Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1898-02-18
ACTIVITY IS SHOWN.
Confidence Displayed In Many
Lines Of Trade.
THE IMPROVEMENT IS GRATIFYING.
Iron and Steel Lead the Processton-
Advance in Price of Cotton-Cu-
ban Situation Acts as a Brake
on Speculation.
New York, Feb. 12.-R. G. Dun & Co.,
in thei1. weekly review of trade say.

New York, Feb. 12.-R. G. Dun & Co.,
in their weekly review of trade, say:
Business is pushing toward spring ac-
tivity 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 railway con-
solidation and the Cuban insurrection. The
latter. with its possibilities, operates as
a break on speculation, and foolishness of
local traders gave foreigners a much de-
sired opportunity to buy stocks, on bal
ance, about 5000 shares. January earnings.
$3S,OT,417, already reported, are 1876 per
cent. better than last year, and 9.5 better
than In 1892, showing the best month in
six years. at least. and February returns
thus far are promising. The output Of
pig iron February was 229,S23 tons week
~, the largest in the history of the busi-
ness, but the reported buying of 100000
tons OF Bessemer iron by the Carnegie COM
pany, and 100000 by another of the largest
steel concerns. nevertheless, means de-
cision by the ablest manufacturers that the
unprecedented output of pig will soon
prove too small for the growing demand
for finished products. The Illinois Steel
company has contracted for 1000, OOO tons
of Bessemer ore, and producers of other
ranges count upon an advance In price.
Bessemer pig rose to Sl015, and grey forge
to 50 at Pittsburgh. with finished products
generally stronger and in larger demand
than ever at this season. Rail contracts
already 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 nu-
merous, and at the east large, with $4,000
tons estimated for New York buildings
alone this year, while plate and sheet con-
tracts Tor the season are unprecedented.
Cotton Advances.
The rise In cotton, sic cents for the
week, results in part from better pros
poets for manufacture here and abroad.
but only in part. Spectators became per-
suaded that efforts for short crop this
year would prove effective and a heavy
short interest covered. The actual move
ment shows no change of consequence, but
prices of goods have a stronger tone and
foreign prospects are better. With the bet
ter tone prevailing, this manufacture
should soon feel the heavy demand which
other industries are meeting
Wheat has been strong with spot adj
vancing 2 cents and May 2s4 cents, though
western receipts have been for two weeks
6,S6s,7lS bushels, against 8.317,S95 last year,
but Atlantic exports have been 527453S
bushels, flour included. against 4,O26 500 in
two weeks last year, with Pacific exports
large. Corn exports are also surprisingly
well sustained, 7,164,762 bushels, against
7,S23.S65 last year, and the price has adj
vanced trf1e. 1t is yet too early for
prospects of coming crop to influence
| markets materially, and heavy operations
at Chicago, with reported sales of 10000
bushels for export on Thursday have de.
tered speculative selling.
Business shown by bank clearings is
again larger than ever before, SAT- per cent.
larger than last year for the week, and for
| the month to date AS per cent. larger than
| last year, and 16 per cent larger than in
| 1892
Failures for the week have been 2s5 in
| the United States, against 267 last year,
| and 4S in Canada, against 81 last year."
Bradstreets Review.
Bradstreet's says:
"a number of favorable circumstances
| and events present themselves this week.
| Perhaps the most notable of these are the
| renewed activity and confidence in the iron
| and steel market, accompanied by prompt
| and even rapid advances in several grades
of crude pig iron and steel and the adj
| vance in the price of raw cotton, long pre-
| dicted but unrealized until the present
| week. What might be regarded as minor
feature in the business situation. though
| at the same time conveying much that ts
| hopeful to the interest involved, is quite
| general improvement in distributive trade
and demand in the central west and in the
| south, where spring trade is reported open
ing In good shape. Less favorable fea-
lures VI lHe week are the SlOWneSS OF
| spring trade in dry goods to develop at
| New York and other eastern centers, ex-
! cept Boston, and the mild weather In the
northwest rendering 1t likely that retailers
| stocks carried over will be larger than
| earlier expected. Although the advance
| in cotton has been claimed to be too rapid,
1t has undoubtedly impaired a much moro
cheerful tone to the southern business sit
uation and, with the advance in iron and
steel, has done much to add to the conf
dence with which the trade outlook for
| 1898 is regarded.
Bank clearlngs continue to point to an
| immense business doing in the country at
large. in a total aggregating for the week
| 81, 100000, Less than 2 per cent. smaller
| than last week, 50 per cent. larger than In
| the corresponding week last year; IS per
cent. larger than this week in 1896, IA per
cent, larger than in 1895, 50 per cent
larger than In 1894 and GO per cent. larger
| than this week in 1892
Salt Mountains of San Domingo.
In the island of San Domingo there's
remarkable saltmountain, nearly four
miles long, estimated to contain 90, O00,l
600 tons, and so clear that 1nedium-sized
print can be read through block foot
'sAA .k-i ~