Omaha daily bee., 1896-12-20
CONDITION OF OMAHA'S TRADE
Moderate Movement Of Merchandise During
Past Six Days,
COUNTRY COLLECTIONS FAR FROM GOOD
Good business Mt south Omnhn-Corn
n Profitable Crop for Those Who
Have Cattle to Fccd-Producc
Commission Men Move.

An air OF quietncss has pcrvaded the job
bing district Of the city during the greater
portion of the past week. The trade Incl
dent to the holiday season was pretty well
over before the commencement Of the week,
and staple lines Of merchandise were neg
lcctcd to a considerable extent, as Is usual
at this season Of the year Still while there
was an absence of activity fair amount Of
business was disposed of, fully as large IN
volume as could be expected at this time.
AS rule local jobbcrs report their sales
of holiday goods as fairly satisfactory. The
grocers had good business in fancy dried
and canned fruits, nuts and other fancy
goods while the dealers in confcCtions and
fresh fruits experienced considerable de-
mand. Dealers in notions and all kinds of
fancy goods have had a good business, and
T. is safe to add that Omaha jobblng houses
have furnished the greater share of the toys
and Christmas goods that Will be sold by
the retail trade located in tributary terri
The mild weather has given the retail
trade of the city breathing spell and were
IT not for the trade incident to the holidays
district would be decidedly duh.
COLD WEATHER NEEDED.
Every merchant Is now praying for clear
unless these prayers are answered the holi-
day trade may prove, in some degree. dls-
enced that each shopper would buy what
might be needed without regard to the
weather, but every merchant who keeps
knows that losses resulting from unseason-
able weather are seldom made up. GER
tain day or week of the year, with favorable
weather, may be expected to bring out a
certain amount of business; u 1t storms the
loss Is never made good Viewed in this
light 1t becomes apparent al once that the
matter of weather at the holiday season,
the whole year, is a most important CON
sldcraton Diagreeablc or unreasonable
weather means the loss of thousands of dol
Ia r. n mi
damage to the trade of the whole country
could easily run into the millions, The loss
falls upon the retailers principally, as the
jobbers have already placed their goods long
before the condition of the weather for the
Much of the shopping ON Christmas week
is from the country, and unfayoraDle
large percentage from that source. AS
general thing merchants expect the largest
die classes during Christmas week, as the
wcalthier buyers are not so apt to leave
their purchases until the last moment and
then. too. there is more profit in the sail, of
a great many small and cheaper articles,
such as are bought by the less wealthy
classes. In one way stormy weather Is
help to the small dealers as against the
large stores in that buyers viii be more apt
to do their shopping as near home as pos
slble without taking the trouble to seek
those establishments having the largest
PRODUCE DISTRICT.
There appears to be a strong tendency on
the part of the produce trade to shift about
the city, and hardly a year passes without
witnessing some change of location. The
produce business differs from many other
lines in one respect at least. Location does
not cut much figure with the volume of
trade Buyers go where fruit and produce
Is for sale. and a location on back street
Is just as good as the best corner in the
city. The two great requisites are low
rentals and good cellars, with plenty of
sidewalk room; sidewalk space, in fact, is
fully as much of necessity as space under
roof
Ten years ago the produce and fruit com
mission business was located along Farnam
street. Peycke Bros. had n large establish
ment on lower Farnam street, then came
Branch & Co. at Farnam and Twelfth
streets, while Kirschbraun & Son were To-
Gated on Twelfth street, just north of Far
nam, and II. Moroney and Wiedemann &
Co. block south of Farnam. r. Purvis
John f. F'lack and w II. Rlddell were on
Fourteenth street. just north of Farnam.
On Dodge street, west of Fourteenth, We're
located Whitney & Co., Fearon & Cole and
d. a. Hurley.
While there was a good deal of shifting
about, the general movement of the com
ard street. from Tenth to Thirteenth be-
came the center Of that branch of business.
At one time the block from Twelfth to
Thirteenth was given up entirely to the
commission business in fact, the most of
the buildings on that block were designed
FOR that s very purpose. At one ne time good
Harney streets. Recently the movement
has been eastward, and during the past
two years Eleventh and Howard has been
the center.
with the coming of the new year there
promises to be an exodus westward of
some of the firms engaged in the fruit and
produce trade. Branch Il Co. will move
from 40 Az South Eleventh street to 12)l-l2O3
Howard street. Williams & Cross will dis
solve partnership and form two new firms
The Williams end of the firm will be
known in the future as Jacob Williams
& Son, and will move to 1917 Howard
street. The other half of the firm will be
converted into Cross & Son. Other changes
will he made, but locations are not deter
mined upon as yet
MANUFACTURERS WILL EXHIBIT.
Last year Secretary Holmes of the Manu- |
facturers' and Consumers Association OF |
Nebraska made 1t a practice to attend the |
farmers Institutes held in different sections |
of the state, taking advantage of the occa- |
sion to urge upon the farmers the impor- |
tanCe OF encouraging the development of |
the manufacturing Industries of the state |
by every means possible, especially by Civ |
ing them liberal patronage This COM |
ing year greater number of these insti- |
tutes will be held and Mr.. Holmes has |
arranged to attend them, not only as a |
speaker urging home patronage, but also |
In the capacity of an exhibitor, as he will |
be supplied with samples of the products |
of Nebraska factories and will be prepared |
TO point out their good qualities to the |
farmers In attendance.
1t Is expected by this means to convince |
I'm Nebraska are equal to the productions !!
OF eastern factories and at the same time |
stimulate in them pride in their home |
institutions. |
AT SOUTH OMAHA.
Business in the live stock market was of |
fairly satisfactory proportions last week. |
IN iact, ewhat larger than an av- |
erage OF late. The greatest difficulty Is to |
get stock enough to keep the packing |
houses running, and IL Is still necessary to |
snip In good deal from other markets.
The very satisfactory prices being paid |
Tor beer cattle at the present time consti- |
.ute most encouraging feature of the |
tusine5s situation, inasmuch as farmers are |
enabled by that means to dispose of much OF |
the corn crop at prices that render corn
raising profitable business. Taking pres
ent values as basis for making estimates,
II can be shown that the farmers who
have fed their corn to cattle are receiving
from 20 to p cents per bushel for the corn
disposed OF i'll that manner. or fully double
what the same corn would be worth at the
elevator
The farmers are fully aware of the adyan-
fage or feeding corn to cattle or other stock
but the great difficulty with them has been |
10 secure the cattle. The scarcity of money
In farmers hands and the difficulty of bor-
rowing has made Ii practically impossible
Tor great many farmers to feed out their
corn at home, and all such will be forced
10 haul their crops to the elevators: still a
great many cattle have been placed on feed |
Not only were good many sent out from
the South Omaha yards, but western ranch
men shipped q great many trains into the
state and sold them direct to the farm
ers. Many OF the latter were sold
ON time. the ranchmen carrying the farm
ors and Chicago parties in turn carrying
the ranchmen. The cattle that are being
led ON Chicago money Will I'm all proba bilty
to- tha I,.,.t