, 1879-01-01
BOOTS AND SHOES.


has not exhibited the same ratio Of increase n
ih 1877. when the volume OF aalea was not fur
from lG,00o COO. against about Sl3, ,0OO In
1876. There has bgen further growth In tho
business, the qusnttty Of gools sold bslug
about IL per cent creator thnn the year preccd-
Ing; but therdfhas been further decl!uu In
prices TO penr1y the SANE extent, leaving ths
cash returns Of the two last years not far from
equal. The sales arc estimated At 4l5,000, 600,
on q working cppitai Ut s., ,000,0 coo, which iu-
cludeS that employed In manufacturing.
Tho decrease In The sosllng price OF boots and
shoes Is chiefly owing to 4 lesscned cost OF ma-
tcElai, which has ruled very low, In com,Aon
with liyu stock. Ths price OF labor remains
about tho kame, and nu important improve-
ments have recently been made 10 labor-saylbg
machinery, which really seems ~ II /. had
already reached the hight Of perfection 10 thts
business, Tho psolits oE handling are about tls
aey see es,s .ar n
lug competition having made great difference
In this respect. Neither haa there been any
noteworthy addition tu tlts capital empiored,
Or thc number Of prominent hrus engaged In
tho business; though year avo two or three
Eastern firms we're eanvassing tho advisabllIty
OF opening out here. Our lobbcrs report
4 SATISFACTORY TRADE.
Tho Losses through bad debts the past year
ulade With greater pFouptnesa thah In any
previous year since the panic Of 1878,
All tho Indications poIDt 70 further rapid
growth Ut the business. though 1t has slfealy
attained very !arve Dimensions. II IA estal-
llahed OH the very solid basis of manufacturing
larac proportion OF tho goods ut homo,
on tile spot xhere the raw material Il prepared
for ustng. TINS slauRhtcr-houses Of this uity
supply very large quantity Of hides, which ass
tanned here, ani available to manufacturers
without cost Ut transportation except over
short t. tutFanurAl" distances. The Esetesu
manufacturer has to pay freight OH tho leather
or hides from the West, aud h!s manufactured
product Aaa again to pay transportation
charges betore 1t can ind market In tlis West,
Tlifs important fact has encouraged the Indus
trY here, a.it ABOUT twenty-five ttrnis Are vt
preatut engaged in the manufacturing and ioh.
bling trade In sh!s city. three Ut whom do =
larger aggregate hu.nsss than my other thrsu
contfBs themselves to tbs mako Of the
heavier class Ut xouds. but within the paAt
two years tho manufacture OF IadIcss wear has
becn conducted here On 4 rather e1tonalye scale
The Chicago made gools, shout 10 pr cent ot
which are manufactured from Chicago tnaIs
tho Uhlted 6takcs, aud tho recent impetus g,Vcn
tu the Development Of mining and aErtcultuFe
tn the far Weat and Northwest Ina Iery muri,
wtdeAcd the market In tnose directions, while
they are preferred ~ other goods In large arsaa
Of the south.
rue TRADE IN RUBBER doops
WaA unusually quiet during the greater part OF
the rasi year. The weather has been untatuea.
bio to activity IN this direction Good roads ID
the country, and good sidewalks In thu city,
With ReicrauY tntid temperature, have Gu
atled Inauy to dispense With Eubboss who forul-
erly used thcns. Tha trade In these goods u,
however, large ons in ths aggregate