THE SUNDAY OREGOXIAN, PORTLAND, AUGUST 2, 1914.
14
ORIGIN OF BUYERS' WEEK IS TOLD
AND ACCOMPLISHMENT DESCRIBED
Urn of Nathan ttnaa. Oryatallta Into Movement Likely to Resalt ia Orea. Benefit to Portland Mercnants
and Jobleia Extendine Personal Acanaintance of Merchants and Cnstomera.
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IF KANSAS CITY, St. Louis and other
Eastern wholesale centers were
making a success of buyers' excur
sions from their various trade terri
tories Portland could do the same. So
mused Nathan Strauss, of Fleischner,
Mayer & Co., in the Summer 1913.
The idea revolved itself in his mind
until he reached a decision that it was
practical and then he broached it to
ieuow menmers 01 m .guniicii.iai
r-lnh Ppanlt: Ttnvprs' week which has
now become an annual institution in
Portland, because it was demonstrated
that Mr. Strauss was right in : 'dging
that the plan would appeal to the custo
mers of Portland jobbers and manu
facturers scattered all over Oregon,
Washington, Idaho. Northern California
and Western Montana.
Mr. Strauss' suggestion that buyers'
excursions from different points In
Portland's trade territory be organized
took like wildfire with the jobbers and
manufacturers of Portland. On the
night of July 30, 1913. a preliminary
meeting, attended by representatives of
nearly all the big Portland houses, was
held at the Commercial Club to discuss
plans for carrying the idea into effect
The meeting was called by Edgar B.
Piper, president of the Commercial Club,
at the Instance of the board of gov
ernors of that organization. At this
meeting Mr. Strauss was appointed tem
porary chairman with power to appoint
an executive committee of Ave to work
out details, and C. C. Chapman, man
ager of the promotion and publicity buj
reau of the Commercial Club, fell heir
to the job of secretary.
Strong Committee Appointed.
The following day Mr. Strauss an
nounced that he had appointed on the
executive committee F. A Spencer,
manager of Allen & Lewis; I. Lowen
gart. of I. Lowengart & Co.; O. W.
Meilke, manager of the Blake-McFall
Company; F. S. West, of the Goodyear
Rubber Company, and Otto Strauss, of
the Clarke-Woodward Drug Company.
Then followed the organization of the
Jobbers' and Manufacturers' Associa
tion to handle the big event. The week
of September 1 to 6 was selected as
Buyers' week it having been decided
finally to have one big excursion in
stead of a series from various sec
tions. The railroads agreed to give
rates of a fare and a third on the cer
tificate plan, 20,000 letters were sent
out all over the Northwest Inviting
attendance, a strong publicity cam
paign was launched in the Portland
papers and the campaign to induce
buyers to be In Portland during the
week of September 1 to 6 was on in
earnest.
Over 100 jobbers and manufacturers of
Portland allied themselves as members
of the Jobbers and Manufacturers' Asso
ciation, an organization, which acted as ,
Oeocf e ? wren ce, t:
host for the visitors and which will do
so again during Buyers' Week this
year, from August 10 to 15. It was ar
ranged to refund railway fare to each
buyer whose purchases amounted to
more than $500 and a big programme
of entertainment, including banquets
and smokers at the Commercial Club,
a night of jollification at The Oaks,
automobile rides around the city to
..o-in,,., nr,intd if interest, visits to
I performances at the local theaters and
a big luncheon at the plant of the
Union Meat Company, whlcn projeu
one of the most unique and interesting
features of the entire week, was ar
ranged and carried out without a
hitch. This luncheon is to be dupli
cated this year at another plant and
is expected to prove a strong draw
ing card. The buyers also were guests
at the weekly luncheon of the Ad Club,
where a special programme of wit and
hilarity was put on in their honor.
Buyers' week in 1913 brought to
Portland 263 buyers from 261 towns.
Of this number 108 purchased more
than $500 each, thus conforming with
the fare refund conditions and getting
back the money which they had paid
for railway transportation. Many
who were aware that they would not
purchase as much as 1500 worth did not
bother to request that their purchases
be recorded and totaled but those who
did purchased from 76 members of the
Jobbers and Manufacturers' Associa
tion not to mention purchases from
firms not affiliated with that organiza
tion, a total of 1103.405.66. The total
purchases were in excess, it is esti
mated, of $150,000 and Buyers' Week
was voted a success and plans made
to continue it as a yearly institution.
Nearly all who came bought something.
Wives and children to the number of
60 came along and were included m
the entertainment features as well as
special entertainment being provided
for them, as will be the case again
this year.
