Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 19, Number 20, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 November 1897 — WEEK’S TRADE NEWS. [ARTICLE]

WEEK’S TRADE NEWS.

BRADSTREET’S TAKES A FAVORABLE VIEW. Rains in Western States Have Favored Farmers and Stimulated Retail Business-Growth of Pension RollFatal Quarrel Over a Settlement. Waiting Seasonable Weather. Bradstreet's commercial report says: “Killing frosts South, the raising of quarantine embargoes at nearly all States invaded by yellow fever, the resumption of traffic and a prospective revival in demand for staple merchandise constitute the trade features of the week. Rains in central western and western States, followed by colder weather, have favored farmers and stimulated demand from interior storekeepers. This has had a favorable effect at Louisville, St. Louis and Kansas City. Jobbers in northwestern States are awaiting seasonable weather to stimulate the movement of heavy .dry goods and winter clothing. Leading manufacturing industries continue fairly well employed. In addition to lower prices for Southern and Bessemer pig and for steel billets, quotations for naval stores, wools, copper, coffee, pork, flour, oats and wheat are lower, while those for cotton, print cloths, sugar and beef are.unchanged, and for Indian corn and lead, are a shade higher. Wheat exports—flour included as wheat—from both coasts of the United States and from Montreal this week aggregate 5,575,216 bushels, compared with 5,911,391 bushels last week. Exports of Indian corn this week amount to 2,199,550 bushels, compared with 1,589,000 bushels last week.”

Pension Roll Has Grown. The first annual report of Commissioner of Pensions H. Clay Evans to the Secretary of the Interior at Washington has been made public. A summary follows: “There were added to the rolls during the year the names of 50,101 new pensioners, and there were restored to the rolls 3,971 pensioners who had been previously dropped; a total of 54,072. During the same period the losses to the roll were 31,960 by death, 1,074 by remarriage of widows and mothers, 1,845 by legal limitation (minors), 2,683 for failure to claim pension for three years and 4,560 for other causes; an aggregate of 41,122. The whole number of pensioners on the rolls June 30, 1897, was 976,014. The net gain over the previous year was 5,336. The amount disbursed for pensions by the pension agents during the year was $139,799,242.12, and the amount disbursed by treasury settlement was $150,475.23; a total of $139,949,717. This exceeds the amount disbursed during the fiscal year 1896 by the sum of $1,584,480.” Sinking of a Steamer. Nineteen lives were lost by the sinking of the steamer Idaho of the 'Western Transit line. The accident happened off Leng Point, in Lake Erie, about sixtyfive miles west of Buffalo, on the Canadian side. A strong southwest gale was blowing at the time. Off Long Point the steamer shipped a big sea, which quenched the fires in the engines and the boat was helpless. The captain and crew were lowering the lifeboat when the vessel gave a lurch and wont down on her side, stern first. Two of the crew managed to reach the top of a single spar that stood above the water. There they clung until eight hours later, when they were discovered by the outlook on the Mariposa of the Minnesota line.