Arizona republican., 1901-09-22
DRoUTH A GoD-SEND.
It was Very Profitable to St.
 Louis J0bberS
They Did the Biggest Summer Busi- ness in Their History-The Farm CTS Feared That They Were Go ing to Starve to Death.

St. Louis Mo-, Sept. 21.-The drouth has brought to the St. Louis grocery jobbers the largest July and August business known in the history of the oldest house. New channels of trade were opened by the drouth. which caused the farmers in the St. Louis trade territory to believe they would have nothing to eat during the coming fall and winter, and the shipments of canned goods from this market have been enormous and unprecedented.
 The grocery men have caught 'em comin' and goin.'' remarked a railroad man in speaking of the trade in canned goods. Everything in the line of pro duce practically. is canned nowadays. but the demand has been largely for such staples as tomatoes. peas and beans and other vegetables.
 LITTLE SUGAR SOLD. July and August are usually the lar gest sugar months in the year. Sugar is sold in immense quantities for use in canning fruits and vegetables. but this year there was comparatively little sugar sold during those months. To querry received by one local firm from an official of the sugar combine: Why are you not selling more sugar." the reply was sent: "We have no use for sugar except for lemonade and mixed drinks
 There was no fruit to can; that is. ! comparatively speaking Early small fruits turned out fairly well. but the
 July and August sugar demand was
 grocers were shipping canned goods. Said msmber of the Adam Roth Gro cer company: Orders began pouring 1 in along the first week in July for
 canned goods and continued to increase
 as the results and extent of the droutn | became known"
 MADE THINGS LIVELY. "September October and November
 are usually the big months in the gro cery business but the drouth had the | effect of making very lively months
 out of ordinarily dull ones. Of course, the big sugar trade was absent. but the canned goods trade more than
 made up for it.
 ''There was not only a demand Tor | canned goods but for cerea's and cet- cal products as we'll The opinio:, seemed to prevail that there would be an immense demand for all kinds of these classes. and the small jobbers and re- tailers were anxious to put in a supply
 before the prices advanced. The eac-
 Hest buyers succeeded in doing this.
 but prices rose during August and are
 still up. with no prospect of receding. ] CAN PRICES ADVANCED. | Along with this condition in the canned goods market comes the an rouncement that the tin can combine l has advanced it's prices on cans to ai-
 most a prohibitory figure. One of the i largest hardware houses in St. Louis | and in the west has not handled a gross of tin cans this season; whereas. be- | fore 1t has handled five to six carloads
 There is one consolation for these | people however. There is very little
 use for the cans this year.
 The St. Louis grocery trade does not extend as far as do the other lines c: trade It embraces Missouri. southern ! Illinois. all Arkansas, eastern Kansas Tennessee and a portion of Kentucky That is the bulk of trade comes from this territory. though some trade Is hal with more remote states.