‘Michigan ‘Trades es VOL. 2. GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 1, 1884. Mall. JOHN CAULFIELD Is our Agent in Grand Rapids for our FAMOUS GALVANIC SOAK The best easy washer manufactured. B, J, JOHNSON & C0,, MILWAUKEE. BANNERS! We are prepared to get up on short notice Banners and Transparencies of all kinds. Let- tered, with or without Portraits of Candidates. Ropes to put up same also furnished. State size you want and we will quote prices. JOBBERS OF HORSE COVERS, OILED CLOTH- ING, AWNINGS, TENTS, ETC., ETC. ALBERT GOYE & SONS, 73 Canal Street. GRAND RAPIDS, - MICHIGAN. A. A. ORIPPEN, WHOLESALE Hats, Caps and Furs 54 MONROE STREET, GRAND RAPIDS, - MICHIGAN. We carry a Large Stock, and Guarantee Prices as Low as Chicago and Detroit. SHEDS FIELD AND GARDEN, e._A JT. WHOLESALE AND RETAIL, SEED STORE, 91 Canal St., Grand Rapids, Mich. W.T. LAMOREAUY, Agent DILWORTH'S, —THE— BEST ROASTED PACKAGE COFFEE ON THE MARKET. FOR FOX, Musselman & Loveridee Factory Agents for Western Michigan. SHRIVER, WEATHERLY: & GO, Grand Rapids, Mich., Wholesale and Retail IRON PIPE, Brass Goons, Iron AND Brass FITTINGS MANTLES, GRATES, GAS FIXTURES, PLUMBERS, STEAM FITTERS, SALE BY —And Manufacturers of— Galvanized Iron Cornice. THE GRAND RAPIDS J 4 i) 7 if (Established 1866) is acknowledged to be the most complete,thorough, practical, economical and truly popular school of its kind. Demand for its graduates greater than the supply. For particulars enclose stamp for College Jour- nal. Address Cc. G. SWENSBERG, Grand Rapids, Mich. DO YOU KNOW —THAT— Lorillard’s Clima= PLUG TOBACCO With Red Tin Tag, is the best? Is the purest; is never adulterated with glucose, barytes, mo- lasses or any deleterous ingredients, as 18 the case with many other tobaccos? Lorillard’s Rose Leaf Fine Cut Tobacco is also made of the finest stock, and for aro- matic chewing quality is second to none. Lorillard’s Navy Clippings take first rank as a solid durable smoking to- bacco wherever introduced. Lorillard’s Famous Snuffs have been used for over 1% years, and are a old to a larger extent than any others. W. N. FULLER & CO DESIGNERS AND Enerayers on Wood, Fine Mechanical and Furniture Work, In- cluding Buildings, Etce., 49 Lyon St., Opposite Arcade, GRAND RAPIDS = MICH. EDMUND B. DIKEMAN, GREAT WATCH MAKER, ssi i R, « 44 CANAL STREET, GRAND RAPIDS, = MICHIGAN OYSTERS! We duplicate Chicago and Detroit prices and guarantee as strictly fresh stock and as well filled cans as any in the market—at bottom prices. SEEDs! Clover, Timothy and all kinds field seeds at bottom prices. Write for quotations when in need of seeds. Oranges and Lemons Green and Dried Fruits, Butter, Eggs, and all kinds of Produce. MOSELEY BROS., 122 Monroe Street, Grand Rapids, Michigan. M. M. HOUSEMAN, ATTORNEY AT LAW, ROOMS 7 AND 8 HOUSEMAN BUILDING, GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. COMMERCIAL LAW A_ SPECIALTY. RETAILERS, If you are selling goods to make a profit, sell LAVINE WASHING POWDER: This Washing Powder pays the Retailer a larger profit than any in the Market, and is put up in handsome and attractive packages with picture cards with each case. We guar- antee it to be the best Washing Powder made and solicit a trial order. See prices in Price-List. Hartford Chemical Co HAWKINS & PERRY STATE AGENTS, GRAND RAPIDS, = MICHIGAN. §.A. WELLING WHOLESALE MEN'S FURNISHING GOODS LDmbermal’s Supplies —AND— NOTIONS! PANTS, OVERALLS, JACKETS, SHIRTS, LADIES’ AND GENTS’ HOSIERY, UNDER- WEAR, MACKINAWS, NECKWEAR, SUS- PENDERS, STATIONERY, POCKET CUT- TLERY, THREAD, COMBS, BUTTONS, SMOK- ERS’ SUNDRIES, HARMONICAS, VIOLIN STRINGS, ETC. T am represented on the road by the fol- lowing well-known travelers: JoHN D. MAN- cum, A. M. SpraGcvur, JoHN H. EACKER, L. R. Cesna, Gro. W. N. DE JONGE. FRANK BERLES ~ House Salesman. 24 Pearl Street - Grand Rapids, Mich, THE FINANCIAL SITUATION. lV. Josevh O. Rutter in the Current. The inquiry is always at hand: “What will Congress do, oy, what ought to be done, in the way of legislation upon the silver question, and on monetary matters generally?” No one can tell what Congress will do upon either of these questions. A remedy might be found for a part of our financial difficulties by doing away with the legal tender character of our treasury notes, permitting them to still re- main in circulation as a money medium in the nature of a demand indebtedness. Further help might be found in the issuance, in simple form and in small denominations, of deben- tures payable five, seven and ten years from their date, at a very low, but cumulative rate of interest, with which to retire an equal amount of bonds at a higher rate. Both of these might be made lawful reserve for the national banks, and they would no doubt readily pass current