Chicago Daily Tribune Newspaper, January 1, 1875, Page 3

— T fthered gy colpta and ly sfntistics of the recelp slipmonte of aitl'" aga, groen frults, sud otter Produce lapgoty dopit in on tho strects, ond not praviousty given, The system of selling DOULLY Ly tho poyyd, e in most other markets, lm_n teon iitroduced; nlso sovaral otlier chsnges Tl Lo uliimaty ylow of securlng more bl formiy g {1,y grading of differont articlen. 1r STRELT PRODUCE BILPMENTS. Tho ‘olloniag are the, receipts and_ahipments il Goods, i Bhipments. Toutrer: e, Jeirtyy i ultry, coy 458,033 P Qame, pkge, s Femn e, 101408 s 1 141,200 THE WIHOLESALE TRADE. The general éourse of business with our whole- aalo merchants has been already referred to. Tollowing are notes of the condition of trada in Ao lesding departments GROCERIER, THE DUBINESS O THE PAST YRAR #$oots np a totsl of fully $70,000,000, being sn in- creaso of 16 par cont over that of 1873, whick was noatly the same as that of 1872. The capi- tal now engngod in the business is not very far from €8,000,000. This is some $500,000 more than in 1873 ; the result of profits in busiucss ndded to stocks, There has boen no incresso in e number of jobbers, no failures, and no 'chianges aave thoso incident Lo a rapid expaosion in the volume of transactions by the houses es- tabliched more than twelve months ago. The year 1874 has boen a much more profita- ble one than its immediate predecessor, In 1873 the utmost care was necessary to provent loss, B8 it was scarcoly possible to buy an Involeo of goods East on which thero would not boa shrink- ago in prices by the time it arrived in this city. During the past year tho market hes been generully a steady ono, there being very few sharp fluctuations. Colleetiona ia the ccuntry “bave been good throughout; they wero mever better than during tho Jast six months of the yoar. TUE GROWTH OF THE TEA THADN hias been almost marvelous. Largely increasing oach vear sines tho oponing of the fic Rail- road first permitted direct importations from the West, it Las grown moro thau ever during tho past year. The recont dullness of other trado in the East has tended to concontrate tho tua busi- ness here, and mako Chicago the centrs dis- tributing poing of the United Btates for tems. Our merchants now import tess direct from Asiatic ports, recerving them from Yokohams, vis Ban Fraacisco, in soven wecks, inatead of the fivo or six monthe consumed in the voyage to New York or Doston. This gives & great saving in capital, which can be turnod over four times as rapidly as formerly. But it effects a still greater saving fn quality ; tho goods strive hero fresh, aud siroug, inatead of being detorioratod by s im-;; voyare, through trovical seas, Theso consideratious aro now recognized as 8o important that tho merchants of tho Atlsntic wesboard now profer Lo receive their teas by tho overiand route, (fArough Chicago, Of "courso thoy cannot cary them 1,000 * miles past our doors, aud a8 1ar back sgain, to competa with those laid down here by tho shortest route, Heuco the East has practically *‘got tbrough™ aupplying tho West with tead, The jobbing salea of this city in 1874 wera tully 100,000 haif-chests. ; Wa note that Japan teas now constitute fally one-half the bulk of those sold in this market. hey aro cheaper, und give better satisfaction to nany consumers, tlan the Chinese teas. llence & vory rapid incroase in tho volume of eupply. A fciw yemis siuco, Japan tens wero scarcely known in this market. COFFEE TRADE. Prices of the leading staplo groceries, and most side articles as woll, have aversged lower than the previous year. The coffea crop of 1874 is estd to bo the largess ever realized. On tho 18t of August, 1871, the stocks in Furops wero 1,686,000 cwt.; on the same date of 1873, 1,813,000 ewt.; in 1873, 1,705,000 ewt.: snd in 1874, 1,796,000 ewt. Tho Amatcrdam Handelsblalt usthupted the crop of 1874 at 8,800,000 Lags itio, 800,000 bags Santos, and 100,000 bags Bahia; altogether over 5,000,000 bags from Brazil, In Javaa very full crop was made, for ths official fignres give it at 019,077 baga Gov- ernmont, which, together with tho coffeo pro- duced on private gluntlflom, swell the produc tions of tho Dutch Colonies, including I'adang, %0 1,400,000 bage, Thua the total cron of cofiee o all cnuul&iau ;‘al;}gau“o‘fur %0%.0}10 ewt. :fh year openod at o for 0. G. Javs, and a m@fiflgG for choice to fancy Rio. On June 25, prices bad deolined to 33@34c for the former, und to 241@263o for the lutter, while closing guotations are 33@34c aud 2‘}?2&0 raapac- tively, thus showing s declive for the year of 8c in Java, and 8¢ in Rio, The lower jpricos have materiaily stimulated tho consump-~ tivo demand, the sales of 1674 largaly excecding those of 1873. Drices arestill relatively high, nnd a farther shrinksge is prodicted. BUOAR WAS & FULL OROP, and, notwitbetanding & moro than ordiparily notive consumptive demand has existed, priced havo ruled Jow tnronghout ; 8o low, in fact, that rofiners have found it Rma exceedlugly unprofitable year, and & number of tho Eaat- o refluotioa have been closod,—not to reopen until the product can find s market at a profit, On Jan, 1 standard As were %uumd at 104 @ 105¢c, snd on Juns 25 at 103/@103gc. The cloming prices are 103(@1034c. For sirups aud molasses the market haabeen charactenzed by more than ususl steadiness. In comparison with tho eeason of 1873, prices have ruled 3@50 lower this year. The pnice of toss bas been 8@0o lower thun duriog 1878, the average of green having been sbout 70@7b¢, and of Japan 85@70c. The im- Pportations at Chicago show an inciease over 1873 of tully por cont—the bulk of the importa. Viona consistivg of Jupana, SPICER bave commanded higher pricoa than prevailed & year previouxly, and, with thesiugle exception of caseis, tha differont varietics are tirmly held. The deficiency in the clove crop smounts o fuily 60 per cent, and prices dur- the past season havo rosched & highor point than at any previous period within 0 years. This pice will continuo scatcs for veral years yot, owing to the almost total de- wtruction of the clove-tioes 1 Zanzibar by tho cgloua which passed over that country in Aprd, 1578, Tho importation of peppor {uto the United Btates Lhas been 2,000 peculs more thau in 1873, but, as the war in Sumatra (whenco our supplios chiefly come) hiss cansed a deficioncy it tho last «rop, and thio stock in Londoo i only about half 24 largo 88 n yoar ago, it will bo seen that tho yomtion of tho market |8 & firm ono. ~Caesia Iy tending lower, This yoear's mportstions bave been light, but at tho close of 1673 the stock oo hand amounted to 4,000,000 pounds, or about two years' supply. Btocke of nutmugd sre aumple, and tendenoy is downward. CANNED G00DS AND PIOKLES, A DEURKABEZ APPAHENT. In this department of trade the businsss of the vear now closing sliows an apparent de- treas The docreaso, howaver, is more appar- ent than resl. The quantity of goods dlstrib- utod was considerably in excess of 1873, but, ow- fog to largo ebrinkage in valuea of all kinds of small fruite aod vegeta- Lios, &a well as oystors and salmop, Mie sggregato valus of the goods sold was uu- doubtedly less than for 1878, With the single ©xception of peaches, of which the production wasonly about ono-third that of the preceding Year, tho deprecintion amonats to 10@30 per cent. “The differenco bstween the pricos of tho two Joars amounts to tully 20 per ocnt fu oysters, %0 per cent in sulmon, 15@25 per cent 1 vegotables, sud 10G90 per cont fn the varions kinds of emall fruts. Yrices bave now roaclied s point where thera is L0 margic of profit for the producer, while not 8 fow Lines are actually selling bolow the cost of I'roduction ; therefore It bs fuir to provuws that whalaver prico changes may ocour ia the near future Wil Le to wellers’ wdvantage, Trade, hich far sevora) weelus past Lias been unquali- Liodly dull, begite to show signsof returning Belivicy, and Jobbers tha *outlaok " ne decidealy encoursging. QUE TRADE IN PICKLES I8 asuming larga provortioas. Loth the East- ¥In and BSouthern deslors now araw their sups Vliow Turgoly from this waraet, aud Chicags is {'m\ly recognizod as * the headyuariers” for ulk piokles. Tho total vaue of thae cavuod Voods, Jelliou aud pickles wold heto dutio the 1505 1574 i 63,000,000, of whioh amouat about 190,000 was from goods produced in the lmwe: THE CHICAGO DAILY TRIBUNE: FRIDAY, JANUARY I, 1875.