The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-01-31
WESTERN TRADE IN
METALS is STILL
HEAVY
Consuming Plants Add to
Their Capacities as Active
ly as They Did a Year Ago
Prices Reported Almost
Universally Firm.

CHICAGO, Jan. 30.-The Iron and
Machinery World says:
The first month of the new year is
going out with trade in iron and steel
in the West fully up to normal. 1t is
not uniformly SO, for one or two lines
are unnaturally quiet, either because
buyers have anticipated their require
ments or because they have not regard
ed prices as firm. These two consider
aions aside, business may be painted
in glowing colors. Where all the ma
terial that is called for is going to is
much of a mystery, but in general
terms it may be said that consuming
plants in the West are, with few if any
exceptions, adding to their capacities
just as actively as they did year ago
and that the consumptive requirements
are growing steadily.
The week has been somewhat nota-
bic In heavy transactions in plates,
over 10000 tons having been sold in
the West. The good feature of the
business is that this material is not
bought by one or two large concerns,
who are heavy consumers, but that it
represents wide and miscellaneous
consumption, the buyers being progress
SiVe boilermakerS and other users Of
the material.
Good Week in Pipe.
Pipe, too, has had a splendid week.
1t has been bought in the extreme West
and for shipments to nearby points, all
for immediate delivery, though ship
ments from mill are interfered with Sc
riously by the car situation. Light
rails have been a third factor to nOta-
bic activity. Quite bunch of users,
industries of various descriptions, have
been thus providing for early spring
work in and about their plants, new
or old, the total tonnage being large.
There are several small lots of cars
IN the market, perhaps 1000 in all, and
the railroad shops continue to buy bars
and other materially freely. Structural
shapes are rather quiet on large bust
ness, though there is talk of some good
sized orders soon to be placed, and the
small trade preSageS an active spring.
The jobbing trade is not due to cul-
inmate in it's best proportions for a
good six weeks yet. Buyers of sheets
evidently think the bottom has been
reached Trade has been remarkably
good this week and prices are firmer,
some Independent mills advancing
prices.
1t is a most encouraging situation for
the metals. Prices are almost, if not
universally, firm. Even in pig iron the
expected weakness is not shaping itself
and in that product mixed conditions
prevail.
Pig Iron.
OF course the vital consideration in
pig iron is the fuel supply. Encour-
agement in the Chicago territory APP
pears, in the fact that one of the local
merchant furnaces, which has been idle
for months, has finally scraped to-
gether enough coke to light fires
There is enough coke on hand to keep
in operation for perhaps few weeks
but it cannot be said that the coke
fia11 o.
local merchant furnace and one in
Wisconsin are at this writing still idle
and the prospects of getting a sufff-
Gent stock of coke are not golden. For
an indefinite period ahead, it seems a
surety that Chicago will have to de-
pend upon the outside more largely
than common for her pig iron
There is, however, this good omen
The Southern furnaces are doing quite
little better by way of shipments
The extreme backwardness of meters
in ordering iron has been having a ten
dency to throw to the future, and prob
ably the near future some heavy re-
quirements, but this danger of tighten
ing conditions is offset to some degree
at least by the excellent shipments Of
iron from the South.
Grains in the South.
One large Southern company, which
on Jan. Z was 100 tons of pig iron
behind in its order, has made material
gains this month so far, and another
large producer began the month with
practically enough iron in yards to fill
all their back orders. If railroad con-
ditionS in the South were entirely sat
isfactory, excellent shipments might
reasonably be anticipated for an in
definite period. But 1t is noticeable this
week that the market for Southern
iron is firm. A little irregularity pre-
walls, but 1t is usually on off grades.
Standard fractures and analyses are
holding up to quotations, or $3.50,
Birmingham, for No. foundry, and it
is now the rule for producers to quote
for the last half of the year the same
figures as for the first half.
There has been some inquiry for
these late deliveries, but when the
firmness of the market was encounter
ed by the buyers the inquiries seem to
have been withdrawn. Car load bust
mes is fairly brisk, and small lots up
to 100 or 200 tons. The inquiries for
early shipment are fairly numerous,
running up to 1000 tons. Charcoal
| continues scarce and strong, $28 being
a common quotation. Ohio Bessemers
are coming forward freely at I'M
changed prices. The market may be
regarded as steady, with conflicting
influences.