Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1901-01-03
REVIEW YEARS TRADE
r. c. DUNN & co.'s REPORT OF
1900 BUSINESS.
IRON MARKET is STEADY
It Has Seen Bad Year for Dry Goods
but in Manufacturing and in Agri'
cultural Lines the Products and
Prices Have Been Very Gratifying
10 Those Engaged in These Pursuits,

New ORR, Jan. Dun 5 kNNlCW
in its summary reviewing the business
of the year Just closed, will say re.
garding the leading markets: The
conditions in iron and steel during
1900 were much more sound than in
the preceding year, when speculation
was rife and prices were inflated far
beyond the bounds Of reason.
The statistics of the weekly capaC,
ity of furnaces in blast show that the
highest point on record was reached
Feb. |, while there was little dimiuu.
ton during the week and the next few
months. But, with collapse of spec.
ulation during the spring, realization
of the fact that operations had been
overdOne, there came a steady reduC.
ton in the output From 296 furnaces
in blast on Feb. l, there followed a
continual shutting down until but 20l
were in operation Nov. |, and the
weekly production decreased S27lO
tons. Business conditions were salts.
factory, however, and the demand
expanded, while the expectation
finished products grew very heavy
when the prices reached the level that
made competition possible with Britt
iSh and German producers. In two
months, ending Dec. /, furnace stocks
and pig iron had decreased 1885
tons and tone so much improved that
many idle furnaces resumed,
Manufactured articles have moved
along similar lines. The quotations Of
iron and steel products at the begin
ming of the year were a little below
the level prevailing thirteen years pre-
vious andt he fall was almost unintor-
ruptod until October, when the aver
age was but GAGS per cent of the
figure prevailing Jan l, 1887.
Tin bounded up from 25la cents at
the opening to &5 cents in July, and
then gradually lost all the gain. But
during last week there was a recovery
to 27A.
Copper has done nothing startling,
the variations remaining within the
range of q of a cent. Opening at
ICY, there were sales as low as 1914,
and the close was at the top, at II
cents Trade has been very active,
and domestic production has been
pushed up. One authority places the
American yield we'll in advance OF any
other country.
The year 1900 opened with favorable
conditions prevailing in nearly every
branch of the dry goods trade, The
home demand continued good for the
first three months and then fell away
until by June the market had lapscG
into pronounced dullness and from q
steady upward course the prices began
gradually to decline again The arrest
of buying was remarkable. In wooden
goods the stocks began to accumulate
again, and their course up to the close
of the year has shown a pronounced
weakness in both mems wear fabrics
and dress goods, with the result that
gain in prices made last year and in
the early part of this has been lost in
many directions, and where any has
been retained at all it is of a limited
extent.
The prosperous condition of the cot.
ton goods trade last wear and thc earlv
mart Of This had marked effect unon
the cotton industry in tbe south re.
viving the boom in mill buiIding Which
praviops IA tho donroeeion had hoor
checked nnrbor If now mills had
hen added and r,ary marc ara IN tbo
coursa of erection II is nrohabIo mat
whom tho voa,,s statistic arc co,niIod
thc, win sbc,, tl,o. addi+ion of rno,I,, ~
rnniion epindIcs IN tho rroJrc.
tive c,nacitv NJ tho CONT,
Artor advancing from, tQ N ca,,+s ,s 49,,
ovor.go If 1oo oradas ~ wooI ranar,nI
Inv Cootoe E. Rros ON Nav + 80 o. IN
IN Doro,nLcr 1eoq - u,os onI', n,t,'r,I
that tbe v.ar som, should ,yItnosa a. a -,
vnrc ro,ction ana ratnrn 60 ,aaro
iro.,,,,I Ia,,ai r,a - =. ,l',
/ ~ al oil OF 400.