The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-12-23
A BURST OF ACTIVITY.
An Extraordinary Record of Iron
Production.
AN ENORMOUS TONNAGE
Orders for 1890 Placed at Very Low
Prices-An Concsrns Supplying
Car Material Are Heav-
uy Engaged.

New York, Dec. 2:-In its review Of
trade conditions the Iron Age says to-
day: The year 1898. with its extraord-
mary record for production. closes with
q burst of activity unparalleled In the
history of the industry. except In the
year 1873. An enormous tonnage has
been placed for 1899 delivery, but at
very low prices. An increasing number
Of producers have their order books i'm
good shape for many months to come,
are virtually withdrawing from the mar
ket or are asking higher prices. The
western markets for foundry rons have
been comparatively quiet during the
past week. but there has been continued
activity in the East. where the furnaces
had been relatively lower for some time
past. These furnaces ave now ed
vanced prices n are calling a halt.
In steel material Pittsburg notes sales
OF one block of 5000 tons of Bessemer
pig. In the East there have been a
number Of sales of round lots Of basine
pig iron at a range Of s1o.25 to sl0.75.
There has not been much doing in steel.
a . or west. Makers of billets are firm
on the basis of SIG Pittsburg n sl7.35
to $3.50 in eastern Pennsylvania. the
buyers. however, are resisting the add
vance.
To what extent and In what manner
the tin plate consolidation has control
of the supply OF tin plate bars has not
transpired. 1t is regarded as probable
that some arrangement must nave been
made. In the rail trade the event of
the week has been the sale by the
Maryland Steel company of 10000 tons
of rails to Asiatic Russia, thus follow
ing up the former sale of 10000 tons
to the same parties. The report of n
sale of 81, 900 tons for Australian deliv-
cry cabled from London looks like a
belated reference to an old transaction
The Pennsylvania road Is In the mar
ket for a large amount of rails. The
wire trade is developing strength. Rods
are scarce and pretty high prices have
been paid by Canadians.
The negotiations for the control OF
large additional plants by the leading
interest have actively progressed and
and are reported to have resulted in
the acquisition of one important estab-
lishment in the Cincinnati district. Fur
Their orders have come to the plate mills
east and west and they are now so
overloaded with work that prices are
being advanced and business is being
turned down. An interesting transaction
was the sale of a lot of 1000 tons of
plates for export at Philadelphia. The
makers OF structural material are get
ting a fair amount of business for this
season of the year and the indications
po,nt to a full volume of work for 1899.
In the West. particularly. all the
concerns who supply material for car
building are very heavily engaged, some
Of them being full of work for the first
half of 1899. In a few lines prices are
still irregular. There is complaint OF
cutting of prices in sheets, while in
cotton ties a lively struggle for or
ders is progressing in some markets
in the South. The cast iron pipe max
ers are figuring on a lot of about Co.
900 tons for Yokohama.
The prospects for q heavy export
trade next year are regarded as prom
Using. At the close of this week the
executive committee of the American
Tin Plate company is to discuss and to
determine the policy of the consolida-
ton of prices. The metal trade is look
ing forward to the decision with the
keenes interest.