Omaha daily bee., 1899-07-23
CONDITION OF OMAHA'S TRADE
Retailers Report a Very Good Business
During the Last Week.
SALES JUST AS LARGE AS A YEAR AGO
Jobbers Feeling Very Well Satisfied
with Month of JuIy-vaIues on
Most Lines Continue Firm with
General Upward Tendency.

Comparisons with a year ago show that
the retailers OF Omaha are doing. on an
average, as much business as in 1898. Some
houses do not report quite such heavy sales.
whIe on the other hand a few houses have
maze substantial gains. 1t will be remem-
oered mat q year ago retail merchants
were depending very largely upon the ex-
position. A great many people were at
tracted to the city in the hope Of securing
employment, while quite a good many sight
seer5 came even during July. All these
people had to lie cared for and the retail
trade OF the city was greatly improved. In
view of this fact 1t seems quite remarkable
that the volume of sales this season is rum
ming as large as a year ago. Retailers
themselves who have gone to the trouble to
make comparisons are surprised at the
showing made.
The only explanation for the very satIs-
factory character of the business doing in
Tetaii lines Is to be found in the undoubted
country are improved. In fact, according
to all reports, 1t would be hardly possible
to oyerestimate the degree of prosperity
which the whole country Is onw enjoying.
No one expects the rate of increase that
has characterized the past few months to
continue forever, but at the present time
the commercial sky is cloudless and there
is the utmost confidence In trade circles
time.
Wages in most all departments have been
advanced and In many Instances a second
or third time within less than a year. The
deposits and loans of the banks, as wen as
the clearing house reports and the activity
OF all manufacturing plants, afford evidence
been surpassed, and in which there is SO
moderate an element of speculation that it
Is reasonable to expect its continuance for
some time to come.
During last week local jobbing houses
were so busy that all hands were kept oc-
cupied fun hours and in some Instances
men were said to have worked overtime.
The demand, according to all accounts. has
been particularly brisk from nearby coun-
try trade, while. from more distant points
freely. t
Canned Goods Situation.
Grocery tobbers continue to give out
ness doing in their line. The peculiar con-
didons governing the canned goods sltua-
d dlon1, h tSd probably never before been
canned vegetables which has continued even
,nto the summer months has almost eX-
modities. while the early pack this season
was exceedingly short, and the outlook as
p 20 Mhs' is WEI gen ee fHe b estsu II Of of the later alter
certain. The scarcity of new southern peas
and the high price demanded for such stock
mand for New York and western peas,
with the result that many of the packers
bulk of their. probable pack and are un-
willing to make further contracts for for
packing aee oeatsrs IN hs9 Ssw Y foGI' STATE tae d indjcspe
that the pack of peas will be about one
half or two-thirds of an average, and it is
@ question by some I'm the trade whether the
packers with be able to deliver all they have
contracted to supply. In the west the pack
ers have Withdrawn and will not accept
orders until they can tell how the second
crop wall turn out, the first crop having
been too short to enable them to fill the
contracts already in hand. The corn out
look In the east has considerably improved
Of late owing to recent liberal rainfall. but
PROBABLE pack. Inc tomato crop prospects
haye also improved, cut the outlook is
said to be stdll uncertain.
ON Iron.
Local hardware people talk in a most
encouraging way of the conditions prevail
ing In their special department. The de-
mand continues all right for this season
OF the year, and no one seems to find fault
with the way the hardware business is
running. Advioes from the eenters of iron
OF any abatement in the activity of the
demand which started early in the year,
s ARM, the gb ma mitis a Ssnern y r ON har tbs is
are behind in their orders. Some idea of
the present condition of the market may
be gained by going back to the first of the
year and noting the phenomenal advances
4hat have been made Beginning with
January 1t was selling at slOT5 to $l1W
fn upnase e. s aa e P PItfspI now . is c, s2G;S9 oG Valley
Of 5000 a ton, or about 100 per cent, Early
IN January perhaps half of the blast fur
naees In the Mahoning and Shenango val
leys, known, as the Central West district.
We're idle, while today every stack is active
that can be put in blast and the product is
of these two i~ron-making regions. Besse-
mer pig iron at 5000 at furnace means a
very handsome profit to the furnace owner.
When contracts for the ore were made last
year, running through this year. the ore
producers received an advance of only 20
With a ton and a half of ore USED to each
CON Of iron this means an advance OF 80
30 cents a ton higher. and a ton or less is
used to each ton of iron. so that. the addi-
tional cost Of ore and coke entering, into a
ton or pig iron. Is not more than so cents
over prices of last year. Labor has been
Increased materially. adding probably, 20
CENTS a ton. while limestone is higher, but
Ut 10 safe to say that the additional cost of
making pig Iron over the cost of last year
Is not more than Sis to $50 a ton, and
our lower figure. Bessemer pig iron sold at
Valley furnace at 50, 90 a ton, though TO some
furnaces this probably represented a loss.
II II safe to assume. however, that the
Valley furnace that can sell its iron at $40
a ton. 1t should be remembered, however,
that all the furnaces have iron sold at
the average may not be higher than $50
or Sro ssie'U o. &. Th y b s3Teyer. may represent eb e sent a
furnace making $50 tons a day means 81, 900
a day or more clear profit.
Tin plate, which is completely under the
at $3.50 per box, and it is now s175 per
box higher.
Dry Goods All Right.
The dry goods trade is holding up very
well through the normally dull period of
abe year. New developments of a purely
local character are few and far between,
as business, especially at this season, par
takes very largely of the routine character,
The market on cotton goods continues firm
side of a higher market. This wool market
Is very strong, which must have n CORE
spending effect upon the manufactured
product. There Is a firm tone 90 the silk
market owing to the strong position of the
raw silk market.
other Lines.
Local lumber merchants report business
as all right for this time of the year. Con-
siderable building Is going on, which is
causing some little activity among the
retailers.
Boot and shoe people report a firm mar
ket and a fair volume of business doing.
Fruit and produce msn are doing well as
q general thing. the best OF their trade
coming from the country.
NEW YORK GENERAL MARKET.
Quotations for the Day ON Various
commodities