Omaha daily bee., 1902-11-16
OF JOBBTNC TRADE
Omaha Wholesalers EIpsrienos Unprsos-
dented Expansion in Business.
NEW CUSTOMERS AND NEW TERRITORY
Year Now Drawing to a Close Has
Been the Best ON Record and
Outlook f. BriEh for
Further Growth.

Omaha jobbers have never seen two more
prosperous months than those Of Septem-
Der and October Of this year, and the sales
OF November so far, while not fully keep
ing up the percentage Of gain made by the
two preceding months, are almost certain
to pass the record Of any November since
the first jobbing house was opened in this
city.
People have been SO much accustomed to
seeing In the weekly market reports that
each week passed the last and was ahead
OF the corresponding week Of last year that
they do not stop to realize what this means,
but the jobber and the man who watches
the work from day TO day knows that the
last three years have demonstrated the
fact that Omaha is one Of the best jobbing
towns in the United States; that based
upon the capital invested. the wholesale
dealers OF the city in the aggregate are
probably doing more business than the job
bers Of any other city, and that the trade
is a constantly growing one. One Of the
most satisfactory features Of the growth OF
the trade has been sound and legitimate.
This great increase was first noticed in
1900. Previous to that time the houses
b@Ia wills a AhAA hhhAntno III
some of the dealers themselves had looked
upon the city as one which was somewhat
circumscribed in territory and which would
support houses OF small capital with easy
trade, but one which would not warrant
the prophecy OF larger houses with unlim-
tied territory such as have been estab-
lished in Chicago. st. Louis and New York.
Today conservative men wha have devoted
their lives to the trade are saying that the
wholesale business of Omaha is to be lin
tied only by the amount OF capital invested
and the progressiveness and push Of the
men in charge OF affairs.
Troubles I'm transportation.
The prime factor in wholesale trade is
transportation. Freight rates are most
important, and then comes service. For
many years Omaha has not had the best
rates nor the best service and that, as
much as any other thing. was the reason
for the small business tranacted. In the
last hve or six years there has been some
Improvement in this direction, but some
things remain to be done. As an illustra-
tion Of this may be cited conditions on the
Rock Island and Milwaukee roads which
still exist, but which are soon to be cor
rected. The through business Of these
roads between the Missouri river and Chi
cago has been Of more Importance than
the local business between Omaha and the
stations in Iowa. When a carload OF goods
destined to points in iowa would be re-
ceived from Omaha jobbers IT would gen
orally be attached to a through train and
carried east to the first division point east
OF the destination of the most distant con-
Bignment. The car would then be detached
from the train and sent west on a local
Nrafahs earrvtnO ohFnppapfs fron Chicano
and other eastern points to towns along
the route and Omaha goods would be de-
livered from the east along with these
shipments. The result of this was that
points close to Omaha could receive goods
from Chicago as soon as from Omaha, and
the closer to the city along the lines men
toned the later did the goods arrive. This
condition existed on all OF the eastern
roads, but the two mentioned are the only
ones so far known retaining the plan. Com
plant has been made and both roads
promise to handle the local business on
east-bound trains as soon as they can
make the necessary arrangements. This is
but an illustration Of what the Omaha
jobber has had to contend with in the past.
but in spite Of II all the trade grew, but
very slowly until 1900. That year the old
est houses In the city. in all lines, were
SURPRISED AT the tANeul OF luelT DucluSeos
With no increase. at FIRST. in the number
OF travelling statesmen the orders began to
come in so large and numerous that stocks
which were believed to be sufncient for
the trade we're depleted. Statesmen could
not cover their usual territory and few. IL
any, OF the houses were there which did
not have to put on additional men to cover
the same territory.
Extending the Territory.
With the increased orders and a few
changes in freight rates, dealers began
to push into new places. II has been
realized by some Of the dealers for several
years that west OF the Rocky mountains
there WAS a certain class OF business
which might be brought TO this city and a
few houses had men in the territory sell
ing specialties. The business conditions
Of the mountains we're not very good pre-
vious TO 1899. but that year the revival
came along all lines and the Omaha jobber
profted thereby. In the dry goods lines,
Manufactured goods. such as shirts, over
Rlls, skirts and similar goods, we're pushed.
and men who had carried these lines only
before that time we're put at work selling
laees and similar light goods, while staple
lines In some Instances were introduced.
In the grocery lines the few travelling
men selling speeialties. such as teas and
~coiees. were reinforced and the lines were
extended over wider range, some staples
even being introduced. The heavier goods,
such as hardware and building iron. did
not profit to so great an extent in the
more distant territory, as the freight rates
to Denver on these goods have always
been against the sale Of them by omaha
houses west Of that point, but a few
years ago one Of the Omaha houses opened
. Denver branch. which practically con-