The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-07
FALL TRADE SIGNS BRIGHT.
rycoURAGTNG REPORTS COME FROM
EVERY STATE.
A., or 4. Merchants All hut lOs say Trade
n. GOOD ana More Thar q Quarter That n
IA very Good--stores Are Being Extended
.,d wsrL 10 BsinE Found for Moro Persona.

d. IA 1000 anu hbAh - = hh1N ~
4, very Gooa-stores Are Being Extended
.,d work ls BEING Found FOR Moro Psrsons.
Ansvcrs from 1910 merchants scattered
,,rouehout tho country, in every State and
T,rritory except Alaska, to questions as to the
~. and condition OF their stocks and as to the
.rs,ness prospects in their noighborhoods, fur
.,,h one OF tho most encouraging and ~satisfac-
,oyy evidences yet ELECTED Of the prosperity that
-. como and is coming. These answers have
h,,n received by the Dry Goods Econonist in
,,ply to postal cards sent to a number of its
.ubecrihcrs, and arc to appear In to-day's issue
A that paper. From advance sheets THE
any makes extracts showing how gencr-
aIiy s%anguine are the proprietors Of i'm
nortant businesses all over tho land who
are In close touch with consumers. Aside
fron, giving the requested information about
their stocks. which is of interest chiefly to tho
trade, 1897 of tho 1,610 merchants expressed
themselves definitely rs to the outlook in
their territory; only ID lodged that question. OF
these 1,597 business mon only lot had q gloomy
word to say. These 1o7 discouraged men in
clude tho men who say that business Is not so
rood as last year or that it is poor. On the
other hand, 42l say that business Is fair, 595
that It Is good, and 400 that 1t 10 very good.
| Considering the conservatism Of business men,
y Especially after an extended period Of hard
4 lines, Wnen mUTO IMAM GOV por Cont. U Top-
resentative aggregate report distinctly over
their signatures that business 10 very good, the
fact speaks loudly.
The responses practically all having been re-
ceived between July "a and Aug. 4, tho condi-
lions which they reflect are obviously the
~reigning conditions. The Dry Goods Economist
prints with the replies the names and ad-
dresses of the writer's, and announces that the
postal cards may be examined by any Wholesale
merchants and manufacturer who care to
call al the Office Of the paper. The number Of
replies from one State or Territory ranges from
1 up to 95 for Indiana, 90 for Illinois, 143 for
Ohio, 1853 for New York, and 100 for Pernsylva-
MIA. Not all the merchants contented themselves
with comparing present conditions with those Of
last year, or with mere declarative statements.
Some wrote that business 10 better than 1t has
been In three years, some than in Ave years, ono
man than In seven years. A Marylander said
that the business Of his firm for the first six
months of 1897 was % per cent. better than that
Of the first half Of 1896. Another Marylander
said his July had boon better than June, and
better than July Of last year.
As an instance Of the conservative habit of ex-
preston Of these merchants. one who only said
that business was fair wrote: W have added
another building since last summer. We are
taking still another building and expect to
DO tho largest business since we opened
here" That was from the city Of Washington.
Even from Kansas ono firm wrote: Expect
the biggest trade for three years."
VIII be an improvement over the past three
years a. Eve Is to three" wrote . Connecticut
arm.
An Alabaman said: Local Improvement
augur an increased population and trade;" and
from Florida came tho word: Prospects fol
fall are good. as there is more building undel
way now than for the past two yeare.'
Expect an increase Of 10 per cent. over last
It is remarked that these men are not indi
vidually voicing their opinions Of what the STATE
Of the country is to be, but each Is speaking o.
his own business expectations, SO that, colec
lively, their judgments are OF the greater value
as an index Of actual conditions.
In Arizona q firm Is Just preparing for its frs
winter season and reports 4 promising outlook
From Georgia thirteen replies record the pros
f RsiGta and nd o oeiry ono sSoa as lG no. enco as sSGa; e'f fhir T.
twsnt ,ll,hois s sSir very ssv good nat A. wss nti sbsns G 1os
sssa' iweirs not asi roo ss'e Only Hot two Dst from 'n Indians ans
thirteen fair fortytwo good. and twenty Yer,
! II q, California .nn''.. ssy every atn s,h is bright 5Ss n4os aecordi i 4
and one says better Than last year. .ou
volume ot business is larger than las. yea,
tions. better. cash income greater. and W,
look for n good business the balance OF the year;
taha s bHsin Ss men Of last sass year, %o an edp q third re ao aon
trade prospects for the coming fall are the bes
Our stock is in better condition than eve
before; prospects are very encouraging; we lool
for q hne trade" Is one message from Ken
that make for lair prospects there: The whsa
crop Of this country Is worth 500, 600 NOR
A cautious Louisiana man writes: = The boun
titul crop should augur a good trade. althougl
uRWsp ripePs fro lno Maine II g s see'D Dot 9 jpbiiSnt, but onl:
one speaks of the prospect as poor. He says
"Wedid not feel the hard times AS soon. as some
ment." Five replies from Maine say that. tn
prospects are very good; four. good; four. fair
"We arc charging our store again and will g
tothe markets with plenty OF courage write
THE outlook is very fiattering." a Michiga;
PROSPECTS were never better" comes from
Prospects especeiient." a Missouri compan
writes; " railroad shops working full time 70
a New Hampshire firm wrote: I'VE thin
~, .sie.p rIsSs sIsDS good ss :om MS have VIII in Iast vsar' ou
We are almost positive that we win have
5000 trade this fall says a New Mexico firm;
arc I pFeasr Sn9T for a a % heaTy Fall m basiness, come w
fr9ni u Colorado firm.
Idaho says the prospect is unusually goot
better than for four years past. and a write
thinks the prospect for the trade OF the comm
iail better Than Tor the last four years in tina
Prospects very good; all things tend higher.
eolles IRON Iowa.
These sentiments come from up in New Yor
etAtt: prospects, fair and u decided improv'
!aent over last year. Prospects very good. q
there are more people at work here. We arc r
eelving mostly large bills to change for pu
shases madeia good sign Prospects arc yer
food indeed"
Three OF the writer's from North Carolina O.
press themselves as follows: Prospects in tn
locality are very bright and encouraging
two DsGissdly more nor. f9vofab is than for the pa q
expect to be somewhat more liberal buyers.
Prospects are reported promising In Sou
Carolina; fair to good in South Dakota.
w,prospects are the very best. one writer fro
wisconsin says. and another says: Our facto
los As q whole are running better than they ha'
Farmer have more money, and our shol
are working, full, time against. three-quart'
Tune In 1896" is the word from Vermont.
West Virginia firm reports that Its trat
1ss been from 5 to 10 per cent. better since Jul
Imam 1t was in the spring.
Prospects are the best since 1892 comes
one reply from the State of Washington, and
ahother: Only the most untoward conditiol
chn prevent rich returns from the CrOpS. Co