x a » ee nz A Bat NGS. Sr aa (SIRE DY) =H, LAY XX NYY NY te Ss Ni} a?) y) Kl K } Boe 2 _ NE W2X52 vem CEng Ne 6h a VSS SS WB) V N & age SY OS SiG SF AP ra) oy) NS aa igs AW “(at ree Wi AN ete rs er aN R06) aS Cones Ne Ee OaSEag rn ‘Nish s DA: iE 1 Lae re AT SS eae ; ek WR OG Sa Pee IVETE LLG MIN: : WA Pe VINES os F/ Re AEE Ly ome ee! ae} BS ee (SET Nee WN Ween ee EZ ZS Se Se hes ON “3 PUBLISHED ‘WEEKLY SOS ee TRADESMAN COMPANY, PUBLISHERSE Ee WASS $1 PER YEAR to-day equipped to make plates = NAPHTHA AND GASOLINES ‘a, by every process known to modern art. Our services are at the dis- posal of all who appreciate that best work is always cheapest in the end. - a AAARARAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA a. Office and Works, BUTTERWORTH AVE., “As ® —scuweusioms unis tans tune oemcoemy W || TRADESMAN GOMPANY, Grand Rapids. o 2 G e a. a res ids, Grand Haven, Traverse City, Ludington, Allegan, Howard City, Petoskey, Reed City, Fremont, Hart, YY Ave Whitehall, Holland and Fennvilie b 4 . ; Ms Highest Price Paid for Empty Carbon and Gasoline Barrels. | . a 2, "LP. "e. "e, "e, e "e, "e, '— LP. O "e. "e, 6 le, "e, "e, "e, "e, LM? Le | PRD wis a ak em ea ee 1/5 poeandetatine a Aan. FIGURE NOW on improving your office system for next year. Write for sample leaf of our TIME BOOK and PAY ROLL. BARLOW BROS., Grand Rapids. PREFERRED BANKERS LIFE ASSURANCE COMPANY OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN. Commenced Business September 1, 1893. tnsmrance in force 2.06... $2,746,000.00 Net Increase during 1897 .............. 104,000.00 INE ee ee ee 32,738.49 Losses Adjusted and Unpaid.......... None Other Tiahiiities None Total Death Losses Paid to Date...... 40,061.00 Total Guarantee Deposits Paid to Ben- enetares ee ee 812.00 Death Losses Paid During 1897........ 17,000.00 Death Rate for Wey. 6 6.31 Cost per 1,000 at age 30 during 1S97.... 8.25 FRANK E. ROBSON, Pres. TRUMAN B. GOODSPEED, Sec’y. Se SPRING LINE 1899 NOW READY Herringbones and every style pattern in market Largest line of Clay and Fancy Worsted Spring Overcoats and Suits, $3.50 up, ali manufactured by KOLB & SON WHOLESALE CLOTHIERS Rochester, N. Y. Write our traveler, Wm. Connor, Box 346, Marshall, Mich, to call, or meet him at Sweet’s Hotel, Grand Rapids, Jan. 14 and 17, also Jan. 26-31. Winter Overcoats and Ulsters still on hand. e See 90-000000000000000000008 Oe 99009000000 Reporting and collecting for Banks, Trust Companies, Manufacturers, Job- bers, Wholesale and Retail Merchants, Professional Menand Private Individuals. Ask for particulars, testimonials and references. 2009000000000 0000000000 005 : nh ige FIRE: 3 /~) v INS. co. Prompt, Conservative, Safe. J.W.CHAMPLIN, Pres. W. FRED McBarn, Sec. ¢ 333 9OO00000000000000000094 ly hy Ly ha ln ly rTrrVv VT Vee Ve VeVV THE MERCANTILE AGENCY Established 1841. R. G. DUN & CO. Widdicomb Bld’g. Grand Rapids, Mich. Books arranged with trade classification of names. Collections made everywhere. Write for particulars. L. P. WITZLEBEN [lanager. Save Trouble. TTOUESIMON GOUNONS ss sxe GRAND RAPIDS, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY II, 1899. The Grocery Market. =Sugars—The sales of raw sugars have shown no change during the week, al- though importers are inclined to ask 1-16c over last sales, which were made on a basis of $4.31 for 96 deg. test, and refiners are willing to buy at this figure. Contrary to expectations, the American Sugar Refining Co. did not meet the 1-16c cut made by Arbuckle and Doscher last week, but Bas maintained its 5c list. As a consequence, the independ- ents have made large oversales and have advanced their prices to the 5c basis. The difference between raws and refined is now but 41c per 1oo pounds and, with an advancing tendency in the raw market, an advance in refined would be probable under ordinary con- ditions. Conditions at present, how- ever, are not ordinary and no fore- casting of the refined market is pos- sible, except for a few hours, or at most a few days, in advance. Asan Eastern authority says, ' The year upon which we are now entering promises to be one of frequent and important changes in both directions, requiring the utmost care and vigilance on the part of operators to keep fully posted upon the very latest prevailing condi- tions. The Howell refineries started up again Monday, after a shut down of nearly four weeks, and will be offering sugars in a few days. The annual fig- ures of the sugar trade of the United States, as given by the Sugar Trade Journal, show an apparent decrease in the consumption for 1898, as compared with 1897, of 24,069 tons, or 1.16 per cent. This at first glance seems sur- prising, as the generally improved trade conditions during the year led to the impression that the consumption of sugars would show a large increase. When the conditions of the market for the two years are compared, however, the apparent shortage is easily ex- plained: The tigures compiled by the Journal are taken from the deliveries as made by the refiners. During the last three months of 1897 the market was advancing and at the close of the year the country was full of sugar. While this would show as having been con- sumed, the sugar was still in the hands of dealers and was carried over into 1898. The conditions for the last three months of 1898 were entirely different; owing to the prospect of a sugar fight and a consequent declining market, trade was quiet and dealers ran their stocks as low as possible and the stocks in the country at the close of the year were un doubtedly light. Tea—The movement continues to av- erage failry well, considering all of discouraging features to the situation. Coffee—The market on coffees isa trifle duller than it was two weeks ago. No change in prices is announced this week. Canned Goods—The demand for spot canned goods of nearly all kinds is only moderate, as is usual at the beginning of the year, and there is no change to note in price. Future offerings of toma. toes and corn are being made by pack- ers and some large sales are reported, some packers having already sold all that they care to contract for. Peas are steady at previous quotations. Stocks are not large and the market will, un- doubtedly, improve with increasing de- mand. The American Grocer has com- piled figures showing that the 1898 pack of tomatoes was 5,797, 806 cases, an increase of 1,648,365 cases over the pack of 1897. While we are inclined to doubt the absolute correctness of these figures, there is no question but what the pack was in excess of 1897, but not to such a large extent as their figures would in- dicate. Notwithstanding the increased pack, there are very few tomatoes left in the packers’ hands and a great many of these are goods that would not pass for a strictly standard grade. Good Standard brands are. being held at an advance of from 5@1oc as compared with the prices of a month ago. Dried Fruits—There is more enquiry for nearly everything in the list, al- though there are no changes to note in prices. The next four months are large consuming months for this class of goods and, with the light stocks of al- most everything in the line, present prices would appear perfectly safe. We think that peaches, prunes and apples are the best purchases,as stocks of these are not excessive. There is some im- provement in the demand for currants and the Eastern market shows a slight advance, as importers are reluctant to sell at present figures, which show a loss, The Greek market is unchanged and will probably remain so until the result of the treaty negotiations with Russia is made known. The stocks of Sultana raisins are light, but, owing to the high prices at which they have been held, the demand has been slow and a slight reduction in prices has been made. The arrivals of dates are large, but holders are not disposed to reduce prices, being encouraged by the gsod demand and exceptionally satisfactory quality of the fruit,which is considered better than any preceding crop for sev- eral years back. California raisins are steadily going into consumption, the demand being principally for the Pa- cific grades, which are showing very satisfactory quality. The stocks remain- ing in first hands are only moderate and will probably be cleared before new crop. Cereals—Package catmeal is moving well at the advance noted some two weeks ago. The reports this season in- dicate that the movement has been much heavier than a year ago, and all factories, including the new ones started earlier in the year, are meeting witha ready sale for their output. Old, well-known factories still continue be- hind with their orders. Tobacco—The Continental Tobacco Co. announces that St. Louis and New York wil! be the centers of the busi- ness, 500 salesmen traveling from New York and 300 from St. Louis. Col. Frank H. Ray says that the company will control 125,000,000 pounds of the 160,000,000 pounds which represent the total output in this country. —___» 2. ___—. Business covers a multitude of trans- actions just out of the reach of the law. Number 799 Purely Personal. Wm. E. Barrett and Norman F., Tucker will shortly take a trip through the South, taking in Cuba and Puerto Rico on their way home. « G. J. Johnson, President of the G, J. Jobnson Cigar Co, is spending a few days in Grand Rapids, pending his re- turn to Denver until spring Samuel I, Harrison, formerly en- gaged in the wholesale notion business on Crescent avenue, has engaged in the clothing and men’s furnishing goods business at Mt. Pleasant. Edward Telfer, formerly engaged in the spice business here under the style of the Telfer Spice Co., but for the past five years in charge of the coffee de- partment of W. J. Gould & Co., at De- troit, has severed his connection with that house and engaged in the life in- surance business, Having succeeded in re-electing Sen- ator Burrows, S. M. Lemon now asserts that he is out of politics, so far as city and county politics are concerned, Such a prediction was made some weeks ago by a Detroit daily, but this is the first time Mr. Lemon has authorized a statement to that effect. Friends of Wm. H. Hoops, who was a resident of Grand Rapids for nearly twenty years prior to 1892, successively, occupying the position of traveling sales- man, wholesale grocer and lumber man- ufacturer, will regret to learn that he has been compelled to leave his home in Chicago and seek rest and health in the pine forests of North Car- olina, Chas. C. Kritzer has taken the posi- tion of general office manager of Wm. H. White & Co. and the Guerin Lum- ber Co., at Boyne Fails, combined with the position of acting treasurer of the Boyne City and Southeastern Railway. Mr. Kritzer has bad an excellent train- ing for his present duties in the offices of Butterworth & Lowe and Studley & Barclay, and his numerous friends are confident that he will make his mark in his new connection. C. C. Bunting has returned from Hamburg, N. Y., whither he was sum- moned to attend tbe funeral of his brother, Hon. Thomas L. Bunting. The deceased was comparatively a young man, having been born in 1844, He was prominently identified with va- rious trade organizations and served as President of the New York State Pack- ers’ Association, President of the Na- tional Packers’ Association, President of the Hamburg Water and Electric Light Co. and Investment and Improve- ment Co., Vice-President of the Bank of Hamburg, and Manager of the Ham- burg Canning Co., and was also inter- ested in farming and stock raising. Mr. Bunting was a fluent and convincing speaker, and took quite a prominent position during his service in Congress. He was an honest, capable man, of great industrial force and executive ability, who commanded the respect of his associates in business, politics, and neighbors. —_~>_2___ The paving material of hell consists of good intentions and unpaid election bets. PR ne a est rin RNR CT a oe ee TEN REE SN OEE yen heb Pa sea yor naan Aa Lene a RE ia ndbla reel ae. LEieanbatraeeaktoeatainemetot cre 29 espana oti cde a duadinatonatee MICHIGAN TRADESMAN Dry Goods The Dry Goods Market. Staple Cottons—In place of the great activity which was characteristic of the cotton goods market during the entire first part of December, the last week was very quiet. The first week of the year usually is a quiet one, but this time it was more marked than _ usual; first, on account of the unusual activity pre- ceding it, and next on accountof a more than usual quietness which pre- vailed. It seemed as though the mar- ket were taking a brert after its greet exertion, catching its second wind ag it were before its next and possibly greater effort The action of the ‘‘committee’’ in Fall River in regard to reducing stocks and augmenting prices has been so successful that tae Soutjern miils are exhibiting some anxiety as to the final effect on their interests. This week, as was expected, business has again as- sumed a condition that is more nearly normal, and prices are still advancing on certain lines. Prints and Ginghams—Business in printed fabrics has been fairly well maintiined and prices are hardening. In fact, when comparing conditions with those of last year, business at first hands is in excellent shape. This week marks the opening of spring goods in the job- bing houses and for some time there has been great activity in the wash goods departme:ts, particularly in preparing for tie time. Dress Goods— Domestic manufacturers report that their traveling men have been part cular to find o.t the condition of stucks in the country, and to the best of their belief there are no particularly large quant tes, nct enough to menace the fall season of 1899, and :t is ceitiin that there are very few mills which have much of anything on hand. The mills have curtailed production so much that the country is in better condition for the opening of the new season than tor many years past. Underwear——Spring reorders have turned out fairly well thus far and are improving as the time for deliverv ap- proaches. Sales of the better class of goods have been most gratifying, peo- ple who formerly wanted only low grades almost invariably asking for medium to high grades this season. This, it is confidently expected by near- ly all jobbers, will be the trend of the market on the opening of the fall sea- son, many predicting that we shall see the largest high grade underwear busi- ness booked on heavy-weight goods that has ever been known. Trade aspects generally will help to bear out this state- ment, in conjunction with the showing made in spring bookings, which, as every one knows, were largely high grade. The market will be fairly under way by the 15th, and possibly earlier, but no haste will be made, as there ap- pears to be no necessity for it with the present business ahead. Hosiery—The situation in hosiery is practically the same as that of under- wear. The outlook for domestic goods is better than ever, now that American manufacturers can successfully compete with foreign houses in high grad¢s of goods, and it is expected that bookings for American-made hosiery will largely exceed those of any season thus far. The position of fancy hosiery is con- cerning jobbers for the next season, and conservative buying will probably pre- vail until their exact status in the mar- ket is ascertained. Carpets—The salesmen on the road continue to send in some fair orders for tapestry, velvet, ingrain and special lines of Brussels, velvets, wiltons, and axminsters. Some manufacturers on special lines have receievd very good orders, and quite a large number of looms are running. The average all wool, best extra super manufacturer wants 45c for his goods Heshould have more, but is content with even this low price, in order to induce business. When we say best extra super, we do not mean some of the goods that have been reduced in quality of stock and tabrication with a less number of ends We have been shown a so-called extra super ingraip, made outside of Phila- delphia, which had 964 ends, instead of 1,080, which ts necessary to produce a carpet as heretofore, which is the regu- lar standard. The goods of reduced number of ends have been offered whole- sale at 4oc. There is a tair average in picks. The heald weave is still used by many ingrain manufacturers. It looks nice on the face, but does not reverse satisfactorily. It may be just as well for manufacturers not to load up with orders at the low prices, as it would mean deterioration, to the injury of manufacturers, who will find it all the harder to advance prices on good car pets as trade improves. Art squares and Smyrna rugs continue active, but while the retailers loaded up heavily for the holidays, the small merchants have been disappointed in having so many left over, although they are a staple line to carry, and often a customer can be induced to purchase a rug or art square when he will pass by acarpet. The large department stores always carry avery full line of rugs in both large and small sizes; and while the regular car- pet business has continued quiet, good sales were made during the holidays, and it is expected that shortly there will be increased sales of regular carpets. —__-—~>-2 > New York Models for Boston Wax Figures. From the Boston Journal. The best wax figures in the world are made in New York. One tirm here has two to show in its store. Each of these figures cost $200. They are made en- tirely of wax, and are the exact counter- parts of two famous New York models. The first figure was sculptured after a French girl Almost the only difference between the little French model and the petite, dainty figure in wax is that the girl of flesh and blood has dark hair and the hair of the wax figure is yellow. The second figure is that of an American woman. Her figure and the soft pink flush of the skin seem almost perfect. The woman who stood for the model of this one was said to have the best American figure in New York. 8 How to Be Known. From the Carriage Monthly. A party who has been continuously advertising more than thirty years said to me recently: ‘‘I advertise to be known—to keep known. I employ salesmen to sell my goods. I do not want my representatives to enter a fac- tory in any of tbe states where | send them, and on presenting a card be met with the query: ‘I never beard of your house ; how long have you been in busi- ness?’ We recognize that publicity is capital, and we spend thousands of dol- lars to keep our house before the public, and our salesmen have a great advan- tage over rivals who do not see the value of publicity.’’ ee The Usual Question. The Medium—The spirit of your hus- band is here, if you wish to ask him any q'iestion. The Widow—I want to ask him where he has been. BSSSSSSSISSSSSTFFTISFIFSFFISSSSFFTFFSSFTSFSFSFFIFS FFTSSS TESTIMONIAL THAT TELLS ¥) White City Tailors, Chicago, Til.: in any vear. than I formerly sold them from my stock. financially than I am at present. BFS SFFSSFFSVSS SIFFS SSFSSSISSF SS FSSS Dear Sirs: In reply to your letter of 31 ult. asking me to give you my experience in handling your line of goods, will say that lama dealer in general merchandise, and am located in a small town in Michigan. stock of ready-made clothing amounting to about $1,000. J ‘ About one year ago I disposed of my clothing stock and start: d with your sam- ple outfit, which you furnished me free, and I began selling clothing by your method. My sales for 1895 amou ted to $662.50, upon which I made a clear profit of over $125, without the investment of a dollar, as my goods were all sold before sending orders tu you. department, which heretofore had been conducted at a loss, con-idering the interest on my investment and the shrinkage in value by reason of change in styles and seasons, now brings me more than enough profit to pay my store rent. c : before, because I furnish them with new, fashionable goods of the proper sizes at lower prices If | had adopted this inethod three years ago I would have. been considerably better off Please send me your new spring samples when ready. Wishing you success in your business, I remain, Read the above letter from one of our agents who has given his first year’s experience, then write us for our new prospectus. WHITE CITY TAILORS, 222-226 Adams Street. Chicago, III. PEEEESESESEREESEEEEEEEREEEELELLEELELESESELES SLED ERS » Mich., Jan. 4, 1899. For three years previous to 1898 I carried a My sales did not exceed $1,000 My clothing My customers are better pleased than ever Yours very truly, LASLAHREELLRLALELIEILELELALIDEOEDD < cS > Our new line of Wash Fabrics will be ready se, for inspection about January 5th. d Oxford, Madras, Ginghams, Prints in Simp- @® sons, Hamiltons, Pacific, Allens, Cocheco and @ other leading brands { 500 pieces of new Percales, 32 and 36 inch W8 \ goods, all new patterns. ( } Dress Goods from 8, 10, 12%, 15c up to 37%c @® in new colors and styles. } ¢ Be sure and look us over before placing @ ¢® orders. Q P. Steketee & Sons, crens'tapis, mien.” P) 26 x 54 30 x 60 That’s the size of two extra values we offer in SMYRNA RUGS as a Starter. Just the thing to wake them up Ask our salesmen about them. VOIGT, HERPOLSHEIMER & CO. WHOLESALE DRY GOODS, GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. At $1.00 and $1.25. ®DVDDOODOO|EXE PDODOOQOODOOQOQOOOOO Dwicht’s Cleaned Currants If you want nice, fresh, new stock, buy Dwight’s. If you want cheap trash, don’t look for it in our pack- ages. All Grand Rapids jobbers sell them. Wolverine Spice Co., Grand Rapids. TRADESMAN ITEMIZED | EDGERS S!ZE—8 1-2 x 14. THREE COLUMNS. 2 Quires, 160 pages........ $2 00 3 Quires, 240 pages........ 2 So 4 Quires, 320 pages........ 3 00 5 Quires, 400 pages........ 3 50 6 Quires, 480 pages........ 4 00 & INVOICE RECORD OR BILL BOOK So double pages, registers 2,8So PAVERS ooo. occ $2 00 £ Tradesman Company Grand Rapids, Mich. MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 3 VALUE OF CANNED MEATS. More Nutriment in Them, Pound for Pound, Than in Fresh. Washington, Jan. 1o—In view of the loose statements which have gained wide circulation regarding the nutritive value ot American canned meats tend- ing to injure foreign and domestic trade in these goods, Secretary Wilson has called upon the director of the office ot experiment stations for a statement of the conclusions of scientific experts on this matter. This statement has been received and is as follows: “‘It is unfortunate that the public at large has so little appreciation of the nutritive value of canned meats. They are really cooked meats divested of the inedible portions, bone, gristle, etc., which are found in fresh meats. In the cooking and canning, which is of the nature of boiling rather than roasting, water is expelied, but the amount of nutritive material removed is very small; indeed, a pound of ordinary canned meat has, on the average, much more nutriment than the same we:ght of the fresh meat from which it is pre- pared. The removal of the bone and part of the water, while so little nutri- ment 1s taken away, leaves the meat in a less bulky and more concentrated form, so that pound fer pouna_ the canned meat has a higher nutritive value than the fresh meat. ‘‘In a large number of analyses of fresh and canned meats, collected at Chicago during the World’s Fair, and in other parts of the country before and since that time, and analyzed under my direction, the proportions of the nutri- tive ingredients in -the canned meats have been found to be large than in the ordinary fresh meats. This is especial ly true of the prctein compounds, which are used by the body to build up its nitrogenous materiais, as blood, muscle and bone. Among the analyses referred to, some of the largest proportions of protein were found in the boiled meats. Such prepared meats, made of good material and properly canned or other- wise preserved, are worthy of the very high esteem in which they have long been held.’’ The charge of inferior nutritive value, when applied to properly canned boiled meats, needs only investigation for :ts refutation. The experience of almost every family has shown that such arti- cles are satisfactory foods. Man re- quires four classes of food ingredients for the proper maintenance of life: (1) Protein or nitrogenous matter, as is found in the lean of meat, casein (curd) of milk, gluten of wheat; (2) carbo hydrates, as sugar, starch and aliied substances; (3) fat, as butter, fat of Meats, etc., and (4) mineral matter, such as phosphates and other salts. Meat is one of the chief sources of protein in the daily food. As shown bv chemical analysis, it is composed of water, protein or nitrogenous matter, fat and a small percentage of mineral matter. The nitrogenous matter is made up very largely of myosin, the basis of muscle. Meat contains also a small per- centage of albumen, which is extracted by cold water, but is coagulated by heat. This and a small proportion of other nitrogenous substance and mineral matters are practically all which can be extracted by water. If meat is plunged into boiling water when cooked, as is commonly done in canning, extremely little can be extracted, In preparing the meat for canning, large pieces are put in vats of boiling water and thus cooked. This softens the meat, makes 1t more tender and facili- tates the separation of bone aud gristle. After these are removed the meat is cut into pieces of proper size for the can The top is then soldered on the can, brt a small hole is left through which air and steam escape in the heating of the can which follows. This heating also kills the bacteria. The hole is then closed by a drop of melted solder, and the can is hermetically sealed. The cans are then tested to see whether this handling has been done so as to protect the meat from deterioration. To this end they are kept in a warm room for a number of days. If the bacteria have not been killed, the meat will de- compose, gases will be produced, and the cans will swell. The number of cans that swell and thus indicate im- perfect handling is said to average about one-fourth of 1 per cent. The meat in them is thrown into the waste heap with the intestines and other meat refuse and made into fertilizers. By this common manufacturing proc- ess it would be impossible to remove from the meat which goes into the cans any considerable part of the actual nu- triment. The chief difference between the meat as prepared in this way and that ordi- narily cooked in the household is tbat the canned meat does not contain the bone and gristle, which are not edible. The averages of the analyses of Amer- ican meat products now available give percentages of protein in fresh beef, rump, 14.6 per cent. ; tenderloin, 15 6 per cent., and other cuts not far from the same amount. The averages for canned beef are: Boiled beef, 24 per cent., and corned beef, 26 per cent. fhe proportion of fat in the canned meats analyzed was relatively smaller, doubtless because the leaner meat was used for canning. The value of meat as of other food for nourishment depends upon its digesti- bility; that is, upon the proportion of nutritive material that 1s absorbed from the digestive tract during its passage through the body. Numerous tests have been made of the digestibility of fresh meats as ordinarily cooked for eating. [he number of experiments made with canned meats 1s smalier, but there 1s no reason to assume any considerable difference between the two. Nearly ali the protein of beef as it is ordinarily eaten is digested, and assimilated by the system. The high nutritive value of properly cooked canned meat 1s therefore well settled by accurate ex- periment. In the great stockyards in Chicago, Kansas City and elsewhere, where vearly all of the canned meat is put up, all the meat is inspected on the hoot and at the time of slaughtering by Gov- eroment experts who are on the ground all the time, and without whose exami nation not an animal is killed and no shipment of meat can be made without violation of Government regulations. [his is the guarantee for the quality of the meat, whether fresh or canned. ———~>_0 > _ Some Uses for Tin. ‘‘An ordinary political campaign,’’ said a novelty manufacturer, ‘‘is not an unmitigated evil to all branches ot trade. Among those that profit by it are the tin can manufacturers. Most ot the campaign buttons are made of tin; and when a big political struggle is ex- pected the makers send out agents through the tin factories of the South to dbuy up all the waste tin and useless cans they can find to make their buttons with. Most of the campaign buttons are made in Newark and the amount paid by the makers to the can factories, par- ticularly those of Baltimore, is consider- able, even although the tin is waste, it anything can be cailed waste nowadays. “‘Nor is the tin waste useless, even when no political excitement is on. 1 know a man who visits Baltimore at reg- ulareintervals and buys all the scrap tin he can find and sells it to the button makers. It is used for the backing of ordinary buttons. Any day, in parts cf Brooklyn, you can see wagons loaded with scrap tin and old cans. The great er part of this goes to the places where buttons, toys and gew gaws of various kinds are made.”’ > 2. ____ An Old Theme. Father (calling from the head of the stairs at 1:30 a. m.)—Fannie! Fannie—Yes, papa, what is it? Fatber—I wish you would ask that young man where he would like to have his trunk put when he comes. ——_~> 2>___ Resolve to make every customer your friend, for friendly customers are the most profitable customers, and in the good-will of your customers is the good of your business, Taking Too Big a Contract. From the Boston Budget. There are comparatively few men who can successfully conduct very large enterprises. Even if they do, sickness and ultimate death will remove them from their supervision. Still fewer of the children of the very wealthy who have gained large fortunes have the ability to keep what their parent has earned. Most of the managers of the world’s great enterprises to-day were poor boys in their youth. It is probable that their grandchildren or greatgrand- children will return to something like the poverty from which their ancestor escaped. It will probably always be so. There is always a tendency, while a man continues to enjoy great success, for him to push bis enterprises farther and farther each year uptil they finally become greater than he can manage, and in his failure all, and often more than all, be has gained is lost. When the individual bas thus failed, all the advantage of his great enterprise has been to the public and to the world rather than to himself. —___»> 0» -- Activity in the Shoe Trade. From the Shoe and Leather Reporter. A Lynn cut sole manufacturer who re- cently returned from tbe West is very much encouraged concerning business. He stated that he found five large shoe manufacturing houses which stated that their full capacity would be taxed unt!) April 1 next on orders already bovuked. He hardly found a discordant chord dur- ing the whole trip, and he returns a much bigger bull than he was ever credited with being in trade. He stated that be made the trip with more of a view to ascertaining fora fact regarding the existing condition of business than tor the purpose of working up trade, and ne feels that his time and money were well spent on account of the encourage- meit trat he received. Regarding styles in soles tor the coming season, he tound that there would nct be much of any change. He ncticed, however, th:t shoes will be shorter, and that they wil: be wider, an increased swing being given t> many of the lasts in the West ern country. 2 2. Was a Patron of Art. Mrs, Fatpurse—You paint pictures to order, don’t you? Great Artist—Yes, madam. ‘*Well, I want a iandscape, with lots of deers, and ducks, and quails, and patridges, and peasants, and cattle, and sheep, and pigs, and soon, you know, and put a lake and an ocean in—fresh and salt water, you know; and be sure to have pienty of fish swimming around, because it’s for the dining room.’’ News and 0 National Importance Opinions F THE SUN ALONE CONTAINS BOTH. Daily, by mail, - - = = Daily and Sunday, by mail, $6 a year $8 a year The Sunday Sun Is the greatest Sunday News- paper in the world. PRICE, 5c A COPY. BY MAIL. $2 a year. Aadress, THE SUN, New York. The “Concave” Washboard KEEPS IN HATER saves MORE MANF D BY STANDARD WasHeoaro CoE GLOBE CRIMP, Per Doz., $2. SAVES THE WASH. SAVES THE WASHER. Change Your Business Methods Jelss “efed “efed Sefct so Jefe} x Business methods progress. Business firms that sell and distribute make a smaller margin of profit nowadays than years ago. Witha decreased margin of profit, old and wasteful methods cannot be retained. With thoroughly modern methods, two employes in a store should be able to do what used to require four. Are you sure that your methods are mod- ern? Are you sure that they are 2co- nomical? Are you sure that they are exact? Are you sure that they enable employes to do the most possible work in the least possible time? If you are not sure on these points write for samples of our several styles of coupon books, by means of which the credit transactions of any store can be placed on practically a cash basis. Free for the asking. Cradesman Zompany, Grand Rapids, Mich. SERA Seka hai BE) PROS ae EA vost; rashes he Soe eich Ae SAE RSS ATTA | / | 4 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN Around the State Movements of Merchants. Strasburg—Wm. F. Knapp succeeds Knapp & Weipert in general trade. Hillsdale—L. K. Hewitt wili shortly open a shoe store on Broad street. Coldwater—Wm. Marsh has purchased the bazaar stock of Geo. Greenwood. Belding—E. E. Fales has sold his flour and feed stock to O. F. Webster. Hillsdale—S. S. Woodruff succeeds Woodruff & Moore in the grocery busi- ness. Benton Harbor—H. A. Hamilton has purchased the Teetzel & Haydon jewelry stock. Detroit—Amelia (Mrs. {Waldemar) Gepp has sold her jewelry stock to Otto Simon. Alpena—Chas. E. Wilcox has pur- chased the grocery stock of Frank C. Holmes. Lapeer—Ewen MacLennan has pur chased the general stock of Alex. Mac- Lennan. Metamora—Wilder Bros. succeed to the general merchandise business of Jas. H. Baker. Richland—Bresee & Knappen suc- ceed Herbert C. Bresee in the meat business. Durand—M. Shulein has removed bis clothing and men’s furnishing goods stock to Owosso. Dimondale—H. F. Miller has pur- chased the agricultural implement stock of Whitmore Bros. Eaton Rapids—G. F. Putnam suc- ceeds Strong & Putnam in the jewelry and book business. Elsie—Frank L. Payne _ succeeds Payne & Weinberg in the furniture and undertaking business. Ionia—H. M. Weed, of Eaton Rap- ids, has purchased the hardware stock of T. P. Morten & Co. Horton—Tripp Bros. succeed W. J. Cavenaw in the agricultural implement and bay and straw business. Smyrna—Geo. Hoppough, druggist and dry goods merchant, has heen ap- pointed township supervisor. Coldwater—F. A. Fairbanks and A. W. Grice have purchased the stock of goods owned by Betts & Huff. Jackson—The grocers of this place have decided to hold their annual mid- winter entertainment January 26. Charlotte—Munger & Jennings, hard- ware dealers, have dissolved. The busi- ness is continued by J. W. Munger. Vicksburg— Major & Ramsdell con- tinue the clothing, furnishing goods and shoe business of C. L. Major & Co. Marlette—Wm. Hoist, undertaker and furniture dealer at this place, has sold his furniture stock to Mrs. A. Stork. Flint—The dry goods firm of Palmer & Shannon has been dissolved by mu- tual consent, A. J. Palmer succeeding. Owosso—Duff & Detwiler have dis- solved partnershp. The latter will con- tinue the grocery business at the same location. Lansing—Herrick Bros. have turned their grocery stock over to Robson Bros. and both partners will engage in other business. Jackson--The Jackson retail grocers were banqueted by the jobbers and man- ufacturers of the city on Monday even- ing, Jan. 9. Jackson—Leonard Durant has resigned his position in the wholesale and retail dry goods establishment of L. H. Field and, in company with Andrew Meade, will open a stock of men’s furnishing goods about Feb. 15. Cadillac—A. F. Anderson has sold his shoe stock to C. A. Olsen and will devote his entire attention to his lum- ber interests. Lansing—Frank T. Albright has pur- chase from John Everett the grocery stock at the corner of Lenawee and Chestnut streets. Hastings—Burnam & Powers, bakers and confectioners, have been compelled to discontinue business, on account of too much competition. Charlotte—Fred H. Loveland has re- tired from the dry goods firm of Geo. J. Barney & Co. Geo. J. Barney will con- tinue the business alone. Fremont—L. C. Addison and W. R. Minnick, agricultural 1mplement deal- ers, have formed a copartnership under the style of Addison & Minnick. Benton Harbor—L. M. Barnett has sold his clothing stock to Martin’s Pal- ace of Trade, of St. Joseph, and the stock has been removed to that place. Sturgis—The dry goods stores at this place now close at 6 p. m. and will con- tinue to do so, with the exception of Saturday evening of each week, until May I. Bay City—Chas. E. Munn, one of the best known pharmacists in the city, died last week of pneumonia. He was en- gaged in the drug store of Frank Kellogg. Wayland—J. M. Burpee, general deal- er at this place, bas sold his stock to John Snyder, of Grand Rapids, who will continue the business at the same location. Charlotte—Howard A. Blackmar, for- merly engaged in the drug business at tbis place, has purchased a drug stock at Owosso, and will shortly remove to that place. Benton Harbor—A new harness store will be opened at this place about Feb. 1, with Louis Milbourne, formerly fore man in the harness store of W. C. Hovey, as proprietor. ' Tbhompsonville——Will Imerman has purchased the interest of his brother, Alex, in the genera! stock of Imerman Bros. and will hereafter conduct the business in his own name. Jackson—Chas. V. Jenks and _ his brother-in-law, Chas R. Picket of Al- bion, have purchased the hardware stock of O. H. McConnell, who retires from business on account of poor health. Jackson—Frisbie & Kinyon have sold their grocery stock to C. H. Sayles, who for many years was engaged as clerk for the above firm, and later pur- chased the variety stock, which he sold recently. St. Johns—Lyman and Henry Parr, of Essex, have embarked in the grocery business at this place, occupying the store building recently vacated by L. J, Calkins. The new firm will be known as Parr Bros. Manistique—The clothing, dry goods and boot and shoe firm of Blumrosen Bros. has been dissolved. M. Blum- rosen, the resident partner of the former firm, will continue the business here, while B. Blumrosen wili conduct the Soo store. : Bay City—The meat dealers of the city baving agreed to discontinue the use of Bell phones, the local manager of the would be monopoly is reported to have stated that the Bell company will put in a line of opposition meat mar- kets and sell meats at cut prices. Ypsilanti—E. M. Comstock, senior member of the dry goods firm of E. M. Comstock & Co., announces his speedy retirement from business, on account of advancing years. Bert H. Comstock and Frank McKinstry, the other mem- bers of the firm, will continue the busi- ness. St. Johns—Arthur E. Wilson has sev- ered his connection with the St. Johns National Bank as savings teller and dis- count clerk and purchased the interest of his father's estate in the clothing firm of Wilson & Son. The new firm will be known as Wilson Bros., the other member being E. H. Wilson Manufacturing Matters. Sebewaing—E. O. Ruppert has got- ten out an acetylene gas generator. Detroit—Wm. Munroe has merged his planing mill business into the Wm. Munroe Co. Alpena—The Fletcher Paper Co. suc- ceeds the Alpena Sulphite Fibre Co., not incorporated. Saginaw—The style of the tannery firm of F. W. Carlisle & Son has been changed to F. W. & F Carlisle. Coldwater—The Wm. A. Coombs Milling Co. succeeds the estate of the late Wm. A. Coombs in the flouring miil business. Cheboygan—Swift & Clark have se- cured enough stock to supply one of their sawmills next season, and they expect to be able to get enough more to enable them to run the other mill. Bay Port—J. J. Gillingham, who op- erated a sawmill! and conducted a general store in connection therewith at this place and Caseville, have dissolved partnership. The business will be con- tinued by John E. Gillingham. Eaton Rapids—Strong & Putnam, jewelers, have dissolved, Geo. H. Put- nam succeeding. N. A. Strong has taken a position with Wm. Smith, saw- mill operator, and will go north ina few days to assume his new duties. Saginaw—The sawmills at this end of Saginaw River manufactured approxi- mately 75,000,000 feet of lumber last season. Eight miilion feet was shippec out by water, 22,000,000 feet came here by water, and a large quantity came in by rail. Detroit——Articles of incorporation have been filed by the American Nov- elty Co., whose capital stock is $10,000, fully paid in; incorporators, Julia J. Dodge, 245 shares; Albert D. Dodge, 5 shares; G. L. Mitchell, F. M. Taggett, 250 shares each. Benton Harbor—--The Columbian Cigar Co. has merged its business into a stock company under the same style. P. E. Witherspoon has been elected President and M. A. Price will serve the corporation in the capacity of Sec- retary and Treasurer. W. J. Harper has been engaged to manage the man- ufacturing and business departments. Bay City—The Michigan Shade Roller Co. is a new industry added to this community. The company is capitalized at $50,000, and the business will be op- erated in connection with the Michigan Box Co. The company will manufac- ture wood and metal shade rollers. A. E. F. White is President, W. D. Janes Secretary,and M. J. Beardsley Treasurer. Saginaw—There -is a movement on foot to reorganize the O’Donnell-Spen- cer Co. lumber yard and door and box plant which promises early fulfillment. Three is an opportunity in this deal for a first-class planing mill man to obtain an interest and have immediate charge of a business that should be a_prosper- ous one. The plant is a good one and only needs first-class management to make it profitable. Lansing—Judge Person has signed a decree in the case of the Hammell Cigar Co. against the Michigan Drug Co. The defendant is insolvent and indebted to -the plaintiff in the sum of $375.80, and to the Queen Bee Cigar Co. to the amount of $157.12. Fred N, Rounsville was found to be owing the defendant company $9I.!0 unpaid stock and Elijah C. Park owed $200 on his stock. Both were ordered to pay the sums to the register of the court within 40 days. It was found the other stock- holders had paid for their stock in the drug company. Bay City—The mills at this end of the Saginaw River produced approxi- mately 225,000,000 feet of lumber the last season, which makes the output of the river about 300,000,000 feet. This shows that the Saginaw River is not yet _ out of the swim asa lumber producer, although there has been a tremendous slump since 1882, when the enormous total of 1,011,000,000 feet of pine lum- ber was produced by the milis on this river. Had the sawmills on the river been equipped with band mills twenty- five years ago and the pine resources tributary to this river been husbanded there would have been sawing for twenty years longer than will be the case. The settlement of this region made the cutting of the pine necessary in the absence of methods for preserving the timber from the ravages of forest fires. As it is, however, we have a large area of hemlock and hardwood still available, and this, with the tim- ber that will be brought here from other localities, will make this river a man- ufacturing center for some years to come, : + The Grain Market. The past week has been very quiet in the wheat market, with a declining tendency. Weakness seemed to be the teature and, without any cause, the longs took what margins they had and left the market without support from local talent. The outside buyers held off, awaiting a more favorable time for investing. Liverpool cables came in with no material change either way, al- though heavy rains were reported from the Argentine, where the harvest i's about over, but they do not seem to be heavy sellers, which goes to show that their wheat is not as abundant for ship- ment as was anticipated. Foreigners still keep buying and our exports have been very heavy; in fact, much more than was counted on in the early part of the season. Movements from first hands were large, as the visible showed an increase of 465,000 bushels, when a decrease was expected. As the holiday quietness had not worn off yet, dulness could be expected. Corn, for reasons unknown, also shared in dulness, with drooping prices. The main reason probably is that new corn is too soft for market yet, owing to the unpropitious weather, and a decline of Ic is noted. The contrary is the case with oats, as the market in that cereal is well sus- tained, showing no loss. Rye is inclined to easier prices and the demand is lagging and prices are about Ic off. Owing to the smail stock of flour in dealers’ hands, the demand is fair and enquiry is also good. Mill feed, bran and middlings are in good demand from the dairies and prices are well sustained. Receipts during the week have been as follows: Wheat, 56 cars; corn, 14 cars; oats, 6 cars, : The mills are paying 64c for wheat. C. G. A. Voier. MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 5 SUDDEN SUMMONS. Accidental Death of Mr. Adelbert E. Worden. A. E. Worden, President of the Wor- den Grocer Co., was instantly killed this (Wednesday) morning while as- cending the freight elevator to obtain tea samples. He had been under the weather for several days and the sup- position is that he fainted while the ele- vator was in motion, failing in such a manner that his head and chest were crushed between the platform of the ele- vator and the floor it was approaching. As the accident happened just as_ the last forms of the Tradesman were being prepared for the press, it is thought best to reproduce portions of a bio- graphical sketch of the deceased which appeared in the Tradesman July 3, 1895, as tollows: It was not far from Grand Rapids where this boy was born. Ona farm to the east of the town he first saw the sun- shine, something over forty years ago. His stay among the apple orchards was not a lengthy one, and he left the farm in his thirteenth year. He went, of course, to the public school—childhood's birthright in the United States—and when that was secured, he was _ enrolled as a student at the Academy in Grand Rapids, then under the charge of Prof Franklin Everett. I want to tarry a little here. I want to say simply, but earnestly, that some- where in these early years an influence was brought to bear upon this boy which shaped the whole of his after life and widened that life until its horizon en- compassed the world. He learned not only to read, but to love to read, and that love has grown with the years and strengthened with them. Whether the farm-home was the schoolroom—and I think it was—with the mother for teach- er, or whether the country school, by some strange accident, was taught by a teacher who knew her duty and did it or whether the Academy—the word sug gests the thought—warmed into life the germ which has borne such wholesome fruit, I can not tell. I only know that if the young men who read these lines and care to profit by them will do what this man has done ali his life, there wil] be brighter prospects for the rainy day than there are now and greater promise of a life devoted to something better than the mere making of money. When his school days were over, he entered the dry goods house of Talford & Boyce, with whom he remained until he enlisted in the Tenth Michigan Cav- alry for the war. The rebellion over, he went to New York to learn the dry goods - business, where, for a year, he held a responsible position in a leading house. Returning then to Grand Rapids, he joined forces with Tyler & Grabam in starting the first jobbing house in men’s furnishings and notions. After ten years he bought out the others and formed, with Henry Fralick, the firm of A. E. Worden & Co. After three years Mr. Fralick’s health became impaired and he withdrew from business, What pleasing relations existed between the members of this firm can be readily in ferred when the surviving member, looking backward across the years, de- lights to recall the harmony that never was broken and the mutual regard that has become a most sacred memory. For the next ten years the Worden Furniture Co. lived and prospered ; and then came disaster. Fire burned up the labor of years. It is to be observed, however—and the youthful reader can ’ not keep the fact too strongly in mind— that grit is the poorest material in the world to burn; and when the flames had done their worst and nothing was left but grit, there was found on hand not only the unusual amount the boy had started with in early life, but the accumula- tions, also, of a number of decades; and while the smoke was waving its sombre plumes over the funeral pyre of his earthly possessions, he leveled the ashes and, with them for a plant-bed, began the sale of lumber. It was a suc- cess; and, when, a few months ago, the Worden Grocer Co. was formed, the latest chapter in this life-story was be- gun, to end, let us hope, in a_prosper- ity as unlimited as that invulnerable material to which reference bas just been made. With the record finished and success secured, the admirers of both are eager throughout his busy life to round as best be could by self-culture what he be- lieved he lacked. The corners of time, which young men do not often notice, he filled with study and with books. He read the history of his own country. It led the way to English history and he gladly followed. The English is only one of a family of nations and he be- came acquainted with the history of each. He soon saw that history is but one form of intellectual development and he has done what he could to know the others. When the business of the day was over, leaving at the office its troubles and its cares, he entered the charmed circle of his books and gave himself up to their genial influence. What that influence has been it is needless here to state. We can only say to those who are anxious to make the most of these ‘‘ Men of Mark’’ that, to know what they must do to obtain the same rewards. Let us read a little be tween the lines. In all the undertak- ings which have been written down, has there been a single failure? Not one. In his business life has there been a hint or a suspicion of anything unfair? Not even a breath. In business or out of business is there a man anywhere who can say with truth that ever in public or private it has been hard to find, from what Mr. Worden says, ex- actly what he means? Let him who thinks so try it. Has his citizenship been ever called into question? There is his soldier record; read it: and yet, the best remains to be told—the ‘ove of reading has been with him all these years. With a regret that he did not take a liberal course of study when it might have been his, it has been his aim while moneymaking narrows and _ belit- tles and makes men mean, the compan- ionship of books broadens, elevates and ennobles. He who keeps company with Motley and Prescott, with Buckle and Adam Smith will not be found unkempt in person nor uncouth in speech. As time goes by, the value of the dollar is recognized, but it is taught to know and keep its place. It is the means of liv- ing, not the end of life. At best a ser- vant only, when it has laid the table and lighted the library fire its work is done; it may go tobed. This is the lesson which such lives teach: ‘It is the mind that makes the body rich.’’ There is the world’s real wealth; and the boy, be he farm born or city bred, a clerk or a hod carrier, can, if he will, get what he will of these real riches, and so stand unabashed in the presence of a king. Has there been—is there—any one idea that, like the leaven in the meal, will secure for another similar results? One can not read—certainly can not study—a life like this without seeing soon how free it is from chance. Every move is so much thought-work. The whole journey was thought out in detail before buying the ticket, and the rest followed with the certainty of sunrise. System—that is the word. Dry goods was to be the business. He knew little or nething of business and settled that point first. The practical day’s work did something, but the practical night's reading did as much more. There was a settled system everywhere—and some- thing else: a distinct understanding with himself that he who had thrown system into the work was the only man to be depended on to carry it out; and with a will as unbending as tempered steel he carried it out! There is the leading thought which controls the whole; and whether we watch its de- velopment in the world of business or in the scholarly pursuits which have been a pleasure to him always, there will be found the open secret of this man’s suc- cess. Ponder it, you who are studying the chances of the world; and when you, too, have gained the heights, may your life say,as this one says so plainly, ‘‘Do your own thinking, boys; carry out your own plans, and fill up your empty time-corners with the elevating and refining companionship of books.”’ It would be unjust to this Man of Mark, whose portrait I have been trying to paint, not to say that little beside the date of his birth and the matter-of-fact changes of business have come to me from him. It was only when the hope of saying something for the benefit of others was suggested that he was in- duced to speak at all, and then for their benefit he spoke of what young men could do if they would; of what honesty, and industry, and firmness of purpose, and purity of life can accom- plish, if they have the chance, and of his regret that he did not see. soon enough the advantage to be gained by a business man from a college course. I said to myself, ‘‘Thy speech betrayeth thee;’’ and I have’ interwoven’ the ‘*speech’’ with the facts which, without the speech, would have furnished a too unvarnished tale. RICHARD MALCOLM STRONG. Oe Hides, Pelts, Furs and Wool. Hides are in good demand at an ad- vanced price. The quality is poor, but the quantity is lacking. Leather is strong, with an apparent advance to cover the increased cost of hides. Pelts cut but little figure, as few are offered. Furs are in good demand at prices quoted. Offerings at London sales are small, as compared to last year The home demand is still good, as sales prior to the holidays were good. Wools are selling freely at prices but a fraction above the past sales. The market is firm, with no weak spots. There is little moving in the State. Wm. T. HEss. —__©..__— Dr. W. H. Ross has purchased the drug stock of Mrs. Maria S. Wilson at 251 Jefferson avenue. Ce Anchor brand oysters are the best in the land. Sold only by F. J. Detten- thaler. a For Gillies N. Y. tea, all kinds, grades and prices, phone Visner, 800, +. 2. ___ Every dog has his day—but the cat has a monopoly of nights. E im E E ge i Pea a aie ie eee SAB SEIT ME HEY ee? AL AL AS cone eee p rT rp RSS a 1a ntact ak i lA ac fbi. nikidapdblibab ip aelasaditeie bade es PRE sac cdl te is tara Sa aPeuk aubcannsiia sas d Aaghedeiten aaasbadbsien 6 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN Woman’s World The Woman Who Laughs. 7 The announcement, recently made in a society journal. that a class had been formed in New York for the purpose of studying the art of laughing, will sug- gest to many people of refined sensibili- ties that a long-felt want is about to be filled, and they will cherish a lively hope that it will find many imitators throughout the length and breadth of the country. We are often told that God’s crowning gift to mankind was the ability to laugh, but when we hear the shrill, mirthless cackle or the boorish guffaw that is so often made to do duty for laughter, we can but wonder if we shouidn’t have been as well off, and a deal more peaceful, if mankind had been left on the same plane with the other animals in this respect. Yet how we should miss it if we had no laughter? It is the music to which the world dances, and above all, in man or woman, is the one undistinguishable, betraying characteristic touch of nature they can never hide. If a man may ‘smile and smile and bea villain still,’ a woman's smile is even more decep- tive. No sensible person would ever attempt to judge a woman by her smile. It may mean anything or nothing. It may be her quick appreciation of an amusing incident or the bright herald of a joyous thought or merely a mask she holds up between herself and the world and behind which she sits impenetrably concealed. Many a woman has smiled to hide a broken heart, but she has never laughed. Laughter does not lend itself to deceit. It must bubble up from a spring of mirth or else it isa fraud so palpable that even a child can tell it. In the expressive slang of the day our laughter is ‘‘a dead give away,’ and this is even more true of women than men. No doubt one reason of th's is because women, as a rule, laugh far less than men. When men get together they tell good stories and jokes. Women sit solemnly around and_ discuss their clothes and ailments. Men's love of a laugh even goes to the extent of playing idiotic practical jokes on each other; but no woman would expect to find any comedy in a practical joke of which an- other woman was the victim. Instead, she knows well enough it would be nothing but tragedy from start to finish and that she would have made an enemy for life. Any one who is rash enough to try to tell the average woman a funny story knows it is one of the most discouraging things in life. One-half the time she doesn’t see the point, and the other half she looks at you with a weary expression that seems to say, ‘‘Oh, I see what you are driving at, and it makes me very, very tired.’’ Mark Twain used to say that he tried all his new jokes on his wife, and that when one of them made her smile he knew it was funny enough to convulse the rest of the world, and it will be generally found, I think, that anything that makes a woman laugh is genuinely unroariously amusing. Perhaps this is why women’s laughter is apt to be so characteristic. Person- ally, I have a theory that there is no other thing that is quite so good a key to a woman's real nature as her laugh. Just take, for instance, the woman who laughs merrily and easily and heartily. You may depend on her every time for being a satisfactory friend, true, loyal, honest, considerate, such a one as it 1s a comfort to know and a pleasure to live with. She always sees the funny side of things, and you couldn't put her in such adverse circumstances that she couldn’t extract a gleam of amusement out of it, and a ray of sunshine for her- self and others. Go on a journey with ber and she doesn’t leave a trail of lamentations as long as the railroad schedule behind her because the porter didn't devote his time exclusively to ber or she couldn't regulate the hotels where she stopped. Get caught ina rain with her and she doesn’t scowl at you like you were personally responsible for ruining her best skirt. Instead, she finds amusement in watching people crossing the street or her own bedrag- gled condition appeals to ber mirth and her infectious good humor is like a rift in the storm. A bad cook or an incom- petent servant doesn't reduce her to pes- simism and tears. On the other hand, her amusing anecdotes of their short comings almost atone for overdone steak and underdone bread. As a wife, she is incomparable. If I were a man contemplating matrimony I shouldn’t ask to see a girl’s church let- ter or her diploma from the cooking school. I should simply listen to her laugh, and if she could do that honestly, heartily, infectiously, I should embrace the opportunity and take the chances on her other faults. I should know that she had too keen a sense of humor to run off with cranks and fads and too much perception of the ridiculous to ex- pect a plain business man to go about posing in stained glass attitudes like absurd heroes in novels. “I should also know that she would be capable, upon occasion, of looking at life from a man’s point of view and sympathizing with it, and that she was a feminine philosopher who would make the best of everything, me included. All the schools in the world can’t teach that kind of woman anything about the art of laugh- ing; but if they can teach others that accomplishment the world will have reason to rise up and call them blessed. This kind of laughing is not to be confounded with giggling. The woman who giggles is the greatest bore in the world. She is silly and shallow, and is the kind of friend who wears your affec- tion out by her unreasonable demands, and who, when she finally gets married, leaves off giggling and goes to whining about everything that goes wrong. There is neither mirth nor intelligence in a giggle. Tell a woman afflicted with this malady something funny and she giggles. Teli her something sad and she giggles again. It is all the same to her. She only does it because some- body has been crazy enough to say she had pretty teeth or she has an idea that it seems fascinating and _ vivacious, when in reality it is a ghastly travesty of mirth that makes the most hardened shudder. : The woman who ‘‘snickers’’ is of an- other type. This kind of laughter may not be catalogued in the dictionary, but every woman knows it. It isa little flicker of sound and it generally belongs to a woman with steely-looking eyes and thin lips and a general ability to “‘get there.’’ She never laughs outright. She never laughs witb people, but al- ways atthem. The things that strike her as amusing are aiways the little pe- culiarities of others, and her laugh stings like a blow in the face. We all know her and fear her. The sweet young matron with no pretensions to be literary, but who is doing her honest best to make her club a success, looks up from the paper she is reading and, catching the wintry gleam of that ‘‘snicker,’’ falters and grows miserable with dread. The young girl who has only a fresh, untrained voice, but who is singing some homely ballad with all her heart, hears the ghost of that laugh and stops suddenly, her pleasure all spoiled and her innocent enjoyment gone. At a crowded reception the hostess has only to hear one note of that mali- cious, hateful sound to know that her refreshments are being dissected and her decorations shredded. Beware ot making friends with a woman whose langh is a snicker. Theday will surely come when she will turn upon you and rend you. The woman whose laugh is cold and mirthless is generally insincere. It isa shallow little sound with no brightening of the eyes to bear it company. She laughs because she thinks it is the proper thing to do, and by the same token she chooses her friends in the same way, and with an eye single to what they can do to advance her inter- ests. When she courts you, reflect on what she expects of you by way of re- turn. You can count on her belonging to the fashionable thing in the way of societies, that she will patronize the most fashionable church, and that her theories will do credit to anangel. But you will seldom find her giving alms to the beggar at her back door or helping the poor creature who, all unworthy as she may be, is still hungry and cold and of one clay with us all. You can count on that part of the role being filled by some woman whose laughter and tears lie so close together she finds no diffi- culty in rejoicing and weeping with all who are happy or oppressed, It is often said that a woman's great est weapon is her tears. I don’t believe it. Ina little while we grow everlast ingly weary of complaints and mourn- ing, and the person who continually weeps is, as Mr. Martalini used to say, ‘“‘such a demd damp, moist, un- pleasant body’’ that we flee from her; but we never grow tired of brightness, of a brave, cheerful spirit that, however the world goes, still turns a gay face up to the sunshine and finds something to laugh about. No other charm equals that; no other spell can be laid upon us so potent; and in all sober earnestness, there is nothing better worth a woman’s studying than the art of learning bow to laugh. DOROTHY aye a —__—_>2._ — The Scolding Woman. The fact that a woman has been re- cently sent to jail in Maryland for be- ing a common scold looks like a_ hope- ful return to the simple and forcible days when they had a _ punishment to fit the crime and an angry woman must either control her tongue or incur the penalty. In certain parts of our own country the ducking stool was once found to bea potent promoter of ami- ability, while in Scotland travelers are shown, among other curiosities, a kind of gag called the ‘‘scold’s bridle,’’ which must have effectually stemmed the tide of a heated argument. Nowadays we are supposed to be suffi- ciently civilized to need no such re- straints, but, unfortunztely, fact does not always keep pace with theory, and in doing away with the remedy we have been left with the disease. The scolding woman is still with us. Evo- lution has not deprived her of her tem- per, or shortened her tongue, or abridged the virulence of her complaints. She is as irritating as of old, with the same power to set a community by the ears and make her home a bedlam, and, like the brook, she ‘‘goes on and on for- ever.’’ To appeal to such a person by any consideration of other people's rights is always a waste of words, and it seems a pity tht they can not be made to behave, just as one makesa fractious and unreasonable child, by actual physical force, if gentle means fail, Since, however, this is impossible, and no restraints, except such as she chooses to lay on herself,can be inipcsed on the scolding woman, it is strange that she does not recognize oftener the folly of her course. There is no more deluded mortal than she who fancies that much is to be gained by nagging and scolding. At first she may seem to have things ber own way, as we wiil do many things for the sake of peace, but in a little while her influence is gone. Even the worm will turn’ She arouses all the combative instincts in even the meekest of us, and we take a malicious pleasure in thwarting her. Wemay put up with rank tyranny, provided it is agreeably and pleasantly administered, but deep down in the human heart is an instinct that rebels, above everything else in the world, at be:ng ‘‘badgered’’ into doing things. The scolding woman’s servants are always the worst. They are ind: fferent, knowing they will get the same torrent of fretful abuse whetber a thing is well done or ill. Her children become hard- ened to it in a little time, and its only effect on them is to associate their mother with something that is always disagreeable. Her husband never dares to be frank and honest with her, as she can torture even the slightest mistake or fault into cause for never-ending re- proaches. Certainly these should be ar- guments that should appeal to any sen- sible woman, and that should be as effective in stopping her tirades of abuse as the barbarous scold's bridle. Cora STOWELL. —_—_>0.___ The Same Thing. Sole: I want to get a private message to Benidick about our stag racket to- morrow night. I'll just drop him a let- ter marking it ‘* Personal and Private. ’’ Kidder: Why don’t you address it to Mrs. Benidick and be done with it? -——___—_0—__ A turtle may be slow, but he usually gets there in time for the soup. FF FOO VS GG FOV OUSS SOS GGG dbo brn br bh bn bn by bn bn b> > dr SOP POPOL OOS DODDS OOS OOOO OO OD O9OO0O000 00000000 90000004 > POTATO SHIPPERS « Can save 20% on their paper for lining cars by using our RED CAR PAPER Write us for sample and price H. M. REYNOLDS & SON GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. | : : ! ! | yyevvvuvrvvryvvyvYvvVvevrCeVWGs FPF VF FF FV VO VV VU VU VUVUVUVT VY j j MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 7 THE OLD BELL-COW. When I was but a boy, I loved so happily to roam Through every nook and corner of the dear old country home; At dewy morn to pasture J would drive the cows, and when The shades of eventide drew on I drove them home again. And one among their number I remember very well— It seems but yesterday I saw the cow that wore the bell ; She was not fairer than the rest, nor any finer breed, Yet all the others followed her wherever she might lead ; And in my youthful mind I used to wonder why and bow It was that all the cattle tagged the old bell-cow. Strange years of shadow and of shine have passed away since then, And now I mingle daily with the hosts of busy men; And still I muse more earnestly than what I used to do, For men, I find, are likewise quite peculiar creatures, too. And some have natures made of gold, without a speck or flaw, While some are only gilded forms all padded out with straw; And while the modest, worthy man the world is slow tu heed, The counterfeit, who loudly brags, steps in and takes the lead. The one who makes the noise is sure to catch the crowd; and now I know why all the cattle tagged the old bell-cow. Insist on Promptitude in Payments. Three essential facts to be considered in credit giving are honesty, responsi- bility and promptness. Promptness is the experience record after honesty and responsibility have been vouched for and the credit bas been extended. Concern- ing honesty and responsibility, how best can the average customer be _ influenced to be prompt? The wholesale dealer tries to do it by prominently and persistently keeping before the customer to whom he has ex- tended credit the terms upon which the goods were sold. In the first place the terms are plainly stzted on each and every invoice. Then the monthly state- ment also displays the terms in an un- mistikable form. Every effort is made to impress upon the mind of the dettor that he is delinquent if the bill is not paid as agreed. This method prevails among jobbers and wholesalers, and also prevails among the best, most progress- ive and most successful retail dealers. There are very many small retailers, however, who, while having a care about trusting only honest and_ responsible people, have no system with respect to terms and have no good methods of col lecting. Goods are put out on credit with no well-defined and clearly-under- stood terms as to when payment is ex- pected. It is a great mistake to manage busi- ness upon this plan. No account can be said to be past due unless the debtor has had full notice of the terms upon which the credit was extended. All credit is limited as to t:me, and the time limit should be as thoroughly un- derstood and agreed upon as the price. Whether the purchaser trades with the baker, the grocer, the dry goods dealer or the milliner, the time for which the credit is given should be stated at the time the sale is made. To those who are nct now making a practice of stat- ing the time limit to all who buy of them on credit, I submit the following suggestions: Have printed plainly on the bill rendered something like the following: ‘*This bill is due and payable the first of the month foilowing the date of pur- chase,’’ or, ‘This bill is due and pay able the 15th of the month following the date of purchase,’’ or, ‘‘Terms thirty days,’’ or, ‘‘Terms sixty days,’’ according to the basis upon which you are doing business. Between the ist and toth of each month, send out to every one who has an account with you, whether due or not due, a monthly statement, upon which is clearly printed the terms of sale. It will take some time and trouble to do this, but do it all the same, because it will pay. This plan, carefully followed up, will materially help your collections and avoid some of the evils of doing a credit business without method or sys- tem. Credit in this theory is ideal. Its abuse lies in the assumption that, like rubber, it will stretch to meet the con- dition or whim of the mechanic, or farmer, or banker who fails to meet his obligations as agreed. Keep your terms of credit to the front. In a certain sense every one who grants credit is in partnership with the debtor, to the extent of the amount involved. The creditor's profits on the bill are a known factor, provided the bill is paid promptly. Otherwise the transaction takes on the nature of a loan of money or merchandise under a forced condi- tion which is not in harmony with the original contract. In this case the profits necessarily wait on the settlement date, and they become a diminishing quantity as the months roll by. Uncertainty is the bane, just as punc- tuality is the blessing, of the credit sys- tem. Let the retail dealer, if he must do a credit business, strive to create a sentiment in favor of promptness in pay- ments. This he can do by plainly stat- ing his terms verbally when the sale _ is made, on the invoice when the bill is rendered, and on the statement as often as it goes out. Such a course will as- sist in promoting his collections and will greatly lessen his past-due accounts. Gro. H. Hovey. Sold Rubber Boots to His Neighbors. From the Boots and Shoes Weekly. Mr. W, a prosperous shoe dealer in Greater New York, is also the owner of a residence out in one of the many small villages on Long Island, which, witb his family, he occupies during the summer. Knowing that he was a shoe merchant in the city, those of his neigh bors in the country that wore rubber boots conceived the idea that they could get their boots of him at much lower prices than from the local dealers, who they thought were charging very high prices. A spokesman approached Mr. W. and told him their wants, and that they had talked the matter over, and bad come to the conclusion that they could buy their rubber boots of him and make quite a saving, as he supposed that city dealers get less profit than the merchants in country towns do. Mr. W. assured them that their conclusions were correct. They named the kind of boot and asked the price. Mr. W. had an impression that it wouldn't be wise to quote the price, so be told them that he had not unpacked his boots, as it was early in the season, and had not decided on the price, but he would do so at once. As he was rid- ing through the village he sent his man into each of the stores to price their rubber boots. He returned with $2 75 as the price, but he thought his man mistaken, so had him buy a pair; and, to his surprise, they were the very ar- ticle wanted. He was ina dilemma. His had cost $2 60, and here the deal- ers were selling them for $2.75. He had assured the people that they could buy cheaper of him, and he must keep his word. How was he to extricate him- self? He finally decided, as they would want but a few pair, he would make the price $2.50, In a tew days the man called again to see if he had decided on the price. In an offhand way be quoted $2 50, so as to give the impression that was the regular price. ‘‘All right,’’ replied his neigh- bor, ‘‘J will let you know in a few days the number and sizes.’’ In about a week the order was sent to his house and called for thirty two pairs. It was filled. Mr. W. says that not only were the boots shipped at a loss of ten cents a pair be- side handling, but that eight of the men forgot to pay for the boots. Mr. W. de clares thac he has not an exalted opinion ot a man’s business capacity that buys rubbers at $2.60 ard retails them at $2 75, and still less of one who, to keep up an illusion, buys at $2.60 and sells at $2 50. A few weeks later Mr. W. met one of the village shoe dealers, who seemed very social, and after a few minutes’ talk said to Mr. W.: ‘‘I want to ask you where you buy your rubber bocts. I buy mine zt ——-and pay cash; tney cost me $2.60, and I put the price at $2.75, which hardly gives me my money back, and yet our townsmen buy of you for $2 50," Mr. W., with all the dignity he could assume, assured him that it was a busi- ness secret that he could not under any circumstances divulge. Mr. W. declares that in future he shall not be anxious for country trade on rubber boots. ——___~+> 0. ____ The Leather Market. In speaking of the leather market, the Shoe and Leather Repoiter says: The traffic 1s limited closely to the re- quiremeits for consumption, and tiey are not pressing, so tat the sales are not up to the average There serms to be a unanim:ty of purpose among buy- ers to purchase as sparingly as possible, leaving the question of future values to be determined in accordance with the law of supply and demand. Holders, of course, would be obliged to acquiesce in this policy whether they were or were nct satisfied with it. But the majority of them are evidertly of the opinion that the course which is being pursued 's likely to prove beneficial t» their in- t-rests in the end. It certamly will tend to relieve the industry of the bur- den of the inequalities of prices which weighs upon it so heavily. ——_—~> 9a - Resolve to keep all the trade you have, and to obtain much more trade, by keeping just what your trade wants, not too much, and never too little, ALWAYS A WINNER! ara $35.00 per M. H. VAN TONGEREN, Holland, Mich. a | >= 1 public? PYYYYVYVYPPPAYTTTYYYYPPTAA as their experiments. you that they are only Meee 5 tt Who urges you to keep Sapolio? The manufacturers, by constant and judi- ciousadvertising, bring customers to your stores whose _ very presence creates a demand for other articles. TUN NALLTNMNN NN Ma eke tle kkk GaCdbadddAAddde PrvPvD reed vero ree ye rroevevovnee nn Te ree nnoren enone They all say = “It's as good as Sapolio,” when they try to sell you Your own good sense will tell trying to get you to aid their not se —» — wp —D — Dp — —_ —~ —> — wD —~— — —p —w — wD — Dp — Dp ° — Dp : —p Is it a —p ep a —p —wD —w wp —wD ‘ eenee aetna nile aE my rise, Satter eee Bonen RR RTE KP ate ce memnbe il tt Sed ieee et Th abet ALO RAC IRI i Rng ANREP Sa AAR Olen eh RI sav ch nek sae Sa AES eee [dace thy UAB diets SIN SI MES NDS L H é z MICHIGAN TRADESMAN Devoted to the Best Interests of Business Men Published at the New Blodgett Building, Grand Rapids, by the TRADESMAN COMPANY ONE DOLLAR A YEAR, Payable in Advance. ADVERTISING RATES ON APPLICATION. Communications invited from practical business men. Correspondents must give their full names and addresses, not necessarily for pub- lication, but as a guarantee of good faith. Subscribers may have the mailing address of their papers changed as often as desired. No paper discontinued, except at the option of the proprietor. until all arrearages are paid. Sample copies sent free to any address. ” Entered at the Grand Rapids Post Office as Second Class mail matter. When writing to any of our Advertisers, please say that you saw the advertisement in the Michigan Tradesman. E. A. STOWE, EpirTor. WEDNESDAY, - = - JANUARY II, 1899. GENERAL TRADE SITUATION. The business of the new year opens with such a rush for investment at the great trading centers that the appear- ances seem to resemble a great specula- tive mania. The trading on Monday of this week broke all records of trans- actions since reports began to be made. That this differs from. previous banner days on the Exchange, in that there is less of the gambling and speculative mania and more of the pressure for the profitable employment of the dividend proceeds of the year and general con- fidence in the situation, is shown by the fact that the greatest share of the trad- ing was on outside orders. While a few prices declined, the general tendency, as for weeks past, was upward. The advance for last week on the average was 78 cents for railways and $1.04 for trusts. The principal characteristic in the general industrial situation is the strengthening of demand in finished products. This is resulting in a steady, | although slow, strengthening of prices, which seems to assure the continuance of profitable operations without the dan- ger of an inflation which will eventually cut off demand. In the iron and steel trades there is more of an appearance of increasing prices than for a long time past; but this is more in appearance than other- wise. Thus the fact that rails are quoted at an advance of $2 in the West is ac- companied by the statement that the Illinois Steel Co. has sold its entire ca- pacity for a year ahead. And so in many other cases the small increase in quotations is accompanied by the ex- planation that it is a result of orders which will occupy the works for a long time. Especially beavy and significant orders have been placed for material for agricultural implements and for car building, as well as for rails and other transportation material. While the cotton situation continues to show improvement in both the price of raw staple and finished product, there is a much less favorable feeling in all branches of woolen trade, reduc- tions being recorded in most lines. Leather and hides are still held so high that there is a holding back in shoe manufacture While the grain price movement has shown a slight decline for the week, it should be ncted that it is only the mod- erate and healthy reaction from the long steady rise which had preceded. The change in price is only slight and there is confidence that there will be return to better prices before a greater downward movement. The favorable condition of foreign trade shows no change except a steady increase in exports, with the corres- ponding increase in the trade balance in our favor. Gold imports are becom- ing the rule. Bank clearings, which broke all records for December, show an increase so far this month. Locally the gain in clearings exceeded that of any other city in the United States. CENTRAL AMERICAN UNION FAILS The Central American Union, or Greater Republic of Central America, as it was at one time called, is no more, as each of the states composing the union has agreed to resume its inde- pendence and regulate its own affairs for the future. This dissolution of the compact be- tween the little Central American re- publics will cause no surprise, as it is just what everybody expected would happen. The same sort of federation has been attempted before with equally poor success. In times past one or the other of the Central American republics has sought to compel the others to enter into a compact, the controlling motive underlying such a scheme being an am- bitious desire on the part of some ag- gressive public man to rule the whole of Central America. The iatest failure at securing union in Central America proves that there is no cohesiveness in the Central Amer- ican system. The scheme by which the center of power was transferred from one Central American capital to tbe other was, of course, impracticable, and na- tional jealousies soon undermined the very flimsy fabric upon which the union was based. The central power endeav- ored to check revolutionary tendencies and regulate methods cf electing to office, which was too great an innova- tion in Central American affairs to be acceptable. The five States will now resume their old methods of dictatorial rule and con- stant revolution. Schemes for the indus- trial development of Central America, based upon more stable government and greater respect for law, will have to be given up, and the exploiting of that re- gion left to adventurous spirits for whom revolutionary methods and an un stable state of society have no terrors. An inconvenient feature of the dis- solution of the Central American Union is the necessity which will now exist for this Government to reopen diplomatic relations with each of the little repub- lics, instead of accrediting a single Minister to them all. The experieaces connected with the Latin-American republics of Central America do not encourage the idea of forming a Cuban republic. No Latin government short of an absolute despo- tism could maintain order in Central America, and it would be as bad in Cuba under Cuban rule. In the death of Adelbert E. Worden, the wholesale trade of Grand Rapids loses one of its brightest and most enter- prising exponents. Always courteous in manner and considerate of the feelings of others, Mr. Worden won the respect and friendship of all with whom he came in _ contact, and his untimely death will cause general regret. It is easier for one woman to pick an- other woman's bonnet to pieces than it is for her to trim her own bonnet. SCIENTIFIC PROGRESS IN 1898. Although there was no conspicuous scientific achievement during 1898 there were some practical successes worthy of note. For instance, there was considerable experimenting in the line of obtaining cheaper and more effi- cient lights. The most satisfactory re- sults were secured from tests with mag- nesium, aluminum and other minerals heated to brilliancy by electricity, thus dispensing with vacuum tubes. Wireless telegraphy was in service between the Isle of Wight and the mainland, but it appears to be still in an elemental stage of development. Of great commercial importance, however, was the system perfected by Professor Rowland of Johns Hopkins University, whereby twelve or sixteen messages can be sent simultaneously over one wire. The continuance of the bubonic plague in India gave opportunity to demon- strate the efficacy of Hoffkine’s pro tective serum, The danger attending the preparation of the serum was also demonstrated by the death of two physi- cians in Vienna, who were engaged in the cultivation of the plague bacillus The application of the antitcxin of tetanus directly to the brain tissue was shown to be marvelously swift and po tent in cases of lockjaw. The value of Sanarelli’s antitoxin for yellow fever was not established, and the discovery of a genuine microbe of the disease is even doubted. During the year Ramsey and Crookes discovered four new chemical elements. It was claimed that the distinctive ele- ment of the solar corona had been found in the volcanic gases of Vesuvius, but the discovery was not verified. Neither was there verification of the alleged dis- covery in the atmosphere of a gas many thousand times lighter than hydrogen. There was during the year a remarkable mechanical achievement in condensing air to a