Birmingham age-herald., 1895-09-14
..NOW THE SOUTH LOOMS Dot. stso , Unexpected But Pronounced Inn 5S' os provemcnt in Trade. Ig@- sse I. FALL TRADE OPENS FREELY Birmingham Wholesalers Said to Be Unable tp
 Meet Demands in Certain Lines. =  4.I tnCoNTlNUED AcTIvlTY.lN IRON AND STEEL Chicago Has More Orders From the Souht
 Than Ever Before in Her History.
 Clearings Nearly at the Bill
 lion Dollar Mark.
FALL TRADE OPENS FREELY
aCoNTINUED AcTIvITYlN IRON AND STEEL

New York. Sept. 13.-Bradstreet's to4 morrow will say: i The week is characterized in trade cff4 cles by an unexpected, but no less pro1 nounced, improvement south and south ewest. This is reflected at the market from which supplies are distributed to these regions Relatively unfavorable features are found in quieter tone in dry goods, jobbing circles, check to seasonable trade throughout the ntral west, due to the unusual heat; low prices for mems woolens and an unsatisfactory outlook, due to. depressed quotations abroad; only moderate orders for do- mestic wooden manufactures, cancelling of heavy Nebraska general merchandise orders at Chicago, and the somewhat critical position of the American tin plate industry, owing to heavy advances in the price of tin plate.
 At the south fall trade is opening up more freely than anticipated, with marked improvement in business and increased confidence as to the outlook at Jacksonville, Atlanta and Augusta. The Improvement in iron has had an influence at Birmingham and throughout the trib- utary region. an evidence of which is found in the temporary inability of Bir- mingham wholesalers to meet the de- mand for hardware and groceries.
 Aside from the firmness of cotton goods prices, which Is feature in trade cir cleS north and east the most conSplcu- ous movement Is continued activity in iron and steel, the highest quotations yet reached having no effect in restrain ing the demand. The present rate of production in pig iron exceeds 2oo,0oo tons weekly, the largest in our history at the rate of more than 10,000000 tons per annum.
 Lake cities reported an improved de- mand for general merchandise, stronger lake freights and the request for ton mage active. At Chicago relatively more orders are received from the south and southwest than ever before. Revised estimates from Texas point to only half a cotton crop, but the trade is active and the outlook favorable because of a greater relative increase in the price Of cotton than the reduction in outturn. The Louisiana sugar crop is reported from 15 to 20 per cent smaller than that of last year.
 The gradual increase in the clearings during the past few weeks brings the aggregate nearly to the billion dollar mark again, being $9aS, ,000,000, about II per cent more than last week, IS per cent more than in the corresponding week one year ago, and 25 per cent more than in the second week of September, 1893. But as compared with the corre- spending week in 1892 the falling off IS 9 per cent, and as contrasted with the like week in 1891 the decrease is 15 per cent.
 The tendency to reaction in prices. par ticularly among food staples. continues, with further liquidation in wheat, h. dian corn, pork lard and sugar. Reac- tfons are reported in prices for cotton and hides. On the other hand, higher coal prices have appeared at New iork and Philadelphia and the prospect Is further advances all along the line. In addition to higher quotations for cedars prices of almost all standard varieties or cotton goods are higher and tend up ward. Then there is the $4 advance in steel rails, the latter now being on a -parity with quotations of bllets.
 Total of business failures throuShout the United States this week number 2la, as compared with 1S4 last week. 223 in the second week of September, 1894, 300 in that week in 1893 and 143 in the corre- spending period of 1S92
 Dun's Review.
 ~New York, Sept 13.-sR. G. Dun X Co. in their weekly review of trade will say tomorrow: "A slight setback, which may mean much or nothing, according to the final outcome of the crops. was not unexpect. ed at this season. IT the goVernnent crop reports were correct the situation would not be encouraging. But not much confidence is placed in the reduced esti- mate of corn none at all in the estimate of wheat and even the most enthusl- astic bulls do not think 1t worth while 10 quote the government report as 10 cotton.
 The commercial stocks of cotton Sep tenher 10 here and abroad amounted 10 21OO.5 .53S bales. and domestic mills stocks were 360,61S bales, allowing not sinsle bale for increase of stocks al sou neTh mills. Prices have settled back little ho laaS week. nOtWltnStdnQlTlS the gloomy department report.
 The wheat crop is evidently larger than the department has estlmateu, though nobody knows how much largeft and is coming forward with more encour- aginp ,,apidity no less than a.773. 173 hnshels having been received at west ern ports, against 5,446,OOl bushels Tor the same week last year from much larger crop. The price declined sharply, about cents per bushel. With little indi- cation of recovery. The price of corn has also yielded, with strong prospect of the largest crop ever grown. and at IS cents at New York A large proportion of the crop will be of little profit to farmers. If we are to have large crop of grain and a small crop of cotton it is natural to infer that manufacturers may find large transactions at the west, but not much at the south '1
 The largest output of pig iron ever known, 1940 tons, is apparently sup ported by reduction of 64.000 tons in stocks of pig iron unsold, but the fact that the great steel companies have taken large quantities. which are not included in the official statement renders the account of stocks less valuable. The market for finished products is little weaker There is great pressure for delivery on structural products and plates. but bar iron is still quoted at Pfttsburg at 1.45 cents and tank steel at 119 cents. The rapid shipments of during the wpQlf have some influence upon the prices of Bessemer product. Nothing of impor, tance has occurred in the minor metals. though they have been stronger at times