The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-10-22
Baseless Cracking.

4uC OuuddJ Ot" las III ibo letoG lSouC d
most remarkable article for Portland jour-
nal, taking the ground that our citizens
should make no complaint of the injury to
our mercantile interests by unfair discrimi-
nations against us in freights by the Maine
Central Railroad Company, nor should in
dulge in any apprehensions about the consol-
idation of that railroad with Boston roads be-
cause, forsooth, our merchants cannot hope
to compete successfully with Boston mer-
hants for the jobbing trade of Maine If
this were true, it would be questionable
proceeding for Portland paper 10 advertise
it, but happily it is not only without founda-
ton, but is markedly contrary to the fact
We are very glad of the occasion thus af-
forded to make a little showing in a general
way of the true condition of our mercantile
interests. r-.
Yesterday we called upon some of our Lead
ing jobbers in the various lines and we're
amazed at the showing of their business as
compared with former years. In the dry
goods. trade, the volume of business is at least
rs per cent. greater than in any former year,
one large house having sold as many goods in
the month ofSeptember last, as their yearly
sales amounted to ten years ago, and the
other leading houses showing nearly the same
ratio of advance. The fancy goods and cloth
ing houses show about the same increase
The drug stores have been greatly injured by
the operation of che Liquor Law as their Gus
toners being compelled to go to Boston for
linuors have in rf1apu oaSac bo,,rI+ +l,o;. al.
er goods at the same place; yet in the face of
this drawback the business. in this line is
greater than it has euer been in any former
gear. The hardware, boots and shoes, books
and stationery, and fish merchants all show
large increase in business from ana time in
the past, while the corn and -four and groce-
ry business has grown TO very remarkable
extent In fact there were never so many
goods, in the various lines named and for
corresponding time, sold in Portland since the
world was created as during the past year.
Notwithstanding the fact that the State at
large is certainly not increasing in population
and is probably slightly decreasing, thus
demonstrating thtt this increase of trade
comes from encroachments of our merchants
upon trade which formerly went to Boston,
This very gratifying result proves conclusive
ly another thing, that Portland affords the
best market for citizens of Maine and that
our fellow citizens are ascertaining that fact
and avaiing themselves of it.
Many other branches of business here are
enjoying unusual prosperity, the lumber trade
for instance, and others which might be nam
ed. We refer to the foregoing not as our
only prosperous branches of business. but
merely as Illustrations of the absurdity of the
croaking which has been somewhat prevalent
OF late about the decadence of business in
Portland and has at last found its way into
print. 1t is very natural for many people to
Jake a somber view of affairs, but the next
time one of our citizens feels the disposition
to make himself living embodiment of the
Lamentations of jeremiah, we advise him to
take walk through some of our wholesale
establishments. If the lively and cheerful
hustle, and the evidences of vigorous business
life there observable, don't convince him that
we are not doomed to grass-grown streets. he
may give himself up as incurable.
We may fairly congratulate ourselves that
we are about starting on a career of prosperi-
ty somewhat like the experience of Boston
for the last ten years. That city had period
OF depression prior to that time, and the
wiseacres were positive that Boston was
dead-that New York had overshadowed her
that she was suffering the natural fate of
small communities of absorption in larger
ones; and great many other sage conclu- |
sions OF like import were stated in the oracu
lar tone with which our people have become
familiar We are now beginning to recover |
from the depressing effect of the great loss of !
capital caused by the fire and the difficulty of
with market constantly droop- |
ing from war prices. With our location, our |
harbor, our favorable and improving lines of |
communication by rail and water, the energy |
and persistence of our business men, the
awakened interest in manufactures, the gen.
eral business stability which will result from
he continuance of our present national ad
end finally, with the revival of
which is certain in the next
eason, we may confidently anticipate
growth and prosperity for our city, such as has
lot before been witnessed, although we can
Joint with satisfaction to the fact that the
ity has steadily grown in business, popula-
ion and wealth through all this period of
stagnation.