The Portland daily press., 1895-12-14
But Gold Weather is Stimulating
Trade Somewhat.
THE HOLIDAY GOODS MOVE
RATHER SLOWLY.
Brsdstreet Compare> This Weeks Trade
WIN That of Last Year-Cotton Re-
ceipfs Are Unusually small-Railroad
warnings Are Encouraging on the
Whole,

NoW 1Ork, december IL. 13.-BradStreet S
tomorrow will say:
WIN the exception of cities in Missouri,
Kansas, Nebraska and Minnesota, where
the weather has been mild, colder weather
has stimulated the sales of seasonable
merchandise at nearly all points, only by
contrast with the preceding weeks. The
wholesale trade is dull, merchants pre-
feFrlng to reduce their stocks at the end
OF the year to make ready for the annual
inventory. In retail lines, particularly in
holiday speoialties, there has been q
marked increase in the demand, thus far
In some Instances not equal to !. expecta-
tions The irregularity shown IN mer-
camille collections and general trade
| throughout the country is relatively most
Isatisfactory in the central Mississippi
valley.
Among the more conspicuous trade
features that are
DISAPPOINTING ARE CHRISTMAS
TRADE
at several cities, a smaller volume of
business. except in Christmas goods at
Chicago, inoeased distribution of heavier
texiles, shoes and rubber goods at ST.
Louis, the continued depression in GER
tain lines at Kansas City, Omaha and
Minneapolis, because Of the mild
weather.
| Among the Southern cities single in
stance Of relative improvement reported
from Birmingham. Most of the distribut-
ling centres expect an increased demand
after January l.
almost all the southern points, except
New Orleans, where they are liberal.
| Galveston reports the Christmas trade
| smaller than year ago.
| From. Seattle, advioes are received that
| The volume of general business is salts
factory.
4 There Is apparently no unusual activity
| st San Francisco or Portland. Tacoma
exported a cargo Of lumber to Australia
| Thursday.
| In industrial lines, the woolen manu-
fscturers report fair orders for dress goods
| q, low prices, and Philadelphia textile
plants are running on full time, as are
those at work on orders for immediate
de,STery. Eastern shoe
FACTORIES REPORT MORE Or
OHIACt
and jobbers regard the situation very
conservatively. Philadelphia manufactur-
ers of morocco have begun running on
short time.
The course of prices of staples continues
downward. Leather and hides continue
weak, and unchanged after the recent
drop. Lumber remains steady without
any particular activity which is true of
rice and sugar. Quotations for wheat,
-four and oats, as we'll as for print cloths,
remain unchanged. Iron and steel con-
tinue in what appears to be regular
weekly decrease, but the reductions this
week are fractional
There is no likelihood of material i'm
provement in the demand for irons and
steel within the next thirty days, as most
mills and furnaces have orders in to the
new year production.
The only advances in the quotations re-
corued among the more impOi tant staples
are for petroleum, coffee and cotton.
Exports of wheat. flour included as
wheat from both coasts of the United
States this week. are Q, 458, 900, as against
2. 536, 600 in the week a year ago 8, 217, 600
bushels two years ago.
Exports of Indian oorn are 2, 391, 900
bushels, the largest total for any week
since that ending May Q, 1899. This is
due to the extraordinary heavy outward
movement at New Orleans.
BANK CLEARINGS
throughout the United States this week
aggregate 81, 129. 600, 900, decrease of 9
per cent from last week, an increase of 10
per cent, compared with the last week of
December. 1894, an increase of 10 per
cent compared with the corresponding
week of 1898: decrease of 16 per cent
compared with the second week of
December, three years ago.
November gross railroad earnings make
q surprisingly good showing, when
quieter trade, and three fewer business
days in November than October are con-
sidered.
The total earnings of 121 roads, with
SO, 587 miles to the main line, aggregate
AZ, 237, 1869, for November; gain of g.
per cent over year ago.
A gain In October Of 6S per cent over a
year ago on clearly larger total value of
VOLUME OF EARNINGS
than November. The granger roads,
ooalers, trunk lines and Pacific roads did
relatively better in November than in
October. Gains in the Southern and
Central Western road groups are slightly
smaller.
The only group in which ground ap-
pears to have been actually lost is the
southwestern, unfavorably affected by
decrease in cotton tonnage. Earnings Tor
| the f1rSt week of December point to a