The New York Herald Newspaper, December 16, 1878, Page 4

4 NEW YORK HERALD, MONDAY, DECEMBER 16, 1878—TRIPLE SHEET. BUSINESS OUTLOOK The Industrial Interests of East- ern Pennsylvania, STAGNATION IN REAL ESTATE. General Demoralization of the Coal Trade. PRODUCTION OF IRON AND STEEL, Position of the Manufacturers, Farm- ers and Tradesmen, CONDITIOY AND PROSPECTS ON THE UPPER HUDSON. EASTE: PENNSYLVANIA. Puarape ruta, Dec. 11, 1878, Philadelphia, the first manufacturing city in the Union and the second in population, is the centre from which supplies are sent to @ vast extent of thickly peopled territory. In determining the gen- eral business condition of this part of the country there are many factors to bestaken into consideration. ‘The two great interests in which the money of East- ern Pennsylvania is invested are coal and iron; and while, as may naturally be supposed, the prosperity pr otherwise of these industries exerts an influence pver a very wide and far reaching field, yet there are many branches of trade whose condition depends more upon the farmers’ receipts from the sales of the crops in the interior and still other departments of mercantile industry ed by circumstances re- lated to neither the mineral nor agricultural markets of the State, An inquiry conducted among the manu- facturers, merchants and basiness men of this section has resulted in somewhat contradictory conclusions, There are optimists and pessimists in mercantile and commercial matters as there are in philosophy, and it requires the exercise of both perseverance and §udgment to get down to the truth and to reconcile and understand the re: To sum up the end of your correspondent’s investigations “by and large to use a nautical expression—it may be stated in this way ‘The general condition of this part of Pennsylvania is improving, but the change for the better is cer- tainly not very marked or decided. In most depart- ments this improvement is only beginning to be felt, so that while the present state of affairs is more satisfactory than since the panic the summing up for year just closing will perhaps make a very little better showing than that of last year or the year ‘The Centennial was a great thing for Phila- delphia aud its vicinity. It put money afloat here that otherwise would not have come, It gave work to mechanics, contractors and manufacturers; brought quick sales to retail merchants and small tradesmen, and to m men and truckmen the de- mand upon them for the feeding of the hosts of visi- tors was « little bon: Philadelphia and this vicinity hhas therefore felt the hard times since the panic in an alleviated form; so that in speaking of the condition of the business community and people hereabouts it must be borne in mind that, relatively to other sec- tions, Eastern Pennsylvania, except among the miners gud-some of the iron workers, is in a comparatively prosperous way. ‘The farmers of the adjacent counties have not the Cause of complaint of the grangers in the West, for they have good markets at their doors. They are in @ better state financially than any other @iaas; but they form only a small percentage of the population of this ion, for this is 4 manufacturing and mer- cantile community. one iuwportant branch in which there is abso no improv ent to chronicle is real estate. holders unite in deploring the stagnation 8 have never been so low as that this year has been worse others Lave found it about the same. prospects for next year are regarded as y important exceptions of and in real estate. Concerning the ults. now. than Jas’ The promising, with the v the coal trade first all is in doubt until it is settled whether or not there is to be a continuance of th ombinatic ; and us to the second there is great difference ot opinion as to what may be expected. TUN COAL TRADE. ale seems to be in a state of complete thing could be more uneertain mdition and prospects of the anthracite nt, and everybody seems to be at si «t inthe future, New Yor oy state of there ag y and the deplorable trade ix as well anderstood here, so. that t necess: which would oceupy much t operators say that their welfw n the conti “i that the ting in Ni {t the matter in a state of certainty, a prevailing impression seems to be that th ion wilinot be continued next Whe Lehigh Vaile Ment, and us J 8 to be the obstreperous e ker is understood to be op- posed to the as it is probable there will be none. There are #0 many interests and such differences of opinion that it is hard to state in afew words the restits of the year's busi- ness. On the whole t rators declare th 1878 has been a better season than the two preceding Fears, thanks to th concessions brought about by the combination Pri 8 just now are remunerative, und if the association is continued they will probably femain so. vii A large ope WS OF A LEADING OPERATOR. tor expressed the situation as fol- nued and the proper sted on for January, will probably with son through, weeks during the stopp: supposition is based on this fact, that w 3,000,000 tons of coal less in market next A than we have uc depressed hus absorbed 17 and as the industries of the country are beginning to move, it is but rear bie to int Hat next year the minimum and will be about 20,000,000 t If the spect the associati operators, If the og themaelves, so that they ch other in an eqnitable man- wed to them by the combination, Ll. Lf we had not had the ubination Lord kuows what would have become of are remuneratiy with the com- Dination inf an wil work better t without th r the beyinning of ASD STERL. The general « f the production and steel this year has been larger than in i two years preceding; and the statistics of the Ameri- can frou and Steel Association, which ix just be uing to collect its reports tor 1474, will undoubtedly @how that the iron a f the United tates are now the | pxveption of agricultur try, with the ire of steel ie been particula: er thi ver in alld nihis country, dnt tho year’s finanetal re iron men, when pared with those of wel nufacturers, iuakes a different showing; for while the iron pro- ducers and mannfacturers claim, generally «peaking, two have made no money, the prices on steel are ad- mitted ali around to ‘have been rerunnerative, 1 t inquiries tend to show that the Bes raul manufacturers are in the most ot any business interest in this part With the high duty of one cent per and on impor th untry en no outside competition, beeause these ten companies alone control the Bessemer patents, it is not a matter of surprise that the works have done well and have aiade a great and rapid increase, Prices are low, but this is so far compensated for by the advantages 1 have named above that Lam informed of one eom- wny Which has made profits amounting to sev Percent on the capital, the greater portion of wh: ded in increasing their facilities i men admit that they have had a better year than they could have expected. They regard the prospects for the ensuing year as decidedly encour aging, providing Congress will let alone the tariff Jaw, with which they have good reason to be sutis- Bed, They hope for better prices next year, and say