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About The courier. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1894-1903 | View Entire Issue (March 31, 1894)
m a,Alc 15it)RlCAr. u-,i. Lincoln. Nebrwlui WVUi1.1 THE COURIER 11. R. Nissley & Co. have leased the buildings 1021 and 1020 O street, which will lx remodeled and made ready for occupancy alxiut. April 23. x . puoiLao W' Qnci-cs The following summary of the business situation is prepared for Thk Cociukk at the Omaha office of Snow, Church &. Co.: The rough and decidedly cold and disagreeable weather which has recent ly prevailed, has, of course been felt to a greater or less extent in retail lines. Whole sale business has also suffered some as u natural result, but this of course, is only temporary, and a change for the better will sot in as soon as the weather becomes good. It is gratifying to note the merchants do not feel depressed, even in retail lines where business has been dull for the last few days, being confident, as they are, that affairs are on the upward grade, and can only be checked for a short period by rough weather. Reports from the east go far towards corroborating my predict ions of the last few weeks, and every indication seems to point towards an upward tendency in affairs, commercial and financial. Collections are reported slightly letter. The clearings at Omaha for last week showed a decided increase over the corresponding week in the previous month. In dry goods and boots and shoes business continues reasonably fair, and many visitors are reported in from the country. The clothing trade shows signs of reviving. In hardware and groceries, business is fairly good: the same may be said of harness and heavy hardware. Implement dealers express much confidence in the gen eral outlook, and have hopes of good second order trade. Tho tendency to purchase at the nearest market is developing in the retail trade, and the day is not far distant when wholesale houbes in most lines of general business, will experience a natural limitation of territory. This applies most directly to large eastern houses controlling an immense territory. There was a time when every retailer seemed to think it necessary to purchase the bulk of his goods in the east, using Lincoln, Omaha and other local Jobbing centers to fill in on short orders; jobbers in the smaller centers were timid, and made no bid for larger business, limiting themselves, in many instances, to small country trade. A general reaction in this condition of affairs seems to have taken place; retailers arc more in clined to buy at Lincoln and Omaha, where they can do as well, with regard to price, and have the opportunity of choosing from a large assortment at a neighboring market, a decided advantage in more ways than one. Thus it may be seen that the retailer and the jobber in these parts, are coming closer together, with the natural result that both will be much benefitted. There is much interest displayed here in the Platte canal scheme, and a lively canvass for subscriptions is going on. A review of the situation leads to the conclusion that business is established on a reasonably firm basis, taking into consideration the lecidedly unstable condition of affairs hitherto prevailing. It is encouraging in the extreme to note that a few" days of bad weather does not seem to have the same deadening effect as was the case some weeks since. Merchants seem to think that business is getting better, and will continue to do so, unless very adverse cir cumstances prevail. While I have predicted from week to week, for some time past, a gradual increase of business, I now feel safe in saying that unless some unforseen circumstance turns up to depress business, a continuation in the revival will continue from week to week, until affaire are once more on a solid basis. Albkist Axdkia.no. The annual meeting of the Lincoln Packing company was held Tuesday. The following officers were elected: I. M. Raymond, president; C. G. Dawes, vice-president; T. J. Gardner, secretary and manager; I. M. Raymond, C. G. Dawes, W. W.Mills, Geo. A. Crancer. C. A. Hanna. E. Finney and E. E. Brown, directors. It was shown that 61,327 hogs were slaughtered during the year; the sales were over 81.000.000. A.G. BillmeyerifcCo., under tho name of A. G. Billmeyer it Co., will open up a carriage repository at ll.'Kl-S.'i M strcot, April 1, carry ing tho Columbus Buggy company's carriages, surreys, phaetons, buggies and traps; Staver & Abbott's carriages, surreys, phaetons, park wagons, buggies, spring wagons and carts; II. A. Wagner's road wagons and speeding carts; also a line of harness, whips, robes, etc. Henry CIcwb enumerates nine reasons for taking a cheerful posi tion regarding the future of the stock market and business generally, as follows: 1. Confidence is certainly reviving. Business is slowly but sure ly emerging from tho distress brought on by the silver crisis and grievously prolonged by tariff agitation. Stocks of merchandise have become se exhausted, with few exceptions, by prolonged cur tailment of production that universal resumption at tho mills will be imperative as soon as the tariff fright is over. Outride of tho tariff question, tho manufacturing situation is exceptionally favor able, because wages and materials are lower than usual, and tho consumptive abilities of the country have - t been impaired in any such degree as its productive abilities. 2. JIasy money is assured for months to come. Rates are extraordinarily low, and there are no immediate prospects of better rates. 3. There is a scarcity of good railroad investments in Europe, distrust of our currency system having caused a heavy return of both stocks and bonds. When this distrust is removed, as doubtless it soon will be, a marked revival in the European demand for "Americans' will inevitably follow. 1. In event of any pronounced revival at home orabroad in tho demand for railroad investments, the supply would be found inadequate to the demand; for railroad building in tho United States has not, for iivc years past, kept pace with the growth of industry and popula tion. In the east our railroad system is alone fully developed, but this is far from true in some sections of tho west. o. The Indust rials have not been a success as investments. Unquestionably re rent experiences with this class of investments will lead to a reaction in favor of railroad stocks and bonds. 0. Several immense proper ties are still undergoing the process of reorganization, tho first effect of which will be to greatly strengthen tho railroad situation. 7. Decreases in earnings are steadily growing smaller, and the earning power of the roads soon promises to expand from the revival of trade. By great economies, chiefly for renewals and improvements, net earnings have been remarkably well sustained; and the fears of reduced dividends, which warrant tho earlier decline in values, are slowly disappearing. 8. Small gold shipments have occurred thus far; and at the moment no heavy outflow seems probable. This will 1m assuring to those who are apprehensive on the subject; though as a matter of fact our banks could readily spare round amounts without any inconvenience. 9. The veto of the Bland bill will probably settle the silver question for good so far as this Adminis tration is concerned. This is not only the most important but the most encouraging feature of the whole situation. Duncan, Hollinger &. Co., furnish the following market summary to Thk Coukikk: Wheat The trade in wheat has been more lively this week than for a long time. The very cold weather started a crop scarce which found the market in a peculiar position. The general trade had no long wheat as the market had for so long a time been a declining one that they had got tired of waiting for an advance. The wheat therefore, was in comparatively few hands and when shorts began covering there was not the usual supply from miscellaneous longs taking small profits, and a 3 cent advance was quickly established. There was large liquidating, however, near the top. lhe market has lost a cent of the advance and its course now depends largely on confirmation of damage reports. In the more southerly states where wheat was jointed no doubt damage was done. From other sections reports are very confiding. The weather in western Kansas continues dry and windy. Receipts aredown again to very moderate figures and larger weekly drcreases in the visible supply seem like ly. The foreign markets continue very dull and respond very feebly to our advances. Corn has ruled generally strong and advancett in sympathy with wheat- and declined readily when wheat got weak. There has been 7512