as money. The latter form would, after a time, be sought after by banks and hoarders. Inthis way large amounts of money in old stockings, etc., to which previous allusion has been made, would return to do its work. All denominations ot notes, Government and National Bank, under $10, might be retired. This would give a place for silver and gold, which would be used plenti- fully, while the volume of paper would not be decreased. The volume of paper money would practically operate as if an increase had been made. And this is required by the ever- extending area of territory falling within the lines of settlement, as well as to supply the place of the amount continued to be hoarded. The dangers anticipated through the contrac- tion of the National bank circulation now go- ing on, and which it is expected will increase because of the small profit arising from it, will be avoided, while the banks themselves might, in fact should, be relieved from any deposit of bonds in the United States treasury, the neces- sity of providing amarket for the bonds, which was the chief cause of that provision in the “law,” having passed away. The tax upon Na- tional Bank Note circulation should be repeal- ed. The advantages gained to the banks through their circulating notes would be small enough even then. There can be no doubt that the coinage of the silver dollar of the present standard of fineness can be carried much too far, and will y reach a point where a limit should be put to it: If Congress would have the country escape the mischievous results which will follow of necessity from a greatly debased coinage, the bi-metalic standard, as we are accustomed to call it, will have to be kept up on the basis of equity of value, and it must be maintained if we are desirous of keeping a fair, and we might almost say tangible, value to labor and properties. Reduced to the mono-metalic or gold standard, as a measure of value, and the purchasing power of money so greatly in- creased as it would be, all properties would be lowered and labor much reduced in price. To the few who enjoy accumulated wealth, this would be in effect like a large increase of income, and they would rejoice; but to the great masses of the people it means anything but good, for the reason that under such con- ditions labor would be cheaper than anything else. There seems to be no good reason why a large profit should be made by the ggvern- ment in the purchase and coinage of silver any more than of gold. To a coinage of sufficient fineness a8 to rep- resent a true value, the objection is made that it would be bulky, etc. Why cannot a plan be made practicable to have the purchase of silver by the government made, as now, in bullion, this bullion stored away, and silver certificates issued based upon the bullion val- ue? This would enable the silver to be used for export, equally with gold; would allow of the continued development of our silver mines, and these certificates, asacirculating medium, would enable the holder to feel that there was an actual value, face for face, especially pledged for their redemption. Under a tem- porary fluctuating market there might, at times, be some risk of a loss to the govern- ment by an unusual decline in the values of bullion. As, however, it holds a very large sum, gained by the coinage of the debased dollar, it would be amply protected against such risk, and the fund accumulated in this way could, with propriety, be held for such a purpose. As the fluctuation in value of bul- lion would probably cease after the tentative condition bad passed, at least in any‘extensive or violent way, the continuing losses would not ordinarily be great, even if the accumulat- ed profits on coinage were exhausted in inaug- urating the change. This would largely do away with the objection manifested by banks, through the clearing houses, to the use of sil- ver certificates; and what could be better in the way of security for the people to hold, and hoard, if they so desired? These silver bullion certificates should be in denominations suitable for passing as money. In view of the lossess which depositors have sustained through the failure of certain classes of savings banks, and the indiscriminate as- saults made uponthe management and char- acter of savings banks as a whole, it is not to be wondered at that many people who are ac- customed, by economy and thrift, to hold a littlestore of savings for possible future wants, should prefer to trust to the seclusion of se- cret hiding-places, rather than place their funds where they can be made to earn a mod- erate interest. The saving banks of this country have been punished to some extent in consequence of the dereliction of a few of them who have unfortunately been in positions where the