The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-08-20
Ending of the War Has Caused a
Remarkable Expansion.
IRON INDUSTRY BOOMING
SEVERAL MILLS CLOSED DOWN
TO ADVANCE PRICES.
Steady Increase In Consumption
General Advance In Miners Met
als-Sone Wooden Mills Closing
and Others Selling Old Stocks of
Wool-Big Trade In Shoe Line.

New York, Aug. 19.-R. G. Dun &
Co., in their weekly review of trade
will sa.r:
A war which brought no shrinkage
of values while it lasted has brought
with its ending quite remarkable ex-
panSion. Orders and purchases have
increased in nearly all branches, few as
yet being of such nature that they can
be attributed to the material enlarge
ment of trade with the lately acquired
Spanish islands, which must come a
little later.
1t is odd that the iron industry, while
reporting declines in products, shows
more surprising gain in business than
any other. Returns of output August
l show considerable decreases from
July l, but more than the entire de-
creases is caused by the stoppage Of
two Shenango and four Mahoning fur
naces, under agreement to force higher
prices for Bessemer pig. In all other
states. showing change the output in
creased, excepting for one furnace in
Virginia. The demand for finished pro-
ducts expands remarkably, considering
the enormous orders prior to July,
which crowds some. of the biggest
works until December. Structural or
ders include many bridges and the
drainage canal control for 1000 tons at
Chicago; plates and bars are in strong
er demand; nails have advanced sc and
beams and angles as much and bars
10c at Pittsburg. Tin plate works,
which require 10000 tons per month
have been buying $780, 900 tons bars, and
steel works there have bought 125. OCO
tons pig, raising the price to 5000.
Gray forge also advanced and eastern
anthracite and southern pig at Chi
cago have advanced 20 cents. There
is a general advance in the miners
metals, copper to 12c for Lake, lead to
$4.071z~lnd while tin and tin plates are
unchanged, both are stronger.
Shipments of boots and shoes in three
weeks of August are the largest ever
known, though but IA per cent larger
than in 1895, being 10 per cent larger
than last year and is per cent larger
than in 1892. In spite of general re-
fusai of buyers to pay advances asked,
purchasers are continuous and keep
works busy, many having orders for a
month or two ahead. Leather has
slightly yielded in some grades, with
scarcely any buying ahead of necessi-
ties, and hides were a shade lower last
week and have not changed. There
appears a gradual accommodation of
prices of materials to the necessities
of boot and shoe distributors
Such an adjustment is needed in the
wOollen- industry, for some mills are
closing and others are selling old stocks
of wool, present orders for dress goods
not warranting present prices for ma
terial. Yet other mills in equal num-
Der are starting on different lines of
goods and in dress goods, instead of
80 per cent plain, a large proportion Of
fancies has been taken though heavy
auction sale, just announced, may af-
feet the demand.
Wheat has further declined cents
in spite of general holding of better
grades by farmers, which renders re-
ceipts low and visible supply small be-
yond precedent. Atlantic exports for
the week have been 3,079,3S0 bushels,
flour included, against 3.705,2S7 last
year, and Pacific exports IT'S, 400 bush
els against SS4,S46 bushels last year,
making for three weeks 10,113,2 64 bush
els against 10,453, S32 bushels last year.
Failures for the week have been 154
in the United States against 223 last
year, and II in Canada against 80 last
year.