Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1896-12-10
THE VALLEY TRADE.

| III tilt past Wceh lIieIc nave DceiI
developments which are of the most
favorable nature to Alexandria. For
ty eight miles of the Manass IS road,
the portion running from Strasburg
to Harrisonburg, have been relin
quished by the Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad, which has controlled it for
% years and carried the Valley trade
TO Baltimore, and has reverted to
the Southern road, and Alexandria
is now presented to the people of
that section Of Virginia a. a formid-
able competitor for their trade, offer
ing, as it does, better railroad rates
and prices as low as those of any
other city. These are facts which
can be amply proven if our friends
of the Valley will but make Il COM
parison.
There is no good reason why the
merchants of Alexandria cannot sell
goods as cheap as any of their neigh
bors, and with favorable railroad
rates, which they now possess, the
entire Valley trade must eventually
| come here.
The wholesale business Of AleXan-
dria has expanded wonderfully in
recent years, and this city to-day
furnishes the people of Washing
ton and much of Virginia and
Maryland with the staple goods
they consume. And why not?
The Potomac river is at her
door, while railways connecting
with every portion of the United
States as well aS Canada and Mexico
cross each others tracks here. 1t is
to the advantage of the surrounding
country to make Alexandria their
base Of supplies, and it will be to
the advantage Of the people living
along the Manassas branch to do
| likewise.
The wholesale grocery trade OF
Alexandria, which has assumed such
proportions in late years. is growing
all the time under its enterprising
managers from the fact that they
show greater inducements to buyers
than those Of cities farther away.
They long ago realized that in order
to secure patronage it was essential
to enter into lively competition
with other bidders and offer better
prices. The situation of the city en-
abled them to do so. The result was
inevitable They secured the trade
and are now enjoying it.
Dry goods, clothing, notions, boots,
shoes, crockery ware and nearly
everything else can be purchased
as cheaply here as in any city in
the United States, and the example
set by the wholesale grocers, fer
tilizer manufacturers. lumber, coal
salt and hardware dealers. drug
gist5 and others who have 50
materially enhanced their trade i,
being followed by those in all other
branches of commerce. Hence there
will be no good reason for any one
in this section of Virginia TO go be-
yond Alexandria to procure anything
wanted This will be self-evident to
any one who will examine the va
ried stocks now being offered to meet
the demands of the holiday trade
while the prices will be found as low
as those of any city, hence purchasers
from the back country can lay in
their Christmas supplies almost at
their doors without the trouble and
expense of going any farther North.
These are facts which it will be to
the interest of all concerned to pom
der well.
That Alexandria is naturally situa-
ted for a grain market has ever been
conceded, and though this branch of
her industry has waned of late, with
the opening up of the Valley trade
there is every reason to believe Il
healthy revival will follow. There
is every facility here in the shape of
railroad and water transportation,
with commodious warehouses and
energetic merchants.
But to return to the more stable
commodities. AleIandria's fertili-
zer trade has grown beyond the eX-
pectations of all engaged in it. Sew
eral factories are in constant opera
ton, and some own their OWL rail
road cars. 1t is no uncommon sight
to see strings Of cars which would
have constituted y train 20 years ago
being loaded by asingle house, and q
few davs ago bark loaded with
bones from the plains of South Amer
! lc4, aTTlNttl llele, 1Ilt ilOt iOliS uSp q
British steamship loaded with fertili-
zers arrived here and discharged its
cargo. The fact that all these branch
es of trade have undergone such a
growth is proof conclusive that Alex
andria is offering better prices and
lower railroad rates than her COM
petitors, and is all the commentary
we will urge.
The lumber trade has also become
an important item in Alexandria :
mercantile interests of late. The
firms conducting this branch of in
dustry are composed of practical
men, and from comparatively
insignificant beginnings they have
augmented their business until they
long ago found it necessary to erect
saw and planning mills. Four such
enterprises are now and have been
for wears in full blast here, and every
thing which enters into the construc-
ton of house can be gotten out at
either of them in short order and at
prices as low as the lowest.
AleXandria's coal trade now eX-
tends rs far south as Georgia and the
new railroad arrangement will enable
the valley people to buy their fuel in
a good market and secure favorable
frairht rates