Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-11-24
Usual General Increase in
Sales of Holiday Goods,
Unsatisfactory Season on Lakes--Dry
Goods Trade Falls OF.
Another Record in Wheat Shipments on Pacific
Coast-Weeks Failures.

eral trade for the week include an increase
in the distribution Of holiday goods, heavy
clothing, hats, seasonable dry goods, and
a various points hardware and shoes This
was stimulated by the seasonably colder
weather, and the continuance of feeling
of confidence in the nearby Improvement
in demand AT the South the favorable
influence is moderate advance in price of
cotton, due to the greater favor with
which the lower estimate of the size of the
cotton crop are being received and to the
prevalence of the opinion that the price of
cotton is TOO low There has been Il good
demand for spot cotton. Some shippers
Of Southern lumber complain that South
ern railroads are showing preference to
cotton. From points i'll the southeastern
Atlantic states some hesitancy is reported
in supplying goods before making collec-
tions for the full seasons business,
At the North. lake navigation is practi-
cally closed The result of the season S
work is generally unsatisfactory. Ship
mcnts of shoes from seven Eastern manu-
featuring centcrs We're smaller than last
week, but continue TO run heavily ahead
of the like week last year, being 50, 600,
compared with 50 900 last year. Trade
in wool is quiet, the volume increasing,
with the territories relatively most active,
and fleece woods showing visibly the
effects Of the competition of Australian.
At the Eastern cities the volume Of trade
in dry goods has fallen off, but the tone OF
the market is good and colder weather in
clineS to help it,
The total volume of bank clearings in II
cities was S1.0l9. 600, 600, almost exactly
the amount reported in the week before
s per cent. more than the third week of
November 1898, and about s per cent.
hess than the corresponding week in 1892.
This is the most satisfactory comparison
of weekly totals of clearings reported this
year Contrasted with the same week in
1891, this week ; total shows u decrease of
only Is per cent
A less favorable feature is found in the
downward tendency of prices, the only
noteworthy advances being for cotton
and coffee. The price of wool remains
practically unchanged, as are the prices for
hides, leather, lumber and print cloths,
although they are frmer. The fact that
the demand for iron and steel has not
fully kept pace with the production is
made plain in another reaction, bringing
the prices of BcSscmcr pig down to Sl0.23,
and billets to St5.25, with the outlook not
favorable for SO or Besscmer pig iron,
and SIS for billcts at Pittsburg.
Coal prices have been cut again. The
anthracite output for the completed calen-
dar year promises to amount to about 10,
500, 600 tons against l3. 039, 900 in 1898,
and the pig iron production to 6,545, 600
tons compared with 1,l2I, 900 i'll 1898.
: 4 .,
bushel: pork. % cents a larrcl lard, ID
cents pound. Free receipts of cattle and
hogs at Kansas City, Omaha and other
Western points resulted in lower quota
tions. Sugar is also lower.
All the larger cities except Buffalo re-
port general trade as quiet or of the hand
to-mOuth description, but in most instances
the outlook is encouraging. This charac-
tcrizcs Boston and Philadelphia, where dry
goods jobbcrs alone report special activ-
ity Pitt-burg and Baltimore. At Buffalo
the increased grain movement incident to
the close ot navigation stimulated the de
mand for funds and in other lines.
Only a fair business is reported from
Cleveland, moderate gains in a few lines
at Cincinnati and Detroit, the general
business situation at Louisville being
quiet, except a request for finished iron.
Chicago reports the volume of trade main
tanned beyond expectations, and an i'm
proved inquiry for bar iron and steel. The
like is true at 81. Louis. where the de
mand for sheet iron and relatively prompt
collections arc specified.
Kansas CITY, Des Moines and Omaha re
port q fair increase in the demand for dry
goods. groceries, clothing and shoes. but
the collections are not as prompt as at
some other points. There is only a mod
crate volume of business at Milwaukee,
but the collections are better At st Paul
there is an increase in the demand for
holiday goods and seasonahle staples, and
a Duluth the end of the season of lake
navigation tended rather to check activity.
At Minneapolis business is quiet, except
for Christmas goods and in manufaetur-
ing -four.
Only moderate volume Of business is
reported from any southern city and at
none is there an INCREASE compared with
recent weeks. Charleston merchants are
not pushing collections. Jobbers at Nash
Vile and Memphis report the situation
unchanged and similar advices are re
ccived from Savannah, except as to gro
cerics. for which the demand has in
creased The increase Of travel tended
to benefit jacksonville. Reports
from Chattanooga and Bir-
mingham as to the volume Of trade are
unsatisfactory and collections slow. job
bers at Augusta report slackcning
demand but retailers say business is bet
ter Atlanta manufacturers have larger
volume Of orders and stocks of cotton are
accommodating there. Trade is restricted
at New Orleans and duh at Galveston,
except in groceries.
The Pacific coast makes another record
in the matter of exports Of wheat FIX
ports Of wheat flour a wheatl from both
coasts, United states and Canada, amount
this week to 3.3l2, 900 bushels, compared
with ?. 7s4. 600 in the week a year ago.
Two hundred and five failures were re-
ported in the United States. this week,
compared with 35S in the same week a
year ago.
r. G. Dun & Co.'S weekly review of