that they can go nu lower. The iron inen, ax I have and produced more m: aily claim that th; lly the large estaviiehinents, many of whic ven compelled to run so keep the control of their Swill be ‘the wt enid, thi have kept at work 1 lant year, but gem to prevent their plant from going to decay and “p their hands together, A number of small tactor‘es have done tolerably well, but the general business has been bad, only a slight improvement on the preceding year. Many of them tell me that within a few weeks back there has been a great change better, and the prospects for the future are decidedly good. The falling in the price of the raw material has unsettled everything and injured busi- ss in every wi Prices keem now to have touehed bottom, and new contracts may be expected. The continuance or otherwise of the coal combination will, of course, affect the furnaces; but, making allow- ances for whatever way happen, 187) ‘is looked tor- ward to with great hope by the representatives of the trade with whom I talked. SUMING UP FOR THE YRAR. A significant item in summing up the results of the year is the growth and prosperity of the number of comparatively small establishments-—shops employ- ing from ten to fifty workmen, making small articles, patented goods, specialties, &c. in the aggregate they amount to’ an important matter, and their in- creased business is a good sign. It is also worthy of note that makers of files, locks, eutlery—mostly small establishments—report a recent improvement in business. The recent failures of the Allentown Iron Company, the Oxford Iron Company and Reese, Graff & Woods, are having rether a beneficial effect than otherwise upon the iron trade. It is said that they were work- ing for ruinous prices and unsettling things, and that their suspension has taken from the market some of the elements of competition that have been so dis- astrous in cntting prices. In 1873 and 1 during the panic, when # failure took place it inspired general was looked on as a proof yhole business fabric of the country was mbed with weakness and rotten: Now firm goes under in the iron trade it is looked upon as a dropping out overcrowded ranks, leav- ing more room for the rest. The steel works control the largest capital; next the iron rolling mills represent the most money, and then come the pig iron interests. Soft steel is rapidly taking the place of iron. The rolling mills are takin, the blooms and rail ends trom the Bessemer steel works and putting them in the market in competition with rolled iron at very cheap but remunerative 7 Railroad building has been better this year Over two hundred miles more of n laid than during 1577, and there has been an increased demand for reais and material. The railroad companies are generally doing better than last year, aud have taken advantage of the low prices of labor and material. For the ensuing x the Bessemer steel works have the best prospects. The cast or cruc.ble steel works have also a bright outlook. They were crowded with orders all summer at low but paying prices. There haye been very few failures in the steel business, Two or three occurred, but they were due to mismanagement, and the business gen- erally is on asound basis, For bar iron and struc- tural iron the promise is not so good. The bar iron men say they have made no money this year. The pig iron business is the worst off, although there are exceptions even to the depression in this branch. IRON SHAPBUILDING. As all the world knows, four Russians ernisers have built at Cramp’s shipyard, in this city. About two thousand werkmen have been kept at work in the ‘ds all summer on these vessels, and hun- dreds more, of Upholsterers, sailmakers, and makers: of lamps, supplies and equipments have found work on these Russian contracts. The large sums of money that have been spent have found their way ¢to every branch of trade, As an illustration of the way in whieh the Russian officials are patronizing our business firms one house in the rubber trade has sold them $15,000 worth of goods. These heavy con- only given a great impetus to iron g at this port during this year but has had its eflect on retail business generally. RAW MATERTALS—COTTON—WOOL. A cotton dealer states that cotton has declined from twelve and a half cents to nine cents a pound since August, and that there is an immense amount on hand, with the new crop almost ready for the market. During the year the cotton business has been up to the average, “and there were as many mills and spindles running as last year, but there has been no excessive buying im any quarter. The general busi- ness has been jist as good as last year, but specula- tion was not so good. No special opportunity was presented for investment of new capital. Confidence has been in a normal state and sales were made on short time, manufacturers running light and mostly on dress goods, only covering expenses, and making no mone Prices are now at the lowest, and manu- facturing generaily will begin after the first of the ext year, when it is thought trade will improve for the balance of the cotton year and a fair business be done, but with shim margins. The depression in the cotton and woollen trade is attributable very largely tothe warm and unseasonable weather. There has ‘Deen a cautious spirit manifested all around, and the mill owners have been more careful than ever before to avoid the over-production of last year. One of the prominent wool dealers here states that the general condition of their line of business has been depressed during the current year; that ail through the year priees were shrinking, for the rea- son that the growers, contrary to advice and their own interests, consigned wool to houses here and demanded its sale, and, since manufacturers need bat small amounts, it was sold for what it would brim h was generally very little. The wool trade chin a year, and expecially in this, that a fair comparison of this year's business cannot be mie with previous years. ‘The capital of wool houses is ample for the business, most houses having too much capital, and they are seeking for small, paying, safe investments, and are willing to advance nearly the full valne of a consignment to a grower at a low rate interest rather than have their surpins idle. ‘This gentleman took a gloomy view of the situation. He thinks there is a great want of confidence in business circles generally, and in the wool business: particularly, becanse of the numerous failures aud no manufacturing, and that the prospects of general bnsiness are not encouraging; that prices must come down lower yet, as they are not at the bottom or what they will come to in another year; that prices must continue declining until they are within the means of Europeans, who must eventually be the purchasers of our surphis produce; that the hope of this country should be that it will be able at an early lay to conquer not only England, but Continental supply them’ with necessaries of lite eheaper tha, np be purchased by their prod cers, Therefore Cie prospects of wool dealers are bright, although prices will not be higher, but at present wool is