liquid, and the curious experi- ments with the same opened up many possibilities of usefulness. Among the astronomical achievements of 1898 were very successful observa- tions of the total eclipse of the sun. The sensational event of the year, how- ever, was the discovery of a tiny planet whose orbit overlaps that of Mars to such an extent that the little globe may at times approach within twenty million miles of the earth. Michelson’s inven- tion of a spectroscope of high dispersive power was something of interest to both chemists and astronomers. Among the novelties of the year was the Lake boat, intended for operations on the bottom of harbors and rivers. The war with Spain brought out the Holland submarine torpedo boat. It also illustrated anew the value of fire- proof construction on ships and of water tube boilers. It inspired Gatling to de- vise a process for the manufacture of a gun in one-sixth the time formerly re- quired. A recent test of the gun, how- ever, was very unsatisfactory. During 1898 numerous expeditions were organized to bunt for Andree, but all of them failed. Peary left for the North to carry out his scheme of reach- ing the pole by easy stages. Borch- grevink’s expedition sailed for the Ant- arctic. No news came from the Belgian expedition. ENGLAND AND FRANCE. Although the trouble growing out of the Fashoda incident, which at one time threatened to precipitate war between France and England, has subsided, it has left the relations between,the two countries in a decidedly strained condi- tion. New causes of irritation are crop- ping out daily, and even conservative people are beginning to fear that, soon- er or later, war must come. On the side of France there is a disposition shown to resort to all sorts of petty annoyances. Thus, British interests are threatened in China, British trade is injured in Madagascar, and the French shore ques- tion in Newfoundland is brought up in a most exasperating way. On her side, Great Britain has displayed a remark- able degree of irritation and has shown a growing disposition to resent with unmistakable emphasis every slight. The British people and government ap- pear to have made up their minds that war is inevitable and that it could not come at a more opportune time for British interests than now. There can be no overlooking the fact that England was prepared to go to war over the Fashoda matter had France re- fused to recall Major Marchaud, and it 1s equally patent that preparations for war are going on without intermission even yet in the British arsenals and dockyards. Although France has re- ceded from her position at Fashoda, she is stili smarting under the setback which she then received, and she is manifesting her displeasure by antago- nizing British interests wherever they can be touched. This system of pin- pricks has proven excessively irritating to the British masses, and even Lord Salisbury has lost patience and has finally publicly notified France tbat such actions must cease, as they are not in keeping with the line of conduct which should be followed by a professedly friendly nation and are in violation of international custom. A blue book has been issued setting forth the damage done to British trade and British resi- dents in Madagascar, and it is the show- ing therein made that induced Lord Salisbury to depart from his former conciliating tone and to indulge in what must be looked upon as nothing less than a threat. The many accumulating evidences that England is preparing to throw off the mask in Egypt, and the practical assertion of complete sovereignity in the Soudan, are likely to prove new causes of irritation, France’s sensitiveness over the situation in Egypt being well known. Another probable cause of trouble is the revival of the dispute over what is known as the French shore of New- foundland. France has certain fishing rights, the exercise of which is a source of constant irritation to the people of Newfoundland. Thissame problem has nearly precipitated trouble before, and is doubly dangerous now, owing to the existing state of popular feeling both in France and in the British Empire. The most significant and alarming symptom in the situation between Eng- land and France is the evidence that the British people feel that war is inevi- table, and that they are better prepared for it now than they might be at some future time, hence are disposed to force France to a settlement of all differences. One trouble about a bore is that he can not bore himself. He must hold up somebody else and steal time that does not belong to him A crank is a man who has wheels in his head without knowing which way they will turn. A man with a theory should be allowed to keep it MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 9 RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION IN ’98. For several] years previous to the one just closed, railroad building was ata low ebb. This was the result of the over-building during the years preced- ing the great financial panic of 1893. Much of the road built under the stimu- lus of railway expansion proved un- profitable and was thrown into the hands of the courts. The natural result has been a restriction of railroad building. During 1898 a decided improvement is shown in the amount of railway track constructed. According to the Railway Age, an authority on the subject, not less than 3,018 miles of road was con- structed in 1898, on 222 lines, in 45 States and territories. The new mileage of the past year is, therefore, greater than in any previous year since 1892. In order to show at a glance the charac- ter of railroad building from year to year, for quite a time past, the Rail- way Age publishes the following figures : i i Miles. A study of the details of the railway building for the year makes an interest- ing showing. According to the authority named, there are but five states in the Union that have built no new road dur- ing the year—New Hampshire, Massa- chusetts, Rhode Island, Kansas and Ne vada, although it is probable that the latter two may be represented when the final returns are in. Three States—Del- aware, New Jersey and Vermont—have built but a mile each, while Nebraska has added less than one mile, on a ter- minal line at Omaha. Thirteen states have built more than too miles each, Minnesota heading the list with 250 miles, of which 146 miles was built by the Great Northern. The other twelve States, with their mileage, are: Texas, 183. miles; New Mexico, 163 miles; Louisiana, 158 miles; Arkansas, 157 miles; Alabama, 154 miles; Oklahoma Territory, 147 miles; Maine, 124 miles; North Carolina, 122 miles; Missouri, 120 miles; California, 118 miles; Geor- gia, 112 miles, and Pennsylvania, 105 miles. These thirteen States have built over 1,900 miles of road, and if we _ in- clude Arizona, which has added 99 4 miles, it will be seen that nearly two- thirds of the new mileage of the coun- try bas been constructed in fourteen states. ANOTHER STORM CENTER. The peace of Europe is likely to be disturbed °again at any time by the trouble which is brewing in the Trans- vaal, the Boer republic in South Africa. Not until the conditions are radicaliy changed there will the danger of rebel- lion followed by English intervention be removed. There is hardly a despotism on earth more pronounced than that the Trans vaal or Boer government exercises over the Uitlanders, or ‘‘outsiders.’’ The latter comprise thousands of English and Americans and other foreigners, mostly living at Johannesburg. They own millions of dollars’ worth of prop- erty, chiefly the rich gold fields, and are made to contribute heavily to the expenses of the republic, so-called, but are denied any participation whatever in the government. They are refused citizenship by the Boer oligarchy, which is as insolent as it is tyrannical. It is a case of taxation and absolute control of the richest and most intelligent resi- dents of the country without representa- tion. Such narrow policy on the part of the Boers’ has very naturally occasioned ceaseless murmuring and agitation by the Uitlanders, but their efforts to obtain the political rights to which they are entitled have so far proved abortive. As the majority of them are Anglo-Saxons, however, it. is evident that revolution will be the inevitable result and that only a bloody struggle will settle the troubles, unless, as does not seem likely, the Boers adopt a broader policy. Revolution will mean the intervention of England, almost naturally and nec- essarily, and from that circumstance may come a clash between Germany and Great Britain. It was the Kaiser’s warm congratulations to the Boer Presi- dent upon the suppression of the Jame- son raid and threatened uprising at Johannesburg tbat came so near bring- ing England and Germany to blows a comparatively short time ago. There has been undisguised ill-feeling between the Germans and British since that event and it would take but a spark to kindle a great conflagration. America is deeply interested also in these brewing conflicts in South Africa, for among the Uitlanders are large num- bers of Americans who have important property interests in Johannesburg and vicinity. The Uitlanders are a class of people who will never submit to political slavery—they come from a race that never rests nor quits until it enjoys polit- ical freedom, no matter what the clime or time. THE SOUTH AFRICAN TROUBLE. It is just two years since the Jameson raid into the Transvaal met with such disastrous defeat. It will be recalled that the raid in question was an attempt well planned, but badly executed, to overthrow the Boer authority in the Transvaal. The motive underlying the Movement was a desire on the part of certain South African leaders to extend the British control all over South Africa ; but its main support was derived from the foreign population of the Transvaal, who are ground down and oppressed by the unprogressive Boers, who resent all industrial development. Although the Jameson raid has passed into history, the circumstances which gained it support in the Transvaal still continue to cause trouble. Instead of improving their condition, the effect of the Jameson fiasco was hurtful to the] population of the Transvaal other than the Boers. The people of Johannesburg, the principai center, are loud in their denunciations of the Boers, who resort to all sorts of oppressive legislation, and although collecting the great buik of the taxes from these foreigners, ac- cord them no voice in the government. The state of feeling is such in the Transvaal tbat a clash may be expected almost at any time. Profiting by the Jameson experience, the foreign resi- dents of the Transvaal will lay their plans more cautiously and be fully pre- pared to succeed, should they decide to attempt 'a coup de main. According to a story telegraphed from Berlin to London, Emperor William has refused an offer of $5,000 from a New York publisher for an article giving his version on the Spanish-American war. The offer was made by sending a check for the amount along with the let- ter asking for the article, and the check 1s said to have been returned through the German embassy at Washington. Trouble is about the only thing some people can borrow without security. THE THEORY OF EDUCATION. When, having at last completed the prescribed course of study, the stvdent receives his diploma, he is reminded that his education is not thereby ended, but is rather just beginning. This does not mean that his labors have been so far fruitless, but only that the college, being unable to teach anything exbaust- ively, has simply attempted to furnish him with the indispensable keys of learning. The graduate has acquired, it may be presumed, the power of con- centration and the habit of patient re- search, essential to the successful pur- suit of knowledge. It may be also that his taste has been refined and his appe- t.te for learning stimulated by the col- legiate course of study and by contact with the highly cultivated minds of his preceptors. But, in addition to these things, he has been made more or less familiar with the fundamental princi- ples of the sciences to which bis study has been devoted and to those general methods of investigation upon which their successful prosecution depends. These things are the real keys of learning, and if the graduate finds him- self in secure possession of them at the end of three or four years of college life, he may congratulate himself that his time has not been thrown away. There is, perhaps, a disposition on the part of some people to be too exacting in re- gard to college work. Here and there a parent or guardian, it may be, im agines that the college course, indus- triously followed, should make of the young student a thorough chemist, with general physics at his fingers’ ends: a practical astronomer, perfectly at home in every department of the higher mathematics; a philologist, acquainted with the classical tongues of antiquity. able to read at sight the most obscure passages of any Greek or Latin author, conversant also with two or three mod- ern languages besides his own, and, finally, a metaphysician, who has found his way through all the intricacies of Greek and German speculative philos ophy. Sometimes the student himself goes to college with some such large ex- pectation, although his fall is somewhat broken when he learns‘ that no one hopes in this advanced age to acquire the thoroughness of a specialist in every branch of human learning. But while the amount of actual learn ing acquired in college may seem very small when measured by the standards of high scholarships or when compared with the attainments of specialists, it does represent a _ substantial advance, and he who earns his diploma nowadays is far more deeply and correctly in- formed in regard to many important questions of science than were the mos! eminent savants of one hundred years ago. Indeed, within fifty years nearly all the sciences have been almost com- pletely revolutionized. But the main point is that the graduate has learned at college those things which present the greatest difficulty without the aids supplied by collegiate instruction. The trained athlete should not be ungrsetefvul for those earliest lessons in the art of walking; for he who can now walk a tight rope at a great elevation had first to learn how to balance himself on the level floor. The student at college is taught generally how to use his mind, and particularly where to begin in any investigation that he may desire to pur- sue, If his knowledge is small, it is, nevertheless, a key, and for that reason it is supremely valuable. It seems sad, but it is true, that the hardest things to learn are usually the things that must be learned first of all. Whose patience has not been exhausted by the aiphabet? Whose head has not ached over the mul- tiplication table? There learning— book-learning—began away back yon- der in the distant past; but there it must begin to day, and the lapse of time and the whole onward movement of history have made the task no easier. And certainly no modern invention sur- passes in importance the alphabet and the multiplication table. But every science has its own alphabet, which must be mastered before the mystery of its lore can be spelled out by the eager student. It is true that children pick up, as the pbrase goes, knowledge outside of the schoolroom and without the aid of books. All the world is new and at- tractive to the child, and he is a student both by inclination and by necessity all day long. He begins where the race began in prehistoric ages, ard his edu- cation is in itself an epitome of the en- tire history of civilization. As a whole, it involves just the three things that constitute the functions of the univer- sity proper: instruction, discovery and culture. In the child's education dis- covery plays, perhaps, the leading part, although his discoveries are not com- monly what is called original His first instructors are naturally his father and mother, and the learning he gets from those authorities is none the less intel- ligible and memorable to him because it 1S not imparted in formal and _ color- less terms, but in the glowing words of household teachers who are in love and in sympathy with their pupil. But this learning cut-of-doors is of an encyclo- pediacal range, and the time comes when attention must be confined, for some hours of the day at least,to a more limited curriculum. ‘‘The three R's’’ are taught because they are considered absolutely indispensable. One must learn to read, write, and to perform the arithmetical operations required in the discharge of ordinary business, There is very little attempt to disguise the strictly utilitarian aspect of the instruc- tion given to the youngest children in the schoolroom. But a little later ona mistake is made in the opposite direc- tion. Possibly it grows out of the no- tion that as the majority of school chil- dren will never be sent to coilege they should be taught as much as possible before they leave school. Atall events, boys and girls come home with an arm- ful of books, and a good part of their playtime must be spent in conning to- morrow'’s lessons, or they will incur the penalties of failure, and possibly lose their chance of getting into a high- er grade next session. Precisely how much should be taught, or, rather, how many different studies should be taken up in schools below the rank of the high school, or of the col- lege, is an extremely difficult question. Probably no great charge in the college curriculum need be expected for many years to come. Elective courses are permitted now where they were formerly prohibited ; but the old four-year course was founded in reason, and seems likely to hold its ground despite a vast deal of adverse crit:'cism. No one can hope to acquire the learning of a specialist in more than one or two studies; but the student who avails bimself of his op- portunities at any respectable college will at least learn the main results of in- vestigation, and arrive ata clear com- prehension of the most important scien- tific theories of his time, although he may not be able to estimate the relative value of the evidence upon which the exponents of those theories rely. = Tang dacna chicane — , ; z oe BSE as dite csacrae. 8 aitlinee Ra hatte beer hee AA aa eS Eta SD aeeneeamnene han td lls Inaba es Sh ca Het aa AV abe nahn sae A Date et ne ea aaa eter fstab LE FRc AAS ae ae arene 2 SUNS TG a PIS AE ila a ais Waa Sai : i 10 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN Fruits and Produce. Increasing Scarcity of Oysters. From the New York Commercial. Dealers in this market are much con- cerned over the increasing scarcity of good oysters, the more so as just at this time an unusual demand has set in from all parts of the country. It has been usual at this particular season of the year for distributors in the West to shut off their standing orders with the large Eastern suppliers, but since the begin ning of the holidays dealers have re- ceived notice to continue sending the daily supplies. These alone were suffi cient to absorb all the good stock as fast as the bivalves were received from the grounds, and the fresh orders coming 1n have embarrassed the market consider- ably. Shipments to the Western dealers are chiefly made from the West Tenth street oyster market in this city, and since the new demand set in shipments have averaged from 15 to 25 per cent. heav- ler than during the middle of Decem- ber. Until quite recently, the Texas mar- ket was not considered a factor by the New York dealers, but along with the heavier demand from other sections of the country Texas consumers have made large demands upon the dealers. This is due to the fact that the oyster crop of that State has turned out to bea fail ure, and instead of having bivalves to send out of the State, as in former years, there is nct enough to supply home con- sumption. Heretofore, too, in seasons of scarcity Western distributors were more or less well supplied by Norfolk and Baltimore oyster houses, but this year there is a remarkabie scarcity of the product there, and this is held ac- countable for the greatly increased de- mand on the New York market. The failure of the Southern oyster market to supply the demand is attributed toa light crop of the bivalves in the Chesa- peake Bay. In Norfolk and Baltimore, as is the case here, the price of oysters has gone up several points. In Balti more, the price ranges from 8oc to 85c per gallon, and from 8oc to 9$c per gal- lon here. Comparatively few oysters are canned in New York, owing to the fact that the demand usually absorbs the supply ina fresh state. While the demand is now very large, it will take only the good stock, and there is therefore no chance to work off the poor oysters, even at much reduced rates. The poor quality of the oysters here 1s causing consider- able worry on the part of the planters, For several weeks there has been a steady deterioration. Some of the plant- ers attribute the decline in quality to the heavy easterly weather that prevailed during the early part of December, and to an enormous growth of sea plants and fungi that set in upon the planted grounds at that time. 2 Increase of Fancy Cheese Production in Wisconsin. From the Milwaukee Sentinel. The cheesemaking season for 1898 has closed, and until next April and May nothing will be done aside from curing and shipping the product of the season, arranging for new contracts and com- puting the profits or losses. Prices have ruled rather low up to this time. They show some signs of improvement now and the stock on hand 1s likely to yield greater profits than that already sold. The quantitv has been greater and quality better this season than the aver- age. The weather has been most favor- able for the growth of good grass in pastures and meadows, and consequently the yield of milk was abundant and of good quality. The compiled list of cheese tactories in this (Greene) county shows 198, nearly all of which make the foreign or fancy kinds of cheese, the large, round Swiss, weighing from 70 to 250 pounds each. taking the lead ; block, brick, and Limburger follow closely next As to the amount of cheese made at these factories or cheeseries, as they are beginning to be called, after the German term kaseri, it is difficult to get absolutely correct figures of the total yield. The product as given by the assessors’ statistics for 1898 is about 6 000,000, but these figures are not cor- rect. At the time when the assessor is after information there is but little cheese in the cheeseries, which are very frequently operated by different persons from in the previous season. have not the books nor figures of their predecessors to refer to; besides, the prevailing reluctance to give full infor- mation to assessors extends to those who operate cheese factories. 8 Enormous Growth of California Cel- ery Crop. Los Angeles, Jan. 6—The celery crop of Southern California has within a year or two grown so large as to cut an important figure in the State’s exports. From Westminster, which is the center of the principal celery region, about ten carloads a day are now being sent out. The harvest will continue until March, and the crop is est mated at 700 carloads. Each car is vaiued at about $800, so that the crop is now worth more than $590, 000. Kansas City and Chicago are the two principal distributing points, and this vear both of these cities are getting a large portion of their celery from South- ern California, by reason of the failure of the Michigan crop. The celery for export is grown almost entirely on re- claimed peat lands, similar to the peat bogs of Ireland. They have been drained and cultivated, and proved to be peculiarly suited to the culture of celery. Grown on this land the vege- table has a particularly fine flavor and tenderness. About 700 acres of the peat land belt bas already been thus utilized. 8 Soja Beans as a Coffee Substitute. A Florida paper is pushing soja beans, a Florida product, as a coffee substitute. Here 1s what it says ina recent issue: ‘‘ The principal objection to coffee substitutes is their high price. They are composed mainly of barley, wheat, bran and soja beans or peas, with perhaps a little chicory to. give it flavor, all browned and ground for 15 cents a package. With good Jersey cream and plenty of sugar it makes a fairly good nutritious drink, with no effects of indigestion following, as in the use of real coffee. But why pay 7 to Io cents a pound even, when soja beans or velvet beans can be bought for $2 per bushel that will make just as good bogus coffee?”’ —_—__~o—0-e—_ —- Wonderful Buttermaker. There is being shown in New York a wonderful new buttermaker. It is noth- ing more or less than a butter separator, which not only produces butter in from three to five minutes, but leaves the milk or cream just as sweet as it was before being churned. It is a perfect marvel of scientific and inventive sk1ll, and like all valuable inventions, simple in construction and can be operated by any child. The wonderful simplicity of the machine and its construction war- rants its production at an extremely low cost compared to its worth. Its retail price varies from $5 to $35, according to capacity. —__~_0 > Another Scheme to Preserve Eggs. It is stated that an entirely new proc- ess has been recently discovered by a New York man for arresting the deteri- oration of eggs. The method employed 1s very simple and inexpensive and con- sists of heating the inner lining of an egg by chemical vapor through the pores of the shell, rendering it perfectly air- tight. At the age of even ten months it is claimed that no egg tester or candler can detect eggs so treated from fresh laid, either in appearance or by using, no matter what tests may be used. —____»-2-2--—— Market for Peach Stones. From the Ph'ladelphia Record. Peach stones find a ready market in New York City, where perfumes, flavor- ing extracts and prussic acid are dis- tilled from the kernels. These | MOSELEY BROS. BUY AND SELL POTATOES--BEANS--SEEDS ONIONS-APPLES-ETC. 26-28-30-32 OTTAWA ST., GRAND RAPIDS and these we can always SEEDS =: ALFRED J. BROWN SEED CO. 24 and 26 North Division Street, Grand Rapids, Mich. Extra Fancy Navel Oranges Car lots or less. Prices lowest. Maynard & Reed, 54 South Ionia Street, Grand Rapids, Michigan. The best are the cheapes HARVEY P. MILLER. EVERETT P. TEASDALE. MILLER & TEASDALE CO. WHOLESALE BROKERAGE AND COMMISSION. FRUITS, NUTS, PRODUCE APPLES AND POTATOES WANTED WRITE US. ST. LOUIS, Frio. FREE SAJIPLE 10 LIVE JERGHANTS Our new Parchment-Lined, Odorless Butter Packages. Light as paper. The only way to deliver Butter to your customers. (JEM FIBRE PACKAGE C0., DETROIT. OOOO000O0000000000000000000000000000000000000000 ; HARRIS & FRUTCHEY Only Exclusive Wholesale BUTTER and EGG House in Detroit. Have every facility for han- dling large or small quantities. Will buy on track 835 NORTH THIRD ST., 830 NORTH FOURTH ST., at your station Butter in sugar barrels, crocks or : tubs. Also fresh gathered Eggs. Diisieueiieeice a Mrrrre2r20000 Including B-ldwins, Spies, Russets, Ben Davis, Talman Sweets, Etc. Squash, Pop Corn. Cider, Honey, Hubbard LE Solicit your Orders for Apples —— se ont Rape: ee. Cranberries, Jersey and Virginia Sweet Potatoes, Apples, Celery, Spanish Onions, Lemons and Bananas. BUNTING & CO., Jobbers, Grand Rapids, Mich. 1} {California and Florida sl needa 99000000 00000000 00000000 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 11 GOTHAM GOSSIP. News from the Metropolis—Index to the Market. Special Correspondence. New York, Jan. 7—All markets are firm. The year starts in with the ut- most confidence expressed by people in every line of trade and, unless all signs fail, we shall have every week a record of increasing prosperity. Coffee 1s steady and both brokers and jobbers express themselves as very well Satisfied with the outlook. Orders from both country and city have come in at a very satisfactory rate and values have held with a degree of firmness. While the crop movement continues fairly large, the December report of the world’s visible supply shows a decrease of some 368,000 bags, which is a de- cidedly larger decrease than was antici- pated. In store in the principal ports and afloat there are 752,826 bags. Rio No. 7 is worth 6%c. Muld sorts have been in better movement and the mar- ket is generally satisfactory. Prices are practically unchanged, with Good Cu- cuta held at 83{c. East India sorts are in slow movement, but in sympathy witb other kinds the tone of the market 1s firmer. Refined sugars have been in moder- ately active demand and the situation is not less interesting than it has been. The Mollenhauer refinery, it is stated, will shut down, as prices have been forced down to a point that no longer affords them a profit. It is alsosaid that Havemeyer is getting ready to make tbe fur fly and proposes to show ‘‘some body’’ that they can not build sugar re- fineries for the purpose of selling the same to the Trust, and that those who try this game will have a hard row to hoe. While granulated is listed at 5c, independent refiners report some enquiry at 4.94¢. The tea market, while showing a slight improvement, is in no condition to brag about. Orders are for small quantities. Domestic grades of rice have met with a very satisfactory demand from some of the larger grocers and the mar- ket for such is in very good shape, and the feeling is intensified by reports stil] coming of a big felling off in the crop of Burmah. Foreign grades here are in moderate request, but sales made are at full value Prime to choice Southern rice is quotable at 53%@6%c. Japan, S@5¥c. ge Pepper is firm, with little if anything doing in other lines Singapore black pepper is worth 1o%@1oc. The molasses market shows consider- able strength, especially for the better grades of grocery stock, and buyers seem willing to pay full rates, realizing that they will not save anything by ‘‘shopping.’’ Good to prime centrif- ugals are held from 16@26c. Open ket- tle, 32@36c. Molasses from cane that has been frostbitten is considerably in evidence, It is not desirable and is apt to turn sour. Syrups are quiet, with prices practically unchanged. Oranges have met with fair request. On Thursday all cars were sold of Cali- fornias, mostly navels, at satisfactory rates, fancy stock hringing $2 80@3.40: common, $2.20@2.65. Floridas are in light demand. Jamaicas, repacked, meet with ready sale at $5@5.50 per bbl. Bananas are quiet at goc@$1! per bunch for firsts. The volume of the canned goods busi- ness this week has not been so large, but the whole tone of the market is firm —decidedly so. Prices, while not notably higher, are well held, and the outlook is most satisfactory. Very little if any change is to be noted in the butter market. The volume of receipts is not large and yet seems to be sufficient to meet the demand. Most enquiry is for the very choicest stock, and for fancy Western creamery 2I!Ic is about top rate. Imitation creamery, finest, 16%@17c; firsts, 14%@15%c; Western factory, June extras, 14@14%c. Little interest is displayed in cheese, either by exporters or home traders. Fancy, large size, full cream State is worth 10%c. Small size, 1c. The demand for eggs shows some falling off, but arrivals are moderate and prices are generally well maintained. Best Western, 27c; fair to good, 26@27c. Dried fruits are quiet, with evaporated apples worth 9%@loc; choice, 8{%@ gee. Fancy greening apples are worth $5@6 per bbl; Baldwins, $4@4.50. Cranber- ries, Cape Cod, per bbl., fancy, $7@7.50. For ‘Me and Frank.” Years ago, when Frank Parmelee was running bis "bus line in Chicago, he bad a driver named ‘‘ Bob,’’ and he had his suspicions that he wasn’t getting all the fares he was entitled to. ‘‘Bob’’ had a habit of talking to himself, and one night Parmelee caught him in the stable reckoning up the day’s proceeds. He had emptied his buckskin bag out on a sack of oats, and was stacking up silver dollars in two piles. ‘‘Here's a dollar for me, and here's a dollar for Frank,’’ he said, ‘‘and a dollar for me anda dollar for Frank ’’ He kept on this way until he had all the money equally divided, with a dollar over. Parmelee kept still and waited to see what ‘‘ Bob"’ would do with that dollar. ‘‘Bob’’ looked at it and weighed it in his hand. ‘*Shall I keep it?’’ he says to himself. “*No, I'll let Frank have it. He has to feed the horses.’’ Parmelee broke in on him then, and gathered in the whole pot. Next he proceeded to talk kindly but firmly to his driver. ‘‘It’sa good thing you had some glimmerings of conscience remaining, you infernal old scoundrel!’ he said. ‘‘If you hadn’t turned over that odd dollar, I’d have fired you, sure.’’ —___»2~2—__— The Peasant and His Son. One day a peasant carried a basket of potatoes to the field and dug holes in the soil and planted them. His young son watched operations for a time and then enquired: ‘‘Daddy, why do you put those taters in the ground?’’ ‘‘By so doing each one will bring me back ten, my son,’’ replied the father. The boy went away, and when his father came up to dinner he found him digging in the yard and asked: ‘Sonny, what are you seeking?’’ ‘‘Why, daddy, I have planted the clock, two umbrellas, the teapot, your Sunday hat, ma’s boots and a tablecloth, and each one will bring me back ten.’’ ‘*You young idiot, come here and be skelped !’’ shouted the father, and he tanned the boy up and down, crossways and sideways, until he was tired. ‘‘Daddy planted taters to get back ten,’’ mused the boy as he sat down un- der the cow shed to think. ‘‘But I planted clocks and bats and boots to grt a licking. It must be the difference in the soil.’’ 8 Decrease in the Connecticut Oyster Industry. New Haven. Jan 6—The report of the Connecticut Shell Fish Commissioners, just issued, gives a discouraging ac- count of last year’s oyster industry in this State. A quarter of a million dol- lars has been lost through heavy storms and the star fish, and there has been practically no dealing in seed. ‘*Where hundreds of thousands of bushels of seed were sold last year from the natural beds,’’ says the report, ‘hundreds, or even less, would this year represent the catch ”’ In regard to next year’s crop, the re- port says: ‘‘A glance at the amounts of shelis, sand and gravel and other ma- terial spread by the planters on their grounds this year for the reception of the ‘set’ will show an outlay in monev and labor that has been almost a dead loss in every case It is safe to say that the loss will be $250.000 in money.”’ ——__>-0>—__ Otherwise. Benedict Holmes: My wife has joined a sewing society. Freeman Bachelor (simulating inter- est): Is that so? Benedict Holmes: it’s talk. —_—_—_»>-2-2—_ In time of peace prepare for war arti- cles in the magazines. No, it isn’t sew; lilinois to Have Pure Food Laws. Peoria, Ill, Jan. 3—I take pleasure in handing you herewith copy of the suggestions made by the manufacturing, jobbing and retail interests of this city to the gentlemen who are drafting a pure food bill to be presented to the next General Assembly of Illinois. You will pardon my using one paragraph from your letter of Dec. 17, addressed to William Judson, but it touched the exact spot. We are endeavoring to have a pure food bill drafted which will be protection to the consumer, and at the same time a reasonable measure under which manufactured articles must all be made of non-injurious ingredients. We do not believe that the consumer wants absolutely pure goods in all prod- ucts, but that he does want to know that the mixtures, compounds or blends con- tain ingredents not injurious to bealth. F. C. JONES. ——_>_¢ .____ How It Happened. Sympathetic Visitor (to prisoner) : My good man, what brought you here? Facetious Prisoner: Borrowing money. Sympathetic Visitor: But they don't put people in prison for borrowing money! Facetious Prisoner: Yes, I know; but I had to knock the man down three or four times before he would iend it to me. a It Didn’t Surprise the Janitor. Janitor: You’ll have to stop practi- cing on that cornet—we can't stand it. Cornetist: I’m sorry that music has no charms for you. You know Orpheus moved inanimate objects by his music. Janitor: Is that his cornet you've got? + 0 -e Bound to Bring Him to Time. Attorney: You can sue him for breach of promise, madam, bvt it seems to me preposterous to claim $250,000 damages, Fair Client: I want to get so heavy a judgment against him that be’ll just have to marry me—the scoundrel ! Old Homestead Mincemedt Co. Manufacturers of Ot nOmeSIead Minced and Jobbers of Pearl Brand Oysters In Cans or Bulk. Consignments of Poultry and Game Solicited. 43 E. Bridge St. Grand Rapids. fy EGGS WANTED® Am in the market for any quantity of Fresh Eggs. Would be pleased at any time to quote prices F. O. B. your station to merchants hav- ing Eggs to offer. 23 21S 21 21 28 ais 21s 21s 218 218 ae ae Established at Alma 1885. O. W. ROGERS ALMA, MICH. SHEEUEED Sutcutcutey NrctuooNNUR RIOR at 328 Ste Ste Ske Sie Sle Ske Ske Sie Ske Sle Sle Sle Ship your BUTTER AND EGGS to R. HIRT, JR., DETROIT, MICH. 384 AND 36 MARKET STREET. 435-437-439 WINDER STREET. Cold Storage and Freezing House in connection. Capacity 75 carloads. Correspondence solicited. Oe ? WANTED DRIED AND EVAPORATED APPLES BOTH ’97 AND ’08 STOCK. N. WOHLFELDER & CoO., WHOLESALE GROCERS 399-401-403 HIGH STREET EAST. DETROIT, MICH. SELEEEELESEEEEE EOE EEE EE OEE EEE TEE EEE EEE EE EE EEE LEER FFSFSS STFS SSS RFFFTFFSTFSF SSF SSF SSFSFFSFSFFFSSSFSTFSFSFFFSFFSFSFFFSFTFTTSFFA FOS OOOOO0OS 00000000 00000000 09000000 00000000 Hermann C. Naumann & Co., 353 Russell Street, Detroit, Mich. Opposite Eastern Market, Are at all times in the market for FRESH EGGS, BUTTER of all kinds, any quantity, FOR CASH. Write us. e@ @ aidan The Neatest, Most Attractive and Best Way to handle butter is to put it in our ARAFFINED ARGHMENT-LINED AGKAGES Write for prices. MICHIGAN PACKAGE CO., Owosso, Mich. piss arate Sonal dada e phase seks bens he ph eendoredionn ohn Bs Abate hari aah aera iN Here RE ALI 4 bea By Jats een tes ablndalet dit | 12 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN Some Facts About the Grocery Busi- ness of Gotham. New York, Jan. g—The_ wholesale grocery district of New York, that bustling locality on the lower West Side In tne vicinity of Franklin and Hudson Streets, Contains within its boundaries business houses which are known all through the country. The yearly trans- actions are on a tremendous scale, and the far-reaching inflaence of the opera- tions is felt tne wide world over. In this line New York buys in almost every part of the globe, and the principal centers of Europe give homes to the American representatives of these ta- mous dealers in the good things of life, as well as the necessities. The annual business of the sixty leading grocery houses of this city is over $250,000,000 a year. During the present season the war with Spain created a new field for sales, and many a local bid was ac- cepted by the Government in the way of canned goods, provisions, flour, sugar and coffee. While in the major- ity of cases the army contracts gave an added zest to business, there were not a few instances where losses were in- curred. This came about to a large de- gree through a rise in flour during the first weeks of the struggle. Of the aver- age total annual business there are seven grocery houses which, combined, do at least $100, 000, c00, There 1s an air of activity in and around the grocery district which can not fail to interest the casual observer. Huge vans rumble through the streets weighted down with boxes and bags. Some are for loading and others for un- loading at the warehouses. Shipping clerks bustle to and fro, checking off bills of lading and burrying the drivers in order to have them catch the next freight train or steamboat. In the ca- pacious salesrooms the goods are dis- played in a manner calculated to tempt even the most hardened buyer. Sales- men who know every article of the hun dreds for sale and the price of eacb, on more than a dozen different kinds of dis- count, are taking hourly orders the size of which would make the quiet little keeper of a country store doubt his senses. The whole trade in all parts of the metropolis, and with its hundreds of ramifications, is said to give employ- ment to forty or fifty thousand hands. Three-quarters of the immense supply of coffee which comes into the United States is distributed by the grocers and importers of New York. The price of coffee, as well as all other staples, is fixed and determined here. Of the 100 000,000 pounds of tea which comes into the country fully three fifths is handled in this city, despite the fact that quite a large portion comes by the way of San Francisco and the overland route, The wholesalers of New York, to be- gin with, have an exceptional field to operate in right here at home. There are about ten thousand reta:l groceries in the present New York, which supply the 3,500,000 inhabitants with their daily requirements. One of the features of the growth of the business curing the last few years is the quantity of canned goods handled. This department has grown to unusual size. Many firms have their own factories and individual brands. The business as it has both enlarged and concentrated has required greater administrative skill and finer trade tactics. The $25 000,000 gross transactions alluded to only yield an es- timated return of 1 per cent. net. Great houses doing a $5 000,000 business a year, with perhaps $500,000 or $600,000 capital invested, will have at the end of the year no more than $500,000 net for the risks and keen work that have been used in juggling with their cap- ital, laid out in cargoes and trainloads of groceries, subject to conditions that the wisest trader can only guess at. The wholesale grocer, who used to handle only a_ limited line of staples, has become the purveyor of prepared foods. He is the vebicle whereby the manufacturer of things to eat and of many household conveniences finds a market. The principal business and the principal profits of a wholesaler are not in sugar, coffee, tea, dried fruits, cured meats and cheese, but in prepared table articles. The wholesale grocer 1s for the factory as against the kitchen. ——_—_o-2-2 The Boy and the Limburger Cheese. Ma sent me to pay a bill at the gro- cers last Saturday. The boss behind the counter made me a present of some- thing wrapped in a piece of silver paper, which he told me was a piece ot Limburger cheese. When I got outside the shop I opened the paper, and when I smelt what was inside I felt tired. 1 took it home and put :t in the coal shed. in the morning I went to it again. It was still there. Nobody had taken it. I wondered what I could do with it. Father and mother were getting ready to go to church. I put a piece in the back pocket of father’s pants, and another piece in the lining of ma’s muff. 1 walked behind when we started for church. It was beginning to get warm. When we got in church, father looked anxious and mother looked as if some- thing had happened. After the first hymn, mother told father not to sing again, but to keep his mouth shut and breathe through his nose. After the prayer, perspiration stood on father’s face, and the people in the next pew to ours got up and went out. After the next hymn, father whispered to mother that he thought she had better go out and air herseif. After the second _les- son, some of the church wardens came round to see if there were any stray rats in the church. Some mote people near our pew got up and went out, putting their handkerchiefs to their noses as they went. The parson said they had better close the service, and hold a meeting outside to discuss the sanitary condition of the church. Father told mother they had better go home one at atime. Mother told father to go the nearest way home -nd disinfect himself before she came. When they got home, they both went into the front room, but did not speak for some time. Mother spoke first, and told father to put the cat out of the room, as she thought it was going to be sick. It was sick before father could get it out. Mother then turned round, and noticed that the canary was dead. Mother told father not to sit so near to the fire as it made mat ters worse. Father told mother to go and smcther herself. Mother said she thought she was smothered already Jus then the servant came in, and asked :f she should open the windows, as the room felt very close. Father went up- stairs and changed his clothes, and had a hot bath. Mother took father’s clothes and offered them to a tramp, who said, ‘* Thanks, kind lady, they are a bit too high for me.'’ Mother threw them over the back fence into the canal Father was summoned afterwards for poisoning the fish. Mother wert to bed. Father asked her it she had been fumigated Just then father had a note sent him. Fatber came to wish me ‘‘Good night’’ at 10 o'clock in the evening, with a note in one hand and a razor strap in the other. I got under the bed. The peo- ple next door thought we were beating carpets in the house. I can not sit down comfortably yet. I have given my little sister what I had left of that Lim burger cheese. I thought it a pity to waste it. a The Origin of the Menu. Americans have become accustomed to an eating programme, in which dishes for the table, like doctors’ pre- scriptions of medicine for the stomach, are written in foreign languages. In fact, many eaters never know what they are eating unless the dishes of hash and things mixed generally are pre- pared by a French cook, and printed in the French language. Then they know all about it. Cheap restaurants are also onto the snap of putting up a big bill of fare; but when a customer selects something aside from the three or four standard dishes of liver, bacon, greens, ham, potatoes and eggs, the waiter must say, ‘‘We are just out.’’ Few people are probably aware of the origin of the menu or bill of fare, that important feature of all banquets and dinners. It was in 1498, at the German imperial diet, held in Regensburg, un- der Emperor Maximilian I. The prin- ces of the states were assembled to discuss the affairs of the nation, and particularly measures for upholding the ‘‘general interstate peace treaty’’ that bad been agreed upon at the diet of Worms. It included the establishment of a kind of supreme court of arbitra- tion for the whole empire, an institution which became extinct only in 1806, with the dissolution of the old German em- pire. For, as in our own days, there was much talk of peace and treaties,and still more banqueting and feasting. A great dinner was arranged at the mag- niticent town hall. During the banquet, Count Hugo von Montfort noticed that the duke of Brunswick, William II., would from time to time consult a scroll of parchment that lay beside his plate. Wondering what it might contain and, perhaps, believing the witty prince was looking over his notes for an after-din- ner speech, he found upon enquiring of the mighty warr.or that it was a copy of the cook's programme, or b11) of fare. The valiant duke was quite an epicure and, as he stated to the count, simply wanted to know the succession of piates, so that he might be sure to preserve sufficient appetite for his favorite dishes [The duke’s gastronomic method soon became known, and ever since the menu forms part of great public banquets. By this feeding programme a man may know of what he will fill up on, and be enabled to choose the cause of his dys- pepsia. People who live in_ stone should not throw glasses. houses YY Lj Y~ 4 ~~ A rnncetrt A Aw Jr 4a Aor Apr Am reenter A nae I eg BUCKWHEAT! That is PURE is the kind we offer you at prices that are reasonable. We sell buckwheat that has the good old-fashioned We do not adulterate it in any buckwheat taste. way, Shape or manner. We believe that when people ask for buckwheat they want buckwheat, and it is for the class of people who know what they want that we make this buckwheat. We believe that it will please any lover of the genuine article. We would like to have your order and shall take pleasure in quoting youa close price on any quantity. VALLEY CITY MILLING CO. GRAND RAPIDS. $ Sole manufacturers of ‘“‘LILY WHITE.”’ ‘*The flour the best cooks use.’’ VSS Se Se SO VT VO Vv Vw VT Vv VW NV VV VV VV Vv VV VY VV yee ee FOLDING PAPER BOXE Printed and plain for Patent Medicines, Extracts, Cereals, Crackers and Sweet Goods, Candy, Cough Drops, Tobacco Clippings, Condition Powders, Etc. Bottle PHONE 850. and Box Labels and Cigar Box Labels our specialties. GRAND RAPIDS PAPER BOX CO. 81,83 ano 85 CAMPAU ST.. GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. Ask or write us for prices. Paying creameries ® promote prosperity. I We build the kind that pay. If you would like to see a good creamery in your community write to us for particulars. A MODEL CREAMERY. Our Creamery buildings are erected after the most approved Elgin model. We equip them with new machinery of the very latest and best type. Creamery Package M’f'g Co. o eitnco ILL. MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 13 LEADERS IN BUSINESS. Who Properly Belong in That Cate- gory. Written for the TRADESMAN. In response tou a number of enquiries from those who read my article in a re cent issue of the Tradesman in regard to who may be considered the leader among the merchants of a town, City or village, and whether all might not ac- quire that distinction if the same line were followed, I again drop intoa poetic strain for answer: There can be but one winning horse in a race, Nor more than two leading merchants in a place. Others may imitate and come very close, but he who leads must come in at the finish a clean first. Not even neck and neck can apply here, and we can safely state that he whom the people proclaim leader, he is leader. This proclamation comes from actions rather than words, and is demonstrable in the fact that to such an one as the popular choice falls on the people look for new things at seasonable times, good things all the time, courteous treatment as a matter of course, and store service un- questionably up to date, and are not disappointed therein. Another identify- ing mark is that others will ‘‘follow the leader;’’ and, when imitators of your acts, plans, trims, advertisements or any other individuality of yours say more plainly than words would express the thought, ‘‘Lead thou us on—we are followers, "’ fly not into a passion, but take it as evidence that you are the leader. imitation is always the sincer est flattery The very act is admittance that you are looked on asa leader by some if not by all. I would make, as illustration to my idea of leadership among the retail mer chants of any place, a comparison witt a bicycle race I once had the pleasure of witnessing from a seat in safety off the track : In this race were numerous entries,. many of whom were more than amateurs, some semi-professionals, a couple of experts and there was one solitary rider who had never won distinction on the cinder path. The handicapping was. therefore, not a feature where figures could place him in the finish so he would be in sight of those who led at this exciting time; but he was given < good start, secured a fair send-off, anc for a few rods actually led the race. But the people were not deceived by his ap parent leadership; they had no cheers for one who did not win his position by sturdy pushing and reserved applause for those who were first in passing those whom the handicap placed in advance This solitary rider did not have on a special bicycle suit, only a commor everyday outfit, and he worked in his shirt sleeves, which left him a conspic- uous mark among his opponents. As he gradually fell behind all the others there was no one to even watch his movements, the spectators thinking of course he would be distanced. And it really looked like it when, on reaching the final home stretch, the others were rods ahead of him, mostly in a compact bunch, with the two experts complacent- ly in the lead by a sufficient space to justify them in anticipating their easy victory, when one just behind them made a spurt and came so close up that the experts had to exert themselves to keep in the lead. But just here their inattention to busi- ness changed the entire field outlook, and the future of some lives in the crowd closely following, for the one leading watched the ones close bebind, instead of keeping his eye on the track ahead, with the inexplainable result of his wheel suddenly sheering off to the right, causing him to loose his hold an instant, when his wheel ‘‘lay suddenly down to rest and get ready for repairs.’ Falling, he saw his danger and stretched his hands ahead, hoping thereby to bave crossed the line. But this was be- yond reach, and in an instant the ones following were all in an indescribable heap of humanity—wheels, pneumatics, wires, arms, legs, sweaters, curses, zroans and broken hopes. The catas- trophe was utterly unavoidable, because the fieid was so bunched that, with eyes on the leader, they hac no time to stop or turn aside, resulting in one of the most complete pile-ups on record. But what was this solitary figure crowding the outer wall,coming on with head erect and colors flying? Only he who was far enough behind to keep his eye on the track, his hand on the guid- ing bar, his foot on the pedal, himself on his seat, and who kept right on push- ing all the while, but guided his whee! safely around and beyond the indiscrim- inate mass of struggling humanity and reached and passed the line ahead of all others, thus winning the race in which at the start he had no visible chance of winning, and at the finish re- ceiving the hearty applause of the pub- lic whose money had been paid to see the winner and who bestowed their ap- proval without previously-formed preju- lice. As this figure swept silently past the grand stand the cheers completely jrowned the groans from those fallen on the field before the glory thereof had been won. This solitary rider we wiil compare to one who enters the mercantile race with a business education which places him naturally at the head, and who is backed by a determinaion to keep right on wushing along his own line, his hand zuiding, his eye on the course ahead, in- stead of on those in competition. He who steers clear of the debris of broken fortunes and keeps his eye, hand and head on bis own business career is able to guide the same along the safe, out- side course, clearing all the dangers of his path by passing around, rather than stopping to clean out of his way those who have an apparent lead, always oushing ahead towards the object of his search, a competence, and finally re ceives the merited plaudits of the public, whose money pays for the race and whose sympathy is always with the win- ner. In the business race he who has an apparent lead and stops to watch those close behind, with perhaps a too com- olacent spirit not unmixed with jeal- ousy, and does not watch the route ahead may come to grief in his career and carry down others who are following. This man represents him who, having a good trade, bends his entire energies to beat his competitor. Sometimes this is done with cut prices, coupled with personal attacks on competitors; other times by various ways, among which we will mention only one—having outside business, pleasures, sports, etc., to draw attention off the track ahead, when, like the wheel bereft of human guidance, the business comes to a disastrous end, and all too often drags down with it competi- tors who have been following him so closely their ventures are thrown into the crash of final ruin; while be who, in plain everyday clothes, is located far enough away to stick to his own busi- ness, pushing and guiding it to the end of winning*and keeping out of the fool- ish slashing of price, making a gain with every transaction, is sure to win out at the finish. I would say to any one who would be a leader: Work with only one object in view, the approval of the public. Map out for yourself a straightforward, busi- nesslike course, and then stick to it. This course must of necessity be along the route marked out by public demands, because the money of the public pays for the race, and they dictate what course is to be run, where the finish must come, and in a large measure the tools to be used ; and the approval of the public alone can make possible a pay- ing race of any description. It is often the case that some little store around the corner is the popular mart of town, where the people go for the newest and best of everything, and get it; but slowly do they flock with approval where cheap—cheap—cheap is everywhere apparent, and seemingly the only store maxim. Cheap prices means cheap goods, usually dispensed over cheap fixtures, with cheaper light and accommodations, by the cheapest help obtainable. This line seldom is a win- ner; but he who builds up a trade by sticking to the motto, ‘‘The best of everything, or nothing at all, for my trade,’’ secures a permanency and is the victor. The best of everything means best store room, best light, best fixtures, best goods, best service. This combi- nation will meet the public approval, which won, confidence can be main- tained, and a foremost place be assured him who sticks to his plan, giving little or no heed