Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1898-12-22
The business situation.

Bradstreet's for this week says !:
"Likening the general business of the
country to q watercourse, it may be
7authoritatively stated that nearly all
the channels of seasonable trade are Mt
the present time running full, and in
some lines of business the stream is
virtually out of the banks. The coun-
try's export trade is of the largest
volume ever known, that for November
surprising the total for December a
year ago, with the indications fayoring
q total trade for the calendar year at
least one-sixth larger than year ago,
and or sales abroad aggregating SO for
every dollars worth we buy. Bank
clearings, too, are at the maximum for
this season of the year.
Wheat, including -four, shipments
for the week aggregate 6,076, CPS
bushels, Portland, Me-, not received,
against 6,868, 1852 bushels last week,
4,604, 800 bushels in the corresponding
week of 1897, 2,056, 943 bushels in 1896
and 3, 554, 1888 bushels in 1894.
''Since July LIST this year the exports
against 118, 800, 097 bushels last year.
Corn exports for the week aggregate
3, 251, 1856 bushels, against 4,3SS, 535
bushels last week, 4, 1919, 1878 bushels in
this week a year ago, 2,s14, 100 bushels
in 1896, 2,057, 790 bushels in 1895 and
65S, 066 bushels in 1894. Since July
LIST this year corn exports aggregate
~, 27S, 764 bushels, against II, 3S1, 443
during the same period a year ago"
The transactions in bonds in New
York this week, o correspondent writes,
were the heaviest on record, amount
ing in the Stock Exchange to $50, 1893, :
$50 (par value) in five days. This .ex-
ceeds even the great total of tho week
of Roosevelt's election. Last week the
sales of bonds were S32, 457, $50, and
since the LIST of November more than
74.000, 600 of bonds have changed
hands 10 the. Stock Exchange alone,
not coupling the large outside business
over the counter. This represents
mainly legitimate investment de-
mand. There is speculation in bonds,
indeed, but not to the same extent as
in stocks. While the stock sales this
week did not break the record, except
for the number of different issues
traded in, which was. unprecedented,
yet the aggregate was so large and the
movement of prices SO remarkable as to
recall to the older Wall street men the
palmy days of 1879 and 1880, when the
street. enjoyed Its greatest boom. There
were about 1000, 900 shares of stock
traded in during the five days of this
week, an average of 800, 900 day. On
two days the number of different issues
dealt in exceeded 150. The movement
of prices was very irregular, but the
net result is a substantial increase to
values. The highest point was reached
on Tuesday. Since then there has been
reaction, but the most notable fact
about the speculation is that The re-
action was SO slight. Even the rather
sharp decline in the closing hour of
today was scarcely significant, in view
of the previous tremendous upward
sweep of the market. Usually such a
day rs Tuesday marks tho elimination
Of speculative moTement,. but this
timo the interest has been maintained.
The excitement has kept up. The
bull fever has continued Tens of
thousands of stocks have been sold for
realization of profits, but there has
been a steady influx of new buyers.
The prosperity of tho country was
plainly shown in tho readiness and
ability of the public to speculate. ".