--TWELVE PAGES. ate vicinily of Chieago, It is mgnificant of tho jmportance which our city has attsined 88 & eanned-{zults centro, that an oraer for a car-load of peactien was rocently rocoived from m Balti- pors denler, TOBACCO, OUTAIDE OF THE TRADE, probably there ara not a acore of people in the city who Lave any conception of the magnitude of the tobacen business of Chieago. Rospect- able a8 wera its proportions prior ta the occirs reuce of the great five, it is no exsggoration to say that it haa incroased & hundred fold: slnce that event. The growth of the trade dur ing the past three yesra has been 0 rapid that many of thiose intimately identified with it will Lo surprised to losrn that the valus of the tobacco and cigars sold in this markot during 1874 resclios the enormous aggrogats of 10,000,000, THE SALES of the jobbing-houses alone smount to 45, 000,- 000, wlile the amouut distributed by the whole- sale grocors, several of whom msake of tobacco o distinct featuro of their business: ivia found, by carcful computation, will fully cqual shio ealos of those who deal exclusively in that commodity, In the sale of fine-cut and smoking tobacco, Chicago now stauds st tho ficad of the list, our nunual distribution of those Roods excesding that of sny other city in the United Braten. 'The MARVILOUS INCREASE 1¥ THE BURINESS is largely accounted for by the fact that the brisk competition at all times existing betwoen tha grocors snd tho tobacco jobbers necessitates an extremoly close margin of profit. As an avidenco that epecial price-inducements aro of- ferred Liero, tho fact msy be mantionod that Cinemnati, Tolodo, Detroit, Miwaukeo, sud Bt. Louis—citics which might ba aexpeotod to compete wih Chicago for the trade— are lape buyers here. During the firet six montha of tho year there wero no im- portant price-ductuations, the markoet beibg charactorized by mors than ordinary steadiness, but later in tho scason, whon 1t becstmo spparent thut thie year's crop would ecarcely exceed U6 per cent Of sn Average =~ ciop, thore aprang up 8 brisk spoculative demand, undor _which valucs rapidly appreciated. The advance sinco the bLeginning of July smounts to 8@10c ver Ib in manufactured goods, waila the 18w hl?.l:m:l of certain grldc:) “l““tr; 1y 60 per cent higher than o year ago. Owiog n{m lgw prices prevailing durivg 1572 and 1873, those years proved uuremunerstiv the to- bacco-grow ere, and, 8a a result, tho pastacason’s plantng showed a greatly diminushed acresge. THE SUFPLY (with tho surplns of 1873) would no doubt have proved amplo, however, bud it not buen for the gevere droughts duriog the summer, and the dieastrous frosts wiich visited the rincipal tobacco-growing districts of the Bouth duriog tho early fall, In Vugiois and Missouri the crop amounts to ounly about 85 per cent, while Kentucky producsd ecarcely more than 16 per cent of o fuil crop. Btocks are now well concentrated, sud, as they are chicfly in strong bands, esiréme prices are likaly to pravail thronghout the year 1875, ‘Lhero aro ssme trenty firme who ‘do oxclusively & jobbing busi~ ness, employing a capital of about 1,500,000 DRIED FRUIIS 1T 18 ESTIMATED that not less than $700,000 ara invested in the dried-fruit trade in this city, and that the sales of greon and dried frnits combined for the sea- gon of 1874 closely approximate $2,600,000. Chicago maintains her position as the chief dia- tributing point of tho Northwest, Although the dsed-fruit business of. 1874 bas, perhaps, not shown 80 rapid & growth a8 in some previous seasons, the incroaso—whon we take into consideration tho causes that have oporated to retard ita growth—must be cousidered as beyond all rea- sonable expectationa, Of what may properly be called STATLE DRIED FBUTIS, embracing applos, peachien, prunes, and ralsios, the amount of salcs Lias materially excesded that of any former year; but in those linos which more appropristely como under the head of *fancy fruits,” & somewhat dimioished move- ment was witnossed, Tha lessoned demand for tho latter was the nutural result of the practico ol economy, 80 much in vogue since the panlc, aod was by no meana peculiar o this market. Concerning - DOMESTIO YRUITS, the erop of 1874, with the exception of applss and blackberries, wau below the average. The apple crop was a partial ailure at the South, but in the Eastera, Middlo, and Western States a large crop was pgathored. This fusures s large supply of dried for the season of 1875, and low prices may bo expected to rule, Peacliea wore scarcely moro than ono-third of ® cron. Michigan had & bountiful yield, but in Illinois, Obio, Tennegsoo, Kentucky, and North Caroli thoe crop waa a failure. The market for the com- ing year, will, thersfore, be scantily suppled. A YEATURE OF THE WARKET will bo tho almost entiro sbeonce of pared Peuhnm The crop of blackborries was the argost evor gathered, being estimated in round nomboers at 23,000 brls, This eupply, even at the cheap rate of B@9c, it ia computed, will ex~ ceed the consumptive demand by at least 5,000 bris, ‘Lhroughout tho fall there was o well or~ ganizod bull movemeut, but owing to the cons sorvalivo action of ~ Western merchants it failed, and prices since then have gradual- Jy worked downward. In quality the fruit is cxcoptionslly fine. ‘Che raspberry crop wan almost & failure, and oxtreme pricos may bo oxpected o provail throughout the coming sea- son, DPitted cherrics are reported sbout one- third of & crop, The pgreatest deficiency was in North Carolina snd Virginia. 