Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1897-08-19
Business Revival.

pie, regardless Of politics. will gladly
welcome a return of old fashioned
prosperity. We may differ rs to the
causes that bring prosperity again,
but we should all agree In aiding its
return and giving it II hearty welcome.
That prosperity in business can re-
turn in day or in few weeks is not
expected by thinking people. 1t will
take time to restore confidence, to
again open the avenues of trade which
have been closed, to get the mills start
ed, to again start the manufactured
goods in the market channels they
once followed. But all this is coming.
Prices are gaining, the volume of bust
ness is increasing, the people of the
country are obtaining employment
and all this is helping the market for
the farm products of this western
country. Concerning the facts as to
increasing business we quote from
Dunn s. Co.'S last Saturdays weekly
review of trade:
Every city reporting this week notes
all increase i'll trade and nearly all
bright crop prospects. The strong rise
ill stocks, the growth of bank clear
ings and railroad earnings, the heavy
speculation in many products, but
most of all in wheat, have made the
week one of surprising interest, even
20
ward rush in 1879. At the principal
clearing houses throughout the coun-
try payments i'll July were, for the
first time, slightly larger than 1892. and
II per cent larger than last year, III the
first week of August III per cent larger
than in 1892, and 2S4 per cent larger
than last year, and in the second week
in August they were 179 per cent
larger than 1892 and 1871 per cent
larger than last year.
The volume of business greater than
for years, even than in the correspond
ing week in 1892 Remember these
trade journals are not political. They
simply reflect business conditions.
Now read what Bradstreets said last
Saturday:
Evidences of widespread revival i'll
demand for merchandise and produce
have become 80 numerous as to COM
pei general recognition. The press
has therefor ceased discussing whether
trade has really improved or not, and
have begun measuring the volume of
business compared with preceding per-
iods. A buoyancy of feeling has APP
peared among buyers and sellers at
New York, Baltimore, Chicago, st.
Louis and Kansas City, where interior
merchants have thronged this week,
the like of which have not been seen
for several years. Interior merchants
are buying dry goods, clothing, shoes,
groceries, and fancy articles far more
freely than at any time since 1892.
Crop conditions have improved ut the
south and southwest, and merchants
there are encouraged. Southern lum-
Der mills are not able to keep up with
orders, ard innumerable small con-
Sumers of iron and steel throughout
the central and western states are buy
ing raw material as they have not in
years. A nominal advance of 70 cents
a ton for steel billets is more than a
feature, as it means the confidence of
makers in an early REVIVAL of the de-
mand for irOl and steel, which has so
long delayed.
These statements make very inter
esting reading just now. If the iron
and steel industries can be revived,
many of the great industries that
are wholly or partly dependent on
them, will be very greatly benefited,
and especially Will the demand for
agricultural products be aided.
Division freight agent of the Rock
Island road, q. J. Phillips, of Des
Moines, said to Capital reporter Sat
urday:
We are having Il very healthy and
steady business. 1t reminds US very
much of the good old days of '92. This
increase in business is not confined to
any one place or locality, but all the
towns along the line of our road are
receiving and shipping out more
freight. One thing that is particularly
noticeable is the increased lumber
uuSlucoo. Lie luuuol ydIuo Ou Jul
road have bought and shipped in more
lumber in the last ninety days than
there has been shipped in any one year
since '93. There is quite free move.
ment of grain, and when the markets
are such that the farmer can get &c
cents bushel for his corn there will
be an immense movement. We now
have business enough to keep oul
equipment employed, large portion
of which has been idle for 80 per cent
of the time for several years past
Within the last thirty days we have
re-employed great many of the ole
men that were laid off on account Of
slack business, among them track meI
station helpers and others. We hav,
been compelled to open up q grea
many night telegraph Offices along tn,
line of road, which are necessary TO
the prompt handling of the increase,
traffic. Extra train crews have beef
added to the train force, which mean
that the conductors who had to q
back to breaking few years ago ar