Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1857-07-02
THE CLOTHING TRADE OF NEW YORK.

A history of the march of trade in this city, du-
ring the last twenty years. would form striking il
lusration of the originality andfOrce of the American
mercantile character. The rapidity with which new
business ideas generated in our midst the vast
scale on which they carried out, and the
which usually attends their development, are
paralleed in the commercial world, and excite the
surprise of foreigners to greater degree than any
other characteristic of this busy metropolis.
Let us take as a case in point the ready-made
clothing trade. In the hands of few men of rare
energy and sagacity, it has been changed within If
teen years, from obscure occupation, to a manu-
featuring and commercial business of the highest
class. New York is to-day the greatest clothing
mart in the world The of this vast expan-
sion is easily explained The garments of the 'slop
seller of fifteen years ago, have been superseded
by ready-made fabrics unsurpassed in elegance and
excellence by any in the world, and actually cheap
err than the uncouth clothing they have displaced
The mel who revolutionzed the business understood
the value of time in the American market In min
istering to the instant supply of general want,
and doing so in a manner that left nothing to be de-
sired the part of purchasers, they displayed
profound knowledge Of the requirements of their
eountrymen.
We can well remember when the " slop-shops"
we're the only clothing emporiums, and laboring
men their only customers. Now it is an ascertained
fact the clothing business gives employment to a
greater number Of hands than any other branch of
manufacturers. The house of DeVlin & Co.,
(which ranks first in magnitude and reputation, and
is therefore apropos to purposes of illustration
employs 1000 persons. What other mandatory of
any description, in New York, gives occupation to
equal number? We remember when the firm
opened their marble warehouse in Broadway, how
confidently it was predicted, by shallow reasoners
who looked at the expenses but knew nothing of the
business of the men, that the enterprise would fail
Mr.. Devlin calculated differently; he looked to the
whole continent as his field, and felt, presume,
that, TO cover the ground it only necessary to
produce clothing of the very highest grade Of excel
lence and sell it at the most M derate prices This
idea he to have reduced to practice, and the
results he anticipated have followed with the exacti
tude of the solution of problem. The clothing of
the concern is staple of fashion in every city of the
good guaranty of the superiority of its garments
is the Comptroers signature, of the genuineness
of bank bill Strange as it may seem, too, the
celebrity of their ready made stock is reflected
the custom department, and rice Chespness
and superiority appear to be the Alpha and Omega of
all departments of the establishment-in fact they
are the cabalisc words that have raised the cloth
ing trade to its present remarkable position among
the business interests Of New York.
There many other extensive clothing houses
in the city, all fourshing and likely to flourish to
which should be glad to refer if space permitted
but our only object was to give the uninitiated
some idea of the vast amount of industry, enter
prise and capital employed in branch of trade
which is only of some fifteen years growth among US,
we selected the leading house, by way of example.