Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-02-13
BRADSTREET'S REPORT.
More Favorable Than for Months.
Business Prospects Brighten.
Large Sales Of Steel Rails and Print Cloths
Other Good Points.

New York, Feb. 12.-Bradstreets. Sat
urday. will say: The more favorable
features Of the business week include
the sales OF 800, 900 tons Of steel rails on
the collapse OF the pool which prom
Uses work for the mills for months TO
come: the advance In prices OF print
cloths following the sale of 150,0OO
pieces from the accumulated stocks;
and the starting up'of number OF inn
portant metal and other industrial es-
Establishments throughout the Eastern
and Middle states.
The recent reduction in the price OF
! steel billets of IS a ton, while rails were
reduced only 50. fOreshadowed another
cut in rail prices CIR the breaking up Of
the pool. The latter finds prices from
/ IS to 80 lower than last week. One ef-
feet will be to stimulate the exports OF
rails. the demand for domestic bes-
semer pig iron and ore and the con-
sumption of iron and steel generally
There is moderate increase in the de-
mand for pig iron at PittsburG. and
purchases have been made by st. Louis
stove makers.
Considerable activity is reported in
hemlock leather for which the price
IL higher. and American purchases of
wool al the late London sale amount
Ia $4,000 bales. the heaviest total a.
any one such sale since there has been
speculative buying there by Americans
prior to the going into effect OF the
Mckinley tariff.
Memphis reports revived interest in
shoes and clothing. and Birmingham
iv,cr in ftf la
as the spring approaches Louisville
collections have Improved, and orders
for spring goods at ST. Louis have in
creased. Chicago dry goods jobbers
report only a moderate gain. At St
Paul the sales of dry goods. shoes.
groceries. hardware. drugs and mill
linery are the most encouraging for
any week thus far this year.
At most other places among the i'm
portant Western and central Western
I'cities trade remains quiet and un
changed. with little prospect for an
early improvement. Omaha reports
business duh. and Galveston. where
the distribution of merchandise is fair
ly active. the reverse is now true
Trade is dun and unsatisfactory at
Cleveland. and Charleston advises that
| collections are falling behind.
The movement of prices IS. on the
whole. favorable. gains. in addition to
those for print cloths. leather and besse-
| mer pig iron. being reported for ,turpeu-
| tine. lead, zinc and sugar. Firm and I'M
changed prices are announced Tor Hour.
wheat. pork. lard. coffee petroleum. cop
per and steel billets, while in addition TO
| the prices for steel rails are those for In
dian corn. oats and cotton.
The January gross railway earnings re-
| fleet a quieter trade in that month than
| in January. lSG. while showing the effect
| of the reduced grain tonnage and severe
of American roads shows Il falling of
from January of a year ago The in
creases in January We're few and small
the largest being only slightly in excess
OF SJ0.00e. while II systems show decreases
| in excess of that amount. The heaviest
decreases from January of year ago.
bare reported b. the Pacific and Granger
| groups. and the smallest losses are by
the Southwestern and Southern roads.
The total earnings of ia railroads for
January aggregate Sa.Je0.S21. a falling OF
| of 6.S per cent. from year ago. COM
pared with decrease OF l.5 Der cent, in
December from December. 1895. and 10
per cent. in November from the total in
| that month the year before. The Janu-
| airy earnings of 1896 increased l1.3 per
! cent. over January, 1925. The Mexican
roads gained 1S.3 per cent. in January
| Gross and net returns of leading rail-
roads for the calendar year 1896 show n
striking similarity as to the volume to
| those of 1895. Total gross receipts of 20
| companies give a total of S126 80. 400 for
! 1896. falling off of only about 5000 COO
or two-tenths of per cent. from 1895. and
the net earnings aggregate 500 026. ~ Il
decrease of nine-tenths of l per cent.
| from the total in the preceding year. For
December. the gross earnings fell off .
per cent. while the net earnings de-
creased per cent from those for 1895.
Exports of wheat (fiour included as
wheap from both coasts of the United
States and ST. John. n. g.. were 205l .3i5
bushels. Feb. 5 to Feb. 10. inclusive. Uhe
week being a day shorO. compared with
2.1lS.OO0 in the week. year ago. Exports
of Indian corn during the same period
were 4l69.274 bushels. compared With g.
llS eco in the week a wear ago