Page 37 - Industries_of_San_Antonio

COMMERCE AND MANUFACTURES. 37

THE HARDWARE TRADE.
The immense traffic done in the past few years with articles of this
description passes even the ideas of those who are accustomed to sudden
and heavy demands for certain articles in any western county. The city
has five enormous hardware establishments, which to some extent handle
agricultural implements as well, and a combined report goes to show that
the total sales from their doors through 1884, doubled that of any pre-
vious year and taught the dealer that an extensive stock and great
variety were necessary to the continued sales and orders. It is due to the
fact that a spirit of enlightenment and improvement of old styles and
habits had sprung to life among the old time settlers and residents. The
sales almost equalled those of the grocery business, and were a subject of
interest to the statistician. Larger stocks are being laid in, and the pride
of the merchants is, that the demand continues, and that the older estab-
lishments are able to meet it. The total trade equalled $2,300,000.
SOAP AND CANDLES.
Every branch of industry goes to make up the grand total of a cities
reputation, however small be the call for such articles. If there is
sufficient demand at all times to keep the arms busy, there must be enough
patronage to make the heart happy. Though the manufacture of soap and
candles in the city is not a most important enterprise, no one can gainsay
the reputation already acquired by the owners and managers for supplying
a large community and territory with every grade except the fancy toilet
articles. Their work is honest and substantial, and they give a substantial
article in return far patronage.
THE LUMBER TRADE.
One great hindrance to the.building of San Antonio, was its inaccessi-
ble position to the lumber markets, making prices extremely high through
the necessity of being hauled a distance of at least eighty miles. This
trouble only existed previous to the building of the Galveston, Harrisburg
& San Antonio Railway into our city, and now our connection is direct
with the scenes of the largest lumber operations in the south. The repu-
tation of the mills and the extent of their business at and near Beaumont
and Orange is too well known to demand much comment, more than that
San Antonio is supplied principally from that district. The railroads have
done a flourishing business in this line alone, and it seems they will never
have occasion to take off their all lumber trains. It cannot be denied that
there is a scarcity of that class of timber necessary to the prosecution of
such labors in our city's immediate neighborhood, and we will not claim
a credit to which we are not justly entitled. But it will be seen what an
interest the railroads had in building up our country and the rates on lum-
ber have always been at a figure which enabled our merchants to stand on
an equal footing with most of the other Texas cities.
Indeed, not one city in a hundred is supplied with lumber from its
own neighborhood. In the sections of country where timber is plentiful