Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1901-12-07

| | NRH I0K line is in an extremely
- healthy condition there are
many factors which always develop in
prosperous times and restrict manufac-
turing interests to a considerable eX-
tent. Labor troubles, a shortage in sup
plies of raw material, slow deliveries, and
q scarcity of cars and motive power are
incidents that mark the business situa-
ton. These things are always to be eX
pected. The business of the country has
grown faster than the equipment Of mo-
tive power, and cars of the railroads to
successfully handle it notwithstanding
their recent additions.
The railroads have in the past found it
is not advisable to carry extensive equip
ment as their traffic has only been of
the rush order for q few months at q
time in the spring and fall, and then a
larger percentage of their cars had to be
sidetracked to await a return of the
next busy season. For the past year
business has run along with unprecedent-
ed regularity, and railroads have been
busy all the time their miscellaneous
traffic exceeding all records. The car
builders have been full of orders, and
their books are loaded with them at pres
cut. l4OCOI1OIIfC DuIIuGIS nave dISO UCC1I
rushed and are full of orders for months
to come. The scarcity of motive power
and of cars has become a serious factor
in the iron and steel situation. Western
furnaces are suffering from a scarcity of
coke and coal, and three in this section
are idle, as the coke cannot be moved
from Eastern furnaces to keep the West
supplied. Operations by the foundries
are also materially restricted, some hay
ing suspended operations entirely.
A broadening in specula-
| l,nlP100 tive trading with a very
i-- bullish sentiment and active
and continuous buying Of wheat by the
public assisted by local professionals car
ried the price up &c last week and the
close was within asc of the top at a net
gain Of lie. 1t was largely a sentimental
market with the Southwest and Wall
street leading the buying. May sold to
77$5c and closed at tic with a gain Of lc.
December touched 1870, the highest
point since the August bulge, and was
73c to 1889 at the close. The public is
buying wheat because corn and oats are
high and they have become impressed
with the belief that wheat is cheap at
enough to eat up the supplies and make
stocks Wy low before the advent of a
new crop They have bought all the
wheat offered and carried the price to a
new level
No change has come to the corn situa-
ton from a supply and demand point
within a week Speculative trade has
been large, although it shows a falling
off at the last as wheat became more at
tractive. The local talent on the whole
are not enthusiastically bullish on corn,
but the country is long and has bought
the market to a standstill. This has kept
it in fairly healthy shape. The South
and shipments from here last week were
/ ,1S3 900 bushels, or about half of last
years, and exceeded receipts by nearly
100000 bushels.
Flour is somewhat lower than a year
ago, while wheat is slightly higher-the
relation being changed by the advanced
price for by-product. Corn shows an adj
vance of 74115 per cent, oats 80 per cent,
rye % per cent, barley 13 per cent, bran
~ per cent, potatoes 100 per cent, hogs
20 per cent, beef cattle II per cent. Sheep
are slightly lower. More striking con-
trasts are reflected in values at Kansas
City and elsewhere in the West.
For 100 pounds of each Of twelve
items of foodstuffs the present valuation
represents 5000, compared with $22.52
year ago, or gain of over II per cent.