St. Paul daily globe., 1896-02-09

p Fl. Kelly, of p. H. Kelly Mercan-
tile company: January. with us. was
very dull, unusually so. 1t was the
dullest January that l have seen for
a long time The shrinsage seemed
to be chiefly in the sale of sugars.
Collections are only fair
j. w. Cooper, of Griggs, Cooper &
Co. Our trade in January showed a
slight gain over that of January. 1895.
and decided gain over January, 1894.
| Our collections We're good. l believe
that there is every prospect for con-
siderable activity during the spring
| months"
j. II. Allen, of J. H. Allen & Co.:
Trade during last month was per
cent better than the year before Con-
sidering the difference in values. I
| suppose 1T averaged 10 per cent better.
| Collections were rather poor, owing
! to the large amount of wheat being
| held back by the farmers for spring
| shipment. The elevators are filled ev-
erywhere The price of cereals seems
| to me about to make a permanent
advance. If the advance really comes.
| and If 1t stays long enough to permit
the farmers to dispose of the big ac-
| cumulation of wheat that they have
on hand, the whole Northwest will be
| provided with plenty of money. The
farmers will be glad to make up for
their necessarily small expenditures of
| lile last lew years. Iney Will lay In
| ample supplies at the country stores,
and the country merchants will be in
a position to buy freely of their job
| bing houses. Yes / expect to see AN
| excellent condition of trade from now
| on"
Samuel B. Diether, of Seabury tS
Co.. I'VE found January rather dull.
Our trade was very quiet, and a little
less than during the year before. So
far this month, our business has been
about the same as in 1895. Collections
were very fair in January The pros
poets for spring, however. are quite
| good. l think the outlook is better
than it was at this time last year.
The country trade is almost sure to
be made brisk by an active circulation
| of money received from the farmers
when they sell the wheat they have
on hand. OF course, If the price of
wheat should drop off, the wheat rails
ers might hold on to their surplus but
| the indications would seem to be, as
| far as one can judge at the moment,
| in favor of even better prices for
! wheat"
DRUGS.
]. F. Broderick, Of the Ryan Drug
| Company: THE increase in our trade
during January was gratifying and
| altogether unexpected. L should say
that, compared with last year, we did
| found collections fair. l feel very sure
that We'll have a good trade this
spring. The crop of wheat last year
was so large that a good share of it Is
still in the hands of the farmers un-
| sold. The market is going up, probably
to stay up--for while, at least-and
| if the farmers can sell what wheat
they have left at fair prices they viii
have several million dollars to spend
with the country merchants. That
means good times, you know, for the
| jobbing trade
"Our business last month";" said e.
| H Cutler of Noyes Bros & Cutler
! was q trifie ahead OF the same month
last year. We had little difficulty with
| our collections. They were good, upon
! the whole Although we are satisfied
with our recent trade, and do not
anticipate any particular dullness in
| the near future, yet we may be de-
! ceiving ourselves SO far as the future
! goes, everything, or almost everything,
depends, in my opinion, on the action
| of congress- and an American congress
! is more uncertain than women or
| weather. If the disinterested and
erudite statesmen at Washington
come to any reasonable, prompt and
| conservative decision as to the cur
rency question. they will remove the
| only dangerous obstacle to the prompt
and permanent revival of business. But
| If they cannot forget their private in
| terestS for the good of the country, but
continue their efforts to prevent all
| legislation not agreeable to every par
| tisan, the perfect restoration of con-
| fidence will be just that much deferred.
And if congress allows itself to de-
| part from established and conservative
| financial principles, and to hazard any
! legislation based on untried theories,
it will cause, perhaps, a repetition Of
! the late panic. The commercial future
must, at any rate, be decided at Wash
| ington."
HATS AND FURS.
| c. L. Kluckhohn Of Gordon, Ferguson
| & Co: This house did a better buSl-
| ness last month than in 1895. l was
rather surprised that orders came in 50
| freely. And collections were not bad,
either They turned out much better
| than L expected. So far as our trade
is concerned, should think that there
| is likelihood Of more or less activity
! this spring, and believe that the pros
poets are good for a satisfactory
| trade"
A B. Driscoll, of McKibbin & Co.:
Our trade showed a considerable in
crease last month over January, 1885.
| Collections were fair. | think the pros
poets for trade are good. Merchants
| bought very cautiously In our line last
Il
tity of goods needed to meet the wants
| of their customers. The farmers have
held back so much grain on account Of g.
low prices that they will have an op-
portunity to sell it this year whenever
| they happen to need money"
J. II. Skinner, of Lanpher, Finch &
Skinner: II can say that our January
trade was as good as usual. Collec-
| tions proved to be quite satisfactory.
The prospects are excellent for the
spring trade, especially during such
weather as we have been having"
BOOTS AND SHOES.
| s. B. Foot, of Foot, Schulze & Co.:
'"The business done by our house In
| January was fully equal to that of
| former years, but was nothing except
| ional one way or the other. Collect
ions were satisfactory. The conditions
attending the boot and shoe trade for
several months have been such as TO
induce everyone to pursue a waiting
policy. There has been a decline in
prices for the last ninety days and
dealers are looking for a still greater
decline But I believe that their ex-
pectation will be disappointed. Prices
are more likely to enhance than
| otherwise. There is now an under
supply of hides while prices are only
nominally higher than they were a
year ago. In month or two we'll
see a demand greater than we can
supply. I'll be glad then If our house
boots and shoes are necessary articles.
AS long as. babies are born
| barefooted. there will be demand
for our goods, and any slack In the
demand exclusive of that for higher
priced lines, must be only temporary"