The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1882-09-17
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER II, 1882.
The regular circulation of The SUN for the
The Fall Trade.

The fall trade of the city is now active, and
IN some departments its volume is unusually
great Tho hotels frcqucnted by mercantile
buyers from the country have all been crowd
ed for several weeks, and there seems to be
no diminution in their business.
For ten years and more a large part OF the
trade of the business centres with country
merchants has been done through CONNER
cial travellers That method of soliciting
custom is undoubtedly expensive but it has
the advantage of securing a steady trade
throughout the year; and the country dealer,
being able to obtain new supplies whenever
the dru,nmcrs make sthcir regular and fire.
quent rounds, is not apt to carry an overstock
for which he may be embarrassed to make
payment. The city merchant Is therefore
less likely to be troubled with bad debts.
The competition among the commercial
travellers, however, is very sharp. Even
manufacturers in many cases. have taken
to sending out agents to secure trade there
by interfering with the drummers of the
jobbers. Houses in the interior cities, like
Syracuse and Rochester, for instance. have
host of solicitors for patronage abroad, and
merchants who would never be likely to draw
largo custom 10 visit their establishments,
goods in that way, successfully competing
with dealers at the great business centres to
which men from the interior are naturally
drawn The growth Of tho system of COM
mercial travelling has, therefore, tended to
distribute the business OF supplying country
merchants and gives large share Of it to
places which otherwise could have enjoyed
little more than a restricted local trade
Lvtn l,,,,; IN hat
way is, however, whenever the prospects Of
the year are good, the fall is sure to bring a
Great crowd of dealers from all parts OF the
country to New York. They prefer to buy
directly, and are glad Of the opportunity to
visit the city. Stocks Of goods in the coun-
try have run low, the purchases last year
having been lcssened because OF the poor
crops. An abundant harvest being now as
sured. the merchants are encouraged to lay
In full supply, and to buy goods Of
superior quality.
That is the reason why all the downtown
hotels are now crowded to their utmost ca
pacity, and the number of retail buyers at
the dry goods jobbing houses is unusually
great. And this is not speculative trade, but
an honest and healthy demand to supply
consumption, which will be much greater
than last year, because of the far more abun-
dant harvest These buyers come from oil
parts Of the Union. and they bring the most
encouraging reports as to the prospects Of
trade in every quarter. Prices, too, are at
moderate figures, which stimulates pur-
chases, and the opening OF autumn is Great
ing large demand from the local retailers.
The late storm decisively marked the end
OF the vacation season. Comparatively few
visitors are now left at the seashore and in
the mountains, and by the beginning Of next
week there will be none remaining except
those who are people OF leisure, a class much
larger than it used to be, but still far from
numerous. 1t is counted by hundreds rather
than thousands Two or three fashionable
resorts make a display OF activity in Septem-
Der and October; the rest are almost deserted
now and in a few days they will be nearly
as dull as they are in mdwinter.
Yet the retail trade Of New York will not
begin to be at its height before next month
Then the crowd of European travellers will
be back, the uptown hotels will be doing
their greatest business, and the residents Of
the city will be making their preparations
for the winter. Remarkable attractions in
the way Of public amusements will bring
many strangers hither. Prosperity through
out the country will help to make New
York more crowded than ever and the
multiplication Of apartment houses will pro-
vide the means for the accommodation Of an
even larger winter population than We had
last year.
A busy, gay. prosperous winter, with an
active demand for labor, is promised