The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1905-12-28
BUSINESS MEMS BANQUET.
Hotel Carnegie Filled With Distinguished
Citizens Friday Evening. Dec. l5.

man who then located here has
remained with us and has become one
of cur most popular and progressive
citizens. Step by step he has mounted
the ladder of commerce until today he
is at the head of one of the largest
Wholesale houses in East Tennessee.
We believe Jonuson City has bright
future in this direction, especially in
lines not now represented, and know of
no one more competent to speak Of our
"Jobbing Trade Extension" than Mr..
NJ. l. Gump He said:
Mr.. Toastmaster:
My topic for this evening is "Our
Jobbing Interest and it's Develop
ment," and as ] take that to be two
subjects, l will try to outline our past
and present interest as one topic, and
the development of that interest as an
other. l we'll remember a few years
ago when there was not one jobbing
house in the city. And take it that a
little history of the rise and fall Of sew
eral undertakings will not be amiss at
this time.
The very first 10 try his fortune in q
iobbing way was Mr.. John A. Mathes,
who did quite a nice business in salt
meat, -four and grain. That was just
about twenty years ago. In short
time thereafter he interested some To-
cal capital, from which the first exclu-
sive wholesale grocery business in our
city was established. / now see before
me some of the gentlemen who we're
interested in that enterprise, and no
doubt, had it not been for the continu-
ed bad health of the principal owner
and manager, the business would still
be in existence. The next to try to
make johnson City jobbing point
was the firm of T. NJ. George & Co. ,
who were at first in the produce bust
ness, and through that medium grad
ually went into the jobbing business
in order to induce people to bring pro
duce to this market. My information
is that they were successful and that
firm was merged into that of Shortrige
& Co., and they did an extensive bust
ness in the grocery line, until the
crash of the First National Bank,
which carried the grocery concern
down with it. Then for a number Of
} years, during the panic of the last oi
the Cleveland administration, wher
johnson City was on the decline, We
were without iobbing house in oul
city,
However, with the development o
this section, now count about on,
dozen regular jobbing houses, an(
from all reports they are all doing {
large volume of business, and that
too, under adverse circumstances
When the question Of freight rates ii
taken into consideration, for at thu
present time the majority of the job
bers doing business in our city are il
, heavy lines, where freight rates is th'
factor.
The question has often been asked
"How can johnson City sell good
and compete with other towns favored
with better freight rates?" For answer
l say that geographically we are bette
located for doing business within a GER
tain radius than all competitors com
: bined. We are, furthermore, at th,
!: fountain head, and all of certain line
u must first come to us, for certain local
. tiles, and if we can not get our shar,
of the business, the fault is our own
but the results of the large volume o
= business now being done in our city
indicates to me that we are undoubted
ly we'll and favorably located.
Y Now, what can johnson City as
whole and those now in the jobbin
g business, do to increase their presen
= volume of business? The people c
o. our city must first feel that, with tn
amount of business now being done
D our city, with Others to engage in th
jobbing business, that they, too, ca
be factor in the development Of OF
= city as jobbing point. My observi
tion is that in all other cities doing a
extensive jobbing business, you Away
find that all lines Of merchandise al
E fully represented, and johnson City
present is sadly in need Of extension
- of all lines of trade, such as dry good
notions, boots, shoes, hats, caps, clotl
ing, queensware, etc. In fact, Who'll
sale dry goods aud notion concel
&. could do greater amount of proftab
70. business, if one were established th'
= any line to be mentioned, and not on
that, but all the different lines abo'
mentioned.
If Johnson City today was as W,
favored with freight rates as 9th
towns | could mention, and if Johnst
City had been favored in the past
years with the same freight rates
towns near by, the jobbing interest
1t is Absolutely Free Today.
There is no catch about this.
Dill MULL'S GRAPE TONIC doesn't POI
he lively cure Constipation you are o
Q nothing as we give you the first bot
,re free. If it cures, which it wilt,
Iet others-that is ell we ask. The fl