The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-08-21
MINERS STRIKE CONSIDERED
ONLY TEMPORARY.
AGRICULTURE, GREATEST GAMER.
Failures Fall OFF SmartIy- Iron and Steel In
dustry is Pushing Forward Many Ad-
dtiona Establishments Have Begun
Work Big Grain Exports.

throughout the county, emphasize the
growing prosperity of the farmer, due
to higher prices for almost all agricul-
tural product still in his hands and point
TO continuation of the demand which
has been conspicuous within the past
few weeks. The volume of trade con-
tinues to increase and prices are hard
ening.
No such volume of business largely in
anticipation of requirements, has been
reported since 1892 Larger transac-
tons have been in dry goods, clothing and
shoes and south and west. in wagons and
farm implements.
Another very favorable bank clear
ings report is found in the total, 81, no..
100000 this week. which, while it is l
per cent less than last week, is 40 per
cent larger than in the third week of
August 1896; % per cent heavier than
in 1895: 40 per cent larger than in 1894
and fully 80 per cent larger than in the
like week of 1898. when clearings totals
were reduced to very low figures Com
pared with the like period in 1892 a
yeaI of large volume of business, this
weeks totals show gain of 13 per
cent: among Sc of the cities reporting
larger bank clearings, only IL show de-
creases this week compared with the
corresponding period last year. Bank
cearings at other cities than New York
are IL per cent larger this week than
in the like week a wear ago, but at New
York the increase is sc per cent.
Prices for staples continue the favora-
hlSa oxr,T % 6n fnx
with advances for wheat flour.
new pork. butter eggs. cheese. corn and
oats. Hides are also frmer and higher.
Ginghams have advanced a cent while
the cotton mills are starting up and job
bers in wooden goods are getting higher
prices for spring delivery. There have
been a large number of assumptions
among iron and steel concerns this week;
Bessemer pig is % cents higher and the
outlook is for improvement. Sugar, cot
ton. print cloths. wool and petroleum are
firm and unchanged. while coffee. almost
alone among the staples, is lower than
last week.
Exports Of wheat flour included as
wheat from both coasts of the United
States and Montreal this week are the
largest in any week since September,
1893, amounting to 5.21S.000 bushels
this week as compared with 4,46O.000
bushels last week, 1891. 900 bushels in
the week a year ago, 2.239,000 bushels
two years ago. 3,1S2,000 bushels three
years ago, and as cOntrasted with H.,
100000 bushels in the corresponding
week of 1898.
Exports of Indian corn this week are
also exceptionally heavy, the largest since
the third week in April this year, a.
mounting to 3.929,035 bushels. as COM
pared with 3,275,000 bushels last week.
! 2,169000 bushels in the week year
ago, 1,195,000 bushels two years ago.
! 105 900 bushels three years ago, and as
contrasted with $4,000 bushels in the
| like week of 1893.
There are 221 business failures report
ed throughout the United States this
week against 214 last week, 264 year
ago, 1872 two years, 251 three years ago
and as contrasted with 456 in the third
week of August, 1898.
DUN & CO.'S REVIEW.
New York, Aug. OR. G. Dun & Co.
! in their weekly review of trade tomorrow
will say:
| Not for several years have the tele-
graphic reports from various cities in all
parts of the country been as encOura ging
or shown as uniform improvement as this
week. The markets are called crazy by
some, but fairly represent the people
whose confidence in the future is strong
and increasing. Nothing appears to check
it. Rumors of injury to crops are not suf-
iciently supported to have much infu-
Ience. The one temporary hindrance is the
strike of the bituminous coal miners,
which interferes as yet little with indus
tries, and seems likely to terminate with
in a week. The demand for money i'm
proves, taking from New York to the in
terror about half a million more than
was received during the week, and offer
ings of commercial loans are much larger
including considerable iron and steel pa
Iper, and the cause of foreign exchange
is generally interpreted as an indication
that specie imports cannot be long de-
Ilayed.
The greatest gain has been for agricul-
ture. Corn has advanced little in price.
but is moving very largely, so that the
last years surplus crop may soon be
marketed, unless the new crop turns ont
lbeCter imam many now expect. Cotton de-
clined an eighth because of an estimate
promising the largest crop ever grown,
but the goods market is decidedly i'm
proving, and some of the large mills, after
a few weeks of suspension, have resumed
work. Other farm products are doing we'll
also but wheat has advanced about 113s
cents for the week on actual transactions,
with heavy purchases for export The Of
fetal estimate of yield is entirely disre-
garded except as an admission that the
crop will be larger than that of last
year, and it is commonly assumed that
the yield will be 550,O00,O0O bushels, or
more, though recent reports of injury, in
dicating the possibility of a somewhat
smaller outcome, have helped the adj
vances in prices. Western receipts for
the week were 3,844,554 bushels, against