Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1897-06-22
PICKING UP.
Dun and Bradstreet Report Hopeful
~ ON Trade Conditions.

~ ON trade conditions.
New York, June 19.-R. G. Dun & Co..
in their weekly review of trade, say:
1.-THE retarding influence of cold and un-
ssasonable weather has passed. The gain
in business in spite Of 1t was seen week
ago and has become clearer to ALL AS no
genuine Improvement ever begins with an
uplifting OF prices before the producing
force has become fairly employed, this does
not, and the buying of 900 bales Australian
wool by one Boston house and 100, 900 tons
pig iron by Wall street operator. and ad-
vancing prices for stocks are the only
proof that the actual conditions are UNDER
stood by some capable men. There is evil
dence OF gradually enlarging business in
every important department More estab-
lishments have been set at work and more
hands employed. and, while prudence still
binders speculative excuses, the progress
toward better things is unchecked. Re-
ports from the various cities this week
show very general progress and a con-
tinuing large distribution through retail
trade.
1.-THE proof is clearer. as 1t should be. in
tho industrial than in the trading field.
Contracts providing for consumption Of
900 tons iron ore have already been
made. 100000 within the past fortnight, It
Is believed, though last years contracts
only terminated about two months ago.
The speculative purchase of 100000 tons
southern pig at $5.75 clears the deck for a
larger business at better figures. and sales
at Chicago-150.000 tons-have been the
largest for Is months. Reaction after the
sudden purchase of $4,000 tons Bessemer at
Pittsburgh leaves the price $3.50 per ton,
but the heavy orders for bars there and
for 1000 tons at Chicago, mainly from i'm
plement makers, with orders for many new
buildings at the west, one of magnitude at
Philadelphia and several at New York, the
larger demand for plates and sheets, the
order for % miles Of pipe and the purchase
OF steel rails which have started the new
Joliet works with good ORDERS are far more
important than the speculation in ma
terials.
1.-THE demand for print cloths for the first
time In many months has exceeded the
weeks production and the price has risen
a shade, while prints and other grades Of
cotton goods are in slightly better de-
mand. There is more widely distributed
business in woolens than was expected.
Clothiers are buying. and. as they come
late, are In haste.
Elm produce markets the year draws
toward a close with slightly stronger prices
for corn, owing to heavy foreign buying,
| and in cotton owing to better foreign
demand, Notwithstanding more encourage
Ing crop reports. Nobody can count bales
| in June. but the outlook Is SO far favorable
| that few make large ventures against the
| yield exceeding 100000 bales. Wheat was
| hoisted nearly cents, but fell about as
week. in spite of reduced western receipts
and Atlantic exports. Reports from
winter wheat regions west of Ohio had
much influence, but still more the great
but really unknown increase OF spring
wheat acreage with exceptional prospects
thus far.
Failures for the week have been 1893 IN
| the United States, against ZIG last year, and
So in Canada. against Is last year"
| Bradstrcct's saysi
| There are encouraging features in the
general trade situation this week, the most
conspicuous of which is increased orders
| for staple goods for fall delivery in few
| lines. notably clothing, which at Chicago
Baltimore and few other centers promise
to exceed the movement of year ago. The
more cheerful feeling among manufactur.
ers of Iron and steel is based in part upon
| expectations OF revival In demand. The
repeatedly announced Improvement in iror
| and steel this week rests in addition Il
this. upon large transactions in southern
forge iron at Birmingham and increased
strength in the iron ore market, furnaoe
| and mills in Pennsylvania and Ohio bein,
fairly busy on old orders. but failing to re
| port many new ones
encouragement is also received from
the advance In raw cotton and Of one-six
tenth OF a cent on print cloths, whicl
marks q reduction from the lowest prize
| ever reached. A moderate Increase in tn,
demand for foreign woods is the speculativ,
ntcoms o. the increased probability Of a,
early settlement Of the tariff question.
Prices this week did not carry out las
weeks promise OF general advances
There are lower quotations for tea an,
coffee, -four, wheat and oats, Bessemer pil
and for steel billets. and unchanged price
are reported tor naval stores. lumber, De
troleum, pork and sugar. and In additio
to q nominal advance In anthracite coal tn
only noteworthy gains for the week ar
Il al his
at Chicago and southern pig iron at BIZ
p,tpRham." ~