Show THE there is nothing that indicates more clearly clearl y the return of prosperity than the condition of the railroads and the activity in the iron and steel trade of course the crops are always to be considered and these promise to be very heavy this year it is reported that the baltimore and ohio railroad has called for bids for freight cars seventy passenger coaches and sixty five locomotives which will require nearly the company desires all the equipment as soon as the shops can produce it the boston maine has placed an order for tons of bessemer steel rails and tons of open hearth the total cost of the order is about the rails are to be delivered at once and to be laid by the first of november there is no abatement in the activity of the iron and steel trade already several of the plants are running behind in their deliveries according to figures ayes reported the sales of pig iron for the first week ot of this month was tons there is yet no very encouraging prospect for the copper situation there was reported an increase of about pounds pouilas in the surplus during the mouth month ot of june prices have not gained since tile the first of the year on the other hand they are somewhat lower with the general improvement pro in the iron and steel trade and the railroads we should naturally look for an improvement later in the copper trade this will follow ay to the general market conditions it is gratifying that we can report a steadiness that is very satisfactory on the of the month the barometer as given in the boston transcript stood at the highest point this year was on the ath of june by the first of september we may bookfor look for still higher marks all this will in time have its effect on the local marglet and the mining industry of this section |