The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-05-01
Water Transportation, Grand
Trunk Lines and Live Mer~
chants do the Business.
ONE HUNDRED DRUMMERS
CONSTANTLY ON THE ROAD
Last Years WorkTwo Hume
dred and Fifty Thousand !
Gases Of Shoes-Five Mil
lion and a Half Pairs.
Five Million Dol
lars Worth.


a century Richmond has been q boot anu
shoe jobblng centre. In thedolden times N
N it was called the 'boot and shoe busi- III
ness, for In the olden days all men wore
boots; the shoes were left for women and Ii
6children-that Is to say, for such of tho
children az wore any foot covering au 1
NIL.
# 1t is a matter OF historical Interest tina q
the first house established in Richmont "
for whoesalng or Jobbing goods was in 3
tho boot and shoe business. Tha was near-
5ly century ago, when Richmond estah-
slished its reputation as a shoe jobbins
centre. and it has maintained that repu-s
tation to this day. 1t now stands fifth
on the list of cities in the United States
as a shoe distributing point.
For some unaccountable reason, ltlch-sl{
mond people are rather given to under-
rating their own Importance. Why they Ai
should have ever conceived the idea that 4
better things can be found elsewhere than
in Richmond Is hard to understand, and y
1t does seem that In some respects Btnes,ss
have been slow to- realize the gfacs tnele
| we have or can have, the best OF every
thing here 1t will probably surprise
many readers OF the Times Disp batch 70
know that the Wholesale shoe houses OF
Richmontl distribute throughout the
south and Southeast section of our coun-
try annually something over 50, OCo,VtO
worth OF footwear. But It is a fact.
m Ye Olden Time.
Let us go back to ancient times and
review the shoe business Of \ r tchmon ~
The first strictly wholesale and jobpins
house ever established In Richmond was /
wholesale boot and shoe house. estap-
ished in 1912 by the tirm OF Huopalu. ,i..
Gardner & Carlton. They bousht poo. Sl
and Shoes leather and most OF the soooa
carried in that day and time oy ooot
and shoe house from New England mar
,ats and the Same were conveyed TO
Richmond by sailing vessels that came
| down the coast to the capes through
| Hampton Roads up the James River. ana
| in due time were tied UP ut the oll y
/! wharves at Rockets
Ing ships many days to come all the
! wav from Boston to Hampton Roads. and
equally as long, IL not q longer time 70
| cnme from the mouth of the James
River to the Rocket wharyes; but those
were slow old days, and time cut very
| little figure However. In those early
dave Richmond learned certain advan-t
n'ys ,acss or water transportation which it
never has forgotten, and tho advantages
or water Transportation to-day make
| RIchmond the wonderful shoe market
| and distributing point It is. iiaSs :,
| lrl,is old Arm of Hubbard. Gardner "
| Carlton continued business withonc
| change Of name. and succeeded well IN untll
| thn Civil War OF 1861 -65. After that war
tho younger members of the families
connected with tho concern revived tha. q.
old house. and for some years 1t diet5
| business under the firm name or Huo-
| hard &. Gardner. But It Is now out OF
| existence other wholesale shoe houses
| did business In Richmond at various
| times between 1879 and 1861. one or Whlca Whlc1
10 worthy of special mention. About
1870 The nrm .of Putney & Watts entered
into the Wholesale boot and shoe Dust
ness in Richmond. That house has con-
tinued In, business under varying names.
and is to-dayfu under tho firm name OF the
stephen Putney Shoe Company, still doing
business al the old stand,
Richmond's Territory.
Now as IN the olden time. Riohmond
| shoe houses have all the south anu
! Southeast section of our country ior
/ territory Rchmonds ndYnniaseouS
reographlcnl situation, making u IN lns9
/ line OF business. as in other INES w
| cate city to the South, has ever sl,eis sl
| the shoe merchants an auVah'asN ~ 80 u
connecting points have been lhaple ~
| -
dny. as It has been since lSl2, tue ha'uiht
shoe distributing point for me WnoIo
/ snuthern country, II Is well Known 9'
! ovory intelligent reader OF this paper
tbat tho New England shoe iar'nplfs
practically supply the world Win us lpoA ,9V,
wear. All the world goes TO New EnsiaN.u
Ia buy shoes, The great factories, Which llali
supply the world. arc IN . radius ot ~
| or 500 miles around Boston, From hosl
ian. therefore. 70 per cent Of the SHOES
| that are worn by the people Of TINS efesiE
| country, to say nothing of export 'faur.
! are shipped From Boston many SuiP1
loads and thousands OF car loads OF sioe'
ara sent out to the distributing points
| Of The world The question Or ffeisnss,
| therefore. from Boston to dlsinnuHhE
| points cuts figure, the Importance OF
which the average reader would never
| appreciate until his special attention VIZ,
| called 10 H. Richmond has ditsst anu
| quick water communication Win boslon,
| and The matter of incoming frelgh,i p"s',
| as to expense and time, gives kinhtl,hs
| an advantage as distributing point ,nae
no interior competing market can posN'plS
| overcome The sano,oNo worth or snoes
| that Richmond distributes annnal'y Iesnt.
tbe wholesale houses here by water ana
az tast s,sans hips Sstch siYe TINS mar