The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1899-03-08
DUNs N EElKLl
TRADE REV VIE "
Tho Greatest Business Ever
Known in February.

New York, March a-R G. Dun
& Co.'S Weekly Review of Trade
will say tomorrow The business
for the past month was far the
greatest ever known in February.
Clearing house orderings were about
81, ,o00, ,0oo. GOO, against S5,567 ,553,-
sA4. iass year, aud 54.2 per cent.
larger than in 1892. Ia all the years
of weekly commercial reporting there
has been no other week in which the
reports from ali parts OF the country
have been on the whole SO good as
thev are this week. Moreover, during
the pass week there has been a gen
eral advance in wages, Immediate or
prospective At most points the
advance Of 10 per cent. OF more was
entirely voluntary It has averaged
from S TO TO per ce,at. in tin plate
works and about 10 per cent. in other
cases, and as it Affects much over
100, 600 hands Il viii add greatly to
the purchasing power Of the wage
earners.
The return of failures IN February,
while showing larger liabilities than
in January, are highly encouraging.
rather nnnsnal number of large
failuses 10 scattered branches of
mannfacsure has swened the aggre-.
gate, including one concern for SIS,
900, ,098 Id the electrical apparatus,
hns il nearly all branches the state
n.ent Indicates remarkably healthy
condition in spite Of these failures,
While ii trading the defsulted iiabiii-
Ties are smaller than IN January or
any previous winter months for SIX
years. Ia prices the striking feature
has been tie rapid advance IN iron
aud steel products, resulting from 9
demand greater than the works IN
the country can supply All the
worka OF Importance have been
crowded with orders running to July
ard later. Buyers have given life 90
cpncerns long Inactive, and as these
can add but little to the output the
market has been antirelv controlled.
81 the buying demand
All sorts of prices have been paid,
some for early delivery ard some for
delivery AFTER July 4, bat $l3 so is
quoted for Bessemer pig at Pittsburg.
$I2 SO for grey forge, and at the
East $l4 425 Is qnoted for anthracite
No. Prices of finished products
have also been advanced 81 per ton
for Eastern aud Western bats, plates
and structural forms, and S3 for wire
nails. The demand has not yet been
checked. and some heavy orders havs
been taken at all points, even at the
highest prices nansd, but the export
business is likely to be stopped for
the present
Holders Of wheat hare been look
ing FOR the report of the agricultural
deparsnens regarding stocks held
by farmers March L, but com-
snercial reports indicate that
,sneh are the largest ever held
al this date They have TO sup
port them the western receipts from
farms, which have been larger than
For past years in February for four
weeks IL. .57I ,ooo bushels, against
{ 10. .004 900 bushels last year. while
.Atiantic exports have been for. four
weeks 1885, ,756 bushels. sgainst
s,e7s, $50 last year. Tne Pacific ex-
ports hare been 605,737 bushels for
theweek, against 64,993 lsss year.
and from other ports 1871. .S29 bushels
have been. shipped during the past
week
Rarely, if ever, has there been
as great demand FOR grain at this
season as now appears, but the per
cent price has yielded / Ia cents for
sae week, although corn has advanced
I.2 of cent for spot, the receipts
having fallen.
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