The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-11-03
PERIOD OF SUSPENSE
In Business Nearly over-Iron and
Steel Forging Ahead-Americans
Placing Shops in Foreign Coun-
tries-Heavy Orders for Shoes.


NEW YORK. Nov. ar. C. Dun &
Co.'s Weekly Review OF Trade to-mor-
row will say:
The period OF suspense is nearly over.
Business has been longing for free
field In which to leap forward. but re-
stricted buying largely to wants for i'm
mediate consumption. Some evidence
appears OF willingness to take specu!a-
tive chances in the movement Of rev
standard goods, notably iron and steel.
The actual resumption OF operations in
the anthracite coal fields has added
largely to the working force. and clos
inS down OF few small steel plants
Is only in the nature OF concentrating
operations at more advantageous points,
and has not much reduced the number
OF men employed. The weather In some
sections has favored business. but at
New York has been unreasonable. ac-
counting for much OF the loss Of l5.3
per cent In bank clearings here, as COM
pared with last year. though the week
shows gain OF 2o.3 per cent over 1888.
Encouraging Reports From Iron.
Encouraging signs multiply In the
Iron industry. Strength in Bessemer
and grey forge at Pittsburgh shows
that the recent increase In activity of
finished forms has at last affected the
market for raw material. Improvement
In domestic buying OF pig is the more
noticeable because OF decrease In ex-
ports. Structural shapes continue In
urgent requirement, plates advancing
with active demand from ship-builders
and with talk OF n pool TO sustain the
price. Bar Iron would sell readily ut
former prices, but holders grow stub
born. Reports are current that Amcri-
can concerns have contracted for ma
chine shops In Bremen and numerous
bridges abroad, Including some In AZ
rica. Blllets Mt Philadelphia cost $50,
which does not look like n reduction
In steel rails. Buyers in these lines de-
cided not TO wait for election to place
contracts.
Fun forces are employed nt New Eng
land shoe shops. and heavy orders in
sure brisk work for the rest OF the year.
Prices have not advanced for the fin
lshed articles with leather and hides.
IcHu'c operations are more vigorous,
sales OF wool ut the three chief eastern
markets exceeding all recent records,
with total OF 7.so4,5oo pounds. This is
largely for prompt consumption, and
consequently makes poor comparison
with the same week last year, when
unprecedented speculation made the to-
tai 25.3sG.7oo pounds, with many large
transactions missed In the excitement
OF the Boston market. With tho great
er activity there appears a tendency
toward frmer prices. and ONE hundred
grades on November averaged 1885
cents. according to Coates Bros. OF
Philadelphia.
Cotton Slightly Recovered.
Cotton has. recovered little OF the
recent sharp decline. attributed to re-
ports that frost would surely do serious
damage. Tho market does not show
much fear OF disaster, and there is
more reason to believe that the slight
advance was induced by better pur-
chases OF spinners, who were attracted
AFTER the fall OF 81 so bale In less than
threc weeks. There was also some re-
covery In wheat. started BY the state.
mcnt that Argentina would not be able
10 export freely this year because OF
injury 10 the growing crop.