St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-05-19
BETTER THAHE1ER
ST. PAUL WHOLESALERS IN A
CHEERFUL HUMOR OVER
PROSPECTS.
ALL INDICATIONS ARE GOOD
INCREASED SALES, QUICKENED
COLLECTIONS AND A LIVE
LY DEMAND.
sAGEs OF coMMERcE TALK.
Significant Expressions of Opin-
ion by Men Who Do Not
Speak UnheedingIy.

Cheerful, hi ppy, contented-appear-
ing faces are the kind you are greeted
by these days when you enter any
of the jobbing or wholesale houses in
st. Paul. While the Sanity City
business man is almost ever efferves-
cent with good-nature, and always
has a cheering word, now he is the
embodiment of smiles and happiness.
While he is one of the busiest people,
it is being SO very busy that causes
him to be jubilant.
cit is a pleasure to do business this
season." is what you hear on every
side in the wholesale districts; and
while year ago shadows of panicky
times might now and then be dark
ening the offices Of some dealers, now
there is only sunshine and the bright
reflections of a rapid renewal of good
times and brisk and profitable trade.
Not alone is there the most ratifying
prosperity evinced in any one line
of business, but in all branches repre-
sented in st. Paul.
Short talks with many of the lead
ing jobbers, wholesalers and manu-
facturers, about the present status
and fall business elected only the
most hopeful assurances that times
are steadily improving; and this
change is being brought about by
such conditions as give cause for the
belief that prosperity has come to
stay. In each line of trade there has
been a marked Improvement, and
from all parts of the Northwest come
the echoes of brighter days and great
er activity.
The good times are not directly at
trihutable to any one particular cause.
There are various conditions, the COM
bination of which tends to stimulate
trade all along the line, and re-estab-
Hsh confidence, in business circles.
The stringency in the monetary
world and the dullness in all indus
tries consequenlt upon 1t have caused
the, people of the country to move
cautiously, and the past two. years
business has been done upon a cash
basis, and the credit system, which
has been so abused in the North
west particularly, has been done away
with. Merchants have collected their
bills more closely, and they, as well
as the people at large, have avoided
contracting debts. Now they find
~, -, r. ol,yac IN n 6ry,oor fontipU and
with promises of excellent crops and
fair prices, assured by the state of
the markets, there is activity in ali
lines Of business.
IRON A GOOD INDICATOR.
One wholesale grocer, who is close
observer of times, and the ups and
downs that have their influences on
business, said: You just watch the
price of iron, and when you see prices
advancing, look out for a rise in every
other commodity. Iron is better ind
Gator Of the times than gold or silver.
Just now there is great activity in
the iron trade, prices advancing, and
you see other lines of trade move ac-
cordingly. This activity is due to the
demand made for materials by the
building trades, the railroads and i'm
provementS in general, and the far
mer for his products may expect higher
prices than in some years, and there
has not been in a long time better
promises of larger crops in the North
west"
Another man said: "The cool wealth
er of the past week has been worth
s3,OOO,O 900 a day to the Northwest. Talk
about the frosts playing havoc with
vegetables and crops-why, the dam
age done in any part of the state is
trifing; but had the warm weather
of two weeks ago continued in our
great wheat belts, we would find only
straw to harvest"
Reports from all parts Of Mime
sofa, Wisconsin, Iowa, the Dakotas
and alnog the lines of the Northern Pa
cific and Great Northern roads to the
Pacific coast are highly encouraging
to the wholesalers, the jobbers and
the manufacturers. From the wheat
SAOWii OCCClOi1S COHlSS lilc UeWS OIL
bright promises Of heavy crops, AMI,
should farmers receive fair prices for
their products, it is likely that the
coming fall and winter will see the
best times had in years.
In many lines of business at the
inset of close times two years ago,
wages were cut, but now they are
going back to where they were in
1892. Manufacturers in the leather
trade in st. Paul have voluntarily in
creased the wages of their work.
men in some lines, and the same has
been done in other branches of busi-
ness. Many of the wholesale houses
have increased their forces OF travel
ing salesmen, and help about the
office as well. While it cannot be
expected that prices of commodities
of all kinds and the wages of work.
ingmen will at once be fully restored
to the prices that they obtained up to
1892, much improvement may be
looked for as there is an increase in
business.
INCREASING ORDERS.
The first call made by the Clio b e
reporter, ON his round Of informa-
tion-seeking, was at the Office Of the
American Biscuit company. Trade
was reported far better than during
the past. two years. Merchants are
ordering goods in larger quantities,
and the payment of bills is more
prompt than in some time. Espe-
cially is improvement in trade notice
able In Minnesota and Dakota along
the lines of the Northern Pacific.
Prices are at a standstill, but indica-