Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-03-06
THE SPRING TRADE,
Arrival Of Buyers-The General Pros


Arrival OI suy eFs-Hhe UbbbEut ETOS-
poets.
The general impression in regard to
the ensuing spring trade is that it will be
rather moderate. We have cOnversed
with the principals and managers of some
of the largest houses, and they concur in
the opinion that nothing very brilliant is
to be expected. Already number of
Western and Southern merchants are
registered at the hotels, and moderate
amount of business has been transacted
principally by the latter. At the Astor
house the majority of Southern merchants
are from Georgia and Alabama. At the
st. Nicholas and Metropolitan they are
mostly from Virginia, Louisiana and the
Carolinas. There are some Western men
at the Fifth Avenue, and of course a few
at the other hotels but Southern men
are in the majority everywhere.
This is accounted for by the fact that
there is not much money available in the
West at present For two years past the
crops have been poor; and now the farmo
ers are holding backproduce in the hope
of high prices. A stagnation Of business
and a want of capital are the results Of
this condition of things 1t is likely to
continue until the canals are open, when
there will probably be very large moves
ment of grain and other produce of the
Western SOIL and then we shall hear of
greater alertness on the part Of Western
jobbers.
The transactions Of the Southern mer-
chants in dry goods are principally COM
fined to fabrics Of domestic manufacture
that is, the material which fashions
articles Of prime necessity. One house.
it is true, reports Southern jObbers buys
ing both foreign and domestic goods; but
this does not appear to be the general
| complexion of their trade. Southern
men are buying very cautiously indeed.
1.-THE Southern trade, said the manager
of one of the great firms, "is very healthy
| indeed. Southern men are buying goods
with great care, and paying for them"
This, indeed, is what might naturally be
expected from the condition of the South
ern States. They want everything; and
what money they have must be iudici-
| ously distributed 80 as to meet all, or at
all events, the most pressing of their
necessities. At Stewards during the
past week, gentlemen from Virginia,
! North and South Carolina, and louisiana,
have been buying moderate stocks OF
domestic goods at thirty days. 1t is be-
lieved that the South will disappoint
those who expect an enormous trade.
Very little has been done by Western
merchants in dry goods during the past
week; but if the weather continues ia.
vorable, another week will bring better
prospects. All Western trade NAV now
be described as conservative" land
such it will probably remain during the
present year.
The wholesale boot and shoe trade
does not look promising for a heavy
Spring business Sole leather is two
cents a pound higher than it was las
Spring, and all other articles of this de-
partment are held at equally high rates
We hear from wholesale commission
merchant, just returned FROM the East
that the manufacturers are very busy al
through Massachusetts, and New Hamp
shire; so that commission houses her
will have all the goods they want a
soon as they need them. A heav
stock and high prices do not look YER
promising, still the commission dealer
seem to take matters pleasantly. Thing;
they say, look great deal more health
, now than they did last year There wa
the Presidential trouble ahead, and diff
culties with the South not clearly solved
r Now everything seems to promise fail
3 and the Southern men are buying yer
well and very judiciOusly. There wer
D several large Southern buyers in tn
: shoe trade last week, and more are ez
pected in that which is upon U.S. w
hear of very few sales to Western mel
+ The hat, straw and fancy trimming
t trades have hardly yet commenced. III
=. indications are that they will be model
| ate Man TnrL Times Mnrch 3