The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1899-05-10
Bradstreet's Weekly Report
Both Wholesale and Retail
Business Above the
Average.

Average.
New York, May 5 5-Bradstreet's
tomorrow will say: That this is, in
deed an era of trade and industrial
combinations seems evident from tine
long list of announcements of new
consultations, rumored or actually
foated, coming to public vie" this
week. Whether this tendency has
as yet reached its elimination can
not, of course, be easily predicted,
but in some lines of industry the
announcements of projected consoli-
dations would seem to have left little
room for further operations of this
kind. Easily first in this direction
is the gigantic iron aud steel comb
nation, announced with seeming con,
fdence as In process of formation
Second only to this, however, is the
actual floating of the great. copper
combination. Outgrowtbs of these
great combinations are of immense
industrial changes in many lines
they possess special interest in the
world of trade and finance because
of the immense aggregations of cap
ital or industry involved in their pro.
lection or their carrying out to sue.
cessful finish
While wholesale srade continues of
between seasons volume, very gen
eral evidence is forthcoming that the
aggregate is in excess Of last years
undeniably good proportions, and re-
tail demand is of an encouraging
character That the volume of fall
business booked is in excess of the
average, is very generally conceded.
Advances in prices and reported
great activity abroad point to the
widespread demand for iron and
STEEL and render less doubtful the
hold of American products on foreign
markets The tone of general values
is notably strong for the season of
the year, prominent exception be-
ing pork and hog products generally
which have been the SUBJECT of bear
ish manipulation Cereals are gen
orally firm. cash wheat being frac
,ionally higher at the seaboard on
interruption to movement by the va
ter route, cause BY the grain handlers
strike at Buffalo, while option busi'
ness is in a waiting stage. pending
the government report on wheat con-
dision and acreage next week.
Crop advices are contradictory, bot
good weather seemed for successful
planting and growth of spring wheat,
while foreign crop advices continue
good, and export demand IS of only
moderate proportions. This, coupled
with smaller than expected decreases
IN worlds supplies reported to Brad.
streets this week, acts as check to
values which might otherwise
record the admitted damage to the
winter wheat crop
Copper among the metals, retains
all its strength, speculative interest
in copper consolidation being q Gus
tanning feature. ofsetting depressing
effects on copsumptive sdemand of
the recent advance. A special feature
this week 10 the activity in building
and in real estate reported from q
number of widely separated points,
material generally are conse-
queptly firm or tending up.
ward. In textiles, raw cotton
is rather weaker on improving
weather and the crop conditions, but
manufactured goods are very firm
and some brown and bleached export
grades have been advanced Wool
markets note change in the buying
of some large lots of domestic woods
for speculation, and prices are firm
in sympathy with the advanced quo
tations paid for some large lots of
Australian bonded wool brought for
re export
The strength of sugar shows no
diminution, despite recent advances
and further gains to be noted, chiefly
owing to good domestic demand and
advance in European markets
Leather and hides are firm, and boots
and shoe manufacturers are realizing
advanced quotations.
Business failures are down to their
lowest level, numbering only l64 this
week against 184 in this week a
year ago.