to competitors, but always maintaining the claim toleadersbip by sticking to the store motto, ‘‘ The best,’’ not even falling into the too common habit of considering that when the best of everything else has been provided the public will put up with the poorest available help. L. A. Bry. MERCANTILE ASSOCIATIONS | Michigan Business Men’s Association President, C. L. Waitnery, Traverse City; Sec retary, E. A. Stowe, Grand Rapids. Michigan Retail Grocers’ Association President, J. WISLER. Mancelona; Secretary, E. A. Stowg, Grand Rapids. Michigan Hardware Association President, C. G. Jewett, Howe'!l; Secretary, Henry C. Mrinniz, Eaton Rapids. Detroit Retail Grocers’ Association President, JoszpH KniexT; Secretary, E. Marks, 221 Greenwood ave; Treasurer, U. H. FRINK. Grand Rapids Retail Grocers’ Association President, Frank J. Dyx; Secretary, Homer Kuap; Treasurer, J. Gzo. LEHMAN. Saginaw Mercantile Association President, P. F. TREANOR; Vice-President, JoHN McBratni£; Secretary, W. H. Lewis. Jackson Retail Grocers’ Association President, Gro. E. Lewis; Secretary, W. H. Por- TER; Treasurer, L. PELTON. Adrian Retail Grocers’ Association President, A. C. CLarkK; Secretary, E. F. CLeve- LaND; Treasurer, WM. C. Koran. Bay Cities Retail Grocers’ Association President, M. L. DEBats; Sec’y, S. W. Waters. Traverse City Business Men’s Association President, THos. T. Barres; Secretary, M. B. Hotty; Treasurer, C. A. HamMOND. Owosso Business Men’s Association President, A. D. WHIPPLE; Secretary, G. T. Camp- BELL; Treasurer, W. E. Coins. Alpena Business Men’s Association President, F. W. Gitcurist; Secretary, C. L. PARTRIDGE. Grand Rapids Retail Meat Dealers’ Association President, L. J. Katz; Secretary, PHitip HILBER; Treasurer, S. J. HUFFORD. St. Johns Business Men’s Association. President, THos BromLey: Secretary, Frank A. Percy; Treasurer, CLaRK A. PUTT. Perry Business Men's Association President, H.W. Wacuace; Sec’y, T. E. HEDDLE. Grand Haven Retail Werchants’ Association President F. D. Vos; Secretary, J. W. VEKHOEKS. Yale Bnsiuess Men’s Association President, Cas. Rounps; Sec y. FRANK PUTNEY. HANSELMAN CANDY CO. KALAMAZOO, MICH. MANUFACTURERS OF FINE CHOCOLATE BON BONS ° We wish to thank the trade for the liberal patronage of the past vear and hope to merit a continuance. Our salesmen, Walter Baker, G.A. Sage, C.D. Waldo and C. W. Sipley, will visit the trade regularly. o @ G d . t] oe o> @ —) == Good Printing == o 2 o a2 o @ h o < e& —@) Does not always cost too much. |\®@——~@ -— Poor printing always does. You an oo hince [ae ®& —@® cannot afford to pay anything =~) for poor printing. You can 7 o 2 o a @ —® | afford to pay a good deal for |\eo-—2 —— oe @» SS | the good kind. But—you will a a -——— @—®@) be asked only a fair price by |S" —@ ——— - oo —» ae = —s Tradesman Company |S-—=> oe ®@ ae = Grand Rapids, Mich. == o @ o —@ i] $ ; > 4 1 14 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN Shoes and Leather Every Man to His Trade. There is a dubious phrase about the “*higher criticism,’’ whatever that may be, which many self-sufficient men are pleased to think they are fully compe- tent to handle on almost any subject. Whether in war or in peace, this con- fident, self-deluded mortal will furnish the highest military authorities with strategic advice and point out to them, through the safe ambuscade of the press, the time and the manner in which a de- cisive blow should be delivered ; or he will, gratuitously, pour valuable counsel into the astonished ear of an expert me- chanic upon a subject of which he, the self-contained amateur, knows next to nothing. The mental activity of this man is exceeded only by his anxiety to force his valueless opinions upon others who are trained and disciplined to their work by active service and long experi- ence. If our generals and admirals can get no valuable points from this anxious, well-meaning citizen, neither can the expert mechanic nor the successful vet- eran manufacturer gain useful knowl- edge from the visionary and untried theorist. The men who are full of bumptious criticism, always on tap, are always to be found, as disturbing elements, both in civil and military life, and their social rating is low. In the useful arts of the world per- haps no cautionary advice is more commendable than that of the title of this article, ‘‘Every man to his trade.'’ The time has long since passed when a man can drop his yardstick or his pen and rush with impunity into the com- plex labyrinth of modern shoe manufac- turing. lt is at least two score years too late for a man with some ingenuity and pluck to start a shoemaking plant with a few sides of sole leather, a dozen skins, a “‘jour’’ or two and an appren- tice as his stock in trade and his work- ing .staff. The world has moved, and with it our trade. The small fish have been swallowed by the leviathans of the craft, and the latter have been nourished by the former and have increased in proportions and power and are better fitted in every way to meet the enormous and varied de- mands of these times. It matters not what a man’s trade may be, if he has adopted it and followed it intelligently for many years he is better fitted to give an opinion upon that par- ticular calling than on any other, The term ‘‘trade’’ is used here with the utmost latitude of meaning, and is intended to cover any pursuit on the face of the earth that a man may have pinned his faith to and in which he has invested money, time, care and thought. The man who has any trade at all has grown to it; he was not born to it, ex- cept so far as an inherent capacity may have seemed to fit him to follow it: and the modern way of pursuing the trade of shoemaking on a large scale, so far from being an exception to the rule of growing into it, is one of the most exacting callings among the useful arts, in which, by reason of the enormous competition existing, very narrow mar- gins of profit are the rule; and even these are obtainable only under the closest scrutiny and excellent manaze- ment on the part of the principal. ‘But any man of average intelligence and business ideas can run a shoe store, and sell shoes profitably,’’ says the self-assured citizen. Perhaps, when brogans, hip boots and two or three plain sorts of dress shoes comprised tbe assortment of the shoe dealer, it was just possible for the dry goods man, or even the blacksmith, to swap his trade for the shoe dealer's and come out even. The untrained man now who tries to run an up-to-date shoe store is like the novice on the bicycle who has side sup- port to keep him up. It is slow, however, and there is no fun in it. Besides, his side support may fail him at a critical moment,and down he goes. The would-be bicyclist may be a cow- boy, and he may have ridden success- fully a bucking broncho; but the wheel is different and bucks in its own pecul- iar way. The dry goods man may have con- ducted a successful business in that line, and have stuck on for many years, but without some previous training for the new venture the modern shoe busi- ness will throw him. If, like Rip van Winkle, an old-timer in the shoe trade were to be thrust sud- denly into a ~well-equipped shoe store to-day, his amazement and confusion would be as great and genuine as that of the long-sleeping Dutchman at the changes that time has wrought. i The old-timer would be totally unfit for the emergency, and would lose cus- tomers, right and left. Our styles would be Greek to his an- cient lore, and their variety and enor- mous profusion would strike him dumb; while the glare of modern colors, with the electric searchlights turned on them, would probably strike him irrecoverably blind. And what would an alien to our craft do in the midst of this, to him, chaos of footwear? Weeks, nay months, would have to be spent by him in bringing order to his confused mentality; in learning the first or kindergarten elements of shoes, just by daily object lessons. And then the names! Hebrew or Sanscrit would be no more unintelligible to his intellect the latter part of his lessons. Soon, too, he would be obliged to master the perplexing shibboleth of toe jargon, and if he were ever competent to distinguish between a bulldog and a Piccadilly, a coin and a razor, he would then have laid a temporary foundation of knowledge upon which he must con- tinually build up with the shifting and elusive newcomers which put in an ap- pearance about once a month. With a civil service examination suc- cessfully passed in the foregoing branches he would now be ready for the rudiments of that occult science recent- ly introduced into the shoe dealer's cur- riculum, as an indispensable accom- plishment to meet the exigencies of feminine prejudice in the vital matter of the size of their footwear. The unintelligible cipher dispatches would form no easy task for his mental training in the art of selling shoes to fair patrons whose old-time No. 3s have failed to develop, laterally or longitudi nally, proportionately to the progress of the feet ; but which are still demanded, just the same, in order to satisfy con- servative predilections for former con- ditions. The unhappy alien to our craft is ex- pected to master this new branch of ethics, and to be able to translate these ciphers offhand.—E. A. Boyden in Boots and Shoes Weekly. —___o_+. ____— Reason It Out Yourself. You ask why he is successful. Did you ever see him playing bil- liards during business hours? Isn’t he always there when you call at his place of business? : Did you ever hear of him neglecting his business for a baseball game? When he is engaged at his desk, is he writing business letters or is he at- tending to a questionable social corres- pondence? Isn’t he the first one at his place of business in the morning? I don’t know, son, why this man is successful, but I do know of a good many reasons why he is deserving of credit. —--—-~o 0 -e The young widow is not always as mournful as she is dressed. Geo. H. Reeder & Co., 19 South Ionia Street, Grand Rapids, Mich. Agents for LYCOMING and KEYSTONE RUBBERS. Our stock is complete so we can fill your orders at once. Alsoa line of U. S. RUBBER Co. COMBINA- TIONS. and get the best goods made. Our line of Spring Shoes are now Send us your orders on the road with our travelers. Be sure and see them before placing your orders as we have some “hot stuff” in them. fe HEROLD-BERTSCH SHOE CO. MANUFACTURERS AND JOBBERS OF RELIABLE FOOTWEAR »°O; @°O, @° 0; @° 0; O°0; O°0; @°0; 6°05 Our Spring line is a Winner; wait for our travelers and ‘‘win’’ with us.—When in the city see our spread.—Agents for Wales Goodyear Rubbers. $EESEEEESESE 5 AND 7 PEARL ST., GRAND RAPIDS. a i i Nl A ctl ets capac at hn ln Ain ti A Rindge, Kalmbach, Logie & Co., 12, 14 and 16 Pearl Street, Grand Rapids, Michigan. Manufacturers and Jobbers of Boots and Shoes Agents Boston Rubber Shoe Company. A full line of Felt Boots and Lumbermen’s Socks. ¢ We have an elegant line of spring samples to show you. Be sure and see them before placing your order. NNO SSS SOLOS a a ee SN a a oe ee wy LO Women’s extra fine, per doz....$2.00 Retail at 2c Misses’ extra fine, per doz...... 1.70 Retaii at 20c Child’s extra fine, per doz....... 1.50 Retail at 20c Men’s extra fine, per doz........ 2.75 Retail at 35c ‘Women’s No. 1, per doz........ 1.75 Retail at 20c Misses’ No. 1, per doz.......... 1.50 Retail at 18c Child’s No. 1, per doz........... 1.35 Retaii at 18c Men's No. 1, per doz............ 2.50 Retail at 30c Above are long, fine Fleece. Women’s old style binding, short wool, per doz.$1.25 Misses’ old style binding, short wool, per doz. 1.10 Child’s old style binding, short wool, per doz.. 1.00 Men’s old style binding, short wool, per doz... 2.00 HIRTH, KRAUSE GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. -Lamb’s Wool Soles gj Over Gaiters Leggings Women’s to button, Felt, per doz.............. 82.50 Women’s 10 button, Trilby, per doz........... 3-00 Women’s 10 button, Empress, per doz......... 4-50 Women’s 10 button, Victoria, per doz.... .... 6.00 Women’s 7 button, Josephine, per doz........ 4.00 Men’s ro button, Storm King, per doz... ...... 6.00 Men’s 10 button, Blizzard, per doz............. 8.00 Women’s all wool Leggings, above knee..... Pet dog... 0555. 2 $10.50 Women’s mixed wool Leggings, above knee Wer dae. 25.250 9.00 Sox for Rubber Boots, per doz................. $1.25 ‘ & CO., ARS) MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 15 Acetylene Lighting Rapid Development of the Acetylene Gas Business. When ‘‘Tip’’ Wilson made the dis- covery that crushed lime and coke could be fused in an electric furnace in quan tities that made acetylenea commercial product, he had two requisites for turn- ing his discovery into money. One was a clear idea of the value of the patents obtainable on the process of making crystalline calcium carbide and the other was a very decent idea of the ca- pabilities of Tip Wilson. A dozen years ago Tip used to work in Woods’ arc-lamp factory, in Brook- lyn, and as the best ideas frequently come to those engaged in electrical pur- suits, so Tip stumbled onto the inven- tion that has made him a fortune. Even at that time he was tco good an inventor to prove a good workman. Frequent changes of occupation brought consequent cycles of good and bad luck, so that Tip knew the pain of hunger as well as the pleasure of spending money. When, therefore, he brought his dis- covery to the notice of the prominent gas people of New York, and asked a million dollars for what he had, Tip was entitled to credit; but when he actually sold the rights to his invention for a quarter of a million, and got it, he was certainly entitled to the cash as well as the credit. Being a Canadian and in- heriting a bump of Scotch caution, he reserved the Canadian rights as a pos- sible means of controliing the Canadian government, and giving employment to half the population of Canada. At least that is the way Tip explained the mat- ter. This was four years ago, and the fact that Tip bas probably spent most of his money simply proves him a young man of vast ideas and that his discovery was a mere incident in his career as an _ in- ventor. The value of the Wilson process lies in the fact that in fusing lime and coke, by means of the electric current, in nearly equal proportions, into calcium carbide, from the latter acetylene gas can be made at a price which success fully competes with other illuminants, because of the cheapness of the ma- terials employed in its manufacture. Carbide was made sixty years ago and has since been in constant use in labo- ratory work, but previous to Wilson’s discovery it cost probably an average of $1 per pound, giving an equivalent in lighting effect equal to ordinary city gas at the rate of $20 per 1,000 feet. The present price of American car- bide is $70 per ton in carlots, and the quality runs close to five cubic feet of acetylene per pound of carbide, which places acetylene, with present devices for its use, on the basis of ordinary gas at $1 per 1,000 feet, or electric light at Io cents per 1,000 watts, or 4 cent per hour per 16 candle-power incandescent lamp. At this price the demand exceeds the present supply, which is being increased as rapidly as money and brains can do so. Up to this time the demand for cal- cium carbide ‘has increased faster than it bas been taken care of. When the present increase of 20,000 horse-power in the ‘‘Soo’’ works is completed, it looks as if the price of carbide will be reduced. Up to this time, however, no one can determine exactly at what price carbide can be made, as it has never yet been manufactured on a sufficienty large scale. The present output of the Cana- dian works at St. Catharines is three and one-half tons per day, and that of the Niagara and ‘‘Soo’’ works fifteen tons per day. These are the only carbide works in commercial operation in this country, the latter two being operated by the Union Carbide Co., the only American licensee under the patents of the Elec- tro Gas Co., of New York, whose stock- holders own the controlling interest in the company. The Electro Gas Co. not only controls all patents in the Wilson process, but bas absorbed all the available patents covering not only the manufacture of crystalline calcium carbide, but the use, aiso, of acetylene in almost every form, even to bringing carbide in con- tact with water for the making of acety- lene gas and the burning of the gas ina burner. The best legal talent obtainable has passed favorably upon the validity and strength of these patents, and, what is equally important, the Electro Gas Co. bas ample funds for offensive and de- fensive purposes. It is, therefore, prob- able that the Electro Gas Co. will con- trol the sale and use of calcium carbide in this country. When acetylene was first brought out, it was thought by enthusiastic support- ers that it would revolutionize the light- ing field. This has not been the case. Liquefied acetylene has been the cause of almost all accidents due to acetylene explosions, and the impracticability of nandling acetylene in that form, coupled with the fact that the insurance com- panies of the country refuse to indorse the use of liquefied acetylene in any shape, has and will prevent its use. Carbide to-day is too expensive to dis- place the larger lighting plants with acetylene. Where a_ good {gas or elec- tric light service is given at reasonable rates, the existing plant will not be affected by competition with acetylene. Electricity and gas now cover two- fifths and kerosene oil and gasoline three-fifths of the total lighting field. The sale of the devices now on the market for lighting with acetylene and the use of carbide at present prices have already demonstrated that acetylene is destined to replace two-thirds of the lighting now done with oil, and en- croach to the extent of probably one- third upon the existing electric and gas lighting field. In the smaller towns of 3,000 popula- tion and less, acetylene will soon re- place existing lighting plants, espe- cially where the present plant is too small or unprofitable to give a decent lighting service. The smailest electric- lighting plant that it would pay to erect costs about $8,oco. An acetylene plant giving a better lighting service can be built for $4,000 and maintained ata less expense. The coming year will see, perhaps, two hundred acetylene central stations or plants, with a capacity ranging from 300 to 1,000 lights each, the gas being sold through meter at the rate of from 1144 to 2 cents per cubic foot. This is equivalent to an electric-light rate of 7 to ro cents per I,ooo watts. Carbide averages five cubic feet of acetylene to the pound, and the plant will require the services of one man for two hours per day, so it can readily be seen that a plant of less than 1,000 lights can be operated and maintained for much less than electric-lighting plants of the same capacity. Taking into consideration, then, the first amount of the investment, it follows that acetylene will supersede the very small electric-lighting plants in a great many Cases. Carbide cannot be profitably manufac- tured except under exacting condi- tions—a 5,000 horse power equipment is probabiy the smallest plant it would pay to operate. The ordinary electric- lighting apparatus is not adapted to its manufacture, so that the utilization of the day load of such a plant is imprac- ticable. Power is but one of the factors in making carbide. A pure coke is re- quired; a quality of lime showing less than 3 per cent. of magnesia, and fa- vorable freight rates and shipping fa- cilities are equally important. A com- bination of these requisites is found in but few places in the United States, and it is safe to say there are not half a dozen points in the country that are available for the manufacture of carbide. That a profit is made in selling car- bide at present prices seems reasonably certain, as the Union Carbide Co., whose stockholders are almost all conservative gas men, prominent in the control of some of the largest gas works in the country, would hardly offer their prod- uct at the price now asked. That the existing price will not be raised is a simple business proposition. If it was raised to any extent, acetylene gas in the economy of its use would not com- pete with other illuminants, and _ its employment would be restricted to an output too small to pay to manufacture. As the cost of carbide depends par ticularly on the output of the works, it is inevitable that increased production will lessen the price. Assuming even that it requires an amount of $100,000 or more to build carbide works of a ca- pacity to profitably manufacture the product, and that the patents of the Electro Gas Co. are likely to be held good, the growing demand and pro- spective profits of the sale of carbide will attract and tempt investment of ample capital to throw down the gaunt- let to the Union Carbide Co., unless that company controls the manufacture and sale of carbide through making and selling it at competitive prices, on lines similar to those followed by the Stand- ard Oil Company. We can, therefore, safely predict that acetylene will be a competitor of elec- tric lighting, of constantly growing im- portance. We know that in the State of Wisconsin, for instance, over seven hundred stores and houses are now ligbted with acetylene from_ isolated generators installed during the past year; in fact, the present development of acetylene is almost confined to the Middle States, although a considerable business in acetylene generators is done along the Pacific coast and a compara- tively small amount in the Eastern and New England States. The main cause of this uneven development lies in the attitude shown by the different in- surance boards of America in classifying acetylene as a fire hazard. The Western Union of Fire Under- writers and the Chicago Underwriters’ Association have granted permits under certain rules for the installation of acetylene generators within buildings, when the construction and operation of the generator has been tested and prop- erly approved. Thirty-two different makes of acetylene generators have been passed upon by these two insurance boards, and permits granted for the in- stallation, inside of buildings, of the generators approved, upon application Owe) Acetylene as Generator COMPLETE DEVICE FOR GENERATING ACETYLENE GAS IN THE MARKET. ABSOLUTELY AUTOMATIC. To get Pure Gas you must have a Perfect Cooler and a Perfect Purifying Apparatus. have them both and the best made. does perfect work all the time. active operation in Michigan. Write for Catalogue and particulars to GEO. F. OWEN & CO., COR. LOUIS anD CAMPAU 8TS., “ THE MOST SIMPLE AND We The Owen Over 200 in GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. Also Jobbers of Carbide, Gas Fixtures, Pipe and Fittings. The Best of Reasons why you should be prejudiced in favor of Tht BRUCE GENERATOR 1. The generating chamber is large, and a full charge of carbide is only two inches deep, thus avoiding heating while generating. 2. The spiral spray distributes the water evenly over the T carbide, giving it quick action, quick action avoids exces- sive water feed and over production. 3. There are no valves to be opened or closed by forks, It is extremely simple and is sure. 4. Our Gasometer has no labor to perform, thus insuring ratchets or levers. at all times the same even pressure. s. All pipes are self-draining to the condens- ing chamber. WA il ae Mi 1 HII A) 6. Our Gasometers for same rated capacity & are the largest on the market, and will hold a Ht! large supply. It saves. 7. The Bruce Generator, when left to do its own work, will not blow off or waste the gas. € 8. Not least, but greatest. Our Purifier takes out all moisture and impurities from the gas, making it impossible for pipes to clog up or the burners to choke up and smoke. er bss or || } ITE Ht itty | 1 a Sri MICHIGAN AND OHIO ACETYLENE GAS CO., Ltd, Sole oa KSON, MICH. s a Y i \ 16 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN to any of the insurance companies rep- resented. The first generator passed upon was approved less than two years ago. It is but six months since the Pa- cific Association began to issue permits, while the Southern Tariff Association only accepted acetylene business within the past quarter. Rules for the placing of acetylene generators were formulated by the East- ern and New England Insurance boards two years ago, and while considerably altered and modified, are not as liberal nor as helpful to the growth of the acetylene business as those adopted by the Western Union of Underwriters. However, it is a question of less than fa year's time when all insurance bodies of this country will accept acetylene as a risk under some set of rules govern- ing the installation and operation of the plant. This will be a natural result aris ing from the fact that there has not yet been any large fire loss caused by acety lene, even although imperfect devices and the carelessness which accompanies the inexperience in handling a new gas have offered their full quota of fire haz- ards, and also from the reports of fire causes recorded by the Western Union, which show a surprisingly small per cent. of blazes arising from acetylene gas. Just as the acetylene bicycle lamp is far from being satisfactory, a practical and perfect acetylene burner for cook ing and heating has not yet been placed on the market, but there are a few good economical and satisfactory acetylene generators that will give a lighting serv- ice destined to replace the small electric lighting plants as surely as kerosene displaced tallow dips. C. E. Lake. 0 True to Life. From the New England Grocer. We heard a pretty good story of a woman who spent nearly all of last Sun day in reading the department store ad- vertisements, and on Monday went into see what bargains she could get. She hired a girl to come in and tend her baby, and started off for the Hub. She spent all the forenoon looking ‘round, and when she was quite tired out went home. She found the baby had been about choked during her absence and that the cat had eaten up her valuable canary. But she brought home her bar- gain, a two-cent bunch of envelopes! This is a fair sample of what the women frequently accomplish when they start out bargain hunting. —_—__> 2. A German grocer displaved a sign reading: ‘‘Eggs, guaranteed, sixteen fora shiliing.’’ A customer, finding half his purchase unfit for use, came back to complain. ‘‘Vell,’’ remarked the proprietor, blandiy, ‘‘ve guarantee dem to be sixteen eggs. Dot Is all.’’ Tm Hida aay ‘MAKE BUSINESS BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE. Elements to Be Considered in Cor- rect Letter Writing. The letter a person writes is not an infallible indicator of the kind of per- son he is; nor is it safe to judgea business establishment entirely by its correspondence. Some men of great force of character write weak, childish letters. This 1s apt to be the case with those who lack the advantage of early education. On the other hand there 1s occasionally a man, the perfect acme of inefficiency, who writes a handsome, well-worded letter, conveying clearly and unmistakably the ideas intended. Despite many such exceptional cases, the correspondence going out from any business house, large or small, is one of the factors from which our impres- sion of that house is made up. Every letter that is sent carries with it an im- pression of the character and business methods of the sender as well as its im- mediate message, and so is an adver- tisement as well as a means of commu- nication. Serving this double purpose, it is important that letters should be gotten up in the best manner possible. The stationery used should be of good quality and the printed headings neat and in good style. Anything florid or loud is especially bad taste in station- ery. One would not don a smoking jacket or a fancy ball costume and go and make a business call—it is equally bad form to use high-colored paper or a heading of odd or conspicuous design. Good typewriting is better for busi- ness purposes than any handwriting, ind surer of being correctly read by the recipient. But when the work is done by an amateur and erasures have to be made and omitted letters and words put in ‘‘by hand,’’ the effect is painful to a degree. Good plain hand- writing is far preferable. As to chirography, whether it be Spencerian or vertical or backhand or any old pothook system, let it be legible. Remember, you are writing what is to be read; then let it be readable at whatever sacrifice of ornamental(?) flourishes. It is highly desirable to be able to write rapidly, yet speed is not the chief consideration. You would not talk so fast as not to be readily under- stood, just for the sake of saving a little time. In order to save yourself two or three minutes on the writing of a letter, it is hardly fair to the one who will re- ceive the letter to send something that must be laboriously deciphered. Be- sides, not every one will take the trouble to- make out an almost illegible manu- script. Let the signature especially be plain—one can guess at the body of a letter much better than at a proper name. So far as lieth in you spell correctly. Spellers, like poets, are born, nct made. The mastery of the orthographic intri- cacies of the English language seems to be an innate ability with some people; others find it difficult or impossible to acquire. The vocabulary needed for ordinary business correspondence is so small that it would seem that any one could master it by taking a little trouble. If you can not do this, better let someone else do the writing. Noth- ing looks more innocent and unsophisti- cated than a poorly-spelled page. It would seem that a villain never could be a poor speller. While we can not suspect anything base of the bad spell- er, we instinctively distrust the work- ings of his headpiece. The effect of poor spelling is even worse than that of poor writing. The ordinary rules for capitals, punc- tuation and paragraphing should. of course, be observed in the business letter; and it should be free from blots and untidy blemishes. The great desideratum, the sine qua non of business composition, is definite- ness. Say what you mean, exactly as you mean it; say it so no one can twist from it a different interpretation from that which you intended, and say noth- ing but what you do mean. A _ potato dealer had located a young man ina certain section to buy potatoes. Owing to a sharp decline in price he doubted whether any had been purchased, but wished to know what had been done, and whether cars were needed. So he telegraphed the young man: ‘‘Wire me how many, if any, potatoes you have bought.’’ He received the brilliant reply: ‘*Doubtful bow many I can get.’’ A good mary letters are about as much to the point as this reply. A shoe dealer, mayhap, writes in to his manu- facturer or jobber, ‘‘Send me a case of shoes. Rush the goods right out, for I need them.’’ The wholesaler would only too glady rush out anything he has in stock ; but whether it is best to make a wild guess and send something or write for more definite instructions is a prob- lem. The answering of enquiries is often done with aggravating indefiniteness. For instance, a dealer writes asking whether certain lines of hosiery and un- derwear such as he purchased a few weeks before can now be duplicated. He states styles, prices and stock num- bers. In due time he receives a letter, gotten up elegantly as to appearance perhaps, but running about like this: Our Dear Mr. Retailer: Your enquiry of recent date received. Would say in reply tbat our lines of hosiery and un- derwear, while somewhat broken by recent heavy sales, are still] measurably complete. As the season 1s a little ad- vanced we have reduced prices, and can supply you with goods at surpris- ingly low figures. Hoping to receive your valued order, we remain, Yours very truly, BuyYRIGHT, UNDERSELL & Co. This is all very nice, but when he gets it the retailer wishes that some one had taken a piece of brown wrapping paper and a lead pencil and given him exactly the information he asked. Not only should the business letter be definite, it should be concise. It is difficu t to attain these two objects with our language. Almost any meaning or shade of meaning can be expressed by the English tongue if enough words are sed; but to make accurate expressionu with few words is more difficult in ours than in a more highly inflected lan- guage. However, a measure of con- ciseness can be obtained by a little effort and study. It is especially un- businesslike to be ‘‘longwinded.’’ Last, but by no means least important, comes courtesy. Unfailing courtesy is as indispensable in correspondence as in any other form of business inter- course. Josh Billings says wisely, ‘*What can not be secured by politeness can only be gotten with a club.’’ It is often necessary to state plain and un- varnished facts, and express dissatisfac- tion by letter; but it is useless and fool- ish to vituperate through the mails. Sarcastic remarks lose their force in the process of transmission. QUILLO. —_—_~» 4 Importance of a Business Educaticn. Ignorance is the rock on which many a business has been wrecked. This is not necessarily want of knowledge of the specific business that a man is fol- lowing, although too often the young man from the farm, because he has capital, thinks he can become a grocer or a dry goods merchant, without ever having given an hour’s thought to, or obtained any experience whatever in, these lines. _ But the man experienced in his call- ing may be wanting in knowledge of right business habits and business man- agement. Commercial records show that hundreds of businesses go into insol- vency each year because the proprietors have not had knowledge of the correct keeping of accounts. Whilst a business 1s moving on prosperausly, and the money flows into the till plentifully, a merchant may think he is succeeding, only to find himself drawn up short after he has gone a certain length. _ We hear stories of men who have car- ried on extensive business, and kept their accounts in their heads. These men do not live in the present day, in the midst of the competition that is ex- tant on all sides. POO CO UUOUOUUUUUUUUUY UU UY YY yyy vv We Realize— J a That in competition more or less strong ¢ Our Coffees and Teas : Must excel in Flavor and Strength and be constant Trade Winners. roasted on day of shipment. The J. M. Bour Co., 129 Jefferson Avenue, Detroit, Mich. 113°115=117 Ontario St., Toledo, Ohio. All our coffees MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 17 Commercial Travelers Michigan Knights of the Grip. President, Caas. S. STEVENS, Ypsilanti; Secre- tary. J C. Saunpgers, Lansing; Treasurer, O. C. GouLD. Saginaw, Michigan Commercial Travelers’ Association. President, James E Day, Detroit; Secretary and Treasurer,C. W. ALLEN Detroit. United Commercial Travelers of Michigan. Grand Counselor, J.J. Evans. Ann Arbor; Grand Secretary, G S. VaLmoreg, Detroit; Grand Treas- urer, W. S. WEst, Juckson. Michigan Commercial Travelers’ Mutual Acci- dent Association. President, J. Boyp PanTLinp, Grand Rapids: Secretary and Treasurer, Gro. F. OwEN, Grand Rapids. Lake Superior Commercial Travelers’ Club. President, F. G. Truscott, Marquette; Secretary and Treasurer. A. F. Wixson, Marquette. Gripsack Brigade. Wm. Connor (Michael Kolb & Son) is spending the week in Grand Rapids and will remain here over Sunday. Chas. Christopher, formerly with Rob- son Bros., will represent Northrop, Robertson & Carrier in Northern Mich- igan, S. T. Bowen (John G, Miller & Co ) is off on a three weeks’ trip through Northern Michigan and the Upper Pen- insula. Bay City correspondent: Joseph Glaza, formerly with J. N. McDonald & Son, has taken a position as traveling sales- man for the Northern Baking Co., of West Bay City. A. B. Hirth (Hirth, Krause & Co.) has been joined by his wife and two children at Mesa, Arizona, where he is temporarily sojourning in hopes of se- curing relief from symptoms of tuber- culosis, John McLean writes the Tradesman that it was he who made the motion at the Saginaw convention, requesting the Board of Directors of the Michigan Knights of the Grip to locate the next annual convention at Bay City. Thomas Tubbs, book-keeper for the Owosso Casket Works, has taken the position of traveling representative for Steinman & Sons, furniture manufac turers of Chicago. He is located in Grand Rapids during the January sales. Jose A. Gonzalez (Best & Russell Co. ) has finally decided to accept the Gov- ernment appointment tendered him in connection with the establishment of postoffices in Cuba,and started for Cuba Monday. His successor with the Best & Russell Co. has not yet been an nounced. Judd E. Houghton, formerly on the road for the Lemon & Wheeler Com- pany, but for the past two or three years located in Iowa in the interest of W. F. McLaughlin & Co., of Chicago, has succeeded in securing a transfer to Michigan territory and has located at East Jordan, where he has become a free- holder by the purchase of a comfortable home. Geo. W. Miller, traveling representa- tive for Michael Kolb & Son (Roches- ter), has the sympathy of the trade in the death of his wife, from pleurisy, which occurred at Charlevoix on New Year’s morning. Mrs, Miller was a most exemplary woman and was held in high esteem by all who knew her. Two daughters, 15 and 17 years of age,are also left to mourn her loss. The family re- sides: at Charlevoix, but spends a por- tion of the year at Traverse City, where the daughters attend school. Adrian Times: A big-hearted travel- ing man entered the postoffice the other day, and noticing nine letters in the window marked ‘‘Held for postage,’’ said: ‘‘ Will you do mea favor, please?’’ ‘*Certainly,’’ answered the clerk. ‘‘Well, then,’’ continued the pleasant stranger, ‘‘I should like you to place stamps on those letters and have trem sent to their addresses. Will it be per- missible for me to buy the stamps?’’ He was told it would, and in way of ex- planation, as the clerk affixed the stamps, heremarked: ‘‘ Yousee, I like to get letters myself, and I should hate to bave one of mine held for postage.’’ R. N. Hull in Ohio Merchant: The relationship between the commercial traveler and the members of the house employing him grow closer year by year. On the face of it, as a strict business proposition, it might seem that when a man is paid his salary, for which he is supposed to have rendered adequate service, all considerations cease, and no sentiment need be wasted. Yet there is something in the deal that goes farther into the ethics of commercial life, and evolves from it a fraternal obligation uuhampered by the dollar gauge The sordid pursuit of wealth should not be the only incentive that prompts a con- cern to hoist their name over the door of their business place in a bid for patronage. The commercial traveler, if he has the right spirit, in entering ints a contract witb the people be proposes to represent, looks beyond the mere stipend agreed on asa basis for future preferment, if not congratulation for duty well performed. His success can not for a time be measured by monetary reports. He labors on, sometimes tar into the night if necessary, to bring matters up to the standard he has planted ; he throws his whole soul into the cause; his bright young nature is full of enthusiasm; he is in love with his calling and imbued with admiration of the business heads of the house he represents; hence, prosperity comes his way and the standing of the house rises with bim. If he is so fortunate as to have allied himself with noble men whose hearts are filied with the senti- ments of brotherly love and the milk of human kindness has not curdled in their systems, when adversity comes the past is not forgotten, but comes up as a blessing to guide justice in seeking a way to care for him—the reward never to be forgotten to a man and brother, as he hears the welcome plaudit, ‘‘ Well done, good and faithful servant.’’ The new 2 cent Canadian postage stamp, issued in connection with the reduction of the rate between certain British colonies,to one penny, is finding its way into the United States on mail matter from the Dominion. Its use on leiters to this country was made possible by the recent reduction by Canada of the rate to the United States {rom 3 to 2 cents. The stamp is unique, although far from being artistic. It bears a map of the world, with tbe British possessions printed in red. Thattbhe mapping does not have regard for proper proportions is shown by the fact that the portion allotted to Canada is palpably larger than that credited to the United States, although the area of the latter country, including Alaska, is 3,501,000 square miles, while that of British North Amer- ica, including Newfoundland, is less than 3,360,000 square miles. On the stamp are the words, ‘‘We hold a vaster empire than has been.’’ This feature is all right, but the addition of ‘‘ Xmas, 1898,’’ is not particularly pleasing to admirers of good English. Judging from the size of our gas bills, the gas meter must make both ends | mete, Movements of Lake Superior Travelers. Marquette, Jan. lo—M. A. Dunning has left this territory for Morley Bros. and gone to Duluth to manage the house furnishing goods and stove department of the Marshall-Weils Hardware Co T. J. Gregory (Sprague, Warner & Co.) takes the copper country territory recently vacated by Mr. Harlow. Mr. Harlow, who has for many years represented Thos. Biglow (Sprague, Warner & Co.) in the copper country, has transferred his allegiance to Steele, Wedels & Co., but will have no change of territory. F. G. Horton, who covered a portion | of the Upper Peninsula for several years in the grocery line up to a year ago and then went to his home in Pennsylvania, has recently accepted a_ position and will represent Thos, Biglow (Sprague, Warner & Co.) over the old territory, with headquarters at Escanaba. Geo. I. Walz (W. W. Oliver, Escana- ba) divides his time between road and store duties. Mr. Walz 1s a bustler and is corralling a lot of business in the territory surrounding Escanaba. M. H. Grover (Bay De Nocque Lum- ber Co., Garth) exhibited a Iittle ec centricity at an Escanaba hotel during the meeting of the Northwestern Cedar- men’s Association Evidently he had been in cities before where the lights went out at 12 p.m. Grover owns a very elegant 50 cent brass lantern and carries it with him to use in such emergencies and his roommate was much surprised in the morning to find the lantern had been used in the room instead of the electric light or gas. W. M. Porter will be missed from this territory. The boys will particularly miss the hygienic lectures. Mr. Porter lives in Cleveland, N. Y., and will have a territory nearer home. Gene Griggs (Peeriess Manufacturing Co.) is with us again. A. F. Wixson (Fletcher Hardware Co.) was at Manistique last week, pric ing the inventory of the Chicago Lnm her Co.'s hardware stock, of which A. M. LeRoy is manager. Mr. LeRoy is an ‘‘old-time, well-seasoned and tough’’ traveler, baving represented Jenness & McCurdy for years in the Lake Superior territory. oO Sir Thomas Lipton is fast establishing a reputation for ubiquity. Among the many roles which he is playing and about to play are his challenge for the America’s cup, his offer to bolster up the sugar industry in the West Indies and the establishment of cheap restau- rants in London. His very latest ts an offer to the government of Victoria, Australia, to push the sales of the wines of that colony for the little considera- tion of $25,000 per annum for eight years. Sir Thomas is like the man in Shakespeare—‘‘he plays many parts.”’ —_-£#¢ 2... A man with a horse shoe over his door, a rabbit’s foot in his pocket, and sulphur in his shoes, stands a living chance of escaping la grippe. Prospectors from the United States are multiplying in Puerto Rico. They in- clude engineers and capitalists who are looking for opportunities to build elec- tric or other railways, and commercial travelers representing machinery, agri- cultural implements, firearms, bicycles and many other manufactures. The candles used plentifully throughout the island have heretofore been imported from Spain and Belgium. —_—_—> 2. _____ The grip might as well—to make it less terrible—be called by the old-fash- ioned name of ‘‘influenza,’’ that flew into a patient’s system in some cold, unwelcome way. — ~~ 0 People who object to liquid refresh- ments will hesitate about using the newly-discovered liquid air that is to be the life and health and power of the future. —~—> 2. —___—_ Pride is a big thing; but a deadbeat who has had it stifled it soon enough. —__~>2.____ All cities are full of promising young men. The tailors know them. TRAVEL VIA r.424F MM... FP. AND STEAMSHIP LINES TO ALL POINTS IN MICHIGAN H. F. MOELLER, a.a.P.a. REMODELED HOTEL BUTLER Rates, $1. I. M. BROWN, PROP. Washington Ave. and Kalamazoo St., LANSING. HOTEL WHITCOMB ST. JOSEPH, MICH. A. VINCENT, Prop. $2 PER DAY. FREE BUS. THE CHARLESTON Only first-class house in MASON, MICH. thing new. Every room heated. lighted sampie rooms. Every- Large and well- Send your mail care of the Charleston, where the boys stop. CHARI.ES A. CALDWELL, formerly of Donnelly House, Prop. Hotel Columbia Finest Furnished House in TRAVERSE CITY. MICH. Just Opened and Ready for Business. Located on corner of Front and Park Sts., one-hilf block from G. R. & I. R. R. depot. This house is newly furnished throughout. All the sleeping rooms have iron and brass beds, steam heat, electric lights, call bells and good ventilation. No inside rooms. Hot and cold water in all parts of the house. Rates $1.50 per day. Free bus to and from all boats and trains, A First-class Lunch Room in connection. W. H. FLETCHER, Prop. FORMERLY OF COLUMBIAN RESTAURANT » : Sut. Le bins ne Bn Bn dn Dn bn Bade SMart, nin Mn nee “Ain ts Ai Lin iy ip di Min Mn Mn in Mn Mie, Manila, Mn il die Trwv 4 4 tab bn bn bn bet ba tn be bn tes tn bon bn rind han batinser Pr Prprdngirg ry VGUVUCUCCTUCCUCTCEVCOE OE ST VSNVVVVVVS Rat GA RPPF FOE OE FIED ECD OS DECE TOOTS OE EO eee Chocolate Creams Be sure and specify our goods in ordering through your jobber. GRAND RAPIDS CANDY CO., ee i te i i tp tp bp bp hn be bi bn be be Dn he Oe Oe be bn Senn Sana turtle bain hatiaiuda tii Batata dn tn tn be Our Specialty w Put up in Pails and Boxes Quality Guaranteed Ww GRAND RAPIDS. eaihhb i hb hb bb bb bn tr br bo ttn bn bn tn bn bn bn be bn ln tn tn hn br RAPP VE VET V VE ECE EUV ECVV VUVVVVwVV re ee ee wv Y ia 4 18 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN Drugs--Chemicals MICHIGAN STATE BOARD OF PHARMACY. Term expires F. W. R. Perry, Detroit - Dec. 31, 1898 A. C. ScouMacHER, Ann Arbor - Dec. 31, 1899 Gro. GuNDRUM, Ionia - - - Dec. 31, 196¢ L. E. REYNOLDs, St. Joseph Dec. 31, 1901 Henry Hem, Saginaw --— - - Dec. 31, 1902 President, GEo. GuNDRUM, [onia. Secretary, A. C. ScoumacHER, Ann Arbor. Treasurer, HENRY HEIM, Saginaw. Examination Sessions. Detroit—Jan. 10 and 11. Grand Rapids—March 7 and 8. Star Island—June 26 and 27. Houghton—Aug. 29 and 30. Lansing—Nov. 7 and 8. STATE PHARMACEUTICAL ASSOCIATION. President—J. J. Sourwine, Escanaba. Secretary, Cuas. F. Mann, Detroit. Treasurer -Joun D. Murr, Grand Rapids. How Shall Strophanthus Seeds Be Selected? Since the introduction ot strophanthus into the materia medica the seeds ob- tainable in commerce have varied con- siderably in appearance and in quality, and, as a consequence, the preparations made from them have also differed in Strength and therapeutic action, so much so that many physicians have discontinued the use of this drug. Four samples of strophanthin were recently tested at the pharmacological laboratory of Parke, Davis & Co., three of which were supposed and claimed to be chemically pure by the manufactur- ers. There was found such wide varia- tion in activity that one was ninety times as fatal to animals as another; while the strength of the remaining two varied between these limits. No two samples were even approximately of the same strength. What a chance fora sudden fatal determination of an ap- parently improving case of cardiac dis- ease! According to some of the best authorities, the maximum dose of stro- phanthin is three times as poisonous as the maximum medicinal dose of atro- pine, eight times as poisonous as that of strychnine, and twelve times as_poi- sonous as that of absolute hydrocyanic acid. There is no reliable chemical test for strophanthin, because it is of such delicate structure that it is decom- posed in the process of chemical ex- traction; it therefore devolves upon physiological testing to determine the medicinal value of the seeds. About thirty varieties of strophanhtus have been discovered, but only six of them contain strophanthin. The yield from Strophanthus Kombe is about 0.95 per cent. ; from Strophanthus hispidus, 0.65 per cent. ; and from Strophanthus glaber, 5 per cent. The latter species, because of the high yield, is very poi- sonous and has been excluded from all pharmacopoeias. This species is used by natives for poisoning arrows; and this was the means of discovering the exceedingly vaiuable heart tonic. The Pharmacopoeia. defines _ stro- phanthus as ‘‘the seed of Strophanthus hispidus, De Candolle, variety Kombe, Oliver, deprived of its long awn."’ There seems to be such a great differ. ence in authorities on strophanthus that I will briefly go over S. hispidus and S. Kombhe. The limit of Strophanthus hispidus, De Candolle, is from the Cayor near St. Louis to the Gulf of Guinea, near the old Calabar River, and across the con- tinent to the Nyanza region, where it seems to meet with the Kombe. The seed is usually lanceolate, although it varies at times from this outline, some being relatively broad and flat in com- parison with their length. It varies in size from 1o to 17 Mm. in length, by 2 to 3 Mm. in breadth, and 1 to 1.5 Mm. in thickness. The hairs on the seed are very numerous, not very near together, golden-brown, velvety, and running from base to top. Strophanthus Kombe, Oliver, inhabits the eastern part of Africa, from the great lake region to the coast; that is, the basin of the Zambesi and the Shire. The seeds are recognizable from their dense, green tomentum, which has a silky lustre. They are lanceolate in form, from 11 to 22 Mm. in length, by 2.5 Mm. in breadth, and 1 to 2 Mm. in thickness. Strophanthus hispidus is characteristic of the western coast of Africa; S. Kombe, of the east coast. In the inter- mediate region are forms which bear seeds varying in size and in color from cream-white to brown or green, with all intermediate shades; so that many botanists consider the Kombe a mere variety of S. hispidus. The S. Kombe as found upon the market is nearly an equal mixture of S. Kombe and S. his- pidus, which is used to adulterate the former. From a lot of strophanthus seeds so adulterated a series of speci- mens may be obtained, varying from typical Kombe to typical hispidus, and showing perfect inter gradation between the two in size, shape, pubescence and color. It is reported that storphanthus seeds are frequently adulterated with the seeds of the apocynaceous Kickxia africana, a caoutchouc-producing plant of Africa. Dr. P. Siedler has studied compara- tively the seeds of S. hispidus, S. Kombe, and Kickxia africana. The latter are spindle-shaped, not flattened, and have base and apex tapered off in a similar manner; they are not hairy. The strophanthus seeds,on the contrary, show at least the remains of hair, are pronouncedly flattened in form, and have a rounded base and a sharp apex. In cross section the Kickxia seeds are characterized by much-folded cotyle- dons; while those of strophanthus lie parallelly upon one another. When treated with concentrated sulphuric acid, sections of Kickxia seeds turn brown at first, then cherry-red; the strophanthus seeds turn green in color when thus treated. Authorities urgently recommend that strophanthus seeds should be purchased in the follicles and tests for strophanthin applied, which would also exclude the Kickxia seeds and insure the manufac- turer that no time is wasted on useless seeds. If strophanthin is present, a physiological test is. required to prove the requisite amount, which is done by comparing a solution of crude drug with a solution of known strength, using the heart of a frog, the actions of which are recorded by the kymograph. For the complete satisfaction of the doctor and patient and for the safety of the pharmacist, only such preparations as have been physiologically tested should be used in prescriptions. F. P. TuTHILL. >. ____ No Spare Hours. Mr. Cowhide (arriving at city hotel) : I s'pose I kin hear the gong here when it rings for dinner, can’t I? Clerk: We have no gong. We have breakfast from 6 to 11, dinner from 12 to 6, supper from 6 to II. Mr. Cowhide: Jehoshaphat! How am I to git time to see the city? —————-. oo __—_ Not a Quiet Spot. Dollie: Was it a quiet spot where you kissed Mollie? Chollie: No; it was on the mouth. Had a Definite Plan and Diligently Pursued It. The city of Bluffton, Ind., is a fair example of several hundred other towns of 5,000 population in the Middle States and the advertising principles laid down and carried out by Charles C. Deam, who is engaged in the retail drug business there, may be of benefit to druggists in towns of that size or less who have $200 a year to expend in printer’s ink. Mr. Deam started in the drug business ten years ago with little more capital than his credit, and now owns an $8,000 stock, together with a bank balance sufficient to pay his ad- vertising bills at least. From the start Mr. Deam has been a constant and steady advertiser. First of all, he bas endeavored to securea monopoly on all the proprietary reme- dies for the sake of the advertising. In the Chronicle and Banner, the two week- ly county papers, he has control of the Bucklen, Chamberlain and E. C. De Witt remedies. There are sixteen sep- arate advertisements in each paper which end with the phrase, ‘‘Sold at Deam’s Drug Store.'’ While deriving the profit from the sale of these medicines, he further has the benefit the advertising dees his business, and the only expense is the extra quantity he must purchase to secure an advertising appropriation. In addition to this, Mr. Deam carries about twenty lines of local advertising in both papers, separated into two or three paragrapbs, for which he pays 5 cents per line. These local advertise- ments he changes regularly each week. Attention is paid to the season of the year when the articles advertised are most appropriate, seeds and paints in the spring, cough medicines in the winter and spring, blue goggles to pro- tect the eyes during the threshing sea- son, assafetida during a whooping cough epidemic, a hog cholera remedy when a scourge is on, sage about Thanksgiv- ing, Spices in the canning months, etc. People read Mr. Deam's advertise- ments because they are new each week and are appropriate to their needs Two other methods are employed to cover the country districts: Every al manac, calendar or pamphlet issued by proprietary remedy houses, in fact every piece of printed matter, has the name of Mr. Deam printed on it witb a rub ber stamp, and these are placed in the wagons of the farmers in the alleys, streets and feed yards every Saturday. By this method they reach the farmers’ homes. Fence painting is not indulged in by Mr. Deam, as too expensive. He has just bad painted 3,400 signs on muslin, seventeen different forms, 15x24 in size, at a cost of $38. These will stand the inclemencies of the weather for three years, and are easily tacked on trees, convenient fence posts and buildings, and are more conspicuous than the fence signs usually resorted to by the average country advertiser. For publicity in Bluffton Mr. Deam uses nothing but window displays and the Evening News, the one being recip- rocal in nature to the other. When he receives an invoice of pipes, one of his windows is filled with these articles, and his advertising is on the subject of pipes. Another day it may be wool soap or chamois skins, or trusses, but what- ever it is they get the benefit of the ad- vertising. Healso attempts to catch the public at an opportune time. For in- stance, Buffalo moths made their ap- pearance through Indiana this spring, and were a matter of general comment. In the News appeared the following ad- vertisement : ‘The Buffalo carpet beetle is sup- posed to have been introduced into America from Europe about 1876, since when it has spread all over the Eastern and Central States, doing great damage. The adult beetle is about a quarter of an inch long, black with white spots, and red stripe along the middle of the back. They lay their eggs in the car- pets, and the larvae feed upon the car- pets. They are so small they can ruin a carpet before you notice them. You want to examine your carpets at once, and if you do have them a little pre- ventive will not hurt. A remedy that will kill them and their eggs is A. B. C. compound, manufactured by Chas. C. Deam. It is put up in quart bottles and costs only 25 cents. Every bottle is guaranteed. ’’ Mr. Deam devotes his advertisements to timely topics, and uses nothing but reading notices among the local matter every other day, and no advertisement runs more than once. His advertising appropriation is $1 a week in each of the two weeklies and about the same in the daily. His other advertising amounts to in the neighborhood of $50. With this amount of money expended annual- ly Mr. Deam has made a success in the same location where two other drug- gists have failed. . A year ago Mr. Deam took out the whisky department of his prescription case, and handles no intoxicants of any description. The fact is generally known that he is the only druggist in the city who does not sell whisky. There is no diminution of receipts from this new departure, which is a rarity in the State of Indiana, and perhaps is one of his best advertisements.