Omaha daily bee., 1902-12-27
HOLIDAY TRADE CONTINUES
Dunn Says Merchants Were Unable to Ship
Christmas Orders in Time.
CHINESE EMPIRE DEMANDS MUCH COTTON
Heavy wooden Goods BuOyant, while
Small Requests for Lighter n ~
serve 90 Keep Prices
steady All Around.

NEW YORK Dec. ar. @. Dun q Co.'S
weekly review OF trade tomorrow will say;
Trade and speculation experienced the
customary holiday quiet, except in Christ
mas goods, which sold freely, many packing
and shipping departments being still en-
gagged on this class Of work. which could
not be completed at the specified time. In
dustrial undertakings are interrupted In
many eases by Inventory taking, while
other plants are closed because fuel cannot
be obtained. orders still come forward
freely and the new year will open with
more business on the books than ever be-
Prices of commodities are firmly held by
The steady domestic demand and there Is
a good export movement of the leading
staples. In this, as in many other In
stances, however. there Is still the draw
which restrict shipments TO the seaboard'
Financial conditions are satisfactory. Rail-
way earnings thus far this month surpass
those OF last year by . per cent and those
of 1900 by ll.6 per cent.
Iron should DO well.
Quiet conditions in the iron and steel
Industry, u-naccompanied by any action OF
weakness, testify to the healthy tone and
suggest a bright outlook for the coming
year. Furnaces and mills will extend the
season of idleness beyond the usual time,
not because orders are lacking, but in
order to accumulate a moderate supply of
coke The situation In regard to shipments
from Connellsville has not improved. \
large amount of orders will he carried over
into next year; probably more than in any
previous season. Contracts have come for
ward more slowly of late, mainly because
OF the uncertainty as to date Of delivery.
although there are prospective purchasers
who still anticipate better terms In 1908.
Foreign pig iron is offered slightly below
domestic quotations. but neither imported
nor home made iron is available for Inn
mediate use In large quantities. Independ-
ent steel mills claim they are unable to pay
present prices for billets, which cost &t
or more for early shipment.
Mig Demand for shoes.
New England shoe factories are I'm full
operation and have liberal orders on hand.
as there is little new business coming for
ward at this time to produce fluctuations.
Leather dealings have been restricted less
than usual by the holiday shoe manufac-
turers coming into the market for large
quantities of hemlock sole.
appeared In the market for cotton goods.
After a long season of stagnation in the
Export division, the demand for China
suddenly became considerable, notwith-
standing the depression in silver and lib
eral stocks of cottons in Shanghai. Do
nestle trade Is limited to immediate re-
quirements, as is stasonable, yet there is
sufficient buying in most lines to prevent
unfavorable accumulation of supplies,
In wooden goods there Is a good demand,
overcoatings providing the chief feature.
but cloak manufacturers have also bought
freely, especially of light colored lines.
Wooden and worsted dress goods are quiet,
nels, Wool is strong, with a further adj
vance anticipated next year.
Failures for the week number 200 In the
United States, against $50 last year, and
twenty-cne in Canada, compared with
twenty-three a year ago.