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Show BUSINESS AND TRADE. Tho week has been one of unsottlcd weather, which has interfered more or less with tho activity 'of trade. Still, it is so much hotter thnn tho corresponding corre-sponding week of last yoar, the comparative com-parative incroaso in bank clearances being be-ing G7.3 per cent, that thoro is no reason rea-son to complain. Tho special businoss event outside of the usual current of trado has .been tho preparation for tho great automobile exhibit and display which began last night and will continue through tho present week. It is a brilliant show, with tho great manufactories represented, represent-ed, and the machines mado by thorn might well bo, aud in fact are, tho admiration ad-miration of tho world. Tho exhibition given at tho Auditorium on Richards street gives a fine opportunity for such a display, and it is mado a very attractive at-tractive one. Building operations arc being pushed as actively as tho weather will permit, and indoor finishing progress is good. This season will undoubtedly be tho best in buildiug operations that Salt Lake has over seen, great as the two pasd seasons have been. The real estate market keeps pace with tho .building operations in good style. There is great inquiry for property, prop-erty, and as spring opens undoubtedly tho really men will bo kept bus3" in supplying their customers. Tho future of Salt Lako being well assurod, every one understands that there is profit in tho purchase of real estato here. The holders know this quilo as well as tho prospective buyers, so that the market is held firm, at prices which aro fair to tho seller and advantageous to the buyer, since Salt Lake realty is very much cheaper in tho market than is realty in oilier cities of. the importance and size of Salt Lake. Goncral trado is good, and morchants arc meeting an active demand, with larger stocks than over, and of a more varied character. The important accessions acces-sions to the city's population in the past two years, fully proved by the eager occupancy of hundreds of new dwelling places constructed, with the older houses also well filled, makes a demand de-mand more extensive in every way than over before known in this city. Tho mines arc practically on a normal nor-mal scale of production. Utah mines maintain themselves well; ores are rich, and tho management is conservative conserva-tive and businesslike. Therefore, Utnh mines stand well in tho financial world, and havo the confidonco of capital in the chief business centers. There is little new in the railroad world during the week. The AVestcrn Pacific suffered somewhat by tho heavy storm on the lake, having considerable portions of its track on the south shore washed out, .but. Vopairs will bo made speedili' and breakwaters arc to be put up. to guard against future damage. The officers of the Salt Lake Route have not yet. fully determined upon the lino that they will build upon to connect through tho district that was so badly washed out. It appears to bo pretty generally understood,-however, that at least a toniporary track, and perhaps the permanent track will bo rostorcd down Meadow A'alley wash. Tt is understood un-derstood that thcro is salvage sufficient suffi-cient down that route to make it advisable ad-visable to build the track there. In case it is determined that this shall remain as the pcrmnnonf; track, extraordinary ex-traordinary precautions will bo taken to guard against damage from any future fu-ture floods that may occur. Tho abundant snows give promise of a. prosperous -"car in Utah. Thus far there has been but little damage to stock on the ranges, the sheep especially espe-cially being reported in fair condition thus far. From the commercial agencies roports como in in more cheerful-form than before. be-fore. Financial conditions aro improved, im-proved, and ' business confidence is strengthened. Trado reports aro more optimistic. Thcro is visible evidence of expansion in the jobbing trade, with a large number of buyers in tho leading markets. The reports of cancellations of orders that havo .been current aro pronounced pro-nounced exaggerations, many localities being noted as making no cancellations at all. , The iron trado position is better since the United Slates Steel corporation corpora-tion is in the market as a buyer of pig iron. Shipments arc well sustained, and soino railroads have been obliged to replenish old rolling stock worn out by the wear and tear of an unusually hard" winter, h "AVcstern system." being reported re-ported as having orderod seventy-five locomotives. lo-comotives. This1 may be the AVcstern Pacific putting in its now equipment, or the Salt Lake Route, moro likely tho former. Munu fact urers- are well supplied with orders and collections range about as usual. There is an abundance of money in financial centers, but the stock market mar-ket ia subject to fits and starts, without any controlling feature aud without stability. sta-bility. Silver continues low nt about steady figui'03. Copper maintains, its ponition, with reports of considerable decrease in slocks on hand. Altogether, tho situation is one of confldouco and strength. Thoro is no renson to anticipate anything but a first-class bu3inoss activity throughout tho year. |