Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1898-05-11

lFeSu Ueel was uOG uue Ill any way W
the war.
"Beef, said one of these men, cal
ways goes up about the same amount
at this time of the year, and there has
been no advance in the price of other
fresh meats. Canned and corned
meats, however, have been affected in
price and are likely to 20 higher.
This may finally put the price of fresh
meats up a little by sympathy. 1t is
not our war scare alone that has af-
fected the price of canned and corned
meat. Ever since the war scare in
China began the governments of Eu-
rope have been buying unusually
large quantities of these products, and
now our markets are practically bare
of them. Canning meats usually be-
gins in July, when the corn-fed cattle
are ready for slaughter, and the stock
put up in one year generally lasts un-
til about the beginning of the next
canning season. This year the mar
ket has been cleaned out almost three
months ahead of time.
"Corned beef is selling at S2.40 for
"a pound packages, the highest price
that it has reached in six or seven
years, while year ago it was selling
for S1.75 or $1.S0. Brawn, which is
made of beef and pork cooked togeth'
er and canned, is also much used for
military stores, especially abroad, and
this has gone up in price in proper
ton.
Unless the leading business men of
this city who deal in such goods are
greatly mistaken, the housekeeper
may take heart and confidently ex.
pect that the advance in prices which
has alarmed her recently will be con-
fined to slight increase on meats and
groceries, aud upon the special ar
ticles on which an additional stamp
tax is levied. American and Cuban
flags are the dearest things in the
market. One great house, which sup
plies almost all that are made for the
trade, has raised its prices $50 pei
cent. and cannot fill its orders.
"The government, it is reported, has
contracted for 10000 pounds of beef
extract. This is as much as the whole
country uses in year, usually, and
each pound of extract takes about 20
pounds of meat to produce it. On all
the goods in our line which the gov.
ernment will want for the army there
is likely to be further advance in
price, temporarily at least, but, on the
other hand, it must be remembered
that the formation of the larger army
will take away just so many persons
who are now supplied by the regular
markets.
Potatoes and apples are dear, the
dealers declare, simply because there
was short crop last year, and the
price has nothing to do with the war.
Many retail dealers put up the price
of tea and coffee week ago, because
of the proposition in congress to put a
tax upon them, but there was no 9TH
er excuse for this, and the proposition
has been abandoned.
Canned goods have increased in
price somewhat, and the men who deal
in them declare that there is but a
small stock on hand, and that they ex-
pect somewhat higher prices when the
government begins to buy for war pur-
poses. Neither the war nor the war
scare has affected the price of butter,
milk, fresh vegetables or fruits, nor do
the dealers expect that it will affect
them materially. In fact, the dealers
in dairy products declare that, if the
present sort of weather continues, it
will make so much grass that prices
for dairy products are likely to 20 low
er rather than higher.
AS to dry goods, Miles O'Bren, ct
H. B. Clafin & Co., declared that the
war and war talk had not affected the
prices at all, except upon flags, and
that he saw no prospect that it would.
Neither had it affected the volume OF
business.
awe did large trade in January,
February and March," he said, "and
now it is letting up, as is usual at this
time of year. Some goods are higher
than they were on account of the tar
|if, but there has been no general rise
in the prices of domestic goods. Un.
less the war should last long time
do not believe it will have any effect
upon the prices of our goods"
Sugar is little dearer than it has
been, the prices at wholesale for cut
loaf and crushed being just little less
than 6 cents a pound, and there is a
chance that it may be made shade
dearer by the war on account of the
risk of the capture of vessels bringing
it to our ports. Hides, coffee, rubber
and cocoa, which come from South
America, may all be sent up somewhat
lin price by reason of this sort of wal
risk.
Three-quarters of all the coffee used
in this country comes from Brazil and
a considerable portion of the balance
from Venezuela and Central America,
and American vessels coming from
these ports will run great risks of cap
ture in passing through Mona Straits
in the West Indies unless our fleet
should drive the Spanish clean out OF
those waters. Still, this risk, which
would add something to the prices OF
goods, can be avoided by shipping in
neutral bottoms, and its effect will
probably not amount to much on
what the housekeeper will have to
pay.