Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1892-03-24
THE ISLAND TRADE

Captain Heuspeter, Of the steamer
Dispatch, was reported in the HERALD
yesterday rs saying that he has moved
fifteen families Of actual settlers to the
San Juan islands within the past few
weeks, mostly to Orcas. Probably as
many more, and not unlikely greater
number even, have been moved by
other steamers plying between the
islands and various Sound ports. This
is practical evidence that the work of
settlement and development is going
bravely on i'm one Of the most charming
localities in all the land. Many acres
of virgin soil will this year be furrowed
by the pillow for the first time and
many thousands Of fruit trees, straw
berry plants, raspberry and other
bushes will be set out. All this means
business for the merchants who are
enterprising and alert enough to realize
the value of the island trade and take
the steps necessary to secure and hold
it. The so-called merchants who make
no effort to become acquainted with
the people, manifest no interest i'm the
development of the country, and
spend the greater part of their
time i'm their stores growing
about duh times, will profit very little
from it. 1t requires VIM and rustic to
get trade in this age of brisk COMPETE
ton, as it requires time and hard work
to convert our forests and valleys into
orchards and gardens and meadows.
1t is estimated that at least three
fourths Of the trade of the san Juan
islands goes to 5 ,attle instead of COM
ing to Farhaven. Why is it? The
question is easily answered. There
are wide-awake merchants in Seattle;
they carry large stocks and have es-
tablished trade relations with the
smaller merchants of the islands and
the old settlers whose fruit and produce
they have handled directly or indi-
rectly for years past. They have en-.
couraged the interchange of commodi-
ties and have used their influence to
bring about reductions Of freight rates
and wharfage charges. Every Satur-
day night the steamer Evangel makes
a trip from the islands direct to Seattle
laden with island products and returns
every Monday laden with goods from
the stores of Seattle merchants. Mean
while the merchants" of the Bay
cities, with few exceptions, know little
or nothing Of the value of this trade
and make no effort to secure it. Many
of the island people who have
endeayored to exchange their products
for merchandise here have returned to
their homes disgusted complaining,
and not without good reason, Of excess
sive wharfage charges, exhorbitant
prices of goods purchased and very low
prices or no market at all for their own
products. That kind of policy will
not build up trade. The store keeper
who looks upon a "rancher" as a legiti-
mate object of plumber may possibly
cut a wide swath in "too utterly too
too community, but he soon finds his
occupation gone if he undertakes to do
business on that plan i'm a place which
should make it point particularly to
cater to the country trade. The Bay
cities are much nearer the islands than
Seattle. They are terminal points
There is no reason why merchants
should not be able to do business here
as cheap as anywhere else on the
Sound; no reason why any article of
merchandise should cost more here
than in Seattle or Tacoma; no reason
why fruits and produce should not find
a profitable market here for shipment
and local cOnsuption no reason why
wharfage charges should be excessive
or freight rates higher from here to
East Sound, Friday Harbor and other
island points than they are from Seat
tie, more than twice as far distant. to
the same points. Our merchants are
making a serious mistake in waiting
as they apparently are, for all these
matters to adjust themselves. While
they are idly waiting the up-sound
merchants are actively working, estab-
fishing profitable business relations
with the dealers and people of the
islands, whose trade ought to be almost
controlled from Bellingham