Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1898-01-04
Business Outlook Excellent for
the Year 1893.
REVIEW OFTHEPAST TWELVE MONTHS
Volume of Business Transacted the
Heaviest Since 1s92-Grati9ying
Decrease in the Number of
Business Failures.
New York, Jan. 1.-Bradstreets' saws.


full revival. 1897 presented large volume
Of business done. as whole. at prices
which, while not altogether satisfactory,
resulted in total of trade larger than in
any previous year since 1892. Tariff changes
restricted demand but encouraged specu-
lation and heavy imports In the first part
Of 1897. while the enlarged foreign demand
for American breadstuffs and for some
varieties of manufactured articles bettered
the condition Of the American farmer, and,
therefore. business men, quite materially,
in the latter part Of the year.
price conditions have not favored the
southern producer of cotton nor the north
ern manufacturer of cotton goods. The
best reports come from the west, north
west and the Pacific coast Prices at the
close are as whole on higher range than
at the opening, advances being most nu-
merous in food products, raw silk and
wool. while decreases are reported in raw
cotton and cotton goods, nearly all met
ais, anthracite coal and petroleum. Rail-
road interests share in the revival of pros
perity, with gross and net earnings larger
than any year since $685. and the year 1898
opens with the business community, with
full frame Of mind.
A Gratifying Decrease.
"A heavy falling off in number and in
liabilities of individuals, firms or corpora
tions falling was shown In 1897 from 1906
and the four preceding years. "A partial re-
turn to more or less normal conditions Is
further Indicated by drop in the per-
csntaEe Of assets to liabilities and by
reduction in the commercial death rate as
compared with every year since and in
Guiding 1893. The total number of failures
reported to Bradstreet's for the year just
closed was 1908, decrease of 2,OOO failures
and over 13 per cent. from 1896; a falling
off of is per cent from the panic year of
1898 and decrease Of more than per cent.
from 1891, year of prosperous business but
Of numerous business embarrassments.
Compared with 1896 there was gain in the
number Of failures shown Of about half of
l per cent, while compared with 1892 there
was an increase of q per cent. Liabilities
OF those failing constituted one of the
smallest totals of recent years, amounting
to only Sl56, 900, decrease of 81 per cent.
from 1896, of 60 per cent. from 1893 and of
10 per cent. from 1891, but gain Of AZ per
cent. over 1892.
West Fares the Hest.
THE least favorable showing is made by
the eastern states, which report increa ses
In number and liabilities over 1885, In spite
of depression in cotton prices, southern
failures and liabilities are smaller than a
year ago, while the greatest failing off is
reported In the west and the northwest
The percentage of assets to liabilities of
those failing in 1897 was 54.4 per cent, the
smallest percentage since 1893, and only
slightly above the normal. The commer=
cial death rate-that is, the percentage Of
those In business failing-in 1897 was l.2O,
as compared with LAO In 1896 and 1.5O in 1893
Heaviest for Five Years.
Those reliable indices of the business sit
| uation-bank clearings-point to the year
1897 as witnessing the heaviest business,
both speculative and commercial done
since the record year. 1892, just preceding
the panic. The total clearings at IS cities
for the year, one week estimated, aggre-
| gated at least $56,926, O00,OC0, sum larger
| by IL per cent. than the total of 1885, year
| OF silver agitation and an exciting presi-
| Dental election; s per cent. larger than
1895. the disappointing year, when a boom
| In iron and kindred products led to false
| hopes OF business Improvement: 20 per cent,
| over the year 1894, when the depth of de-
! preston following the panic may be said
| to have been reached; 5per cent. over 1893,
| the year of widespread disaster in financial
| and commercial circles. and only per cent.
| smaller than the total of 1892, when the
| boom following the large foreign demand
| for American breadstuffs and other prod
ucts reached its height. Practically the en-
| tire gain in clearings in 1897 was concen.
trated In the last six months, and it is q
1 significant fact that the heaviest MONTH,
total reported for five years past was re.
I ported In the month of December Gains
| were heaviest in the northwest, the middle
and New England states, and smallest ir
J the south and northwest, at the latter OF
| which the trade Improvement was rattle,
| later in arriving
Outlook Is Good.
X. g. Dun d Co., in their weekly re-
view OF trade, say:
new year opens with conditions radi
caily dlterent from those which prevailed
year ago. Great financial distrust ex
1 listed then, but has passed away. Afte,
a whole year OF entire freedom from dis
turbance or alarm, in which the countr,
has paid heavy foreign Indebtedness, takei
and paid many millions for stocks sen
from abroad and accumulated credit,
against other credits represented by mer
chandise balances more than 1920 900. 100
IN Its favor for the past five months will
deferred exchanges for more than $50 900.
600 held by New York banks alone. Will
the great industries have been pushin,
their way into foreign markets with un
precedented success, the monetary situa
ton Is no longer matter of anxiety. Nor
than half million men in a few states
according to official reports, are employee
now who were idle a year ago, and tn
general advance in wages for those EN-
ployed has gone far to restore the rate
prevailing before the panic. The volum
OF business through clearing houses, fo
the week AZ per cent. larger than in 1879.
has for the month been O3 per cent large
than In that year. and in many industrie
: anu UEdHCueS Oh business the later month
OF this year have surpassed all records
Iron and Grain.
1.-THE iron industry has been greatly er
couraged by increased demand during tn
past few weeks. and while the slight i'm
provement in pig iron at Pittsburgh ha
been maintained, notwithstanding til
4 greatest output ever known, the new cor
tracts for finished products have been ur
usual for the season.
AFTER the great excitement at Chicag,
: wheat still goes out of the country 8
I largely as before: Atlantic ports, 800
bushels. flour included. against l $40 $40 las
year, and from Pacific ports 1.7l2,G25 busl
e els. In four weeks the Atlantic export
i flour included, have been l5.oG0,047 bushel
against S.50O.16l last year. Heavy westey
- receipts are only rejecting Temporal
l. conditions In the Chicago market. But e,
y traordinary exports Of corn, 14,4O4.so5 bust
l. els. against 9.444,S53 bushels in the fol
weeks last year, shows how sorely foreg
, markets are pushed by the increasing d
e mand for breadstuffs. Wheat has decline
v flye-eights of cent with the Chical
market, and corn has meanwhile advance
thrse-fnnrthS of cent"
BOY HELD FOR MURDER.
T. Was SDurred on by His Mother to X 4