The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1863-12-22

we Qu iOt ilcdu liitl Oul HltfCudl.tS can dCl~
uslly undersell those of New York and Boston
such proposition would be preposterous but
what we mean Is this: that considering the
limited purchases made by most country mcr-
chains and the frequency with which it is
desirable tofurnish themselves with fresh stock,
II is more economical to trade in this city and
thus save time, expense and extra freight, than
to purchase in Boston or New York at trife
less on first cost ,.but at greatly enhanced ex-
pense OF transportation and greater loss OF
time. The day has gone BY when any man can
succeed in trade, even at the remotest and
most obscure cross-road or "four. corners" in
the state, unless lie keep as fresh stock and
as good variety as the facilities for replenish-
ing will afford. Time has been when the
country merchant would load up his horse or
OK team twice year-Spring and Fsll-with
the farm products taken by him in barter, and
the pot and pearl ashes, the product of his
neighbors' ashpits, and drive from two or three
days to week to reach a market town, where
he would exchange his load for salt fish, mo-
iasses, rum, salt, grindstones, tobacco, calico,
factory cloth, buttons, needles, pins ETC., and
i. with these he would make the return pilgrim
age and fiji up his small store, and from a de-
pot thus stocked . large region of the "rural
districts" would be compelled to seek their
scanty supplies, it being "Hopkinson's choice"
that or none. The more wealthy of his neigh
bors-prosperons mechanics and thrifty farm
ers-wouid give him the go-by, and with their
own private teams go to market twice year
for the purpose Of making the purchase OF their
'stores" from establishments stocked with bet
tet variety and fresher articles. Such were
the times Of the fathers of the present active
generation the grandfathers of our present
race ofjnveniles. But SUCH times, except on
the far distant frontier, or where the smoke
from the settlers shanty curls up from large
exrnnse Of unbroken forest, are gone and gone
forever. In New England, at any rate, they
are among the things of the past, and no SEN
sible person would have them revived. Such
times and such customs could exist only In the
absence of telegraphs, railroads, locomotives,
lightning expresses; and the cheap and there
fore universally circulated newspaper.
Now the country merchant has to be up and
dressed. He finds himself within hearing of
the steam whistle, and is reached daily by the
papers from the markets of the country. No
longer will his customers be put of with last
years styles or stale groceries. His stock
must be fresh and well assorted. Let him
forget these facts and act upon such forget
fulness, and the moses win creep up over his
doorstep and the spiders will weave their
screens on the fronts of his shelves, perfectly
secure against intrusion.
But the country merchant who wishes to
visit the markets often, and adopts for his
motto. quick sales and small profits" finds 1t
no small tax upon the limited amount he
would purchase at each visit, to lose perhaps
weeks time, pay his personal expenses and
travel 70 distant city, and the freight upon
his merchandise for an extra hundred or four
hundred miles Of transportation. 1.-The wished
10 purchase five or ten thousand dollars at
each time he goes into the market, the expen-
ses referred to would be but small item, but
when the same amount of incidentals is added
10 stock Of goods costing perhaps from five
hundred to fifteen hundred dollars, the ques-
ton Of expenses becomes a..serious draw. back
upon his anticipated profits.
Now we speak with the most unqualified as
surance = an assurance based not only on
personal mercantile experience of hali-a-doz-
en- years, but also on the united testimony of
scores Of country merchants from whom We
have sought information upon the subject-in
affirming that, in the purchase of nearly ev-
cry article required for stocking well-ap-
pointed country store,-the expenses of pur-
chase and Of transportation being taken into
consideration In connection with the limited
amount OF purchases made,-Portland affords
facilities to Maine and the entire line of the
Grand Trunk to the Canada line, such as can
be found nowhere else. In corn and -four
Portland leads, OF at least stands Oh an equal
ity with, all our Atlantic cities. Thousands of
barrels ofdour from the West, received by the
Grand Trunk, are sent from this city to Bos-
ton every week by the steamers plying be-
tween this city and that. 1t would be singu-
lar indeed il our merchants could not sell
-four as low as it can be purchased In Boston.
when SO much Of the article finds its way from
the manufacturer TO the Boston merchant
right by our own door.
In molasses Portland leads every other CITY
In the Union. This fact we need not enlarge
upon, forit is well understood, and no iutelI-
gent man will question it. The Portland SUI
gars are sold to the iobbing houses
In New York, Philadelphia and Chicago.
se1i Il would be preposterous to suppose they
cannot be supplied to the trade of Maine at
the place of manufacture as cheaply as they
can be Ia Boston.
Portland Kerosene is a standard article and
Is sold everywhere. In fish and salt the Port
land market is well stocked, and our mer-
chants never fall to satisfy their customers.
To meet the wants of the State for articles of
hardware, Ia addition to our shovel factory
which will turn out Its hundreds of dozens
OF shovels daily, We have at least two hard
ware jobbing houses equal to those of Boston or
elsewhere. We have our wholesale dealers in
paints, oils, drugs, crockery, glass, dye-stufis.
chemicals, &C., &c.
Last though not least of the iobbing houses
10 which we would refer, are the grocery and
dry-goods houses. OF the former there are a
large number, while of the latter we have two
or three equal to the average Of the best hous-
cs on Milk Davonshire and Frantli, s.roa..