Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-12-16
BUSINESS is GOOD.

there will be no room for criticism.
y BUSINESS is GOOD.
Business is good" To repeat this
"o'er and DER is like singing an old,
familiar song, but it is one that is well
come to the ear always and never
seems out of tune except to some of
those unhappy mortals who are never
comfortable except when there is
something Of which they can COM
plain. Reports from the principal
commercial and manufacturing cen
tiers this week are exceptionally en-
couraging, and as evidence of this fact
the following, chosen at random, may
be cited:
Chicago-Coder weather HIS stimu-
lated wider consumption of neces-
saries and additional recorders appear
ed for urgent forwarding to various
| interior points. House trade is quiet
in the wholesale division, but road
statesmen have been turning in good
| orders for spring delivery, and, COM
pared with year ago, forward book
fings make a gratifying showing in dry
! goods, clothing, footwear, furniture and
! carpets. Mercantile collections are
req sonably prompt on city and country
\ bills. Receipts of lumber were 49,
$4,000 feet, against 42,279,000 year
ago. Building operations are being
pushed forward, larger forces of men
being drawn upon, and structural iron
and other building stuff is much need
ed.
O. no
ment continues satisfactory in all de-
partnlents and Indications favor an ex-
ceptional holiday business. The whole
i sale dry goods trade is quiet, as usu-
al at this season, but advance sales
are large. Mems furnishings and cloth
| ing are in seasonable demand and for
mer favorable features are fully main
! tafned.in hats, furs and caps Notions
and jewelry are fairly active. Rubber
| goods. are in strong demand. Footwear
1 jobbers report brisk. business and
/ harness manufacturers are we'll en-
! ployed. Millinery trade is fair.
Minneapolis Cold, seasonable
weather has stimulated wholesale and
retail trade particularly in hats. caps,
| furs. clothing and footwear. Prices
are firm. with an advancing tendency,
and collections are satisfactory Ship
ments of lumber for the week were s.
4 100000 feet against 5,376,0O0 feet a
year ago.
Observation-Disclosures Of knit goods
report an unusually good fall trade,
and find it difficult to supply theBde-
mand for duplicate orders. Manufac-
turers of shirts. collars and cuffs re-
port the volume of business ahead of
what it was at this time last year,
with collections better. Manufacture
ers of stoves report business holding
on to an unusual extent.
/ Pittsburg = Hardware continues to
improve and there is a liberal call for
seasonable lines. There is fair de-
mand for window glass, but competi-
ton is strong and prices are suffering.
OTTUMWA WANTS FACTORIES.
In sthe eleventh biennial report of
the state labor commission, Commits.
sioner Edward Brigham has compiled
a volume that is full of interest and
equally full of information. Mr.. Brig
ham, with his assistants to aid him,
has paid excellent attention to the
work of his office and this fact is Civ
en- ample proof in the fullness and ac-
curacy of the report recently filed with
the governor. Among other things MT.
Brigham has collected from each
county seat short reports showing the
humber and kind of new industries
wanted in each one, and showing also
the natural or acquired advantages
and inducements that each place offers.
4 For Ottumwa there is the following:
!. I'VE desire a wagon factory, MALE
able iron foundry, garment factory, ov-
erall and mitten factory, boot and shoe
factory, cereal mill, pottery plant and
factory for the manufacture OF con
duits and electrical supplies. We have
a good supply of fine quality OF coal,
fine river sand. Kaoline potters' clay,
fire clay, shale for brick and tile, riv-
er and artesian water, excellent ship
ping facilities fine factory sites and
easy access to switches on railroads.
We will donate site to any reputable
4 factory that will locate here. We
would add to the site, if the factory
would employ ] zee number OF men,
a cash bonus, th6 'ze OF which would
ployed." Y
7 While the ottumwan who prepared
this paragraph, and who is not known
to this paper, was! little forward
about making promises of locations,
and bonuses for factories. his enthusi.
assn and desire to see Ottumwa grow
can doubtless be cited as the reason
and excuse. 1t is safe to say. however.
that he did not overdraw Ottumwa's
list of resources and advantages for
factories in the least and it is also true
that Ottumwa's business men will do
everything in reaYn to enable fac
tory to locate hdsa Ottumwa is too
good a city for mlkfa cturers to over