Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-12-17
XMAS TRADE is BIG
The Manufacturers Cannot Fill
Their Orders on Time.
ENORMOUS SALES OF COTTON
The Shipment Of Gold to Europe Scared
the Speculative Markets - The
Price Of Whisky Advanced.


The shipment Of So. .ooO. 900 gold to Eu-
rope early this week has caused some
nominal apprehension in speculative
markets. 1t 10 true that the gold ie
demanded by Austria under such cir
cumstances that an exceptional pre-
MUM is paid for il. but neither Aus
tria or any other country could draw
gold from the United States ut present
unless there were heavy sales Of Amer
icsn securities by France.
The exports Of breadstuffs. cotton.
provisions. cattle and petroleum in
November amounted TO s72, ,669, 1892. in
dicating aggregate exports of about
s95, ,00o. 900 per month aud an excess OF
merchandise exports over imports not
less than SO, ,O00, 900. At the same time
silver has been going abroad in large
amounts Al Boston general business
is steady, cotton mills were never better
employed ene trade in woolens is
heavy, while in boots and shoes busl-
ness IS eminently prosperous Grocer
les are active 1t Philadelphia aud trade
in Jewelry and glass and paints 10 fairly
satisfactory, but in dry goods some-
what dull. Holiday trade at Balti-
more is encouraging and there is q
growing demand from the south for all
classes OF products. At pittsbusg the
demand for manufactured iron is
somewhat less urgent, but the output
of pig iron increases and trade in glass
Is fairly active. The shoe trade at Cin-
cinnati is satisfactory and collections
are fair.
Big Holiday Trade.
Trade 10 active In dry goods, grocer
les, crockery and holiday articles and
fairly good In other lines, and general
business exceeds last years 10 to Is
per cent at Cleve Bland. At Indianapo-
lis business 10 comparatively quiet. and
at Detroit dull. Trade at Chicago is
especially active in holiday lines and
collections are good. with not as much
need as usual for loans in ordinary
business. The st. Louis holiday trade
Is remarkably large. The great i'm
provement here in rye is felt in the
growing shoe. dry goods, saddlery and
tobacco business.
Milwaukee's business is larger than q
year ago. and at st. Paul and Minne-
apolIs fairly good. though collections
are backward. The lumber trade is
very active. Trade At Omaha is very
active. and at Kansas City decidedly
greater than q year ago. Business is
especially active in dry goods, grocer
les and hardw ware at Sioux City, with q
good demand for money. Trade at
Denver 10 very fair. Business at Mem
phis Is dull, but very good in holiday
lines a. Nashville. and at New Orleans
general trade is helped by the move
ment in prices Of cotton.
The output Of pig iron. according to
the Iron Age. was 1921 tons weekly
December !, against III ,O82 tons weekly
November ]. Coal 10 exceedingly quiet,
though the deliveries are continuously
larger than IN any previous year. The
trust has advanced the price of whisky y
again, apparently hoping that the gov
ernment will increase the tax. The
movement of boots and shoes continues
remarkably large.
Cotton Picks Up.
The dry goods business increased
strength is seen in cott0ns, and sales OF
wool for the year at the two largest
markets have been 2SS S,OI6.6 .679 pounds,
against 2S6 ,53l ,296 for the same weeks
last year.
The trade of overcoating has been
far IN excess of any previous year.
Many mills are unable to meet their
orders for spring goods.
The movement of gold does not fol
the present cause especial stringency
In the money market mere, because
currency is coming tals way from the
interior.
In the cotton market extraordinary
speculation continues. with sales OF
more than 900. 900 bales tor the week.
The business failures during the past
seven days number for the United
States 219. for Canada 25, total 304. as
compared with 297 last week. 263 the
week previous to the last and 1886 foi
the corresponding week of last year.
Canadn's business.
New YORK, Dec. l6.-Bradstreet's
report on the state of trade in Canads
says: General trade throughout the
Canadian dominion - slack. as is Gus.
tomary at this season. Al Toronto
woolens are firmer. Travellers are
sending in orders for spring delivery
Wheat is at the lowest price this year
The Nova Scotia fishing season gen.
orally has been poor.
Bank cleariugs at the three citlei
named. with those AZ Hamilton. aggre'
gate s2l ,695. 600 this week, triiilng in
crease as compared with the total Z
year ago, but l3 per cent lcss than thu
aggregate for last week. There art
thirty failures In Canada this week
against thirty-one last week and TWEEN
ty-tnree IN the week a year ago.