Omaha daily bee., 1897-02-28
CONDITION OF OMAHA'S TRADE
Material improvement OBSERVABLE in
Various Directions.
COLLECTIONS CONSIDERABLY EASIER
Money Going Into the Country In
Larger Volume Helps business OF
All Kinds--Bnnk C1enrings
show important Gains.
COLLECTIONS CONSIDERABLY EASIER

Slowly but surely the business situation
at Omaha and in the surrounding country
Is changing for the better and gradually
assuming n more satisfactory oh1rlc-"r'
The development is slow and hardly any
change Is descernible from week TO week,
but when n survey of several months is
taken the fact that gains have been made
in most all directions stands out quite
prominently.
Ask II jobbcr the condition of trade and
nine times out OF ten the answer N,ill be,
''uuiet," but almost Immediately comes the
additional %formatio that 1t is better than
for the corresponding month of last year.
This may be said to contain the whole sit
uation In a nutshell: Trade Is quiet and
far from what those most Interested would
like to see, but at the same time 1t Is an I'M
proVement over what they were experience
ing n year ago.
During the month of February the volume
OF business transacted was in many cases
disappointing, for the simple reason that
f sssinSsss i im1@ H@@ hoped w tnhd the eo i1Ss at at
had "g %S ssstts IS ant | 30, basis i'm for sue; yss@
ago, leading houses all report important
gains and the last week of the month was
AS the spring season comes on a still
further Improvement is anticipated as a re-
suit of the opening up OF various enter,
prises usual TO the season, which VIII TEND
TO increase the volume of money In circu-
The bank clearings. for the past week
furnish very good evidence that business Is
improving, when comparisons are made
the clearings Of the national banks OF this
city were II per cent in excess of the clear
ings for the corresponding week of 1876.
This showing ia especially gratifying when
II Is taken into consideration that all other
cities in the northwest show. considerable
crease Of 10 per cent. Omaha's clcarings
have been working upward of late, while
49,. ,t.,.R rttf.G 1HzF.. lntV nn1tr down
this city being n"N almost on a par with
MINNEAPOLIS, which a short time ago was
way ahead in this rcspect.
II LIVE Took TRADE.
The brightest spot in the whole business
horizon and that which promises most for
the. future is to. be seen in connection
products of the state at South Omaha. In
considering the live stock business there Is
possible to call up the actual figures to
prove any assertions that may DE made,
instead of being compelled to base al! esti-
figures, it will be noted in the lIrst place
that there has been Il large gain in the re-
since January ! 10 %. 500 ca ttle, 1890 hogs
and $4,000 sheep, the comparison being made
Such an increase viewed in any light can
not be regarded as other than most cncour-
and stock growers of the state IRE grCdu-
ally building up their herds again after the
Since the first Of the year it is safe 10 say
that there has gone back into the country
from South Omaha fully $6,0l0,030 in eX-
change for live stock, less the railroad
freight and other charges. This money has
been pretty well distributed over The state
and is making its presence felt in better
collections and an improved demand for
merchandise.
Tae best of 1t all is that the cattle end
hogs now being marketed are all making
money for their owners and farmers and
feeders are feeling encouraged. AS a mat
ter OF fact hogs are selling at a low
price and cattle are not as high by a good
deal as they have been in the past, but
taking into consideration the price of feed,
1t Is possible to grow and fatten stock even
at the prevailing low prices and make good
profits. Feeders have found a wide differ
ence between paying Q cents for corn and
30 to so cents, as they have done on occa-
sions in the past.
A feature of the live stock situation is
the marvellous increase In the sheep bus
mess, due to the improved facilities at
South Omaha for handling sheep.
Large as has been the increase in the re-
celpts during the two months past, the de-
mand has more than kept pace and the
constant complaint with the packers Is that
they cannot get stock enough to keep their
houses going.