Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1897-02-06
PROGRESS MADE IN JANUARY
A Perceptible Improvement In Trade
Noticeable.
Approach to a Material Improve.
mept Slow ana Scarcely APP
parent---No Cause For
Encouragement.

New York, Jan. 3d. r. q. Dunn &
cos Weekly Review of Trade says to-
day:
January has been o month OF disap-
pointment. but of real gain. Nearly
everybody had promised himself a land
Of milk and honey after New Years
and the slow progress looks like stand
ing still to men in such a state Of mind.
Moreover, there are multitudes through
out the country who have been taking
large ventures in advance Of or apart
from their regular business, because
they expected a rise in prices. But
prices fail as yet to bring them proht.
Wheat has declined severely; cotton
has scarcely risen enough to pay bro
kerage; wool holds steady in spite OF
buying; wooden goods hard
y change in price; iron and its products
decline. leather is sluggish. hides are
tower, for some shoe manufacturers ac-
cept a shade lower prices; the average
IF railroad stocks is slightly lower than
il was December 81, and the advance in
trust stocks has been small. TO traders
i'm such stocks The month has been dis
appointing. Yet during the past week
the record shows that ten iron works
have started, and only two have STOP
ped; thirteen wooden works have start
ed, and nine more are . ready I"
start, while three have stopped. SINH
lar things are seen in other Industries
and the additional establishments are
not starting without some increase In
orders received.
The decline in wheat was over 6 cents
IN spite Of an official report of yield far
below estimates generally accepted,
and reflects the perception Of the error
OF the report, and also the influence OF
enormous exports OF corn instead of
wheat--S0, 600. 900 bushels in seven
months. When two bushels of corn
can be had for less than one bushel of
wheat, 1t is largely preferred in Euro
pear markets. and in January 7,S59,l27
bushels OF corn have gone abroad from
Atlantic ports, against 5.3O6, 349 last
year. while Atlantic exports of wheat
and nour have been 6,535,1 1874 bushels,
against S,403, 80 last year. AS the great
crop of corn prevents much advance in
its price, It's outgo affects the demand
for wheat, and a heavy liquidation Of
speculation has occurred, with the
price Of corn scarcely changing. Cotton
looks less attractive to traders because
American millers are laDorinS over
plans 10 reduce the great surplus OF
goods and prices OF many have declined.
Takings of northern spinners have
been I'm five months $4,000 bales less
thar last year, and $4,000 bales less
than In lS94-95.
Sales Of wool in January have never
been surpassed in that month, nor in
any other month except last November
and July Of 1895 and 1892. In the earlier
years sudden demand for consumption
was The cause. But the increase in or
ders for wooden goods was small in No
vember and has been small in January
compared with the purchases on antici-
pa ted possible duties. The price has re-
NAMED about steady.
Iron and steel show little gain, pro-
ductiun having increased so heavily
and the gradual enlargement Of demand
for finished products has not overtaken
that increase. Lower prices result for
Besspmer pig. gray forge and for south
ern iron at Chicago, for angles and for
cut nails. and the average of all quota
lions Is The lowest since early last year.
FO. sheets there is active demand and
better also for bars on account OF
much car building. Tin and copper are
a shade stronger, but competition causes
sales Of tin plates 10 to - cents below
tIe agreed prices.