disposition of their managers to do mischief could find play. This is very unjust to the large number of those institutions whose affairs are carefully and honestly man- aged. The public should be encouraged to avail themselves of such sources of deposit. In the aggregate the interest thus secured would be very large, while the general benefit afforded to the community by restoring large amounts of the actual circulation of the coun- try, would be incalculable. When the savings are large enough to warrant it, the ownership of small improved real property in all growing cities would be a valuable investment. Such property is always certain of a fair rental, and, if the investment is made with a good degree of judgment, willin all cases improve in val- ue as the population grows larger ‘and wealth | | increases. It will be well to bear in mind the fact that, under the impulse and excitement | attending the panic which caused the large | savings bank failures, there were many sacri- | fices of assets and large expenses incurred which might have been avoided, had calmer | counsels prevailed, and the courts, in some in- | stances, been less ready to mingle financial | with legal administration. It is impossible to point out, in detail, for publication, all the / evils which are to he found in the business | world, or to point a specfic remedy ‘for them. Neither can we wash out the past with asponge and start anew ona pertectly clean and cor- rect footing. It is always easier to find defects than it is to remedy them. The present time, however, seems favorable to the success of an effort to correct some of the initial causes from which difficulty *issure to follow. The necessaries for the maintainance of life are generally cheap. The materials which enter into daily use are equally so. The promise of the harvest field is abundant, and if we can do away with, or check, the roots of the diseases which have inflicted their disastrous conse- quences upon us, we may go a long time be- fore we are again prostrated by them. If we do not a revival of our commercial, mechanical, and agricultural interests will operate simply as a palliative, the effect of which will be stim- ulating for atime, but, rapidly becoming ex- hausted, will be followed, in turn, with a future period of disappointment and distress. oo Oe BUSINESS LAW. Brief Digests of Recent Decisions in Courts of Last Resort. SALE OF GOODS—EVIDENCE OF FRAUD. After the sale of goods and an actual and no- torious change of possession the employment of the vendor as a salesman or clerk is not of itself conclusive evidence of fraud. So held by the Supreme Court of Dakota in the case of Grady vs. Baker. TENANTS IN COMMON. The Supreme Court of North Carolina holds that the possession of one tenant in common is the possession of the other, and no action can be maintained for the specific personal proper- ty held by one of the tenants against the other, unless the property has been destroyed or car- ried out of the State. SEPARATE ESTATE. When a married woman having separate es- tate makes a note for her own benefit, the pre- sumption is that she intended to bind such es- tate; and that presumption is not destroyed by the fact that the payee of the note requires her to keep the property, on which the note is alien, insured._Kentucky Court of Appeals. PARTNERSHIP—DEBTOR. One partner may become the debtor of the firm of which he is a member, and he may law- fully secure such debt in the same manner that he can secure any other creditor. His con- fession of judgment in favor of the firm for such debt, if made bona fide, is good against subsequent lien creditors.—Supreme Court of Pepnsylvania. FRAUDULENT ALTERATION OF CERTIFICATE OF DEPOSIT. When one holding a banker’s certificate of deposit allows another person to fill up the printed form so as to draw 10 per cent. inter- est, no such rate being agreed upon by the banker, the alteration is‘ fraudulent and the certificate is void in the hands of the holder, according to the decision of the Supreme Court of Iowa. ASSIGNMENTS OF CORPORATE PROPERTY. The Supreme Court of Missouri holds that an assignment of all the assets of an insolvent corporation for the benefit of creditors, if made by the Board of Directors without the consent of the stockholders, is ultra vires and void, but only as against the stockholders. A creditor of the corporationcan not make the objection. CONSTRUCTION OF DEED. According to a recent decision of the Mary- land Court of Appeals where a grantor uses the words“‘the descendants of any deceased child to take the part, or share which it or their}Jparent would, if living, be entitled to, tobe then con- veyed, assigned and delivered over to the said children and theirdescendants in manner afore- said,” the grant