Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1897-08-12
IS0ME TIPS ON TRADE
FUTURE GIVES PROMISE OF GOOD
BUSINESS.
BETTER TIMES AT HAND
Failures in July Were Smallest Since
s2-Big Crop of Wheat and Prevail
ing High Prices Stimulate Business
and Indicate Season of Prosperity
Bank Clearings.

|
tour years ago, in August. 1898. Dun
Review showed failures amounting t.
over 100000, 900, while in the month
Just closed the failures were only 81.
$4,000. the smallest in any month
since 80. A statement of the failures
by classes of business for July and fol-
It months preceding shows that il
manufacturing the failures have beer
smaller than in any other month OF
the entire period, in trading, smaller
than in any other month except one
and III many branches smaller than
in most months of which records exist
The dawn of better days is at hand
Last month was the first for years OF
which the volume Of business reported
by clearing houses was larger than In
the same month of 80. and Geographic
dispatches this week from all parts OF
the country show gratifying improve
ment. This is partly due to the large
| yield of wheat and the good prices,
| though the crop is probably not as
! large nor are the prices thus far as
! high as in '92. IN cotton, however,
| probably be larger than in go. Other
| farm products are realizing good
| prices and a possible decrease in the
| yield Of corn may help to market the
! surplus brought over from last year
| The liquidation of a powerful combin-
alton in wheat brought a reaction of
cents Thursday, but a gain of IL oc-
| c1Tn9 tho dow fn11nuyinn ie Va
wrong season to expect much from in
dustries. The demand for most finished
products is steadily increasing, the
/ feature of this week being the large
pipe contracts for the Russian oil
fields, Summarize and Germany. Con-
sumption does not yet equal
the capacity of the works in operation,
and prices of iron and steel products
average slightly lower The situation,
however, is altogether more hopeful.
II. minor metals the consumption of
tin equals the receipts, so that prices
dc not change. and the visible supply
is practically the same as a month ago,
while exports of copper have been
heavy and prevent a decline of the
ldhC DIOuuCI UClON IL SCAIo' AeChAiH
ing in lead has caused only a slight de-
cline to 3S cents Sales of wool, as
comparative returns by months show,
bear little relation to the actual con-
sumption in manufaC cure, but heavy
liquidation since the new tariff bill
was enacted gives the impression that
some dealers are no longer confident
- q
prices have risen the past few weeks
nearly one cent round. Manufacture
ers are buying but little, though they
are rapidly increasing their output and
are able to obtain an advance of about
10 per cent in prices on their goods
with rapidly increasing orders. The
temporary curtailment of the output
of cotton mills continues, bat it does
not yet bring improved prices for
products, although the demand gener-
ally is gaining. The failures of the
United States for the week were 237
against 240 last year.
New York, Aug. 7.-Bradstreets
weekly trade report says that general
this week at Chicago, st. Louis and
Galveston. a feeling of confidence
that general business is to improve
early in the autumn is marked in
these cities, and purchases OF dry
goods, clothing, shoes and other sta
pies have increased heavily and are
followed by a disposition to move
rnct1,ipt a6
at Kansas City, Omaha and some
other western points early in the
week, owing to the extreme heat and
fears of damage to the Indian corn
crop, but the rains and cooler weather
have stimulated the demand again. On
the Pacific coast business is brisk. The
movement of general merchandise
throughout the country is unquestion-
ably larger than last week. Cotton
goods and wooden industries are better
off and the stagnation in iron and
steel has given way to growing in
quiry and increasing output. But
more significant still is the extraor-
binary expansion in bank clearings
tt is week. The upward tendency of
prices during the past three weeks is
again feature, wool being firmer and
higher for some varieties and cotton
yarns stronger. Shoes are no higher,
but leather and hides cost more than
week ago, as do wheat (notwith-
standing the reaction in September
options), wheat -four, pork, lard,
sugar, soft coal and tea. There is a
25 cent advance in Bessemer pig iron
at Pittsburg where makers decline
orders for future delivery at current
quotations and for iron bars and iron
and steel sheets at western centers.
Quotations for cotton and print cloths
remain practically unchanged, while
those for corn and oats are lower on
improved crop prospects. Other
| quotations which show declines are on
| coffee, petroleum, turpentine and
rosin. Exports of wheat (four in
cludeO from both coasts of the United
States and Montreal this week show
| sharp increase, amounting to $685.,
! 600 bushels, compared with 2,343 900
last week and 2,747,000 for the week
year ago. Exports of Indian corn this
week were 3.224.000 bushels compared
with 1851, 900 for similar week
year ago.
A statement compiled by Bradstreets
shows that the total bank clearings of
the principal cities of the United
States for the week were 81, al ,862,
1853, an increase Of 25.2 per cent. as
| NTH no inc