The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-05-01
THE WHOLESALE TRADE
MERCHANTS SAY LAST MONTH WAS A
PROSPEROUS ONE FOR THEM.
Dealers on Commission Row Satisfied
with Business-FIOur Output
for the Month.

Inquiry develops the fact that seldom
have the wholesale merchants on South Me-
ridian street and the commission men en-
joyed better months business than that
of April Of this year. The dry goods houses
report an exceptionally good trade, con-
siderably in excess of that Of April,
1898, and while goods have been sold
close, the volume of business made. in the
aggregate. favorable financial exhibit, the
advance in prices in cotton goods and some
other lines helping matters. The druggists
had a big months business and especially
were their sales OF oils and paints large.
The wholesale confectiouers report having
experienced good business for this season
of the year, considerably better than in
April last year. The wholesale grocers re-
port without exception a fine business
last month, fully 20 per cent. larger
than in April, 1898. There are now twelve
Of these large wholesale houses in this city
and all tell much the same story regarding
business. Indianapolis has become one of
the most important wholesale grocery cities
in the West The milliners had the best
trade in years last month, but the season
is now about over, and trade is slowing
down somewhat. Although there are now
two more wholesale boot and shoe houses
in business in this city than year ago, all
are very we'll satisfied with their trade last
month. Probably the largest increase in
traffic last month was with the hardware
and iron dealers the sales of. the latter far
exceeding, Ii Is stated, any former April
The hardware men are enjoying quite a
boom in the bicycle trade. Leather. dealers
report a very satisfactory business, the ten
dency to higher prices stimulating trade.
In fact. dealers in al lines OF iron and steel
and leather products are enjoying the larg-
est business in their history. This remark
will apply as well to the various iron and
steel industries located at Indianapolis. In
this connection IL Is stated that the manu-
facturers of harness. saddlery, ETC., are hav-
Ing the best trade in their history, and this
means a good deal. as the two establish
ments give employment to fully three hum
| dred people. On Commission row the trade
of April was much the most satisfactory of
any one month in several years. AS one
OF the older commission merchants re-
marked Saturday: Our business this month
reminds me of 1892, when this street more
! business was done than in any former year
/ or any year since. For the first time in
| three years we have made little money on
| this street, and the outlook for three or four
| months good business is now promising"
| April was a good month with the packing
| houses ard with the manufacturers of GER
ealine products: the shipments of last month
| being among the heaviest of any April for
| several years Especially were the starch
works and hominy mills large shippers. and
| largely for export In many other lines of
| trade the business Of April was highly sat-
| isfactory. Manufacturers and dealers I'm
carriages, buggies, ETC., report having sold
an unusually large number of jobs The
| harness dealers report having sold more
work last month than In any three months
| or two or three years past and the general
expression is that in all lines of trade April
! was something of a surprise. The prospect
| for continuation of brisk trade is thought
to be very promising in the several lines
mentioned above.