includes descendants of child- ren, and is not limited to children as would be the case if the word “survivors” only was used. FIRE INSURANCE—CHATTEL MORTGAGE. Where the amount secured by a policy of fire insurance upon A’s goods, running to A, is made payable to B, as his interest may appear (that interest being represented asa chattel mortgage), and a loss occurs, a creditor of A may properly garnishee the insurance money in the hands of the insurer, and the garnish- ment proceedings, into which B has come as a “claimant,” such creditormay properly attack and call into question B’s mortgage being fraudulent and void as to A’screditors. So held by the Supreme Court of Minnesota. —————_»> oe The mummy of an ox that has lain on an al- kali field near Dayton, Nev., for over two years, has been colonized by a swarm of bees, and the interior of the careass is fullof honey. The skin is intact over the entire skeleton and is asrigid as iron. The bees pass in and out of the mouth of the animal. To mect the demand of milk, cream and but- ter, 2 number of Florida farmers last year im- ported Jersey and Alderney cows. Nearly all have since died from eating poisonous grass. Calves are now being tried in the hope that they will learn to discriminate. New York sells annually about 100,000,000 pounds of butter, of which, says the United States commissioner of agriculture, between 40,000,000 and 60,000,000 million pounds are bo- gus. It is now stated that 16,000,000 sheep have died in Australia, owing to the drought of the past year, and that the clip may be 80,000,000 pounds short. American beef in the English markets is now sold as Scotch, and as such brings four cents more per pound than under its true name. This is Oregon’s fruit year, and there is a great demand for fruit establishments to save that part of the crop not needed for shipment. California’s wheat crop has for years been more valvable than her yield of gold, which is likely to be soon beaten also by her fruits. “ DON’T.” | Practical Hints of Interest to All Deals, Don’t send in your orders until the last min- | ute. It extends the weary jobber’s summer | rest. | Don’t fail to throw this paper away. If you} keep it, you might get a valuable pointer now | and then. Don’t loose a chance to talk politics with | your customer. It helps to sell goods and im- | proves his temper. | Don’t discourage loafing around your store. | It makes it pleasant for lady customers, and gives your place an air of business. Don’t get a new sign or make improvements. Folks will think you are getting along in the! world. | Don’t handle outside lines. There is too | much profit in it, and you might get rich and! stuck up. Don’t fail to make people think you know it all. They like to hear your chin music. Don’t let a customer think you are too anx- ious. Crawl out from behind the stove, and ask them to wait until you light your pipe. Go slow. Don’t have any fixed price. Stick aman for all he is worth. Big profits are what you want. Don’t show goods too much. It hurts them and cultivates bad habits in Jady customers. Trot out the article you like best, and make them buy it. Don’t imagine for a minute that it takes knack and skill to sell goods. Any fool can do it. Don’t pay your bills ontime. Nobody but honest men think of doing that. Don’t subscribe for THE TRADESMAN. It is devoted to the best interests of the retail deal- er. Don’t keep men in your employ too long. They become valuable and saucy. Don’t send in mail orders for goods advertis- edinthis paper. Jobbers never like returns from their advertisements. Don’t fail to wait for a traveling salesman when you want goods. Itisn’t half so nice to get goods promptly and expeditiously by mail and express, Don’t for a moment doubt anything the drummer says about a rival house or sales- man. George Washington never told a lie. Don’t take duplicate bills of asale. It looks babyish, and, besides, it is an insult tothe com- mercial tourist. Don’t order anything this fall until acustom- er comes in and asks forit. Itis very easy to tell them that it ison the road, and then rush out and telegraph for it. Makes the jobber feel good too. Don’t fail to complain of dulltimes. _— Dark Cigars Geing out of Fashion. From the United States Tobacco Journal. “Send me 500 of this, 1,000 of that, 2,500 of that brand over yonder and fill up the case with my own brand, but for goodness sake, don’t send me any dark cigars.’”’ The speaker was a cigar buyer giving an order to an up town manutfac- turer. His evident aversion to the dark cigars induced the reporter when he had departed, to ask the manufacturer the cause of it. “They are allalike now,” the manufacturer said; “none want dark e:gars. It commenced about two months ago, but as it was then dull times, we did not feel it somuch. Now every buyer kicks like a steer at the very idea of having Maduro cigars shoved onto him. It is one of the queer freaks of cigar fashion. Formerly you couldn't get cigars dark enough for the people, and now anything darker than Colorado is looked at with disgust. We expect that sort of thing in the East where the de- mand for light colored cigars has long prevail- ed; but out West the change is as startling as itis sudden. The Lord only knows what I will do with my stock, for allmy wrappers are es- pecially selected because they are dark. Another cigar manufacturer, who keeps his finger constantly on the pulse of the cigar mar- ket, said: “T ean understand the change very well. The truth is, the smoking public got surfeited with dark cigars, and thisisthe reason. You see the taste for dark, high flavored cigars was so strong that manufacturers were forced to use paint and artificial flavors to keep up with the demand. Like many other things, some man- ufacturers ran this sort of thing in the ground. They painted their cigars black and soaked them in valerian. Naturally, it was only a question of time when smokers would get sick of smoking such cigars, and quite naturally they go from one extreme to the other. Ifa cigar manufacturer will manage his business properly, he need fear no trouble from the change. What the smoking public will take are bright cigars. There is a big difference be- tween a bright color anda dark color. 1 look upon the change as beneficial. because it will do away with the nasty practice of painting cigars.”’ “There is no truth, then, in the statement that cultured Boston set the fashion for light cigars? “None whatever. The lighter the cigar the less flavor it has, and smokers like flavor, but they don’t want too much of it. The manufac- turer who strikes the happy medium will find his cigars in demand, and sell ’em like hot cakes.” “Do you anticipate any trouble in preparing your tobacco to meet the new order of things.” “Not at all. The proper kind of tobacco will give the proper color when manipulated; and with proper treatment poor growths can made to look fairly decent for wrappers. I don’t think it will be necessary for farmers to grow their tobacco on light sandy soil. Just now the re-action amounts to a craze, but it will have its run, and a natural dark, full flavored cigar will be enjoyed as much as here- tofore.” —< -2- <> — A price list from Lordsburg, N. M., quotes water at 25 cents a barrel and milk at 50 cents agallon. Whisky is not quoted, for the sup- posed reason that it is too cheap for notice. How Celluloid is Made, Celluloid is produced by dissolving gun cot- ' ton in camphor, with the aid of heat and pres- sure. When a vegetable fiber, such as cotton, paper, paper pulp or the refuse of cotton mills, is immersed in a mixture of nitric and sulphie it will be -d new and remarkable In external appearance no change has taken place, but when atest is made it is found to become highly explosive, even more so than gunpowder. This is gun cotton. Gly- cerine, treated in the same way, becomes that terrible agent known as nitro-glycerine. An- other remarkable quality of gun cotton is its ready solubility in alcohol, ether or camphor. When dissolved in ether or alcohol it becomes collodion, much used by photographers. When finely ground gun cotton pulp is mixed in cer- tain proportions with finely comminuted gun camphor, and subjected to heat and powerful pressure, the product is a light, yellowish- brown substance which can be carved, plane, turned, sawed, stamped or polished, and nizy be made either opaque or transparent. It has lost its explosive quality and burns only when in direct contact with flame. This marveious chemical product is celluloid. It may be dyed while in process of mixing, and the color run- ning through the whole mass is ineffaceable. Among the many uses to which it is put are the following: Those new letters or signs that you see on store windows; they beat paint all to pieces. Collars and cuffs are also compara- tively recent, and are meeting witha large and steadily increasing sale. That business alone is in the neighborhood of $740,009 a year. The material is as flexible as linen, and, when soil- ed, can be washed with a sponge or towel, just as you would a piate. Every young man can do his own laundry work. The odor of cam- phor that you notice in the material passes off after a few days’ use. Itis used for neckties and hatbands, and while it is more expensive than ribbon, it does not become rusty or greasy. I could not tell you all the uses to which itis put, for it seems as if anew one were being discovered every day. It is the best sub- stitute for ivory that has been invented, and in durability and unliability to