The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-02-24
PROVISIONS ARE LOW
PRICES HAVE GONE DOWN AGREAT
DEAL THIS WINTER.
Commission Men Have Made Little
Profit-Big Demand for Brick
This Season.

The commission men have had cause to
complain of the dizziness and Improbable
ness of their trade the last six months. 1t
will be remembered that in August and
September and part of October last year
there was a great drought, and commission
men were wondering where the fruit and
vegetables were to come from for consump-
ton at Indianapolis and other points which
draw their supply from this market. There
were to be no peaches, it claimed, but !
when the time came peaches began to come
to indianapolis from Michigan in larger
quantities than ever before known, and
during the entire season peaches were so
abundant that they were sold lower than
before. Next came the report that there
would be no apples. but in the late fall and
thus far this winter the supply has been
ample and the range of prices has been from
81 to 81 lower than in years when there had
been no fears of a light supply. Then there
were TO be no oranges. as the frost had
killed all the orange trees in Florida, but
when the proper time came for oranges to
be on the market they rolled in here from
California and were also shipped here from
Italy in quantities that has kept the market
well stocked all winter, and oranges have
been selling 81 per box lower than last year.
| Lemons have been drug on the market,
| selling as low as 81 box. In the fall there
was anxiety as to the potato crop. and it
was said that consumers would have to pay
| 81 a bushel, but the vegetables have been
| shipped in here from Iowa, Nebraska and
| Michigan, and have all winter been selling
| at % TO 30 cents a bushel, against 20 to 80
| cents bushel one year ago. Choice seed
| potatoes, which have just come on to the
market. and which usually sell at 81 to $1.25
| bushel, are now offered at 10 cents a
| bushel. Parsnips, carrots. turnps and like
vegetables are selling lower now than at
any time in the last ten years. Cabbage is
the only vegetable on which reasonable
| prices have prevailed, and this vegetable
is 80 cents to 81 a barrel lower than last
| year in February.
With this low range of prices 1t is no sur
prise that the commission man who depends
on, his commission for his profits is blue,
llasohe must sell three times as mucn in bulk
toas dAen dfd last year to realize the same
sum of money. When it is considered that
there are now twenty-five commission
houses, against twelve three years ago, il
will be seen that competition is cutting
much more important figure. In several 9TH
| er llrBS the differences in prices this winter
with fthose of last year striking. Egg
| shippers are now paying 10 to IL cents, while
last year, in February, they were paving 20
to Il cents. Chickens are the same. although
on light receipts prices are firmer than
usual at the presefk time. Provisions are
lower, but not much at variance. Lard
is 1la cents a pound lower than last year
All descriptions OF hog products about
l cent lower.
Coming to the grain market. wheat is 20
cents bushel higher than last year. and
is now selling at II cents, against 81 cents
at the corresponding period last year, while
corn and oats are much lower than last
year TIE best grade. of corn is now selling
at Is cents, against Al cents year ago, and
the best grade of oats at % cents, against
g cents in 1895. In the price of hay the
drought OF last year is felt. Hay that now
sells at SIS a ton sold last year at 50 ton.
Tie men who hold together the closest
and maintain prices the nearest TO high
bstandarh are the butchers. No matter how
low they buy cattle, sheep and calves, they
keep the prices at retail at the maximum
figures. At the present time. however. the
pounds lower for cattle than they
paid last year. In the grocery line,
at wholesale. the sugars and cof-
canned goods, dried fruits, salt fish, and.
in fact, all fancy groceries are lower this
year In dry goods the prizes Ps which were
back, and some lines Of goods are lower,
considerably, tnan one year ago.
| With druggists ard leather dealers the
range of prices varies but little from year
to year. The iron dealers and hardware
men, of course, are getting better prices
now than one year ago, owing to the sharp
advance in prices of iron and steel goods
last fall Still some of that advance has al
ready been lost. Cut and wire nails how
ever, are selling al 81 more a keg than one
year ago, and bar iron and other goods in
this line are 20 per cent. higher than last
year in February.
Said a commission man Saturday: Just cut
prices right in the middle on the articles
the commission men handle. when comparing
the present prices with those last year, and
then you will be right. Without question
nest articles which enter into daily family
consumption nave not at any time in the
r.-% IAx IN, xx-fr,t a
season as they have the present year.
VIII BE a Good Demand for Brick.
Among the building contractors the opin-
ion prevails that more brick will be used
in Indianapolis for building purposes than
last year. when sixty-five million brick went
into buildings. Justus c. Adams, of
the largest brick makers in this region, says
from what he can learn fully one hundred
million brick will go into buildings to be
erected here. He says brick extremely
low, so great is competition. and that ii will
be difficult TO get over six dollars thou
sand for the best brick Not only is there
| a very good stock of hold-over brick on
hand, but from the natural gas belt makers
are preparing. to ship in, here, and a low
Pierson says he has heard of dozen large
buildings TO be erected this year which will
require many mliiions OF nEieRs OF line une pest pest
| ninety varieties of brick to select from. The
use of brick this year is by no means to be
confined TO building purposes. Men from
| other States who have rooms in the Build
ers' Exchange will be bidders on brick for
street and alley improvements and sewers
The principal business OF the outsiders il
to furnish brick for street and alley improve
ments. II is stated that brick sell lower
in the country so great is the competition.
stone Workers Expect n Good Year
The head of the largest local firm which
quarres and dresses stone says the stone
workers look for a good year. Each year
dressed stone is coming more in use for
buildings not only at Indianapolis, but in
other cities. Last year more dressed stone
went into buildings in this city than in any
former year. and in many of the building:
10 be erected the present year stone Is Il
enter largely into their construction. The
stone yards here have the most approved
machinery for dressing stone. 1ttenbach 4
Co. have expended a large sum of money ir
| auuipping their plant and there are otb~:
| plants of this character in the city which are
well equipped. One OF the new features oil
| this line of business is that Ittenbach &
furnishing Bedford stone dressed for some
large buildings to go up in Eastern cities
| the contractors in those cities coming TO TIL
conclusion that it would be better to dres:
| the stone before shipping East and thu:
save a considerable in the cost OF
freight Ii is believed that this special fea
ture in time is to develop large bushes:
here.
West UuIfn uuIis