As has been arranged to be done
again this year, reception and regis
tration headquarters were opened at
the Commercial Club. Of the buyers
who registered 18 were from Idaho, one
from Montana, 70 from Washington and
174 from Oregon. This attendance is
to be far exceeded this year. Most of
those who were here last year have
sent in notifications that they will be
back and the success which attended
last year's venture and the fact that
the experimental stage has been passed
is inducing hundreds of others, as in
dicated by the acceptances which have
poured into Mr. Chapman's office, to
take in the event this year. Traveling
men out on the road for various Port
land firms have reported back to their
home offices that prospects are bright
for a large attendance.
The theory of Buyers' Week is to
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engender a closer and more extended
acquaintanceship between Portland Job
bers and manufacturers and their out-of-town
customers. Most of the busi
ness is now done through the medium
of salesmen, who travel with sample
cases and catalogues, and many of the
country merchants have no conception
of the large stocks and great variety
of goods carried by Portland jobbers.
Another object of Buyers' Week is to
enable the out-of-town merchants to
inform themselves in this regard, al
though the principal object is, as stated,
to build up business relationships based
on friendships and social intercourse
as well as the merits of the goods sold.
All the Portland houses were thrown
open for inspection last year, irrespec
tive of whether large or small or any
hard at work arranging the details for
purchases were made, the proprietors
made it a point to get around and make
personal acquaintances among the vis
itors and the theory of Buyers' Week
worked out in a practical way, hence
the determination to continue it as an
annual feature.
Buyers' week is, in fact, however,
nothing more or less than continued
effort along a slightly different line
to cultivate close acquaintanceship
and relationship between the business
interests of Portland and the terri
tory whicn this city serves as a job
bing center. Under the guidance of
the Portland Commercial Club it has
been the policy of this city for the
last decade or more to co-operate in
every way possible with the smaller
towns.
Work Dates Back Decade.
It is now more than 10 years sine
Tom Richardson, then manager of the
Commercial Club, promoted and ran
the first special "get-acquainted" ex
cursion out of Portland to the vari
ous towns in the trade territory
reached from this city. The merchants
were gone for some time, towns large
and small, both on branch and main
lines were visited and much was done
toward cementing cordial relationships
with the country merchants and busi
ness men. Since that time co-opera
tion has been the slogan and keynote
of the promotion and publicity de
partment of the Portland Commercial
Club. C. C. Chapman, manager of that
department, is constantly co-operating
in some way with smaller communities
The excursion idea has been carried
more into effect the last three years
than heretofore, various other organi
zatlons, such as the Royal Rosarians,
the Oregon Manufacturers' Associa
tion, the Ad Club and the Progressive
Business Mens Club, co-operating
with the Commercial Club to make the
various excursions successful. mere
have been few special events, such as
fairs. development gatherings ana
railway openings at which large bodies
of excursionists from I'ortland nave
not been present For instance, a few
years ago a large party went irom
Portland to attend the Lewiston-
Clarkston Livestock Show at Lewis
ton. They boosted for the Portland
Livestock Show, scheduled for dates
later in the Fall, and a large number
of the Lewiston people returned tne
compliment by coming to the Portland
show.
Many Excursion Made.
There have been excursions to the
Tri-County Fair at Condon, the Pendle
ton Roundup, several to Corvallis, to
Eugene, Medford, Salem, Albany, Che
halis and Vancouver, Wash., Hillsboro,
Forest Grove, Molalla, Newberg, Mc
Minnville, Tillamook and Bayocean, as
well as to interior points in Eastern
Oregon and many other places. Just
now the Ad Club is promoting an ex
cursion to Bend. Portland people took
a large part last Fall in the jollifica
tions which attended the opening of
the Portland, Eugene & Eastern at
various points down the Willamette
Valley. The motto of these excursions
has been "have a good time and get
acquainted," and excellent results have
been achieved.
Not only has Portland co-operated
with the smaller towns by means of
these excursions, but the Portland
Commercial Club has been instru
mental in promoting commercial or
ganizations in many of these towns.
Organizers have been sent out to as
sist in getting these commercial bodies
under way, and every assistance pos
sible has been given. The headquar
ters of the Oregon Development
League, a combination of Oregon com
mercial bodies, is in Portland, and Mr.
Chapman is secretary. The theory and
practice of this organization is co-operation
all along the line. Information
regarding inquiries as to various parts
of Oregon which come to the Commer
cial Club of Portland are forwarded
to these bodies as their interests ap
pear. Other Bodied Aided.
Every effort is made also to help
in the work of the Southwest Wash
ington Development League, a com
bination of commercial bodies of
Southwestern Washington, whenever,
opportunity offers. The sessions of
that body invariably are attended by
delegations from Portland.
The general committee in charge of
Buyers' Week this year consists of
Nathan Strauss, general chairman; O.
W. Meilke, vice-chairman; I. Lowen
gart, treasurer. On the executive com
mittee are: F. A. Spencer, O. W. Meilke,
A H. Devers. George Lawrence, Jr., A.
