Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1898-01-28
ALL SIGNS HOPEFUL.
Remarkable Activity Shown in All
Commercial Lines.
REPORTS ARE VERY ENCOURAGING.
Heavy Demand for Goods OF all Sorts
-Manufacturers Over-Stocked with
Orders Fewer Failures Than
Usual at This Season.

New York, Jan. 22.-R. G. Dun & Co.,
In their weekly review of trade, say:
with volume of business remarkable
for the time Of year. IS per cent larger
than year ago, and 1914 per cent larger
than in 1882 In payments through clearing
houses. 1t is not discouraging that one or
two industries are tagging. The demand
for most goods is more heavy for the sea-
son. manufacturing works are better em-
ployed and orders booked and In prospect
for the future are more encouraging than
at this season in any other year Of which
equally definite records exist. Exports of
products continue surprisingly heavy, In
spite of some rise In prices. Treasury re-
ceipts from customs were larger in 20 days
of January than in the entire month of Oc-
tober or November, and apprehension re-
gardtng the monetary future Is no longer
felt outside of speculative circles. Failures
are considerably smaller than were ever
known at this season, both banking and
trading less than half last years. Rail-
road earnings in January thus far reported
have been l76 per cent. larger than last
year, and 1913 per cent. larger than in 1892.
The rise in wheat above dollar in reg
ular sales was not accompanied by signs of
speculative excitement. In fact, the con-
tinuance of extraordinary efforts would
give excuse for high prices even II corn
exports were not enough to suggest great
foreign need. The fact that cargoes Of corn
were shipped during the week to Egypt
and Russia, the very countries upon which
Europe most relies for breadstuffs next to
the United States, affected trade not UNI
reasonably.
Big Demand for Iron.
Just when unprecedented production of
pig iron was causing weakness, extraordi-
nary demand for finished products appears.
For this season, at least, the general de-
mand Is beyond precedent, including $50, 900
tons steel rails for the week, and 1900 600
already this year. orders for plates so large
that Pittsburgh works send away some to
other concerns, una BILE to fill all they receive,
orders for bar are such that many concerns
are obliged to refuse more; an excellent
demand for sheets and fair for structural
forms. Nor does this demand spring from
efforts to combine makers of wire and its
products. and makers of tin plates. Prices
of all finished products are sustained by
the demand.
The Cotton Mills Strike.
THE great strike of operatives In cotton
mills of New England seems as convenient
to mill owners with their heavy stocks as
II they had ordered 1t. Probably 1t will last
long enough to work off stocks, and the
print cloth market is already about one
per cent. stronger, while slight advance
Is noted In some other cotton goods.
Failures for the week have been 374 in
the United States. against 400 last year, and
63 In Canada, against 65 last year"
Bradstreets Review.
Bradstreet's says:
IA large measure of activity in business
and Industrial lines, WITH in some in.
stances. previous records surpassed and
very general steadiness in prices OF staples.
Is perhaps the most notable feature of the
trade situation this week. Quotations OF
cereals show the most aggressive strength,
while those of some makes of pig iron be-
tray rather more decided weakness than
they did a week ago. Mild weather is fire.
Quently mentioned as an influence tending
to check retail distribution of seasonable
goods. chiefly because OF the effect on coun-
try roads. Spring trade opens slowly, as
usual at this time Of the year, but conf.
dence is still unimpaired. AS already init.
mated, the immense current production OF
pig iron, amounting to fully 100000 tons
per mouth. has begun to exercise an influ-
ence upon the price of that staple, but de-
creases reported are still only fractional
The outlook In the steel rail trade Is re.
ported as a fattering one.
Large orders for railroad account al.
ready booked have been increased within
the week. an example Of this being fur
nished by sales of $4,000 tons reported from
Chicago at full prices. Higher prices for
wool abroad, based partly on short yield
reports. are reflected in the firmness of do.
AAAs9.AS 4oo'oeAo.Ao' 1te'iousH usLudHu, WINE
comparing well with preceding years, Is
smaller than 1t was at this time In 1891,
when tariff changes were being anticipated.
The industrial situation, with the single
exception Of the cotton industry, is one of
exceptional strength. AS yet the strikes
in this branch Of trade, however. are large-
ly confined to Massachusetts.
Business is active on the Pacific coast.
California crop prospects have been i'm
proved by the recent rains, and ship and
boat building are very active along Puget
sound and at Portland"