Chicago Daily Tribune Newspaper, January 1, 1877, Page 7

for leather Improved, and the prospect of a war 10 Earope strengthencd the forelgn markets and stimulated the export movement, and the sur- plus stock of leather rapldly dimintshed; while the tanners, belng unprepared for such a turn, liad a comparatively amall supply of hides tanned, having bought sfnca the hard times from hand to mouth, and allowed a por- tlon of the eapacity of the tanuerles to 1l fdle. Accordingly they rushed into the markels In tho fall, only to find’ the supplics inadequate, The demand eentred on the liumcfllc hides, 1 THE 8TOCKS OF FOuLT1GN In New York and_Boston Lelng fn August down to the unusuatly tow tigure of 5),0008k1ns, witn the juvolces for fwo months abead evld to arrive; and, s n searcity of stock became op- parent, a speculative muvemeut act {n, and tho sharp competition between buyers, as well as the superior quality of the fall recelptd, result- ed In n steady advauce 1n prices, The rise In the Jocal market since August was 30@10 per cent, The market declined at the close of the year in conacquence of tho advance in rail-frelghits, and adimlnished deinand from tanners, ~The ex- orta.from Chicago wero smaller than in the ormer year, the first shipments pruwn% un- remuncrative, 1n January green salted hides sold at T3¢, declining suon to H3{(@7e, srhich was tha foweat range sioce the War, ond ruling steady at 7e until August, advaucing steadily tn the siicceeding months to 10c in December, and closing weaker at 93, Tho average prica for green salted hides for the year was about 7.7, sgatust 8.5 Jast scason. SALT. TOR RECZIFTS INCREASED abomt 173,000 brls, and the shipments 89,000 bris. The narket was very steady at the closing prices of last year, cxcept for fine salt, which declined 5@10¢ per brl, and advanced sfter the close of navigation. This season the bulk of the fine salt came from Sagloaw, whero the produc- tion was Increased, and the different companies a satlefactory Increase In the amount of money recefyed nn wholesale sales In thiscity but for the Centenninl Exposition at Philnlelphis. The gathering of the people on the reaboard In honer of American freeidom was a proper nne tlonal movement; but it took vast smounts of money from the West. 1t hasheen estimated that not less than £30,000,000 was cxpendud by the people who Jive in the ecction of the coun- ry that is usually constdered to be tribatary to Chilcago, DProbably that portlon slich wag spent on rallrond fares and hotel bills did not materially affect us: but a great wany Interior traders, who have hitherto dealt exclusively with Chleago, seized the opportunity to vislt the whalceale marts of the East, and bought stocks of gouds in New York which they would other- wise iave purchased here. It fs not probable that this action will cause a permanent diminu- tiun n the yolume of our trade. On the con- trary, ttere {8 reaton to belieyo that In tnost cracs Lo experience of theso Western bugers at the Fist will tend to make them _fast fricnds of Chlcago In the futuro, Many of them have since volunteered the remaerk that they had anucu nothing by the temporary clhiange, and not a few have averred that they did not do so well In New York as In Chicago, But that does not_alter the fact that the Cen- tennial has been the veenslon of a reduction in the volumne of our wholesale Lusiness In 1876, while 1t docs encourage the hope that vur :mxl n‘mmll summary will record a correspond- ng gain, Aud this temporary loss has not been mado amcnds for by any sicw conqueste of note, Our merehants have been cuterprising as ever; but they had already reached out nto all the avall- able torrltory, and could scarcely push further, except ns the country fills up, which s now a comparatively slow vrocces, Our wholesale merchants reach out past St Louls, and com- pete with the dealers ol that city alingst at thelr own duurs, They distribute thelr goods all over the Northwest, flmuhwuta and South, and to a considerable distance formed na nssociation In the spring, and es- tablished prices that made it unprofitable toship fino salt from the East, conscquently less fine Onondaga was recelved than In former years. Dut New York furnished the packers® and dalry salt, the eales of which wero unusu- ally larze, and probably compensated for the loss of trade In fine, The Mivhigan ealt works are run in connectlon with the saw-mills; and, by using the exhoust steam, and the waste luin- Lur as fucl, THE COST OF MANUPACTURING SALT $s much reduced; which fact, together with the very low frefehts, has made It possible for the Badinaw manufecturers to sell at prices that in u measure sbut out competition, The receipts frotm Canada were 21,551 tons and 464 brls, froin Goderfcl_and Kincardls 503 tous aml saltaold in the first part of the yearat $1.35@1.40, decliniug lu summer to $1.25, and closlng at gl‘du. “ourse salt sold at $1.70, and dairy at 2,75, The Btate Inspector’s report gives the producs tlonof saltin Michizn in1878at 1,462,720 brls, be- {og an invreaso of 830,874 bris over the manufac- tureof the provious emnr. Thoh‘crcuu waschielly {n the Baginaw Valley, where, Yor reasons alven above, the cost of manufacture fs light; but rich sipplics of brine are belng discovered In utlier parts of the State, and the producing ter- titory is yearly Increasing. Mlchizan now has a mavufaciuring c;l)uu{ of 18,000,000 brls, and is ons of the frst salt-yiclding Statcs. i POTATOES. THE RECEIPTS OF POTATOES in 1878 were 710,025 bu, againat 856,720 La fn 1875, and 1,183,003 bu'1874. Tho shipments were §05,717 bu, against 174,018 In 1875, and 814,848 bu fn 1874 As shown nbove, there hiss been a lurge falling off {n the fake nr:i rail reeelpts In the past tivo years In consequelico of the heavy crop of 1875 (which enabled the fanners o the country contiguous to the city to supply the Jocai trade) and the short crop of 1870, FEarly In the past year prices wero so low that there was mo profit In shipping to Chicago by rall; and untll the #ime for new potatoes the farmers supplicd the city at prices ranging from 50@85¢ per bushel, The crap of 1870 wag short aud poor, The acrcage ‘planted was much emaller than In the previous seanon, and the crop turneid out badly; that of Peachblows falllng to rlfyun; and o very small proportlon of the receipts possessed good keepint qualities, Insume parts of the East the crop was shoricucd by the dronzht in summer, In the fall the market rapldly ad- vanced under un active local and Eastern demand, with tho recelpts very light, and the stock Ieft In the Teading prodicing sections Iy supposed Lo be small. ~ The poor flun!lly and scarcity of potatoes have prevented dealers from laving tn full winter aurp s but the stock with tho dally recetpts has thus far been ample, tho high prices having greatly reducad the consump- tlon, and the market ot the closo s somewhat casler. Early In the year potatoes sold at 20 40c per bu. I the fall Early Rose of 170 opened nt Goeand ol to $1.05, and Peacliblows ranged froin 75@61,10 per bu In car Jota, both closlng BK@10¢ under outside quotations. POULTRY AND GAME. INE LOCAL TRADE IN POULTRY was probably about the same in volume as fn the previous years, but the shipments to East- ern markets wero smaller fn November and De- cember as prices wereso low at some of the largzer scaboard cities that there was no profit 1n the business for local shippers, The recelpts of gumg were somewhat smaller, the game- laws having been more rigidly obsorved In the grasshopper Statea. The demand has been for local consumption and shipment, and pralrio chlckens have et with ®omwu fnguiry from ex- porters, Quall were usuatly low, eelling nt 1,00’@1,50, and pralric grousi havesold at $2.75 @5.50 per doz. YALUE OF RECEIPTS. TUD SELLING VALUR of the recelpts of produce in 1670 {was nearly | as follows: 4 5,775,000 0,011,500 Total prodace. 