The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-09-12
HOUSTON AND IT'S INDUSTRIES.
\ Passing Note Of What This the Greatest City Of
Texas, Is Doing in the Way Of Business
and industry.
Gratifying and Growth All Lines OF Business and Manu-
fsctures-.As Retail Center 1t Is Without Peer.

without the advantage Of being port
Of entry Houston. a. . commercial city
ranks frst in Texas a. Is shown by the
vast amount Of trade handled by whole
ssaers, retailers and manufacturers.
One Of the chief elements considered In
business Of any kind is the rate Of freight
that must be paid In shipping out as wen
a. in receipts Of merchandise, In fact
freight rates are taken into as much con-
alteration a. the original cost OF the goods
or wares purchased. With an outlet 10 the
seA by way Of Buffalo bayou, aud with
fourteen railways radiating In every direc-
tiou. several Of them being trunk lines
which run east and west and north aud
south, penetrating not only Texas. but all
the great Northwest and West. and,
through connections. reaching the trade
certers OF the East and the republic Of
Mexico. Houston has secured rates which
enable her merchants and manufacturers
to compete with New Orleans, st. Louis
Kansas City and other large commercial
and Industrial centcu.
4A lido BruWtu OF tuc City III poF"iotoh'
wealth and commercial Importance during
the past decade has been wonderful. From
an oyergrown country town Houston has
gradually expanded until 1t Is today, In
every sense OF tho word. oity. BnJ the
growth continues. This growth has not
been ephcmeral or of mushroom Gear
acter. Every inch gained has teen re-
taned and as an evliclce OF the stability
Of ber trade It may lie ETH that curing
the panic Of 1898. when banks oil over the
country we're falling and were compelled
to limit the amount OF money lepo'fois
could withdraw. the ban "a OF Houston fhet
every obligation promptly, loaned mt ney ss
usual and permitted doposltors to draw
they SO desired. This fact attracted at
tentlon throughout the country ana has
been the means Of ..hglus to the city
men with capital and has resulted IN the
settlement OF the surroileiag co, ttry.
Figures compiled by the seere.ery OF
the Cotton Exchange AM Board Of Trade
show Houston to I'D tie leading inte:er
cotton market Of to wor.j Here s,e
located represcnti.iv OF the largest co.
ton buying firms In England and the CONT
nent who, by virtue o, the banking &C.
commodatons and rail and water ransror-
tatlon facilities, have found 1t profitable
to make the Texas METROPOLIS their .ead-
quarers.
The Galveston, Harrisburg aad San An
tonic. Texas Gnd New Orleans, Houston
and Texas Central, Houston East and West
Texas AM Galveston, LII Porte ani lious-
ton all have their general offices and shops
here. The pay rolls OF the various rail-
ways aggregate In round numbers $500 900
a month and this vast SUN, or the greater
portion of 1t, coca into the channels of
trade and is distributed through the retail
merchants AMI kept circulating. Then
there are the pay rolls OF the lumber mills.
the congresses, the oil mills, the brewerles.
the coopefage factory, the Dickson car
wheel works, the toundries and minor fac
tories, not to Include the employees OF mer-
I chants. printing houses. hotels and scores
Of other institutions, which. In the ag-
.rcgatc. amounts to millions. There Is
much being said OF the wealth OF the Klon-
dixie, from which last season couple OF
million dollars In gold was taken, the OK
trefnc output for next year being placed
at $a,0o0,000. II one but stops TO think
be Will see that that amount OF money
changes hands In Houston In six days.
The bank ciearines Of this city amount to
o. much us $7.000.O00 for week Of six
days and to this must be added the sums
money handled b. thousands who keep no
bank accounts,
Besides being the leading cotton marko,
Houston handles an enormous amount Of
lumber. hardware. groceries. liqnora. wires
beers. furniture, dry goods, cattle. horse.
and agricultural implements and wagons
One Arm In Houston manufactures for tn,
Welk. Fargo Express company all tn,
wagons for use In New Orleans and an
other Arm supplied them with horses,
On all sides are 10 ne found evidence,
Of increasing prosperity Wholesaler
state that their business for 1897 show
IN increase over the same period In 1885,
and predict that the present season will
b the banner year In the history Of thu
city's trade. The retail merchants hay
laid In larger stocks than usual, anticipat