The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-02-03
PRICES HARDENING
THO VIEW OF THE COUNTRY,S
BUSINESS OUTLOOK
SOME FEATURES DIsCoURAGING
On the Whole, However, the Outlook
Is Far Better Than During Cor
responding Period of Former
Years-Wheat Shows Marked Gain
In Strength, With Market in q
BulIfsh Vein.


I'm Strength, With Market In a
BulIish Vein.
NEW YORK, Feb 2.-Bradstreet's to-
morrow will say:
Weather influences have played no
small part in the general trade situation
this week. and yet some of the unques-
tfonable Improvement in tone can hard
ly be charged to the more seasonable
weather experienced. Whatever the
causes, however and they have been di-
verse, the fact remains that number
Of staples, no less than speculative Sc
curities have hardened In value during
the week. One Industry, that of anthra-
cite coal. prices in which have begun to
drop because Of the open winter, has
been perceptibly braced. The influence
OF cold weather, too, is perceptible in the
wheat market. Much of the winter
sown crop is unprotected by snow, and
other influences of strength in this mar
ket have been the reports as to foreign
crops, the Argentine plague and conse-
quent strength of European advices.
Among products not affected by cur
rent weather conditions, however, might
be mentioned the South's great staple,
cotton. which, owing largely to the bet
ter foreign buying and the reported
abandonment Of extremely large Eng
lish crop estimates, has reached the
highest point for number of years.
There is little comfort to the hopes
for lower prices In the reports from the
iron trade this week. 1t is true that some
concessions have been made from the
high points reached on a number of prod
ucts, but the concessions in pig iron are
claimed to have been few, and mostly on
the product of furnaces recently put in
blast, where the output had not been con-
tracted for. Inquiry at the leading iron
markets Of the country fail to Indicate
any widespread weakening, and the con-
cessions are claimed to have been really
IN the nature of readjustments. The
steel situation Is not over clear, and some
business is reported possible at conces-
sions Of 81 to 81 a ton, where the product
has not been contracted ahead. Some
export business in rails to Norway Is
reported this week, while from Birming-
ham comes reports Of some good sales of
pig iron, with further export business
checked by advancing freight rates. The
production Of leading Southern interests
Is reported sold up to January. Iron
trade authorities are slow to predict
foreign markets is regarded as guar
antee against any possible perpendicular
drop In domestic quotations.
In dlStrtbutiVe trade the reports for
the month Of January vary with the
branches of trade concerned. Retail dis
trtbutfon was undoubtedly unfavorably
affected by mild weather, and stocks of
retailers in some sections of the country
are reported large. In spring account,
hnyr he To-
have been in high degree satisfactory,
shipments from leading centers being
much heavier than in January a year
ago, whatever complaints that were re-
ceived OF backward new business being
attributed to earlier buying having an
.ticipated the regular season.
"Woolen goods are holding the ad-
vances recently asked, and raw wool is
firm, though sales are smaller than for
some weeks past owing, it Is claimed, to
domestic stocks Of desirable wool being
small.
wheat. including -four. shipments for
the week aggregated 2.724.937 bushels,
against 1851 1877 bushels last week, $685.
us bushels in the corresponding week of
1899. 3,635.035 bushels in 1898, 3,16S, 746 bush
els in 1897, and 2,907,354 bushels in 1886.
Since July l. this season. the exports Of
wheat aggregated 120, los, 965 bushels,
against lo0,oIf0o9 bushels last year, and
15O, 23O,033 bushels in 1898. Corn exports
for week aggregated 3,59S,962 bushels,
against 3,526,S34 bushels last week, $685.
73l bushels in this week year ago, 4, 1O4,-
s8l bushels in 1898, 3,659960 bushels in 1897,
and 1922, SS2 bushels in 1896. Since July |,
this season, corn exports aggregated
l2s, lo5.865 bushels, against 99,453 GOA bush
els during the same period a year ago,
and LOG. 1856 $50 bushels in 1S97-9S
Business failures for the week in the
United States are only Ill. as compared
with 252 last week, POT in this week a
year ago, 295 In 1898. 3O5 in 1897, and 1913
in 1896. For the week Canadian failures
numbered only 81, as compared with 80
last week, 36 In this week a year ago, 42
in 1898, IS in 1897, and go In 1885,"