The evening times., 1896-12-05
BUYING FROM ALEXANDRIA
Our Virginia Neighbor's Wholesale
Houses Supply City Merchants.
Groceries and Drugs Chief staples.
Goods Delivered Here With
out Freight Charges.
From The Baltimore Sun.

Alexandria, Dec Awhile there is a
general impression that the business OF
Alexandria has been disadvantageously af-
fected by the growth Of Washington and
that the trade of the town is being grad
ually diverted to the larger city, many Of
the Alexandria merchants say that exactly
the reverse is the case.
Retail trade in Alexandria has been Ian
gushing for several years, but in its place
there has grown up an enormous whole
sale trade, with the retail merchants or
Washington as the principal customers OF
the wholesale men OF Alexandria.
1t is claimed by the latter that they are
now supplying Washington with certain
kinds of goods to the exclusion OF all COLI
petitors. Some OF the wholesale groccrs
claim that they are able to deliver goods in
Washington at lower figures than can be
done from Baltimore or anywhere else, and
that the purchase of supplies is being for the
capital gradually diverted from Baltimore
to Alexandria,.
There are very few wholesale houses OF
any kind in Washington, and the retail men
OF that city formerly made most of their
purchases i'll Baltimore. Now great many
of them buy in Alexandria. The advantage
the Alexandria wholesalers claim over those
in Baltimore in supplying Washington with
goods is the difference in freight rates.
by vessels and the delivery there costs
them no IL ore than IL does the Baltimore
merchants Sugar, which is purchased by
the vessel load in Philadelphia and New
York, they say, can be delivered cheaper n
Alexandria then in Baltimore, while the
freigh;age from there to Washington is
comparatively nothing.
In the new trade which has Teen estah-
lished The Alexandria wholesalers deliver
their 81 DDS tthe stores OF the Washington
retailers, SO that TO the latter there is alb
lutely no charge for transportation Big
wagonsarel o3ded every morning anddriven
on oard the ferries, and the delivery in
Washington is made with only one handling
of goods.
Tie principal wholesale trade of the town
is in groceries, but strange as it may seem,
the wholesale drug business is ain ost keep
ing pace with the other, and Washingt On
buys great many Of It's drugs from the
sleepy -lc oking Virginia town. In this
branch OF trade, as in the other, the delivery
system is where the Alcx3ndrians have an
advantage over Baltimore. All goods are
delivered AT the stores in Washineto on and
the Washington retailer has TO thought Of
freightage or other charges upon any bill
of goods he purchases.
A manager for Wholesale house said to-
day: Il have been amazed at the growth
OF business in this city during the last
two years. Alexandria mas become the
principal market from which Washington
obtains supplies, and there is no reason
why the trade should not cont inue.
Washington gains by the transact :, while
Alexandria is attaining q degree OF COM
mercial importance such as has not been
known since the war.
Trade is in such flourishing condition
here, that there is not wholesale dealer
within myknowledgethat asks for or wants
raIl hnN lNant n1 hanr l.tn 4
by doing SO are able to buy at tie very
lowest figures. With advantageous freight
rates they are able to more than compete in
this entire section of the country with the
merchants OF any Of the larger citics.'
The large business transacted in Alex
andria has snotchangedin an yrespcct the ap-
pearance of the town The merchants are
making little display. and are contenting
themselves with simply making money An
Increased number OF vessels disoharping
cargoes at the wharves aud warehouses
crammed with goods are the only outward
evidences of the commercial boom the town
is enjoying.
The steamboat companies say, however,
that the yhavenever known more prosperous
times, notwithstanding the fact that the
passenger traffic between the two cities is
principally confined to electric cars. What
they have lost Ill that direction they are
making up in increased freight.
The wholesale trade of Alexandria does not
include dry goods, hardware, or many other
classes of goods which make up so large a
portion of the supplies of Washington, nor
doesit affect To an yeNtentthe few wholesale
houses ia Washington, or the larger retail
stores.
The small groceries aud the drug stores,
however, that buy goods in small Guanii-
ties, it is claimed, are almost all supplied
from Alexandria.