Phoenix weekly herald., 1897-10-21
THE STATE OF TRADE.
Summary by Breds,reets.

DistFibu5i 5ion Of general msrchandis
 in the central west and north vest i
 further checked, owing to the prolong
 sd drought in Kentucky. Iiiuois, Ksa
 sss, portions of Missouri, Nebraaks Iowa, Minnesota and Dako5es. Tsls-
 graphic advicas to Brtdstreets repor1 serious damage in k 3nsas and psrts ot | Nebraska and lowe, wnere sarly plant
 ed wheat is up but dying ou5. snd that
 so be planted will reed rain to aueble ii l to sprout. Fall blowing is impossible st present and eix wesks without Fsiu have dried up pastures and compelled 1 farmers to feed stock. Industries
 throughout the central west, particu- lsrly iron and steel, sinue sc5ivs,gnd
 there is an increased tendency on the part of interior merchants to remit
 promptly. While she volume of trade l has decreased St Chicago i5 IS ahead of the like record in Tecent years.
 Thefe is 6 moderate improvement in business in the south, Alabama having
 raised the qusraasine against Georgia cities and central and northern Texas
 points having resumed com mmercieI re- iations with Galveston. There Is little if any improvement iu Mississippi or Louisiana, where wholesale business is sb 8 standstiu. Planters continue to hold cotton, winch dalsys collections.
 BrGdetreet's prices index number, based on the cost Of one pound of ninety-eighs staple articles amounting to ,151 On October l, against 77,9Ol September 1 this year and compared with 67,182 July 1, 1896, tho lowest point reached sinos the panic of 1893. phe present level Is, thsFefore, about where it wss ca January 1, 1894, when index number wss 0,38l snd only about ' per cent. less 6han on July l, 1893, be- fore there had been any material de- cline in quotations due 50 the panic then under way.
 Higher prices this wesk ara reported for cotton, which has been dscliuing for soma tims; coal and clothing in sym psthy with wool. Butter and potatoes have declined again, s have prinscloths, lard, beef and sugar. Hides are weak ST, lead is lower and Bssssmer pig iron has sold of 5Oc. E ton under heavy speculative offerings, notwithstanding the iron and steel markets & a whole remain active and firm.
 BrGdstreet's reports of the worlds supply Of available wheat October l show total of g 159,OOO bushels, 23,- 45000 bushels less than year ago, B. 631 ,O00 bushels less thsn two years ago, and still heavier falling off compared with the stocks heId on O3sobsr !, 1894, snd in 1893.
 Thsre are 237 business failures re- ported throughon5 She United States this week, compared with 169 Iesb wesk, 291 iu the week q year ago, 274 two years sgo, 238 three years ago, and as compared with 4O6 in the first week in October, 1893
 Gross railway earnings for Ssptsmbe are very satisfactory. The total receipts of sixby-four of she leading systems ag- gregate $39, 1000, 8 gain over Septem- Der last year of nearly 14 per cent.
 Banksclearings throughout the United States this week are among the heavi- est on record, eggrogating S1, ,399, ,OOO,O 900 a gain of II psF cent over lass week, of B per cent over last year, Of 9 per cent over the week in 1895, of 50 per cent over 1894 and 55 per ceua ever 1893, 1 which marked approximately low water in bank clesrings.
 Exports of whest -four included ss wheat) from both coasts Of the United Sbatss srd from Canada this week show heavy falling of, aggregsbiug only 1885 641 bushels, against 5.834, 4,O0O bushels Iass week, bat compared with i, ,O50. 900 bushels in bhe week a year ego. i Corn exports also show 2 heavy drop, 1 aggregssing only 2,1O900O buehels, against 3, ,1O8 GOO bushels lest week, g. 772, ,000 bushels in the week year ago.
 Ifregularity aad lower prices under sbssncs Of public buying OF professional suppora have been the characteristics of the New York speculative stock market. A decided break in Chicago Gas 7sas the only feature. The pu olio stands alooE, and London has been puFch esar at 6a clines only to cover shorts. As the end of the week professional trading ia more bullish on the fact shab over S5, ,80O,O0O gold, is in transit from Earope
 RuokIeE,s arp,c- si.I~a