The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1888-10-21
WHOLESALE TRADE.
A san Fraasasee Commercial Travel
sr Tells . Brother Frsrn Portland
Some Hard Fact. whieh Have
Bearing On seasti~'- Commerce
Long rime Credits

A gentleman who came from Por.
Townsend yesterday on the steamer
North Pacific gave . Poer-IsrKrsr-
sExrEE man an account OF a very
lively and significant conversation
which tack place between two eora-
merciai men, one representing San
Francisco house and the other Port
land establishment. They were both
unusually intelligent men One, judg-
ing from his conversation, vas much
more experienced than the ether, hay
ing been on the road 10 years 70 the
others tive. The San Francisco man
had Travelled all over the Pacific North
west as far east as Missoula ii Nom
tana. Boise City. Idaho, and has done
business in every town in Eastern
Oregon and throughout Washington
Territory. The conversation began
with general reference 10 the success
each was meeting. and one thing led
70 another until they began compar-
ing the amount of business done in
the territory referred to by Portland
and San Francisco respectively.
Portland wholesale houses have
sold more goods IN Washington Ter
ritory, Montana, Idaho and Oregon
this year" said the Portland man.
than during any year IN the past.
Trade, generally speaking, Is better
and the volume has increased away
beyond what might be expected con
sidering the riyalryof Eastern and San
Francisco houses
"you are mistaken. rejoined the
san Francisco man. at IS possible
your house has done better by Offering
better accommodations in time, and
occasionally in rates also. in order to
hold trade. but what yoG say Is not
true of the wholesale trade generally
Of Portland, and ii is not true of San
Francisco, either. Portland's trade in
the Pacific Northwest does not aggre-
gate much larger sum than that OF
ten years ago, when IL HIonop-
olized the trade Of Eastern
Washington, Idaho and Eastern
Oregon. Then the transportation
facilities extended only TO points up
the Columbia river, and was carried
on by wagons from The Dalles, then
Pendleton, then WalIa Walla and the
Snake river steamers. Portland mer-
chants then had everything their own
way, and their trade with. the interior
was practically a monopoly. Most OF
the Sound trade went TO them. twas
some time before San Francisco mer-
chants considered il worth while TO
seek trade up here, and trade channels
were too indistinctly defined to con
vince them Of the safety OF extending
credits according to the old custom,
that Is, year to wear and q half.
Portland men then had every thing
their own way, ami 10 certain extent
they have been blind 10 changes which
have taken place. The establishment
OF regular lines OF steamers between
San Francisco and the Sound has re-
fsulted in almost an entire loss to
Portland OF the Sound trade. The
construction of the Oregon Short Ijne
by the Union Pacific railroad opened
up to San Francisco houses facilities
BIZ which they have taken away from
Portland large part, a very large part
OF their Idaho trade, and this IL true,
10 some extent. of Eastern Oregon
trade. The construction Of the North
ern Pacific opened up the way for
Eastern houses into Montana. Eastern
Washington aud Eastern Oregon.
Then the completion of the Cascade
branch gave the Sound short cut into
Eastern Washington. and the result is
wholesale houses are being established
in a very lively way along the Sound.
Proof OF the effect the completion OF
the Cascade branch had upon Port
lands trade Is to be found in the fact
that some OF the Portland houses have
established branch houses in Seattle.
They would not have done this IL they
could have held the trade in Portland.
! have been all over the territory We are
talking about, year after year, and have
watched the beginning and gradual
increase of the encroachments on
Portland's trade, first by San Fran
cisco, then the East and finally the
Sound, and know the extent Of their
trade. I tell YOU Portlfnd's trade is
less than il was years ago. San Fran
cisco's trade is less now than il was
several wears ago. and it will be only a
few years until both cities will have
little or no trade at all along the Sound
or in Eastern Washington. One rea-
son why some of the Portland houses
notice an increase in their trade Is
that San Francisco houses are adopt
ing Eastern methods. Where credits
formerly extended any where from
six TO eighteen months, now if a man
does not pay up in four OF FIVE months
he Is told his trade is not wanted.
Portland houses have taken advantage
of this change, and by adhering to the
old practice OF long credits, together
with an occasional cut in prices, have
gained trade which has heretofore
partly gone 10 San Francisco What
| have said about the decline in trade
relates 10 that of both Portland and
San Francisco. but chiefly Portland. "
The Portland drummer was COM
PEELED to confess that he did not know
rs much as the other about the field
under discussion. and although he
manifested his loyalty TO Portland
and insisted that that city would hold
its own against al corners, he could
not 20 into details like the San Fran
cisco man, who was frank enough to
admit the truth about his own city.
Altogether the conversation was an
interesting one, and the testimony
OF a keen-witied and ohservant COM
nercial traveller about trade, its de-
cline or growth, is pretty Trustworthy
and. In this instance. should afford
much satisfaction To Seattle wholesale
men
BY ARBITRATION