The Van Buren press., 1867-01-18
Van Buren-lts Trade-Past, Present,
and Future.

Prior to the late war no City in the
Northwest promised fairer to become a
first class mercantile point than the City
of Van Buren,. Some years before the
commencement of hoStilities Van Buren,
had been the shipping point for an i'm
mcnsc back country within the State and
also the Indian country north of the Ar
kansas river The entire population of
the counties in the Northwest purchased
in Van Buren,, and many from Southwest
Missouri. After some few years of ap-
parent torpidity the City began its growth
IN earnest From the year 1916 there
seemed to he new energy infused into the
mercantile branch of its business. Many
men who came TO the City almost bank.
rupt soon began to do ilourishing bust
ness, money poured into them, fine store
houses Sprang up, seemingly, without
cause. The cause, however, was suni-
cicntly apparent to the rejecting. The
immense territory embraced in the coun-
ties of Benton, Washington, Madison,
Newton, Carroll, in Arkansas and Ne
Donald in Missouri was becoming rapid
" peoplcd and almost all of them came
to Van Buren for trade. To supply the
demand thus created merchants shipped
to this place large supplies of goods of
all descriptions, The Indian nation also
sent many wealthy customers to us and
contributed TO our increasing wealth. -
Our wharvcs were daily covered with
boat load after boa, load of goods, and
all wondered where these were to be sold
Some. predicted failures but no failures
came. Merchants were still thriving and
these immense supplies of goods melted
away and few knew where they went
We only knew the goods were gone in a
few months and money was plenty. AZ
ter awhile as was natural, men became an
Nous to divide this Van Buren, trade and
cnterprising men of small capital erected
store houses in this vast western country
embraced in the counties above cnume-
rated, and buying their stocks of goods
in the East and New Orleans which at
once gave birth to the Commission busi
ness in Van Buren,, it being still the point
Of landing for them. The wholesale
trade was in measure of course, de
creased, it having formerly been the heav-
lest trade. Had there been no increase
orpopulation by immigration this state
OF things would soon have injured the
traffic of Van Buren, to an alarming ex
tent, as it was it was not felt to any great
degree, the falling off in the wholesale
business being about compensated or
balanced, by the increase in the retail
trade. In the midst of this prosperity
came the unfortunate war During the
war many lost all, and all lost heavily
The store houses, mills, etc. erected in
the back country were almost ali OF them
burned to ashes-their owners ruined or
slain. That country is now, so far as
house, stores, etc is concerned, is in the
same condition as in 1916 to 1859, with
this difference they have not the money
they had then nor its representative in
property, The trade must therefore be
turned again to this City, and we may
calculate on receiving almost all the
money they have to spend for goods.
They of course for the present buy at re-
tail entirely. After awhile these stores
will he rebuilt (for the energies of the
people are not brolien) and the small
stocks Of goods must be supplied 10y Van
Buren,. Again will the wholesale busi
ness revive and money flow in upon us
We can see no reason why Van Buren,
may not be in a year or two, as prosper
Gus rs she ever was. The people of this
country are industrious and will work
and make money. One great need among
lis is manufacturing establishments, we
must cease to be wholly an agricultural
people. We must ondeavor to manuflc-
turc our own products, until we do this,
there will be n continual drain upon the
money of the country, and n drain too,
that little enterprise, energy and indus
try, might easily stop Let none be dis
couraged fling politics to the winds and
quietly attend to the development of the
countryside education Of your children
and the building up Of your ruined for
tunes. Time and attention te business
will work wonders in your domestic af
fairs. Wealth will flow in upon yo,
slowly, perhaps, ut first, but certainly