40, 800, 000 Do In167..... 800,000 Tncrease, \$ 5,000,000 Or » Jittfo i o 1 per cent, The value of the reccipts of lumber, coal, and fish are not Included fn the above, belug fncor- m:.od luthe rulvlowlng atatistics of wholesale THE WHOLESALE TRADE. The general conrse of business among our wholesale merchiants differs but little from that of the preceding year, The volumne of trade shows an fucreaso as measured by tho quantity of goods sald; but a slight faliing off fu the amount recelved therefor. Priccs on most de- teriptions of merchandlse havo shrunk still further than In 1875, though the general opit- 1on thenwas that wo wero **down to hard pan,” wost quotations being fully as low as before our great War, The country s still suffering the €ffects of the panicof 1573; and couswaption, espectally fn the Eastern States, has been Hmit- «d by & general poverty among purchasers, Tho eflect of this has been to keep down prices on the raw material, aad to atill further reduce the tompensation pald to workers; while the com- betition among sellers has shaved profits even 1nore clogely thau befure, and & materfal reduce 400 ia reuts has enabled dealers to still further ut down the advance asked on first cost, Gooda ave been bandled at tho lowest possiblo per- ‘eotsge of profif, both &t wholesale 'h-“'l Tetall, aod dmproved methods of uodling pecessitated by the closer com- Vethtion among scllers. The conscquence 3 tUat prices arc vary low. We aro almost afraid 40327 that they haye now touched bottora; bo- ¥RUse Tecent experience bas shown that the wiseat of our busineas men may be Mistaken on 5""‘ point, Nevertheless, the course of eveuts b WHoZ the past tew mouths ahows a perceptidle mprovement in suveral dircetions, which war- Taote the belle! that the minimum has indeed 3 0 reached and passed. This {s accompanicd J & 8light revival of confidence among dealurs. Et3 Aro more Inclined to tako hold of Jarge “'f,":“““ aod depart from the haud-to-mouth ::u 1‘ Which has ruled for three years past; and lhu" ‘ue less witling to put out thelr goods oa fiaat bottom prices. Thers fs, tov, su actusl e :fi:&e in comaumption fn somo departments, e, .g Warrants the juference that tho ability of ©3tern purchaserg gy fmproving, sod that they will buy wore freely fo the future. Wuabiould urobably bave beca sble +o clironlcls castward; bul they bad already dune 80 provi- ous to 157l In some directlons trade has been exjended by the gain of new custumers In al- ready ocenpled distriets, with an Increase fu the volunne of trade with those who had previously bought here. But there was a counter-activie even to this In the latter part of the year the unsettled condition of our natlonal “politics made sote of our inore coneervative merehants fnditferent about trading In the SBouth, as they remembered the bitter experfences of 18615 and they would sell only when the cash accompauied the order for the goods, Thia attitude was not geneealt hut It was prevalent enough to make pereeptible diference in the agoregate trade of the last two months [n the year. ‘The miserable weather of the spring also les. sened the volume of our trade, especially in what are known s '* scasonable poods,” The covntry roada are generally Lad in sprlnq, bug, last year they were unusually so. here was ~ o reqular embargo of mud lald upon travel for wecks together; during * which Jwrses could not moeve, and supplics for the furi could only be obtaln- cd by carrying themn on human shoulders fromn the ‘raflrands, As the ladies could not stie from homie, feminine adornment was _partlally neglected; and then the old articles of apparc) were made to do duty till another season. Dry gous, aul miliinery especlally, suffered fn con- sequence. Yor the samo reasons, country collcetlons were bad in tha spring; but, taken'as a whole, they have been made’ promptly through the year; and the readiness with which payments inve been made compares favorably swith that of any preceding twelve months. Qur wholesale merchanta have had less severo frelzht discrininations to contend with than fu 1576, It Is truo that frelghts havo ruled slightly against them, as the through cost-aud-west 1ines have shown Chicaro no favors. But there has heen nothing that conld not be suceessfully coped with by meu who thoroughly underatand the situation, and wake it thelr busmoss to know the wanta and predilections of thelr cus. tomers. In pddition to the udvantages derived from closo flgurlng, there are not a few depart- ments i which our dealurs commaud the trade of the West, Iargely because of thie fact that Fastern traders bage not yot troubled them- ves to ascertain the kinds of gooda that are most acceptablo to Western buyers, and to fur. uish them. The syatem of short credits, which was mule 2 neeessity by the pauie of 1879, has_ been fully adhered to during the past yesr, and with tho most eatlsfastory results” to ull parties con- cerned, Theelty merchant fluds that it enables bim to doa much larger business than hier tofore on the samo capital, and that it fosters steudy, vontinious trade, instead of conets trating the Lulk of it upon n few weeks in the spring and autumn. Formerly the clty Jubber was obltzed to churgo prives sufiiciently hgh to cover lnrze risks s well as Jong Intercst, The Western buyer ttuda that e (8 not now obliged to pay prices blg enough to reimburse the sciler forthe bad debts made with othors, and olitains what Jio requives ot the luwest possible fgures. Better stllls he {s not now tempted to stock up with goods, a part ot which anny becomo stale or umashivnable before hie ean dispose of them, Interior buyers uow muoke purchoses every mouth or two, and not a few of them follow the example of tho ety fjobber, who Is vonstantly replenlaling his stocks, Ience thelr ptores of - goods are fresh uggl attractive, And Chicugo is situated so as toToster this kind of traditg; es orders can be Alled here promptly, saviug the time requirmd to transport the gonds from the roflrond, We noto that New York mierchiants bave recently shortencd thefr lines of credit, In accordancs with our Western systemn ; but Intlolue so have ubolished an inducement which formerly ut- tracted Westorn buyers, We may add thit [u severul hines of trado our Chicage Jobbers dis- play better v»urlmemu and larger stocks than those of New York, so that they can offer gu- perior opportunitics for making “reductlons, as well a8 greater facilitiea for arapid supply of the goods chusen, “'liese facts uro now admitted, If not confess~ ed, by the jobbers at the scaboard. ‘Thers are coparatively few drutnmera from New York now traveling In the Weat, us it does not pay ex- penses; one Jeading dry goods firm Lay re- cently moved out to Chicago toeatel the West- ern custdm _which it could net obtaln in New York. It lins been authoritatlvely stated that thelr exumple will be followed in other Jines of trade; und though the promise has not been fulfiiied, thus far, thicre {s Hitle doubt that the year 1577 will witness an lmportunt movp- ment ln tids direction—cspeclally i€ thereshauld be ageneral revival of business In the whole country, ‘We do not glve the number of dealera in each branich of our wholesale trade, for the reason that {t s almost lmpossible to draw the lne and tell whera Lo stop counting In the ranks of thoie who do a mixed business. There aro several de- partments In which ecarcely a wholesale house can be found that does not also scll at retall; while mouy who should properly be classed as rotallers do a small wholesalo trade, GROCERIES. TUE WIOLESALE GNOCERY TRADE fins beon sublect to few fluctuatious, and the year waos one of average prosperity to those en- gaged {n {t. The general market bus ruled more thun ordinarily steady. The volume of gouds taudled wes 7210 per cent larger than In 18753 but {n tho cash value of snles the trade has barely held ts own, owlug to 8 further reduc- tlon [n prices wll