The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-02-09
BRADSTREET'S REPORT.
The Cold Snap And STERN Affected
Business.
SUGAR is PRACTICALLY THE
ONLY STAPLE TO DECLINE.

Other Lines are Strong With an Upward
mand on Seasonable Goods-Bank
Clearings Aggregate ss979.oOo.O0O-
Damage by the Florida Freeze Has
Been Exaggerated.
New York, February S.-Bradstreets to-
morrow will say: Extremely low tenn
perature. snow and high winds have visited
the greater portion OF the country this
week and exercised q marked influence by
restricting orders received by jobbers in all
staple lines. They tended to stimulate the
purchases of seasonable goods. and SO some
retailers who have been carrying small
stocks contemplate clearing them out almost
completely. General trade at larger eastern
centres remain unchanged. except for the
check to orders BECAUSE of delayed railroad
traffic. storms and cold. AT Philadelphia
are reports of continued free sales of dry
goods to western jobbers. and the volume of
January trade is showing favorable COM
parison with 1894. AT Baltimore, bills sent
to the South and Southwest ON the first for
dry goods, millinery. notions. clothing,
shoes have been raid more promptly than
was expected. A fair volume of business is
doing in New Orleans, but collections are
poor because of the non-payment of sugar
bounties. No important change is reported
from Memphis, Richmond. Charleston and
Galveston.
ATTHE WEST.
General trade is disappointing at Cleve-
land. Chicago apd Detfo oft. because of the
check 10 February business. Cincinnati
makes a more favorable report, and gains
are shown in the iron and grocery trades,
and activity is reported in leaf tobacco at
Louisville. At st. Louis stocks of season
able goods are being cleaned out, and some
merchants contemplate ordering spring
goods more freely. Trade in millinery, dry
goods, shoes, hardware and groceries is
fairly satisfactory
Omaha. Des Moines. Kansas City report
relatively less activity. AT Seattle trade
in general lines is increasing, and col
lectIons are Improving. but at Portland,
Oregon. business continues depressed. San
francisco reports Improvement, although
with no great activity.
BANK CLEARINGS.
Bank clearings aggregate 9Ts,0o0,000 this
week. or IL per cent more than the first
week of February, 1894. When compared
with the corresponding week of 1898. there
is falling off of about 81 per cent.
Prices, in the main. have shown favor
able tendency and sugar alone of the more
prominent staples has declined in price
within the week. Even cotton remained
frmsat last weeks closing quotations. and
wool and coffee are unchanged. Prices are
steady for pig iron ana steel billets. but the
request for the same is not equal to ex-
pectations. the Improvement in this in
dustry being in the demand for plates, bar
and structural varieties. Live cattle and
hogs are firm with an upward tendency.
particularly within a day or two. Advances
in prices include those for leather at some
points. fruit and produce under the slim
illus of cold weather. Wheat, corn. oats,
pork, lard and anthracite co1l are reported
firmer, with improved demand.
EXPORTS OF WHEAT.
Exports of wheat (flour included as whea t.
from both coasts of the United States
amount only to 2.020.52l bushels this week.
against 2,67S.000 this week a year ago.
Weekly exports of wheat within the past
four weeks have steadily declined from
8. 1854 900 to zoe, O20. SCI bushels. Wheat stocks
| available here in Canada and afiost for
Europe amounted to lSl. 10000 bushels the
first inst. good deal more than so held on
like dates in 1889 to 1892 inclusive. 1t is
63.3l0,0O0 bushels more than in Feb. l. 1888.
and 2.50S.00O less than on that date last
| year. American wheat stocks have de-
| creased 6.9:0,000 in January 1895, against
| January. decreases of SOS.OOO. and 1924 900
| bushels respectiy ely in 1894 and 1898. This
| is Offset by an increase of European
stocks available and afoat last month of
| 3,640.000. In that month of last year
European and afioat wheat stocks decreased
5.4Ss. 900. and two years ago 100000 bushels.
| The damage by the Florida freeze was ex-
aggerated as large portion of the.orange
crop had already been marketed. The
heavy losses fell on the large growers.
| good but small crop is expected this year.