dull and depressed. During September there was a large trade in some kinds of woollen goods at very low figures, and there were indications of improvement in general trade, to be further helped on by the demand that may be looked for from the South, where the yellow fever 1 Europe, and be able woul and cotton interests are dye stuff manufacturers th ss during the year has bice looked for when so many -otton und woollen mills, nd 1876 t the large mant- y. In the dye ly improved, credit » stuits. expression is that b as good as could have t failures occurred among th Less business was done this is grea and casier; sales ate stnall, but profits ter than last year, and but few bad debta have ‘The prospects a od tor next nce in prices is anticipated, MANUFACTURERS, forms of useful and attractive dry goods, I do not find, according to the reports of the mill owners, that they have made much profit this year. 1 statements do not all agree. Some of the cot mill owner t they have n vin, whil ‘ y , and have auagement to have secured small profits all around. ‘Lhe most prominent cotton factor, the owner of rally a little bett cight milla, says the genera! conditi yess has been very bad du and will so continue until Congress cease ling with the tariff. In fact, it could not bea yt affairs: that this year has been worse that next will be still wors has the hardihood to m tients of ewpital in factories: th general business circles has not it very bad iu his line; that prospects ar nd there ie no marked iaprovenent. amount of goods made and sold wes the » but the amount of money realized leas. contidence in ‘oved, aud it is not encourag- per cent lower, and with no ing exes, and only Pune . me ing for labor and erial, withont any allowanve for other expenses, such a6 taxes, interest, & He son Next, taking up the mate form, I visited the largest ¢ find that the condition of th in its manufactnred y goods jobbers, only to what was duliess of * suy that bu have handled the sam amount of goods, they n of cheaper qualities presented Jexs money. amonnt of goods distributed has r,”’ said one of the “but if there ha: u less money in them, shrinkage of vaine, ly since Sept very great, ‘The decline in vaines has bee on per cent during the year.” ‘ he thought, had held his Ato be returning, and in some sections mise for next year is good; but in Eastern where the general prosperity depends and iron interests, he did not see much near frture, ¥ GOODK. the lend of the most exten- » and retail dry goods honee learned that this business was the hard times, ‘The shoppers na little in excess of Inst y largest jobbers in the country been more goods there has be The At an interview w sive and oldest whole 1 to buy les ensive goods than formerly, on account of a determination among all classes to economize brought about by reductions in in- nts and in salaries. id, shopping os from business and invest Buyers look for low priced goods, fully, make the best selection for the », being governed in a purehage more by that and quality than by style or fashion. In the wholesale department orders from couniry s 5 " liberal t prompt y cnsh and an get, and a this he does not think traders are done failing. Throughout the year the retail dry goods business has been close np, and less than jast yeur—that is, the yolume this year was better than last, but the total business less on account of the small prices received, values being Jess. Expenses in transacting business not lowered, but goods being sold low prolits are light, and instead ot averaging ten per cent bee aking five percent during the year, ( a has improved, but nee among dry goods men ore failures are louked fox in the trade, During | | keoping with that of previous years. True, labor Prospects | ‘This is the natural distributing point for flour, por! for general business do not yet appear very encour- aging. PETROLEUM. ‘The general condition of the oil business in this city has been good itis declared, with less losses than for four or five years, and it is now established on 4 cash basis, General results this year are better than last, and a larger and healthier business was done, ts comparatively small and more satcty tions. Surplus capital employed only to ‘ity for business, and there irs to be more confidence among those in the trade than for four years and prospects are excellent. In the for- eign trade prices are low, but oil in good demand. An oil dealer states that the general condition of their business has been good among the refiners, and a larger volume of business has been done this year than last. Prices have ly declined during the year, which was anticipated, but profits were better. Confidence bas improved, and generally there is a ‘ter feeling. Exports have been very large und how an average increase often per cent in the past ten years over the years previous. But the total ex- res from the country are 12,000,000 gallons short of year. LUMBER. The condition of the legitimate lumber trade has n exceedingly poor during the year, even worse than the previous year, and has been on the decline since 1374, until it has ceased to be & means of ob- taining a living. The trade has been entirely ruined by acl of men called “‘scaipers,"”” who are broken- down lumbermen, trying to make a living without any capital, who’ wndersell the trade by peddling small amounts from depot yards where the lumber is | consigned in cars, ‘The character of the business has been entirely changed, and scarcely any lumber comes in large quantities at a time to the market, but comes by the car load in amounts desired, thus giv- ing small dealers us good a chance as large ones, so that there is a general desire on the part of the former large dealers to quit the business altogether. But, although there is but little business done, confidence is improved in the regular trade. Weak houses ave gone, and those remaining are generally in good con- dition as to capital. There has been a fair lumber business done in the city, but a much better one in the country. LEATHER. In the light leather trade there is an improved con- dition of afftirs among the firms which were not caught in the large failures of a year ago, and this has been their best year since 1873. Prices of new stock have advanced considerably and are firm, and the volume of business done this year was much larger thun last, and trade is healthier and more satisfactory and business isdone on a cash basis. Raw material has alvanced twenty-five per cent, and iuirgins to tanners are very slim. DRUGS. ‘There isa large manufacturing drug house here selling a specialty article, said to be the largest estab- lishment of the Kind in the world, Their busincss reaches to every part of the United States, to almost every city, town and village, and information from them may be considered valuable. They say that their business has not been so good during the clos- ing year as in previous years. This is the worst season they haye had for many years, for while the amount of their did not fall off to a Jarge extent they hive had serious losses from failures, &c., and their collections have not been