Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-01-12
SOME ENCOURAGEMENT
Found in the Weekly Report Of Brad
streets on Business Outlook.
A Few Sections Shcw an Increase and the
Others Are Hopeful.

1iIJrrUW, VIII say 4 nc sttond "c1h "a SiiS
New Year brings few reports Of increasing
volume of orders for scasonabie goods.
The weather conditions in the Fast nave
been unfayordble and those west and
south the reverse. Chicago, St Louis,
Boston, New York and Philadelphia re
port relatively the greatest Improvement
with increased orders for dry goods, cloth
ing. rubbers, shoes, hardware and wcolen
dress goods, though at some centcrS it Is
too early to Judge Of the outlook for trade
Travellers IN many instances have not all
gone out. Weston furniture mannfac-
ttirars are stocking up, which had an in
lucnce on hardwood trade and Western
dealers in iron ard steel expect Increased
orders by Feb. j.
The production Of iron and steel Is
going on in excess Of the demand, but
manufacturers expect that the necessary
repairs, renewals and additions to plants
by railroad companies, car manufacturers
and ether industrial enterprises, VIII have
a stimulating influence in the near
future.
The feature among the jobbcrs at
Philadelphia and Boston has been the
extent to which the sales OF dry goods and
shoes have been pushed. Prints and
ginghams were opened and new orders
freely received. Foreign wooden dress
goods are active, going to all parts Of the
country. Not few recorders have already
been received! This had a quoting effect
on the demand for domestic dress
woolens, The wooden mills while fairly
busy on first orders, are in the market
for wubLonly to cover contracts.
Mercantile collections in the South and
central West are reported as fairly salts
factory or improving to greater extent
tlian30 days previously The confidence
Of wholesale dealers in staple lines that
TIT, near future in business promises in
creased activity with an upward tendency
in quotations., is pronounced at some
cities; Pittsburg, Philadelphia and Bos-
ton at the Fast, Atlanta, Jacksonville,
Chattanooga, and Galveston in the South
and Cleveland. Chicago Omaha and st.
Louis in the West Each of these, except
Cleveland, reports n moderately improved
condition of businc Is this week, as does
Milwaukee.
At other points general trade is quiet,
unchanged and without feature. St Pau
and Minneapolis iobbers report extremely
careful buying in the country, but that it
is too early to judge of the outlook.
Duluth states that stock taking and the
rcadjustment incident to the new year is
still uncompleted, but the outlook for bust
ness is encouraging.
On the Pacific coast trade at most of
the larger cities is quiet. At San Fran
cisco the almost constant rains have in
tensifcd the dizziness, and the certainty
of a large crop Of wheat depresses quota
tions for that cereal At Portland, Ore
gon, the merchants announce improve
IN mt in business, due to the revival III the
3mand from the interior.
The total bank ciearlngs throughout inc
United states for the SIX business days
tnding January 10, was Slo3' 9oo, ooo, an
increase of 81 per cent. over the total Tor
ths previous week, ana gam OF AZ per
cent. over the second week OF january,
1894. when compared with the CORES
ponding week of 1898 the Tour mohths
before the panic appeared, the pasI week >
total shows decrease OF ~ per cent anu
tontrasted with ike to1ai OF lo9@,
falling OF of 20 per cent.
rms comparatively laVorapie showing
is rciaiorccd ny the coiirS" OF thc prices Oh
staples, as quotations loF Noes nave pt"h
working higher ara these Tor wheat, III
wan N'i'i' lN'N 1900
plate glass are all married. up. Inc prices
for shoes, leather, coal, lumber, bhFai
stores, rice, sugar, tobacco ana i've cat'ie
have been firmly held. Crudcr forms OF
iron and steel are no lower but weak
Neither is wool lower, but 1t Is nat at tAe
lowest quotation known, and the prices
for oats and live hogs have declined.
The total gross railroad earnings OF
1894 was the most nnfaYorabie for many
years. The earnings of ia leading
American lines, with $4,000 miles OF road,
was SITS, 600, 900, OF l / per cent. less tina
1888, in which year the gross earnings fell
OF 81 per cent. from the total in 1892,
when there was Il gain of per cent, as
contrnstedd with 1891. Every group of
roads showed reduced earnings, last y3ar
compared with 1888. The most favor
able exhibit is by Southern lines the de
crease for which is only per cent. The
gross earnings of Mexican railways show
!, Gain over 1899 OF 8 per cent