Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1891-12-31
The Trade of the City.

GAZETTE, ES CustoHisEJ WIN tho 'SSo-'NHeS
OF New YEARS. eve, gives revie~ o. the
business of the city for the past twelve
months, in order that at & glance ;ts leaders
may note the progress which has been made
| By Alexandria during that time.
The year mas bean prosperous one, Ia
rnoss respects, as compared with any for q
long time past. Thus section has Deen
blessed with good crops and the city has re-
oeivad her share OF the benefits recalling
thsreirou. Alexandria has escaped any
serious damage from fire, storm or iod
which have visited other localities sod
} wrought destruction along their paths DUR
| ing .he year. Ia this respect the city seems
especially blessed AMI its escape from such
caamitiss has, In many inBtsnces been re-
maskabIe, and ia the source of thanksgiving
tor the more thoughtful.
The reporters OF the GAZETTE In their
INQUIRIES concerning TIE business OF the city
and Ia comparing l5 with that of last yesf
have been assured OF most gratifying in
crease both in volume Of trade and oapisl
invested. Ia the expressive Language OF
one of the principal merchants, "the busl-
mesa OF Alexandria is growing aud only
wants feeding"
Tnersi5 hardly branch OF trade which
shoYs a falling off, while many have mate.
gisIly increased, some having made wonder
fui strides forward
The credit of the city is excellent spd the
trade of its merchants generally solicited,
| thew being known ee conservative buyers
and prCmpt to meet their obligations.
| The branches of trade which have made
the most noticeable advancement ara tht
grocery and provision, lumber, fertilizer,
drugs, paints, oils, &c, end the msuu!acture
| OF crackers, cskes candies, beer, &c.
It lie generally admitted new that groce-
| ries ara prcVisiors cao Dc bought as oheRpiY
! mere as 10 any city In the country. and tnis
| reputation having been established. A!eXsD
d,ia nss become the supply centre for g
large ard constantly extending territory. l.
lis no uncommon occurrence 20 see long
| trains OF cars, loaded with sugar from the
| various refneries arriving here. ccnsignsd
I to the various wholesale merchants, who In
/ turn sell this sugar to other merchants from
I afar and near. The same mag be said of
l many other articles aud the list Ia suscepli-
|: Die of great expansion. Orr merchants are
4 cot oblivcus TO this fact eld are usiDg legiti-
mate enterprise to augment their trade.
-Four, bacon, coffes 81. are also received
4 mere 10 bulk and extensively sold through
ont all :his section. Last year 1t vas "a rer'
tanned that the grocery and provision trade
OF Alexandria amounted 70 So 000,000 and
! ths gear it will lsygsly exceed thaC amount
| Most Of the retai dealers have increased
tner business during the year.
A constantly increasing bn5iUese Ia lum-
her is Noticeable here. All The firms en-
gagged 10 this trade are composed OF active,
energetic msn, who are constantly on TIE
lockout 10 meet the requirements OF lhelJ
irade and ere determined not TO be under
sold. They have saw, piaiuiDg, sash, door
blind, box and other mills; maze big puI-
ohsses; keep large stocks On hand: fiji or
dsrs promptly, apn Low furnish the Guild
ing material for O much larger sec ion Of
country than May suppose. The !umbsr
trade of last year smoun:ed to II 600 600
| feet and this yer 1t IS estimated tnat tnsse
| figures have been exceeded fully % per
cant. The steady increase in houses IL Al
exandria alone causes constant drain on
the Lumbar yards, while the facilities The
city enjoys for shipping both by wafer and
rail render our dealers able 70 deliver MA
telisl in many sections at few hours no.
tice.
The plaster and fertilizer business Ia eso
increasing at e rapid rate, and those en-
pioyed In the manufacture OF fertilizers are
constantiy increasing their facilities in or
der to keep pace with their growing trade,
10 high rank have the Alexandria fertili-
Ears attained, and go we'll eatshed With
their excellence are sill who have ever used
them. l. is common now to see tank cars
on freight trains bearing the names of AeZ-
andria firms and companies.
| The bnslness in drugs, chemicals, paints
and ollie is rapidly gro@iDg, and those wac
1 ma bar TO mi and
| trede have met with much encouragement
and say that their trade this year exceeded
| that OF suy previous one. The came Is true OF
! the china, glass apd crockery business. The
Aexsndria merchants not oaly buy theee
articles in large quantities from ne manu-
| fscturers in this country, but import quite
extensively from Europe snd supply the
ltraGe OF g large sectioD.
Since seJ year the capacity oi the Portner
brewery has 0seG enlereed land noJwitGstsnd-
ing the company turued over its Washington
trade, (tul!y one.f;utth lis busipees) to the
brewery iu that city In which it is interest
ed Ia order 10 exe1t i.s energies in extend
its southern trade, 1t hes accomplished that
object SO we'll that the company's BOOKS
show that 1t has not only made up i's voiun
terry oes, but has more than oVercomeit The
VT olasale liquor trade OF the city has also
increased
The banks have ell done well; their man.
egemept has been liberal and the state
ments published o lew weeks since show
them to be in Furnishing condition.
The dry goods and carpet business shows
. gratifying growth, as do cleo The notions
aud boot end shoe trades. Many of the
country merchants who cCms here to buy
goods express the regret that there are nc
strictly Wholesale dry goods and notions
ana ooo5 snd shoe houses here, and II is be-
iieved that If there were euch establishments
10 Aiexaud la they would be extensiveIy
patroniz d, and that many country mer-
GIANTS Whc now go elsewhere to buy would
maks 81 their purchases in this city, as |ss
&C geaeraiy The case years sgo, and @hicb
was oat to us by the breaking out Of the
war.
Alexandria is also doing large buaicess
in coal, plaster, self, Ice, Sc, aud the mer-
chants engaged In these iine3 OF trade are
rapids extending their markets.
nrA, d. I-