The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1894-10-26
BUSINESS STEADY GAIN.
Marked Improvement In the Dry
Goods Trade.
EXPRESSIONS OF OPINION FROM
BOTH WHOLESALE AND RETAIL
MERCHANTS THAT TELL
CHEERING TALE OF
PROSPERITY.
BUYERS CROWD THE STORES.

If there is anybody who, hearkening
O the voice of the calamity howler,
still believes that business is not rapid.
" improving, especially here in Phlla-
delphia, ne should take a stroll one of
these bright October days through the
shopping and wholesale dry goods dis
,rict and carefully note what he seen.
The great crowds who throng the
stores and who all seem we'll supplied
with cash, buying largely the big
piles of boxes that litter the payment
in front of the wholesale houses, wait.
ing to be shipped the busy statesmen
within, receiving the orders of mer.
chant buyers, and, above all, the testi.
mony of the business men themselves
all show that the period of depression
is now we'll past and that where trade
has not already assumed normal pro-
portions it is fast doing so.
Here are the views of some of the
leaders in both the wholesale and the
retail trade, picked up chiefly along
Market street.
For the past 80 days." said w.
w. Foulkrod, of the big wholesale dry
goods house of Hood, Foulkrod &
Co, at Eleventh and Market streets,
"we have been busy, very busy. 1t
has not been any squirt, but good
steadily increasing business. AT the
present time we are really rushed, and
we have 100 men in our packing de
partment who are obliged to work at
nights to get out our orders"
STEADY IMPROVEMENT.
From the wholesale department Of
Strawbridge & Clothier cane an
equally flattering report. f. S. Evans,
the credit man of the firm, said {:
From the Ist of August there has
been gradual and steady improve
ment, and we look forward to a much
better business next year. A large
portion of our business is in the finer
grades of goods, which will not be af-
fected by the new tariff until the first
of the year, and our customers are
holding off and running along on low
shelves. Merchants throughout the
country have liquidated so much that
business ought to be on a better and
sounder basis the next few years.
Collections are good and nothing
backward"
A member of the firm of John
Long & Co., No. sal Market street,
told an equally encouraging story of
the business outlook. Said he "We
had the largest August business this
year that we have ever had since we
have been in this store, and our Sep
tember sales are ahead of last year.
We are selling more goods than ever
before, but on closer margin.
don't think there is any spurt, but
that we will continue to do as much
business as we ever did. Our collec.
tlons are very good and we can't com,
plain at ALL"
Business is improving and has
been for some 'time," said Mr..
Howell, of Howett, Warner & Co., of
No. 723 and 725 Market street. awe
sell mainly domestic goods and a,
prices lower than ever before"
BOTH WHOLESALE AND RETAIL GAINS.
Townsend Sharpless, of Sharples;
Bros, referring to their wholesale busi
ness, said : "There is no denying
the fact that there is very marked
improvement in our business. This is
due to some extent, however, to oul
individual efforts. Reports from oul
salesmen on the road are encouraging
and indicate gradual improvement
Mr.. Sharpless here produced letter
from one of the firms statesmen as in.
dlcating the drift of business. The
letter, he said, was only one of a num-
ber of similar tenor. After referring
to matters connected with the bushes:
OF the firm, the letter closed as fol
lows "The above has reference to
the spring trade. There is going tc
be big trade in wash goods mex
spring. People are asking Tor then
already"
For the retail department Of the
same firm Henry w. Sharpless tolc
an equally pleasing story. "While
We do not" he said, "anticipate any
phenomenal boom in business, tht
condition of trade at present is mos
encouraging. We handle so many
Different lines of goods that a far
comparison with the corresponding
period of last year would be almos
impossible without going over ou
books Systematically. Just what thu
percentage Of increase in our businus
is am not prepared to state, but /
is considerable. | think this is per
manent advance, which is probabl
que to the fact that the mills ar
starting up in Kensington, more peo
PIE have work, and consequent
more money to spend"
IA-