Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1897-02-06
PROGRESS MADE IN JANUARY
APerceptible Improvement In Trade
Noticeable.
Approach to q Material Improve
ment Slow ana Scarcely APP
parent---No Cause For
Encouragement.

New York, Jan. TO- r. G. Dun e.
Co.'S Weekly Review of Trade says to-
day:
January has been q month of disap-
polntment, but of real gain. Nearly
everybody had promised himself a land
of milk and honey after New Years
and the slow progress looks like stand
ing still to men in such a state OF mind.
Moreover. there are multitudes through
out the country who have been taking
large ventures i'm advance Of or apart
from their regular business, because
they expected a rise in prices. But
prices fail as yet TO bring them profit.
Wheat has declined severely: cotton
has scarcely risen enough to pay bro
kerage; wool old steady in spite of
enormous buying; wooden goods hard
y change in price; iron and its products
decline; leather is sluggish, hides are
tower, for some shoe manufacturers ac-
eept a shade lower prices; the average
Of railroad stocks is slightly lower than
IL was December 81, and the advance in
trust stocks has been small. To raiders
I'm such stocks the month has been dis
appointing. Yet during the past week
the record shows that ten iron works
have started, and only two have stop
ped; thirteen wooden works have start
ed, n nine more are o ready to
start. while three have stopped. SINH
lar things are seen in other industries
and the additional establishments are
not starting without some increase In
orders received.
The decline I'm wheat was over 6 cents
I'm spite Of an official report Of yield far
below estimates generally accepted,
and reflects the perception Of the error
Of the report, and also the influence Of
enormous exports OF corn instead OF
wheat--S0. 600, 900 bushels in seven
months. When two bushels Of corn
can be had for less than one bushel Of
wheat, it is largely preferred in Euro
pean markets. ~ in January 1861 27
bushels OF corn have gone abroad from
Atlantic ports, against 5,306,3 49 last
year, while Atlantic exports Of wheat
and -four have been 6,535,154 bushels,
against S,403, 16j last year. AS the great
crop OF corn prevents much advance in
its price, its outgo affects the demand
for wheat, and a heavy liquidation Of
speculation has occurred, with the
price of corn scarcely changing. Cotton
looks less attractive to traders because
American millers are laD0ring over
plans to reduce the great surplus OF
goods and prices OF many have declined.
Takings of northern spinners have
been in five months "A, 900 bales less
than last year, and 423, 900 bales less
than in lSg4-95.
Sales of wool in January have never
been surpassed in that month, nor ia
any other month except last November
and July OF 1895 and 1892. In the earlier
years sudden demand for consumption
was the cause. But the increase in or
ders for wooden goods was small in No
vember and has been small in January
compared with the purchases on antici-
paued possible duties. The price has re-
manned about steady.
Iron and steel show little gain. pro-
duction having increased so heavily
and the gradual enlargement of demand
for finished products has not overtaken
that increase. Lower prices result for
Bessemer pig. gray forge and for south
ern iron at Chicago, for angles and for
cut nails, n the average of all quota
tons is the lowest since early last year.
For sheets there is active demand and
better also for bars on account OF
much car building. Tin and copper are
a shade stronger, but competition causes
sales OF tin plates 10 TO 10 cents below
lie agreed prices.