around, with few exceptious. £{de guods and faucy articles generally have ruled conslderably lower, und staples have averaged lower than any previous year since the beginning of the War. The volume of sales 18 estimated ot §74,000,000, agalust $75,000,000 fn 15753 and comparing with §70,000,000 jn 1874. There hus been no fnerease in the number of Jjobbers, nor lu the capltal employgd, except o Hittle arlsing from the profits of tho Lusfuess. Phe capltal invested In the tradu ta about $3,000,- 0. i TWO PAILURES WERB REVORTED during the year; but they wero both the results of outside speculation, aud not aue to the losses of the trade, Profits have not been large, ma dealers were oblized to scil on very closo mar gins, aud some loss has been experienced by de- cline fn the volue of goods while holding them for sale; but not 30 much a8 might bave bees wxpected, The grocery business in Chicago fa yrobubly conducted on 8 sounder basts tlun o any other clty In the Unlon, heing largely trausacted on actual capltal, The grocery market Is less affected by Lard times than 100t othier branches of trade. Weo note, 100, that It has suffered scarcely anything froin the Centenntal, 08 interior storekecpers Lave ceased to buy in New York, aud thoss who vis- {ted the scabuard sent thelr orders here, as usual, knowing they could not do better. Di- rece mportations ‘of furclgn goods show s further Increase, in spite of the bard tlmes; and collections have been guod throughout, “T'he year closes on un active trade. TUE 8ALES OF SUGAR were 0o doubs lirger than for & pumber of years previous. Tho large crop of small frults fiud berrics, aud their consequent cheapucss, led 10 & generous sctivity in canulng aud presery. oy ond throughout the vuuuaer and autumn there was un active trade in sugers, Tho vear 1 opened b 1OK@10%¢ for standint &, decllued u Februury 10 Y}@10, which was tue low- c‘:l Lurlsu'nl o, yest, The warket 'LHE CHICAGO 'TKIBUNY: soon reacted to 1??{«:, and there, with scarcel, more than a e fuctuation, it remalned untl Jnly, when an npward movement began which contlnaed until the latter part of Am "?:M which time 1134fx113c wero the established rives. From that point the morket fell off to 1g@103¢e, in October. During November was witnessed the most excited market that the trada haye experienced within the past twelve years. Under the infiuence of & reported de. ficfency in tho beet-root crop of ope, of ncn'liy 50 per cent, and an unusually active de. mand for export to the United Kingdom and to Canada, the market within a space of ten dn‘vu bounded np lu!P 2¢ per by standanl A's reaching 134e. The extreme dvrk-u resulted fn #0 marked 3 decrease (n the demaud that the matket apeedils reated, Although stocks in the ports of New York, Philadelphiia, and Bos- ton, during November averuged “from 60 to 63 Fcr cent less than for the curr As‘;nm“ng time n 1375, holders found it impossible to sustain the advanced position, and the price zmmall{ receded until 113¢ cents_was resched, at which figure the year closes. Few ncuElo outafdo 3f the sugar trade have *ny flea of the magnitude of it transactions. The export of cane-sugar from the producing countrics to the consuning maricets In 1975 reached the Imposing ageregate of £,140,000 tons, while the ylcld of beet-root sugar sinounted to 1,818, tong, or & total production of raw sugar of the cnormous quan- tity of 3,457,623 -tons. The {mportatlons inta tha United Ststes during 1870 show_a dccrease 1n comparison with 1575 of nearly 100,000 tous, BUGAR PRODUCTION. An des of the extentof the world's commerce {n this staple may be gained from the following figures, which show the exports from the sev- eral producing countries during 1878, From— Zons. From— Tons, Cuba,.. 00,000 Loulslans.. . 70,000 Porto It 80,000 Pert 60,000 Brit., Dateh, aad Epypt.... 40,000 Dan, W, Indjes 250,000 Cen. America JavA... seer,.. 2200,000 - andMexico. 40,000 Brazi) .00 170,000 Renmlon..... 30,000 Mantla 170,000 British India China.. 320,000 Penan: 30,000 Maurith 100,000 Honoinl 10,000 Martin Natal 10,000 Guadaloupe ...100,000 Austra 61,000 Total shipments cane sugar. 2,140, 000 Tn ndditfon to this, the fallowlng will show the yleld of beot-root augar fn 1875: German Empire. i I oot ensonersreres Hojliand and other countrie Tota) beet-root sugas Totalcanesngar,., Grand total raw sogar. 1,317,623 2,140,000 9,457,023 COFFEES ruled more than ordinarlly steady throughout the year, at prices averaging a trille lower than for_the provious scason, 'The year opened. at 21?}‘“}(0 for chofca Rtio, from which point the price gradually declined untfl midsumnmer, when the quotatiou stood at 213{@22. There the morket remained with buttrilling fluctua- tlons untll the beginnine of October, since when an advance to Z13¢e lins beon noted. The 1870 crop was conelderably sliort of an averace, and in qunlll{ algo was Inferlor, For cholee aud fancy grades Ligher prices ara likety to pre- vall during 1877, TNA TEA TRADHE has not been in as prosperous a condition as In Bomo previous years, UGauged by tho number of packnges distributed, the season has been the most success{ul of any that our fobbers have ever experienced; the total sales having cx- ceeded by several thousand chests that of any former year, but n shrinkage In values equal to 30235 per cent ate up much of the profits of the Lusincss, As a distributing polnt for teas Chica- go now stands onty secend to New York, and at the rapld stridea shoe s gow moking a very few i{cm will sufllee to place lier in advanuce even of ew York. Durlng 1876 thedirect importatlons fnto Chicago reached 00,000 packages, ngalnst 45,07 for 1875, andgsa,620 for 1674, THE MARKET FOR BL'ICES was characterized by more stendiness than during tha two or thrce preceding years, but lower prices have prevatled for most artlcles in the liast. Pepper aud nutniers opened weak snd continued downward uatil midsummer, when the lowest I;rke- quoted since 1871 wero reached. Bubsequently a reaction set In, and the closing months of the jyear witnessed a flrm market. For pepper, nutimegs, mace, glu- finr. and cassia there can little loubt that * bottoin flizures™ have beenreached. Cloves and allsvlces bave ruled comparatively hizh, particularly the latter. Cloves have been renarkably steady throughaout the year, {n mark- ed contrast to the two previous seasons, which were characterized by frequent and violunt tluc- tuations in the pricc of thatarticle, Almostall the cloves that come to the United States are from Zanzibor, an island on ihe enst const of Africa. The fmportations have fallen off large- 1y during the laat fow years, owing to a cyclune in 1872 on the fsland mentioned, which déstroy- ed a lorge percentage of tho cluve-treea. Bes fore the cyclons the snnual crop of Zanaibar was about 100,000 bales of 140 pounds, but since then the crop bas uot avernired 60,000 bales, The lmports st Now York for the eleven months ending with November were 832,419 pounds, araivst 497,042 pouunds for same period last year, In 1874 the reco.pts wera 1,074,508 pounds, and in 1473 1,258,657, In this connectlon it may be mnoted that tho sales of whole splees have materially declined during the last two years, Thisls not duc to any fulllng off Jn the consumption, but_to the constantly Incrensfug demand for ground roods, which has been stimulated by the “gift? plan now fo exteusively in voguo smong manufsc- turers, D'rizes of clocks, scales, cheese-safes, £poons, ete., have been offered by manufactur- crs as uu inducement to storekoepers and con- sumers to buy their spurious goods, the sales of which have thus been ininensely fncreased, Partics who are in a position to know assert that no ground gouds sre absvlutely pure, whilo those with which prizes are glven are feuarnlly aduiterated iy the prosseat manner, Instances are uot wanting where the articla so offered does ;mbt ;-outuln & particle of tho spice