prompt. They have over fourteen thousand agents, and their reports show that the storekcepers ia the cities appear to be generally better off than two or three years ago, but the country stores are short on account of farmers withholding payment. The crops have been good, but in the West farms are generally mortgaged and the payment of the interest takes uil the cash the tarmers can raise, GROCERIES, TEAS AND COFFEES, There has been a continued decline in the prices of goods pertaining to tne grocery trade during the year. ‘The volume of business of the year is the same as last, but less than the average and much less than it was three years ago, Receipts have fallen off considerably on account of small prices, and grocers have been compelled to sell very close. Contidence is gradually beginning to return, and there is a healthy feciing in the trade on account of the settled currency and not many failures are anticipated for next year. During the year there have been no failures among the wholesale grocers in Philadelphia, and the average has not been two faiiures a year for ten years, There has been a general shrinking of credit among the grocers and it will still be curtailed, The country stores during the year have been slow to pay bills, and give as the excuse that farmers are unablo to pay thein, although their crops have been large, but they have received little or nothing for their produce and all speculation is dead among them. ‘The leading sugar dealer says the prospects for the coming year are excellent; that the West Indfs crops are of better quality and larger than for years before hat the gross business lias been satistactory, makin; a better showing than the previous year, both as to prospects and general results, and that there is now no want of confidence in the grocery trade of the city. It never was in a bad condition. He thinks the busi- ness outlook good, us crops have been good and farmers made money, and there were few failures. Sngar refiners are conservative, and their capital is employed entirely in their business. PROVISIONS. A prominent provision packer and shipper said, in answer to the question as to what had been the general condition of his line of business this year, That it was good so far as fancy meats were concerned. But those who handle lard have suffered, and it was still on the decline. As to the volume of his own business, they had done thelargest of any year, but it was the closest—tuat is, smallest margins, with smallest prices—of any year-in their experieace run- ning over a quarter of aventary; that there were no new investments of capitul in their line, but several jirms had retired from the business. In their busi- ness confidence was much improved; they lad lost less money in the last six months than in any cor- responding six months for two years. The failures in Scotland only affected credit so tar as their foreign trade with that country; that prospects of their general business were very, enoonraging; the export jemand was enormous, and by far better this year than last, but the prices were kower than ever beiore, Next year they thought they would make money, but as to business generally they could not sce any inarked uuprovement. LIQUORS. In imported and domestic liqnors the reports are that the business for the year bas not been bad rela- tively. The receipts trom sales have not been as large this year as last. There is no falling off in the quan- tity of goods sold, but the quality and prices have not been so high as heretofore. The prevailing stringency een tejueed ton atlas of the tugh priced wines oan spirits and increased the demand for the cheaper brands. The importations have not been as large at this port this year as last, and the sales of the oldest and best domestic whiskeys have decreased, There has been an increase in the demand for beers, bottled beers particularly, and the business is improving. JEWELRY AND SILVERWARE, ‘The dealers in jewelry and silverware take a much rosier view of the situation than those in almost any other business, They say that people are buying more liberally and quickly, and that during all this season, since January last, there has been a marked improve- ment. ‘Their business this year has been double that It has been one of their best years—tar han any since the panic—and they think, from present indications, next season will be their-most fortunate in twenty-five years. ALONG THE UPPER HUDSON. PRESENT CONDITION AND PROSPECTS OF BUSI- NESS AT THE STATE CAPITAL AND VICINITY. Auwany, N. Y,, Dec, 15, 1878. While the general condition ot the country embraced within the radius of fifty or even one hundred miles south or west of this immediate vicinity will com- pare most favorably with that of other sections of the State, still, after carefully surveying the field, it is impossible to discern anythiug to warrant your cor- respondent in recording a marked improvement therein over that of the years 1875, 1876 and 1877, VARMERS AND MANUYACTURERS. While farmers have the prevent year been the re- cipients of an abundant harvest, in many respects far in excess of that of former years, their moneyed recompense has not, in this locality at least, been in | has been more plentiful and obtained at a lees price, aud, consequently, the expense of sowing and har. vesting crops has fallen below the minimum of other seasons; but even with the abundant yield of cereals and all other farm produce (save potatoes, which crop wae ouly about one-third the average), it may be doubted if the balancing of the past season’s books will show the everage farmer able to pay anything more than the interest on the mortgage of bis farm, held by some savings bank or moucyed man, MANUPACTURES. The principal interest here is the stove business, our iron furnaces having yielded to the depreasion in that line of industry and gone out of blast. The stove men all report a good fall trade, their sales being fully equal to any previous year, despite the fact that th winter thus far hi b “open one.” ‘This continued may be accounted for by the have made to extend their business re their goods were previously This interest is one which allows iis customers long time, and as the houses are carefal to whom they extend credit they feel confident the result of the year’s business will present a better showing than any since 1473, WORK AT THE FACTORIES, A prominent car wheel manufactory reports an though the bali ri just drawing to a close will not imak showing for the owners as former years, be: the low prices prevailing, ‘Tho piano, manufacturers are all quite busy, one houxe, which does a lurge Western trade, being two weeks behind on their orders. ‘At Cohoes the knit goods factories and the Manufactories are all running on full time, At the Rensselaer Iron Works, South Troy, they are very busy making 250 tons daily of #t 0 tons of light iron rails, 200 tons of mer machinery steel. ‘The Albany Iron Works, at the same plac ning full time on the Walker horseshoe, boil Bessemer steel rivets, angle and y ‘The latter two companies say their trade was never brisker, Many of the steel rails made by the former