The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-07-03

- "Sie started from time to time
10 meet the growing needs and oppor-
tunltles OF the rapidly developing conn
uy. In fact, the history of the iobbinp
industry Is the history of the NORTH
west, history of natural progress
from primitive methods and oppor-
lunities, to perfected advantages of
go, communication. supply and
In 1860 some of the local forwarding
aLid commission men and a few mer-
chants advertised that they would sell
goods by the package" The country
was peing rapidly settled and there
were, OF course, many small stores
WI Mnicn were glad to avail themselves OF
the opportunity to procure "packaeep
OF Two OF goods without sending to
Galena or ST. Louis. At this date "a
lrm doing business of 500, 600 a wear
was denominated "a big concern
During the War of the Rebellion conn
Try storekeepers often came to ST. Paul
Tor small supplies which thew were ahle
to procure from the big" houses and
which were hauled in wagons to. the
places of retail.
wholesale Trade Fairly Establishes
But the history of st. Paups whole
SAFE trade proper dates from 1865. at
the IN close of the War of the Rebellion.
mat year some houses advertised
goods at wholesals and retail" It
cannot now be stated with certainty
just when the first exclusive wholesale
mouse was started or who started if.
according to the directory for that
year very much Of the wholesale trade
OF the little city was still carried on
In retail stores, but the sales of the
year were estimated at $7,500,O00 The
tnree crockery dealers reported their
LOOPING trade at, respectively, $4,000,
100000 and $4,000. There were TWEEN
ty-one dry goods dealers, but only two
ala wholesale business, which thew
said amounted to s205, 900 and 1914, Geo.
-Four grocers out of seventy-seven
We're jobbers, and their sales amounted
to $325,000, 100000, 100000 and ST.
100000. -
In 1880 the wholesale trade of houses
which sold individually more than
100000 worth of goods amounted to
nearly s37,000,000. The sales of grain
were $5,225,000; dry goods, Sc, ZOO, 600;
groceries, S4,900,000; agricultural i'm
PIGMENTS, 100000; boots and shoes,
$2,0O0,O00; hides and pelts, S1,875, 600.
The aggregate, including the business
done by minor houses, each selling less
than 100000, would amount to about
10000, 000
The total amount of business done
by the wholesale houses in 1900 was
about $240.0O0, 600. In 1902, as comput-
in round numbers eo50, 900, 600. In
1903, according to partial reports and :
conservative estimates, the business
amounted fairly to $255, 000, 900. The
volume in 1904 promises to eSoeed the
last years business by per cent. New
trade territory Is constantly being
opened and occupied, stocks are being
enlarged and amplified, factories and
opportunities of every sort are contin-
uously getting better.
Territory Commercially Tributary
The territory directly tributary to
st. PauPs wholesale trade-Minnesota
the Dakotas, Western Wisconsin and
Northern Iowa-has now a population
OF more than three and half millions.
On the direct lines of communications
west Of the city toward the Pacific
coast. are at least million more It
must be borne in mind that the main
pathway to the Oriental markets lies
along the same general highway. AM
other decade will probably see these
populations doubled.
AS our trade and commerce, foreign
and domestic, grow, the city of ST. Paul
will grow. Already this city is the
main jobbing center of the Northwest,
and 1t has all the elements to make it
one of the greatest jobbing marts in
the nation. 1t follows that as the re-
glons which are supplied from this CEN
ter of distribution increase in popula-
ton and prosperity, as they are certain
to, our jobbing trade will keep the pace
already set.
Very many of the wholesale dealers
and jobbers of ST. Paul are manufac-
turers of the wares which they SELL 1t
Is difficult to separate their combined
business so as to understand each in
Its entirety. In some instances the
sales of the commercial department of a
manufacturing house equal the output
of the factory.
st. Paups exclusively commercial
business at wholesale is upon sound
foundation, although of colossal pro-
portions. Here is one of the very
largest wholesale drug houses in the
United States with trade extending
we'll nigh over the civilized world The
fairly emporiums. The great hardware
stores are unsurpassed in stock and
size. In short, whatever the people
want, whatever dealers must have, can
be procured in st. Paul.
A Good Market to Buy In
One factor which has made St. Paul
popular among retail business men
the country is the low
prices asked and the reasonable terms
offered by our jobbers and whole
salers. Our dealers are prudent and
conservative, but they are honest and
fair
The ST. Paul wholesalers satisfy
their customers demands, whatever
these demands may be. Despite the
fact that domestic articles have the
larger sale, there is always a demand
for foreign-made goods. The st. Paul
merchants are large importers. st.
Paul has long been a United States
port of delivery for direct importa-
lions Dutiable goods under the Unit
ed States tariff laws worth $4,000, 900
and goods free of duty worth s750,000
passed through the st. Paul custom
house during the fiscal year ending
June 80, 1868. The customs collections
during the same term amounted to
nearly $8S0,000, an increase of $4,000
over the year 1902.
st. Paul has always been the best
market for goods in the Northwest.
It was the best market in 1849, when
he town was first laid out, because 1t
was the only market in this region. 1t
started in the lead and 1t has kept in
he lead and is still in the lead. An
1ther city may make more beer, an
1ther may grind more flour and saw
more lumber, and another may export
more iron ore, but as an all around
market place, wherein everything In
he way of merchandise may be bought
N any quantity at the lowest price,
quality considered, ST. Paul stands un-