, 1861-02-07
DRX GOODS JORBING.
A Dissertation on Speculation and the
Secrets OF Trade


From the Atlantic Monthly for February.
When financial crisls oVertakes the
community, we hear much and sharp censure
Of all speculation. Spectators, one and al,
nre forthwith consigned to an abyss OF obio~
wushes its hands Of all participation In the inl-
guilty. This came virtnous public knows very
little Of what 1t Is talking about. What is
specu1ationg Shall we saY, In brief andin gcu-
eral, that it consists in running risks. IN taking
extrahazardous risks, on the chance Of max
ing unusually large profit? Is it that men |
haze abandoned the careful why's Of their faith
ers, and do not conflne themselves to small
stores, small stocks and cash transacttonsy |
And do you know who tits who has compelled |
speculation In one breath, and In the next cla-
Nor for goods ut low prices, andforce the Job
ber into 1a1go stores and large sales ut small |
profits as the Indispensable condition Of his |
very existence.
Those who thus rail ut speculation are gem
orally quite unaware that their own fncxorable
demand for goods at low prices Is one OF the
principal efficient causes Of that of which
they complain. They fdo not know that the
capacions nav Of the Unsuitable public is year
" filled with millions on millions Of shirtings
and sheetings and other articles Of prime nc
| ccssity Without one farthlng OF profit to the
| jobber. The outside world reason from the
assumption that the jobber might, but wl1not,
| AVOlQ EUn3luG1sAHlC 41cAs AANJ w AN&
consider, for they do not know, how entirely
oil is changed from the days and circumstances
| in which very small business would suffice
| to maintain the merchant, They do not con-
| eider that an immense amount OF goods being
Of compulsion sold without profit, q yet other
huge amount must be 80 sold as to compensate
for this. Nor do they consider that the posi-
| bility Of doing this is often contingent upon
the buyers carefully calculated probability Of
. rise in the article he Is purchasing Many
S1bb 11nIo st,1tf sd r
chase largely only by the assurance that from
the time Of his purchase the price will be ad-
Enced.
ncnt In high art about which the ignorance OF
outsiders Is inetfhble- was once asked, in the
way OF courtesy and good neighborhood, to call
on clergyman in our vicinity-whicll l did.
DESTROYS Of doing his part in the matterof good
fellowship aud smooth conversation, he began
thus:
swell, now, Mr. Smith, you know all about
business: ! suppose if I were to so into store
! to buy goods, nineteen men out Of twenty
would cheat meif ifthcy could wouldn'tthey:"
"No, sir!'' | answered, with swelling Of IN
djgnation at the injustice, q ml9gllng Of pity
benefit from the preaching Of o minister of the
Gospel who knew SO little Of the world he
lived in "No, sir; nineteen men in twenty
would not cheat you, II they could; for thr
best of all reasonsnit would be dead against
their own interest"
Not day passes but the question is asked
by our youths who are being initiated III the
routine of selling goods" Is this honest? Is
| that honest? Is it honest t, mark your goods
rs costing more than they DO cost? Is 1t hon.
! est to ask one man more than you ask another
! | Ought not the same price to be named to
| every buyer? Isn't it cheating to get twenty-
five per cent. profit? Can a man sell goods
without lying? Are men compelled to lie
, and cheat little in order to earn an honest
living?
What is the reason that these questions will
keen coming up! That they eau be no more
laid than B:tnGuo'a ghost? Here arc some Of
the reasons First and foremost, multitudes
: Of young ncn whose parents follow the p!ow,
. the loom or the anvil, have taken it into
: their heads that they will neither dig, hamme,
U nor ply the shuttle. To soil their hands with
. manual labor they cannot abide. The sphere
OF commerce looks to their longing eyes bet
ter thing than lying down in green pastures, %,
- than u peaceful Lie beside still waters, pro
e cured by 1aborious farming, or by any mechMl
y ical pursuit. Clean linen and stylish appare
y are inseparab1y associated in their minds Will
an easy and elegant life, and SO they pour into
y our cities, and the ranks Of the merchants ar
y filled, and oyertilled, many times Once, til.
= merchant had only to- procure an inviting
y Stock and his goods sold themselves. lie dit
i ! not 20 after customers; they came to him
= | and 1t WIS matter OF favor to them to supply
y their wants. Now, all that is changed. Tier
!
= buyers are in request; and buyers whose credi
! is the best, to very great extent, dictate tn
y. = prices at which they will buy. The questio,
'o is no longer, How large profit can get
~ ~ but, How small profit shall accept? III
competition for customers is SO fierce that til
u seller hartly dares ask any profit, for fear hi
. more anxious neighbor will undezsen him. L
order to attract customers, one thing after OIL
u "a other has been made II sleading article" q bai
70 to be offered at cost, or even less than cost
=" alone the purchaser will make d beginning {
n buying:
don't buy anything Vt nc, and cslli sell 80
as cheap Us any: Here's bale Of sheetinsss
now, ut eight cents, will do you good"
e. e. "How much have yon got"
.s .s "Oh, plenty"
~ ~ "Well, how many?"
W e. "Fifteen bales"
.. " "Wcll, I'LL take tbem."
~ "Eomc III aud buy something more.
.e t'No, nothing, more to-;i:y."
ol Theru was loss Of sev.aty. five dollars, ar
ae he did not dare buy more.
" It will be obvious that the selling Of Ia
NC Of ones goods at less than cost enhances IL
;. necessity of getting profit on the rest b.
~, how to do this, under the sharp scrutiny Of
eu buyer who knows that his own success, not
say his very existence, depends upon his pa
ing no profit possible to be ayolded-nu prof
~ at an events, not certainly paid BY some shal
| 4N- -
W same trade?
Q, "But is there anything in all this," you al
y. asking, to preclude the jobber's telling Il
Sc truth!'' Nothing. ''Anything to pree1ut
strict honestly" Nothing. "Why, then, d
III aa the questions you have quoted continually r
~ cur?"
IT. lanswer: In order to get his share Of tt
best custom in his line, the dry goods jobb,
has taken store in the best position in tow
at u rent Of from three to fifty thousand do
&c lars year; has hired men and boys at a
t. prices, from fifty dollars to five thousand-au
as' enough Of these to result i'll an aggregate
;ss from five to fifty thousand dollars a year (.
nc help, without which his business cannot
nc done. Add to this the usual average for stol
10 expenses Of every name and for tile family C.
penses Of two, five or seven partners, and yo
1e- ind dry goods firm under the necessity
is getting ont Of their years sale somewhe'
from fifteen to one hundred and fifty thousan
y, dollars profit, before they shall have save
y; one cent to meet the losses of an unfayorab
e, season.
Is, Now, though there is nothing even in q
ID, these urgencies to justify single lie Or fru
there is much to sharpen mans wits to secul
the sale Of his goods-much to educate him
all manner Of expedients to battle the inquire
Us | Of customers who would be offended ii the