The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1878-01-01


suffering from the immediate effects OF
the panic, and many of the largest and
heretofore supposed strongest houses
were being swept away in the great
financial whirlwind, Wheeling remained
stsunch and sound, her commercial cred
it unquestioned and her trade unim-
paired; the solveDcy of her merchants
proven and their ability acknowledged.
In 1876 and IT it might be said we
first really suffered from the panic
The stoppsges and shutting down" OF
our various manufacturing and mining
companies, from the many well known
causes, has brought much poverty and
privation upon that laboring class OF
people of which our city is so largely
composed. Depending, rs they do, upon
receiving their earnings at stated perlods
(once or twice each month, 1t has always
been customary with this class to pur-
chase their supplies and necesssries al
most entirely upon credit. The merchant
has become accustomed to this; he has
always received his money when "pay-
day" came, and now, when through lack
of employment his customer is unable
to meet his last months bill, he is still
forced, through many reasons, not the
least of which is common humanity and
an implied faith in the ultimate liquida-
tion of the debt, to let the account run
on, growing In its proportion, until he is
actually, in the common business par
lance, carrying" the delinquent.
The retail grOcers of this city have
never before had so many out
standing accounts on their books
as they have to-day. On many
OF these they have been trying to "torce'
collection, and as consequence the 9TH
ces OF the Justices of the Peace have
been we'll supplied with business. The
various collectors and collecting attor-
news have handled hundreds OF accounts;
of these accounts, however, not one fourth
does the collector classify rs "goOd busl-
ness" and the remainder are returned to
the creditor rs "uncollectsble." Other
branches of the retail trade have suffer-
ed alike with the grocers through
their inability to collect money due them,
but probably in none other has the evil
OF the credit system been made so ap-
parent In 1875 there was an aggregate
number OF 1851 civil cases tried before
the Justices OF the Peace in this city.
In 1876 this number was swelled to 3, 53'
| and in 1877 TO 4,34l. In the main these
were suits brought for small amounts
ranging from three to twenty dollars
each. The inference to be drawn from
these figures is that this (retail)
branch of trade has been gradually
growing into an unbeslthy condition,
but, notwithstanding al this, the bust
ness of the retailers in the past year, with
very few exceptions hss bsen good
They have cleared expenses, made
enough to live on, and, In some cases,
added to their capital. They are as
eager as ever to dispose of their goods on
credit, but evince a growing disposition
to enquire more closely into the tinancisl
condition of the buyer before trusting
him. In many instances they bave been
compelled to seek temporary indulgences
from their creditors in the wholesale
trade, and the merchants In this latter
line, recognizing the necessity when de-
msnds such indulgence, have shown
every disposition to be lenient. The
civil business in our county court has
been quite heavy, and the merchant has
figured more conspicuously than in pro-
yious years; yet, withsl, the number OF
cases sgsins. our business men Is very
small compared to other cities, During Inc
vesr 1877, there were one hundred snd
tbirtv-three executions issued upon juos-
men,s from the courts of this county, az
rregs,ing s2l l,SS616, but only ssnsII
proportion of these are against the me''
chants.
Our wholesale or jobbing trade has been
for many years past very noursh'ng
one and the reports OF the last yesr
business hiss, on the whole, been very
satisfactory. They have to compete O.
,sc,Iv with Baltimore houses, who can
oso, many inducements, and whose goecs,
sbipped from Baltimore, are subject 10
very nearly the same freight tarin IS
goods shipped from this point; yet oy
,ha;r energy, perseverance, snd industry
have they been enabled to retain 'neiF
control over the trade which should pro-
..,,v centre at Wheeling They
are watching their interests very
carefully, exercising great csn'ion
:. ,,a selection of their credit customers
rnnriDg on close expenses and otherwise
giving every evidence of their .pp,ee'a'
e.. % the hard times and their deter
mio,,ion to keep their business well
w;,b,p bounds. They have made some
m.nsv me, their engagements promptly