'The prospects sro in favor of high pricos in the spring, Values of most desoriptions of FoRElaN ¥RUITS olso bid fair to rulo comparstively high, owing to partial failare of crops. In MALAGA RAISING, the deficiency nmounts to about 30 per cent, whilo of Bultana thero was almost an entire failuro, The deficiency in Malaga and Suliana rmsius will be parti F made up by Valonciaa, of which there was farge yield. ‘The imporia” tion of raisios ehows s markod fallug off from last year, and this fact, together with tho knowledgo of the existence of a strong com- bLination among New York importors, leads to the belief that pricos will rulo higher than for o uumber of geasons paat. Advices from Lurkey are to tha effect that the pruoe crop of that country will fall more thau 50 percent shoit, and besides will be inferior in quality. France reports & full crop, nod good quality. Prices aro from 85 to 40 per cent higher than a year %o, ¥ias, which come from the same dietricts a4 Turkish prunea and Bullana raisins, are doeficient fully 60 per cent, and will probably be no lower thau at present. Dates, citron, and lemon and orzuge peel aro without fosturea of special interest. Currants were a falr yield, avd no wa- terial _flactuation in “prices is looked for. It mav not be generally kuown, but it in fact that » very lsige percentage of the foreign fruits now sofd in this market are imported direct by our jobbers. Our fmport trade {8 ming large proportions, and it will not be many y befors Chicago will have a monopoly of the dried-fruit importing business, 80 {ar a8 the Northwest is concorned. GREEN FRUITS, THE YEAR 1874 WILL BX RENXMBERED for its profuys crops of fruit, Nearly ali varie- ties were in great sbuudanco fu this market, sud prices were much lower than in 1873, aud not al- ways remunerative. About 833¢ per cent of tha frult received is consumed in tho city, and the remainder {s reshipped to various parts of the country. The peach-crop of Michigan was one of tho largest ever kuown, bui the quality of some of tha froit was not up ¢o the average, be- ing injured by THE DROUGHT. For soversl conaecutive days in Beptember the receipts rsn up to 50,000@60,000 bushels, sud tho Lest Crawfords wold wc 502 s bushol. Peachez sold at 25¢c@$1 per box or basket. About thres-quarters of the giapea recelved came {from Michigan and Oblo, Prices avorsged sbout o per Ib. Pears, plums, quinced, and berties were plenti{ul. The sesson for apples opened auspiciously, but the market was soon overloaded with Faatern and Weatera frait, aud bresking badly, has not vet rocovered. ‘The crop in Michigan was not up to the rtandard of 1873, either in quantity or quality, but thers wsas good yleld in the Wout, and the* Epst bad more spplea than they knew what to do with, Easte:n apples were sent Woat, snd ex- yorted to the West ‘lndlu, Bouth- Amarics, and soms parta of L op #1,60@2.50 per brl, 'The receipts of CRANDERRIEA approximate 18,000 Lrls, coming from Wiscon- en and the Fast. Few wild Lerrien wera raceived. The market opened at #11.00 @14.00, bnt declined to $10.00612.00 under liboral recoipts of Cape Cod fruit. The cranberry crop of tha country is estimatad £ 250,000 bu, againat 275,000 bi in 1873, The Wentein crop st 60,000 bu. ‘The erop in Wincun. sin was smallor than in 1873, The receipts of " CALIFORRIA ¥RTITH wore Iarger thau in past years. Alout 40.000 Doses of pears and 200,000 1t uf pluros, grapes, ate., were received. The Lusinera was not al- ways profitable, A heavy Lusincns was dona in foraign fruita. About 85,000 boxes of orangcs and lemons wers handled, and a large quantity ot pineapples, bauanas, ctc. Tho nales of far- eign greon fruits, jucluding Califorms fruus, approximate ¥760,000 DRY GOODS NO CRANGES MAVE OCCUKKED IN TIR ROUAXS dolng business iu dry goods during the past year, the ono firm which yiolded to the storm of the panio baviug ** etepped down and out” atthe close of 1873, Neitbier has there boon any in- creaee in capital, the cash ougaged in tho busi- nens bolng about $7,000,000, ‘The eales of tho year foot up a total of about £20,600,000, which is au incroase of b per cent un the volume of trade in 1873, The quaatity of goods sold exbibits & much larger incroase than that, a8 the prices of goods have been lower, nocensitating the sala of s greator number of pieces to give the ssme cash total. The year has beon far from a prosperous one with joblers, for the reason that COITON GOUDS MAYE STEADILY DECLINED, and rango 10Gi20 per cent lower at tho closa of the year than at tho begiuniug, Woolens bave alio boon weak, but the greatost deprecia- tion was on cotion goods, which was largely due to the fact of over-production, Both cotton nnd woolon manufacturers Lave matetially curtailed operations io consequence, and the downward tendency was recontly checked, sfter prices hnd tonehed the lowest point known in several years. Indeed, deslers report that atocka in first hands are now much smaller than is geucrally sup-~ posed, and look for s general and decided im- provement in the tiade oarlyin the New Year, which they oxpect will prove to bo & prosperous one. TIIE PAST YEAR JAS WITNESSED & surprising sugmentation ia tho trade with the Southwaont, particularly with Texas, The recont opening up of now lines of railroad has enabled our merchants to send large quantities of goods where they never sold before. And they report that their customers in theso now sections sre in a prosperous condition, being able and williug to mako prompt payment, for which our Chicago merchants hold out superior inducements. As both buyers and sellers arc so well satisfied, there is a good prospect of a much greator growth in that direction. Already tbe volunfe of this trade, which goes directly paat tho doors of 8t. Louis, compaies favorably with ihe aggro- gute palen of that city to all quarters. THE GENERAL TRADE with the West is reported ns vary good, snbject only to the disadvantage of veduced prices noted above, ‘Phe pavic of 1879, while it preased some of our merchauts rather heavily, really did im- menas good to tho trade. 'The shortenivg up n the lineas of credit in New York took awav the only inducement that had existed to draw Weat- ern buyers to the seaboard, aud many of thoxe who bad, up to tbat time, atoadily patronized the merchants of that city, transferred their cus- tom to Chicago, finding themselvos dono by botter than they had expected. ‘Lboy have ever sincesent . their orders Liers, snd the general prosperity of tho farmivg population baa ensbled them to soll longer lives than ever beforo, Eastern merchauts alg¢ again offering long lines of credit in the hopo of recovering their lost trade, DBut THE DEALERS OF THE WEST bave found out that loug credit means steep bills, and that they save in thoe cost of goods by buying nearer home, in adadition to savipg the cost of travel, and the delay of soveral days in recaiving goods after they have boen ordered. The rosson that Chicago deslers are able to un- dersell those of New York ia plam. Tuey buy diroct from the manufactureis, botb Luropesn and domestic, making their importatious direct, and thun eave on handling, while the cost of liv- ing aud deing business Léreis not muck more than half of what it is in New York. We uote, too, that not a few buyers havo mado tieir ap- pearance lLore during tho past yeer, who had previonaly dealt in Bt. Lowws; and, judging by 1ho toue of their ramarks, their custom haicome Lere to stay. ObR DHY 00ODS MERCHANTS generally report that coliecizons have been good throughout tho year. This refers ospecially to the country trade. The city retail trade hss Lad a hsrd time, In addition to the decline in the selling values of goods, whilo on haud, they have had to contend with a general disposition to economize, in consequonce of relatively hard times due to depression in mauufacturo: fow favorite houses report an incrosss in salos, to the extentof fully 5 per ceut; but ths ouly mads it worso for some others, the sggioEate ro- tail trade beiug scarcoly equal to that of 1673. WOOLEN UOODS. This branch of tho wholesalo trade has rocent~ 1y sssumed enormous proportions in this city, snd gome now firms sro added to thelist of thowe who supply tho eteadily-growiog domsand, The woolon Jobbers of this city are generally