The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1889-12-19
President Board of Directors.
The Southern Texas Headquarters Of Manu-
facturers at Austin.

Very few citizens Of Austin are acquainted
with the quiet working in the interest of
Austin, which is carried on by some of our
business men. Yesterday, as a STATESMAN
reporter was strolling along East Sixth
street, he fell into conversation with the
manager OF one of Austin's principal bust
ness houses, and speaking of Austin's COM
merclal prosperity and enterprises, Mr.. P.
d. Gerhard, the president and manager of
the Gerhard Hardware Co., said "Austin
can and should be made one of the leading
distributing cities for all class of merchan-
dlse In Texas, and particularly for farming
implements and machinery.
Inc present commercial prosperity of
Dallas is nothing but the fruit from the es-
tablishing of distributing branch houses of
numerous manufacturers of agricultural
implements and machinery in that city
about ten years ago. 1t was the first step
towards establishing permanent interest
of Northern capital in the state. Dallas
was made the general distributing point of
| implements for the smaller dealers in
Texas, and the manufacturers established
branch houses there with sufficient
stock to supply the immediate demands
of their customers in various parts of the
state.
"These branch houses brought Dallasinto
prominence all over the state among the
merchants handling that class of goods and
drew merchants there to purchase goods, as
it was headquarters.
"These manufacturers soon became aware
of the importance of being permanently
and prominently represented with theil
line Of manufacture in this state and in
vested largely in real estate, They pur'
chased expensive grounds and erected mag
nificent buildings suitable for their business
thereon or purchased improved property
and anyone visiting Dallas today will OBJ
serve that some of the largest business
blocks are occupied by manufacturers O.
implements and machinery as branch
houses for Texas
"Other manufacturers becoming aware o.
the fact that their competitors were meet
ing with good success in Texas by being
permanently established in Dallas, they
also came there one after another until to-
day not an implement manufacturer II
the United States doing any business II
Texas has failed to establish himself with
a state branch in Dallas
tThe census of 1880shows that Dallas haC
less inhabitants at that time than Austin
and from that time on, when these manu-
facturers located there, Dallas has been
thriving and enterprising city.
"a dealer can go to Dallas and get nea
everything he wants in the farming nipple
ment or machinery line, and has larg'
stocks to select from.
at was these manufacturers that started
the ball of commercial prosperity and ere
ated confidence among other Northern
capital which has been coming to Dalla
ever since, looking for investment, and Il
finding it in one or another form.
dc fhQql mannfaG
turers all kinds of shipping facilities ant
inducements to obtain their patronage
Side track after side track was laid TO
them without any interference from tn
citizens or city council, and that is tn
reason why Dallas can boast of having ~,
600 inhabitants today y
observations have taught me that Dalla
cannot control the distribution OF lmple
ments and machinery for the entire stat
mnch longer as the trade in the south hal
of the state is increasing with wonderful
rapidity and is drifting into the hands G
smaller dealers along the lines OF rallroa
in small towns. AS these smaller dealer
nrefer purchasing from the manufacturer
direct, and cannot afford to pay the mig
local rates of freight from Dallas, the mar
ufacturers must establish another dlstrlI
nting depot in the southern or central POI
tion of Texas if they wish to hold the trad
thew now have. For over two years nav
been advocating that Austin was the prof.
or niace for central distributing kdepots
manufacturers, and have laid Austln's ao
vantages before them, and have SO ia
succeeded in g ting two of the largest mar
nfscturers of agricultural implements TO es
tabIish headquarters for the southern pal
o cSS Texas with us here. The David Bradle
Manufacturing company, OF Chicago, an
the keystone Implement company,
Kansas CITY and Sterling, IL, are no
making their headquarters for South Iexa
n-;tb ne Both these factories are carryln
fnIl line of goods in our warehouses, an
we are reshipping to forty-threee dliiereI
noints and customers for them from LEI
now. .hoso goods can mo-
come IN Austin and purchase them iroi
The manufacturer direct exactly at tne "a San ~
nrice that he has been paying ior tnes
goods Foods at dallas, and every package ths
EOS EOS ont from here has an Austin tag on
ssSo oT that the goods come from Austii
s sW ~ w6ich is an advertisementfor Austli
al n a should encourage all sucn mov'
wants and get an outlet over tne Arahss
1 poss railroad south, and there Is not GU
~ a." t5e state that has as good facilitles ior I.
~ ab; ,mT to the southern part OF the sta'
than Austin. Goodbye