Omaha daily bee., 1896-12-13
CONDITION OF OMAHA'S TRADE
Unreasonable Weather Holds Down the
Volume Of Business.
COUNTRY COLLECTIONS MIGHT BE BETTER
Produce and Live stock Markets Nota-
bly, DuII-HoIidny Goods In Pro-
fusion and In Endless Va
rIcty Awaiting Huycrs.

rIcty Awaiting Duyers.
Business in all departments has suffered
during the past week from the effects or
1he unreasonable weather, which has cut
off the demand for cold weather goods and
has left the retail trade especially in the
dumps. The springlikc weather has invited
people to be out Of doors, and on most days
tho streets have been crowded, so that the
retail district really presented an animated
and busy aIpn 'uuco, but II was not Duy-
ing crowd Lockers were in the great ma
jority and the swapping weather neces-
sary TO make buyers was absent.
In the jobbng district OF the city fair
amount Of business was done, but there,
too, the effects Of the unreasonable weather
were noticeable. Letters from customers
generally spoke of roads In bad condition
and a consequent light attendance of farm
ers In une towns, rendering the retail trade
rather quiet and collections none too good.
The conditions In the country were re-
fected In moderate movement of goods
from jobbing houses.
men appear TO believe that the general
trend of business shows n gradual improve
ment as there Is certainly less of anxiety
and uncertainty as to the future. Business
men without doubt have more courage, Dut
THIS Is not the season d oi m tP gfari Tg The
near approach of the holiday season IN,
variably marks t1e 6eginning OF OF a & periiGd ti,d
jobblnE trade at the same time Is generally
rather quiet.
HOLIDAY GOODS DISPLAYED.
This week and the first part of next the
holiday trade will ovcrshadOw everything
else. Omaha merchants generally have an
ticipated a good trade ana many many houses tloCSs
The departments in which holiday goods are
displayed are very interesting by reason
of the great showing of novelties intended
FOR Christmas presents. Every year long
list of new novelties Is added to the lSSort-
ment alreudy so large as to be bewldering
As usual, the greatest progress Is TO be
seen in the production of new articles IN
tended for the use or wear OF women. one
OF the most interesting features in this di-
vision Is the array of cculoid articles.
These include handkerchief cases, glove
boxes, saChet and bonbon cases, and SINH
lar toilet and boudoir appurtenances, IN ar
tistc form and decorated with delicate
floral paintings and other designs on tinted
grounds Then too there Is a wide array
of hair brushes shown in delicate tlnts in
imitation OF ivory, amber, tortoise, Saell
mSnt nq 'Tt,' there Is an IN assorment ass OF bottles
every one work of art. that Is perfectly
delicate workmanship and dainty filigree
work In gilt and silver. Then comes an
endless array of writing MATERIALS ana ar,
ticlcs for the writing desk both useful and
ornamental.
In the mems department the selection is
novelties intended for the fair sex may
seem even meagcr There are dressing
cases IN n COnSlNtrtDle variety, DOh'I St'lN
and smoking sets without end. Articles
of wearing apparel are numerous ana the
stock to select from is large. Then comos
a long array of articles that would be ap-
proprlatc for either sex, such as the fine
examples Of the potter's art .representing
all the celebrated makes In the different
quarters of the globe and the thousand
and one articles produced by the jewelers.
art.
1t Is, however, when the toy department
Is reached that the Christmas-like char.
acter Is particularly married; The array OF
tnN r1 u D-r
elites TO the most complex, expensive de-
vices. becomes greater each year.
SOUTH OMAHA'S EXPERIENCE.
At South Omaha there was = very
teral falling Off in the volume Of business
as compared with the previous week.
though a fair average business was done.
The season of range cattle is practically
over and the packers have to depend for
the most part upon native cattle or such
westerns as have been on corn feed. As
the greater proportion of the feeders did
not go out Into the country until late, II Is
still early to anticipate n very large run of
cornfed cattle. During the past week pack
e,rs have been forced to ship In a good many
cattle from other markets to make up the
deficiency i'm the supply at this point The
result has been quiet week In beef cattle,
but feeding cattle are still In active de-
mnnd and the country has been free
buyer. The large corn crop in the country
makes feeders anxious for cattle.
PRODUCE MARKET QUIET.
In the produce district of the city dull
ness has been the rule the past week. Con
siderable business, however, has been doing
md by no means small quantity of pro-
duce has been handled, but the market has
been dull and fCatureless and devoid of in
terest. Most houses report much smaller
volume OF business than for the previous
week.
one OF the leading causes for the un-
favorable situation was the warm weather,
which decreased tho consuming demand
and renders the handling of perishnble
produce risky at the best. Large guam
titles of dressed poultry received was unfit
for use. having soured i'm transit to the
city Game was also source of trouble
for the same reason.
AS usual, whom the weather is warm and
dealers all In a hurry to sell. prices broke
badly, This was especially true of poultry
and game, which was not only lower, but
hard to move, even at the reduced prices
The production of eggs Is evidently on tine
increase and the larger receipts of the past
few days caused n weakening of the mar
ket. A continuance of present mild weather
could hardly fail to bring about very large
increase In the receipts and much greater
decrease in the price, as has been the eX-
perience In former seasons when mild
weather predominated.
No very important developments were
made In the butter market, good butter sold
freely, though some houses reported that
uley were able TO secure more butter at
present prices than they could find "A mar
Rct for Prices for butter thus far this sea-
son have been fairly satisfactory to the
manufacturer, and no complaints have been
heard from that source In regard to butter
prices the Now York produce exchange has
put out figures showing the price of dairy
butter for each year since lSS.