The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-01-30
TREND OF TRADE
January Has Bssn a Month ofRaal Gala
In Smile oGAll.

January Has B1en q 4Anul1 81 AtllA tam
In Spite orAlI.
NEW YORK. Jan. 2s.-R. G. Dun &
Co.'S weekly review OF trade tomorrow
will say:
january has been a month Of disap-
polntment, but of real gain. Nearly ev.
erybody had promised himself land OF
milk and and honey after New Years,
and the slow process looks like stand-
ing still to men in such state Of mind.
Moreover. there are multitudes through
out the country who have been taking
large ventures in advance or apart from
their regular business. because they ex-
pected a rise in prices. But prices fall
as yet 10 bring them profit Wheat has
declined severely, cotton has scarcely
risen enough to pay brokerage, wool
holds steady In spite OF enormous buy
ing, wooden goods hardly change In
price, iron and its products decline.
leather is sluggish, hides are lower, for
some shoe manufacturers accept a shade
lower prices, the average Of railroad
stocks Is slightly lower than It was De-
cember 81, and the advance In trust
stocks has been small. To traders In
such properties the month has been dis
appointing, Yet during the past week
the record shows that ten iron works
have started and only two have stopped,
thirteen woolen works have started ana
nine more are about ready TO start
while three have stopped. Similar things
are seen in other industries, and the
additional establishments are not start
Ing without some increase in orders re-
ceived.
The decline In wheat was over six
cents In spite Of an official report OF yield
far below estimates generally accepted
reflects perception OF the error Of tho
report, and also Of the influence OF enor-
nous exports of corn instead OF wheat
so. 900, 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 European markets. The
largest article OF export at this season
goes out freely. but cotton looks less
attractive To traders, because Ameri-
can millers are laboring over plans TO
reduce a great surplus OF goods, and
prices OF many have declined. Takings
OF northern spinners have been In tvs
months 1900 bales less than last year,
and $4,000 bales less than 1Ss4-95.
Sales OF wool in January have never
been surpassed in that month nor In
any Otfler nOnln except luhL NoNGllUeE
and July of 1895 and 1892.
In the earlier years sudden demand for
consumption was the cause. But the
increase in orders for woolen goods was
small In November and has been small
In January compared with the purchases
on anticipated possible duties. The price
has remained about steady.
Iron and steel show little gain, produc-
ton having increased so heavily before.
and the gradual enlargement Of demand
for finished products has not overtaken
that Increase. Lower prices result for
Bessemer pig, Grey Forge, and for
souther niron at Chicago, for angle and
for cdt nails. and the average of all
quotations is the lowest since early last
year. For sheets there is active de-
mand, and better also for bars. on uc-
count of much car building. Tin and
copper are shade stronger, but COM
petition causes sales OF tin plates 10 TO
10 cents below the agreed price.
failures for the week have been 3S1
in the United States against 404 last
year, and 81 in Canada, against 20 last
year,