The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-06-09
RICHMOND GOOD
HARDWARE CENTRE
Conventions to Meet This Week
Will Find Strong Houses in
Richmond.
ROOM FOR AS MANY MORE
Transportation Facilities and
Other Advantages Would Make
Richmond Greater Hardware
Centre.

Tho thousand or more wholesale
dealers in hardware who will come up
to Richmond this week from all parts
OF the South, and the hardware manu-
facturers whowill como from tho North
and the West to hold their annual joint
convention, will find that the seat OF
tho convention is something OF q hard
ware jobing centre of itself.
Richmond Is not near as largo in
the matter OF wholesaling hardware
as It ought to be. There Is room here
for at least half do1e., moro job:
bling houses, and those already here
would gladly welcome as many more,
but considerable business is done, and
some of the ablest commercial men
in the South are engaged In the hard
ware line here
There have been wholesalers hero
ever since Richmond has been q job
bling centre for other lines of goods,
and some mighty comfortable fortunes
have been made In the business
With its water transportation, with
ocean, and always ready to hold the
land transportation companies in
check as to freight rates on suoh heavy
goods Us hardware jobbers deal in. and
with competing railway lines to every
part OF the South, Richmond is pre-
eminently the gateway to the South
through which and from which the
hardware jobber can reach the retailers
OF more than dozen States.
Tho time was when the jobbers in
this city did not attempt to sell hard-
ware beyond tho limits OF the State.
and perhaps at some points in North
Carolina Now, however. the five
Wholesale houses have on army of
drummers who invade West Virginia,
Maryland, North Carolina. South Caro-
limo, Georgia and Florida. They also
compete with Knoxville and Nashville,
Tenn, in some sections of Tennessee
and Kentucky, and with New Orleans,
Mobile and Montgomery for q part of
the Alabama and ssissippi trade.
Last year theso houses sold within the
territory named something over ST.
100000 worth OF hardware.
Richmond could and ought to have
sold three times as much" said one
man yesterday.
why didn't your" asked tho news
paper man.
WELL you see the men engaged IN
the hardware jobbing business In Rich
mond may be said to be getting along
| In years. and they belong to the Iet
we'll enough alone branch of the
human family. They are doing q good
business and making money, and some
how they do not care to branch out To
capture new territory. Richmond could
we'll tako care of q half dozen more
first-class 5obbing houses headed by
active young men with fresh money
eager ana ambitious. Tho geographi.
cal position Of Richmond, its water and
rial transportation facilities. make Il
the ideal place from which to reach
the Southern retailer OF hardware We
have no trouble competing with Other
markets. and we can sell goods ir
every Southern State right under the
noses OF tho houses Of other jobbine
cttieA We are doing It every day II
the year, and could extend our ter
ritory and our business If we were no
so prone TO let we'll enough alone.
| The Richmond houses now in tho job
bing trade would gladly welcome sew
eral moro concerns OF tho same kind
This establishment Of them would no
hurt but would rather help U.s."
The houses here that are doing
jobbing busines in hardware are til
w. g. Tanner Hardware Company. WITT
offices In Richmond and warehouses i
i Manchester; the Watkins Cottroll Com
pany. the Virginia Carolina Hardwar
Company, tho Richmond fiardwar
Company and a. 3, Clarke 81 Son Hard
ware Company. There are large retni
houses which do q local jobblng bus
mess, but the above-named travel me-
In the South and have given Iuchmon
considerable notorIcty as jobbin,
centre,
AS intimated above, there Is room Il
Richmond for several moro jobbinr
houses OF the Same kind and nobod
B In the city would moro heartily vel
como new Corners IN this limo than TIL
houses named In fact, e Is the wisl
OF some Of them that the gathering
hero this week Of wido-awake hard
ware mon from every part OF the coun
try may result In tho estabilshmen
/ in Richmond Of moro wholesale hard