Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1897-01-23
BETTER BUSINESS IN SIGHT
Steady But Gradual Improvement
In Trade.
Many Factories are Resuming op'
erations---A Close Resemblance
20 the Conditions Before
the Revival OF 1879.

New York. Jan. 16.--R. G.. Dun q COS
Weekly Review OF Trade says touay.
The greatest growth and prosperity
,,a c,untrv had ever seen began sud
denly IN 1879. after several months OK
a,so because specie resump-
,,on had not vet brought the benehts
sxnected. Ii is not the largest ana most
powerful vessel that can be started must
ou,ck,y and IL takes time for new CON-
saenoa IN reach through easier money
markets. large orders, mllls'
expanding employment and larger ois-
,rihution to the results which make SUN
greater and lasting gain possible. Such
vradual and steady Improvement mas
been In progress for more than TWO
months. ,o,
The output of pig iron has gained lZ.3
ner cent In December and 4l.6 per cent
since October l. The output OF coke mas
increased sS.7 per cent since OCTOBER L.
Sales of wool have again become large
though not yet fully reported. money
ma rkets feel a steady increase In de-
mand for commercial and manutac1ur-
| inc loans. Additional works have gone
into operation each week In
and the working force Is larger than at
any other time for six months. Best Oh
ALI. there Is so LITTLE crazy excitement
that the gain may be ascribed TO de-
nberate Judgment of the ablest ana
most prudent RAsnu business q Is not
a time of high prices. Many VINO are
anxious to get early hold ON the market
are making for the lower prices
than they could afford 10 maintain
Some have secured orders enough lor
months TO come and begin 10 De less
keen In competition. With the increase
in output Of pig iron TO los''-o tons
weekly, against 1925 last month the
nr,ce IL a shade lower at the east ana
Chicago, but heavy purchases aireaoy
have advanced Bessemer a shade at
pIttsbure Steel bars have been re-
duced and some other f%pnished prod
ucts have been reduced, but the demand
on the whole is steadily growing. me
coke output has risen from $4,000 10 s4'-
342 tons weekly and minor metals are a
shade stronger.
Textile manufacturers are mol en-
couraged by the demand for goods
which scarcely increases, though more
print cloths were sold han Tor many
weeks. But some mode OK clearing
away the enormous surplus has become
a necessity. Lower prices are expected
in goods, and slow buying Is NOT un-
natural since cotton has fallen 1913 per
cent from September /; print cloths, Z
per cent; bleached goods, 3s to BIZ, ana
brown goods 219, 3 and 4 per cent.
Though wooden goods do not Improve.
there have been enormous purchases Oh
wool by large mills, not in the records
which cover for two weeks of January
II 10 400 pounds at the three chief mar
kets. against ll,S17, 500 last year, n TO-
S7s SIS in 1895. Some large purchases or
leather. including 10000 sides OF grain,
indicate that some shoe manufacturer
are seeing their way to more actNe
work and shipments from the east IN
January thus far are 20 per cent larger
than last wear. Hides at Chicago are
21k per cent lower
The wheat market has varied but
slightly, closing nc lower. western re-
ceipts for the week, l~,5O5,OS2 bushels
against 2.9l6, PA bushels last year, are
checked by storms n by current
prices In view OF armers' expectations.
Atlantic exports We're 1,456, 4OS bushels,
-four included as wheat, n for two
weeks, 3,4s4, 81 bushels, against 4,4S3, 100
last year. December exports were TO-
s56 SIG bushels, Atlantic, -four included,
a gain Of 2,701, 900, n 5,ll2,O1S Pacific,
a gain Of 1857, 900 bushels. Traders be-
gin to realize that enormous exports OF
corn are taking the place of wheat in
foreign consumption, and will lessen
the demand If wheat becomes dearer.
Corn took a rise of NC on a traders es-
innate, without change in conditions.
Failures for the week have been 455
In the United States, against 1895 last
year, and II in Canada, against 81 last
year.
The aggregate Of gross earnings OF all
railroads In the United States reporting
for the first week Of January Is A,1l5,-
OH, a loss Of 40 per cent, compared with
the corresponding week last year. For
December more complete returns fol
the month show gross earnings of s3S,
$50, 9l2 for the United States roads, a
loss OF 2.3 per cent, compared with De-
cember, 1895.