discolor itis su- perior to ivory. It is used for piano and or- gan keys. The more expensive instruments still have the ivory keys, but all lower grades have the celluloid. I suppose it is only a ques- tion of time when celluloid will take the place of ivory altogether, except in the fine arts. You see, we make our elephants, while the ivory manufacturers have to catch theirs, which is getting to be a harder job every year. Celluloid is now manufactured into every- thing that ivory has been used for—combs, brushes, knife handles, foot rules, chessmen, umbrella and cane handles, harness trimmings and billiard balls. ee eg found to have acquires qualities. The Cash and Credit System. From the New York Mail and Express. Interesting information has been obtained fromUnited States Consular representatives by the Department of the State, in compliance with a request of the Scranton Board of Trade for reports as to the relation of the cash and credit system inthe commence of the world. It appears not only that the credit system is employed to do much of the business of the world, but, also, that it is regarded as indis- pensible. There is danger, however, that a multitude of people will be misled by the offic- ial presentation of an endorsement of the credit system. Necessary as that system may be to the great commercial enterprises of the world, it is much abused, and with ruinous con- sequences to thousands, if not millions, of peo- ple annually. A recognition of the value of the credit system ought not toobscure the fact that in any business a cash basis should be constantly the aim, and that error accounts for the great proportion of business failures. It is a dangerous thing to set forth the value of credit without emphasizing the wisdom of avoiding it whenever it is possible to transact business on a cash business instead. a ee The Jumping Bean. From the New York Herald. Mr. Fred. Frelinghuysen, son of Secretary Frehlinghuysen, returned from Washington to his home in Newark, N. J., a few days ago, bringing with him a numberof Mexican jump- ing beans, which he procured from the United States Agricultural Department. According to Mr. Frehlinghuysen, these acrobatic beans are very rare. They are certainly considered a great curiosity by all those who have seen them, and no one as yet has explained what they are. Each pod contains three kernels. Each segment is rounded on one side and A-shaped on the other, greenish-yellow in col- or, and in circumference the size of a-silver three-cent piece. When placed on a table they roll over and skip about, sometimes jumping a couple of inches. When heid between the thumb and forefinger they are felt to beat as strongly as the throbbing of a strong man’s pulse. <> -6 << A Philadelphia coroner’s jury proposed to punish a drug clerk because some strychnine pilis, which he had not marked poison, were fatally swallowed, but a Judge ordered his re- lease. ‘The Legisture could never have in- tended,” says his Honer, “that a prescription of a reputable physician, in a case of delicate treatment, in which one of the poisons named should be used in the proper quantity, should be sent by the druggist to the sickroom of a nervous patient with the word “poison” mark- edonthelabel. Such a law wouid be destruct- ive of medical science, unreasonable, and against the spirit of sound legislation.” The manufacture of ‘‘buffalo-horn” furni- ture has become an industry in New York. The horns are not those of the bison, as com- monly believed, but are from the cattle killed in the abattoirs. They are sold at the slaughter houses for a little more than what the button manufacturers give, ate cleaned, dried, scrap- ed and polished. The cost of making these horned goods is less than that of carved wood, but they bring two and three times more than the latter. The new industry is almost mo- nopolized by Germans from Saxony. Fourteen carloads of seal skins, valued at several hundred thousand dollars, and careful- ly guarded, recently made a quick run from San Francisco toNew York. This was the first shipment of the kind by rail. Seal skins all go to Europe to be tanned, plucked and dyed. A St. Louis dry goods merchant fills five piges of a daily newspaper with his advertise- ment. te ~ Tho Michigan Tradesman, A JOURNAL DEVOTED TO THE Mercantile and Manufacturing Interests of the State. E. A. STOWE, Editor. Terms $1g gear in advance, postage paid. Advertising rates made known on application. