Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1896-12-05
ALEAEDgAS TRADE.

The Alexandra coTespondent Of the
Baltimore Sun says
While thers il general impression
taat the business OF Alexandra ha5
been di=advantsgeouzly affected oy the
growth OF Washington and that the
trade Of the tovn il Being gradually
diverted 20 the larger city, many Of the
Alexandria merchants cay That exactly
the reTerse il the c4ze. Retail trade il
Alexandria mas been lenguishing for
several year,, bu: il it= place there mas
grown up sn ENORMOUS wholesale trade
with .he retail merchants Of Washing
ton az the principal customers OF the
wholesale men o. Alexandra.
L. il claimed By the latter thu: they
are now supplying Washington witn
certain kinds Of goods 70 the exclusion
ofali conpe itors. Some ottne whole
aale grocers claim that they are able TO
deliver goods in Washington a. lower
figures than can be done from Baltimore
or anywhere else, and that the purchase
d supplies for the capital il being grad
uaIly diverted from Baltimore TO Alex
andria.
There are very few wholesale houses
Of any kind in Washington and the re-
tail men Of that city formerly made
mos. OF their purchases in Baltimore.
Now great many OF them buy in Alex
audria. The advantage the Alexandra
wholesalers claim over those o. Balti-
more 10 supplying Washington with
good= il the difference in freight rates.
All their goods are brought to AleZen-
dria by vea=ela and the delivery costs
them no more than it does the Balti-
more merchants. Sugar, which il pur-
chased by the vessel load il Pniladel-
phia and New YORK, they cay, can be
delivered cheaper in Alexandria thar
in Baltimore, while the freightage from
there % Washington Is comparatively
nothing.
In the new trade which has been s.
tablished the Alexandria wholesalers
deliver their goods at the stores OF the
Washington retailers, go that TO the lat
ter there il absolutely no charge for
transportation. Big wagons are loaded
every morning and driven on board the
ferriea, and the delivery in Washington
il made with only one handling Of
goods.
The principal Wholesale trade
OF the town il in groceries, but
strange az it may seem, the
Wholesale drug business il almost keep
ing pace with the other, and Washing
ton bugs great many OF It's drugs
from the aleepy-lookiug Virginia town.
In this branch of trade, as in the other,
the delivery aystem is where the Alex
apdrians have an advantage over Bal
timore. All goods are delivered at the
stores in Washington, and the Wash.
inpton retailer has no thought OF
or other charges upon any
bill of gooda he purchases.
A manager for wholesale house
said Yesterday: II have been amazed
at the growth of business in this city
during the last two years. Alexandria
has become the principal market from
which Washington obtains supplies, and
there ia no reason why the trade should
not continue. Washington gains by
the transaction, while Alexandria is at
tanning degree Of commercial import
ance, such as has not been known since
,he war.
"Trade is in such hourishing condi-
ton here that there is not wholesale
dealer within my knowledge that asks
for or wants credit. They discount all
their bills, and by doing go are able to
buy at the very lowest figures. With
freight rates they are
able to more than compete in this en-
tire section of the country with the
merchants Of any of the larger cities"
The large business transacted in Alexandra
has not changed in any respect the appear
snce of the town. The merchants are max
ing little display, and are contenting them
selves with simply making money. An in
creased number Of vessels discharging car |
goes at the whsrves, and warehouses crarnmcd /
with goods are only outward evidences OF the
commercial boom the town is enjoying. The |
steamboat companies gay, however, that they |
have never known more prosperous times,
the fact that the passenger |
srsftc between the two cities Is principally |
confined to electic Cars. What they have lost |
in that direction they are making up in in |
creased freight.
include dry goods hardware, or many other
,Iasse. of goods which make up so large a
portion Of the supplies of Washington, nor
ioee it affect to any extent the few Wholesale
houses in Washington or the larger retail
stores.
bowever. that buy goods in SMALL quantities,
4 il claimed, are almost all supplied from
Alexandria.