nanicd on the abel, CANNED GOODS. IN COMVAIISON WITH ANY YRAR sloce 1874 tho record of the past year's business shows a marked diminution in volume. The “ hard tlmes " have Lold very severely on this 1lno of goods, and, had it not been for the pru- dent pollcy of the packers in Daltimore, who shrunk the production to the narrow lmlts of tha actual consumptive demand, utter demoral- izatlon of prices must have resulted. Tho wis- dom of the cuurse pursued by producers was apparent ln the stubility which characterlzed sclling values throughout the sesson, With two or three exceptions—notably tomnatoes and salmon—prices were not subjected to any im- portast chauge. During tho first half of the year tomatoes wers dull and cheap, but later in the season, owing to the fallure of what hsd promlsed to be & very tull crop, aud alded by the Iarge speculative purchases of New Yorkdealers, the price advauced from $1.25@1.80 to $1.802 1.85 per dozen 8-1b cans, With the advauce in prices the consumption fell off, and 10c ol the sdvance ias been lost. In saluon a very strong advauco has also taken place. The packing was up to the averagae of former years, but England took tully three-fourths of tho product, leaving 8 scanty supply for home consumption, and the price sdvanced from $1.30 to $1.80, gold, in Ban Franciaco, and from $1.75 to $2.25, currency, bere, Tho high price of salmon helped the market for Jobster, which is fully 25¢ per dozen !xmhcr than a year agu, Peaches, which i the fall of 1878 iuet with o very unusual demand, opencd with lleht atoess, both in packers® ang Jobbers® hands, and, i expectation of the usual aprivg dewand, prices were advauced In March sud April to sa.r’;@.).m r dozen 3-Iv caus. ‘Ihe domaud, bowever, did not :&u-l expecta tions, and tho market receded. The pust season's packing was Nght,—only about ono- thind of that for 1873,~and, althoigh the do- o was emall, tha market has ruled about 15¢ per duzen hlgfier thau durlog the previous year, The abundant supply snd very low prices ot QREEN AND DRIED APPLES contribute to the dullncss in these goods, Tho s¢ason of 1570 oponed with 8 very lfifu stock of corn on hand, most of the old corn having goue 1uto cousuption. This Jed to au cuormous packing during the past season, and the prescut supply I8 very larc o, With 8 fight demund thio market has Leeu qulte weak, and prices are like Iy to go still lower. «1n amall fruita both pack- Ing and wmumruun have been light; stocks are swall and prices low and steady. PICKLES, In cannection with o review of ths canned. Eoo\ls trude & few fucts cuuu:rulllf the plekling usiness of Chicsgo la ln order. This has come to be uns of the leading jndustries of our uty, and Chicago £s now recognized as tha chief dfs- tributiog ceatre of the whole country, selling Lo the trade from Bostou ts New Urleaus. ulfm our pickiers bave learned 10 sucress- fully “compete with Euglish manufae- tarers fu the putting “up of faucy mized plekl chow~chow, ¢te, both In bulk and io glass; and, as a consequence, the sules of tho lmported article arv steadlly de- clinlng, Our CI 0 products in this loo are really excellent, will bear cowparison with the finest guods turucd vut by Evglish manu- facturers, Ublike shallar Euatern goods which bclrlh:lll.loul Epgiiih brauds, Chicago plckles Al are sold as American goods, and bear the mann- facturera’ Lrand. 4 unprecedented growth [n this city during the past two years of the trade in pickles and chos-chow may be nceepted es conclusive proof that the fnodn possess real merit. The past Acanon's sales reached from £2,700,000 to §3,000,000. TOBACCO. TR TONACCO JONNERS OF TIIS CITY employ a capital of £1,500,000, and the aonual sales (including the enles of the wholesale gro- vers, all of whom deal fn the article more or less extensively) are estimated to exceed 810,000,000, Prices, o8 compared with 1475, have declined fully 10 per tent; and as jn sddition to the shrinkage In values the business las been con- ducted at an unusually close marzin of profit, the scason has proved a by no means sallsfac tory one to the trade, The demand—which at all times was restricted to supplying current needs—was chiefly centered fn medium and low- priced goods; consequently the decline in those was not as severe as in the better grades, which are at least 15 per cert Jower than ono year ago. Thero have Leen no fmportant fail- ures, though the suspension of several small concerns was reported during the year. DRIED FRUITS, MEABURED DY THE VOLUME OF BALES, the season of 1370 was the most succeseful of any that our jobbers have ever experienced, tho number of tonsof forefen and domestic frults distributed conslderably excceding that of any previous year known in the history of the trade. The season did not, however, prove as profitable as many that have preceded it. ‘The opening here of braoch houses of Eastern concerns resulted in a more than ordinarily vig- orous competition, and the marginof profits was thus kept at the minimum; but, taken all In all, the scason of 1878 may be regarded 8a o falrly satisfactory ono; and the old year closes with the trade In a sounder condition than at any prevlous period since the panie. Both our direet export and import trade exhiblt a steady growth, and Clleago already has come td be regarded as one ol the Jeadlng frult markets of the world. Prives have ruled 1ower than during 1875, The most notable instances ere prunes, which reached 43{c,—thu Jowest figure ever Known,— and ralsius, which sold down to #1.85 per box, for layers. THE APPLE CROP was the Inrgrest ever gathered, and was also of exceptionally good quality. Immcunse guanti- tles havo been shipped to’Europe, but there Is still a large surplus, and the future offers to liolders but Jittle ¢ncouragement that the crop can be disposed of ot any lwportant advance over present prices, which'nre thelowest known for many yeara, ‘Lhe exports have been chiefly to (lunnm?', aud have consisted of a much bei- ter clags of trmit than that formerly sent abroad, ‘The past 2season's peach (rup was s partial faflure, east of the R Mountalns; but the deflclency fn the pear home crop has Leen par- tially relieved Dby the surplus furnlshed by Utah and Californla, both of which produced considerably more than an averaze crop. Call- fornla dried peaches are steadlly growing In favor with consumers fn this part "of the coun- try, and the quantity handled by Chleago deal- ers is yearly lucreasing. The crop of blackhor- ries was barely two thirds of an average, The small supply bas not, however, resulted in high prices, the inarket laving ruled much lower thaun last season, and almwlnfi at_the end of the yeur a diffurence, as compared with tho closing ilgures of mTS; of fully 3cents per pound. Dy a recent fire 1,500 barrels, or about one-third of the stock on imnd. was destroyed, which will huve n tendency to stilfen prices. Raspberrica and pitted cherries weren fair crop, and Loth havo ruled lower than for the previous year. YOREIGN PRUITE, - as well ns domestic, haveaveraged lower than for 1835, The ralsii crup was very. large, and ever since the openlng of the season the supply has constantly exceeded the demand. ‘The course of prices was steadlly downward until to- ward the end of November; when the opening of the hollday trade gave the market an appear- ance of ateaiincas, which Jt hos einee main- talned, Present quotations are 82,0502.10 per box for layers. nzalnst $2.75 one year ago. Prunes were very plenty all the vear, and sold at cheaper prices than ever previously know sales waking during tho summer aa low as 43{c. The extremo Jow prices finmensely stimulated the consumption, and thousamils of tons were distributed from bere, The 1576 crop was lght In Ser¥la and Bosula, the war serlously Interfer- fng with the gathering of the crop, and prices during the sutwinn were much higher than for the correspunding pertod of 