Jasper County Democrat, Volume 2, Number 37, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 December 1899 — Business Situation. [ARTICLE]

Business Situation.

Chicago Correspondence: The last month of the year is one when the business world c|cans house and makes preparations for the new year, and a slight lull is noted in some branches of trade. Manufacturing' plants which have filled their orders or nearly so are reported to be making slight concessions in prices in order to secure new business. During the present month the greatest activity will probably be in the retail trade. There is every indication that Christinas shopping will be on an extensive scale.

If has been an exciting week in the stock markets. The reference to trusts in the President's message was made the excuse by the professional bear element in Wall street for a smashing raid on the entire group of industrial stocks, and during the greater part of the time the market has been demoralized. In the case of the iron and steel stocks, the declines have been sharp, prices for the common shares going to the lowest points seen this year. The bears have been aided in their efforts by the money market, which is again showing a decided tendency to harden as the time approaches for making*provision for the heavy dividend and interest’ payments due the first of the year. Grain markets were fairly active this week and at better prices. Wheat that looked so hopelessly depressed a week ago developed unexpected stmgth and gained 2 cents a bushel. Corn also disappointed the bears and advanced in the face of considerable effort to direct its course in the opposite direction. Wheat wns influenced chiefly by the falling off in the receipts from farmers in the NorthWest, and corn by the fact of receipts, already small, giving no indication of substantial enlargement in the near future as had been confidently expected by a good many usually well-informed speculators.