Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-03-14
NASHVILLE
As a JObbing Market.
Where Our JObberS Look for
Trade.
Experiences of the Past and
Prospects for the
Future.

Nashville, by reason Of being the Capital
Of Tennessee, has always enjoyed a degree
Of prestige Independent Of its trade rela-
lions with the country at large. It is rare
ly the case, too, that the capital Of a State
becomes a manufacturing or commercial
osnter, but the Rock City has proven an
exception to the general rule. Its influence
in the commercial world is not second to
its political influence, and the wholesale
trade Of the city has been fostered and
stimulated until it has extended its opera
tions and influence Throughout the entire
South. The war, naturally enough, inter-
rupted the trade Of the city, but upon the
return Of peace old and new houses We'd
with each other in the work Of rebuilding
the fallen commercial fortunes Of the city.
Causes and effects being so related to
each other, and knowing, as we do, the
number and importance Of our jobbing
houses, we naturally ask what has attrac.-
ed them here, what country do they render
tributary to the city, what relative growth
does each branch Of this trade show? The
answer is not a difficult one. Shr- wd bus
iness men have been induced 10 invest
their capital, time and energy in estab-
fishing and prosecuting various wholesale
interests in Nashville, because, reasoning
from the development of the past, they
were satisfied as to the prospects for the
future. The trade which has been brought
about is not Of a speculative character,
nor do our merchants, so to speak,
hypOthecate the future. The jobbing
business, which aggregates millions Of dol
lars is upon basis firm as the foundation
Of the everlasting hills. In large mum.
Der of instances the capital invested in the
wholesale operations Of the city has been
made here. Il is the fruit Of years Of care
ful business, Of economy and Of forethought
and as a natural result few chances are ia.
ken by our jObber as a class. They have
learned to be prudent-they have made
comparatively few losses, and each year the
spirit Of enterprise is awakened more and
more. The success that has followed in
cipient and finally matured effort has re
suited in awakening our merchants and
capitalists to full realization Of the posi-
bilities of trade so far as Nash
vile is concerned, and we accord
ingly find representatives Of Nashville
houses securing the country within a radiu
Of several hundred miles. These gentle
men leave the city by every train-they AMI
their "little sample cases" seem almos
ubiquitous.
Facts are stubborn things-they admit o
no cayil-no question, and facts show tina
the wholesale trade Of this city is in
prosperous condition, all things considered
It is true that there is great scarcity o
money, that collections are slow, and tina
The failure of crops last year in a large sec
ton Of the country supplied by our jObbers
has occasiOned disagreeable status Of at
fairs in some lines Of trade at this imme
diate time, still the other fact remains tina
not a wholesale house in Nashville hai
failed since the war, and the standing o
our jobbers to-day, as a class, is scarcel!
equalled by that of any other community
Nearly every house in the city has mad,
fair profits, and when the depressing sspec
Of affairs at this immediate time is re
moved, the complaints Of sshard times" OF
the part Of our wholesale dealers. will b.
very infrequent.
In the detailed comments elsewher
given upon the prominent jobbing trade 0
the city, we have not aimed at classified
ton for obvious reasons. We have not at
tempted reported sales for reasons equal,
obvious. The statements made relative b
each are intended in a spirit Of utter fair
ness, and as such they are offered to tn
thousands of readers of to-day's UNIol
AND AMERICAN.