The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1873-12-06
CLAFLIN's SALE.
A Crush of Buyers in the Great Fifth
Ward Warehouse.

/ From the New York Sun. November 18th.
! Tie first day Of II. i. Claflin 4 Go. =
great sale attracted a thrng Of purchasers
! to the great store. which extends from
/ Church street to West Broadway, in which
one looked in vain for evidence Of panic
and commercial distrust. From early morn-
ing. until darkness suspended business.
country merchants and city merchants
filled the avenues between the vast piles Of
opened goods. 50 that statesmen could
! scarcely move around, and movement to
make way for porters with their trucks oc-
| casi"ncd q movement along the whole line.
| If any doubt existed Of the wisdom Of the
was settled by a glance at the tremendous
business that was done. Those who went
there intended to buy. and knew the value
of what was offered. The only pickering
arose from the assertion of prior claims to
he waited on. A salesman secured, one
! glance at the goods was followed by speedy
decision upon the quantity desired, and the
balance of the work fel! to the parties who
| packed the orders.
Throughout the day one door Of entry to
the packing-rOom was never empty Of a
loaded truck. nor that Of exit Of truck
newly discharged. Men whohad heretofore
bought goods by pieces found the cash to
order cases. Retailers, too insignificant
hitherto to obtain goods at stores where
j"bbers bought, purchased bills that will
stock them for season. Commission
houses, too, took advantage of the low
prices to obtain stocks that were cheap
enough to promise profit by auction. The
necessity for realization has struck fatal
blow to accepted theories about the cause Of
business stagnation. 1t has shown conclu-
sively that apprehension of disaster and not
disaster itself has destroyed two months of
the usual fall business. Because banks in
the cities suspend. and some Of their coun-
try dcpositors failed with them, country
merchants were afraid to put their cash into
trade. Now they are eager to invest at
the reduced prices, paying cash, thereby
making an additional profit.
The best lines ofdomcstic goods and prints
sold yesterday at lower prices than at any
previous time since 1861. Such goods are
marked down from ten to fifteen per cent.
1t was an experiment with Claflin & Co.
| Their monthly average last year was only
million less than they hope to dispose Of
within the next thirty days. Crackers pre-
dictcd disaster if it succeeded, because of
its dem"ralizing effect upon the trade gen.
orally. and ii was by no means foregonc
conclusion that money could be found to
purchase the stock. The initial day Of the
amplcd magnitude. and there is every prom
Use that it will put 5000, 600 grcenbacks
more in circulation within 4 month. At all
events, enough goods were sold for cash to
Keep the I"rter> packing a'", slr'PI,ng nr
several days. and many merchants carried
their packages away on their shoulders.
\. r. Stewart L. Go. are inclined to meet
the reduced prices Of Claflin 4 Go. At their
retail store, goods were sold over the coln-
ter ut the same prices that Clat1in marked
! them at. The wholesale store, too. was fill
ed with buyers. Peake, Opydeke 4 Co. also
trsl the new made track. and the example
will have to bc followed by all the other
considerable houses that hope to clear their
| shelves this fall. As the case stands it opens
the spcediest and safest solution Of the mon
ey trouble. The money realized will 60 to
pay the manufacturers, many Of whom are
discharging their hands for want Of funds.
They will he enabled to resume and thus
avert the threatened distress Of the working
classes.