Omaha daily bee., 1899-12-03
CONDITION OF OMAHA'S TRADE
Opinions Differ Somewhat as to the Volume
Of Business Doing,
COLD WEATHER BADLY NEEDED BY SOME
NalueS on Practically All Lines OF
Merchandise Continue Firm in
spite of mig Advances RE-
Gently Made.

SNite OF HtR Advances re
Gently Made.
Local jobbers are sun doing a very satis-
Factory business. In some ways, however,
trade was not as good last month as 1t was
the corresponding month OF last year. The
loss, where there has been any. was due
entirely, dealers say, to the unreasonable
weather, which prevented cold weather
goods from going into consumption. In
spite of the weather, however, some lines
are selling better than they were a year
ago Hardware iobbers, for example, re-
port an Increase of about 2j per cent and
grocers also say that trade is running far
ahead of last year. Dealers in leather and
rubber goods and dry goods, on the other
hand, find trade light. All that is needed,
weather and that Is being anXiously
awaited. The markets are in just about the
only few changes of Importance have
taken place a holiday In the middle of the
the markets as well as to cut down the
volume of business, so in reality the latter
The local retail trade is quite satisfactory.
Dealers enjoyed a good trade and are look
dng forward to the largest holiday business
on record
Grocery Market strong.
Local wholesale grocers report but little
change in their line of business. Trade re-
mains just about the same. which means
mat they are having about all the business
they can handle comfortably one jobber
remarked that the day following Thanks
giving they had the biggest run of orders
that they have ever had, and indications are
that the holiday trade viii be enormous.
The market on practically all lines Is in a
very strong position, though some classes
OF goods have weakened account of the
warm weather. Buckwheat flour is in that
class and rolled oats are also easier Beans
on the contrary. are being quoted trihe
Higher than they were a week ago. The
week ago. Canned goods are firming up
again and the tendency Is for higher prices.
position and Do prices % s. are sa' somewhat higher
than they were at last report
ccttcr Than Last Year.
Hardware men say they have no COM
plants to offer regarding the condition of
trade; They of course know that they
would be doing more business If weather
conditions, were more favorable, hut as
long as they are doing % per cent more
business than they were a year ago they
feel pretty well satisfied. There We're no
are worthy of mention, but prices are
being well maintained and indications point
20 a good, steady, active market for some
time to come. In speaking of market con-
dittons local jobber remarked that every
thing is going along as nicely as one could
lections are coming in as well could be
expected under the, cireumsttances. Con
ing feature which should not escape notice
and that is that manufacturers appear to
ne catching n6d up with their orders for bill
ordered something over year ago.
Want Colder weather.
Dry goods jobbers are not doing a very
rushing business. Stocks in the country are
etill quite complete and consequently not
much can be done at present in whole
sale way. Local jobbers however, have no
fear but what they will be able to make
a good showing, taking the winter as "a
whole, for cold weather is bound to come
pf 90 "a
long way toward making up for the present
dullness. Manufacturers are still putting
up prices, especially on hosiery and under
wear All kinds of cotton goods are stiffen-
Ing up all the time and as yet. it is i'm
reached. Silks are also in a very strong
position and notice has been received of an
advance on sewing silks amounting to &c
Boot and shoe men are also doing little
complaining about the condition of trade
Retailers out through the country say they
have a little squirt of trade now and then,
but. taking 1t as a whole, they are not doing
The way in which tney are placing orders
for spring goods, however, would indicate
that they are not very uneasy regarding
they are inclined toward conservatism
Owing to the steady advances on. hides
leather goods were marked up again last
week, the advance this time amounting on
the average to about per cent The ad-
greatest on the heavy cheap lines and least
on the finer grades. To illustrate the way
dn Wnlcn leatner goods nave Deen going up
of late a jobber said that six weeks ago
he bought some heavy boys shoes and paid
{Gr e order [eg bs days qge sSos he sent to
him $l.011a and the manufacturer claims
that his margin is smaller at the advanced
Rubber goods men are doing about as
much complaining as any one. The few
flakes of snow that fell on Thanksgiving
day cheered them up for a few minutes
but that was all. Retailers, of course, have
done some business during the past week
1nA go hnf thnra is htf tIn
immediate business coming to hand.
The hide market is still frming up and
an advance is looked for in the near fu-
Fruit and Produce.
Fruit and produce men enjoyed a better
trade last week than for some time past
Orders, of course, were hardly large
as they usually are at Thanksgiving time
on account OF the warm weather, but at
the same time dealers are pretty well
satisfied The poultry trade however, was
rather disappointing in some ways as there
were too many chickens and not enough
turkeys, and besides that the bulk of the
receipts was held back until Wednesday,
As "A result the market was uneven and
nS bava baoM We're ed h1b tb as g0Td & as they
ceived earlier In the week Prices were
good the first part of the week. but fell
off badly on Wednesday, owing to the big
receipts on the last day, and as soon the
Thanksgiying trade was over with they
quotations below The demand at the pres
ent time for poultry Is very light and deal
ers are obliged to take what they can get
for stock left on their hands Eggs are not
coming in very rapidly but at the same
time there seems to be enough to meet the
demand. The supply of butter is quite
liberal, but prices are firm at the Guota-
tions, There is very little game being
offered on the market and dealers say they
could handle more If they had It. There is
no change In quotations on oysters, al
though Thanksgiving trade was unusually
heavy.
Fruits and vegetables remain Just about
the same as they were week ago Pota-
toes are rather scarce and farmers seem TO
be holding for higher prices, The low
prices early in the season made them put
their potatoes away and although prices
have advanced considerably, still they do
not seem willing to move the crop at pres
ent.
new YORK GENERAL MARKET.