FINANCIAL AND COMMERCIAL.
Office of The Prairie Farmer,
Chicago. Jan 22, 1884.
Papers devoted to finance and trade inform us that the number of business failures in 1883 was 9,184 against 8,782 in the hard times of 1877. The fear is, that the worst is not yet come, but this feeling happily is not by any means universal among most far seeing business men.
The transactions at the Chicago banks were a trifle slower than last week. The regular loan market was quotable on Monday at 6@7 per cent.
Eastern exchange was firm at 60c per $1,000.
The stock markets at the East were a little feverish and here the same feeling was noticeable. There are rumors of financial embarrassment in high places, and Mr. Gould himself is said to be a little nervous over the weakness in many of his stocks.
Government securities are as follows:
| 4's coupon, 1907 | Q. Apr. | 123¼ |
| 4's reg., 1907 | Q. Apr. | 123¼ |
| 4½'s coupon, 1891 | Q. Mar. | 1141/8 |
| 4½'s registered, 1891 | Q. Mar. | 1141/8 |
| 3's registered | Q. Mar. | 100 |
GRAIN AND PROVISIONS.
The receipts of flour at this point for the forty-eight hours ending Monday morning were greatly in excess of those for the corresponding week last year. In wheat last year the receipts were 28,007 bushels; this year 50,532. Corn last year 189,661; this year 226,990.