C. Black, O. H. Fithian, Jay Smith and
W. H. Beharrell.
As was done last year, railway fare
will be refunded to buyers whose ag
gregate purchases amount to over $500.
Visitors will purchase tickets to Port
land at full fare, -taking receipts, and
from a validating headquarters to be
established in the Commercial Club
building will obtain validations en
titling them to one-third fare on re
turn. The cheap rate for return is not
confined to those who may purchase
$500 worth of goods or more. All who
come as purchasers may avail them
selves of it and bring members of their
families at the same rate.
TRADE HISTORY OF PORTLAND TELLS
STORY OF NORTHWEST DEVELOPMENT
City Jobbing Center From Time It Was Little More Than Village and Position Is Made More Secure by Lapse
of Time and Growth of Population Amount of Business $130,000,000 Annually.
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PORTLAND BU.S.NES;? WUcScaV 1858
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ROM the time that it was little
more than a village with practical
ly all Its business establishments
strung along Front street on the water
front Portland has been the leading
jobbing center of the Pacific Northwest
a position which has been made more
ecure with the lapse of time ana
growth of population. For many years
the entire Northwest, including Alaska,
looked to Portland for supplies, and
this is still true except that Seattle
and Tacoma have captured the bulk of
tha trarlA in Northwestern Watihington.
that Seattle has secured practically all
the Alaska trade and that Spokane has
cut in in Eastern Washington. Alany
of the wholesale houses in Spokane
are, however, branches of Portland institutions.
s conditions stand now Portland
has a trade territory of 240,281 square
miles, of which 136,768 square mues is
classed as exclusive, Portland JoDDing
houses controlling practically all tne
business within this area. In Oregon
there Is a total trade area or si,tu(
square miles, 75,608 exclusive and 15,999
competitive. The competitive region
is in the southern part of the state,
where San Francisco and Sacramento
jobbing houses do some business. In
Washington Portland has practically
Proclamation
To the Retailers of the Pacific Northwest, Greeting:
To you Portland owes its mercantile pre-eminence. To your enterprise In can-yin large stocks of
goods, extending credits and developing new business, we owe the growth of our wholesale establish
ments. To your loyalty to home industry we owe the development of our manufactures.
As an inducement to you to visit and inspect our factories and warehouses, we have set aside the
week of August 10 to 15 as "BUYERS' WEEK." ,
During this week we will entertain you with receptions, luncheons, banquets, smokers jollifications
and other events of interest. We will take you riding in automobiles through the beautiful residence
districts of the Rose City. . 0,lr,
Railroad fare will be refunded to one buyer from each firm whose purchases from participating
jobbers and manufacturers aggregate 500 or more during this visit. Reduced fares have been granted
by all the railroad lines serving Western Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon and Northern Califor
nia with the exception of the Oregon Short Line. These reduced fares will enable you to bring mem
bers of your family at a low cost to enjoy the hospitality that has been arranged.
You will be amazed at the size of our factories, the variety of products manufactured here, and the
enormous stocks of goods carried in our vast warehouses. In several lines the largest jobbing estab
lishments west of the Mississippi River are located in Portland not only carry the largest stocks of
goods but doing the largest volume of business. In many lines the largest factories of the entire West
are located in Portland. - ,
By visiting Portland during Buyers' Week, you will be able to buy to extraordinary advantage, and
will give us the privilege of becoming better acquainted with you personally and of entertaining you.
For detailed particulars with reference to conditions of railroad fare refund, address C. C. Chap
man, secretary Jobbers and Manufacturers of Portland, Commercial Club Building, Portland, Or.
Let us know when you will come.
And come! By all means, come! Portland bids you welcome.
CITY OF PORTLAND, H. R. Albee, Mayor.
THE JOBBERS AND JLVNUFACTCREKS OF PORTLAND,
Nathan Stranss, Chairman,
C. C. Chapman, Secretary.
THE PORTLAND COMMERCIAL CLUB,
H. D. Ramsdell, President.
J. Fred Larson, Secretary.
AS". Cor&CC
an exclusive trade area of 7260 miles
in the southwestern part of the state
and some parts of Eastern Washington
lying along or close to the Columbia
River, while the competitive area In
that state is 27.090 square miles. South.
ern Idaho is a Portland market almost
exclusively, making an exclusive area
in that state of 53,900 square miles
and a competitive area of 23,740 square
miles. In Montana there is 20,800 square
miles of competitive territory and In
Utah and Wyoming 700 and 5184 square
miles, respectively, of competitive area.
Salenmrn Number About :tOOO.
it is Impossible to state with any
degree of accuracy the number of
traveling salesmen working out of
Portland, but, roughly, the number is
placed at 3000. This estimate Is made
by Alexander Kunz, secretary of the
Travelers' Protective Association of
America, with which more than 700 of
the Portland salesmen are affiliated.