works are exported, rails even going to England, VLOUR AND GRAIN. Albany is fast regaining its former lorge trade in flour and grain, © new and more energetic class of business men succeeding the former nts. two axe lard and grain for all points north along on both sides of Lake Champlain, south along the Hudson River towns to Newburg ‘and east as far as Spring- field, Mass., as well as the Schoharie and Susque- hanna valleys, southwest of here. In the wheat trade there has been 2 most marked improvement over many previous years, the business having doubled. In other ins business has been fairly active, merchants holding their trade, with an increase in a few cases where unusual efforts have been made, In tlour an immense trade has been done, one mer- chant alone selling 160,000 barrels since January 1, Isis, with every prospect of increasing his business to 250,000 barrels in 1479. ‘The sales this year (160,000 of 50,000 barrels more than was ever before handled by any one house here, Albany is fast emet trom itscondituon asa local station, to bea great distributing point such as it was years ago, before the consolidation of the rail- roads and construction of the two bridges which now span the Hidson River at this point. Through the demands of trade, our merchants now handle larger quantities of flour and grain, and the railroads are gradually making them concessions, and removing the probibitory rates, which for some years past have hampered them and benfited the larger cities, The outlook is most favorable for the grain and flour trade for the coming season. NEXT YEAR'S CROPS. In conversing with some of the oldest, most method- ical and extensive land cultivators in this section in relation to what is the general outlook for increased crops the coming year, their almost universal opinion is that the yield will favorably compare, if not sur- pass, that of the present season. Fall rains in this sec- tion were profuse, whileearly frosts were unknown— two essential elements tending to favorable results, INVESTMENT OF CAPITAL, Hundreds of thousands of doilars lie idle within the vaults of the banks of this the capital city of the Empire State, in five-twenty or seven-thirty bonds, whose interest-bearing coupons are scissored off by their owners on interest days, ‘Ihe investment of capital in general business is to. all appearances at a standstill. Itis an unaeniable fact that in place of capital seeking investment, even in so moderately a sate industry as farming, & locks itself up. ‘The number of farmers within a radius of say fifty miles is not increasing, but rather diminishing, while there appears no disposition to invest in geu- eral business. The number of failures chronicled in commercial and mercantile circles yearlysince 1873 has had the tendency to deter capital from investing therein, and the pall of distrustfulness is not as yet removed, REAL ESEATE, At the present writing the omtlook in real estate is not very hopeful. There are quite a number of ex- changes of property recorded from week to week, but bona fide sales outright are very few. ‘The deprecia- tion in the value of real estate been fully thirty per cent the past five years. Holders of property and real estate dealers are, however, very hopeful for an active market during the early months of the coming year. STATE CONGRESSIONAL CANVASS. ALBAny, Dec. 14, 1878, The following is the official canvass of the Stato Board of Canvassers for Congressmen in cach dis- trict of the State:— Next Highest Candi- Districts, Dem. , Rep. G.L. R. date. L—suffolk, Queens and Richmond counties... 13,809 11,798 1,430 123 TL.—Ist, 2d, 5th, 6th, 8th, loth, 12th and 23d wards of Brooklyn... 9,881 13,188 765 a TiL.—3d, 4th, 7th, 1th, 3th, 19th, 20th, 2st wards of Brooklyn... 10,017: 16,667 1,001 856 IV.—0th, 14th, "15th, 6th, 17th, 18th wards of Brooklyn and country towns of Kings county. - 13,020 8,742 882° 1,505 V.—Ist, 2d, 3d, 4th, 5th, Gth, 8th, 14th wards of New York city, Bed- loc’s, Ellis’ 1nd Goy- Bourke. ernor’s islends....... 9,466 8,327 281 19 Vi—ith. lth, sth ward - 10,908 6,327 234 VIL—t! ith wards. 7162 (7,617 803 118. VUl.—9th, » and part of 18th wards 7,512 12,854 779 20 TX.—Part of 20th ward and parts of 12th and ad wards............ 7,277 6,480 5,726 122 X.—Parts of 18th, 19th O'Brign. ‘and 2ist wards....... 9,046 11,319 323 211 XL—Parts of 12th, 19th, 20th, 2ist and 2d wards and Ward's and Randall's islands..... 7,060 14,078 254 51 XIL.—Westchester. 11,338 2,421 pa XUL—Putnam, Dutea- ess and Columbia..... 9,700 18,240 792 246 XIV.—Rockland, Orange and Sullivan........-. 11,323 11,861 3,261 249 XY.—Ulster, Greene and Schoharie. 13,680 11,442 3,524 140 12,199 5,455 cn 16,771 3,878 — and Clinton. «+. 5,765 10.650 3,005 _ XIX.—St. Lawrence and Franklin...... : ++ 6,056 12,133 _- _ XX.—Fulton, Hamilton, Montgomery, Saratoga and Schenectady...... 10,880 17,738 2,588 7 XXI.—Delaware, Otsego and Chenango. . 15,377 6,047 414 XXLL—e ; and Herkimer, 14,855 2,102 280 XXIT.—Oneida. 9,762 3,787 431 XXIV.—Madison and Os- WOGO. eee esereeeveseees 11,807 12,043 420 XXV.—Onondaga "and Cortland,....+++.0006+ U,174 14,599 315 _ Den- XXVL.—Caynga, Wayne aton. aud Seneca. 10,979 14,355 102 -1,638 XXVIL.—Ontario, ingston and Yates.... 10,282 12,270 by - XXVIIL—Tioga, Tomp- Broome and ee + 11,162 1,883, 211 Chemung, Stev ben and Allegany...... 10,960 14,330 8,174 - x fouroe and Or- seeee 10,307 2,760 2,476 Gene- 559+ 208 1,192 pat hautanqua 6,732 4,689 27 and Cattaraugus... THE MARKS OUTRAGE. Another examination was held in the Fifty-seventh Street Court yesterday, by Judge Bixby, in the case of Philip Marks, the tailor, of No. 15 Eldridge street, who was robbed and brutally beaten in “Billy” Mc- Glory’s “Windsor Palace,” No. 103 Bowery, on Sun- day, tho 8th inst. Nathan Nesbit, counsel for John Flynn, the saloon keeper, of No. 1,131 Third avenue, whore Marks claims to have been detained against his will from Sunday until Tuesday afternoon, asked that his client be admitted to bail. Flynn testified that he lived in East Twenty-third street, but owned the saloon No, 1,131 Third avenue, He was not in his saloou when Marks arrived there, ¥lynn’s barkeeper, Goold, informed him that a stranger with two’ black eyes had called and given $2 for lodging; that @ man accompanicd Marks and said he wished Marks to be taken care of, as he (Marks) was unwell, and it would look suspicious to‘take him to his home and would lead to an arrest by the police. Marks having paid the money was shown % room, Flynn did not see him until the next di when he heard him moaning on the stairs, When asked if he had supplied Marks with food he said be had not; that the restaurant attuched to the saloon was rented to the woman, Kitty Thompson, and that any meals Marks re- seived were paid for with the girl's money and came yu the restaurant. Kitty Thompson was then re-examined, Her testi- mony was unimportant, save in one particular, where ber and Flynn's statements were widely dit- ferent. Flynn swore that Marks received the mea's from the restaurant, while she testified that the restaurant had not been open for the past two week: that