ow Grand Rapids Gossip Doneth Bros. have opened a_ grocery store at Pomona. The Worden Co. furnished the stock. Grocer W. E. Cornwell has embarked in the grocery business at Lawrence. The Worden Grocer Co. furnished the stock. ‘ Geo. Golds has purchased the gro- cery stock of M. A. Cole at 367 South East street and will remove his grocery stock from 363 Suuth East street to that location, where he will continue the business. Edward C. Jenkins has purchased the interest of Chas. H. Bradford in the grocery stock of Jenkins & Bradford and will continue the business at 22 West Bridge street under the style of Jenkins & Co. The Grand Rapids Cedar Co. has pur- chased the Chapman sawmill at Pent- water, which will be torn down and at once moved to Petoskey, where the company has enough cedar to keep it running for some time to come. John S. Lawrence, receiver of the Northern National Bank of Big Rapids, informs the Tradesman that he has not disposed of the bank building to H. M: Simons, of Franklin, Ohio, or any other proposed purchaser, but that a deed of the property can be obtained from him at any time on the basis of $10,000 cash. The appraisers employed by the Pen- insular Trust Co. inventory the shoe stock of Michael Ehrman at $6,606. 43, from which goods to the amount of $634.05 have been replevined by cred- itors, leaving goods to the amount of $5,972.38 still on hand. The liabilities set forth in the assignment are $8, 584.66. The stock will be sold at public sale Nov. 4. Geo. H. Remirgton and Frank L, Orcutt have formed a copartnership under the style of Remington & Orcutt and will handle potatoes and other produce in carlots. Mr. Remington was formerly engaged in the retail gro- cery business in this city and Bangor, and has also been identified with the Musselman Grocer Co. and Moseley Bros. Mr. Orcutt has been engaged in the produce business at Muskegon and Minneapolis for the past dozen years. The new peddling law, which was attacked in the Kent Circuit Court last week on the ground that it is invalid, _was subsequently held unconstitutional by Judge Adsit. Prosecuting Attorney Rodgers insists that the learned iudge is wrong in his conclusions, and has taken steps to appeal the matter to the Supreme Court, and will press for an early hearing, with a view to having the matter definitely settled within sixty days. The chief ground on which the law was held invalid is that, in the opinion of Judge Adsit, it provided for two distinct objects—the licensing of peddlers and pawnbrokers. In_ the original draft of the measure, no mention was made of pawnbrokers, but, in the cathauling it subsequently received at the hands of the wise solons at Lansing, several additions were made to the measure which were not contemplated when the bill was prepared. It is barely possible that the Consoli- dated Store Service Co. possesses valid patents and that the various cash carrier systems now in use by merchants all over the country are infringements of MICHIGAN TRADESMAN such patents, but the methods adopted by the attorneys of. the Consolidated Store Service Co. are not such as to cause the people to believe that the patents are either valid or valuable. After beginning a suit against a mer- chant at Traverse City and _ another against a merchant at Benton Harbor, the attorneys of the company began writing a series of threatening letters to users of alleged infringing devices with a view to forcing settlement in advance of the adjudication of the patent in the United States Court. The usual course to pursue in such cases is to first ob- tain a favorable decision and then to go after infringers in sledge hammer fashion. It is, of course, possible that the suits recently instituted will result favorably for the plaintiff, but the ac- tivity of the attorneys to effect settle- ment in advance of the trial of the cases naturally leads to the suspicion that the outcome in court is not looked forward to with confidence by the attor- neys having the matter in charge. The Produce Market. Apples—Northern Spys are about the only variety of winter fruit in market, commanding $2@2.25 per bbl. The stock is not strictly No. 1, but is fair in quality. Butter—Separator creamery is strong- ly held at 23'%c, with indications of still higher prices in prospect. Dairy grades are so scarce as to be practically out of market, all arrivals being promptly taken on the basis of about 20c for fancy. Cabbage—35c per doz. Carrots—25c per bu. Cauliflower—75c@$1 per doz. Celery—8@toc per bunch. Cranberries—The market is steady and receipts are liberal. Cape Cods are coming freely, commanding $6.50 per bbl. Eggs—Local dealers pay 14%c, case count, holding at 15c, case count, or 16c for fancy candled. Very few poor eggs are now coming forward. Grapes—New York Concords com- mand 12c for 8 Ib. baskets. Honey—The market is steady, with none too much stock on the market White clover is held» at 12c and dark buckwheat at Ioc. Lemons—New California fruit is on the market and is selling at the same figures as Messinas. Movement is light. Lettuce—Hot house goods fetch 15c per lb. Onions—Home grown are still held at 60c. Spanish command $1.75 per crate. Oranges—Not enough Jamaicas are on the market to demand quotations. Mexicans are a little easier this week. Pears—Keefers command $3.50 per bbl. Potatoes—The market is recovering from the effects of the recent warm wave, and off and heated stock which has served to hold down the price at some of the Southern markets has been pretty well cleaned up. A good healthy tone prevails and, unless all signs fail, the tendency in prices will be upward from now on. Quinces—The market is dull, jobbers holding their stocks at 75c per bu., with few takers, Squash—t!c per Ib. Sweet Potatoes—All varieties are in good demand and are slightly higher at primary markets. Genuine Jerseys com- mand $3.25, while Virginias and Illinois are held at $2@2.25. Tomatoes—Offerings are poor in qual- ity, but the demand still continues and jobbers undertake to meet the demand on the basis of about Soc per bu. a The reason why so few marriages are happy is because young ladies spend their time in making nets, not in making cages. —_——_+-2 We all pray for a long life, but few of us pray for a good one, The Grocery Market. Sugar—A decline of K@c in all grades of refined sugars was ordered Monday by the refining company. It is supposed to have been made to en- courage the demand for