strong, and ae & wholo havo oxperienced u fairly Prosperous soason, nesting & satisfactory profit on transactions, The busiuess was conducted in 1874 on a capital of fully $1,600,000, and the ag- grogste snlos amounted’ to sbout $1,000,- (00, Durning ' tho panic =ail efforts to make eales oxcept upon s cesh basix was abandoned, every enorgy being centered upon foicing collections; snd Chicago jobbers weathered out the storm well. The Teoling during tho greater part of the year was a healthful and contident one. Moderate doslers 1o vocond-class streets and outakirts of ‘tha busi- vess contro have done B thriviog business, although the apring trade oponed ratber inaus- piciously. Tho market is now active, although old prices are fairly maiutained, Businesy pros- pocts for the caming year sro copsidersd guite datteriog. WIITE AND ¥ANCY DRY GOODS, ‘This portiou of the wholesalo dry goods trade forms quitp an importsot percentsge of tho ‘whole, snd the position wbich Chicago holds in thiy connection is sn eoviable one, nas- much 88 ber jobbers supply largely all tho Weslern Btatea and Territoniea, = The capital, upon which thelbusiness was operated in 1874 are about $450,000; and the yolume of aniual sales iy sbout §1,400,000. 'Thewe tigures whos increase of about 20 por cont over the busi- pess of 1874, In the opinionof several iner- chapty, the buminess proupects for the coming yoar are oxcollont, ag thu demand from the Terri- tories is incrosaing rapidly. rices throughout tho year have baen steady, with a slight npward tendency ; and tho genoral foeling 18 hrm. Halos havo bean offectsa a8 much 28 poesible upon a cash bagis, CARPETINGS. Distinct from dry goods, wo now bave a larga wholessle trade in carpetiugs. ‘Phe salos for tho past year were about £5,000,000, being the esme total’as in 1873. Up to the end of September, tbe volume of trade exhibited a considorable falling off ; but since that time the business has materially improved, being much better thua in the coirosponding months one yesr provi- ously. Prices ruled & littlo lower, belog reduced rather more rapudly than the cost of production. Oue or two fallures have occurred, but two of the lesding firms bave considerably inoreased their capital, 8O that the money now invouted 1n the business, 91,250,000, is more thau that omploved i 1874, Prices on foreign goods have rewnined nearly the e, while ou dotacatics there beon a couniderable reduction, under incroasing compe- tition betwesn homo maunufacturers. MILLINERY, The wholessle millinery trada has been quits active, and generally roported to have been s profitable one. The volume of sales is sbout 95,000,000, which is rn lncroase of 10 pereent aver the business of 1873, though prices bave gradoally declined Gl they uro now 15@20 per cant lower than twelve moutli 8go. The cap- ital invostod is extimated at 81,230,000, TR INCREASX OF THADY bas baen chiefly ja the country, the city bual- vous aven falling slightiy behind, with sume dealers. Colleaticnw wore very prowpt sl through the year, except in the graashopper- visited districts of Ksusas and Nebrasks, sud some parts of Minuesots, Theroa good many btad dobta wero made, which materislly losaened the year's profits, aad some of our jobbers uave since declived 1o supply goods to those sections, There have bsau » faw clanges sluce s year soms drm members golce Jut, and lh’nm.gaot‘ot troos has increarod by one. Tho larger firms have obtained the beat trade, aa & rulo: sud hence hiave wuffered lens from bad dobis than some of tlhe amaller hiouscs, CUICAGO CONTAIN® nome of the fincat wholesalo millinery eatablish- Juents in the United Btates, aud is zecond only to New York in the magnitude of her (rade, Country millinern throughout; tho Northwest havo discovered this fact; and most of lhem niow patroniza this markot {nstesd of going East. The snnnual salss of some hounes Liers aro largar Lhan those of any mingle houss on the Atlantio cosst. DRUGS, IX THIA NEFARTMENT THERK ANE FEW CHANGES worthy of note. “Irade hins been very even throughout, with s slight iucresse in the eamount of money received on sales, though prices baye shrunk some 5@73{ per cent ou the averago all round. Thero sre no fatlures to report, and no extensicos. The city trade Las bees poor, the retailing business hers being overdone; but the country trade was materislly larger, wmaking the veor & profilable ono to wholesslers. Jobberns at Iarge intenior points, aw Keokuk and Burlington, now make Chicago the Leadquarters for their trade, THF. VOLUMF OF yALES in about 4,000,000, ou a caub capital of $1,000,- 000. 'Chis includes only drugs proper. Our footing of §4,600,000 for 1870 included hesvy drugs, which ate betier included iu paints and oils, a8 below. KUBIC, OUR MUSIO DERALERS RKPORT A RATISFACTOEY BUNINESH, especially by coutrast with that of the panic year, aud most of them have been surprised at the setivity which has ruled smid so much dull- nene complaiued of in nome other departments. Tho general businesn haa increased fully 15 per cent, on a cash Lakis, though the prices of mome goods are 1015 per cent lower. Imported goods cost more than in 1873, hut the competition with New York, and between iomedoalers them- selves, was po sbarp as to causc & marking down here, leaving but vory moderate profits. The nalen of pianon hiavo incroased fally 20 per cent, with little difference in pricen, as labor, the groat factor of cost in u piano, i8 equslly high now a8 a year ngo. The country traae is rapidly increasing in spite of sirenuous sfforts by Now York bLouses to draw away the custom; out Roads aro kold just as low here a8 un the ses- bosrd, with troight sdded ; and Chicago presents the addition! ndvantage of a near market, with upeurpassod opportunities for selectivi, A NUTEWOGRTUY FEATURE of the year's trade 18 the vast increass in the de- maud for upright pisuos. A leading desler romarked that **1t secros a8 if the whole country Dad suddenly run mad on upright pianos,” want- ibg them three times faster than they cau boe turned out, while splendid stocks of square pianos are comparatively uncoticed. Tho aggrogato sales of the year, including shest music, were about 82,400,000, ORCCKERY, THEZ WHOLEBALE DEALERS IN CROCRERY, chins, glaes ware, silver-plated ware, lamps, and numerous other articles which sccompany them in the trade in thoso goods, in Chicago, report much moro Eatisfactory condition of things than in 1873, The volume of sales is about 8 per cent larger, being €3,250,000, againet £3,000,000 in that yesr; though erockery has ruled 10 per cent lower, and other gooda have also been reduced in price. The capital employed is about $1,000,000. NOTWITHSTANDING TRE SURINKAGE in pricos, dealers have realized a better profit than in the year of the panic, a8 stocks Liave not. declined on their handu vo exteusively as then, ‘The trade is much more even, and hence more eatisfactory than at firet expocted. The increass in the volumo of trade has been most marked in 1llinvis aud lown, snd ioterior dealors lu those States have paid very promptly. Chicago has tekou much of tho trade that went to New York up t0 two years 8g0. Ler merchantd sell at the BAIma prices, with freight added. BOOT8 AND BROES, TIHIS BEANCH OF OUR WHOLISALYE BUSINEAS hea been very active duriug the whole year; and tho leading merchants report that they have never done o mora sstiafactory Lusiness,~—all re- porta