she worked as cook for Flynn's people, and that the money with which the meals were bought was flynn’s. Judge Bixby then called Flynn and told his coun- Nesbit, that bail would have to be refused, as ‘was false swearing somewhere. “Your statements,” said the Judge to Flynn, “do not agree, The girl swears your money paid for the said Flynn, “she must be de- or else she took the money without my ceiving yo knowledy William Lanshaw, a lounger about Flynn's saloon, then corroborated the girl's statement. They were sent a8 Witnesses to the House of Detention in de- fault of $1,000 bail each. The examination of MeGlory was laid over by Judge Duffy in the Essex Market Police Court yester- day until this morning at ten o'clock, on account of tho non-appearance of the physician of Roosevelt Hospital with a certificate of the condition of Marks, BROOKLYN ROBBERIES. Captain Mackellar and Detective Drochan, of the Fighth precinct, arrested, yesterday, William Walker, Richard Costello and Patrick MeColough on @ charge of burglarionsly entering the grocery store of Charles Gackenholz and stealing a barrel of currants anda tub of lard, Owen Ryan, of Blisaville, L. L, was also arrested on a charye of stealing $80 from the office of James M, Thompson, at that place. The prisoners are held to await exemination before. Judge Ferry. Sergeant Gregory, of the Thirteenth precinct, while on duty on Fulton street, near Troy avenue, at an egrly hour yeste: orning, saw two men rolling a barrel of flour across a vacant lot at the junction of Chauncey street. As he approached thein they ran away, leoving the barrel, which was full of flour, be- hind, The flour proved to have been siolen from in front of a grocery store in the vicinity, A thief effected an entrance to the rosidence of W. H. Crafts, No. 7)4 Lafayette avenue, on Saturday night by forcing open @ window on the parlor floor. The value of the ld stolen, consisting of wear- apparel, was $00, | THR HORSE CAR LINES. What Effect the Elevated Roads Have Had Upon Their Business. DSOME PROFITS HW STILL. Some Interesting Figures from the Companies’ Latest Reports. The recent annual reports of the horse car com- panies, made in pursuance of Jaw to the State En- gineer, have again called general attention to the enormous and lucrative business done by these cor- porations. From a careful consideration of these reports, as well as from a diligent inquiry among the representatives of the various horse car companies, most curious and in- structive statistics have been gleaned in ref- erence to the workings of the street railroads of this city. In the outset, however, it is important to remove a popular error which the horse car com- panies have gladly allowed to spring up. They had given out during their whole bitter fight against rapid transit that the elevated railways would virtu- ally ruin them, and to use the popular phraseology “kill their business.” The figures to be presented in this article will show conclusively that the clevated railroads, even when complete, will only slightiy re- duce the fabulous gains of these corporations, which promise to be in the future as flourishing as in the past. ‘Even now,” said a well known railroad man last weck, ‘the Third avenue and Sixth avenue horse car companies are making bigger profits on their investments than the elevated railways, The cost of the horse car lines is, of course, infinitely smaller, and their running expenses are very much lighter. At the same time their traflic has suifered a comparatively small decrease, so that the stockhold- ers of the best lines are still pocketing from twenty to fifty per cent profit on their original investments— far more than the elevated roads can hope to gain.” EFFECTS OF RAPID TRANSI?. A painstaking investigation confirmed the above statement in the main. The only horse car line which would at present be likely to exhibit the full effects ‘of elevated railway competition is the Sixth Avenne, for the Metropolitan Railway has now been running over its tracks for over six months. ‘The Third avenue elevated road is still incomplete and has been running only along a portion of the avenue, so that the horse car line has not yet felt the full effects of rapid transit competition. What has been the decrease in the receipts of the Sixth avenue horse car line for these six months is a most interest- ing question. The company is obliged to make a re- turn of its monthly receipts to the Comptroller's office. Not having yet made their return for Novem- ber the figures for only the first five months are ac- cessible, but those for November will probably not vary materially from those for October, the conditions of the street travel being very much the same during these two months. The following are the receipts of the company from June to November as compared with the same months of the previous year:— Receipts in 1978, $65,209 The decrease in the receipts was as follows:—June, $7,982; July, $7,384; August, $8,037; September, $11,385; October, $12,076, The falling off in June and July, therefore, was about one-ninth of the receipts in 1877, and in the last three months about one-sixth. If this ratio continues the Sixth avenue line will only lose out of the 45,000 to 50,000 passengers which it used to carry, on an average per day less than 8,000 passen- gers. That this comparatively small decrease (for the general opinion previous to the opening of the Metropolitan Railway was that it would take away from a third to a half of the horse car companies’ passengers) Was really caused by rapid transit and not yy accidental canses May be seen from a comparison of the monthly receipts before June, which, as com- pared with 1877, show evon an increase, as follows Receipts in W877. Receipts a 1878, 71,299 $2,681, & above fig show that May is ‘the heaviest month in Sixth avenue travel, and that the receipts of the Metropolitan Railway will probably reach their highest figure next May unless heavy snow blockades on the strect cars should divert an unexpectedly large proportion of the horsecar travel during the next two months. PROFITS OF THE SIXTH AVENUE LINE. In spite of the above decrease of about $36,000 in their receipts to the 30th of September, the Sixth ‘Avenue Horse Car Company was able to pocket a profit of $179,120, or over twenty per cent on a capi- tal of $750,000, according to their own report. It is said that to show that the road had been “ruined” by rapid transit, and thus to enlist the sympathy of the public, no dividend was declared as usual; but, in addition to the $29,120, which figures as “interest,” $150,000 profit was put down under “reduction float- ing debt.” One of the favorite methods of this road to avoid a show of enormous profits has been, it is alleged, to issue Ttificates of indebtedness’ to its stockholders, and, in this way, it has been publicly stated, “a di nd of 100 per cent” was divided by its stockholders in 1874 and 1575. Some of the items in the Sixth Avenue Company's report afford curious reading. ‘Thus the cost of “roadbed and su- erstructure” is put down at over $900,000 for a hors ecar line less than four and a