River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1893-01-05
aEuiEw OF rliE Var.
Trade Has Followed the Lines Of En-
lsrging Prosperity--The Most Prosper
Gus Year Ever Known.


Isrging Prosperity--Ths Most Prosper
Year Ever known.
NEW YORK. Dec 3i.-R G. Dun &
GQxss weekly review of trade says:
Pie most prosperous year ever known in
business closes to-day with strongly favorable
indications for the future From nearly all
points comes the report that the holiday trade
has been the largest ever known, and while
wholesale trade is not usually 2etive at tbs
season Of stock taking IL is remarkably
large. Settlements through clearing houses
outside New York in December were apparent
ly the largest ever made IN any month, xceed-
ing last years By mors III N 10 per cent For
the year tEe volume is siso about 10 per cent
large than last year, and the i1rgest ever
known Railroad earnings in December show
an increase Of about per cent over last year.
and for the year an increase OF about SIS per
cent Foreign trade has been smaller
than last year in volume OF expoEts-at New
York a. 10000 in value for the last four weeks
and at cotton ports about Si0,0j0g0l less-bu.
imports at New York have been 50 90l. 100
larger. ana the month sul shows : great ex-
cess Of exports. For the year the excess OF
merchandise exports has been not far from
s50eto,0JJ, with the largest imports and the
largest total OF exports and imports ever
known in any year.
The year closes with all wooden. cotton and
silk chinery fully employed. and unsold
stocks Of goods much lighter than usual while
the demand FOR the coming season already ex-
ceeds the capacity OF many mills. The orders
in dry goods are extraordinary. Sales Of wool
at the chief markets have been 3l9 0oJ.00J
pounds. against 2l6OOo0O) last year, aud for
eign imports have been the largest ever known.
with domestic supply but slightly behind the
largest
Boston reports quiet wholesale trade. Wool
is quiet but firm AT Philadelphia iron is
weak. At Pittsburgh iron is slower. aud the
demand for finished products is diminishing.
but glass is fairly active. The shoe trade Of
Cleveland is excellent and other trade good,
though in iron no improvement is seen, and
100000 tons iron ore remain on the docks The
clothing trade is good NJ Cincinnati. and ma
ehinery and foundry business up to the usual
mark Al Detroit trade is maintained. Bust
ness at Chicago is good in all lines. especially in
heavy dry goods. Holiday trade was very good
at Milwaukee. AT ST. Louis retail trade
unusually strong Business at St Paul sx-
ceeds last years and is large at Minneapolis.
though lack of water restricts the flour output.
The lumber trade is most prosperous Bush
ness AT Omaha and at Kansas City is satisfac-
tory. At Nashville trade is good and at New
Orleans active. especially in sugar
In iron the trade is weaker. the demand for
finished products being at present light But
steel rails have been reduced 10 SO per ton.
and sales OF 1900 tons have followed. This
great industry has been much affected by the
market for securities. which has been de-
pressed for some months 5y foreign selling and
monetary uncertainties, so that companies
have been restricted in purchases CO rails
and supplies. But for the last week stocks
have been stronger gaining about q pFr share
in average prices. Speculation in prodvath has
been comparatively inactive, though whesti has
been advanced by q western POOL near'y two
cents.
Cotton has been steady and strong, with d.
minished receipts.
The year 1892 was remarkable for fewer fail
ures than have occurred in any other yeal
since 1896, the numbers reported being 1884
or 2029 less than in 1891 The indebtedness
Of firms failing was but STA 100000 in 1892
against sls9, 600 900 in 1891 and about the same
in 1870
The average liabilities OF firms failing ia
1892 has been only $1,000, the lowest average
reported since 1873
In 1892 only one in every I13 traders failed
against one in every ninety-three in 1891. and
one in every lG2 in 1892