The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-10-22
THE TRADE OF THE YEAR.
A CHEERING REVIEW OF THE COM
MERCIAL SEASON.
The Southern Trade In a Most Prosper
Gus Conditional Fair Promise Of Bet
ter Times to Come.

yne SOutnern Irauc IN d huost TTosPoi-
Gus Conditional Fair Promise Of Bet
ter Times TO Come.
[from the New York Trlbune.]
Although considerable trade Is done by
wholesale dealers Of this city with the South
throughout the entire year, the Southern mer-
chants generally buy most largely in the fall,
when they come North In large numbers. Be-
ginning about the last of July, the busy term
continues through the two months following,
reaching its height during September, though
many goods are sold for some time afterward.
The bulk of the purchases for this season have
now been made, however, and q review OF
this fall's trade furnishes some Interesting
facts concerning the condition OF business af-
fairs in the Southern States. Accounts from
leading houses in various branches OF trade
show that, notwithstanding the distraction
from business attendant upon q Presidential
canvass, the sales to Southern merchants have
been, In most lines of goods, heavier than dur
log any year since the war, the Southwark.
going steamers carrying full cargoes every
Trip. Furthermore, there Ia q marked change
In the character of the goods purchased, there
being q greater demand than heretofore LOT q
superior quality in all staple wares, as well as for
articles of q better class. Thus the dealers IN
dry goods state that they are selling his fall
the higher grades of muslins, prints, dress
goods, &C., much more extensively than In
previous years, while their customers are in
yesling In expensive goods with considerable
more freedom. Southern merchants report
| that there Is a waking up among their people
Ia buslRess matters, and that the people are
paving more attention to the proper supply Of
their wants. In the past, persons would
| questioning as to the quality or price OF the
| things desired, whereas now they carefully
| consider these points, and the service. re-
| Quired, and endeav0r to obtain the goods
| which will best fulfil their wants. Among the
| colored people a noticeable change IN this
| respect Is taking place. They are beginning
to evince less Taste for SNOWY, flimsy goods,
| and are learning TO seek what will prove most
| substantial. In the Yankee notions trade the
dealers report the same state OF things.
With Increased sales has come q better de-
mand for various goods which have heretofore
found a light market In the Southern States,
while q falling off Is noticed In trifipg wares.
In regard to hardware, . similar change IS
perceptible, especially In the purchase OF arti-
Giles for builders and farmers use. These
have been bought more extensively aud of 9
much. higher quality than heretofore, and
comprise a full stock OF improved tools and
furnishings. The demand for q better class OF
carpenters' tools and builders hardware
would seem to betoken great progress In the
mduuC1 VI uuitoih6s ~ htS
activity Is said to prevail. The trade 10 this
line is confined principally TO builders aud
farmers hardware and cutlery, though q
general assortment OF other things Ia required
to complete q Dealers stock. In making their
purchases of these goods, many Southern
merchants have begun to avoid middlemen,
and now buy directly from the manufacturers
or their agents In many cases, 30 that they
may save all commissions. The Southern
trade In agricultural Implements is always
\ somewhat dull at this time of the year;
but 1t Is evidently falling away from this
market, though the use OF the imple-
meQts Is Increasing each year. This Is
caused largely by The TACT that agrleultural
machinery ls generally bulky and expensive
TO transport, and q number OF factories have
been started in various ciLies OF the South Tor
the manufacture OF cotton gins and presses,
ploughs, &c. In the qualify of implements
used by the Southern Iarmers and planters
there does not seem to be, as far az can be
learned from the dealers, much improvement,
though better articles are making their way
slowly. For instance, the plough commonly
bought for the South Is small and rough, turn
Ing q very shallow furrow, and sells at q
triHIng price compared with that Of the %
plrmenls intended for Northern and Western
markets. In seeds, however, there appears to
be an advance both 10 the quantity and quality
sold. This trade is at Its height later in the
season, but leading seedsmen report that the
tendency Ia to raise a greater range OF crops,
especially of productions for home consump-
ton, and that q desire issevldent among many
to obtain the best varieties. Along the coast
the sale of garden seeds has been especially
large during the past year, the growth OF pro-
duce for the New York market having be-
come q considerable Industry In places within
easy transportation distance of this city.
In the wholesale drug business the fall trade
has just closed. A. prominent house OF the
city reports an increase OF forty per cent in
Southern sales over those OF last year, and
this despite o falling off of twenty-five per
cent on South Carolina sales, largely due to
Ku-Klux legislation and the like. A member
Of this house states that the fall In cotton and
the financial difficulties In the South 10 1867
cleared away q large class of adventurous
merchants, and left business In the hands of
men of q more substantial order, who seem
this season 10 have cleared of both the liabil-
tiles left by the war and those which accumu-
lated during the 1887 crisis. They also seem TO
bs at present on an unusually healthful basis,
paying slarger proportion of cash. and giving
better paper for the remainder. Having trav-
elled considerably In the South, he Is OF opIn-
ion that this Improved aspect Ut affairs is
largely due to the agricultural prosperity of
the past three years., as contrasted with dull
times Immediately preceding. In the whole
sale grocery business, Southern sales are re-
pOEC6Q Dy d pCUWlu6uL uuubo w uhfo luCIcdoou
from thlrty-three to fifty per cent over those
Of last year. About the same proportion of
cash payments seemed to prevail as heretofore,
but q good deal Of stir and enter prise was man
ifested. A large boot and shoe house which
deals almost exclusively with the South states
that its trade has improved much. In the sale
oil hides, leather and findings, q prominent
house reports that bushes With 1t Ia much
the same as for some lime past. Customers
are kept on rather short time, but nav pretty
promptly. A. large Broadway hat, cap and fur
establishment, which confines Itself almost
an Increase OF twenty per cent. or more In It's
sales. A gentleman travelling for the house,
oflarge acquaintance with the South, declares
that, with the exception of South Carolina
and Louisiana, there Ia a wonderful exhibition
Of business Industry and enterprise there.
The States In which this Ia especially manifest
are Georgia, Texas, Alabama and Mississippi;
Georgia being most prominent In this dlrec,
tl0n, Texas next, and 80 on. In some of the
States-as Texas-a large Increase Of lmmigra.
ton lin part from the States where martial
law Is most active) has added to the popula.
tioD, which, IN part, explains the enlarged
business. But aside from this, there is q great
waking up OF the whites to q sense of the fact
that they can only prosper by the most ylgo-
rous peroona! effort. Accordingly there Is a
| greater economy, and greater personal SUPER
vision of business. The last crop Is said to bs
| the cheapest produced of any yet raised at the
| South. By these means there has been q great
clearing eff of individual debts, with most
| healthfpl results. Better personal habits are
also growing. The negroes wear shoes In
summer rather than &c bare-toot, and neat.