The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-11-21

quit that sort OF tnlng.
Little more remains to be told of this
true tale of border-life, and it may de
summed up in these words Soon after
the Indian raid there was a wedding at
Mr.. Thompson's, and the farmer, in
fiuenced by his new son-in-law, stopped
drinking and became prosperous anb
useful citizen. If ever you visit the
Big Blue, Just above Mr.. Thompson s
place you will find a neat farmhouse,
and in it a brown-haired, happy-faced
woman, with four little curly-hea ell
children playing about her knee. The
owner of this farm is quiet, orderly,
welI-to-do man and, if you will wait
until he comes home from the fields,
you will recognize in him none other
than "The Wild Hunter of the Blue. .
Condition of the Dry Goods Trade.
From the standpoint of short sixty
days ago, the dry goods trade gave
promise of a season of prosperity without
parallel in its history. The bounteous
| crops of the west and south afforded
an ample guarantee to the merchants of
| those sections for the purchase and dis
tribution of an unusually liberal amount
| of merchandise, while the industrial in
terests of the eastern and middle states
| were then in the full tide of success,
affording ample employment to thou
sands of well-paid operatives and arti-
zans. So the trade opened auspicious-
ly, and during the month of August an
immense amount of goods was for
warded from this city to all parts of the
interior. But fatality seems to have
overtaken the fall trade of late years.
Following each other came at intervals
the Chicago and Boston fires, and the
epizootic, which severally had a most
depressing effect upon business and
now another season of extreme depres-
sion, aggravted by panic, is upon us.
The former calamities, in a measure,
taught g lesson of prudence to our
merchants, checking speculation entire
ly, and the manner in which business
has been pursued for the last twelve
months has enabled the trade to stand
up nobly as a body during the present
crisis. Such suspensions as have oc-
cured have been exclusively confined to
houses whose business was widely ex
panded, and apt to become unmanagea-
BILE in times of financial distress. In
every case it has been demonstrated
that the assets of the various suspended
firms have been largely in excess of
their liabilities, and what is now needed
is simply the restoration of confidence,
in order to set the wheels of commerce
again in motion.
The trade has been exceedingly dull
for the past month in this city, but
throughout the west and in the larger
interior cities, a fair distribution of
goods has been effected, reducing mate
rally even the large supplies laid in
by jobbers in those sections before the
occurrence of the panic. The local and
nearby trade, which depends upon this
market for goods, has shown a great
falling off, owing to the depression of
the retail branches, caused by the non
employment or only partial employment
of so many operatives in all directions,
who will be obliged to ecOnomize for
some time to come.
Values of domestic cotton goods have
exhibited a material shrinkage within
the last ten days, and both cotton and
woolen fabrics are now cheaper than
they have been for years-conditions
which are favorable to an increased con
sumption when trade revives. Traffic
in imported fabrics is almost at a stand
still, and current transactions are main
effected through the medium of the |
auction rooms, at prices which are any
thing but profitable to the owners,
MANY of whom are manufacturers or |
consignors abroad.
There are some points in connection |
with the present method of carrying on |
business which at times like these, merit !
the consideration of merchants, with a |
view to remedying defects. Through |
out the iobbing trade, rents, salaries,
travelling expenses, etc, are altogether |
too extravagant, compared with the al
most nominal profts-amounting to
mere commission-derived from the
bulk of goods sold. These extraordina-
ry expenses render the city iobber una
BILE to cope with his competitors in the
country, whose expenses are less, and
who can sell their goods equally low at
a better profit, besides having the ad-
vantage of exercising a constant super
vision of the local trade which they sup
ply, and making their collections more
easily. The system of paying commits
sious to statesmen in lieu of salaries, is
faulty and bad for obvious reasons, and
inimical to the prosecution of a safe
business. The impolicy of "cutting"
prices upon certain grades of goods is
1nwise, and tends to weaken confidence
in the minds of buyers, most of whom
are we'll aware of the object with which
quotations below market rates are made.
Credits are too loosely given in many
instances, and for too long time in
others. Why should jobber imperil
capital by giving four months time up
On goods which he himself buys on a
credit of 80 or 60 days d? The habit of
goods son memorandum by
jhe commission merchants should be
by manufacturers, other
wise production cannot be gauged by
;he consumptive demand. Other abus-
IS have crept into the trade, but glance
It the above will suffice for the pres
mt.
The prospective outlook, although not
Invested cf anxiety-perhaps of danger
is not discouraging The financial
condition of the trade has been sub
ected to a strain which shows its inhe-
ent strength the material wealth of I
he country is undiminished, and as {
people must be clothed, even if more
than usual, an early revi- (
ral of the dry goods trade may reasona-
)ly be anticipated, on a moderate scale, s
md in the mean time let merchants have
confidence in each other, and the banks {
n the merchants, and all will come out
light again in the end. N. y Bulletin.