The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-12-18

Bradstreet's Report.
New York, December 14.-Bndstreef's
tomorrow wiz say:
Favorable conditions rude generally
IN all lines Of reasonable trade. HoA-
day preparations are. OF course. oomi-
nant In retail business and. where tins
has hitherto sagged. 4 has been Scmu-
lated by more ~seaSonabke weather.
Wholesale distribution = hm1ted. as
natural at this period. but western
tobbers n in receipt Of a fair recorder
business
= So far the best reports as to retail
trade come from the west and south
In leading industries the best report
In still that made by finished products
OF the iron and steel industry. but other
favorabay situated n : boots and
shoes and lumber. New business in
the former il rather light at wholesale.
but manufacturers generally are busiiy
employed. and leather IS firm in SYM
patty. A good export demand for b
latter Is noted. Retail lumber Is rath-
er quiet. but wholesalers are preparing
for a good year. Hardwoods are
specially trm in prices
The cereals are lower in price. due TO
p~Tcfit-taking on the hate upward move.
the large movement OF supplies par
~ticulariy OF corn. which Is favored by
the weather and. to q less interest, on
the part OF foreign buyers
The government cotton estimate OF
10, 100 900 bales was larger than expected
by the trade. which hooked for about
s.750.o 600 bales. The feeling is that II
the yield does not exceed 10. lOe.O o
bales. consumption. which last year
was IL ZOO. 900 bales OF American u
either be heavily curtailed or stocks
will be reduced to h vanishing
point. The close OF the week finds fu-
ture quotations &c lower and spots
Nc of.
The dry goods market is quiet, as
natural at this period. and high cost
of raw material and low cost OF fin
ished product do not harmoniZe. Early
spring trade business. however. Is
fairly satisfactory. The light weigh
season in mems wear woulen goods
has proved disappointing. but women's
plain dress goods are well ordered.
Rather more has been done in foreign
woods. chiefly Australian. his week.
and Melbourne and London advices
are Of firmer markets. Low priced
domestic wool is rather weak. how
ever.
While business in iron and steel. as
a whole. is Quieter than of late, there
is no apparent diminultion in strength.
plates compare we'll with the best re-
corded. One sale OF $4,000 tons OF
rails. divided between eastern and
western mills. is reported, and others
will swell the weeks business to 100.-
900 tons at the much abused, but new
erthe1ess accepted $26 basis. Another
feature is the sale of IL, 800 tons for ex-
port to Norway. The volume Of rail
orders already booked for mex year is
declared to exceed all records.
Although steel plates have advanced
81 per ton, the demand is apparently
undiminished. and large producers are
reported buying outside makes to fill
contracts. Here again large orders
for export are reported. As another
proof Of stability. it is reported that
one of the largest Pittsburg interests
has agreed to the present scale of wages
continuing mex year.
Pig iron is dull except for some new
business at Chicago. and Csc Per ton
has been conceded on Bessemer at
Pittsburg. Some large interests. NTH
erto buyers, are now making iron
| themselves direct from ores. Bfflets
are dull but steady.
Wheat. including flour. shipments for
the week aggregate ASSIST bushels,
| against 3,432, 159 last week. g.
26S, 649 in the corresponding week of
1899. 6.243,S $50 in 1898, 1904, 399 in 1897
and 1924, S22 in 1896. From July 1st to
date this season wheat exports are
Sc, OH, 003 bushels. against 1853. 922 last
season and 1O9. 72O. 1853 in 1S9S-1S99.
Corn exports for the week aggregate
1853 ,458 bushels, against 5,371 ,377 last
week, 4,017, 1875 in this week a year ago.
3.251, 936 in 1898, 4.129. S78 in 1897 and o.
S14, $50 in 1896. From July LIST to date
this seaso corn exports are "a, got, 426
bushels against 104. 450, 1856 last season,
and 73,S70,2 20 in 1S9S-99.
Business failures for the week in the
United States numbe 247. as against
224 last week. POI in this week a year
ago, 234 in 1898, 2S3 in 1897 and 359 in
1896.
When o need a soothing and heal