1875, GRIEEN FRUITS. THE CALES OF DOMESTIO and forelgn green frults in Chicago fo 1870 ap- proximated $2,250,000. The aggregate is smaller than fn 1875, owing chiefly to the very low prico of apples as compared with that year. Tho smaller varfeties of mative frult were abundant, and brought fair prices. The peach crop was only falr In Michigan, and very light in the Bouthern distrlets tributary to this mare ket, and very few Delaware peaches were re- celved. ‘The crop brought faly prices. The crop of grapes was littlo below the average, and In- ferlor. The crop ot apples was probably one of the largest ever ralsed in the country, though it was below the average in the Bouth, and in some sections the fruit was Injured ULy drought and Insects. Tho fall trade {n apples was very large, the low {mm greatly Incres he condumption; but here was ftill a largo surplus, which was ex- orted to Europe and the Indies. The Engllsh ond French crops were failures, and thousands of burrels were shipped from New York and Canadian ports, chicfly to Englund. Tho Michigan frult was exported” via Canada. In this murket upples sold at about half the prico of last year, averaging from $1.25431.75 perbrl. THE CIOP OF CRANDE! was conslderably In excess of ex) production of Wisconsin and smatter, und of New wild marshes of Michican, Indfaua, and other WesternStates, ylelded heavily, 80 that, although the quality was Inferlor to that of thecultivated Dberry, the'frult has been sbundant. The local demund has been moderate, ln mlul\:(\\mm'« of the cheapness of apples, which mada them the favorite with vonsumers. Prices were about the some o8 ln 197, ranging from $8.00E1.50 per brl, The value of THE CALIYORNIA PRUIT handled here Just scason wos ustimated at $250,000. The trade fs fncreasing auuually. One local firmnow buys the frult in the orchards, packs and slips 1t ta il the leading citfes of tho country, The bulk of the busluess ls done in four snunths, The crop was larger and prices lower than In 1875, The abippers of eurly frult lost toney becausa of ts poor keeplng quali- tles, but the season was modera vrolitable to others. Rhipping pears sold ot $2C0 d 4.0 per box, grapesat 107420 per I, and quiuces at $2.5048.50 ver Lox. Tho receipts of q;dm'a were larger In consequenceof the partial fallure of the Eastern crop, ORANUES AND LEMONS wero abundanmt during the entire season, The European fruft 1a now toalarce extent seut aver on steamers instead of by the slow sall ves- gels as formerly, and the supply in the mnorkets is therefore more uniform, and there are fewer fluctuations da prices, Old letuns wero In the market last ycar when the new crop began to arrive, The recelpts of Luuhiana orsuges wery unusually lurze, the crop belng heavy and sue perfor fu'quality. The cultlvation of oganges and lemomhlncrcmn? rapldly in the Soulh, and probably the Americau fruit will sume thne supplaut the furelgn in the home markets, —— FISIL, TUE YEAR WAf NOT A SATISPACTOMY ONX to jobbers of fish. The number Of packages sold was os large as for the previous year, but the business was douc on a cluser margin than cver before, and the year's profits have not yielded a falr return on the capltal fnvested. Iv this city only ono fullure was reported, but 1n the loterfor towns numerous concerns (miost- 1y sinall) had to succumb, and tho losses thus fncurred by Chicago wholesale merchants were pretty large In the aggregate. Prices of most kiudsof cured fsh bave ruled materlally lower than for 1875, and the arerage shriukage will not fali short of 20 per cent. The decline wus the result of there belog a considera- ply-Increased supply without a corrcsponding ineresso In tho consumptive demand. During the Dast season our jobbers sent & good many flsh into Oblo, Pennsylvania, and Virgtoia, sup- plyiog towns which heretofore have bought at tuo Lake Erle ports. This trade thay bad uot previousty sought, because thu{ did not sup- pose that succes:ful competition there would bo pobstble, the dilfervace in freights belng langely agaluat thew, Tho MACKEREL PISHERIES were much more sucvessful thau for tho previ- ous season, the *euteh” belug from 60,000 to 70,000 barrels In exceas of 1575, As 8 result, we have bad a conslderably lower averaze of prices. Strictly tat muckerel bave Lesu cowparatively e nuW Batls MUONDAY, JANUAKY I, IST7—'IWELVY PAGES, e, e et et et e e e e scarce and have commanded nearly as prices as prevalied during 1875, but the lower gradea have been sbundant and cheap. copPIsit has heen plenty at the rources of gu p\y‘ bat, owing tountavorable weather for *‘curing,” the market licre was, at times, entirely bare of stock, resulting fn serlous annoyance to the trade, Prices touched as low a point as $4.35 per 100 1bs, but Inter in the season the market adramed to $5.5045.75. Salmon were In Theht supply throughout the eeason, though during the tirat six ponths of the year prices wers much lower than for 1475,—averaging about &7 per half brl, Eubsequently the price ad. vanced to §8.25, It is extimated that the ye: £ales have been fully 2,000 bris less than In 187 Whitelish were very cheap duripg the summer monthe, selling down to $3.50 under laly:e p- plics. The fall catch was less successful, and lbhu market advauced to 495, where It closes nn. THE FRESH PIST DUSINESS of 1670 st this point was fairly actlve, and the re- 1t was entirely satisfactory tothe trade. There are how seven lirms engagedl [n the trade, The total sales of the year are estimated at $745,000 azainst 700,000 fn 1835, The gross welght of the lish slifpped and recelved at Chicago was 12,240,000 ruumh, agalnst 11,500,000 {n 1875, The Lake Michigan catch onthe I1linofs side has been lnrger than ever before. The large -ur rly has fiard the effect of rendering pricesa shade ower than in 1875. The lurulfu( lake trout and whitetlsh shows no diminutfon. The capl- tal invested (o tho business is about $200,000,— the same as In 1575, OTETERS. The Chicago oyster trade of 1876 shows an {n- crease over that of the previous year, But ittle profit haa heen experienced Ju thebusinese, however, as dealers have for months past in- dulged fn a *“free fight,” undersclling each other ot rates which preclide the possibility of rofit, (ysters have never before been so cheap. t I8 msaertced that the supply at present is far In exvess of the demand. “The truth ol this asser- tion fs partinlly borne out by the fact that New Jereey oyetermien bave Jately elalmed that they can find no paying market for thelr product, and that In consequence of the smaliness of the de- mand, as comprred with the supply, they are obliged to market the ogsters ot prices tuch less than they are worth, The yolue of the az- gregate annual sales was about £3,500,000 ngainst £3,000,000 In 1875, Tlhere are now tiwelve tirms engaged In the trade here, wwho swing an agure- gate capital of £1,000,000. Of the u{)‘nen recefved at this polnt during the year fully 1,000,- 00U were consumed by the city demand; the re- majuder belng appropriated by Western consum- ers. The grenter number of the firms doing business hiere are Baltimore branch houses, Bal- timors oysterinen gather nearly four-fifths of the blvalves consumei inthe Unlted States. The values noted above represent about 8,500,000 quarts, or 637,500,000 oysters. DRY GOODS. THR SALES OF THE PAST YEAR foot up a total of about 854,000,000, being very nearly the same as 1 1875, and 7 per centgreater than in 1874. There has been a conslderable in- crease in the bulk of goods baudled, but it was ahout made amends for by a depreciation In prices, which averazed 15 per ccut on staple goods, and 15 to 25 per centon fancy articles, It was thought that when standard prints had de- clined from 1044 to 74§ cents {n 1875, they could #o no lower; but last year they sold down to 6 and 0 cents, and other fabries have gono down- wards in company. The loss sulfered on stocks hield has been