Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1899-01-03
A MEMORABLE YEAR.
1t Has Been a Twelvemonth Of
Victory in All Directions.

1t Has Been a IwelvemOnth OF
Victory in ALI Directions.
VICTORY ON THE FIELD OF BATTLE,
Victory In Spread of Our Country's
Influence Among Nations-victory
In Financial, Commercial and
Industrial Results,
New York, Dec Sir G. Dun & Co. g
weekly review of trade says: The year 1895
has not only been one of victory, of i'm
| portant Increase in territory and of In
calculable expansion of the influence Of the
| United states among other nations, but has
| surpassed all other years in financial and
industrial results. The center of financial
| power has crossed the ocean. After pay
ing debts of several millions abroad and
conducting war loan to an honorable end.
the country Is lending so many millions in
Europe that. for the first time, banks
abroad look to New York to dictate the
rate of exchange. Exports have been about
VI, 600 and the excess over imports
ABOUT S6l7,OO0.0O0 against 1857 O00, 900 in 1897
ana IN only two previous years has the bal
ance risen to SSO0.OO0,O00. In no past calen-
oar year have the net imports of gold
reached S50O0.000, but this year they have
been about S140,00O,000. November passed
all previous months in value of produce ex-
ports over imports, but December has gone
much beyond November.
Demand UneaualIed,
Power in the worlds markets comes
with demand for breadstuffs and other
necessaries never before equaled. Exports
of cotton have been over Z, 700, 600 bales
about 1885, 100000 pounds, and in no pre-.
vious year as much as 100000 bales, or
5000. 600 pounds. Exports of breadstuffs
have been in value 1888 91S, 294 in II months.
ana have never been as large In any other
year. Exports of wheat for the year, lack
Ing day or two. have been 21S, 1894, 6S6 BUSH
els, flour included. slightly exceeded only
py 22o, 665.Sl2 In 1892, and Of corn 200, 979 on
bushels, only approached by 1s9,127,57O In
1897. The heaviest exports Of both grains
ana nour IN any previous year were &c.
ocO.oOo bushels smaller. only a60,220.613 In
1871. Though wheat was raised to s1.91 in
may, the highest quotation with the
ht ,ls res monthly average for 80 years,
s!Ss.ss. 90 that the average for the first half
put the highest since 1888, the December ay-
erage has been only 72 cents. 25 cents below
tnal OF last year. but the years average
W cents, Is the highest since 1881.
Due to Industrial Progress,
fhe triumph in finance has been largely
due to Industrial progress. The OUTPUT Of
pig iron has been about II, 645 900 tons. the
greatest yet reached In any year by 2, 900, 900
tons. and greater than Great Britain ever
reached by 2soo.o00 tons. Yet the CON
sumption In manufacture has been still
larger In spite of net exports of pig: in len
months 163,OS9 tons for unsold stocks were
reduced In II months $4,000 tons. Exports
OF IRON manufactures in ten months were
s13,4s7sl7. Prices shown for the year in the
table OF comparisons have been unusually
steady, varying not per cent. for pig from
lhe lowest to the highest, and for finished
products not 6 per cent,
Bradstreet,s Report,
Bradstreet's says: "Concisely stated, the
reports received as to the years business IN
all sections of the country point to an un-
precedented volume of domestic and export
trade. which is reflected In ba nix cIea ra ,,oas
that break the high RECORD of 1892 The gem
eral level of prices of staples and securi-
ties at the close of the year is at the high.
est point reached for five years past. These
general results In the country at large have
peen achieved, too, Observation-Disclosures the |
outbreak and conclusion Of a foreign war,
ana IN spite, also, of unfavorable condt- |
lions IN some industries, notably textile
which, combined with I'M,
favorable weather early in the wear and |
the lowest prices for cotton on record ex-
erctsed an unfavorable influence. But the /
Seiose OF the year finds an Improvement even
trade, and particularly holiday business
are striktngly good in all sections
Best reports as to distrtbutiye trade NAT.
nrally come from the grain-growina seq
{{lpns OF the country, which were the flrst
= ieel an Improvement resulting from free
1oIeign demand for our cereals, but indi.
cations are not wanting that this improva- |
nent Is gradually percolating throuehout
the entire business community, and, coupled I
with unprecedented export trade In man
ufactured goods and the fact that we are
selling two dollars worth abroad for every
ooilar worth we buy renders possible the
gains reported in distributive trade over
1887, ranging from 10 to 40 per cent, with
likewise good reports from the manufao-
turing centers excepting the textile indus
tries already mentioned The export trade
OF the country for the year, as above inf.
mated, is the heaviest ever known, and will
probably exceed $3.50, 900 600 In value tins
being nearly double the Imports our es.
port trade in manufactured goods. II
might be observed, is the heaviest ever
known, and for the first time in our coun-
try's history exceeded the value of imports
of similar goods.
The Record of Failures
There were 1,63s failures In the United
states In 1885, involving liabilities of Sal
~, III, decrease from 1897 In number If
LIZ per cent. and in liabilities of o. per
cent. Compared with 1896 and 1895 the nro-
portion OF decrease shown is even larger
ana compared with 1896 failures were fewer
oy 20 per cent. and liabilities smaller bv
y per cent. Decreases are also shown when
compared with 1881, year of large tradaj
out OF numerous and costly failures. but
compared with 1892 there is an Increase
shown OF IL per cent. in number and 30 ner
cent. In liabilities The tendency of fail
Tres toward the normal is illustrated nv
he fact that the percentage Of assets to
liabilities is the smallest reported since
1872. and the annual death rate-that is. the
percentage of traders falling to those in
'usiness-is likewise the smallest reportedl
1nce the latter year, being only lie per
,ent, against 1.20 in 1897. 1.5O in 1893 and
n 1892 Unsatisfactory conditions in text1le
ines and some large failures of banks and
'ther financial concerns account for the
expansion in liabilities shown In those SEQ.
ions, while larger number of small fail
Tres In Pennsylvania and in some Of the
EASTERN states reflect poor trade early In the
'ear and dullness growing out Of the war
md bad weather" .
Cold at st. Paul.
St. Paul, Mimi, Dec 81. - From Sc
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