The herald., 1897-10-09

checked. owing to the prolonged drought
IN Kentucky, Illinois and Kansas, and por-
tions Of Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa, Mime
sofa and the Dakotas Telegraphic ad-
vices to Bradstreets report serious dam
age in Kansas and parts of Nebraska and
Iowa, where early planted wheat is up.
budding out, that planted later is not likely
to sprout. Fall ploughing is now impos-
sible, six weeks without rain having dried
up pastures and compelled farmers to
feed stock. Manufacturing Industries
throughout the west particularly iron and
steel, continue active. and there is an in
creasing tendency on the part of interior
merchants to remit promptly. While the
volume of trade has decreased at Chicago,
1t is ahead of the like record in recent
years. There Is an improvement In busi-
ness in the south, Alabama having raised
the quarantine against Georgia cities and
Central and Northern Texas points hav-
Ing resumed commercial relations with
Galveston. Planters continue to hold
cotton, which delays collections.
Higher prices this week are reported for
cotton, which has been declining for some
timc coal and clothing In sympathy with
wool, for naval store, under heavy pur-
chases by large traders, wheat, flour and
eggs. Print cloths. lard, beef and sugar
have declined. Hides are weaker. Lead
is lower, and Bessemer pigs sold off so
cents ton under heavy speculative offer
ings, Notwithstanding iron and steel mar
kets, as a whole. remain active and firm.
Exports of wheat (f1our included as wheaD
from both coasts of the United States and
Canada this week show heavy falling off,
aggregating only 4.835, Gal bushels, against
5,S34 900 bushels last week. but compared
with 4050,O00 bushels in the week a year
ago, 1924, 900 bushels in 1895.
There are 237 business failures reported
\ t,rrl,~ VIA
compared with 1S9 last week, 291 in the
week a year ago. 274 two years ago. 2sS
three years ago, and as compared with 506
in the first week of October, 1S93
FINANCIAL REVIEW
| Bradstreet's review of the stock market
will say:
| Inactivity on the part of the public. pres
sure from bearing operators and lack of
support from the larger interests of the
| financial and speculative world have been
the principal factors in the weeks stock
market. The result has been a narrow,
and. at times. very dull speculation, with
irregular declines in the greater part of the
list though in only a few cases. notably
Chicago Gas, did the decline assume any
serious proportions. The volume of tran
sactions has fallen off in marked degree,
and no less significant is the changed char
acter of the trading itself Commission
nouseS nave Deen comparatively inactive,
and the smaller room traders have made
the market for the greater part of the
week; foreign prices are lower, however,
selling was apparent, and causing brief
and in the main unimportant rallies when
they began to cover their own shorts.
Gold importations have begun, appar-
emily without anything but natural causes
behind them, and in the opinion of the au-
thorities are likely to attain large vol
ume, and to continue at intervals for the
! remainder of the year.
Railroad earnings continue to make a
very handsome showing. those of the New
| York Central for September being the
| largest for any month in the history of the
| company.
| The rush of grain at the west is appar-
entity decreasing, but railroad officials
state tht any falling off in eastbound
traffic is compensated for by the increas-
ing volume of westbound miscellaneous
and merchandise freight.