to the coutrary notwithstanding. The snloa of tho year aggregato $11,500,000, being an increase of 16 per vent. The capital employ- ed ia abont $4,500,000, {aclnding that engaged in wmanufacturing. Prices 1n goods have shraunk about 4 per cent. No failures are reported, Neatly one-fourth of all the boots and shoes sold by jobbers tn Chicago are manufactured in this city. A very large iucrease is reported ia this respect, Clicago operatives have turned out frowm 30@40 per cent mora goods io 1874 than i 1873 ; and the fifteon firms engaged in the bug,ness now manufacture NEARLY ALL THE HEAVY GOODE (ments wear) that they sell. The fine work, for Iadies™ and missos® woar, is still dono in Easteru fxctorios : but the hesvier styles, to which our manufacturers have paid particular attention, aro generally proforred iu the Weat to thaso of Lastern make. Hence the reputation of these gooda is extending rapidly. Chicago is the great hide and lesther contro of tho West, and our boot and shoe manufucturers, thersfore, enjoy peculisr facilities in making their own solections, and that from etock which takes the firat rank, in rexpoct to woanng quality, wherever it is used. Tusy also pave in the item of traneportation Eastward and tho finisbed product Wesiward. Ueing the best wachinery, they c¢an thus com- pote successfully with Eastero magers, aod tho reduction of wages by about 16 per cent, mado last winter, has even epablel themn to offer better goods at prices which compara favorably with those offeied from Massachusetts, This manufacture has been principally developed in Chicago within tho psst olavea years, though tl.h\ashuumun was commenced longer sgo shan OUlL LEADING JODDERS account for tho vary lsrge increase fn tho trade by statiug that a great part of the custom which Lad previously gono to New York and Dostom found its way to Chicsgo the puat yoar. West- ern buyers Liave made s decided change, Chi- eago-miada goods are growing in favor, both in tho West and Soutl, and that brings orders for other zoods not made Lere, both kinds gomg in the one iuveice, Lo trade with Texas eshibits an astonishing increase ; sud its extension alt over the Bouth 18 very saiislactory. Indeed, our merchants roport that few Westero boyers now go East, excopt those who want long credits, the desire tu grant which is & sure indi- catiou that Esstern deulers are pushod hard by our coppeution. Our morchauts do oot hiesi~ tate to part with thia claes of custonors. In- stead of offering inducementa ju the shape of louy linea of crodit, they sesk to atiract cash customors by offerivg good wares at the lowest possible prices, and by o doing they aru already 1w possersion of the cream of the Western trade. OLOTHING, THE YRAR 448 DEEN AX ACIIVE AND PROSTERODS ONR in the wholesalo clothing trado, though city re- tailora bavo not kept equal pace, some of them 'fifwning business as dull aud unsatisfactory, o increass has chiefly beon in the country trade, which has grown enormonsly. The whole- osle trade was 20@25 per cont greater than in 1873, notwithstanding the croakers, and transsc- tiona have boen fully sa profitable aa in any year ainca the close ot the War. Tha volume of sles isestimated at about 12,000,000 TOR CAPITAL INVESTED is about 5,000,000, including tbat employed in manufacturing., And itis gratifyivg to note that uearly all tho clotbing sold at wholosale in this city 18 now made here. ‘Thalargest manufsctur- lng firm 1 the United Btates is outablighied bisre, and employs 3,000 to 5,000 pairs of hands, tho outside nuinber in the busy season. There isa growiug appraciation of Clicsgo-made clothing all over the Bouth sod Weel, su indication of which 1s given in tbe fact that (he firm above referred ' to Lag recelvod within the pust year orders from not less than tifty new firms, in tle Stats of Texus slone. About eighj times 8a many goods were made tiere 1 1874 au four years proviously ; vev- eral new firma having ombarked in the business in 1873, ‘There were uo sduitions to the unwver durlug tne past year. ‘FLe preferenco given to Chicago-made clothivg is sccountod for by the focl that it is made to suit the climato and tho woarer, while Fuatorn manufecturoru make the same class of gaods for both the Nariheru aud the Houthern irade, audgo givo eatiufaction to neither, Qur Chicagoe merahants bave trisd to fnd out what was wauted, and then made it Heude Chisago now stands et ths head of the Tint of citien w ready-made clothing, not nven oscepting Now York. We may add that tha combinud capital of Ht. Lonis, in this business, does uot eaual that of two of cur lead- 1ng firms. TATE, CAPS, AND FURS, THF. PALEA OF THE PANT YZAR sggragate abont 3,500,000, on s capital of #5,600,000. Tha volums of business is about the samo 88 in 1973, snd hea been trausacted by fower firms, 8o that it han heen quite aatisfactory tu those who remain, though some novere losses wers oxperionced. Eofore the lire the number of firms had never excoeded 7. After that event it rose to 13. During the rebuilding the busiuens was prosperous, but it noon becamo ev- Ident that it wae overdone, aud mines then there han heen A NRADTAL REDUCTION | nearly one-half of the firrue having retired dunng the psst three years, in viow of the diminution of profits cauaed Ly the too great competition. Frobably this class of goods bas been sold nowhere elsa g0 cheaply as in this city, Tuo business is now considored to be in Lealthy condition, Price: va ehrunk nearly 10 per cent. A factory for making woolen hata e recently beeu extablished in thia city~the first of its kind 1o the West. FISH, OUR LEADING JOBRERS of cured fieh report their sales for the ssason of 1874 aa fully 20@25 per cent in excess of 1873, which in turn were larger than 1n sny previous yenr siuce Chicago becamo & city. The largely incrensod business of the psat year is no doubt partly attributable to the relative cheap- ness of fish a8 compared with meats,— yricos of all descriptivnn, except, perlaps, cod, baviug ruled lower thau for 8 numbar of seasons past,—but the steady and rapid growth of the trado is chiefly due to the * wide-awake” chat- acter of the men by whom the business is con- trolled. Qur jobbers Lave pusbed out ther sgeuts to points near snd re- mote, socuring hero & new customer and there one, until to-day Chicago enjosa tho distinction of being the largest fish-distributing point in the United Btates, with possibly one ex- ception, Prices have been supjectedto fowor fluctustions than in past years. aud the season & 1874 msy, therofore, be set down 88 & Lros- porous one. THE CATCH OF GOD has been about one-third less than in 1873, and prices have ruled from 3¢ to lc per ih igher. George's is now guated at &6.50@6.75, while & yesr ago it was selliug ot £5.76@6.00, Lho year closes on light stocks, and, 1f prices do not further sdvauce with the opening of the new year, thers is at ali evenus no likelibood of lower rates. Mackerel has been very plenty and averaged batween &3.00 and §4.0U per 1§ brl, cheaper than {11 1873, No. 1 shore is now quated ab §U.50@10.00, against ¥13.00@14.00 & year ago. Tbo lake fisberies were attended with moroe tban ordinary success, and low prices bave prevaled the weason through, Closing quotations aro £5.25@5.35 for No. 1 whitefish, and $4.75@5.00 for trout. ‘The growth of the trade in California salmon has been marvelous. 