The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-03-05

NEW YORK, March ar. @. Dun C
Co.'S weekly review OF trade will say
in Its issue tomorrow:
Stories of the most reckless sort. dis
proved promptly, and many OF them
before they are told, affected specula-.
tion In stoclso much last week and at
times this week, but they have moi, dis
turbed the industries and the trade OF
the country at all. There IS confidence
that the authorities are doing what Is
proper to provide for public defense
and business Is moving with the assur-
ance that 1t will not be seriously dis
turbed. Il ( :
In grain, cotton, mant products and
petroleum, markets have been strong,
with gradual Increases In the demand
for manufactured products.
Failures In February have been
smaller than In any other month eS-
cept three OF the previous ffty-two
months, with remarkable decreases In
the failures for $l00. .0c0 and over, though
In number and amount the smaller fall
ures show less change than might have
been expected, Indicating that In good
times or bad a large proportion is due
TO causes apart from the general con-
dition OF business. The ratio Of de-
faulted liabilities TO payments through
the clearing housesf IS but Sill per
Sl,0Co, lower rate thar has appeared
IN the first quarter OF any yenr except
1880 and 1881 OF the past twenty three
years. ~
The best evidence OF general improve
ment Is the fact that payments through
Clearing houses for the past week have
been $50 per cent larger thon in 1892
and outside New York with It's 5pecula-
tive interests, 116 per cent. Compared
with last year the gain has been &c.
per cent for the week and 49.S per cent
for February.
Production OF pig iron is the greatest
ever known. some new furnaces having
started In the past month. hut Besse-
mer billets are so scarce at Chicago
that some works are embarrassed and
heavy purchases at Pittsburgh. !nclud-
ing one OF 25.0GD tons. have stiffered the
price SO that Besseiner pig and local
coke at Chicago are stronger than einca
November l, with grey forge unchanged
Mt Pittsburgh. Foundry at the east Is
slightly lower. basic pig having been
offered IL the sharp competition at
ABOUT Slo, though southern makers in
Alapaina and Tenre ssec, excepting two,
nave agreed upon plan of sales
through commission. The demand
for finished products covers work far
anea6 In plates, structural forms,
sheets, In pipe since the advance in oil,
and In rails. with Chicago sale for o,
Canada road 10 Alaska, but bar Is weak
with Increasing use OF steel. and tin
plates are quoted ut s2SJ. against "a for
the same quality Of foreign. Tin is
stronger at 1920 cents and lake copper
at 1l.S7 cents. In
The strike In cotton mills does not
spread. but helps to slightly bette-
demand for some goods, while in WOOL
ems the business Is slow In some OF the
liner qualities, which have been much
advanced in priee, and in these and
other grades as well as cancellations
have often exceeded recorders. ipd!cat.
ing less distribution than was expected
at the advanced prices. Wool has
yielded a little. the average OF 100 quo
tatlons by Coates Bros. for domestic
being 20.93 cents, against 20.S2 cents
feoruary l. and while yielding Is thus
far mainly in inferior qualities. stocks
Ut least tHree years old are pressing for
sale. -
Wheat has grown stronger, exports
continuing at rate which threatens
TO exhaust the supply II trade reports
OF farmers stocks are correct. From
Atlantic ports 2.t2S. 80 bushels went
out. -four included. against 1,36S, ,4lG last
year, and from Pacific ports SCI, ,999,
against 479.9j9 bushels last year. The
price has risen one cent, but II Is posi-
Bile that the estimates OF last years
stocks. though fifty million bushels In
excess OF the government estimates
may prove too small. Corn has declined
only one-Quarter OF q cent, with exports
OF 4.74S,s4S bushels, against S, %, ,7S5 last
year. n - :
Failures for the week have been 2s1
In the United States, against 946 last
year, ard Sc in Canada, against 50 last
year. .6,, j.. - :,
a