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 1, 1884. POST A. Orgeniged at, Grand Rapids, June 28, 1884. | ee OFFICERS. President—Wm. Legie. First Vice-President—Lloyd Max Mills. Second Vice-President—Richard Warner. Secretary and Treasurer—L. W. Atkins. Official Organ—The Michigan Tradesman. Committee on Elections—Wm. B. Edmunds, chairman; D. S. Haugh, Wm. G. Hawkins, Wallace Franklin and J. N. Bradford. Regular Meetings—Last Saturday evening in each month. The Western Michigan Fair, The fair last week was a complete success in point of exhibits, attendance and receipts. Below are described some of the many ex- hibits that attracted universal attention: GRAND RAPIDS EDGE TOOL WORKS. FE. A. Munson, proprietor of the Grand Rapids Edge Tool Works, made a fine ex- hibit of knives of every description. His head- quarters are at 52 Mill street, this city, where he is fully prepared to fill all orders for any of the goods shown or anything of a similiar nature. Millwright’s chisels, cast steel stone hammers, kept on hand and made to order. Correspondence solicited. FOSTER, STEVENS & CO. Some of the leading wholesale houses of the country are so exceedingly popular with the trade, that whatever they undertake is watched with absorbing interest by their patrons. This is eminently the case with Foster, Stevens & Company of this city. When it was understood they were to have an exhibit at the West Michigan Fair, deal- ers were on the qui vive of expectation to see how they would sustain their general reputation for success. We verture the as- sertion that not one of the large number that saw their display was disappointed. This could not be otherwise, unless a lack of judgment and taste was manifest. In the first place, it was decided that goods of any kind to show off well must have a good back ground and surroundings. So elegant paper and becoming border were tastefully applied to the bare walls and the ceiling was adorn- ed with charming panel work, while the floor was covered with a very neat pattern of oil cloth. This preparation was so at- tractive that it was remarked “It would not require a very great stretch of imagination for one to imagine himself in a tastily trim- med parlor.” >_ © COUNTRY PRODUCE. Apples—The market is glutted with choice fruit, which commands $1 for cooking and $1.25 @$1.50 for choice eating. Beans—Buyers pay $1 for choice unpicked and sell for $1.50 for picked. The market is overstocked at present, but it is expected that it will soon find an outlet. Butter—Creamery is very scarce, in conse- quence of which a really choice article readily commands 30c. Dairy is also very scarce, prices ranging from l6c for poor to 22c for choice. Butterine—Solid packed 23e for creamery at 16@19c for dairy. Beets—40c ® bu. or $1.25 #8 bbl. Cabbages—#4@$5 8 100. Celery—25c # bunch. Cheese—Full cream is firmer, on account of the cool weather, and is jobbing at 10@10% for prime and 74%@8 for old stock. Clover Seed—Choice medium $5.55 @ bu., and mammoth at $5.20 # bu. Cider—Sweet, 12c ® gal. Eggs—Scarce and firmer at 17. Grapes—Delawares are scarce and readily command 8c... Concords and Isabellas find ready sale at 4@6c. Green Corn—Out of market. Hops—Brewers are paying 25c for choice new crop. Honey—Choice new is firm at 15c. Hay—$12@$14 for new, and $13@$15 for bail- d. Melons—About out of market. Onions—New, 50c # bu. Peaches—No home grown fruit in market, and but very little is shipped in. Shipments are mostly in one-fifth bushel baskets, which command 80@90c. Pears—Home grown $2@$2.50 @ bu. Plumbs—About out of market. Potatoes—A drug in the market. Farmers won’t sell at the prices offered, and buyers won't buy. The trade is being supplied at 25@ 35c. Poultry—Chickens, 14@16c. Fowls 12c. Red Peppers—90c # bu. Squash—Hubbard, le # b. Sweet Potatoes—Jersey, $4 # bbl. more and Muscatine, $3 # bbl. Turnips—35ic ® bu. Timothy—Choice is firmly held at $1.55 @ bu. Tomatoes—Acme, 40c # bu. GRAINS AND MILLING PRODUCTS. Wheat—White, Fulse, Clawson and Lancas- ter command 74c. Corn—60c # bu. Oats—W hite, 28@30c # bu. Rye—52@54e ® bu. Barley—Brewers pay $1.25 8 cwt. for new. Flour—Fancy Patent, $5.50 @ bbl. in sacks and $5.75 in wood. Straight, $4.50 @ bbl. in sacks and $4.75 in wood. Meal—Bolted, $1.50 @ cwt. Mill Feed—Screenings, $14 # ton. Bran, $13 #@ ton. Ships, $148 ton. Middlings, $17 # ton. Corn and Oats, $23 ® ton. >_< Purely Personal. Wm. E. Cooper has engaged with Spring & Company, and will handle their collections in city and country. O. W. Blain has gone to St. Paul for the purpose of making a market for apples and potatoes. He is expected back to-day. Geo. P. Pease, for the past six months in the employ of O. W. Blain & Co., has gone to New York City to re-engage with his for- mer employers, Ehrich Bros. W. T. Lamoreaux has in operation a nov- el bean-picking apparatus in the shape of an endless belt, which carries the beans along a table, on each side of which are girls who pick out the bad beans while the good stock are carried to bins. The machine has a ca- pacity of 200 bushels per day. ee ~—— —Qy-