The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-01-01


and 81 viii b gveaszy benefited
= mar Ee sad III = general way fk4t
Seattle invites large fannery. factory
Tor boots and shoes. one Of wooden ard
Eiilos-N3Te, powder mAaasaesoEy. perz
bars two Touring mills. and one for the
milling q oakmsai, cornueal and other
cereals. Il vii also be Of Irnnasssse adj
vantage when honses are essehIi,hed for
wholesale traffic IN mems furnishing
goods, hafs, drugs, paints, oils ana giass.
stationery. millinery ard for general rsa-
chineFy. There Il possibly room for two
jobhtng fous~s IN general dry goods. two
IN clothing and tRo 81 boots ard shoes.
The saving % be effected BY the establish
menf Of these lines in wholesale depots
wouId benefit the retailer and tsss trader.
sna their advent Is only q QUESTION Of
LIME, - their necessity becomes daily
more imperative
Tbs condition Of the retail trade Ia Seat
re Il excellent Although that may BE 20
some extent due 20 the extraordinary cir
culnstaEces Of the year. there are unmss-
taxable indications OF A stable and iRcreas-
ing territorial demand. Notwithstanding
the large Influx OF new traders. the old
established houses are in = most flourish
lag condition and not one Of them has snf-
Tered fronl a diminuiion OF trade except
during she interval between the destruc-
ton Of their stores ana the erection Of tents.
cabins and sheds. The story OF The mar
vicious rapidIty with which whole blocks OF
burEed stores were suppianted BY tempo
rasy expedients upon the still warm em-
beFs forms no part Of this review, except Is
1t affected the general rssuIt for the year.
The position Of many Of the largest
houses IL well put by Mr.. Boyd. OF w. p.
Boyd & Co. who says his aggregate during
foe9 Is less than the previous year. al
though business for November and De-
cember was much better than the year be-
fore. He was burned out. kept out of bus
mess for three months. and after getting
his new store erected was Sc envlroned by
bis ncighbors' building material and 8
moat o. mud that his customers could not
get near him. He has no misgiviLg what
ever as to the outlook. and patiently
awaits the opening up OF Front street.
A topic of considerable interest among
the more thoughtful merchants arises
from the question: sH0w long viii this
last when will the reaction conie9n He
Is bold prophet who will hazard positive
conjecture. but the consensus OF opinion is
that no material siacking-up viii come in
1890. That temporary reaction after the
completion of the building up OF the city
will come Is inevitable; but no reaction is
seriously injurious when II Is anticipated
and provided for. Ebb-tides are reckoned
upon In even the most s0lidiy.buiif and
conservative commercial communities.
They only cripple the impradent, may
strain limited capital, but strengthen the
provident and judicious.
large number Of merchants have been
interviewed and their opinions embodied
ia these Introductory remarks. There are
many others than those quoted whose
judgment would be OF value, hut those who
could be conveniently and readily reached
form a sufficiently varied representation Of
diversified businesses and q sufficiently
extreme span OF large and moderately
sized capitalists 20 afford a safe medium
between too sanguine specniations and
pess!mistic misgivings
Aiessrs Schwahacker 4 Co. have excer-
tional facilities for observation owing TO
the muItifarious character Of their business
and the extent Of their connections. Both
SIR. Bailey Gatxert and Mr. Neufelder
agree that the increase in their business for
1880 IL fully 40 per cent, more than the
previous year.
Il should say that % per cent OF that IL
Seattle trade" said Mr.. Neufelder. THAT
Is an enormous increase. Some firms can
show q larger percentage for small capt.
TAI. but considering the amount of business
this house handles the increase in one year
ii astonishing. / don't look for any fall
Ing of this year, either There Is so much
10 be done ia building that the present rate
viii probably be sustained As TO the flu
ture, never knew OF town growing rap
fdIy which did not have les resting spells.
or periods OF temporary siagnatlon, and /
do not know that Seattle will be exeep-
tional. But my belief Is that she has not
by long way reached her zenith OF rapid
growth.
Every town ON the Sound Il growing;
some have doubled their population GER
tainly within two years. AS the railroads
open up new territory settlers tluek ia, and
the local merchants have been 80 husiiy
occupied with these markets thatt they have
not had time or inclination 70 enter inso
competition Tor the Chehalis country or
east of the mountains 90 any great extent =
] f. Chilherg, who gave up the retail
grocery trade after the dss aud confined
himself 10 the wholesale trade, says that
while the intlux since the fire hiss had con-
siderable effect. business was growing very
fast before then. His sales Ia January
lsss. amounted 20 Slo,0os III January,
1889. they were over so 600, although that
Is QUE Of the dulleSt months OF the year.
eTo show the rate OF increase, | may tell
YOU that in May of iSsS my sales amounted
10 sic, coo: last year they footed over SIS COZ.
I ,soust think 1 ara giving the trade full
credit when | say IL has doubled IN every
house. Every store has greatly increased
Us purchases, and large number OF new
retail stores have been opened.
'sThe 6Fay's Harbor road has otdone Ms
much good yet. bat viii, The people over
there are disposed to trade with us. bur
rates are not in our favor and the delay IN
delivering goods Is against rs. | am net
among those who hope much from Eastern
Washington. except IN the northern part.
6sroeers along she railroad can make up =
miscellaneous carload in the East, set the
same rates as Us. and saws The freight back.
Resides, Portland houses havs that bust.
ness pretty wei booked far ahesd
Il look forward 10 keeneF competition
with Tacoma. We have heavier wharf.
arp aaes. but they arc not sach \ tax
A. the asayage in Tacoma Our wharfage
dues can be reduced. has the drsyaee san.
not - any spprecishle extent As 20 re.
action. see no sign Of Il tor the coming
| yeaF
Harrington 4 Smith have doahlei their
bushes. during che year, We hare. said
Mr.. Harrington. 'tngaret Gee that the
uuaher 81 nsw houses would eetyaet from
49, ~ tras4a f4~ a e5nsa Msaa this cal