The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-04-13
BUSY RRIDGEPORT.
A LIttIe Town with a Large Traas-sOmO
Recent Changes.


Bridgeport, our little usighbor over the
river, has never, until recently, done much
manufacturing. She is now assuming some
importance in this line. and 1t Is prophe-
sled for her that she is to have in the
future career OF prosperity as q manuIac- |
turing town. There Ia one kind Of bust.
ness which she has held remarkably for @
small place, with larger and more thriving
competitors oil around her, This is the
wholesale business, The town now has
two wholesale groceries, several wholesale
drug stores, and at least enc wholesale dry
goods and notion store,
BellAire, with probably thrice the popu.
lation, and superior facilities Tor shipment
by rail and river, has never been able 10
make q success OF the wholesale trade,
with the exception Of fancy groceries and
confeCtionaries on q small scale. The
same Is in less degree also true Of Steuben-
vile. The contrast between these two
towns and Bridgeport in this respect is
most marked,
A we'll informed Bridgeport man said
yesterday, in conversation with an INTEL
LIGENcRR reporter, that the thriving con.
dition Of the wholesale trade OF that vii
lage was due 10 two things: the Rccessi.
bility OF the town and the facilities Tor
shipping, and the fact that the trade was
established in day when business was
differently conducted from present modes,
and secured toothold then from which II
could not be shaken In after years.
The firm OF O. NJ. Rhodes K Co., which
has recently been conducting an estSb-
lishment which dates back many years
under various irm.names, are now closing
out their stock with view Of going out
OF the business, Mr., Charles NJ, Rhodes,
the senior partner in the firm, is also Pres
ident OF the Nail City Glass Works, be-
sides being interested in the Diamond
Flour Mill with his father, E. P. Rhodes.
These many interests so engross his time
that he has concluded TO give up the
grocery business and devote his attention
exclusively to other matters, There will
thus be but one wholesale grocery firm left
In Bridgeport, that oil A Brsnuum 4 Sons,
At one time prior 10 1873, there were five
firms In the business III Bridgeport, namely:
Z. p. Rhodes 4 Son; Sturgeon, Sharp 4 Go, F.;
Junkins, Brannum & Co ]. s, Bates 4 o.,
and Ferguson & Medill. Gradually, by con.
solidalion and sale, thete firms have all
been thinned out until but two are left,
and one Of them Is about winding up ita
affairs.
The business dates back to the estab'
lishment Of wholesale commission house
in the thirties, under the style Of NJ.
Rhodes 4 Son, the partners being Messrs,
Moses Rhodes and Ebenezer P. Rhodes,
father and son. About 1910, as near %
our iniormant's knowledge went, Bell &
Harden started a wholesale grocery, the
first IN Bridgeport. In AZ or 4S 4. P.
Rhodes and y. 0glsbay opened another
house, and 1t is this, which, after various
changes Of proprietorship and location,
: and q continuous lease oil lie OF some
thirty'iour years, Is now about to termi
nate.
Bridgeport has some recommendation
. yet as q location ior wholesale business
Its accessibility by good wagon roads
which give It its early prestige In this line
!. is still considerable Of an advantage. III
location on the o. & P. and O., 7. V. 4 W
railroads, and its proximity 10 the river,
give 1t equally favorable rates with com
lpeting points, and II seems scarcely prob
able that the Messrs. Brannum will be left
to enjoy their fruitful field alone. There
certainly lie, or at least our informant
thinks there ID, and he Ia In position Ia
know, good opening for q wholesale
firm there, and two would probably dc
much better business each than one alone
: Competition Is the motive power which
drives the wheels oil trade,