1t is £carcely moro than five years siuce thin de- licions sh was firet jntroduced ip this market, whilo tho sales during the past twelve mouths have escecoded sic thousand barrel. lu sdditwn to the above thera Liave been sold within the year from 15,000 to 18,000 cases of cannod salmon, Barreled sslmcn have sold but a triflo lower than in 1873, but the canned ariicle showa a difference of sometbing like 30 per ceot, Nonew firms have (lsm!lénrkld in the fish busivess, nor Lave any re- ired. FRESH YISH. There are at present six houses represented in the fresh.lish trade, the snnus! sales of which areabout £600,000,amountiugin weyghs to 10,050~ 000 pounds, or 8,500,090 fish, Fully nine-tenths of taeso are our lake-front trout and whitotisk, which havo beon very plentiful durivg the past season, The capital represented in this business in about $160,000. GTSTERA. Since the completion of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, 8 lxrge und sudden increase in the oyater trade of this citv has been plainly pers ceptible. There are now ten houses repre- sentod here in the business, most of them acting as agents for the Baltimore houses, which eity probably furnishes four-fisths of tho bivalves nsed in the Umted Btates, Tha value ot fresh oysters used in Chicsgo snd shipped to tho Northwest is fully £2,800,000 ; of which the city consumes sbout 500,000 worth, and tho remainder goes to gupply the exteusive country demand. The figures make Chicago the great central oyater-distributing point of the West, Tha value given above repreeenls about 0,800,000 quarts, or 517,500,000 oysters, LEATHER AND FINDINGS, THE §2ASON or 1873 wan sot down s au unprofitable one in this de- partment of trade, and the year now just closod bas not been attended Ly that degree of prosper- ity which prevailed during the peiiod embraced botween the years 1865 and 1870, Tho ** Lard times " consoquent upon the panic of the fall of 1873 were more seriously folt ia this tuavin mauny other branches of business, ' The spirit of economy #0 prevalout duripg the twelve months past led consumers to buy the cheaper 4 RRADT-MADE WORK," 1nsiesd of leaving their ordess with their shios- maker, 88 formorly, and tho detmands upon the leather doalers were correapondingly diminished. The greatly improved faciiities for the manufac- ture of boots and ehoes by machiners, the sreator chespness, and tho improved quality of tho work turned out, randers euccessfal comps- tition by the average custom shoemaker no long- er possible, and the number of prosperous shoe- makers is each year rapudly growing less. Thoss dealers who supply the manufacturere of 1OOTH AND ETUES with their stock, of course, do not auffer from tho changed order of things, but with the small jobber the busiuess languishes. Prices have ruled lower than for & number of yoars paat, and but for the largely incrensed oxports, wnich bave relieved the markets of the conntry of much of the surplus leathier, the season must Lave proved a dieastrous ono. Aw it i6, our job- bere, with possibly ouo or two excoptious, are sblo to show a small *“balance " on the right sido of the ledger. Thore have bheen uo failures during “tho year, &nd tho trade fs in m sound condition fibancially. To tbe Went Lelongs the distinction of baving exported to Burope the first cargo of harnees-lcather ever shipped abroad, The venture resulted protitably, and the supposition is that the esxperument sill Lo ropeated on & largerscale. Less Froneh calf is being uged in this country than formerly, owing to the great improvoments that have of late years boen made in the manufacture of do- mostic call-skina, Tho imports of French calf during the year 1874 will show a falling off of nearly 25 par cent. COAL, TUE YEAR 1874 CANNOT X SET DOWN 48 A PROFIT- ABLE OXE for the coal-dealer, The greatly-diminished con- sumption of coal, rezulting from the depressed condition of tbe mavnufacturing interests, taken in conjunction with tho unnsuat mildness of tho winter caused the first six mouths' businoss to bo done st au actual loss. The price of un- thracite coal touched & lower point thsn it Lad previously reachod (batween the close and ro- opening of navigation) for more thau ten years, Coal sold at an aversgo losa to the dealer of fully @1 per ton. During tho laut half of tho year the ‘business, so far at Jeast ws anthracito id concernod, was conducted st a falr profit, though it is doubt. ful if tha profits of the past fow montbs wilf en. tirely make good the losses sustained during the period iutervening between Jan. J and the opon- ing of pavigation. ¥REIGUTS opened ¢ the low rato of 250 per ton from Bof- falo, but graduslly crept upward as the sesson wore sway, sud closed at 81.75. 'The formation sad waintensucs of a Coal-Dealets’ Exchange has given to the market ubusual steadincass, Among cousutners thero wers grave approlien- sions thas with the establishment of the Ex- chapge there would be iusugurated an era of high prices, but tbus for tha sction of that body bas beeu characterized by 1moderation, The whipments of coal from the o'ty show a respecta. Dle increass over any preceding year, ‘I'hus in. cresse is due in part to the LOW PRICEA PREVALENT, though the ateady imcrease in populstion of the interior towns, snd the growing scarcity, aud consequently euhsnced cost of wood as s fusl, must result u & steady growth of our trade with the jutorior. Tho averaye price of bitumiuous coal bas beon the lowest for many yeam. Owing to the large and conatausly in § number of aoft-00al “produsers now seckinga markes hare for the product of theic mines, the competition 18 Bo groat that the price is kept st & figure that Bcarcaly covora tha coat of production, Tho re- ;m;:(l of coal furtne year 1874 ars reported as ailows : Awthraeite, Bituminous, fons, tona, 700 EHL0N0 20,240 LUMBER. CHICAGO NAKDLES HEARLY ONE-TENTR of all the lnmber prodaced in the Unitad States, and loug ago earned tho roputation of boing the largest Jumber tmarkel in tho world. In 1847 #he rocoivad 32,118,225 feot, and duting thoyoars following the business inctensnd until for sevoral yesrs past tho annual receipts have nveraged aver 1,000,000,000 feet, reachiug the maximum in 1872, whon 1,183.650,280 feot of lumber were taken care of. The amount of capital invested by Chicago parties o the business, including property and pine lands, approzimates 000,000 ; snd in lumber, with it vurions ap- endages in this city, £30,000,U00 to &40,000,000. he followiug statement shows the receipts and shipmenta of lumber in feot for the periods vamed: Rersipts, Shipments. G4 1 14,99 145,55 4.6 6 B o 624,834,125 ovement in shiugles and Iath for the w0 yeurs was as follown: —lircapi—, ~Shipmenta~ 1874, g, Tene, 1aTi, Shinglen, m...., 538 LIT5E 344 407,508 Lath, mi.,.oe oo KA E018 AU 86050 THE RECEIPTS at Chicsgo in 1874 by water from the pointa named were, iu millioos of feot, approximately a8 follaws: Haugatuck, 15; Grand Haven, 70; Black wod Duck Lakes, 20; Moekegon, 290 ; White Lake, 40; Pentwator. 10; Ludingtou, 65; Lincoly, llamlin, snd Siver Lake, 15; Mawatee, 115; Portage Lake aod Frankfort, 4; Cirand Traverse, 40: Cheboygan and Duncan, 20; Alpe- Baginaw Valley, 25 Monistique, 1j: Bay des Noquette, 15 ; Eecanaba, 333 ; Ford River, 18; Cedar River, 9¢: Manomiuee, 115: Peshtigo, 36: Oconty, 45; Ieusaukee, 155 Suamico, 63 Green Bay, 5; Little and Iig Stargeon, 15; Ke- waunce, 1; T'wo Rivers, 4; Georgisn Day, 5. Dalance mircolisneous and by rail The past year. liko tho ono preceding. was not remunerative, chially in consequence of excessive production. MANUFACTUREBS EAD THE ADVANTAGE of very low freights, and the cost of manufsc- turiog lumber was less than in 1873, but the market olwost conetantly declined, aud with few exceptions dealers claim that the business of the scozon was conducted without profit. 