The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1897-08-22
4 PULL FOR RETAIL BUYERS
Birmingham Not Unknown as a
Wholesale Center.
OUR CHEAP RAILROAD RATES
One of the inducements Smallpox Scare will
Keep Many Buyers Away From Birm-
ingham This Season.

The time has come for Birmingham to
make a bid for the wholesale trade Of
this and surrounding states. is tina gem
eral eoncensus of opinion among prom
inent business men, as will be attested
by the interviews below:
There is nothing too great for Bir-
mingham to accomplish. Her wholesale
trade has already assumed proportions
at which the general public would be as
founded. This trade can be increased
by various means. One of the most
effectuai Of which is to secure reduced
rates on the railroads, invite the buyers
hers, show them convincing facts and
figures about prices and freight, inciden-
tally have them visit Brmingham's mar
velous industries and make them have
good time.
The Merchants association of New
York hit upon a grand scheme whsn
it conceived the idea of inducing retail
buyers to come to that market by hold
ing out to them low railroad rates. The
reports from there say that hundreds
of buyers from Alabama, Mississippi,
Virginia, Texas and other southern states
have awaited themselves of the oppor-
tunity to combine business with pleasure
and poured into the great metropolis dur
ing the past few weeks.
st. Louis is the Mecca of the retail
buyer. having first inaugurated the low
rate scheme and st. Louis has fell tha
indncement offered by the New York
merchants. Just in this wise could Biz
mingham make the markets of the south
and even this north feel her Importance
as wholesale CENTER Thousands of
dollars leave this section every year that
could be handled by southern merchants
and the wholesale dealers profit kept at
home. Every gigantic enterprise must
have a small beginning and now is the
time for birmingham to make herself
felt in the wholesale realm.
Such project has been agftated in At
lanta, but has never as yet assumed form
idable proportions. There is no reason
why Birmingham could not readily COM
PStC with <illdiltt. CUNNINGHAM Is rail-
road center, of easy access to merchants
or every section of this and surrounding
states. She s not unknown as a whole
sale center; she already has a name
abroad.
During the past few weeks scores Of
buyers have visited the city to purchase
fall and winter supplies. One wholesale
merchant said that he had placed several
11ih1a 0rf5nTs- in,
trade in Mississippi and in every section
Of Alabama. The grocery men say that
their trade is reaching nav territory rap
idly. Birmingham is represented in the
dry goods line, as well as in hardware
and saddlery. 7, is argued by some that
the drummers having headquarters h re
and representing foreign houses will be
an objection to the idea of securing low
railroad rates. They claim that the
drummers will reap the harvest, while
the local merchants will furnish the op-
portunity Another man around the cor
ner says if the drummer with his samples
can sell goods. Inc local merchant wi h
HIS stock on the ground and the advant-
age of less. freight should be able to do
his share OF the business.
The railroads entering Birmingham
and it is not thought they would hesl-
tate to make a low passenger rate to
buyers desiring 10 come here. The re-
ward for the first year would probably BE-
comp arativ :ly. small, but if the m ere; ants
would work in coliusipn to this end .ach
year The benefit would be great
II don't believe such a scheme has ever
been successfully carried out in Birming-
ham," said Mr.. Brown, of the Perry
Mason Brown Shoe company" 1t would
be good idea We're it not for the null
tiplicity of drummers who make this
their headquarters. They would have
picnic off of our enterprise. There are a
good many buyers who come here, and
there is no doubt but with little enter
prise a good many more would come"
ut would be good scheme" said Pres
ident Shackelford, of the Birmingham
Dry Goods company, "if it were not for
the smallpox scare. I don't believe any,
thing can be done this season. But as
for the idea it is good one.
"The drummers. who make this their
headquarters and travel for foreign
houses are doing the bulk of this SCARE
crow business" continued Mr.. Shackel-
ford. "They don't want people to come
and buy from birmingham merchants
and they are taking advantage of the
smallpox scare to keep them away. 1t is
very easy for one to tell merchant who
contempates trip to Birmingham that
I've saw ten cases carried to the quaran-
tine camp the day before"
Commercial Agent Scion Jacobs of the
Georgia Central. said: ut is hard to tell
whether a. low rate could be secured or
not 1t might be done with the right
kind of action among the wholesale
men"