446 POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



Heavy snow and sleet storms during the last week of February did 

 great damage to telegraph and telephone wires in some of the large 

 eastern cities. Mail and transportation facilities were seriously inter- 

 rupted. Stock exchange transactions in New York and other cities 

 were limited to local orders, and this restricted sales. Trade in over- 

 shoes and rubbers was larger during this week than for the two pre- 

 ceding months. Floods and high water interfered with iron and steel 

 production, with transportation interests, and with the coal output. 

 The crippling of the railroads, which caused an unusual demand for 

 structural materials, was noticed by 'the street,' but had little effect 

 except upon the anthracite stocks, although March earnings were cut 

 down by the February snowstorms. 



Mild weather in the northwest early in March, and later on in the 

 east, prevented loggers from getting out their entire cut, and led to 

 the breaking up of many camps. By the middle of March the side- 

 tracks were being cleared of the cars stalled there by the February 

 storms; shut-down mills were running again; the advent of spring 

 weather acted as an important stimulant to most lines of trade and in- 

 dustry ; butter and eggs were lower ; the demand for building materials 

 increased, and weather reports regarding wheat began to claim careful 

 attention. According to one trade journal, ' each cloud is telegraphed 

 as heralding copious rains, while a ray of sunshine means drought.' 

 The injury to crops during the summer of 1901 made stocks peculiarly 

 sensitive to indications of drought. During the week ending March 22, 

 the most severe cold wave and snowstorm of the month caused cattle 

 losses in Dakota which were estimated at 2-5 per cent. Milder weather 

 soon followed, and somewhat relieved the strain on the coal trade. 



The opening of lake navigation in April began greatly to facilitate 

 traffic at the north. The week ending April 26 was one of con- 

 trasts. Heavy snows interfered with farm work in Montana, the 

 Dakotas and Minnesota, while hot winds in the central valleys 

 and middle Atlantic States brought unusually high maximum 

 temperatures, which were detrimental to crops. In consequence, 

 weather reports had more influence than usual in shaping the prices 

 of cereals, which advanced until reports of general rains in the south- 

 west caused a decline of 2 cents a bushel on wheat. The 'versatile' 

 weather of the week produced erratic fluctuations in the security and 

 cereal markets. 



Much was heard during the spring of 1902 about the high price 

 of beef and of other meats. These high prices were at least partly due 

 to the large cattle receipts of the preceding fall, there being little in- 

 ducement to carry stock through the winter, with corn at 60 cents a 

 bushel instead of 20 or 30 cents. The high price of beef led to the 



