The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-10-25
TRADE CONDITIONS
TWIN CITIES TRANSACTIONS AF-
FECTED BY THE WET
WEATHER
BUYERS WE'RE BASHFUL


In Some Lines There Was Much
Activity-In Others There Was
SIuggishness-COII Slow
The Low Price Of Wheat the
Cause-GeneraI Trade COndI-
tIOns of the Country Are Fair.
st. PauI-Grocery houses report sales 10
to Is per cent ahead of last years, and boot
and shoe sales increase 20 per cent. while
hardware, plumbers supplies and saddery
are moving well. The sorting up trade in
dry goods, clothing and furnishings is quiet
owing to continued rainy weather, which has
interfered with threshing, and as the season
is so far advanced, some difficulty will be ex-
perienced in taking care Of the full crop.
Retail trade is fairly good. with collections
slow, but improving-Dun's Review, Oct. e.
MinneapOIis-Rain throughout the North
west has checked trade and collections, and
business for the first half Of October, though
generally exceeding last years, has not met
expectations. The low price of wheat is q
drawback, and receipts at country elevators
are light. The implement season is about
over. and the hardware trade is only nor
NAL, though manufacturers Of furniture sash
and doors are busy. The grocery business
has been good, and larger trade in canned
goods is expected, owing to reduction In
freight tariffs. The boot and shoe season is
we'll advanced, and jobbers are putting out
samples. There is q coed demand In furs
and jewelry, with large improvement over
last year In drugs, paints and OILS. Money
is easy, with demand. The -four output
reported by the Northwestern Miller is:
Minneapolis, 348, $50 bbIs, against 49,, 956 last
year; Superior-Duluth, 9S, 755, against s., $50;
Milwaukee, 43025, against 1850; and St.
Louis, $500, against 70,SGO. Domestic trade
was heavy, with sales approximating 5S3, coo
bois, against 415,O00 last week, the entire out
put showing an increase over last year of
55.O00.-Dun's Review, Oct. %.
st. PauI-Business is fair only, and,
though no complaint is heard, jobbers, as
rule, feel that the situation is not I'D to
expectations of the earlier autumn. The
recent advance in the price of wheat lends
some encouragement but continued wet
weather, particularly in North Dakota, Is
holding collections back, although this weeks
clearings show a slight increase over last.
Compared with the corresponding week Of a
year ago there Is a slight decrease The
volume of sales is about as usual.-Brad-
Streets Oct. %.
MinneapOIis-The considerable rainfall in
the country tributary to this city during the
past week has had an unfavorable effect on
business generally, and merchandise has
moved less freely from jobbers' hands Farm
ers have been marketing less grain, and col
lectons are again Disappointing Bradstreet's.
Oct. o.
GENERAL TRADE.
the largest for the year, and for October, thus
far, three weeks shipments, compiled from
the Shoe and Leather Reporters weekly &C
counts, being 265,642 cases, against 250 62S in
1894, 249, 120 in 1897 247,513 in 1896, and 228-
SIG in 1892, with less in other years. The
gain Of 16 per cent over 1892 means more
because Western progress of the industries
IN six years has naturally cut off part of
the Eastern demand. With more actual re-
tail trade, because Of the wet weather, job
bing demands have increased for speedy de-
livery and yet very little is done for spring
trade The most encouraging feature Is that
the demand is for q rather better class Of
go0ds.-Dun's Review. Oct. %.
Le0ther-Beyond current needs there is
scarcely any demand, and all concerned are
waiting as far as they can for expected
changes in price.-Dun's Review, Oct o.
HideS-GeneTal weakness at Cbicaoo de-
presses nearly all classes of packer hides
slightly, while country buff also declined
sharply. and are usually followed by other
grades.-Dun's Review, Oct. %.
WOod-The Boston market was much more
active than it has been since the middle of
August, with more inquiries from manu-
facturers owing to better demand for heavy
weight goods, but they were ready to buy only
at low prices, and concessions were made
Sales for the week were 8, 029, 600 lbs at Bos-
ton, and 1856, 400 at all cities, and for three
weeks of October TO- e36 100 lbs. of which 6, 426,-
400 were domestic, against 81, 1872 100 last year.
of which 49, 10, AT were domestic 20 765, 500 in
1896, of which Il, 1O7, 900 were domestic, and
10, 481, $50 lbs in 1892. The New York market
is still quite inactive, though there is still
more demand. At Philadelphia blocks of wool
have been taken by mills of Eastern and mid
die states, and there is considerably more in
quiry. The bulk of the Boston buying has
been in fine territory at lie to 13c, medium
at lac to 1920. and fine and medium at 16c
to 20c.-Dun's Review, Oct. %.
WOOl-The movement in wool this week at
Boston shows some increase but the larger
transactions have been at close prices and
were cash sales. This was caused by the ne
cesity Of ready money, which has induced
some holders to accept low bids Boston s
sales this week foot up 2,095, 900 lbs domestic
including about 100000 lbs territory and
400, 900 lbs unwashed heeces, besides about
LOCO, 900 lbs foreign. The latter sales include
100000 lbs Montevideo. sold to a dealer for
20kc, 100000 lbs Australian and 100000 lbs
carpet. Some washed fleece woods were also
sold at SOC for No. Ohio and 29c for quarter
hloods UnwaShed HeeceS hold steady in nrine
and are quite literally inquired for, particu-
larly medium woods. The general market Is
quiet, but most holders are not disposed to
give way on prices where they are In a posi-
ton to wait. The consolidation of a number
of Boston national banks, which appears likely
to go through, is credited with having in
duced some of the larger sales this week, as
it disturbed the financial arrangements of the
Observation-Disclosures Oct. %.
Wooden GOOds-The colder weather
which has prevailed lately has helped the de-
mand for heavy weight woolens and worsteds
for mon TO