ereat, Lut the trade hos well stood the trial, and judicious haudiing has enabled our Jobbers to secure nearly the minimum loss fn this dircction. They have not made much money, and few have done more than to meet curreut cxpenses; but there have been uo fail- ures in the businces In this city, and fewer In the United States as a whole than in any former year alnce the panie. TIE CASI CAPITAL ENGAGED in the buslucss Is esthinated ut 8,000,000, hav- ing been increased about $1,000,000 by the es- tablishment of Stewart & Co, 1t was geuerally supposed that the advent of that flrm would bring bither o lurge accesslon of custom that would materially swell the annual returus of sales. The belief will probably be verified, hut for the yenr followlng 1870, The new attraction has been offset in the Centennlal, which drew very many huyera Egst, and not & few of those who basd liltherto purchased in Chicaze bought supplles in New York ou their way hume fromn Thiladelphfa. Tle lossto our city, however, hus not been so great as gome have supposcd. New York dealers offered unusual nducciuents to Western buyers, both as to prices and eredit; but our home jubbers met them ot every pojnt, and clatm that they have Jost none of u.efi-"um customers. Our merchants think that the ex- perimental purchuses made at the Egst by West- ern visitors to the Centennfal will in the end pruye be etlclal to Clilcago, ns those parties are fled that the Eastern jobbers bave no advantages to offer which are Nt possessed in an cqual or greater degree by the Chicago merchants. lIudeed, some of them .have expreased uurrrbc at tho comparative amallness ond haperfection of the nssortments shown ot tho seabonrd. The stocks of the New York Jobbere are not kept up as they used to bo. FORE(GX GOODS, The sales of forelgn manufactured fabrics bave been much less nin 1575, Mllllndnlly in those articles which are competed with by goods of American make. Our Eastern manufacturers have *carried the war into Africa®™ s cffectu- ally that thelr goods mow find willing pur- chasers (n Eumrc. and of course they can com- peto at home with the products of forelzn mills d looms. The guods of forelyn make that uld bere are chiefly of tho fancy cinss, and are imported here direct, 08 for several Years post. Our leading Chicago merchants have, all of them, resident agents at the princlpal manu- (uclurlw: centres of the Old World, as well as of the Unlted States; and thev thus sceure the 1east possiblc cost In transportation and han- dling, with the additional udvantage that all the Iateat novelties sre opened vut for sale here as svon as on the seaboard. Our stocks of goods, Loth foreign und dumestlc, ara thus oponed ou to Luyers fresh and zood, us well as' cheaplys and fiterlor buyers now generally understand that they save 13§(@3 per cent n frelghts, as well as sume days In time, Ly purchasing o Chleago, THE PROSPECTS POR TIE COM are gencrally considered to be brigh ket fa apparently Upon o souuder many yesrs previously, (Goods now certulnly scem to havo touched” bottom prices; and the country trade 18 ucre disposed to buy shead than heretofore for that reason. Agents of the Eastern imiils arc leas anxious scliers, as o good expors movement has relieved the market of its surplus stock, and, us thie country s compura- tively bara of goods, an increased demand aud gencrally improved prices are looked for by the wajority ot our dealers, WOOLEN GooDs. ‘This branch of the wholesalo trade hos suf- fered Httlo from tho guneral npuzhl in trade, More goods buve been sold than in the previous a YEAR The mar- thau for year, but the value of the sales was sumewhat” vss, owing to & general shrinkage in prices, which averaged not far from 10 per cent. The sales were ubout $4,250,000, against $4,250,000 In 1875, and $4,000,000 n 1874, Thcre are no new tirms fnthe busincss, and the capital employed s about $1,600,000, deiug the samo as in 1875, No fullures lave occurred, though the Lusiness of tho year has been generally transacted on 8 dccllnlnF market; but several fullures have transpired st the East, aud numerous small oncs in the futerior, Col- Jectlons have been made nmmlly, as arule; aud the market lsnaw ina healthy conditfon, with good prospects for the spring trado. The Importations of foreigu guods have been Jess than hial? as Jarge as those of the previous yuur, They are annuatly growing less, with a repld increase fu the wanufacturs of Amerlcan laxnu, and g growing superlority in the quality of the goods of hoins make, for which reason they aro much moru largely used than forimers Iy, This statement applies plrtlmlu’lg [ colored goods aund light myxtures. In black gouds thu Uited Statc is oot yet abis to com- ote successfully with thosa of European manu- {:‘vlure, and English coths continue to com- mand a large sale. They are inostly fmported direct 20 Chicugo, aud thie greater portion strike the scabioard at other poluts thau New York, SIITR AND PANCY DRY GOODS. Trade in this departinent has been nlmost equal to that uf 1373, when the yalume of sales was esthnated at about $3,000,000. There has been a reductivaln Lnrlces of uearly 13 per cent, In sympathy with otBer branchies; but this was oty compeusated for by u better demand, which was very activo during the first six months, With a ‘rathier qulet trade afterwords, Toere {3 little temptation to buyers to gu Eugt for this class of goods, as they are largely man- ufactured here, and several Enstern fuctorics have agencica$n this city. We thus command the trade of the West, aud ft has lu general been sotisfactory during the past twelve months, with much fewer of the numcrous swall credits which obtained two years ago. The capital fnveited fo tho business here (s about 450,000, 1t 18 expucted that o lcading New Yurk firm will follow the examplc of A" T, Btowart & Co., and vpen bero early fn 1877, TUR TRADS IN CARPETINGS has been dully eapecfally by comparison with 1375, when its growth was “escecdiugly rapld. ‘There was o great declines (o prices. averagiug certalnly 0ot dess tusn 15 per cent through the autire lfat, aud 20 por acnt in some dascrintiona. Th'a s partlalis due Lo hand times, and partly because of a gro ving preference for s of dotieatle manufs.cture, forelgn carpets setling ver,’ slowly. We note an increased competition betireen dealr.es, one house hiaving perslstentiy Ted the way In seliing at bottomn figures. Tho voluine of sales, measured in currency, Is 2sti- matAl to have been 15 per cent less thian n 1875, , befng £4,000,000, againat $5,750,000 the previous year. The capital em lflycvl 1n the trade fa sup- rosed to be about $1,500000, Dealers are dis- tosed to expcrl.ndeddcd rovival, In anpulhy with the healthler tone in the wool markets MILLINERT, The wholesale millincry trade has been flat, stale, and uoprofitable, during the grealer par of the {'ur. The leading establishmenta lave trangacied s falr business, but the Tess promi- nent liouscs have fared harly, under smiler profits with certalnly no Increase in the quantity of goods handied. ®The cash value of sales wos about §4,830,000, acainst £5,250,000 In 1670; which is a falling oft to the extentof 8 per centy and n little Jess than the avgregate for 1874, ‘The quantity of roods sold was sbout equal to that of the previsus year, itaw silks advanced Just autumn ahout 200 per cent. the available supply having been buught up by strong partles when 1t Leenme known that the production had materially decreased. But there hias been a reduction Jn the price of labor, which forms a considerable ftem in the cost of the manufactured artlcle. Bilk goo's have pold 20@25 per cent higher. In all otber depart- ments there has been a steady shrink uze, prices beinz 1215 per cent lower than a year ago, and 40245 per cent lower than three years since, fo that they are now less even than beforethie War, At no time since 1853 has there been so much