The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-11-29
ANACONDA News.
ALL TRADE IS IMPROVING
Representative Anaconda Mer-
chants Are Interviewed.
THEY ALL ARE. SATISFIED
Winter Trade Is Opening Well-Improve-
ment That Is at Hand Promises to
Be Permanent-Review of
Trade Conditions.
THEY ALL ARE. SATISFIED

In the following paragraphs will b.
found the opinions of a score of the
prominent merchants of Anaconda
touching this falls local trade condi-
tons, the outlook for Christmas and
winter volume of general business, and
comparisons of prevailing commodity
prices with those Of year ago. These
statements and expressions of opinion,
which the Standard gathered by per-
sonal interviews show clearly several
interesting conditions in local mercan-
tile affairs:
That while throughout the fall and
summer past, trade was not as brisk
at times as at other periods in other
years, the approach of winter is being
marked by stimulation that heralds
a busy business season, with firm, per-
manent and lively sales ahead; that If
cold weather does not tarry on the
other side the divide too long, the
Christmas of 1899 will be something of
hummer" in the city's stores; that
while several commodities, noticeably
wooden. cotton and rubber goods and
canned products, have taken jumps Of
from 10 to 40 per cent on the wholesale
markets, the merchants of Anaconda
are fortunate enough to have bought
their stock prior to the upward move
ment, and therefore are selling to local
consumers at last years lower prices:
that there's plenty Of money in the
town and people are paying off their
debts.
Following are the several interviews
A Lively Christmas.
Marlborough Thompson, manager of
Fulton market (Montana Meat COM
pany)-Throughout the summer and
fall business has not been as brisk as
we could have wished, but now it is
beginning to pick up, and we look for
ward to a lively good Christmas trade
recent falling off of trade in lines of
general business, except that there ap-
pear to be less number of men with
families in the city than previously
and a correspondingly greater number
Of single men. Then, too, many labor
ing folk are taking advantage of re-
turning financial prosperity to square
old debts, made in the times when
money was tighter than it is now. AS
far as prices in our line of business
are concerned, they differ little from
those paid by the consumer last fall.
Apples have gone up as result of
lightness of local crops. Last fall they
sold at from $3.50 to SITS the box,
while this fall we are asking from
s1.75 to $2.25 the box.
r. T. Williams, secretary and treas
urer of the Smith Drug company-Not-
withstanding the fact that there is
plenty of money in the town and the
monthly payroll is larger than it has
been in years, trade has been a bit
dull these past few months. Happily,
however, business is picking up, and
we feel warranted in looking forward
CT
mas, In the drug line, staple goods
have advanced materially in wholesale
cost, and on some of them quota tons
have been even withdrawn. This adj
vance is accounted for by increased
consumption all over the country. I'M
ported drugs, principally those of Ger
man manufacture, have taken rise
in the market as more or less direct
result Of the Boer war.
L. j. Baker, Of the l.. J. Baker COM
pany, retail grocers-Last year bust
ness was in fine condition until late
fall, when it began to drop off, and re-
manned more or less Indifferent
throughout the past months of 1899.
With the approach Of December how
ever, the indications are that the in
crease in trade which already has set
In will be permanent and show a
steady progression. We feel assured of
brisk and profitable Christmas sales.
Regarding prevailing prices as COM
pared with this time year ago, there
is a somewhat general advance. While
flour and coffee are selling to the con-
sumner 10 per cent lower, potatoes bring
20 per cent advance, and from 10 to
20 per cent increase in price is being
asked for nearly all timed goods.
Light local crops have showed potatoes
up, and the greatly increased cost of
tin accounts for the raise in canned
goods; but why flour should have
Il of m 1oJ
Charles F. Adams. of Odson, Rich
ardson & Adams, clothiers-This Octo-
Der was a specially good month with
us. and all indications pointed to a
lively November trade, bat owing to
the unusually mild weather that fol-
lowed and still prevails this months
volume of business is behind. Now, if
the elements will get in and stir up
little row for December, the Christ
mas sales will hum. Never before in
the history of the country has such
a rnonstrous demand been made on the
manufacturers of the eastern clothing
markets AS a result, every factory is
running to the extreme limit of it's ca
pacity, and in several instances plants
have been enlarged. To illustrate: The
first day of their spring trade, the
Washington Mills company, establish
ed at Lawrence, Mass, and Coventry,
Conn., took orders to the amount or
$4,000, 900; and many other great east
ern mills have orders for all the wool
ems they possibly can manufacture
within the next six months. Prices
are continually going UP and will re-
main higher during the coming sea-
sons than they have been at any time
during the past five years. This con-
dition of things is regulated almost
entirely by the relation of supply and
demand, and / look for it to prevail
for from u to IS months to come. The
war in South Africa may appreciably
affect next springs prices; but will
have no bearing on this winters, be-
cause of the priority of orders placed.
However, what is Of more immediate
interest is the fact that piece goods
which last year brought $1.15 the yard
are to-day being refused sale at $1.5O
the yard. To make up an ordinary
sack or cutaway suit three and one
fourth wards of cloth are required so
Of cnSt in stuff alone