5till, enly » few failures, and those outside the city, were aonounced, Thore was an iocrexes of two yards bere, making the number now 110; and of firms in the lumber vueinese, 150, Thero aro indica- tious that continued over-production is efecting chauges in tLe muuner of doiug the busicess. Clicago bas bitherto borno the reputation of being » cash market: but the credit system is slowly creeping into use, particularly among re- tail dealers, who, 1t is Baid, bave now more lum- ber in the country nupaid for thau over befors. The wholeaale market is still etsentially & cash one. THE AOGREGATE RECEIFTS from the ports on Lake Michigan were somswhat emaller than 1n 1673, bu the deticiency was par- tially supplied by larger shipnents from Lake Huren ports. TUE COMMON GRADES suffered the most ecvere decline in consaquence of excessive prodvetion, whilo tha higher iaali- ties, though depre-sed 1n sympathy with com- won, and ruling lower than n 1873, bronght pro~ portionately better prices. The cout of obtains ing good logs is veirly increasing, since they have to bo rought for iu more remote rezions, a8 the pine lauds ew.’ly scceeeible have boen cut over meversl tim d now yeld only inferior Jogy. This fact alio accounts in a measurs for the oversupply of common lumber. THE LUMBERMAN'S DOALD OF TEADE wan organized early in the year by sard deafers. The aseociation accomphished much Tor its mem. bers, especialiy in the way of collecting valusbla wiatistics and ather information interesting to the trade, Under its suspices a central system of inspection and measurement was introduced b the epring, the measnring dorartment of whiel st unco became popular with the majority of tuyers and eollors. Under the new symem the work coula bo performed with morae satiefac- tion than in the old wey, and at sn annual eaving of about ¥20,000 in inspection feew. An sttempt of a number of yurd dealers to foreo the new in- spection rules into uee, against tho wishes of eellers, 10 widsummer, caused the latter to with. draw a large part of their patronage afterwards. But the new system of meesurement ia conceded to be superior to tbe old, and doserves to be pet- petuated. LTUDKL PREIGHTS to most points hsve been lower than since 1861, The nverage ratea to the poiuts named wera as follows: Mueiegon, 81.45; Manmieteo, 81.57; Ludington, $1.62; Menomines, $1.60. About 43 per cent of the lumber received way sald at tho wholessle marikes. Prices for com- mon lumber stesdily dechined under beavy ro- ceipta until Boptember, when they began to nd- vauce, but = portion of this rise wau afterwards lcst. Tbe better grades, though declining, vuled sieadier than common, and sold more readily. Early 1n the scason good lumber was ratbor scarce, Alsuufaclurers wero aole o dis- pore of it tobetter advantage Hast; hencoa coueiderablo quantity of tho beat grades was diverted from this markat. TUE ¥INST CABGOCS arrivedin March, and conmisted of lumber Jaft over the preceding fall. Piecs stuff oponed at £11.004 1150, drappad to €10.30, whea gresn commenced o arTive, and continued to decline until it reached $8.00@8.50 tu August ; advanced 1o §9.50, and weakened in Qctober to £9.45@ 9,50, closing a¢ 88.75@9.00. Boards and stiips rangod from €3.50@13 00 ; mill-run do, $12.50@ 17.00 ; and selects, $20.00@40.00, Lath opened 25, doclived to $1.871@1.50, and closed at 21.50@1.95, Lath were lower than for saversl years, HRINALES sympathized with lumver, and sold at a lower firuro tLhan sinco the War, Before the opening of usvigotion aales of A's wero inade on track at £8.95@3,50, declining in the summer to £2,73@ 2.87)4. Cargocea afloat rangod from %8.25 down to §$4.45, closiug at $2.65@3.00. THE COUNTRY BUSINTSS ot the yards incroased, and the local trado was fair, though lews than in the two past years, Ihe firo-ordiance mow in force restrict- ed the local demand so:newhat, and is reporied to hiave cauxod & considerable falling off in the buginess of gome of the small dualers who have hitherto calculated to doun almost exclusively local business. The activity of the market dur- ing the first four mouths of the year was unpar- alleled. Couutry mes.uants had neglected to stocls up a8 beavily sa ususl in tho precading fail, and the milduoss of the winter permitted tho makiug of improvoments carly, houce the uuusnatly - large movement for the minter monthe, ~ Yard prices declined 10@15 per ceut. Mefore the openiug of navigation common atuff was selling a1 $12,00@13.00, and the yurdd were nearly draincd of wsny desitablv grades, but liberal receipta of green luwber, Aud more come petition than usual with the wholesals murket, brought prices for common graduaily down to £10.00, with s fow sales at lower fguros in mid- summer. Tnesy qualition advanced ia the fall to €11.00@13.00, Flooring and clear lumber were alao luwer than n 1873, Lath sold dowu ta $1.75, and closed at §2.15@2.25, Slingles *A " ranged from #2.75@i.50. TIE 8TOCK AT THK YARDS for tho periods named was #o fullows : Jain b, Jan 1, 1814, Lnid, , 742 321,94),212 000 . Tumber, ft Eliuglod, No,. 1, 1875, is eatimatod at 870,000,000¢x400,000,000 feet. ‘Lhe wtock 18 supposed $o'be doticiont in 16-fo0t fenc- iug. Although the lumber trado of the entire coun- try is in & Janguiehing cdodition, owing upparoat- 1y'to over-productiou, there appeard ta be littla aisposition among luwmbermeu,at least in the seciionu of the Weat tdibutary to this warket, to reduce the wanufuctura, PREFABATIONS FOBR LOGGING were mada iu the iall ons very exteusive scale, owing partly t0 tho supposed fact that a swaller that tho era of chaap lumber for consumers will last for sowo tima, PAINTS, OILS, AND GLASS THE SALRS of painls, oils, and glass for the yesr 1874 amount to £6,000,000. Thin {s & somewhat fmaller aggregato than was reported for 1473, The sggregate distribution of thesa goods was in oxcosn of that year, hnt the lowor prices rul ing have caused an npparont decreass in the busie novs, ad dicasured on & cash basis. SHaler to tho country trada show an increass of about 20 per ceut, while tho local business hes fallen off about 10 percent. Paints bave raled nearly €1 per 100 Ibs lower Lhan for 1873, the de- cline heing sttributed partly to local competie tinn, though chiefly to the cheaperrates for lead. Moat descriptions of oils have also ruled much lower. bon has touched tho lowent point aver reackied, haviog vold at 1134 cents, The choaper rates bave stimulated consumption, so that, untwithetanding the operations of the law which jrahibita tho walo i ilinois of 2 CARLON 011, ihat will not stand o test of 150 degrees Fabren- bLewt, tonded io dininish the saies, the lespect~ or's report shaws that the receipts have boen rome 3,000 brls greater than for 1873—resching 50,009 brle, Linuced oil hes been choaper thau the prosioun ycar, owing to a full crop, and consequent low prico of the keod. A large in- crenso in tho ralo of whale-oil 18 reported, as # regult of tbe hich price of lard-oil, for which it is extensively used am s aubstityte. The do- pression in tho maunfacturing interests bas witneasod a Jesrene’d demand for Jubricating oily, sud low prices have rnled throughout tho seaaon, PIG-IRON, TAF ¥ALUE OF THE PIG-IROX g0l in this markel during 1574 s given & #1,%30,000, tho receipts haviog been 115,000 tooe, and the averago price £42 per ton, This shows a very provonuced decreass ga compsred with the buriness of 1373, though in comparison witl somo of tho other Iarge pig-iron markets of the country aur trads has beld up surprisiugly well. St Louie, for instanca, reports hor receipts of iron-ore for the past year at 166,200, against 349,357 tons w 157)—a decrease of 183,157 tons, or more than 50 per cent. 