sugar, as the season for active buying ends earlier than usual this year on account of the scarcity and high price of the late fruits. The reduction in prices appar- ently came too late, as distributers have already felt the dulness and are content with their present light supplies. Re- tailers as well as wholesalers have small stocks on hand, while the refining com- pany bas quite large stocks at all points. Coffee—The market continues easy on account of enormous receipts and constantly increasing accumulations at primary markets. The flowering for the new crop also gives excellent promise of another yield of liberal proportions. Tea—The scarcity of cheap teas in this and other markets is bringing out old stocks which have been held at va- rious points. Dusts are moving better, but there is little that may be called a bargain in cheap teas. The movement is only for immediate demand, for there is no speculative spirit in the market. Cheese— Michigan factories are gen- erally sold up pretty close, so that an unusually small amount of stock will be in makers’ hands on Nov. 1. Jobbers generally are not well supplied with Michigan goods and are beginning to bring in York and Wisconsin makes, although the consumer does not take so kindly to cheddar goods as to the loose, porous, spongy cheese which is a characteristic of Michigan facto- ries. Michigan makers generally resent the action of the State Board of Agri- culture in employing a Wisconsin maker as- instructor for the special course in cheesemaking at the Agricultural Col- lege this winter, on the ground that it is useless to teach cheddar cheesemaking to makers who cannot find a market for cheddar goods without sending them out of the State, because the people of Michigan have been educated to take Michigan cheese and will not purchase the close, meaty output of other states so long as the product of their own fac- tories is available. New Dried Fruits—Dried apples are strong and higher and several houses at this market have no supplies of either-sun- dried or evaporated. Apricots are steady, as are peaches, The stocks are in good shape. Prunes are still low and not yet inclined to recover from their decline. In raisins ‘and prunes there is not as much spot stock in the city as usual, as the producers on the West Coast are not consigning as much as they have hitherto done. New figs have ar- rived in this market. The first receipts have been in bad condition, in some cases not fit for satisfactory handling. The movement of dried fruits is rather slower than expected. Reports from the West have been to the effect that rain damage would shorten the raisin stock enough to make an advance necessary. Orders are fewer because of the ad- vance, while shipments at opening figures are coming from the Coast. The market on the Coast is reported very firm. The output of Washington prunes this season is estimated at 300 cars, and of Oregons at 200 cars, but, as with al! Coast prunes this fall, there is a shortage of the larger sizes. Provisions—No changes in quotations are to be noted this week, but the un- usual condition of bacon selling at from 1@1%c above hams is still continued, and the demand for bacon at this price 6 is almost unprecedented, while the trade in hams is dull. It seems that this con- dition could not hold long. Hams have not shown a tendency to advance since May. oe Hides, Pelts and Furs. The hide market of Michigan is well sustained in advanced prices, caused by scarcity and tariff. have but little stock and an abundance of feed, and at present are slow sellers. The majority of farmers have a revenue from good crops and good prices and are not so anxious to sell stock off the farm as in the past few years, when the rule was to sell anything that would bring cash. Again, our city and country markets are well supplied with meats from the large slaughtering points, which lessens the take off at home What effect the tariff will have on the hide product is still a moted question. At present it has helped advance prices, apparently, but many tanners claim it will result in lower values, caused by bringing into use many imitations of leather to cheap- en their work. Present values of leather give tanners a good margin for tannage, especially in lighter stock ; but possibly not the enormous profits they have had in past few years on account of the ex- tremely low value of hides. The demand is good for all grades, and a strong market is kept well cleaned up. Pelts are high; in fact, pullers have been paying mere for wool on the pelt than it would bring off the skin. This has been checked the past week, partly from a slacking off in the sales of wool. Wool manufacturers preferred to run on their present holdings and not buy ahead until they could get a correspond- ing advance on their goods. Wool is held strong at advanced prices, with good stocks on hand and no forced offerings, holders believing their stocks good property ona mar- ket 2@3c below the importing point, and an advancing market abroad, with small supply abroad suitable for Amer- Growers ican demand. A large shortage the world over will have a tendency to ad- vance prices on this commodity and stocks will be wanted when buying for the heavy weight goods begins in De- cember and January. There is sence of all speculation, present. The fur season is about opening, with buyers making up their lists and feeling for the fall demand to know where to base their prices. Dame Fashion con- trols this to quite an extent and, while she has issued her decree, we must wait the effects of promulgating it among the people. Wm. t. Hess. —~> 2 ~<-— an ab- however, at Jackson Jottings. Conway & Cronin have opened a gro- cery store at 140 West Main street, at the location formerly occupied by Jf. C. Norris. The store is newly and neatly furnished. The stuck was purchased in Chicago. Cunningham & Waterman have opened a new grocery store at the cor- ner of Steward avenue and West Gan- sen street. The stock was purchased 1n Detroit. Lincoln Bros., grocers at 300 Steward avenue, have taken another brother into partnership and have purchased the stock of groceries and fixtures at 208 Williams street. Thev will conduct both stores. Frank Cook has_ purchased the gro- cery stock and fixtures of C. Brown, at the corner of Fourth and Franklin streets, and will continue the business. ee Ask Visner for Inducement on Gillies’ New York spice contest. Phone 1489.