The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-02-03
hardening IN VALUES
Fin Most Great Staples a Feat.
ure of the Week.
COT ION HIGHEST IN YEARS
Opening of 1900 Compared
With That of 1899.
cor ION HIGHEST IN YEARS

New York, Feb. 2.-Brads1reet's tomor
Row Will say: Weather influences tav
played mo ST laH, part in the general trad
sit7ratiort this week and yet some of tn
upquestbbnanAe improvements in tone cal
hardly be changed to the more seasona BIZ
weather expAaancea. Whatever tn
cause, ;however, and the se have been di
vers, the fact remains ulat a number O.
staples, no less than So eculative securi
ties, have hardened in value during the
week. One industry, that of anthracite
coal, prices in which have begun to droI
because of the open whit er, has been Fer.
| ceptibly braced. The in fiuence of cooler
weather. too, is percepu.ble in the wheat
market. Much of the wintersown croI
is unprfk ected by snotT and other in
nuerices of strength in this market have
been the reports as to foreign crops, the
Argentine plague and consequent strength
of European advices.
Among products not affected by current
weather conditions, however, might be
ton, which, owing larger TO the better
foreign buying and the reported aband-
onment of extremely large English crop
estimates, has reached the highest point
for number of wears.
There is little cdmfort to the hope for
lower prices in the reports from the iron
trade this week. It is true that some con-
cessions have been made from the high
est points reached on a number of pro-
ducts but the concessions in pig iron are
claimed to have been few and mostly on
the product of furnaces recently put in
blast, whose Outpul. had not been con-
tracted for. Inquiry at the leading iron
markets ofthe country fail to indicate
any widespread weakening and the con-
cessions are claimed to have been really
in the nature of establishments. The
steel situation is not over-c5ear and some
BUSINESS is reported possible at conces-
sions of 81 to 81 per ton where the pro-
duct has not been contracted ahead.
Some export business in rails to Norway
is reported this week, while from Biz
mlngham come reports of some good
sales OF pig iron, with further export
business contracted by advancing freight
rates The production of leading south
ern interests is reported sod up to July
iron trade authorities are slow to pre-
dict beyond that date, burt the strength
Of foreign markets is regarded as a guar
antee against any possible perpendicular
drop in domestic quotations
In distributive trade the repor IS for the
month of January vary with the branches
Of trade concerned. Retail distribution
was undoubtedly unfavorably affected by
mild weather, and stocks of retailers in
some sections of the country ar ereport-
ed large On spring account, however,
the January business appears to have
been in a high degree satisfactory, ship
ments from leading centers being much
heavier than in January a pear ago,
whatever complains being received of
backward new business being attributed
to earlier buying having anticipated the
regular season.
Wooden goods are holding the advance
recently asked and raw wool Is firm,
though sales are smaller than for some
weeks past, owing, it is claimed, to do
nestle stocks Of desirable wool being
small. London auction sales witnessed
good prices obtained for good lots, but
considerable quantities were carried over
ton remains apparently a strong one.
| Backward deliveries are still complained
of by controverters and the pobbing bust
ness in spring cottons is a good one.
The current demand for shoes remains
quiet, weather conditions havs been
against a large distribution Of winter
footwear, but eastern manufacturers are
| reported busy on new goods. Leather is
dull. but hides are no weaker.
The strength of sugar and coffee among
groceries is no less pronounced than Of
late, raw and refined grades Of the for
mer having again been marked up and
small crop reports being made the basis
! for further strength in coffee.
| Wheat, including -four. shipments for
the week aggregate 2.7249S7 bushels.
| against 3,5S1.197 bushels last week, $685.
! 41S bushels in the corresponding week of
/ 1899, ,O35 bushels in 1895; S.16S 746 bush
| els in 1897 and 2,9O7 SSl bushels in 1895.
! Corn exports for the week aggregate
| 3,5SS,562 bushels. against S,52sS34 bushels
last week, 3,69S, 731 bushels in this week a
! year ago; 4.1O49S1 bushels On 1875; 3.e5s. go
bushels in 1897. and 9,222. $50 bushels in
! 1896.
Business failures for the week in the
/ United States are only III, as compared
! with go last week. 2o7 in this week a year
ago. 295 in 1898; 800 in 1897 and SSS in 1856.
/ For the week Canadian failures number
| only 81, as compared with SO last week;
So in this week a year ago; a in 1898: IS
/ in 1897. nd so IN 1895.
DUNS REVIEW OF TRADE.
! New York Feb. ar. c. Dun & Co.'S
/ weekly review Of trade will say tomor-
row: This year started with much Of
the years business already done and all
comparisons viii prove misleading is
that fact is not taken into account. Last
year the certainty Of great Improvement
had come before the year opened and