St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-01-13
ST. PAUL IN ALASKA.
JobberS Of the Minnesota Me-
tpopolis Ppe-empt New
Territory
PROMISING RICH REWARD.
A Trade Of Recent Cultiva-7
ton, but Large and
Profitable.
SOME OF ITS IRREGULARITIES.
An. Odd Color Demanded in
Goods--Paeking and
Shipping.
SOME OF ITS IRREGULARITIES

In every part of the United States it
is known that st. Paul, Mimi, is the
great iobbing and railroad center of the
Northwest. But very few people. even
in ST. Paul, are aware that certain job
bling houses in this city control the
Alaska trade in dry goods, groceries,
furs. hats and caps, drugs, hardware,
and some other commodities. And the
trade with Alaska in these liues is no
small thing, even today. What 1t may
develop into is something no man can
tell Just at this time. But St. Paul en-
terprise has entered and occupied the
field early. and st. Paul commerce will
profit by this as the oid-time Russian
outpost is mastered by American meth
DDS and American necessities.
The beginning Of this Alaskan com-
MERGE proves anew the truth OF the old
saying that men Of ability make their
own opportunities. Some years ago
gentleman named Adsit went to Alaska
and settled at juneau. Future develop
mentS and the probable lines they
Would follow interested this ObServant
settler. 1t was not long until lie had
conceived plan that would we'll serve
his own prosperity and at the same
time contribute to the material comfort
and convenience of the residents OF the
fright territory. A trip to ST. Paul was
tue first move in Mr. AdSits campaign.
Once here, he had no trouble in making
mutually agreeable arrangements with
prominent 1obDing houses i'll the lines
mentioned above. He undertook to
act as their commercial traveller i'll
Alaska, and work up trade that they
felt entirely competent to satisfy. The
extent of this commerce can be better
Judged when it is stated that one dry
goods house has an Alaska trade that
amounted to quite 100000 during 1894.
Some of the iobbers Iii other lines I'M
doubtedly exceeded this figure
Byzaany Thousands,
and not one dollar has been lost by
reason of bad pay or failures. Alaska
merchants are generous buyers, and
sure paw Money seems TO be plentiful
and in free circulation in Sitka, Juneau
and the other larger Alaskan towns.
Seldom, if ever. has all extension OF
time been asked OH any bill Of goods
sent out there.
There are. naturally. some peculari-
ties that distinguish orders from Alaska,
notably in The line of dry goods. Mem
nOnltpS and the settlers OH tie Cana
dian frontier demand the old-fashioned
blue prints when they order caicoeS;
Indian supply depots want bright and
gaudy coors i'll prints and in blankets:
Alaskan buyers are unlike both OF
these. They demand prints and blank
cts OF Il yelloWish brown color, known
to the trade as vicuna. Most likely
this peculiar shade"u color serves as ~,
relief to the eyes after resting. long on
the eternal whiteness Of their native
hills. At any rate, vfcuna is the color
most largely demanded by Alaska
dealers. They will not buy il blanket
of any other color.
Though tile point of destination is so
far from st. Paul, goods sent to Alaska
are not packed witliany more care than
goods sent to any point in Minnesota.
But there Is a peculiarly about the
packages. Blankets, very large Item
in the shipments, must be baled i'll the
most compact form. Goods in boxes
must be packed So that there shall De
no waste space. If All order does not
fill the case then slleeting or some other
staple article must be used to fill up,
instead of old paper. Under any cir
cunstances the Alaska people object to
paving tor space in boxes. The reason
for this is, from ST. Paul the goods 90 to
Tacoma by rail at regular freight rates.
There they are transferred to the semi
monthly steamer that touches at the
various towns. On these boats the
charge is made for cubic feet of space
occupied. Hence the unWillingncsS 10
have shipments made in unnecessarily
large boxes.
Goods intended for the mountain set
Elements in Alaska must be made up in
packages of medium size, for the rea-
son that they are packed on the backs
Of mules from the coast towns. Every
jobper willingly complies with these
demands. if they MAY be so called, Of
his Alaska customers, and business re-
lations have therefore been mutually
satisfactory.
While this Alaska trade with St. Paul
jobblng houses is yet IN its infancy, it
IS an established aid growing part OF
our com mercial life. Year lay year it
| will increase, and it is probably not an
ticlpating in any great degree to say
that all Alaska department vii! yet be IL
feature Of many of the st. Paul J0bbing
houses.