Omaha daily bee., 1893-10-15
CONDITION OF OMAHA'S TRADE
Business Situation Not Much Changed
Since a Week Ago.
COLLECTIONS NOT ANY TOO PROMPT
Local Jobbers, Almost without Exception,
Report - Good, Active Business, with
a Decidedly Brisk Demand for
Goods in Some Lines.

Inc past week mas contributed ntJle 10
vary the monotony Of the situation in local
iobbing circles. Business generally has
moved along in well-worn grooves with no
very perceptible change in pace. While
there has been no very marked improve
ment, there has not been any falling of in
the volume of business. So far as changes
are concerned it has been an uneventful
week.
Outside of one or two lines business is
smaller in volume than it was a year
ago at. this time, but it is fully up to what
might reasonably be expected under the cir
r. cumstanccs. The difference between the
volume of business this year and last APP
pears TO be due more to a spirit of Conserva-
tism among buyers than To any other cause,
and until there is u change in this respect
1t is idle TO look for business to reach the
high point Of last season. II is reasonable,
however, to anticipate a gradual increase in
the CONSUMPTION of goods of all kinds and
with this increase there must come n grad
ual improvement in the condition OF the
1Obbing trade.
Collections are not overly good, in fact
there has been a tendency during the month
so far to drag, and in some lines especially
there is a good deal of complaint rcgarulng
the lack OF ~prOmptneSS on the part OF retail
dealers in meeting their Obligations. Money
appears to be rather close among the farm
ers, owing TO the fact that they have not as
yet disposed Of their corn crop. Had there
been II good crop of small grain the proceeds
from the sale ofthat crop would be coming
in now and would place the farmers in an
easy position until the corn could be moved.
The crop of small grain being Il failure,
country merchants are compelled to carry
the farmers to Il great extent for the time
being.
hardware obbcrs report a very fair trade
in Nebraska, Iowa and the Black Hills, with
n Tendency To drag in the states west of Ne
braska. The market has not shown much
change with the exception of a cut of 10
cents per key on nails and IA drop OF one
fourth of II cent on rope.
In the dry goods market there is unusual
activity ana local jobbers are rushed to keep
up with their orders. Merchants who nave
put off buying until the last minute are rush
ing in their orders and the JobbcrS are work
ing nights to get the orders out on time. If
the month ends as well as IL has commenced
It, will'be the largest October i'll the history
Of the dry goods trade of this city.
In boots ana shoes there has been n fair,
active business, with no special features of
any Importance.
What was said of the boot and shoe trade
would apply equally as well to the clothing
trade.
The grocery trade is holding right up to
the record made during the past few weeks
and it would seem that consumers cannot be
stinting themselves very much on groceries,
whatever else they may have cut off. 1t is,
however, more than probable that the large
grocery trade is due to the coming to this
city of buyers who formerly went to other
points. ,Jobbers in the west have, 1t is
stated, taken up enough California dried fruit
to either control the market for the goods or
leave the situation largely at the command
of the Cnlifornians. They have absorbed a
large percentage of the crop oI aprlcots, cut
deeply,into the prospective supply of peaches,
Is taken enough prunes to turn the movement
of prices and also given enough orders for
rasins 10 relieve uncertainty that has pre-
ullp nj In ~ m In m lsYnt far fhnGn GnnIG
In commenting upon the grocery situation
the New York Bulletin says: The fact that
some lines of goods have advanced consider
ably in price. while retailers in this quarter
o and vicinity have been engaged in reflection
causes no little comment, and adviceS from
western diStributivc CcutcrS noting lively
movement there have curious interest in this
connection, As tho reports 90, New York
and markets further east are exceptionally
slow In taking up usual quantities of goods
o and in providing for future wants, although
adviccs from the west note fun average dis
tributiou there and rather healthier condi-
ton of trade generally.
The clcarlugs Of the Omaha national
banks show IL slight increase as compared
with the week before. Al the same time
the decrease rs compared with last year is
q not so large rs it WAS the previous week.
The following will show the Clcarings for
each day Of the past week, together with the
total for the previous week.
Monday. S73, 4G4.Sl
Tuesday. .....,... 77O,3S4.Sl
Wednesday .....,..,,,,.,.,,.. - Slo, ISL
Thursday oct, 447. "a
Friday .....,.. sos, PA. II
Saturday ,...,.,.,.. 73l,425.74