The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-12-31
LYHE TOLgMH Oh TRADH.
In This Community During the
Year 1889 was Ahead Of
THAT OF THE PREVIOUS YEAR
According to the Statements Made
by Wheeling Men, While the Pros
poets for $500 Presagean Eveu
Better Year Than 1880,

To-day sees the good old year OF 1889
pass away, never to return except in
memory, Generally speaking it has
been a good and prosperous year for
Wheeling's business men, and they will
often recall it as a year in which there
was a steady advancement in the volume
Of trade over that done in the previous
year, and as a year in which there was
prevalent in all lines OF business u better
feeling, As the business Of the old year
ends with the closing Of to,days transac.
tons and Wheeliug's business com
munlty stands looking over the
prospects for 1890 there appears to be an
unanimous belief that the signs presage
increased prosperity over that enjoyed
iE 1850, and that the prospects are much
more bright and encouraging, viewed
from every standpoint, than they were
one year ago,
One gentleman in speaking OF this
matter yesterday said; There is
nothing else for this community to be.
lieve except that 1890 has more blessings
in store for us than 1880 has had, satls'
factory as this year has been. Look at
the building that has been and is going
on in this town; people are coming here
to live in those houses or those Others
yauate to move into new ones. Real e.
tate men will tell you there is a constant
demand for dwellings, Another sure
indication Of our present prosperity and
that which Is TO come, Is found in the
heavy and constantly growing freight
business being done, One year ago we
did not have q daily packet to Cincin.
natl, and n boat running between
here and Pittsburgh did only fairly well,
Now thevOlune Of trade is such that not.
withBtanding tue iaCt thatthe Cincinnati
packets take away enormous quantities
Of freight from herei that the single
Pittsburgh packet has found theincrease
in her business 80 great that she has
been Obliged to call ia another boat to
help her; that the Parkersburg boats
have found 1t profitable to extend their
trips to Pittsburgh; that more goods
are being moved on tho Ohio river
than has been known for years
Notwithstanding ali this, the
railroads have found their freight bust.
ness increasing at a jumping rate. The
volume OF trade has grown so heavy
that the Pennsylvania people here have
found it necessary within the year Ia
charge storage on all cars standing on
unloading switches after i~orty.eighl
hours have elapsed. II is not so much
that they want the cars, but they must
have the room for the stuI that is con
stantly coming in"
This was one mans expression Of the
situation us he viewed it, 1t wa
echoed in varying forms Of speech by
the majority OF the business men who
were approached on this matter yester'
day.
The only falling otrin the grocery lint
was in sugars aud this 10 accounted fol
by the fact that 1883 was II great fruit
year, and tho canning business done
eclipsed anything ever before known,
In the dry goods line the wholesalers
have lad no cause to complain, and
the retailers have shared in the
general prosperity. Some Of the re-
~lRilers who handle futs and Cloaks have
found themselves butaened with these
goods by reason OF the mild and open
weather that has prevailed thus far this
season, and heavy dress goods have had
a slow sale, but generally the dry goods
trade has been good and the outlook
is very encouraging, With a general &C
tivity prevailing in a community dry
goods and clothes find a ready sale. What
has been said Of the fur dealers may be
said Of tue clothing men who laid in
stocks OF heavy goods; this season has
been against them,
A good indication Of a Community's
prosperity is the trade done by It's lew.
elera. The jewelry trade in Wheeling
thisyear has been very heavy. One Jew.
eler IL reported as saying that hisholiday
sales this year were Sl0,0O0 in advance 81
those made in 1883. Tie piano and
organ business Is another sure pointer
aa to whether there is a ~stripgenqy felt
in the money markets the trade done in
that line Of goods this year has been
something tho likeo Of which has not been
known in along time.
The furniture dealers report the
years trade as considerably ahead that
Of 1888, aud that the holiday trade was
something extra fine; all this Is
another positive Sign Of u pros.
porous feeling iu the community
especially as the furniture sold is re-.
ported TO have been Of an extra fine
quality. In the hardware line, and
among thoge who deal in no.
tons, china and glassware, the
reports obtained were nearly all
to the effect that the business OF 1889
had been at least satisfactory, and that
the prospects for 1900 were considered to
DO most encouraging,