Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1897-08-27
IT GROWS.
No Apparent Check to Confidence
in the Future.
TRADE REPORTS ARE ENCOURAGING
Improvement Uniform In All Sections
Great Gain for Agricultural
Products Strike the Only
Hindrnnce to Industrlcs.

New York, Aug. 21.-R. G Dun & Co.
in their weekly review of trade say:
mot for several years have the tele-
graphic reports from various cities in all
parts of the country been as encouraging
| 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 rot
sufficiently supported to have much in
fuence. The only temporary hindrance
is the strike of bituminous coal miners.
which interferes as yet little with indus
tries, and seems likely to terminate within
week. The demand for money improves.
taking from New York to the interior
| about $sO0, 900 more than was received dur
ing the week. and offerings Of CONNER
cial loans are much larger, including con-
siderable iron and steel paper, and the
course Of foreign exchange Is generally
Interpreted as an Indication that specie
imports cannot be long delayed
Great Gain for Grain.
1.-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 may soon be marketed un-
| less the crop turns out better than many
| now expect. Cotton declined Il cent, be-
cause of an estimate promising the largest
| crop ever grown, but the goods market
is decidedly improving. and some of the
| large mills, after few weeks OF suspen-
| sion, have resumed work. Other farm
products are doing well also, but wheat has
| advanced about 1las cents for the week
| on actual transactions, with heavy pur-
1 chases for export. The official estimate
| of yield is entirely disregarded except as
| an admission that the crop will be larger
| than that of last year, and 1t Is commonly
assumed that the yield will be $4,000 0UO
| bushels or more, though recent reports OF
| injury Indicating the possibility of some
| what smaller outcome have helped the adj
vance in prices 1t Is well to notice that
corn exports continue moro than double
last years, also in three weeks S.5l66aA
bushels. against 4,119.2l last year.
| Iron and Steel.
1.-THE iron and steel industry Is pushing
| forward In spite of the still unsettled strike
of bituminous coal miners, and the enor-
nous purchases Of ore at Cleveland, ana
also of billets at Pittsburgh, show the ut
most confidence In the future. Many adj
ditional establishments have begun work
during the week, and, while no material
change in prices has occurred. the reports
indicate fewer concessions to secure bust
ness and q much steadier tone. The de-
mand for finished products has decidedly
improved. especially in plates, sheets and
bars, and in railway supplies, particularly
| in car axles. The sales of ore at Cleveland
| have amounted in two weeks to 100000 or
100000 tons, and of billet sales reported at
Pittsburgh have been in three weeks about
100000 tons.
The old difficulty remains in the boot
and shoe industry. dealers being un-
willing to buy largely at the prices which
manufacturers now ask, though during the
slight advance on calf boots. The market
for hides at Chicago Is again much
stronger, prices having advanced with very
narrow transactions, and buyers are hold
ing off in the belief that prices have
reached the top. In the wooden business
Der of establishments at work. and the de-
mand for goods has much increased.
Failures for the week have been 223 In
the, United States. against 2so last year
and 80 in Canada, against n last year"
As Seen by Bradstreet.
Bradstreet's says:
special kilograms from trade centers
throughout the country emphasize the
growing prosperity of the farmer, due tc
higher prices for almost all agricultural
produce still in his hands, and point to q
continuation of the demand which has
been conspicuous within the past few
weeks. The volume Of trade continues
to increase and prices are hardening. Nc
such volume of business. largely In an.
tcpation of requirements, has oeen re.
ported since 1892 Larger transactions have
been in dry goods. clothing and shoes. and
south and west in wagons and farm i'm
Elements. Another very favorable banl
clearings report is found in the total. ST..
Ia, 600. 900, this week, which, while 1t Il
per cent. less than last week, is 40 pei
cent. larger than in the third week of Au
gust. 1896: 26 per cent. heavier than ir
1895: 40 per cent. larger than in 1894. anc
fully IS per cent larger than In the like
week of 1893. when clearings totals were
reduced to very low figures.
Compared with the like period of 1892
year of large volume of business, thi:
weeks totals show a gain Of 13 per cent
Among SO Of the cities reporting large
bank clearings. only II show decrease
this week compared with the correspond
ing period last year. Bank clearings al
other cities than New York are II pei
cent larger this week than in the like
week q year ago, but at New York tn,
increase is Sc per cent.
prices for staples continue the favora
BILE movement of the past few weeks, with
advances for wheat flour, wheat. new
pork, butter. eggs. cheese, corn and oats
Hides are also firmer and higher. Ginghams
have advanced u cent. while the cottor
mills are starting up, and jobbers in wool
en- goods are getting higher prices fol
spring delivery. There has been large
number of assumptions among iron anc
steel concerns this week; Bessemer pif
Is Is cents higher and the outlook Is fol
Improvement. Sugar. cotton, print cloths
wool and petroleum are firm and I'M
changed. while coffee. almost alone among
the staples, Is lower than last week.
Exports Of wheat (flour included q!
wheaD from both coasts of the United
States and Montreal this week are thu
largest in any one week since September
1898, amounting to 5.2lS,0OO bushels this
week, as compared with 100000 bushels
last week. 2.29l.OOO bushels in the week
year ago, 2,3S9,0OO bushels two years ago
S.lS2,0OO bushels three years ago. and a:
. contrasted with 100000 bushels In the
corresponding week Of 1881
King of Siam VIII Not Visit Unite,