The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-01-15
Landmarks Removed to
Make Room for Big
Wholesaling Houses.
MILES SHOE co. IN
CENTRE OF CENTRE
Anything From Toothpicks to
Steam Engines Found by Re-
tail Merchants in the Great
Jobbing Territory-Miles's
Fine Goods Shoe House
in New Home.
By FRANK s. wooDsoN,
Industrial Editor.

Industrial Editor.
The average citizen OF Richmond
who catches from day to day but a
glimpse of what is going on around
him, has only a faint idea of the enor-
nous quantity of goods OF all kinds
this good old town sells to the outside
world. wen those people who are not
directly interested in the jobbing and
wholesaling business. but who yet love
to boast OF this city's commercial and
Industrial greatness would be sur
prlsed should they analyze the facts
and figures concerning tile Wholesale
business done here and study the map
to learn the vast territory the Rich
mond jobbers and their army of COM
mercial tourists cover. They would be
yet more surprised upon further ana
Tying the facts and figures to learn
how this wholesaling and jobbing bust
less In all lines has increased in
volume. and enlarged in scope. and
spread out over new territory within
the past five or six years.
Eyes Were Opened.
Two or three years ago. when the
Industrial Section gave out the fact
that Richmond stood sixth among the
cities OF the United States as a shoe
jobbinE market, the home eader wera
astonished. Later the grocery ngures
and the dry goods figures and the drug
figures and all the other figures that
the Industrial Section dug out from
the actual sales accounts. were sur
prising 10 those who had not taken
thought of the matter. However. the
people, or at least the merchants ali
over the Southland, know something OF
Richmond's greatness as a 1obbins
point. for the drummer boys have kent
them posted and given them the rea-
sons Ia Cow - . A~-- 49,
be mentioned.
u~ne-irpnsscd advantages
In the first place Richmond is well
situated geographically and is pre-
eminently the gate city to the South.
With its six trunk ines of railway.
going in all directions. and its grand
old James River carrying ships and
steamboats, to and from the sea, its
shipping facilities are superior to those
of any Southern city.
Its banking facilities are far ahead
OF those of any city of its size in the
country. and then the intelligent busi-
ness foresight. the untiring energy and
me splendid industrial and commercial
prloe. TO say nothing of the laudable
desire to excel and get rich of tina
men engaged In the Wholesale bust.
ness In all of its varied branches In
inns city, are the other factors which
within the past few years have made
commercially speaking, the
safe city TO the South, ami one of tho
most extensive jobbing centres among
the cities of It's size in all or the coun-
try.
4 Gren, Jobbing Centre.
mere are many people III Richmond
VINO are yet considered quite young
who we'll remember the old Exchange
Hotel and the territory 81 which il
stood. If a very old MAJ who has
not heNn m Rirh ~ ~ -, , Is
years. but used to come here in the
olden time and put up at the old EN-
change and have such Jolly times and
See so many distinguished people at
that famous nistlery, SHOULD come here
now and take a walk around the neigh
oorhood he would think he had been
mysteriously transferred 10 another
land. He would miss the old hotel
he would miss the famous bridge across
street that connected the
Exchange AMI the Ballard, he would
miss everything that he SEW there In
bygone days, and In their places he
would look upon mommoth wholesale
houses and big ana busy business es-
adjustments of many kinds as far as
his eye could reach, even II he were
yankee up to an elevated position.
lie would indeed be surprised when
the truth should be explained to him,
for II a prophet of good standing had
come along here thirty years ago when
my imaginary old visitor OF to-day used
To put up" as the Exchange, or had
come even fifteen years hSo. and an
nounced that that part OF the city
which may he bounded as from the
Chesapeake and OHIO tracks and sta
ton along Fifteenth Street on the
east TO Twelfth Street or tho vest,
from Broad street on the north to Cary
street on the south, would by this
time become one OF the most
and complete wholesaling ana jobbing
centres in all OF the Southland. he
would. to say tho least of it. have been
put down as a false prophet.
From n T%oothpick Up To an Engine.
But thar is just what that territory
is to-day OF the most extensive
and complete iohbinr centres in the
South. | used the word complete ad-
visedly. for II is a dcmonstrable fact
Qt has often of late been demon
STRATEGY that a retail merchant from
any point In the South or anywhere
else who visits Richmond TO buy a
varied stock OF goods can find In the
territory outlined above anything that
he can possibly have on his memoran-
dun hook. or, as a friend OF mine eX-
pressed II the other day. amy and
everything from Il toothpick up to "A
steam engine" Within that space he
Will find wholesale houses that sell
shoes, hats. dry goods. notions, milli-
merry, drugs, clothing, groceries. hard
ware. saddlery and harness. leather,
ricultural Implements OF any II every
kind machinery OF all sorts, and IN
fact, everything and anything that q
retailer can call for, no matter how
big OF how varied may be his city.
town, village or country store. :
There WAS, of course, a reason. %
40 - "a. ,.N - 4 = 49, 49, 49, III ..xLsFt