The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1901-12-12
THURSDAY. DECEMBER 70. 1901
SOME OBSERVATIONS

One frequently hears the relative
merits of various coast cities and tow ms
discussed from the standpoint of the
advantages they offer to retail buyers.
The writer has had some opportunities
within the past ten days to make lit
tie study of trade conditions in Port
land, Tacoma, Seattle and Whatcom,
and his observations in these cities
have led him TO the conclusion that
nearly all household necessities and
the more common luxuries, dry goods,
clothing and practically all kinds of
merchandise are materially cheaper in
Whatcom than they are in any of the
other places mentioned, and yet What
com Is only about One-fourth the size
Of Tacoma and oDe-tenth the size of
Seattle or Portland. The difference in
some lines is very striking. OF course
the larger places have many more
great stOres--there is one in Portland
in which there are nearly 400 employees
but the immense stocks Of goods car
ried do not afford to the small buyer a
range of choice that is very much bet
ter than that offered by the smaller
establishments. The difference is more
in the great quantities carried than in
varieties, and the styles shown are the
same i'm all the places. If a lady wants
to buy tailor made suit, cloak, cape,
jacket, waist, belt, buckle or fine dress
pattern she can do better by ten to
twenty-five per cent at "The Fair" in
Whatcom, than she can in any of the
big stores in Seattle. And this is
equally true in other lines.
But there is another matter that is
also true which should pe borne in
mind by our home people and that is
that the ordinary needs of a family are
supplied by our home merchants here
mt lower prices than can he Obtained
on the average i'm any of the larger
places OH the Sound. Travelling repre-
sentatives Of wholesale houses, whose
fingers are ever on the pulse of trade
and whose opportunities for observa-
ton are the very best, say that there
are few, If any, places in the state
where goods are sold OIL smaller aver
age per cent of profit than they are
right here. To the full extent that
they are able to supply the wants of
buyers local merchants are certainly
entitled to preference over those who
pay no taxes for the support af our
county government, the building of
roads and the maintenance of schools,
and who are not buyers of the products
our people have to sell. We have little
patience with people who are contiual.
ly complaining about trusts and con-
centration of capital in productive in
dustries and yet who are frequently
sending cash orders to Montgomery
Ward & Co., Sears & Roebuck and
other big eastern catalogue houses for
common things that they could just as
well or better buy at home.
A sad instance of fallen fortunes
came to public notice. i'm Seattle a few
days ago when the evening Star pub
lished under conspicuous headlines an
article stating that Prof. Mark w.
Harrington, l.. L. D., formerly chief
of the United States Weather Bureau
aud later, for short time, president of
the Washington State University, has
lately been employed as common
iaborer IN Port Blakely shipyard,
where he recently suffered an injury
that compelled him to go to Seattle for
medical care. 1t is one of the ironles
OF fate that distinguished scholar and
man of brilliant scientific attachments,
who has occupied high positions, pay.
ing large salaries, should be reduced To
the necessity of earning a living at
manual labor-by Drawn instead of
brain.
And the other Seattle papers of Sat-
urday and Sunday announced two
other instances Of fortunes vicissitudes
in another sphere, reporting in brief
paragraphs that the wife of a former
chief of Seattle police, who died short
time ago, was sentenced Saturday to
SIX months imprisonment in the state
penitentiary and that her son, lately
released from the reform school. IS
awaiting trial on a charge Of robbery
There are many illustrations of the ms
and downs of life to he found in tho
daily record of events in a large citv
One great advantage of the Nicara-
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