The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-09-06
" 69O 325,s59 &C, o.
GROCERIES.


enor nous. This was due, to some extent. TO
JacksOnvilles epidemic, which prevailed last
ran. SaVannahs position AMI facilities made
her the most ccssSlble for handling Florida
orders with that dispaich necessary in times Of
dlsre Ia point Of fact. the grocery trade
OF this city, within the p st five years has under
gone wonderful development, and she Is now
conceded 10 be the largest distributing point in
groc -ries aud provisions in the South Atlantic
states, and with no superior in the south in pro-
portion to population. The increase Of sales
last year was fully 20 per cent. over the pre-
vous year. and in the line of general
groceries was fully % to 80 per cent. greater.
Inat thi IS gratifying exhibit for this branch
OF trad goes with Jut saving. The business
was conducted satisfactorily TO all, and joboers
have all made money notwithstanding the fact
that very great quantity of goods nad TO be
handled at a close margin in order TO meet the
Keen co npetltiou OF the IN re northern and
western markets. The prices, however, have
averaged good with not much fl ctuation.
cept IN the more staple article aud heavy goods.
our loooers have not made many or
heivy losses during the year, and altogether
the conditions are very healthy. The business
IN canned jods was without doubt the heaviest
ever done In our mIrket before, parti ulary
IN such articles as vegetabl s. meats and Cali
fornia fruits, The prices of these goods ruled
throughout the year remarkably low. The
handing of such goods is growing steadily in
Importance, and they are rapidly uec min the
leaders as articles of diet. This being the case
consumers are approaching tn S market owing
To the rapidly with which jobbers here dispose
OF these DDS, aud to the fact that all OF our
wholesale men buy only the lates and best
bran Is from first hands or packers, thereby in
surin the purity and freshness OF their stocks
The Coffee trade was not large. This of course
IS attributed to the very high prices at which
coffee was held. This however mas had tn
effect of increasing tne sales OF tea The hour
movement was quite steady, but in volume
showed no Improvement over the previous year.
Ihls is attr'o ted to the low price at which
these goods can be laid down at interior towns
ON the west Ivy reason of railroad through
rates and Interior broke age. In tue salt fish
trade partic llary for mackerel, there was
poor movement, owing to the hi n prc IS and
scarcity, and also to the amount of southern
fish, such as mullett, blue fish and spanis
mackerel. whic are now being sailed and used
more extensively in ace of the northern or
ported article, Business in butter and cheese
was enormous and is constantly Increasing The
large movement was due as much to the cheap
ness of those necessary artic es as to anyt liny
| else. The demand for and movement of sugars
| was heavier than ever before. alt lough prices
ruled very high for the best part of tue year
owing to the trust. Consumers, OF course were
| compelled 10 buy it, as Tn re is no substitute.
Iaere Is probably no other branch Of the mer
| chaudlsinG business in which there is sucl a
| variety of stoc6S carried as the grocery bust
| ness No well regulate wholesale grocery
| house now is compl tie without it embraces a
| department for tobacco, cigars and smoke s.
| articles, and in this line a heavy business was
| done. In fact, THIS branch of trade is rapidly
being absorbed r. in other words monopo-
| liked. by the wholesale grocery trade
| Jobbers declare That there Is absolute ne ,eS-
| sity for more railroads entering Savannah, as
| they have met with soma dfic lily in holding
| the in eror trade by reason of new lin to the
| south of us. A through rate from Birmingham
| has helped the trad materially By reason of its
| cheapness, and with the Americas extension
they expect great things. At present
their territory is covered ably by com
| mercial travellers as far as railroad facil-
| es extend, and their pat ons are scattered all
over Geor ia and Florida and some parts of
| Alabama an South Carolina. The building of
the Sou h Bound will be a great help in the lat
| ter state to buyers who deS re to reach q
| cheaper arket. The coming season is ex-
pected to be one.of great activity in the grocery
| trade, as the crops are excel INT and are pro-
gre sing satisfactorily toward the period for
harvesting. our joboers are constantly addin :
to their stocks an facilities The Savannah
drummers as well as Their employers, are noted
| business tact and energy, ald Slvannah's
wholesale grocery trade will not suffer at their
hands.
PROVISIONS.
In provisions the pl st years business was of
q kind calculated to crafty consum rs as il
was generally u buyers market throughout the
year. Prices were very much lower than for
the previous year, averaging fully 30 to 40 per
cent lie IS. The lower values did not incro ase
the demand for consumption apparently, and
conditions have varied but little since out last
annual review. There does not pc n to have
been much really new business attempted and
|
of de and the class catered to. While there is
con iderabie competition in other branches
| iobberS claim that ere is very little in this
and they are ena led to cover the territory ad
jacent L this market without fear of other
points, because railr, ad rates are against Other
markets, and they express themselves as very
well satisfied with their treatment by the rail
| roads. Tue total recei is of bac n in this mar
Eet were 2,s9S.20 pounds against 81 ,O0S, So
pounds for the previous year. The receipts Of
lard we're g. a22, 3i3 pounds against 1893 ST. las
year.
WHOLESALE DRY GOODS AND NOTIONS
heavy business was done in dry goods anC
notions during the past twelve months. Il wa!
| certainly equal in volu he to that of the yea
Def re and proba ly greater. 1t will be reuiem
bered that almost The whole of last fall Floriii
was closed to our commercial travellers on &C
| count of quarantine. but nothing daunted the,
| turned their attention to othsr and newer fields
auL extended their travels into new territory
They were enabled to reach new business b,
reason of the opening up of new lines of rail
road SO that the territory now covered
by Savannahs drummers embrace,
the states OF Georgia, Florida
Alabama and a good protion o.
South Carolina. There is no doubt that o larger
volume of dry goods and notions is Id here
than in any other city in the state, and atspres
ent our joobers are handling the greater por
ton of the products of the cotton mills o.
this state, sucn as checks, brown shirtings an
sbeetings drills, kerseys and yarns. While
prices and terms wer more favorable than fol
years previous 1obbers seem to be well salts
ned with the railroads, and il is claimed that
rates were more satisfactory to the trade thar
ever before. For this rea on they have bee
enabled to acquire considerable new business
which is still increasing. They met with very
close competition from northern houses bu
lost nothing of their presti5 e in the hunt j
trade. This has resulted in this market beins
advertised and is now known throughout tn,
south as liberal trading point, being so sit
| uated as to command cheap rates O
| freights by laad and water routes S
that goods can be purchased as cheapl,
here as in any of the northern mar
= | ketS Savannah has almost daily communicate l
with all the controilin centers of the country
which enables her jobbers to handle e lods yer,
ra idly. and to give her patrons the full benefit
| of fluctuations in prices, and the newest ant
la est styles of goods produced at the mills
| Jobbers complained that durins the spriug anC
summer collections were not satisfactory, anC
e many interior merchants had to be carried owe
r to the fall, but there is a good prospect aheat
1 on account OF the very cheeriuS crop reports
There were very few failures in the trade an,
| the few losses made by our iObbers were com
paratively light, and were not particularly in
furious. 1t is q pleasing fact to note that thos
engaged in the wholesale dry goods a nd motions
trade of this city or the past ten years are stl
| IN that line and they steadily increa sin,
= ! their business and have gained the reputation
abroad of benk solid and reliable bushes
| firms. They are carrying stocks equal To an,
I ! IN the same line in the south, both in ouantit
quality and variety, and they are well know
2 Tor their push aud energy, competing success
3 iuliy FOR trade with the largest houses in Tn
. north. In other southern cities marclants il
TINS line also carry stocks Of clothing boots AM
4 SHOES, crocEery and other wares but the stock