
counted wheat ailoati in Buffalo harbor,
and rs mcrc than 22,750,0O0 bushels OF
wheat were shipped from Buffalo by
rail las. week. This points to Il proba:-
bic actual increase OF available wheat
last week OF nearly 1000, 600 bushels.
Exports OF wheat IRON ~ United States
ports this week equal G,0l3, 900 bushels,
against 5,799, Ti2 bushels nourincluded
as wheat the week before, and MS COM
pared with 2,iGil, 079 bushels in the sec.
ond week OF December, 1890.
General trade is quiet in the Domin.
ion, with the volume about equal to and
in some instances in excess OF that oil
one year ago. Mercantile collections
are not satisfactory. Exports OF wheat,
flour, ETC., from Montreal have practi.
cally ceased for the winter. Canadian
business failures this week equal 10,
against So last week and 10 in tho like