New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-08-14
MEMBERS COMING IN FAST.
PHENOMENAL GROWTH OF THE MER-
CHANTs ASSOCIATION.


WORKING ron MorE coNcEs-
s,oys-vls,Tons REPORTS or
rRosrEnITr.
The business part Of Nsw-York 10 full of visit
ing merchants from all parts of the country
these days. There Is scarcely large city IN
the country that is not represented by num-
her of its foremost merchants. drawn here TO
INSPECT and patronze the New-York market by
the reduced railroad fires secured by the Mer-
chants Association for It's members ana inc
exceptional advantages offered for ther enter
tainment while they are In town.
The association IS still working on the lines
laid down at first. and Is endeavoring to obtain
still further concessions from the different rail-
road associations OF the country in favor OF Its
ron-residcnt members who may desire TO visit
New-York for the purpose OF making their pur-
chases in this market
RAPID INCREASE IN MEMBERSHIP
While the spacious and well appointed rooms
OF the Merchants Association in the.New-f YORK
Life Building at Leonard-st. and Broadway are
overrun with visiting merchants from early
morning until 6 o'clock in the evening. the asso-
citation itself continues TO grow in truly
miraculous fashion. Its membership is increas-
ing by rapid strides and at no time since II
was started has it grown more rapidly than now
The resident or local membership now consider
ably exceeds seven hundred, and in this number
are firms and houses from almost every line OF
trade in the city.
Among the prominent firms and corporations
that joined the association yesterday and Thurs
day are:
Der Company. Mrg rubber goods. No IS Reade-st
Rank '...... Banking ..........N No. 1872 Broadway
mann Coz. Banking ..........No. 40 Wail-st
tonai Bank 81. =. Banking .......... No. 33 Wa-st
Bank ........ Banking .......... Twenty third st.
and sixth-ave
Son ..:....... Mason builders No. 800 Broadway
Berg Brothers. Notions ....'. NJ - Llspenardst
Alfred s Campbeii Art photographers Park Place
Revion Freres. Furs ......'''''''Nc 10 Mest lweh-
Pm I4n,H %e'nSs MssS Go Fur' S'- ''0a0N''
Ca,herwood Co. Tea importers. No. 90 Front-s'
Co .e Wholesale grocers. No 45s West Four
WIN. A. Miles. Brewing ......... No 80 chrysiest'
Co. Clothing ........N9 50 Lafayette
VIM. II. Gray Carriages and har- ~. 90 woo,,ar-s,
c, r,oo,r,o "'7
"Comnanv ~ Electrical devices. No. "A Broad-st
The American Sugar Refining Company was
added to the list some days ago
NoS-REs1DENr MEMBERS BLOCKING IN.
toward 10000 having passed the $1,000 mark
On Monday about 1000 applications Were re-
ceived on Tuesday 500: Wednesday, 4oo; on
Thursday 800 and Friday morning over 2oO such
epplcations came in the first mail making 2,9oo
applications received from Monday Till TINS
morning. the nonresident membership last week
having been close to 1I.OOO.
William F. King, the president Of the Mer-
chants Association. has Informed Joseph Rlch-
. erdson chairman of the Southeastern Passenger
Association that he will attend the conference
of the committee of the Southeastern asSocla-
tion to be held on Tuesday August II, at the
Hotel Chamberlin, Old Point Comfort, to wh'ch
he has been invited. Mr. King goes for the pur-
pose Of setting forth fully the position of the
Merchants Association in making application to
the different railway associations f." the rur-
pose Of getting reduced rate of fare for n'er-
chants throughout the country who are mem
bers The association argues that II the local
merchant prospers, the railroad prospers; that
the local merchant can best be made prosperous
by bringing him into direct and close ccI tact
with the great markets of the country, and that
II the concessions In traffic rates 10 be grant
ed to anybody they ought to be granted to the
country merchant, because The country mer-
chant is permanep. feature in the town in
which he lives, and tie railroad hauls mis- freight;
and, while eacn lHulVluuai country merchant
may not be a large shipper. yet the country mer-
chants. In the aggregate, on any one line Of
road contribute an enormous total in the freight
packages which are carried for them. Their
business is not transitory, but stands year in
and year OUT and if that business be in
creased, much the better for the roads.
Several nonresident members Of the associa-
ton who had not registered before came yester-
day morning and added their names to the list.
They were all more than pleased with the gen.
eral appearance of the rooms, and with what
~had been and was being done for them, and
over the prospect of what is still to be done
The Merchants Association has sort Of minia-
ture postoffcc for the convenience OF its non
resident members. and in the room set aside fol
the use Of such members there are desks fitted
up for writing, while the tables in the centre OF
the room are filled with the weekly papers and
magaznes-daily papers being kept on special
files for reference. Telephone service is free
20 members and messengers can be had at the
cost Of the service. The officials of the assoca
ton have prepared a set OF rules for the conduct
of the non president members room. and these
rules will be rgidly enforced are the rules
of any club in New-York.
In response TO the thirty-fve dispatches sem
out by the association Wednesday night to the
general passenger agents Of all the roads in The
Southwestern and Western Railway associa
lions. asking them If they would place on salt
tickets from all points on their respective roads
10 Chicago or st Louis between the dates o
August 81 to August 81 inclusive. so as t.
allow merchants In their territories to reacl
those cities In that time, being the dates OF
which the second series Of trips or excursions II
Joint traffic territory is TO be run, twenty
separate answers have been received. AS soon a
ali the roads are heard from. the association
will announce which are willing 60 comply Will
this request. Most OF them will remain bound b.
the action already taken by the associations L