Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1896-01-05


This City-The Extent Of Country
Covered is Very Large, and the
Lines of Goods Handled Com
prise a Very Wide Range-The
City was a Great Distributing
Point Many Years Agc-rhree
Hundred Men ION the Road.
1t is a proposition admitting of no
argument that commerce in its broad
and proper meaning has always been
the companion and possibly the leader
of civilization in the history of the
world. The Register but simply re-
affirms the voice of history, when it
mentions that the empires Of Rome, the
countries and nations of Europe, in an
cientand modern times and eur own peo-
pie and republic gained their greatest
power and present influence and sway,
by virtue of successful commercial in
teroourse.
The death kneI Of a people or gov
eminent in history never rang out. if
commerce and trade was good. Poverty
and ignorance can not predOmiate
when a nation is fiourishing. and his
tory has repeated itself in every land
down TO these days and events. Com
merce has built up enterprise and made
voices Of men powerful in war and
u m orr
can nation, her people, its States and
cities and always will vouchSafe TO II
and them, while in operation and force,
prosperity and wealth
Commerce and commercial affairs are
almost. in these times, too comprehen-
sive TO admit of popular understanding
and realization of their extent, even in
this country. whether it be domestic or
foreign. Under the homely word bus
mess, in the sale, purchase and man
ufaeture Of products and commodities in
/ this country and their extension from
us to the markets of the world, may pos
sibly be made a generalization that in
a given city or locality is capable Of be-
ing somewhat understood when once
reviewed in some or all of It's features,
and in respect TO the wholesale jobbing
forwarding and consignment business
Of Wheeling, to-day and in the past
there is a sufficient field presented to
satisfy TO some extent the cloudy de-
auctions and investigations of the bus
mess man and citizen of this city and
vicinity.
FOR NEARLY SEVENTY YEARS
/ Wheeling has been a wholesale centre
| for large scope of territory. In its
/ early days il had a much larger ter
ritOry in square miles than to-day. and
/ did a business in wholesale lines in
| States of the Middle Atlantic and the
South. since secured and transacted by
new wholesale cities Of their own or adj
| joining States. So that in the early
/ part of the present century the for
warding business, so called at that time
/ was of no small proportions in this city.
in the matter of territory covered and
| business transacted From old records
and information handed down from one
| generation to another in the wholesale
| business Of Wheeling. it is found that as
early as 1880 about five firms were en-
gagged in this city in the wholesale or
forwarding business, and that they at
that time paid yearly for freight to
waggoners and the boats upwards OF
/ 5000 600, and an annual business. which
for he condition of the country and its
commercial developments at that time.
and based upon the freight figures alone.
would run the figures of business vol
umeS transacted yearly into a large
showing and clearly establish the old
time importance and standing of Wheel
ing as a wholesale centre. Wheeling
was in those days, and for many years
afterwards the forwarding point in all
the staples of trade for the Middle At
antic belt. and far 10 the South and
East. and North Of Pittsburg. especially
in grocery lines. and was to a certain
extent, the western wholesale point OF
the eastern country. Ii would seem
that men and merchants in those days
were not asleep as TO the natural ad-
vantages Of this city. as a wholesale
point. and also the resources of the
surrounding country This fact. with
the river facilities of transportation,
and the further fact that Wheeling was
in the current Of
THE GROWING BUSINESS STREAM
of the West and South. and further
coupled with the fact that the early
founders of the wholesale business of
the city were a part o. the foremost
cavaliers in commerce Of the country,
duly did in those days and for coming
generations establish the importance
and standing of Wheeling as whole
sale point in the trade of the country.
There were no railroads in those days,
OF course. and shipments and freights
were made and received by the river
and wagon The goods handled we're
of course fewer in classes and kinds.
and all of domestic production. except
some grades OF clothing and few other
minor classes of goods in small de
mand There were no travelling men,
no system of credits, but payment for
the goods when purchased before de-
livery. either in money or some other
class of merchandise In fact. there
was in those early days a great bust
ness done by exchange of one kind of
goods tor another, between the
firms in person and direct, as the sea
sons Of trade demanded. Business
methods in those days, as one is per-
mitted TO look over old correspondence
and accounts, and talk with some OF
the successors Of these old firms in this
city. was transacted in a very plain
and simple manner, but one is i'm
pressed with the fact that these old
merchants were men of strict integrity
and with no small amount OF good bus
mess ability and Judgment. They ac-
cumulated wealth, were so success
ful and al the close OF life handed
down TO posterity foundation, at least,
in all respects. for the present great