Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-12-17
DUN'S REPORT.
December Making Surprising
Close to Surprising Year.
Output of Pig Iron, This Month, the
Greatest Ever Known.
All Branches OF Business Throughout the
Country Is Very Satisfactory.

New York, Dee. i6.--.R. @. Dun &
Co. S weekly review of trade. tomorrow.
will say; December Is adding a sur
prising close 20 the most surprising
year OF American history. December
began with a pig iron output of 2Sa. 52s
tons weekly against 2aS, 1856 Nov. |. and
with stocks Of unsold iron diminished
2s,9sS toans in November. which indi-
Gates a consumption Of i,02i,3i3 tons
during the month. Not only is the out
put the greatest ever known but 1t has
increased 22l2 per cent since 1892, when
the greatest monthly record then ever
known was made, and besSimer pig
was then selling for slf.,5 at Pittsburg.
but until the middle of November sold
at SOLO this year. L has since risen
with enormous demands and sales ID
sl0.55. Herewith grey forge 1886. but
the Chicago market is also strfong with
sales Of 100000 tons besides $4,000 tons
piliets which had risen at Pittsburg
with big transactions to SIG. With
scarcity Of pig iron feared both East
and West there is as yet no rise what
ever in the finished products although
the demand is far beyond all nreee-
dents.
The woolen industry also comes to
the 'front.' With very extensive pur-
chases of wool by large houses ana
small, helped by material concessions
at Boston, SO that sales at the three
chief markets have been II 1858. 700
pounds of which 1856. zoe were dones-
tic against 1895. 100 last year of which
,,4i$,000 were domestic, and 16. sol. 100 in
the same weeks of 1892 of which L.
@99,60o We're domestic. The transac-
tons show a temand fairly up to that
of the most prosperous years hereto-
fore Philadelphia has good business,
but seems lncAned to ask | to > cents
more than Boston prices for fine fleece,
ohio NN being offered al Boston 70.
26ls cents.
No man san say that the advance in
cotton, with strong milling demand
at home due to orders for goods which
ilft prices generally a little. Is not war
ranted in view of the heavy EXPORT
trade. The foreign demand is really
lneXplicdble, considering it's volume in
comparison with movements of goods
from Great Britain but dealers abroad
re doubtless aseehing to protect them
selves for the future. Boot and shoe
manufacturers are getting larger bust
ness, though only in order to fill stocks
much depleted by a remarkably rapid
retail trade and shipments from the
East, 152, CSC cases for two weeks. al
though smaller than last year or in
1896, for the same weeks, in part on ac-
count of the storm early in December,
| are greater than in any previous year.
lnhhaJ.. M
| Tar as possible and some adjustment of
prices Is still necessary because leather
IS relatively 10 per cent. higher than
SHOES with scarcely any buying except
for immediate needs
The exports of wheat continue heavy.
from Atlantic ports, flour included. s.
1852 bushels against 5,SsS. sos. last
year, from Pacific ports IA, 991 bushels
against 1.520613, last year. so that for
two weeks the outgo has been 11.S71 $40
bushels against 9,40l ,555, last wear
Wnlie prices have been three cents
stronger for cash. the Western receipts
FOR two weeks of December have been
about 100000 bushels greater than last
year. l'he corn movement is the most
astonishing feature of the business the
exports Tor three weeks having been
hls7,SO2 bushels against 6,326, 1914 bush
els. last year, and the price has advan-
ced one cent for the week.
The volume of business indicated by
payments through clearing houses ccn-
tlhues far beyond all precedent. ey-
ceedins last year by 23.2 per cent. ana
exceeding the corresponding week OF
1872 by 26.3 per cent. Foreign trade
US also remarkably encouraging ex-
ports for two weeks having been from
New York 25.1 per cent. larger than
last year, while imports have been Al
per cent. smaller.
Failures for the week have been %,
IN the Tinted States against as6 }asf