depression fn the gencral trade as In the year Just closed, Trade was falr in the early spring, and most of those engaged in the business hoped for a prosperous vear. Dut continued bad weather stupped travel In the country, and many goodls hought by working millivers remained unsold When the season was over. In the summer trade was moderate, and Jn the nadtumn decidedty tame. There was a good deal of lovking around, and littie buylng on the part of many who Jooked In on thelr way East to the Expositlon: and some of them recured whut they believed to ba the latest novelties In New York before returning home. There was not, howeser, much loss of frade In the ageregate from people who llve west of Chicago, 08 nota few of them beeame satisfled that thcy could not fmprove upon Chicago, The preatest falling off was In the case of milliners in Mlchiran and Indlans, who had hitherto traded here altogetiier, but ald not care tomake annthier journcy after having been to the Con-~ tennfal. " But even these people have found that they did not make money by the change, and all 'of them will undoubledly trausact thelr business here In the future, Buainess was very guod during the latter part of the year. Only one faflure has occured in the busincss In this clty, and that not to a large amount. The trade generally s on & sound basls, and prospeets for the futuro are considered to be very good. CLOTHING. +A DECIDEDLY UNSATISPATORY DUSINESS is reported in thls branch. There was o slight reduction In the volume of sales, which was clilefly due to the Centennial, a3 trado was bet- ter the first six months than during the corre- #ponding period {n 1375, Thero was also a fur- I er reduction of 5@8 per vent In prices, and both together caused a falling off to the extent ot one-twelfth, the aggregate of sales belng a Httle less than $11,000,000, szainst $12,000,000 In1875. It is satisfactory to know, however, that the volume of trade In wholesale clothing Ia still fully eight tlmes greater than a 1570, The capital {uvested bas not materially changed, helng nearly £5,000,000, Including that employed In manufacturing. No failures have occurred in the trade liere, and fewer In the Interior than In any prevlous year sinco the Jast panfe. Thetrade Is generally n & sound conditiun, Lusiness belng transacted more nearly upon a cash basis thau ever belore. In this city It Is in exceptionally good standing, financtally, and the comlng twelve months promise to be the most active of any equal pe- riod for scveral years pust. The cost of productlon and of doing business ir about the same now s year ago, with the cxception that rents have been reduced to a very low point compsrea with the first cost of the bulldings occunled by manufactuvers and Jobbera. With only ope exceptivn, all our clothing- liuuses now MANUPACTURE TUEIR GOODS HERE, giving employment to a larze number of work- ers. It Is clalmed that clothing can be made tn this city even more cheaply than in the East, to say nothmg of frelght-charges; and Chicago- made guods have tue advautage of belag made In styles which sult Western buyers better than those ‘manufactured on the seaboard. Our goods are deslgned to sult the climate, a8 well as the occupation, o pofut which hos been i1g- nored by Eastern men tlll very recently they have been forced by Chicago competition into cateriue more Intelligently for the patronage of the different sectlons embraced fn *our countrs.” It was this varlety of plan which has euavled the merchants of thia city to attract to thiemsclyes such a monster trade “within the past six years, and it will undoubtedly enable them to inuch more than make up for the tem- porary decadence exverienced In 1570, Chleaze uiready stands at tho head of the lst of cities which supply ready-made clothing nt wholesale, not even excepting New York; and the trade of any other city thau that {s very small in com- purison with our own, ITATS, CAPS, AND FURS, THE YOLUME OP 8ALES for 1676 {s estimated at £3,500,000, which fs 123§ per cent lesa than fn 1875, while tho capital em- ployed fnthe businessis larger, being sbout #800,000. The quantity of goods handled was neerly the same fnthe two years, prices having declined 10@15 per cent within the past twelve months; and the trading was less profitable, ns ® portion of the loss duoe to thia shrinkage was necessarlly borne by the joblers, They have, howeser, ended the year with fewer zoods left over than usual; and there Is probably no city In the United States in which the wholesale trade {n this department s on o firmer founda- tlon than fo Chlcago, Trude was pood during the sprivg and summer, but it waa lesa satisfac- tory in the autumu, being injured to some ex- tent by the election excitement, and wmore by the Centennlal, Visitors to Philadelphla bought freelyatthie East, making the busluess uousually flat {n September, which is ordinarily the most active month of tho whole year, The trade fu fors, {n the latter monthaof the year,was better than twelvo mouths previously, Tho popular furs—scal and Alaska—have not changed materlally fn price, While mink goods are micl ower, S$TRAW GOODS RULED VERY 1.OW tu price, and uumerous fallures vocurred amang t1¢ Eastern manufacturers of theso goods, who bad carried heavy stocks over from tlie previous year, This fact greatly unsettied quotationsby imaking the volume of offerings fur In excess of the deinand, The retafl trade of the city was poor,as a rule, and the more conservative houses niade Nitle effort to obtain It. ‘The country trade i extending Westward, following the smurch of population towanis the setting sun. BOOTS AND SHOES, A FULTHER MATEWIAL INCREAVN in the business, as measured by dollurs, Is re- ported in this department, which & oue of the very fow that have been really prosperous dur- ing the post year, The volume of sales was ncarly 90 per cent greater than In 1875; witha ahrinkage of not far from 10 per cent intho sell- ing prices, the depresslon belug greatest lu the frst balf of the year. The aggregato sales aru estimatod st $18,000,000, against $15,000,000 fu 1§75, This has been truvsacted on a capltal of $0,300,000, iucluding that employed lo monufscturing; belng an Increase of about 5 per ceat. Thero have been uo additions to the number of hutses, no faltures fu the trade nere durfugg tho past twelve miouths, aud the businces bas becu moderately profitable, though transucted on less marging of profit than heretofore. The uuusually largo lo- crease fn tho volunu of busiuess travsacted fa funo emall degree due tothe “hard times" which bave pressed so heavily on mauy otber branches. That pressure bas led to & more gen- eral patronage of theready-madoarticle fustead of the “to onder ¥ goods, The making of boots aud shocs 1o the measure of the wearer ha brauch of induatry that is rapldly declining. The firias now eogaged fu the busluess waou- facture NEARLY ALL TUE URLAVY GOODS thev scll. and it {3 cstimated that not far from 90 por cent of thess are mads: from Chicigo leather. It {4 this fact which enables the buust".. ness to take such s commanding postifon frithis ¢ity, the material belng obtained by the manu. facturer at primo cost, and tho goods are pro .1 duced entirely’ freo from ths expeniet stiending » long tUransporiation " eof -the meterial’ to the fsctory, snd _of ‘the | roduct back to the jobber. Dur deslersare hus enabled to competa successfully with thosg of the East, and all the more so they pay particulat attentlon to the quality of tha work: manship, which will bear favorahle comparison : with those mada clsewhere, The fine work ! adies’ roods) Is still chlefly supplied from the ; ; 3 but our city novertheiess stands hiph as a manufa:turing point. As a mercantile city she stands sccond in tho quality of the goods sold, belug led only by Boston, while our sometintes g&p':"(du:“'ll‘hst' r}m}h' h"nowhersl" n . rison. The trade fs nowhere on so and firm & baals as here. e enco of & recent advance 2 ¥ cent on tho cost of the raw material. Men’s i ! 