Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-10-06
ALL THE ST3AWS
Indicate Improved Business Condi-
tions Throughout Country
The improvement is Very Slight But Seems
Progressive.

NEW York, Oct ) -Bradstreets will say,
tomorrow, while no radical change appeared
this week, there are features of situation
pointing to continued progress In the
direction of improvement. ibis is true o.
the country at large. Ia the Eastern and
Middle states, while the larger cities do not
report noteworthy changes, Providence
announces all Industrial lines, notably
manufacturing jewellers, have received lib
eral orders with the exception of manu-
facturers of machinery. Baltimore reports
larger sales in few directions and in the
West corresponding reports come from
Omaha, where better feeling is reported
throughout the tributary region, mole buy
ing of dry goods, clothing, shoes and gro
ceries. Duluth finds business improved
and iobbers in several lines have been en-
couraged. st. Louis and Kansas City re-
port stimulation in the wholesale as well as
retail lines, due in part to the influx Of WIS.,
itors to carnivals.
From the South the most favorable re-
port comes from Jacks onville, where the
wholesale trade is good and the retail trade
is improving. Merchandise is moving sat
isfactorily from Savannah, Charleston and
Chattanooga. The previously reported
large volume of business Of Chicago jobhers
is maintained. At a number of points East
and West the demand for money has in
creased and changes in the character of
merchantile collections, as a rule, are IN
The direction of improvement.
A mode rate trade is doing in almost all
lines at Boston, and special activity is
noted in shoes, of which the cheaper grades
are in best demand. The call for dry goods
is largely to fill out broken assortments, now
that prints are sold rapidly on the recent
cut, they are steadier. Trade in wool is
slow. sales of some varieties means coz
cessions. About 5000 bales are reported
to have been taken in London for
for American account. At Philadelphia
manufacturers of cottonades are fairly
busy, also in other lines of trade of moder
at. proportions. The volume of business
at Plttsburg grows very slowly, the greatest
activity being shown in the sales of shoes
and clothing. Buffalo maintains the pre-
vious volume of trade.
In the West no material change is re
ported from Cleveland. Cincinnati, De-
troit, Milwaukee and St. Paul. A slight
falling off ia the volume of business at
Louisville is noticed. Flour and lumber
are reported active at Minneapolis,
but on unsatisfactory margins. Canned
goods and dried fruit exports
in California are reported the heav-
lest on record tor the season
to date and prices are low. Nashville finds
encouragement in increased bank clearings
but collections have been disappointing.
Business is fair at Memphis on dry goods,
shoes and clothing. At Atlanta the volume
of trade increased 10 per cent. in most Of
the leading lines. Improvement is shown
at Augusta. The volume of sales of
groceries and hardware from New Orleans
has Increased. Galveston aud Birmingham,
Ala, all report no charge.
Price movement has improved little.
Wheat, corn and oats advanced from their
previous lowest levels. Some varieties of
lumber, naval stores, tin plate and a few
other staples have remained steady in price,
but refined sugar is lower for reasons which
my or may not he similar to those govern
ing prices in other lines. Concessions
in prices have ben made for pig
iron, steel hillets, lumber, lard, coffee, cot
ton, pri 1t cloths and live hogs. Exports of
wheat, including flour as wheat, from both
coasts of the United States and Canada, for
the six business days ending Thursday of
this week, aggregate 3,243,0 900 bushels as
compared with 3,lS9 900 the first week
of October last year. Cable and
Telegraph advices show the heaviest
total available stocks of wheat in the
United States and Canada on both coasts,
sloat for aud in Europe on record, for
October l, being 1872 206 900 bushels, not,
withstsnding the sharp decrease in European
stocks of late. Septt mber's worlds wheat
Increase was 10 jSt 900 bushels, which i.
moderate contrasted with lS909l-92, and
heavier than in 1889 and 1898. Australia
carries 5 800, 900 wheat in sight at this time
rs compared with 7 500 600 July last and
1900, 900 Oct. |, 1898. Bank clearings fol
the week aggregate 800 800, 1877, OF
Il per cent. more than the previous
week, r. markable gain, accounted for il
part by quarterly settlements interest ant
dividends accounts at New York and othel
points. Other large cities show marked
Increase in bank ciearngs. Tuesdays vol.
ume of clearings at the metropolis amounted
to about Sl35, 900 900, one of the Largest
totals for single day on record. As COM
pared with the clearings of the correspond
ing week year ago, this weeks aggregate
shows an increase of | | per cent, and com
paI ed with the week two years ago q de
crease of % per cent.
Bank elearnys for September and The
nine months point TO very moderate in
crease in the general trade, so far as suct
records may be used as a guage. Septem
ber's total, s., 4S3, 1871 ,495, is the smalles
monthly aggregate for five years, excep
those for August and September, 1898, ant
February, 1894. The gain over Septem
of last year was 5 per cent
The nine months total Of S32 sol ,632 $40
is 90 per cent. less than last year and g
rer cent. smaller than 1892 and 20 per cent