half miies in length, or at about $200,000 per mile. Carefully made published estimates have placed the cost at from $30,000 to $40,000 per mile. The road has 114 cars and 1,191 horses, aud, ac sine, | to the figures of the company, each car must have fost $1,000 (even allow- ing tor wear and tear aud necessary renewal), and each horse and harness about $170. The company has about 250 drivers and conductors, who are put down for $167,589. It will thus be seen that the company expends four times as much on one of its conductors or drivers as it does on one of its horses! For the letting of their car pancls for advertising the company add $1,350 to their receipts, or about $12 per car. THE THIRD AVENUE LINE. Next to the Sixth avenue the business on the Third avenue lie is of the greatest popular interest just now; for, except the former, it has been more largely affected by rapid transit than any other line. ‘this line is generally coneeded to have been a perfect bonanza, and in the dividends of single years the shareholders have received in profits as much as their entire original investment. The Third avenue company also raised the ery that the elevated railway would “ruin” its business and reduce it to beggary. Nevertheless, after the New York Elevated Railway had been in operation to Sixty-seventh street for a portion of the year and had been carrying over fifty thousand passengers per day on Third avenue the compauy 1s still able to pocket a profit of $740,000, or thirty-seven per cent, on a watered capital of $2,000,000, ‘The above thirty-seven per cent profit, in the opin- sion of competent experts, represents at least seventy- five per cent on the original investment, or the cost and equipment of the road. The latter ‘item (cost of road) is modestly stated in the report at over $4,000,000, or more than $500,000 per mile, which would make it cost about twice as much as the ele- vated railway above its tracks, This item will give one aslight idea of the jugglery of figures which the horse car companies display in making up their reports to the State Engineer, in order to show heavy investments, moder- ate profits and, consequently, the utter im- possibility of their paying the city anything for their valuuble franchise, or of reducing their exorbi- tant fares, or of doing anything for their passengers’ comforts, or of paying their conductors and drivers more than starvation wages. Tho average traffic of the Third avenue line last yoar was about eighty-three thousand per day, and the #tatement may well be credited, in view of the enormous profits of the com- peuy, that even ata reduction of tare to three cents the road would pay splendidly, The road has from four to five bund fa drivers and conductors and abont two thousand horses, and this horse car com- pany has also found that it costs—even at $175 per day—more to keep a driver or # conductor than a horse, which costs about forty or fifty cents per day for maintenance! THE SECOND AVENUE LINE. '_The business of the Second avenue road is of special liiterest in view of the prospective constrne- tion of an elevated railway over its line by the Metropolitan Company. This road car- ried last year just about the number car- ried by the Sixth avenue horse Hne, and presumably the Second avenue elevated line would, therefore, oyatrafic equal to that on Sixth avenue. If it be objected that there are more people travelling on Sixth than on Second avenue who can afford to pay ten cents it may bé replied that the five cent, traffic on Second avente would probably be much @reater than on Sixth, partiewarly in the morning. ‘The road has i197 horses and mules, which, with harness, &¢., are stated to have cost $116,616, or less than $100 a piece. ‘The cars were not so cheap, for 167 are put down at $92,800, making 565 for each, still only about half the price put . ‘This, however, is sive of “repairs to cars, harness,” &e., put down $0,139 81, or about $175 additional per car. A curious item is “horseshoeing,” which amounts to no less than $16,503 25—213 86 per horse, oF to little over $1 # month each, e feed of horses absorbs $108,758, or nearly $100 each—lexs than $2 a week per horse, It is evident from these figures that the horses of the Third avenue company are either bag deal hungrier or @ great deal better than those om the agtewt rival line on avenue. The nse of the hated bell- punch last year cost $3,543 53. The company would, therefore, have to have been swindled out of near}; seventy-one thousand fares to even make the pune! pay its expenses and before its use would benefit the road in the least. The use of the bell punch at this expense must, therefore, rest upon the assumption that exch of the 150 conductors would, without the bell punch, opine at least five hundred fares during the year. The income of the company for advertising in their car panels is very light—only $1,200. As there are 167 cars the advertising in each car pays only little over $7 per annum—$5 less than the cars of the Sixth avenue line, FIGURES OF OTHER LivEs, ‘The figures of the other street car lines would be very instructive if they would tell the “true inward- ness” of their business. As it is, they haye to be ac- cepted with great reservations, petouae as to the real amounts of capital, which in nearly been immensely watered; indebtedness, cost of road, &c, Bus even according to their own showing th horse car lines have not done badly in this new era of rapid transit, which, it was , would kill the horse car business altogether, The Broadway and Seventh avenue lines (one company) managed to divide $318,500 profit, besides purchasing bob- tail cars to the tune of $37,852, These two lines carried 1,000,000 passengers less than in 1877, but still they carried about 50,000 per day. It is evident that the Metropolitan Railway; took more passengers from these two lines than rd took from the Sixth avenue, which latter in the cor- responding period had lost less than six hundred thousand passengers, The Eighth Avenue Compan; Jost about half a million sengers (as contre with the previous year) in the four months covered by these reports during which the Metropolitan road was running—namely, June, July, August September, Even this road divided $155,220 profite, It would appear incredible had not people read the company’s oficial statement to the State Engineer that the cost of this road and its equipment is stated at nearly $2,000,000. One of “the most inter. esting features of the business of this road in view of the extension of the Metropolitan Rail- way is its trafic above the park. The road charges another fare of five cents beyond the Park; so that it costs ten cents to ride say from Fortieth street and Eighth avenue to Seventieth street and Eighth aye- nue, From 110th street to the Harlem River the Metropolitan road will pass right over the tracks of the Bighth avenue horse car line, and it is, therefore, significant to learn that even the horse car line con- veys 8,500 passengers per day between Fifty-ninth street and the Harlem River. The Belt line carries about forty thousand passengers per day, and last year divided