0tA now cost fully 83 per ease more to pro- duce them than Mz tmonths ago, though 1&19 3 nilvance has been mads 1 Joblera’ prices. Oar m"fl.% Ilgullcn‘ Jre oy looking otwarl to g - ] Fade, AN thnnth:fi of the pni :el. Hors” profitatle “-e' ,? DRUGS AND CHEMICALS, THR TOADE IX DRUGS 3 and chemlcals Increased during the year,and ¢ the season was quite as satisfactory asthe prev X vious one. The winter, early spring, and fall 4 trade was rather below the avernge of 1875, but | the demand Insummer was unusually large, and fully compensated for the loss fa the other ' months. The sales of drugs, cheinleals, and & goods of a simflar nature, have Increased, while %% those of white Jead aud the heavler gnods haye fallen off, this hranch of the business having to h a large extent passed Into the hands of the reg: %° ular pafnt and ofl houses. Thesc arilcles pald 7 only o small commission, aud the loss was made 4 up by the galn In tj§ strictly drug sales. ?:: PATENT MEDICINES . form about 33 per cent of jubbing sales, and have not changed in price. The average de. cline In goods was G@10 per cent, A sharp local -, competition brought down the pric of severa articles, In the fall, quinine and opfum, and thel compounds, suddenly advanced, owing to the rnmpeu\ of small supplies, and opjum was alae nfluenced by the prospect of & war_In Turkey. Bpeculators were Inclted to take hiold, especially of quinine, the insurrection In Colombia mak ing the prospeet for future supplies of cinchont bark uncertaln, and_prices roso from $2.40 t. per ounce, and oplum sold from $0.403 7.50 per pound, i The wholsale drug trade of the city Is enlarg: fng annully, Our ierchants farnish the Northwest with supplies, tha trade with the Plains Is keeplng pace with the growth of the country, and the Bouthwest, including Texas, i3 beglnning to buy larzely In this market. The extenision of the drug busfness is not so rapid o that of sume othicr Jlnes of goods, b 50 ccause larze o proportion of the sales are of paten medicines, the ‘ano of which are the samt everywhere, sud they are frequently delivered Ly manufacturers’ nizenta; so that there {8 no indacement to order such goods from n distant point. The local trode was somewhat better than in 1835 The number of wholesale drug houses !: roven—-l&fle =amn a8 n_year ngo. The agcregute capital aced at $775,000, and the saive ut £ 1,500,000, " gy CROCKERY AND GLASSWARE TUE WHOLESALE DEALERS IN CROCKEAT, 3 chiuaware, glassware, lamps, and the numerous + other articles embraced under the general head -+ of *crockery,” inChicago, report a satlsfactory trade on the whole, thouzh ona dlminished basis, Prices have averaged about bper ceat | lower than In 1975, aud the aggregate valueof | sales 18 10105 per cent less. It s estimated s $2,200,000, agralnst &2,500,000 the provious year. This doca not include sales of stoneware and sliverware. Tho business bas been transacted ata falr avernge profit, as expenees hayvo been ! materially lessened by lower reatsand more economy i ull departments, Thero lasalso | been less capltal empluyed, the business being | conducted on about $700,000. Merchaats have * generally carried lghter stocks, the hand-tes . mouth character of the country trade throughe out the year rendering it unnecessary to keep se ' many goods on hand as formerly. The course of trade has been very even, and there {snow little of that Intenso coinpetition which follows cd thegreat fire, when the busineas was flooded by tne advent, of new firms. There have been few fallures fn the West in 187¢, and the mare ket at the present time s Lelleved toboina more healthy condition than at auy previous ! date stuce the last panic, MUSIC. TIR TRADE IN MCSICAL INSTRUMENTS has beeu only moderate during the grester part of the year, tho most mctive saason belng the latter part of of summer and the earlypart. of autumn, If we except the two or threa weeks preceding the Christmas hotldays, The quantl- ty of goods sold is conslderably In excess of the but the monuy received therefor s somo 8 per cent less, in consequenco of & . further shripkage in the selllog prices of the goods sold. Wo estinato the total sales at £2,300,000, against $2,300,000 in 1875, and $3,400,- 000 fn 1574, ‘This falling oft §s partially dueto an Increased competition between dealers, which has led to a cuttinz down of profits, and partly to ales- * sened ccst of production, In forelgn goods tlere hos been Mttle clange; but the butk of tho sales are of artlcles of domestic manufac- ture,—~as planos aod reed organs,—the labor of which costs very mucl more than the raw ma- terlal. Wayees have not been reduced so much asin 1875, but till enough to maken perceptd ble difterence in the outlsy necded to produce instrumnents, ‘Thero has been also s marked tendency to purchaso the cheaper qualltics of goods, which look well at @rat, but caunot be guarantced to wear well, With this there las been 8 declded demand on the part ol virtuosl for the very best, and the richest speci mens of Instruments made have found willin purchasers. But the improvement fa this di- rection have been more than counterbalanced by the demand for cheap goodss and & cowpar: tively unlialthy condition of tho_trade ls in- dicated in the fact that the (aste of the buying public has been manifested more In these twa extremes, and lees {n the directlon of what may be called the nore staplo qualitfes. We note, however, that upright plancs are not so much 1 fashlou as they were one and $wo years sgo. THE COUNTRY THADD shows a fair fncrease in volume, while that of tho city has barely held its own. The Centen. fa) hibitlon Afd not make so much diiference t have been expected, A few instrys ments wers ordervd by visitors ta the scabosrd; but In the grest majority of Instances buyers Ynl«rml to purchase " nearer home. They " ound that they could mako cqunll{‘guod termy here, snd feit” that [u case of dissatisfaction \hez’ could more easlly efect an exchavge thay if thelr purchuses wero made on the scaboard. Of course the relations between our eity wholo sale dealers and the retaflers fn the rountry was searcely dlaturbed by the event; as the Ch Qealer 15, (0 many cusee, the Western agent of the manufaciurer, who prefers to deal with the publie through him. Collections In _the country have bLeen uni !onnI‘y ood; and, whila the retall department complalns ot hard times, the whalesale dealers arc generally satisfied that they have littie cau: to cmnrmu, as their business compares favors - ably with that of most other llnes of trsde, and especially with thoss which belong to the do- maln of the luxurious ruther than to that of the ueceasitivs of civllized exiatence, —_— JEWELRY, i AN INCRBASH OF TWRNTY PER OENT In the volume of goods sold has beon compen- # sated by s shriokago of about that extent in the * selling valus, giviog an sggregals of sowae [ $4,400,000, sgalust $4,850,000 iz 1873. Thls, § bowever, bus averaged less to the houses en- goged {n the trade, ns three or four new rms bave opened out Lere, and protits have becn materially reduced by the lacreased competition. | ‘Thero are now 16 large Jobbers here, besides 11 t sinaller ones. Business was not materially affected by the Centennlal, though fo refer euco to this point thers Is & wide differens | of opiulon. The trade of the spring was rather ; slow, that of the sumwmer sud autuwn Jair. The } botidsy season was, however, 0no of the most? active known Lo several past years, some houses - ?Ing kept busy uight aud day fn Blliog or~ ers. s} R R SIS et e TR e THE AVOVE-XAMED AGGR¥GATE - of sales fucludey those muade at retall; 16 is ot ¢ possible to separate that department frow the | retall as in cther branches of busiuess. The goods sold hers are distributed all over the R e — (Coutinued o the Teuth Page) g I g [ i