The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-09-02
Tsse Dry Goods Trade.

-. Tsse Dry Goods Trade.
We extract the following from Oh
article In the New York Eoeninq.Post:
| The fall wholesale trade in general
dry goods is opening in this city with
much activity, and there are indica-
tlons OF q large business. The un-
certainty which WIS felt month, or
even fifteen days ago, is fully past
the accounts, brought by merchants
from the interior of the country, and
the letters of correspondents of our
mercantile houses, commission n,er-
chants and others, have given a new
aspect to business affairs here, and.
Notwithstanding the comparative
lateness Of the time, there is an
almost universal feeling of confidence
that the season will be a highly pros
porous one.
During the past week or ten days
the wholesale trade has been so active
| and came 30 suddenly that men who
were away, and who intended to re-
main until tho last of August, for the
reason that their presence here was
not supposed to be needed, have been
called home, and are now working
with great energy to fill the orders Of
their customers. In all houses, so
far as we have heard, this. marked
change has been felt in some decree.
The streets and sidewalks in many
locations are filled with boxes and all
kind of packages; yet the business is
only beginning. The inquiry for
goods is very general; the stores arc
moro crowded by buyers than tho
sidewalks are with what has been
purchased; hence the anticipations
of our merchants.
There is no scarcity of goods.
Manufactures anu importltions have
been heavy; and the experience Of
last fall, when the demand was greater
than the supply, and prices were very
iirm, IN some cases rising higher than
the war rates, viii not be repeated.
The prices now-wc do not rive par
ticular quotations in this article
average from ten to twenty per cent.
lower than they were 4 year ago. Re
tai rates have not fallen to this OK
tent. A thorough competition, such
rs there is to bc this fall aud winter
everywhere, will bring rates to their
true level.
The country merchants now here
arc mostly from the South, So Nh
west and West. That they are not
fcw in number, is shown not only by
the facts already given, but by the
hotel registers. The houses at which
they stop. that were comparatively
empty q short time ago, nrc now
crowded. The nearby trade" Of
New York and some Of the New Eng
land States, has n3t opened for the
season, though men from all parts of
the country are buying for present
wants. In two or three weeks, the
fall business will be ut its height.
The reports from the South arc va
rled, and, Ill some cases, arc Of :. kind
which it is difficult to form iulg-
mcnt upon. Last fall, the cxnccta-
tons OF the merchants there OF n
heavy trade were not realized; and
the large stocks they bought, in most
cases on credit, are not yet paid for.
The effect of this failure has not
been to deter other merchants AMI
some Of the original ones from ask
ing similar credits; and they arc nry
ing the subject upon the attention Of
our mercantile firms with great ear
ncstncss. Generally, the Southern
men anticipate good crops; they sav
that the amount OF brcadstulls raised
Will be sufficient for their wants, with
surplus, possibly; and that the cot
ton, tobacco, &C., raised, will form Il
good basis of payments. The dispo-
sitlon OF our merchants, however, is,
either to trust Southern men exactly
as they trust others for not more
than ninety days, when they arc well
known and have good credit or else
to reduce the time Of four and six
months, formerly given, to thirty
days. There will probably bc fair
trade in the South, though not brisk