The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1897-10-06
BUSINESS INCREASING.
Industries are Rsplsnishing Stocks and
Employing More Men.

Industries are nsplenishing Stocks and
Employing More Hen.
r. q. Dun & Co.'S weekly review Of
trade reports:
The failures during the third quarter
OF 1897 were 2.90s. with liabilities Of
S2s, ,s63, ,261, of which 20 were In banking
for $2.3S7,0 ,069. Commercial failures,
2,s74, with liabilities Of S26, SIC, 1872, aver
age only $S,899 each, lower than in any
quarter for 20 years. The amount OF
defaulted liabilities is the smallest In
any quarter for five years, and in is
years only six quarters have shown
smaller liabilities. Manufacturing fall
ures. 651. with liabilities Of S9,4s1 ,191,
average but $14,4S7 each, and trading
2,161. with liabilities OF s12,s26. .0e5, aver
age but $5,927 each, both smaller In
average of liabilities than In any pre-
vious year Of which classified records
exist.
The volume of legitimate business
continues little larger than in the
same month of 1892, for while the
great increase of 27.4 per cent. at New
York for the week might be supposed
due to speculative activity. in spite of
the establishment and growth of the
stock exchange clearing house, yet
payments through the principal clear
ing houses outside of New York ex-
ceeded those of 1892 by 3.5 per cent.
for the week, and 20 per cent. for Sep
tember.
Speculation in wheat and cotton had
been set back by bright crop pros
poets. The wheat estimates of 500,000.-
900 bushels mere than would be re-
quired for food and seed, leaving the
smallest stock for six years without
replenishment. were followed by de-
crease In foreign buying, and caused
weakness.
T,,,n,,,. ero,., .xaa,,,o.,,,o ,,,orl,ax- 80
| productive industry. the change in
tone is striking. All industries are
pushed to increased working force,
with occasional rise In rate of wages,
by the growing demand. This Is large
| ly for replenishment of stocks, but dis
| patches show that retail trade at near
| ly all Northern points continues to
| expand, and dealers well know that
increase of working force and Of
wages ensures a larger distribution OF
| goods.
The advance in cotton goods has
| been checked by the decline in mate
| rial, but in woolen goods the advance In
prices has been small, compared with
| the rise in wool, which Is helped by
| stronger prices at London sales.
Slower to gain. because less affected
| by replenishment of dealers stocks
than other industries. the iron manu-
| facture has been pushed to further ex-
| pansion by growing demand for nm
ished products, which has caused q
| little further advance In prices, while
| pig iron Is also higher, rs cents for
Bessemer at Pittsburg, with purchases
| of 10000 tons by one concern. and as
| much higher for anthracite No. at
the East, with No. advanced by the
association to s10.50. and Southern No.
2 no longer offered below $S at Biz
mingham. The average advance In
| all iron and steel prices, 80 per cent.
| from the lowest point, is still restrict
| ed by addition of many furnaces, and
other works of those In operation.
Failures for the week have been 194
| In the United States. against 299 last
year. and "a in Canada, against 46 last