The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-08-05
IRON TRADl E ,u, STRONG CONDITION Recent Sales Not Large But
 Very Satisfactory JULY VOLUME ESTIMATED Sales Last Month Totaled Between soo,ooo and 100000 Tons-coke
 Market Flourishine and
 Prices Frmer.
JULY VOLUME ESTIMATED

he local iron market continues firm at
 for No. ?. While sales have not been
 ge this week there has been a fairly
 volume of business. Rogers, Brown
 Co.'S Cincinnati report of yesterdays s, says:
 After the heavy buying of the past two weeks. the market has steadied down, with sales of good size and prices firm. The situation is of a thoroughly satisfac- tory nature. There is an increasing ten dency on the part of buyers to cover for their requirements during an extended period, and like desire on the part of sellers to hold down deliveries to imme- oiate or near future. The price on South ern iron was advanced more energecti- cally than In the north and there is still more of an advancing tendency in that district than elsewhere Altogether the market is in better shape now than at any time this year. The demand covers ell grades, being especially strong for Bessemer and soft foundry.
 Estimates of buying done in July vary from 300,OOO to 100000 tons for the month and it may be safely said that the totals will foot up much nearer the latter than the former. This iron is for general foun- dry and malleable consumption and is apart from that going into steel. Con- sumption continues at Il heavy rate and reports indicate that order books for fin- ished material are well filled. In addi- tion to the large tonnage of rails now under contract pipe makers report un- usual business on hand and are well fixed for the balance of the year.
 Coke is strong at existing prices, and the demand continues excellent
 Matthew Addy X Co.'S report of the week follows:
 While the tonnage booked during the week just ended Is not as large as during the two preceding weeks, business has been extremely satisfactory, and although no sales of startling size are reported, the orders have been well distributed ever the many different grades of com merciaf pig iron. A notable feature of the market during the past few days, and a most welcome ones, is the increasing demand for charcoal iron. A number of concerns whose inquiries for this class of material have been expected for some time have now come into the market, and a number of sales of considerable size are already reported Prices are abso- ,, lutely firm, and the feeling generally is ehat the. first of the year will see higher prices than those ruling today. Con sumers of the ordinary grades of foundry iron are as aswhole well covered for the entire third quarter. but a large percen- tage of them still have to buy their re- quirements for the last three months of the year. The furnacemen Doth in the north and in the south are well taken care of, especially on their higher grades of iron, and are naturally optimistic. There seems to be an inexplainable sab- sence of soft iron and No. l and No. ? foundry, and the few are unfortunate enough to be uncovered are having sorry time of 1t to get iron.
 We are receiving daily inquiries for iron to be delivered over the last quarter and some few for shipment over the entire first half of 1906. but furnacemen are almost unanimous in their desire to sell for this year only Iron is moving in enor- nous quantities from the north and from the south, and the service of the rail- roads under the circumstances is very satisfactory. Southern furnaces especi- aly are still feeling the shortage of labor which makes 1t impossible 10 load the iron on to the cars as rapidly as they would like to.
 The coke market is fiourishing, and if anything prices are firmer than last week,
 In conclusion we may add that we can