Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1897-08-12
GENERAL TRADE.
Il Shows Most Pronounced Gains
at Several Distributing Points.
BIC EXPEDITION FOR KLOyDIKE.
A Corporation VIII Pick Out 200 Miners at
Denver. Col, and Take Them to the
Alaskan Gold Fields-lnsur-
ance War Ayerted.
NEw YORK, Aug. 7.--Bradstreet's

NEw YORK, Aug. L. Bradstreets
commercial agency says:
General trade shows most pronounced gains
this week ut Chicago, st. Louis and Galveston.
The feeling of confidence that general business
is to improve in the early autumn is marked
at these cities, AMI purchases of dry goods,
clothing, shoes and other staples have in
creased heavily, and are followed by q dispo-
sition to move prices up. Purchases were re-
stricted at Kansas City Omaha and some
other northwestern points early in the
week, owing to extreme heat ana Tears oil
damage to the Indian corn crop, but rains
and cooler weather have stimulated the de-
mand again. The movement Of general mer-
chandise throughout the country is unques-
tionably larger than last week. Cotton goods
and wooden industries are better of, and the
stagnatiOn in iron and steel has given way to
growing inquiry and increasing output But
more significant still Is the extraordinary ex-
pansion in bank clearngs this week and last
month.
The upward tendency Of prices during the
past three weeks Is again feature. wool being
frmer and higher for sonfe varieties Cotton
yarns are stronger also. as are some grades OF
cottons at the west Shoes are no higher but
leather and hides cost more than week ago.
as do wheat Notwithstanding the reaction in
September options), -four. pork, lard, Pacific
coast hops sugar, soft coal and tea There Is
as cent advance in Bessemer pig iron at Pitts
burgh, where makers decline orders for future
delivery at current quotations and for iron
bars and iron and steel sheets at western CEN
tiers. In fact, our prediction In iron and steel
has appeared.
Quotations for cotton and print cloths re-
main practically unchanged, while those for
Indian corn and oats are lower on improved
crop prospects. Other products, quotations
for which have declined are coffee petroleum.
| turpentine and rosin.
There are ga business failures reported
throughout the United States this week, COM
pared with $50 last week. 269 in week year
ago; 200 in the corresponding week Of 1895, 1877
in the like week of 1894, and IA in the first
week of August. 1889
BIG EXPEDITION FOR KLONDIKE.
New YORK, Aug. Robert Reading,
superintendent of Edwin Gould's Con-
tinental Mining Co. and graduate OF
the Columbia University School Of
Mines, left here yesterday for Klon-
dixie via Denver, to take charge OF a
mining expedition organized to work
20 claims in the richest portion Of the
gold fields. The corporation is COM
posed chiefly Of Pacific coast capital
lists. J. ?. Lippmann, Of San Francis
co, is president. At Denver Mr.. Read
ing will gather, if possible, 200 ex-
perienced miners From Denver Mr..
Reading will go direct to Portland,
where the Elder, small steamer char
tered for the purpose. will be waiting
for the party. The steamer will take
the miners to st. Michaels' and from
that point the remainder Of the voyage
to Dawson City will be made up the
Yukon river in small boats, If the
stream has not been frozen over by
that time. If it has sledges will be
the method of transportation. Mr..
Reading expects to land his party in
Dawson City not later than October 10.
INSURANCE WAR AvERTED.
CHICAGO, Aug. 7.--Twenty'eight nom
union insurance companies yesterday
signed an agreement to restrict their
agents to commissions of 10 per cent.
and by this action averted what might
have proved disastrous rate war. The
meeting at the Auditorium was at
tended by representatives of about 70
per cent. OF the non-union companies
doing a general agency business After
d short discussion, preamble and reso-
buttons We're adopted by an almost
unanimous vote, expressing the agree
ment given above.