The Topeka state journal., 1897-06-26
Dun Says the Midsummer Quiet
Is POWerIess
To Arrest the Improvement in
Business Now Manifest.
THE TIDE is RISING.
Business Men See 1t and Are
Acting Accordingly.
Bradstreet Is Not so Sanguine
But Comedies Improvement.

New York, June 26.-R- C. Dun's re-
view today says:
There is no step backward in busi-
ness, although the season of midsum-
mer quiet is here. Improvement con-
tinues gradual and prudently cautious
as before, although in many branches
evident where no signs of it appeared
a few weeks ago. Business men of the
highest standing in all parts of the
country, having gradually perceived
that the tide has begun to rise, are reg
ulating their contracts and investments
and their plans for the future with
some confidence.
Great changes before the adjourn
ment of congress are hardly to be ex-
pected, but removal of uncertainty is
with reason expected to bring into op-
Grafton buying forces Which nave been
restricted for months. The main fac
tor at this time is the steadily brighten
ing prospect for crops. Harvesting of
wheat has already begun in some win
ter wheat states with surprisingly good
results in the central region of Cali
fornia, so that 800, 600 tons is now called
the minimum from the latter state, and
statisticians of repute calculate on Co.
100000 bushels of winter wheat being
the government estimate. Spring
wheat is doing remarkably well, with a
practically unknown increase of acre
L
during the week, with a decrease of l.
200, 900 bushels in western receipts and
Atlantic exports of only 1,445,O47, flour
included, against LIB, 961 last year, but
it is just the season when figures have
no value except as proving how errOne-
Gus were estimates of the crop of
1896
Cotton was lifted an eighth without
reason, and has fallen back as much,
because everything points to a larger
crop than has been commonly expect
ed.
Iron and steel products average a.
small fraction lower in published quo
tatons, but only because private con-
cessions, which are now refused, were
by various authorities complacently
concealed. Pig iron is irmer. with a
better demand at the east and at Chi
cago, but the impatience of valley
1orceS to resume work keeps Bessemer
and Grey Forge at last weeks quota
t1onS at Pittsburg. The best of the
news is material increase in orders for
plates, in part for ship building, in bars
for agricultural implement works in
structural! shape and for buildings and
DTldges IN galvanized sheets. One
heaVy contract for 300 miles 3O-inch and
IOO mlies 1O-1nch pipe, sought by the
Australian government for gold re
gIOnS, eXc1tes many hopes in the trade
1he great ore producing companies are
cutting prices, Mesaba. besserner FavaI
20 $Z-IO apparently in order to score
the biggest possible business of the
Tin has slowly advanced to IA cents
IN spite of heavy arrivals; 200 tons of
lead nave been sold, moderate uuanti-
ues now bringing IS. 3.4215, and purchases
advanced lake copper to 1IHc
There is an encouraging Increase in
the demand for textile goods, even for
cottons, which have so long been SLOW
and though it is but moderate +I,are
IS nothing of a speculative Character
IN transactions, and prices are firmly
helQ- recorders for wOOIenS have been
rather better than were expected from
clothierS and fairly good for dress Goods
operations in spring goods are stiII de-
ferred. While mills are better enpIoved
and are buying to some extent most of
the purchases of wool are speculative
nearly three-QuarterS at Boston alone
and the aggregate was 1888, 800 pounds
at three chief markets. 5,610,1OO on wool
Domestic wool is still held at relatively
high prices at the west. Failures for
the week have been ZIG in the United
states, against PIT last year. and "a in
Canada against "A last year.
BRADSTREET.
Bradstreet's says:
Inc persistent misrepresentation of
the actual trade throughout the coun-
try during the past month in an ap-
parent endeaVOr to make the prospect-
i've improvement in business appear to
De ltS present condition, demands an ex-
animation as to the facts and Brad
streets presents condensed interviews
with. representative manufacturers and
AAAOA S4AeSAIS ebl more tnan TICy important
commercial and Industrial centers east
Of the Rocky mountains The demand
except in a few lines, is less pronounced
than 1t was two months ago. There
IS no material increase in the volume
dlStr1brAed compared with a year ago
and prices for many staples are lower
But there has been an Improvement
compared with the situation prior to
the presidential election of 1896 and as
contraSted with January. MANY of the
larger merchants and manufacturers
characterize the business record for the
nrst malt OF 1897 as a disappointment in
contrast with the authorizations ON
the other hand, confidence is wide
fail. ILLS
OF the three great manufacturing in
dustr1es, iron and steel, cottons and
Woolens, the first shows relatively the
most Improvement, with wooIens Dext
a1though tariff delays have taken the
cage on of demand in that line and
permitted importers to stock up with
nearly two years supplies. Cotton
SoodS stlll suffer from cut prices. ex-
cessIve competition and heavy Drod11c-
uoh. Ihere is better demand for
silks, millinery and confectiOpervr
which, aside from the prosperity IF tbe
bicycle industry, constitute excen+ione
Higher prices for leading cereals for
meats and Havana tobacco are note
worthy and reflect. respectively. Ilnus11
any small supplies of wheat and
strength of the control of the suDD1J1
ana existing conditions in Cuba.
Bucklen's Arnica SaIve.
The host I've IN