The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-11-21
Collins as Shoe Dealer


 One of the brightest trade journals in corder-the great national shoe weekly and one of it's best issues was that of November 7. It was entitled the Smile" number It contained interesting and in structive letters from members of the shoe trade. Among the contributors was J. D. Collins of Birmingham, the shoe man who has sold footwear "more than 10 years and is not tired yet" MT. Collins is one of the most widely known men in Alabama. He numbers his friends by the thousands, and no merchant is more highly respected than he. That MT. Collins is an optimist goes without saying. At least anyone who knows him will vouch for the fact that he would be an exceptionally good fit in any smile number of any smiling publication. In closing his letter to the Boot and Shoe Recorder, MT. Collins said
 If it is true that experience is a good teacher and that misery loves company my experience ought to bring the smile to the faces of many downcast merchants. The first year l started selling shoes, 1873, was made memorable by panic. Not exactly an optimistic beginning, but that panic didn't get the best of me. I was still selling shoes when the panic of 1893 came along to remind us we need not be so cock-sure about our prosperity-after which panic, by the way, the cotton crop of 1Ss4-5 sold for less than cents. How ever, my business still continued to fur nish me with a means of livelihood then and during the panic of 1907, when our banks issued script. During all these somewhat disheartening depressons, thanks to the shoe business, I did not miss meal or suffer from any notice able deficiency in my wardrobe. In the light of those experiences may say with cut undue confidence, that I expect to con- tinue selling shoes and living comfortably thereby through other panics and wars, and advise others to do the same. = {. We southern shoe dealers may consider ourselves fortunate. The south is in a better condition than it has been since the civil war. If we can't solve our own in- dustrial problems, then the south isn't all right; and we know it is all right We may sell cotton at cents, but we must still wear shoes. Keep that in mind and continue to sell those necessary shoes"
 
 With a marked improvement in north- ern pig iron centers comes a brighter outlook in the Birmingham market. In- quiries are more insistent, and a brisk buying movement is almost sure to ma terialize before the first of December Matthew Addy & Co.'S Cincinnati report, just issued, says in part:
 This week definite progress has been made in the iron trade, although the rate at which things are moving Is slow. Some of our friends are anxious for the fixing of definite date when pig iron will ad- vance in price. It would take prophet to do that, but 1t can be stated with certainty that the next move in pig iron , will be upward and apparently affairs are now shaping themselves toward bet ter conditions. There is no question but that this month is an improvement on October. That in itself has an element of cheer. More iron is being melted and consumers are showing more interest in the market This week there have been numerous sales. though most or them are for small tonnages
 The main stimulus in the trade just now is the continuous demand iron, abroad There have been further orders in large volume for machine tools. and some of the shops in this vicinity are working night shifts. One order for 10( lathes for prompt shipment has gone beg ging as no one could fill 1t on time. This week has seen hundreds of tons of fin ished iron shipped from Cincinnati. pre- sumably for the use of the warning Euro pean powers; but all the machine tools are not by any means going abroad; one large concern reports that about 70 per cent of its output was for domestic use"