The Jobbing trade of Portland is
estimated at $130,000,000 a year. Every
article of commerce In use In the
Northwest may be found in the large
and diversified stocks of Portland's
Jobbing houses, while the many manu
facturing concerns of this city are
waging active selling campaigns In
placing their goods on the market.
One of the principal objects of Buyers'
week is to give to the country mer
chants an opportunity to become per
sonally acquainted with the size and
diversity of these stocks as well as to
learn something of the value and merit
of the various articles manufactured
in this city.
For many years during its infancy
as a Jobbing center Portland was prac
tically a subsidiary of San Francisco,
all its trade relations with the out
side world being through that city,
with the exception that there was
direct connection with the Hawaiian
Islands, or, as they then were called,
the Sandwich Islands. Many of the
early day Portland jobbing houses had
partners resident in San Francisco. This
condition of affairs continued through
out the '60s and '70s and. In fact, prac
tically Into the '80s.
Portland Become Independent.
With the coming of railroads in the
early '80s and the growing Importance
of Portland as a lumber and wheat-
shipping port, achieved also during this
decade, this city gradually achieved Its
independence of San Francisco, having
direct and separate rail and sail con
nection with the outside world, and rap
idly mounted to the position of San
Francisco's most virile competitor for
the trade of the Pacific Coast a posi
tion which It still maintains.
The discovery of gold In the early
'60s In Eastern Oregon and Central
Idaho started Portland, then only about
4000 in population, on the high road of
success as a Jobbing center. This city
became the outfitting point for the en
tire region, and fleets of boats began
to appear on the Columbia River, one
of the first companies to be organized
being the Oregon Steam Navigation
Company, afterward the O. R. & N.
Co. and now the O.-W. R. & N. Co., or
rather the beginning of this big rail
road and steamship corporation. J. C.
Alnsworth. S. G. Reed and R. R Thomp
son were the moving spirits in this
company, on the success of which many
J.. Carr Co.
rcCur-oo Oregon
of the large Portland fortunes of today
are based.
All communication with the mining
region and with the territory around
Walla Walla and Lewiston was by
water via the Columbia Jtlver. there
being portages around the Cascade and
at t'elllo. To make the trip to Eastern
Oregon or Idaho It was necessary to
take one steamer from Portland to the
Cascades, a eerond line from the Caa
cadea to The DalleK and a third from
The Dalles to Umatilla, which in the
'60s and '70s was an Important wagon
freighting point, all the supplies for the
mining regions. Eastern Oregon gen
erally and the Walla Walla country
being hauled by waxon from this point.
For a year or two Umatilla had a
corner on the freighting business; then
the boats started running up a far
as Wallula and Iaewliton. sometime
being shut out of the latter place by
low water at certain seasons of th
y6r.
Spokane Tun Important.
Even at this time Spokane, or, It
was then called. Spokane Kails, was a
town of some importance. nd th
country around It and Colfax had com
menced to develop. Supplle for thl
region came through Portland, being
freighted In from Walla Walla. The
first railroad of any lmportan.-e to be
constructed In the Northwest waa what
was known as Dr. Raker' road, a line
30 miles long, connecting Walla Walla
with Wallula. It wa narrow gaug
and th rails were of wood, with scrap
Iron covering. Trains ran slowly, but
it was an improvement over wagon
freighting and proved of ronslderablo
value In the transportation of goods.
It simply meant 30 miles lass of wagon
hauL
Portland being th outfitting point
for the mining region wa aleo the
outlet for the gold, which found ita way
to San Francisco, being handled In thla
city principally by the Well-Kara-.
Express Company, but alo by Ladd
Tllton and other concern. Gold poured
through the Portland gateway from
about 1862 to 1868 at the rate of av
eral millions of dollar' worth a year,
practically every ship which left Port
land for the Golden Gate carrying con
signments of it varying from 150.000
to $250,000. sometimes more.
Regular steamship service wa main
tained between this city and aiso vic
toria, B. C. and Alaska. Portland had
practically all the Alaska trade, but at
that time it was small and confined to
the southeastern ports.
Tcrmlnnl Switched to Seattle.
Up to 1890 thiB city had a direct llne
to Alaska. It was purchased by tha
Pacific Coast Steamship Company and
thereafter terminated at Seattle, the
freight between this city and Heattl
being absorbed. Portland merchanta
were satisfied and It wa not until
after the discovery of gold, about 187,
that they woke up and realised what
they had lot, Seattle having In th
meantime got a strangle hold on th
Alaska bualness. More recently, within
the laet year. In fact. Interest in trad
relation between Portland and Alaska
has revived to auch an extent that ther
la a direct line of stemhlps between
this city and Southetern Alaaka porta
and Portland I again becoming a fac-
ICoacluued uu I'm 13)