about $300,000 profit, As a rule it may be set down that even to-day, in spite of rapid tran- sit, there is no business in the whole city of New York so lucrative as that of the horse car lines, REDUCE THE FARES, Perhaps the most striking fact in looking at the horse car companies’ reports, next to their almost fabulous profits, is the smallness of the pittanc which these creations of the law pay back to the co munity that affords them these magnificent fran- chises, They only pay taxes on their real estate. Thus the ‘Third avenue, with a stated cost of road of 2 y pays $07,361 taxes; the Sixth avenue pays only $1 ; the Second avenue only $14,677; the Broadway and Seventh avenue, $28,797; the Fighth avenue, $21,793; the Belt line, according to” its official published report,’ pays no taxes at all. In view of the vast. gains of these corporations two boat ge “a have fre- quently been urged, and no doubt ‘will be brought again before the Legislature—first, to amend the charters of these companies, so as to compel roads like the Third avenue and the Sixth avenue to reduce their fares, and, second, to require them to pay ali cense fee into the city treasury for every car run by them. It is generally thought that a fee of $200 per annum for every such car could very well be paid by nearly every large company, and such a license fee would net the city treasury over $250,000 per year, When it is considered that a Third avenue or Sixth avenue car returns the company over $7,000 per an+ num, @ license tax of $200 is not deemed excessive, Lut it appears to be now the determination of thosa who patronize the horse cars most, and have most to suffer from their systematic impositions upon the public, that they must be made to render, either in cheap fares or in taxes, an equivalent for the valuable privileges which for so many years they have gratui- tously enjoyed. REPORT OF THE TWENTY-THIRD STREET CROSS- TOWN BAILROAD. ALBANY, Dec. 14, 1878, The following is the report of the Twenty-third Street Crosstown Railroad :— 1877. 1878, Capital stock (by charter). $600,000 $600,000 Amount subscribed. 600,000 600,000 Amount paid in. 600,000 600,000 Funded debt.. 335,665 388,665 Floating debt. see ,000 55,004 COST OF ROAD AND EQUIPMENT, Roadbed, superstructure and $150,000 paid the city $577,274 Land, buildings, &c. Cars, horses, &c. Cars and sleighs...... Totals...... Repairs—roadbed, &c. ‘Taxes on real estate. Operating road and repairs. Intercet...... 006+ * Payments on account of Bleecker Street Railroad... Bleecker street stock! terms of lease. TOtAls cas as s00cye45 Number passengers carried: Number Cars..e.cseesseees Number of horses and inules Number persons killed... Number persons injured. In the report last year Bleecker Street and Fulton cern} ; o nha Railroad were so cluded, as a lease line to the present com » but this year no mention is made of it. ans JOHN E. VASSAR. ‘Ihe Church of the Holy Trinity, on Forty-secon@ street and Madison avenue, was filled last evening, the occasion being the memorial services of the late Uncle Jolin Vassar, for many years a colporteur of the American Tract Society, of this city. Clergymen from this city and Brooklyn, who were intimate with him in his early life work in the army, spoke of his faithtnl service in saving souls. x, Stephen ‘Tyng, Jr., feelingly allu to Uncle John Vassar in a general way when he gave out the hymns and in prayers. The Rev. Mr. Shearer said that Mr. Vassar was a man truly called of God, and he was one that replied, He was not an anointed laborer in his vine- yard, for Uncle John, he said, was not ordained a minister by the laying on of hands, One time bis regiment sent him home to be ordained a minister and be their chaplain, but he returned his license to preach, and afterward came back to the regiment. In his early life he went to the far away West—to Ilinois— to the no God towns, as they were called. He labored. there, and his labor was recognized. He then went to Cleveland, and from that day to the day of his death he worked and prayed steadfastly. In recon- struction times he went through North and South Carolina and Georgia, and thence to the far West. Ho prayed earnestly among the Mormons, the Chinese and the miners. In the slums and dens in San Fran- ciseo he cheert uy Reret with the vilest of the vil and died as he had lived, at his prayers. Rey. Justin D. Fulton and J. Hyatt Smith, of Broo! lyn, gave a detailed account of the latter part of his lite, and General Clinton B. Fisk of his work in the late rebellion, GENERAL LIEBENAU’S FUNERAL, ‘The funeral of the late General Joseph H. Licbenau, whose death oceurred suddenly at his residence last Friday afternoon, took place yesterday from the Church of the Heavenly Rest, Fifth avenue and Forty- fifth street. The church was crowded with people long betore the hour for the ceremonies to commence und a number of private cabs were standing along the avenue, ‘Lhe veterans of the National Guard were present, and also the officers and members of the Seventh regiment, headed by Colonel. Em- mons Clark. ‘he members of Kane Lod and Jernsalem Chapter, No. 8, R. A. M., wit! which General Lievenau was connected, nded, ‘The exercises, which were very inposine commenced precisoly at one o'clock, and each of the follows clergymen made short addresses:—Rev. Dr. 8. Wee ton, chaplain of the Seventh regiment; Rev. J. Tuttle Smith and Rev. Dr. Denison, chaplains of the Vet- erans; Kev. Dr. Woodruff, chaplain of Kane Lodyey and the Rev. Dr. Howland, rector of the church. the close of the ceremonies the ion filed out of the church, led by the Rev. Dr. Howland, followed by General Shaler and the officers of the Seventh regi- ment. Then came the coffin, on which lay the mili- tary cap of the late General, and next the mourners, ‘The interment took place in Trinity Cemetery, A WOULD-BE SUICIDE. From the officials of the Enrigrants’ Hospital on Ward's Island there came to the Coroner's office, on Saturday night, @ notification that a man who had attempted suicide was lying there in a very precari- ous condition, Ten days fore he had taken @ antity of Paris green for the purpose of self-de- struction. Medical assistance was summoned and all sorts of expedionts sought to destroy the poison. But it had been taken in quantities too tongs to be easily ot rid of, and when the victim of his own rashness ad languished for over a week at bis brother's house his relatives thought it prudent to have him removed to the hospital, Coroner Woltman on Saturday night found a man of twenty-nine, Herman Schmidt eee, in a semi- unconscious condition, After a ‘while he ralli said he was & native of Limburg, in Gestanay. pa had come to this country in Angust last. He had first gone to the residence of his brother at No. 635 Ninth avenue, where he followed the business of @ butcher. Disheartened by troubles he did not de fine, he grew tired ot his condition and determined to ond his life by taking poison. With this view he had swallowed a quantity of Paris green which he had ent 5 oe he poe ttn “n'a was all the statement he was able to make when insensibili brovented further spook,