Omaha daily bee., 1896-08-30
CONDITION OF OMAHA'S TRADE
Business in Jobbing Way Gives Promise ot
Some Improvement.
MAIL ORDERS ARRIVE FROM THE COUNTRY
Local Retail situation Continues Un-
satisfactory So Far ms volume OF
Business IL Conccrned-south
Omaha shows Improvement.

while an air of quiet has pervaded most
All lines of business during the past week
there are unmistakable signs pointing IN
the direction of improvement so FAR as the
iobbing trade of the city Is concerned. Ihe
retail trade of the state has been buying
only as the goods were wanted ana now
the season is so far advanced that If
there Is TO be any business at all this fall
IL is time they were preparing for IT. On
that account and for the further reason
that the crops of the state are assured
country merchants are commencing 10 or
der goods little more freely Most JoD-
bing houses report a considerable gain In
the volume of sales the past week, and, as
a matter of course, all are expecting a
very large number of buyers In during the
coming fair week. one indication that
trade is improving In the country Is the
fact that mail orders are commencing to
arrive, showing that the merchants are In
need of goods and that their requirements
are so urgent that they cannot await the
arrival of the travelling men to send IN
Conversations with prominent jobbers
during the past week bring out the fact
that a better feeling Is prevalent among
members of the trade ana that the abun-
dant crops have reassured them In spite
of low prices on leading farm products they
anticipate considerable DusiheSs lhls
coming fall and winter.
Ii would appear that there Is little bet
and that the pe situation in Omaha is not
peculiar to this locality. 1t must not be
understood, however, that what Is reSardea
as n boom has set in, as such Is not the
case There Is simply n slight change, put
as it is change for the better 1T is crate
The focal retail trade continues very dull
in practically all lines, but as matter of
pating a good out-of town business during
fair week, which VIII make up FOR some OF
the losses of the past month or SO.
OMAHA FURNITURE FACTORIES.
The business of manufacturing furniture
is quite well represented in Omaha in spite
of the dun times, though It has suffered
shrnkage like every other branch of manu-
featuring. The loss of crops in Nebraska
in 1894 compelled the furniture people to
orally classed as a luxury, and one that is
not likely to sell very freely in times when he,
Omaha furniture has found its way all
over the western states as far as the Pa
eitie coast but while reaching & out t9 iqr new new
of nearby territory. Naturally enough
there has been a good deal of curiosity
actual condition of the retail trade in the
country and the future prospects. To set
tie this question l., c. Doup has sent out
a large number of letters, containing ques-
tions, and blanks for answers to the fur,
niture dealers of Nebraska and western
Iowa. About 100 merchants. have re-
sponded, and their answers are interesting,
as showing the situation in the country.
In regard to crops the most of the corre-
spondents report corn averaging forty
to sixty bushels per acre. In a few locaii-
els and in the vicinity of Culbertson the
crop was practically a. failure. corre-
reports a recent hot spell which did good
deal of damage, SO that while some farmers
others h 's viii have have little merchantabie corn,
The irrigation system proved a great sue
s ana md all bTfy m rrgsS thef of
wheat per acre, and of corn about fifty
five bushels per acre.
rather spotted. In the different localities
the estimate placed upon the yield was all
but in a good many sections the crop was
poor Thus, Modale, Ia, reports the oat crop
Johnson, Rising City. odeil Blue Springs
Culbertson, and some other Nebraska
points a failure.
to twenty-five bushels per acre.
Other answers, bring out the fact that the
in most all sections of tributary territory
The present condition of business Is gener-
ally given as slow or dull. Some go on the
theory that no Improvement may be looked
for until prices on farm products advance
which would give farmers some money, to
spend upon furniture and other necessities.
on the other hand quite good many mer-
ton, while others think that better times
will come when the corn Is In the cribs
Some, looking through darker glasses, pre-
dict dun times in their department of trade
until the coming of a new year.
SOUTH OMAHA LIVELY.
The past week has witnessed an active
business in the live stock market. Re-
ceipts of all kinds of stock have been liberal
and the demand has been fully large
ward.
The most of the cattle coming are feed
ers; that Is, they are range cattle, which
are being sold to the farmers to be taken
out into the country and fattened for beef
Thus far, owing to the difficulty of securing
money, Nebraska farmers have been taking
few cattle, considerable proportion of the
cattle sold being sent to eastern feed lots
Unless the money stringency lets up little
later in the fall, the supply of cornfed
beeves available for this market next WIN
ter and spring gives promise of being light