Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1897-11-18
FAILURES INCREASE
MORE THIS WEEK THAN FOR A
LIKE PERIOD LAST YEAR.
OTHER CONDITIONS BETTER
Foreign Shortage in Wheat 80 Great
as to Make a Market for All uur
Surplus Power of the
People Gradually Inc1 casing
Quarantine Causes Shrinkage.

! New York, Nov. 13.-R. G. Dun &.
| stormy weather, so long needed to
| accelerate the distribution of winter
| goods, has materially helped in
! some quarters and d resulting i'm
! provement in the retail trade is men
| toned in nearly every northern dis
patch Of the week. Orders to fill
! stocks are encouraging and in some
branches a multitude of demands for
| immediate delivery show that the dis
tributiOn to consumers has already
gone much beyond the expectation of
dealers. But TINS is not yet the gen.
eral rule and, with many Goa plants
of delayed trade from other quarters,
there still remains an extensive
shrinkage caused by the fever
and quarantine at the souCn.
It is therefore more surpris-
! ing that the volume of pay
ments through the clearing house
continues about as large as in 1892
and 1877 per cent larger than last
year Railroad earnings are also
nearly equal to those of 1892 for the
first ween in November, and half the
mileage in the United States shows
earnings in October of 0,354, 496 or
so per cent. larger than last year and
% per cent. larger than in 1892.
Speculative markets feel the disap-
pointment because prices do not rise
farther and faster, but it is fortunate
for producers and dealers that the
experience of some of the past years
in that respect has not been repeated.
There is nothing to cause a genera
reaction. The purchasing power of
the people is gradually increasing and,
after the lull which follows the extern
sive replenishment of stocks, trade
should give ample evidence of an in
crease. The output of the iron fur
naces Nov. l was 213, 900 tons, weekly
against 100000 Oct. 1, a gain of 6.1
per cent. and unsold stocks de-
creased $4,000 tons in October, indi-
eating a larger consumption in
manufactures than ever before. The
enormous output causes but a slight
decline in bessemer pig to $10.25 at
Pittsburg, with no decline in other
pig there, at the east or in Chicago,
and no fall in prices of finished pro-
ducts except a shade in angles. While
most Of the works have orders Tor
the rest of the year, and in sheets and
some other branches are far behind
in deliveries, new orders are few,
The wooden mills generally have Or
ders for three months ahead and are
not seeking further engagements.
The decline in cotton and the slow
demand for goods, led the cotton
production and a further reduction
is in progress on some goods. Wheat
dropped over two cents but has since
risen as much, with heavy buying for
export. Western receipts continue
heavy-in two weeks 4,029,0 900 BUSH
els against 1851 900 last year; while
Atlantic exports have been 6,522,000
bushels against 3,921,0O0 last year.
An English authority reckons the
worlds yield at, 161, 100000 bushels
less than last year, which would
mean a market for all this country
has to spare. Corn exports are again
larger than last year and the price
has risen 15s cents. Later prices in
meats do not indicate that the farm
ers have as yet much induccment to
save corn for feeding. The failures
in the United States for the week
were POI against 276 last year
Bradstreet's says that the exports
of wheat from both coasts of the
United States this week were 5,445,-
600 bushels compared with 1864, 900
for the corresponding week a year
ago. Exports of Indian corn were
2,652,000 bushels against 3,7S2,Ovv a
year ago.