The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-02-27
SPRING BUSINESS
ASSERTS ITSELF
UnfaVOrabie Conditions are
Largely SurmOunted By
Trade Activity.

NEW YORK, Feb. 26.-Bradstreet
review Ct trade this week says: Spring
trade is asserting itself despite alb
normally cold weather, heavy SHOWS or
congeseed transportation facilities in
widely separated sections. Where
weather conditions have been favor
able, as in the South, dfstributive trade
has been good and generally in excess
OF year ago. In the Southwest milder
weather has brought out more country
buyers and there is also more doing in
dry goods, shoes and millinery at Chi
cago, though unlike Kansas City and
ST Louis, business at the former city
IS unequal to year ago. Buying is
generally classed as conservative.
Manufacturing industry shows some
enlargement of activity, especially in
glass making and iron and steel, pro-
auction of pig iron being nearly double
that OF two months ago Anthracite
coal is active and strong.
The bituminOus coal outlook is addi-
tlonally unsatisfactory because it is al
most universally believed that a strike
against reductions of wages will occur
on Apc1l / in the Western PENNSYLVANIA
ana West Virginia fields. Cold weather
also UNITS outdoor operations in build
ing, out several very large transactions
in LUMBER are reported from the West
ana Northwest, and higher prices for
common brick are looked for.
IL is TOO early to report upon the win
Ter Wh9at situation, but advices from
the Southwest are hardly encouraging.
absence of snow covering or lack of
I nI being reported in Missouri,
Oklahoma and Kansas.
New record DrippS for fba 1-oar ou5
the highest since May, 1898, were reach
ed IN wheat this week, the market
though irregular, closing near the ton
cash wheat and the May option moving
together partly on war talk, but largely
On reported continued eager demand
for good milling wheat. Flour prices
reflect the strength, and corn and oats
nave sympathized, as have also nearly
All KINDS OF provisions, except eggs.
which have broken sharply, the ad
vance of pork to the highest point be-
ing helped by small receipts The East
ern war also affects other products.
Such as tea and camphOr, which are
closely connected with the scene of hos
ulltleS, Eut Indirectly affects a large
number of other products Raw cotton.
on heavy liquidation, has declined quite
sharply
In the Northwest some Improvement
IS noted in wholesale trade at leading
ceHlerS. Omaha reports a dry goods,
grocery and hardware business in ex-
cess Of the year preceding. Duluth re-
ports several large sales of lumber
MADE. st. Paul reports country mer-
chants still holding back orders. Min
neapolis flour manufacturers cannot
get enough cars to ship their product.
War talk is still an influence tending
to strengthen food products, but to de-
press raw cotton. Collections are still
unsatisfactory at most Northern mar
kets. Railway earnings are not as en-
couragtng as in the past, owing partly
70 the congestion growing out OF block
AIDED shipments, but partly to cutting
OF grain freight rates
X. g. Run q Co.'S review says that
liabilities Of commercial failures thus
FAR are reported for February aggre-
gated Sle,796,1 66, of which $2,732,478
We're in manufacturing; $4,790,235 in
trading, and $3,773,453 in other COM
mercial lines. Failures this week num-
bered 240 In the United States, against
211 last year, and % In Canada, COM
pared with % year ago.