The San Francisco call., 1901-11-18
AUCTION SALES.
TRADE REPORTS CHEERFUL.

CCORDlNG TO the country bank clear
n ings, which are accepted as the best barom-
L eter of trade, there was a slight falling
OF in business last week There a gain
OF per cent over the corresponding week
last year. but the weekly gain has for months been
so much larger shan this that the inference is natural
that the voirne of commerce during the week was
below the weekly average for the past several years
At the same time the usual commercial reports from
the different sections indicated decrease, and
cheerful in tone, with illustrations of more than
NAL activity in several parts of the country
AS far as the staples are concerned, business ap
parently as good as at any time during the year. The
shipments OF boots and shoes 10 per cent larger
than last year. while the demand for goods is brisk
that the usual between seasons shutdown will be
omitted this year. Hides and leather continue firm
with no signs of any accumulation of stocks Gen
eral merchandise is reported in heavy demand almost
everywhere and the holiday retail trade is expected
to beat all previous records Most manufacturing lines
report so many orders on hand that should no
fresh business be received the mills will be kept busy
Tar into the year. The wooden mills report
spring orders coming in literally, and some lines of
wooden clothing are actually scarce There is no
halt visible in the iron and steel industry the demand
for pig iron being so keen that premium is being
paid for immediate delivery, while the leading steel
rail interest reports its whole output for 1902 already
booked Cotton has hesitated more or less for sew
eral months, the weather in the South having been
against the crop In the Southwest the scarcity Of
and oats is being felt, and the upper tier of
States is being drawn for supplies higher prices
than rule at Chicago while large quantities of wheat
being fed to stock in lieu of the grains usually
employed for this purpose. Last summers drought
was not exaggerated at the time, is now seen and
even at this late day the winter wheat needs more
rain before hard freezing sets in while some parts of
Kansas and Missouri rushing their livestock into
market of the scarcity of water supplies
1t thought during the drought that the de-
creased yield Of farm produce throughout the West
and Southwest would materially cut down the earnings
of the railroads; but expectations in this direction
have happily not been realized the earnings in Oc
tober were II3 per cent greater than in October
1000 while the scarcity of cars about which the whole
country is complaining, is seriously hampering the
movement OF all kinds of farm produce and merchan
disc Wheat has been unsettled during the past week
and the market has shaded off slightly but increased
speculation at Chicago is reported, due largely to
general confidence in the future of the market. Pro-
visions are still reported or less weak and all
cured meats have declined one-half cent per pound
Business in Wall street has been very fair and in
the middle of the week there was decline in both
railroads and industrials, though it was followed nv
an immediate partial recovery
The local situation stands the same Frequently
recurring showers are keeping the new grass grow
ing and enabling the farmers to plow in nlany nars
Of the State The trade of this port is all that cold
be desired, both for State and export account Money
continues plentiful and easy and there are signs ~
more activity in real estate both city and country
Prosperity is still with us