Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1897-12-17
DIDN'T HARM TRADE.
Business Not Affected by the
Opening of Congress.
INDUSTRIES SHOW IMPROVEMENT.
Exports of Cereals Continue very
Heavy Railroad Earnings In
crease-Demand for Iron and
Steel Products.
New York, Dec. 11.-R. G. Dun & Co.

New York, Dec. 11.-R. G. Dun & Co.,
in their weekly review of trade, say:
THE opening of congress, with the an.
nual message and reports, has not dis.
couraged business, as some predicted, but
all speculative markets are stronger than
a week ago. The productive industries
even in the season usually about the dull
est of the year as to new orders, meet
definite improvement in demand for i'm
port products, presumable the fruit of pre-
vailing conviction that new business will
begin to crowd the works after the new
year starts. The outward movement OF
wheat and other products continues sc
heavy that foreign exchange has fallen
three-quarters of a cent, and instead of eX-
ports of gold. which have marked Decem.
Der in recent years, imports would come
If gold were wanted Securities are ad.
vancing with reason in the increased earn.
ings of railways-s47 0s5, sol for November
on reporting roads in the United States
1873 per cent. larger than last year and 5.s
larger than in 1892. strict comparison for
five years shows that in each of the last
three months earnings have been greater
than In any previous year, with larger
increase in November than in October or
September.
The sudden rise in December wheat at
Chicago to S1.09 would do harm We're 1t
not based on avowed contracts to ship some
millions of bushels to Europe. That fact
and the continued foreign demand in spite
Of such contracts has helped rise Of IL
cents here.
Cotton is a sixteenth stronger In spite
of estimates ranging from 100000 to H.
100000 bales by well-known authorities.
strike in English mills Is no longer threat
ened, and the possibility of one at Fall
River has little weight The demand for
wooden goods has clearly improved and
more wool has just been purchased abroad
and Is being imported. While some grades
have been sold largely at prices lower
than month ago quotations are generally
maintained.
There is more demand for iron and steel
products in preparation for railway work.
bridges and buildings next year and on
contracts for export including one for q
government bridge in Holland and others
for bridges in Japan, with large shipments
Of various products to England and other
countries. Foreign contracts for 40 900 tons
of rails are pending. In and about New
York bridge and building contracts call for
25,000 tons. and Chicago works are figuring
on numerous contracts for $4,000 railway
cars. The formation of the American Steel
& Wire Co. Is expected to strengthen prices
and causes some buying.
Failures in the first week of December
were but $7,617,240: manufacturing, 1888, APO,
and trading, $1,791,570. Failures for the
week have been Sl2 in the United States,
against $50 last year, and 20 in Canada,
against 10 last year.
As Seen by Bradstreet.
Bradstreet's says:
"Mild weather throughout most of the
country has interfered to some extent with
the distribution of winter weight clothing
and other seasonable goods and trade from
first hands is quieter even than last week.
Jobbers and retailers, however, report a
steadily increasing and in some regions
very active business in holiday goods, gro-
ceries and kindred products. Reports from
the south continue, as whole, very good
with specially Favorable accounts from
New Orleans, Atlanta, Nashville and the
central south. Collections are, as rule,
generally very satisfactory In spite of the
come from Chicago, Kansas City, st. Louis
and ST. Paul. in the central west and north
west, while the Pacific coast notes a heavy
increase In trade, present and contingent,
based upon enlarged Alaskan demand San
Francisco reports the wheat crop improved
by recent rains, with conservative esti-
mates pointing to a yield Of $4,000 tons.
General export trade on the coast is very
heavy. The price situation is one Of sus-
tanned and even aggressive strength
Wheat is higher. partly on improved
statistical position, but largely in sympathy
with the Chicago squeeze, which has adj
yanced prices 10 cents per bushel in that
| market within d week. All other cereals
have sympathized with wheat, and coffee.
copper, cotton, dairy products, leaf to-
bacco and raw sugar are also among the
prominent staples which have been en-
HANGED in value. The decreases have been
few and slight, shading at Pittsburgh with
sympathetic weaknesses at other points on
| an immense production. Cereal exports
continue very large. though showing fall
ing off from last weeks heavy total