Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1898-02-17
DuN's COMMERCIAL REVIEW.

Early Pushing Toward Spring Activity in
Business-Conditions Contributing There
to-Unprecedentedly Heavy Buying OF
Raw Materials Indicate Strong Ealtn IN
the Future of Business-HeSsvy Move
ment in Grain.
New YORK, Feb. 12.-R. G. Dun q
Co. S weekly review of trade in its is
sue of to-day says:
Business is pushing toward spring
activity rather early. Events which
have controlled are good buying OF
iron by the largest makers; the rise IN
cotton, with strength in goods; the
great railroad consolidation, and the
Cuban instruction. The latter, with
its possibilities, operates as brake on
speculation, and the foohshness of To-
cal traders gave foreigners much de-
sired opportunity to buy stocks, on
balance about As, 900 shares. January
earnings, S3S, O17,417 already reported,
are 1876 per cent. better than last year
and 95 better than 1892, showing the
best month in six years at least, and
February returns thus far are promis-
ing.
The output of pig iron February
was 229, 1923 tons weekly, the largest IN
the history of the business, but the re-
ported buying of 100, 900 tons Bessemer
iron by the Carnegie company and 1oO,-
600 by another of the largest steel con-
Germs, nevertheless means decision by
the ablest manufacturers that the un-
precedented output of pig will soon
prove too small for the growing de-
mand for finished products. The I'LL
nois Steel Co., has contracted for
million tons BesseIner ore and producers
Of other ranges count upon an advance
in price. Bessemer pig rose to $l0.15
and gray forge to 50 at Pittsburgh,
with finished products generally
stronger and in larger demand than
ever at this season. Rail contracts al
ready cover, it is said. more than last
years production, the railways buying
earlier than usual. Bar contracts for
cars, wagons, agricultural implements
and other manufactures are heavy at
the west; structural contracts there
are very numerous and at the east
large, with $4,000 tons estimated for
New York buildings alone this year,
while plate and sheet contracts for the
season are unprecedented.
January was one of the biggest
1hOhGIlS III NO11C11Sf11AC SOhS OhICGoOs
623 ,975 tons, and furnace continued at
the same price. Tin rose to IA cents in
spite of heavy shipments and copper to
IL cents or better for lake in spite OF
enormous American production.
The rise in cotton SIG cents for the
week, results in part from better pros
poets for manufacture here and abroad,
but only in part. Spectators became
persuaded that efforts for short crop
this year would prove effective and
heavy short interest covered. The
actual movement shows no change OF
consequence, but prices of goods have
stronger tone and foreign prospects
are better. With the better tone pre-
vailing, this manufacture should soon
feel the heavy demand which other in
dustries are meeting.
Wool sales at the chief cities were
only 8, 1903, 200 pounds for the week and
II, 664, 900 for two weeks, against 22,-
721, 600 last year. Prices are still strong
in spite of the general Indifference OF
manufacturers, who seem to have Sc
cured ample supplies. For the better
grades of wooden goods an advance
averaging 17.5 per cent, from last year
is readily maintained. The opening of
works idle for a year, in spite of the
heavy production already assured, is a
striking feature in this, in the iron and
other industries, and implies heavier
demands for products than are now
met by the unprecedented output.
Wheat has been strong, spot advanc-
ing two cents and May "a cents,
though western receipts have been for
two weeks 5,366,71S bushels, against
3,317, 1875 last year; but Atlantic ex
ports have been 5,274, 43S bushels, flour
included, against 4,026, 500 in two weeks
last year, with Pacific exports large.
Corn exports are also surprisingly
well sustained, 7,164, 762, against 1928
865 last year, and the price has adj
vanced trifle. It is yet too early for
prospects of coming crop to influence
markets materially, and heavy opera
tions at Chicago, with reported sales
of 900, 900 bushels for export on Thurs
day, have deferred speculative selling.
Business shown by bank clearings is
a~ain larger than ever before, SAT- per
e. i. larger than last year for the
Ise1k, and for the month to date 44.3
per cent. larger than last year and 1G
per cent. larger than in 1892.
Failures for the week have been 295
in the United States, against 267 last
year and 43 in Canada, against 81 las
year.
THE ALASKA RUSH.