'That the season has boen so exceedingly unprofitable one to the dealer there is not the elightest resson to doubt, tho year Laving beon charactenzed by almost uninterrupted dullness from the beginning to the end, while in prices there was a steady shrinkege, As stated ahove, the averago price ot iron for tho year was $42 per ton, This shows a_depreciation” of about €10 per ton, making & differeuco of over ONE MILLION DOLLARS in the value of tho yoar's sales, ‘I'lie demoralizae tion of the pig-uwod trade way the inevitablo ro- suit of an over-praduction, sod the greatly decressed demand for manufscturediron.” The movemont now agitatig tho producers of pig= iron. iu regasd to the reduction of tho cost of Eurduntlnn, will tend to 1mprove the mitualon, ut 3t must Lo confessed that the immediate future doss not hold out any very bright prom- isee, ‘Lhere must bo a greater consumption of pig-iron than now exists, or a materially curtailed production befora this brauch of trade can sgain et 1nto a prosperons chancet, IRON AND STEEL. TUE IRON THALK has undergone another year of depression, ale though tue decline was not so hieavy as in 1873, Prices have fluctuated about 4-10c. Rates wers advanced early, but the advance was not suse tawed, and the tendency generally bas been dowaward. Appareatly tho principal cause of tho unsatisfactory state of affairs is overpro~ duction, The sbnormsal developmont of irome manufacturing commenced 1 1872, when the fever for railroad-building waa atits heizht. Efe forts have eince beon made to raduce tha pro~ duction, and many wills have been closed this season, but the trade bas not yet regained ita equilibrium. Manufacturers are now striviog to reduce thio cost of production, but have to cone tend with strong unions of skilled workmen, who aro disposed to renist a reduction of wages, The market closes firm in consequenca of the general stopping of milla aud tbe strike at Pitta burg and the surrounding iron manufacturing districts, THE FALES aggrogato aboat the eame as in 1873, or 4,000~ 000, on n cepital of £1,500,000. As prices hava ruled lower, a greater tonpage has been required tobrivg tbe amount in dollars end cents up to tho former aggregate; hence, despite the do« pregsion, trado has increased in volume. Tho declime 1n steel and impurted goods has been shght, compared to that of comwon iron, It in noteworthy that the presont prico of iron ig only about one-half of tho ruling rates i 19732 HARDWARE, METALS, &C. UABDWARE AND OTHER XETALS than jron bave deprecisted 10@20 per cent in valye, but there Las becn s material increave in butinezs, and as the declinohas baen gradual and not #o heavy, the year ia counted o mora pros- perous one then 1873. The city trado has fallen off fully onesthird, but this is mora than compen-~ satod for by the expansion of the country busi- nous, which would not ouly naturally keep pace with the yearly development of the country, but hss recently been augmented by the patronage of interior jobbors. Bhelf-goods have suffered an sverago decline of 10@13}¢ per cect, due partly to competition with rival cities and the depres- sion of iren. The percentageof decline of some of the staples is as follows : Copper, 15; tin, 5@ 10; aheot-ivon, 25; fence-wire, 12¢@156. The Granger bas probably appreciated tho relative chespuess of tho latter article. ONE CHARACTERIBTIC OF THE TRADE the past year 1s, that it bas been more evenly distributed over tho different months, instead of coming all at-once in the spring snd fall as for- merly, This results from the policy followed by country merchants, who buy emall quastities of woods kt & time, and often’ and it has been of mutusl bevetit to wholasaler and retailer, 28 by 80 downg both could purchase gocds st ‘current prices, and thus avoid carrying heavy stocks on s dogliving market. The "ealea of the regulac hardwara liouses are extimated to Le $8,600,000, and, includiog bousos which make specialiics of certmn goods, would approximate £10,000,000. Althougl the sates of regular Lousea are less thau in 1570, the total is tlio eame, which is part- ly accouuted for by the fact that twoor three new firma or sgenciea Lave becn established hers during the past year. Capital invested, abous £3,000,000, NAILS HAVE FOLLOWED MORE inthe downward course. They have doclined Ty por_keg, eelliug down to £3.50, a lower figure than has been touched since the War. 1n Decomber, 1872, nails were quoted at $5.75, in the sume month 1873 at $4.25, and now at #3.50, The eales are largor LUan 1ast year, ap- proxiumating 500,000 kegu. JEWELRY, A LITTI E INCREASE IN TUE VOLUME OF G00DS 80LDy joined to an average decline of not far from 15 per =cot in prices, gives s falliog off in the av..ant of cash realized on ealos. Tho retall trade in the city rather slow, but the conne try has largely increased its business, and in. wany placea » finer quality of govds wus takenm than heretofore, The volume of 8 is es~ timated at §3,200,000, on & capital of $1,000,000. TUN THADE O TUE YEAR was not & prosperous one. Beveral fallures ose ourred in the retail department, and two or th firms rotived from tho wholesale line. Therebss been o hoavy competition at groat expenso, Af- ter the great firo the facilitles for doing business were eularged, aud ostablishmenty fitted ap *‘re- gardless of coat," only to fiud that thq outlay was not followed by a corresponding increase of busivess, The loas by decliniug prices was sren. to those who kept larga siocks, especially n dianionds, which sre now lower than for tive yearu past, owiny to the recent discovery of the African dismond-felds and the larger supply of inferior atoues offéred for The selhing value of diamonds hag very regently taken m tura upward, BUILDING MATERIALS, usutizy of logs sud Jumber waw oueried over :Lm usual, Lut many dealers fear thut, unless the slements should Interfers, the supply this comiug seadon wiil oxceod that of auy previons year,—in which event prices for common stuff will probably rule as law, if not lower, thau aver before. btrenuous efforts wore made eurly in the fall to induca lumbermen to aunint in brivg- fug tho supply down to 1casouabie limits, but tliey seew t0 haye proved uuavailing. The de- velopment of the lumber busingss baa basn very rupid witbin thie psat fow years. snd it is probab! LULLDING MATKRILY of il kiuds wero very low tlie past year, snd this fact groatly stimulated building, which received furthor impetus after the July fire. The pro- duction of commou brick {a estimated st the Buildeis' Exchauge 1o have exceeded 200,600,000. Thostock of old on band the lstof Janusry was £0,000,000. Tho stock left over this pass Beason Was 0,000,000, Prises ruled S00@TL00 lower tham in 1873, ewing to the redused sost