—W. H. Tribolet in Printers’ Ink. —___ 2» —____ The Drug Market. Opium—Is very weak and has de- clined. There seems to be a difference in opinion on the future of this article, some claiming it will go 25c lower, while others insist that there will be a reaction soon. Morphine—Is steady at the decline of Ioc per ounce. Quinine—Is in large demand and firm at last week’s prices. Boracic Acid—Has advanced, in sym- pathy with borax. Borax—Has advanced Kc per pound. Menthol—Stocks are concentrated. On account of higher advices from abroad, it has advanced and is very firm. Essential Oils—Lemon has advanced, with prospects for higher prices. Orange bas also been advanced. Wormwood is higher, owing to scarcity. Linseed Oil—Is very firm at our quo- tations and prospects are for higher prices when spring demand commences. Turpentine—Continues to advance, on account of small receipts at primary market. —__+2.__ Somewhat Confusing. ‘‘Tt’s all wrong,’’ he said ; ‘‘all wrong, and most confusing as well.’’ ‘‘What are you talking about?’’ they asked. * Why, last week,’’ he explained, ‘‘I had a cold in the head and you all ad- vised me to soak my feet.’’ ‘‘Good advice,’’ they said. of it?’’ ‘‘Last night, after the banquet, when my feet were somewhat tangled, you all advised me to soak my head,’’ he re- turned, and they had to admit that it did seem as if there was a reverse action in there somewhere. ‘*What MICHIGAN TRADESMAN WHOLESALE PRICE C | Morphia,8.P.& W... 2 30@ 2 55 | Sinapis.............. Ib | Linseed 5 R URRENT. ' Morphia, S.N.Y.Q.& Sina 7's ne... $ 30 Linseed. —... “a a i a ok gear 2 -— 2 45 gee Maccaboy, De — a te 65 70 SE i eee es Ceeee Ss | SE MOC a acacia é Ss t ee 2 Declined Myristica, No. 1..... 6@ 80 snuff, eres DeVo’s @ 34 — - ” aa - po.20 @_ 10} Soda Boras.......... 9@ ii Paints Acidum Conium Mac........ 35@ 50| ScilleCo............ @ so | Pe in Saac, H&P. —”* Soda “eae Tart. "1 oe aerate: mas 8 gs 3| Copatba.....000200" i 15@ 1 25| Tolutan ......... 2. @ 50} D.Co......... @ 1 00| Soda, Carb... 1@ 2 | Red Venetian... ... 33 = Benzoicum, German 70@ 7 Cebere cl . 90@ 1 00| Prunus virg......... @ 50; Picis Lig. N.N. ieeal. Soda, Bi-Carb ee = 5 Vchre, yellow Mars. 1% 2 @4 ——— @ i¢| Exechthitos ......7: 1 00@ 1 10 Tinct doz @ 2 00/ Soda, Ash........... 3 sien tee a 20@ 41 | Brigeron .....20.227: 1 00@ 1 10| Aconitum Napellis R Picis Lig., quaris.. @ 1 00| Soda, Sulphas. |...” *@ 3 | Putty, commercial... 2% 24@3 ee 40@ 95 | Gaultheria ......... 150@ 1 60| Aconitum NepellisF 80 | Picis Liq., pints @ 8 | Spts. Cologne........ G 2 op | Putty, strictly pure. 2% 24@3 Hydrochlor ......... 3@ 5 ceo @ | Aloe ~— 2 Pil Hydrarg.. a @ 50|Spis. Ether Go...... 50Q 5n| Vermilion, Prime — = Oxelicum “88 14 | Hedeoma..... gies 1 one 1 10| 4108 60 Piper alba... po. @ 30|Spta. vini Rect bhi, = @2se| cermillon, English. 7o@ 7 Phosphorium, dil... @ 15|Junipera. ........... 150@ 2 00| assafeetida . 50 pix Burgua @ 7 | Spts. Vini Rect. 4bbi eal ccee pete “a a Phosphorium, oS §| Lavenduia 2.2.2.7: ie co a 50 Plumbi Acet........ 10g 12| Spts. Vini Rect.togal — @ > 84 | G7eCM: ee ee oo. on ta... i“ tS see Go 60 puivis Ipecac et Opi 1 10 120| Spts. Vin! Rect. seal 2 68| Leds Red + = Salphestes » '8@ 4B | Mentha Piper. 2.7.) 1 eum 2 30| Ae = ortex..... 50 Pevclrnd: Neural - Cencteae Fn a @ Lead, white....... 5%Q 634 oo : — 2 ata vee 15@ 1 6 oreo 60 | P. D. Co., doz @125\st oe te a a : ay ra niting, a @ wW se Morrhuee, gal... 110@ 125| Barosma. 80 | pyrethrum, py... 2@ 3)| Sulphur, subl-... 0 ae ahs 8=se Peet 5 i S a L4G: ae ee ’ min... aU ‘a 75 Quinia & BLEW. stg 38 | Tamharitds. 21... ag 10 | Waiting, Paris Eng. . Aqua, 20 deg........ 6@ 8] Picis Liquida. ..... 10@ 12 Cardamon --.-.... 7%} Quinia, S. — 2@ 3'| Tereventh Venice... 28@ 30| Universal Prepared. Si2 Carbonas........-..- 12@ 14 | Picis Liquida, gal... @ 35| Cardamon Co.. 75 | quinia, N.Y... 383@ 35) Theobrome........ 46@ 48 Universal Prepared. 1 00@ 1 15 Chloridum.......... 122@ 14] Ricina.............. 96@ 1 05| Castor............... 1 09 | Rubia Tinctorum... 12@ 14| Vanilla............. 9 00@16 00 Aniline acne as ‘ @ 4 00| Catechu............. 50. nn pv 18@ =. 20 | Zinci Sulph......... 7@ Varnishes plea ccc: gap | ea ca | San Gl op | Sang Biveonis.” * du 40 ous Batra Tarp. 1 wee 1 eae me: f ; oe g = a 5 = eames se 1%) ae 2g 18) Same ae BS | wap om, |e a Yellow . oS 2 0@ 3 00 Sassafras.....0....., 55@ 60 ee hea pe 50 | ps — alate ac g o: Le — Cac. oo = = S 1Turp Furn ... 1 00@ . 10 cada. Sinapis, eas., ounce. : a.....lc( i ‘i‘_‘_‘OCOCOON COU C---- C-- an ard. @xtra......... extra Turk Damar... 1 55@ 1 60 ge a ti suigiegmmones ‘ 8 : . Digs sutifol Co 50 Siedlitz Mixture...” 20 @ 22! Lard, No.1.......... 40 45|Jap.Dryer,No.!Turp 7@ 75 Juniperus..........- @ 8 DG | been ese +. 40@ 50) Ergot ...... ae ; Xant pera Ba 3@ 30 oe eee @ 1 60| Fern Chloridcm eS tam... 8@ 80 | ncobromas 2... ug Sige 5 ran <=> qHSaEE=> — exces Potassium Gentian Co... Eo 60 came a 59@ 55 Gui > "@ 2% | Bi-Carb............ - * Sia 50 coeonie. Canada... 45@ 50 ee gt 13@ 15 Hyoecyamus- fea 50 Tolutan.........-+.-- 50@ 55 en Creer eee sree ee pee 3 Si tsdine % Cortex Chiorate..po. i7@ide ie z= lodine, colorless. B Abies, Canadian.... 1S) Cyanide... Se Wis es. °° 50 Cue 12 | Iodide... .. 112 .0.7" 249 230 Lobelia... 222000077 50 Cine.ona Flava..... 18 | Potassa, Bitart, pure 30 | Myrrh. .............. 50 Euonyimus atropurp 30 | Potassa, Bitart, com 15 Nux Vomica........ 50 Myrica Cerifera, po. 20 | Potass Nitras, opt.. 12 eee v6) 9 Prunus Virgini...... 12 | Potass Nitras........ 8 17 | Qvii, camphorated. 50 Quillaia, gr’d....... 12} Prussiate....... .... 25 Opii, = orized.... 1 50 Sassafras...... po. 1 12 | Sulphate po . i 18 anes 8... 50 Ulmus...po. 15, gr’d 15 Ra dix, a ee. = Extractum Aconitym . 0@ 2 ase 50 Glycyrrhiza Glabra. 4@ 2% ee 22@ 25 | Serpentaria......... 50 : Glycyrrhiza, po..... a 2%) Anchusa ............ 10@ 12| Stromonium ........ 60 Hematox,15!b box. W@ 12] Arumpo...... ...... @ | Tolutan............. 60 Hematox,1s........ 18@ 14} Calamus............ 2@ 40} Valerian............ 50 Hematox, %s....... 14@ 15|Gentiana...... po 15 12@ 15| Veratrum Veride... 50 Hzematox, 48...... 16@ 17) Glychrrhiza...pv.15 16@ 18} Zingiber............. 20 Recess Hydrastis Canaden . @ 60 Tliscellaneous 15 | Bydrastis Can.,po.. @ 65| Aither, Spts. Nit.3F 30@ 35 See . 2 5 rh gesigy Alba, Po.. 18@ 20 Ather, Spts. Nit4F 2@ 38 Citrateand Quinia.. # | Inula po... 5B, 2 es a ae Our stock of Brushes for the season Ferrocyanidum Sol. 40 | Iris plox... no2&an2s umen, gro -_ 7 4 : ee solat Chloride _ iS | Sale = vei 352 40| Annatto 10a 80 of 1899 is complete and we invite ulphate, com’l]..... 2|Maranta, ¥s..... ||! Antimoni et PotaseT : ! Sulphate, com, by so | Podophyiiam, po. — = re — = your orders. The line includes Sulphate, pure ..... ia Anite @ 50 mg ule eg Mee lmiecitte sie 888) | Flat Wall bound in rubb ice... 1 4 : . &. pe aa on 25 Sanguinaria. . “po. 15 “— 18 Bismu ee | 1 200 1 30 a a oun in ru er, Matricaria 30@ 35 — TAs. 30@ 35 oe ‘is.. = b d I h fiiaaccs S saemeee 8 2 rass and leather @ 40| Calcium Chi Barosma............- B@ 2 — ,M. @ ae ma g B < 2 Cassia a Acutifo, Tin- aia... 0.35 ‘ O | Pp t R d P t — = soak ~ “oe § & val Fain Sune ram Cassia Acutifol, = 3@ 30 Se es @ 2%| Capsici FructusB po 15 O | Chi | q h alvia officinalis, 4s | V and 8...... 3... 122@ 20 Valeriana, German. 5 > Carmine No Bo gas 8 00 va Ise arnis ie on an 8@ 10|Zingibera........... 129@ 16| Cera Alba........”. ” 55 ® es Zingiber j. ......... 25@ 27| Cera Flava...) 40@ 42 Oval Chisel Sash Acacia, ist picked.. @ 6 Semen —. oF eee @ # Acacia, 2d picked.. @ 45| Anisum....... 0. 15 @ 12 caus "aaa o@ 8 PR d Acacia, 3d picked.. @ 35|Apium (gravelcons) B@ 15 aaa ae oun as Acacia, — sorts. @ 8B Erdis 4®@ = =66| Chi oa = = D q Acacia, po....... ... 60@ 80| Carui.......... po.i8 10@ 12| Chloroform, squiibbs 8 1 10 Whit W h H d Aloe, Barb. po:iiG3) 12@ 14) Cardamon.-"--. 1 25@ 1 %5| Chioral Hyd Cast. 1 65@ 1 90 ite as eads ape . - .po. 15 @ 2 oe Bee a. s@ 10 a Crst. a. ' = e se Socotr 40 @ 30| Cannabis Sativa.... ‘inchonidine.P.& W K | Fecal a 55@ 60] Cydonium........... a8 0 Supueauee can — = a somine Assafostida. ...po. 30 25 = ae a sacle 10@_ 12 Caden, ee 3 oe 3 ~ 1 enzoinum ......... pterix Odorate... 1 40@ 150| Corks. list dic went Catechn, Is..... 2... @ 13| Foniculum......... 8 | io aaa 3 F lat Varn ish Catechu, %s i @ 14| Foenugreek,po...... 1@ 9 oa i 2% Catechu, a* SS @ 6 248... 34Q 14% mae ea bbl % = 3 S d Chi | Camp hor: H@ 48 Lini. grd. bbl. 334 4@ 4% Creta, pr re fi ll @ 5 quare an 1se Wuphorbium. ‘po. 3 @_ 10| Lobelia ........2. 7 35@ 40| Greta’ ney @ Galbanum........... @ 1 00|Pharlaris Canarian. — 4@ 4% | Crocus... -.. 7 2 Gamboge po........ 6@ 70|Rapa............ an Bites = = All liti t satisfact 1 =— ie po. 25 @ x sinapis Alba... |. 9@ 10] Cupri = so * — ee oeee . 83. na i as Mastic ee = 3 . pis ee teeeees 11@ 12} Dextrine....._! 1 12 & @ 10| >» piritus — Salph. 7 90 s . fe erie 2 rumenti, W. D. Co. mery, all numbe 8 Cc m l H V h opi. os ng 3 6) Frumenti, D.F. Re tanta Hmery,po..... z a? 6 ame air Varnis Shellac, bleached... 40 46 | 2Tument!...... 1 5@ 1 50| Ergota._....... po. 40 % ‘ ’ Juniperis Co. O. T Flake White........ 1 15 M | | Tragacanth ......... 50@ 80) Juniperis Co........ ee 7G 3 30 | & pees oO 23 ott ers owl ng Herba Saacharum N. E.... 1 90@ 2 10 Gamtiies ae s@ 9 Absinthium..oz. pkg a5 | Spt. Vint Gallt..-°.! 1 &@ 6 50 | Gelatin, Cooper @ @ Color Eupatorium .oz. pkg 20 | Vini Oporto... ..... 1 25@ 2 00 | Gelatin, French..... 35@ 60 i Hal. oz. pkg 95| Vini Alba........... 1 25@ 2 00 —— box. — 7 & 1 ‘ ajorum ....oz. ess than 70 B d Fl cutie Pikon ee 3 Sponges Glue, brown.. %@ 12 a ger owin ’ Mentha Vir. .oz. pkg 35 ew wool . ~- white... 13@ 2 e Rar ee he | a |. GaEFidge. 0. 2% cerina...... 1 3 | d bl TanacetumV me oan = Nassau sheeps wool "oe Guan Paradisi .... = 3 Ss ing e or ou e Thymus, V..oz. pkg | y cei Soyer aoe 2 O0@ 2 25 sarees ees ee 3@ 55 - Magnesia. wool, carria; aid @12 Hydraag Chior a @ 33 C. H. Pencils, etc. Calcined, Pat........ 55@ 60| Extra yellow s eeps’ Hydraag Ox Rub’m @ % Carbonate, Pat...... 20@ 22 wool. carriage.. @ 1 00| Hydraag Ammoniati @ 1 10 Carbonate, K.& M.. 20@ 25/| Grass sheeps’ wool, HydraagUnguentum 45@ 55 Carbonate, Jennings 35@ 36] carriage........... @ 1 00| Hydrargyrum....... @ 0 Oleum Hard, for slate use. @ % — Am... 6@ 7% Yellow Reef, for PNGIZO: -.2 75@ 1 00 Absinthium......... 375@400| slate use.......... @ 140 jaan, Resubi 3 60@ 3 70 Amygdala, Dule.... 30@ 50 Iodoform....... .... @ 420 Am Amygdale, Amare . 8 ag 8 25 | me —— Lupulin. ...... Tl 225 ‘ eee, 2 Gia Auranti Cortex..... 2 40@ 2 50 ei Cortes.. (i... 3 : Bees @ 50} Macis % Bergamit........0. 3 00@ 3 3 | Zingiber 0.___ Selling Direct to the Retail Trade. From the Farm Implement News. The recent announcement by a well- known firm engaged in the manufacture and sale of bicycles and sporting goods, that hereafter they would dispense with jobbers and place their goods with the retail deaiers or merchants at the same prices to ail whether purchases were heavy or light, has stirred up the hard- ware trade considerably and occasioned much discussion. On the one side it is contended that by the adoption of this policy both man- ufacturer and dealer are benefited, as the manufacturer retains such control of his business that he can prevent cutting of retail prices, and saving the jobbers’ or wholesalers’ profit he can do better by the dealer, while the latter gets his goods at first hand and at lower figures than the jobber could afford and feels assured that cutting of prices to con- sumers will be diminished. On the jobbers’ side it is contended that their profit or commission is not saved, nor any part of it, by the manu- facturer in selling direct to retailers, as the cost to him of employing and main- taining canvassers to go over the coun- try and place his one line would be more than he allows the jobbers for placing it in conjunction with the other lines handled by them; and also that the cutting of prices to consumers will zo on just the same. It is further con- tended that this change—the abandon- ment of the middleman or jobber and zoing direct to the dealer—is in the in- terest of the catalogue houses and de- paitment stores, as it simplifies and makes more direct the dealings between them and the manufacturers: and it is charged that the manufacturers who fa- vor this policy have been selling to cat- rlogue bouses and depa:tment stores and do not want the wholesaler in this way. We are noticing this discussion as a matter of news and not for the purpose ot considering the new policy on its merits. In the past the middleman has been an esséntial factor in trade, and we doubt that its development bas yet reached a point where he can be dropped. —_—__-<.____ Passing of the Cut Nail. From the Pittsburg Dispatch, Close to the Oliver Wire Company’s wiremaking plant in Pittsburg is an immense mill whose oferations forcibly remind one of the passing of the cut nail of a decade ago, or less. At that time a wire nail was a curiosity and an alien. Now the reverse is the case, and there are so few cut nails that the sight of one attracts attention and evokes comment. The big machines, each fed Dy a man armed with a long gripping device holding the bit of nail plate and rapidly returning this as the machine cut off and fashioned the nails of our forefather:, bave long departed to that ferruginous mausoleum, the scrap-pile. In its place there reign smaller, quicker machines whose tood is wire off the reel, and which spit out wire nails in a steady stream. The wire nail has many and well-known points of superiority over its predecessor, and it has evident- ly ‘*come to stay.’’ In one huge build- ing of the plant referred to there are 254 such machines at work, and in the pres- ence of these a whisper is as good as the loudest yell human lungs can emit, for each is overwhelmed in the cataract of racket. These remarkable machines, at one time and in the twinkling of an eye, cut the wire to the required length, forge the head and point the ‘‘business end’’ of the nail. There are little ma- chines whose output is hardly bigger than a pin—three- fourths of an inch long —and the largest machines thump out great nails three-eighths of an inch thick and nine inches long. While yet warm from their birthplace, these wire nails are tumbled in revolving barrels, with sawdust, and so become bright. Tke operations of keg- filling and carrying to the cars or stack sheds are carried on with extreme rapidity. Michigan elm and Maryland pine finally meet in the nail keg and this goes out to the corners of the land heavy with nails that were not cut from a sheet, but nipped from wire and fashioned in the Iron City. —_——_~>2.__ A woman has brought suit in the mu- nicipal court of Boston to recover $300 damages from a baking company be- cause while passing along the street she ‘‘was struck by an egg, dropped or thrown from the building of the defend- ant, and had her garments destroyed.”’ She further alleges that the ‘‘ege was set in motion by the negligence of the defendant’s servants engaged in the dis- charge of its business. ”’ PONS NZ ONS 38 and 40 ruling prices. CLARK-RUTKA-JEWELL CO, OUR NEW OFFICE I$ NEARLY COMPLETED OPPOSITE UNION DEPOT General Hardware Orders filled promptly at bottom Mail orders solicited. S. Ionia Street. Ww Ww «os Oe FOR TUBS PAILS OR BARRELS.off Oatman’s Handy Hoops For Tubs, Pails or Barrels Put up in neat display box, and rivets included. Patent applied for. No. to order by. Inches wide. PON-O Inches long. Box of 50. Box of 25. 39 $1.75 q 3.30 4.00 80 $3.00 So 4.00 These hoops are flared, with one end a a a ee ee ee ee ee eS = few cents’ worth of hooping. punched allready to get the size and rivet tegether by placing the tub bottom side up, and putting the hoop around with the punched end lapped on the outside, so that you can mark for the two holes to be punched, These hoops do away with the annoyance of pulling a bundle of hoop iron apart to get a For sale vy { FOSTER, STEVENS & CO., GRAND_RAPIDS. a a ae a el ae — we ee ae a ae Nee ae ge ae ee Va — -— - + aaa Voy VE VeS m WILLIAM REID Importe POLISHED PLATE WINDOW ORNAMENTAL PAINT r and Jobber of GLASS OIL, WHITE LEAD, VARNISHES BRUSHES GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. ee, We have the largest and most complete stock of Glass and Paint Goods in Western Michigan. Estimates furnished. All orders filled promptly. Distributing agents for Michigan of Harrison Bros. & Co.’s Oil Colors, Dry Colors, Mixed Paints, Etc. on MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 23 BIG BOOM IN COPPER. Electrical Development Responsible For It. Over in. Boston they have gone daft over copper. Men there with money to invest want to buy copper stocks only. They talk copper all day, think about it all the evening, and dream about it all night. It may be that not all those in Boston who are falling over one an- other in the effort to acquire copper stocks are wise speculators. There are some, perhaps, who would say that the stock of a copper mine which was put on the market last summer at $8 a share and which is quoted to-day at about $50 a share, in the face of the fact that the mine has nct produced a pound of cop- per, may have a fictitious value. How ever that may be, it is true, neverthe- less, thet there has not been a time in years when the demand for copper was so large as it is now, and those who should know say that not in years have the visible stocks at the mines been so low. The reason that Boston appears to have a monopoly in the trading in cop- per shares is that Boston is the home market of the United States for copper. So far as Eastern capital is concerned, moneyed men in Boston invested in cop- per long before financiers in any other Eastern city took very much interest in that particular metal. The result is that if any one wants to trade in copper be does it through the Boston Stock Ex- change. The chief reason for the increased demand for copper is to be found in the increased uses to which electricity has been put in the past year and a half or two years. It is impossible to use elec- tricity commercially without using cop- per. Copper is electricity’s great con- ductor. To furnish electric power, heat or light, copper wire must be used to transmit the current. When it is re- membered that within the last two years the demand for electricity for lighting, for heating and for power has been lit- tle short of marvelous, some idea may be obtained of what the demand, during this time, has been for copper. Elec- tricians say, and most folk believe them, that the traffic in electricity is yet in its infancy. It may be inferred naturally that the future will have a much greater demand for copper than the present. But the increased uses of electricity are not alone responsible for the in- creased demand for copper. It would seem that whenever the influence of prosperity is felt, in almost all lines of business, then there is a demand for copper. Great activity in the building trades, for instance, increases the de- mand for copper. The more buildings that are put up the more fixtures will be used, and whenever there is a_ brass fixture there is copper. For the past two years builders all over the country have been unusuaily busy. The same is ture of the manufacturers of all kinds of machinery. There are few machines that have not some brass about them In the manufacture of every locomotive, for instance, it is said that nearly five tons of brass is used. When all these things are remembered it is not to be wondered at that a great boom in copper is on. For several years the United States has controlled the copper markets of the world. Outside the United States the principal copper fields are in Chili and in Spain. The Chilian copper mines are controlled by English capitalists. It was the practice of the operators of the mines in Chili to sell their product for pounds sterling and to pay the workers in the mines in Chilian money. This worked quite satisfactorily for several years, until the miners became more en- lightened by association with English- men and until they became familiar with the English ways of doing busi- ness. Then the men told their employ- ers that the kind of money received for the sale of the copper was quite good enough for them to receive in payment for their work. The employers tried to convince the men that the money which they had been accustomed to receive in payment for their work was just as good as any otber money. The men couldn't see it in that light and the employers refused to pay in gold. Therefore the men struck. Up to that time the owners of the Chilian mines had made enor- mous pronts. When the men refused to receive their pay in a depreciated cur- rency it was no longer possible to oper- ate the minesat a profit, and since then the copper industry in Chili has been comparatively dead. The Spanish copper mines are great producers, particularly the Rio Tinto mine, which is the largest producer of copper in the world. In fact, copper at the Rio Tinto is really a by-product. The copper there is found in combina- tion with sulphur, which is also pro- duced in great quantities. In extracting the sulphur by fire the copper is left. as a residue. In the United States the sources of copper are the mines of Montana and Arizona and those along the shores of Lake Superior. The Anaconda mine in Montana is the largest producer of copper in the United States, and, with the exception of the Rio Tinto, the largest producer in the world. The An- aconda is controlled by J. B. Haggin and Marcus Daly, both of whom are as well known on the turf as they are in the copper industry. The shares of the mine not held nor controlled by Haggin and Daly are controlled by English capital. Other large mines in Montana are the Boston and Montana and Butte and Boston, controlled by Albert S. Bigelow, of Boston. In Arizona there is the United Verde mine, owned by William A. Clark, known as a miner and banker in Montana and as an art connoisseur and collector of pictures in New York. Other mines in Arizona are the Copper Queen, the Detroit and the United Globe, controlled by Phelps, Dodge & Co., of New York. All the copper from the Montana and Arizona mines must be separated from the ore by chemical processes. It is especially in reference to the way in which the copper is obtained from the ore that the Lake Superior mines differ from all other mines in the United States. The copper from all the Lake Superior mines is what is known as pure copper. In other words, all that is necessary to do to obtain the copper from these mines is to crush the ore and pick out the copper. Those who should know say that the copper obtained from the Lake Superior mines is the best copper in the world, because it is the best conductor of electricity. It is for this reason, it is said, that the Lake Superior copper brings a higher price in the market than the copper from any other mines.—N. Y. Sun. > 2» An Infallible Method. Professor (lecturing on precious met- als): What is the easiest way of de- termining whether an object consists of gold or silver? i Student: Try to pawn it! Hardware Price Current. | grent..... ... sie SO 80 Sena yen el. 80 TO 80 AUGURS AND BITS Gate Hooks and Eyes....................4.. 80 Ne 70 ’ comings, genuine. ....... 8... 2&10 Stanley Rule and Level Co.’s............ -— . Jennings’, imitdtion ... ................. |. 60&10 ROPES -_ 2 fmen and lamer... ............. ...- 8% ST ed ee eee ee ee 9% First Quality, S. B. Bronze ................. 5 00 A a ee S. = Seo ee Coda eteee see cees 9 50 | Steel and Iron. . — — i ee _......... © ‘ First Quality, D. B. Steel ..... 2.202020! oe oe BARROWS SHEET IRON 7" SETS SSS SRO 812 00 14 00| . ee ae Se net 30 00 _ vooe- 8B 70 . a os. BOLTS Nos. 2 45 SU 60&10 | Nos. 22 2 55 a TO 70 to 75 | Nos. 2 65 eee 50 gre eo a aie 3 ae ‘ a BU sheets No. 18 and lighter, over nches Well, plain..... .. _—— wide not less than 2-10 extra. > P ee $32 BUTTS, CAST List acct. 19, ’86.. ee dis 50 ae orig Pin, Ggured oe 70&10 SASH WEIGHTS rought Narrow........... 22-0... eeeeeee rea per ton 20 00 BLOCKS TRAPS Ordinary nee. 70 Steel, Game.......... sotcere ee pret ees W&10 CROW BARS Oneida Community, Newhouse’s....... Cast Steel Oneida Community, Hawley & Norton’s 70&10 tote tt ete et eee ee eens per lb “| Mourne, choker. 200.02... per doz 15 CAPS Mouse, delusion................. per doz 1 2% i TS UES tote perm 65 wi - Hick’s C. F Sa Cres Mawes 15 sl ee 25| Annealed Market. .......................... % a EE a perm 60 oe i Peete ete e eee ee ee ree ee eee es “Se nne te 6 Rim Fire CARTRIDGES as Spring a etree fect? + = a eee arbed Fence, galvanized ............. ... 2% Central Fire. .... 22)... Barbed Fence, naeeee eee le 1 90 ORSE NAILS Socket Firmer.. 80 - dis 40&1C Socket Framing 80 -dis 5 Socket Corner... 80 -- dis 10410 Socket Slicks.. 80 WRENCHES Baxter’s Adjustable, nickeled.............. 30 Cocs Gentine... . 8. W.... 50 More's Bit Stocks. 60 | Coe’s Patent Agricultural, wrought ....... 80 Taper and Straight Shank................... 50& 5 | Coe’s Patent, a ee 80 Morse’s Taper Shank........................ 50d 5 MISCELLANEOUS ELBOWS Eine Oeeee 0. 50 Com. 4 piece, 6in...... .. 30 Serews, New uit 0.07.7 wiioe 5 San Mg ue manent eats 1 25 | Casters, Bed and Plate. . vie s+» BOG10&10 ee dis 40&10 Dampers, American enc l 50 EXPANSIVE BITS METALS—Zinc Clark's small, $18; large, #26................ “= GU pound caste 74 Ives’, 1, $18; 2. » Ba; te Perpeene. oe 7% Lad feeieon i 70&10 @% 12 Heller's Horse iaspe....2777°°7777727".""geat9 |, The Briges of tite mani other qualities of soider GALVANIZED IRON Nos. 16 to 20; —— 25 and 26; = pees 28 List 12 13 15 a. 17 Discount, 75 to 5-10 GA! Stanley Rule and Level Co.’s............... 60&10 KNOBS—New List Door, mineral, jap. trimmings.... .......... 70 Door, porcelain, gs trimmings............ MATTOCKS Or 816 00, dis 60&10 emape tye. 815 00, dis 6010 Po ee 818 50, dis 20410 MILLS Coftee, Parkers @os.. 40 Coffee, P. S. & W. Mfg. Co.’s aacpaaan 40 Coffee, Landers, Ferry & Clark’ 40 Cofice Enterprise 30 MOLASSES — Stebbin’s Pattern............ Stebbin’s Genuine.... . Enterprise, self- “measuring . NAILS Advance over base, on both Steel and Wire. Steel nails, base..... ... 5 Wire nails, base..... : See Sica oe ces a 1 70 S000 CURGVENES oe Base nO tO 1Gaagvanee. 8 05 vee 10 CO a 20 Me OC 45 EN 70 Pane SAGER 50 Caseig tUa@vanee.. 15 Casing Sadvanee.... 25 cumme GAdvanee. 6.8. ll, 35 Wimish 10 advanee....... 8... 5 Peis Sadguanee. 35 rnin OG Ad@vaned. 45 Darrel & advanee. 85 Ohio Tool C f: a aoe! Cea.'s, fancy... Sciota Bench ......... . EE eae <= Sandusky Tool Co.’s, fancy................. @50 Benen, firetquality....... sk, @50 Stanley Rule and Level Co.’s wood......... 60 PANS er 60& 10410 Common, polished............... Seteeao- 70& 5 — Iron and Tinned . a Se a ney 60 Copper Rivets and Burm 60 PATENT PLANISHED IRON ‘‘A” Wood’s patent planished, Nos. 24 to 27 10 20 “B” Wood’s patent planished, Nos. 25 to 27 9 20 Broken domes” 4c per pound extra. AMMERS arene & Co.’s, Ph Mee. dis 23% Lo ee ee eae 5s Yerkes & Plumb’s...........ceccceccecuce dis 10&10 Mason’s Solid Cast Steel.. .30¢ list 70 Riaekemtt's Calfa act ae fant wa ne Me te 49218 HOUSE FURNISHING GOODS Stamped Tin Ware....... ......... new list 75&10 sapemmed Tin WEFG. ...... coe cies on wns a 20&10 Granite Iron Ware................. new list 40&10 HOLLOW WARE Ee ene 1 Ce ee ee 60&10 HINGES cate Clarks. 1. 3.3. dis 60&10 Ree ce per dos. net 2 30 in the market indicated by private brands vary according to composition. oe Grade 10x14 IC, Charcoal. . 85 7 14x20 IC, Charcoal . Lc ._ 2 20x14 Ix, tie TT 7 00 Each additional X on this grade, 81.25. TIN—Allaway Grade Gute 1G, Oraneoe) .... ok. 1... 4 ouzo I Chereoal...... ..... ............. 4&0 Mrie Po €hareogs cl 5 14x20 1x, oe 5 50 Each additional X on this grade, $1.50. ROOFING PLATES 14x20 IC, Charcoal, DeaM... ... 0... occ ce cues 4 50 i4u20 1X1, Charcoal, Dean ................... 5 50 Zeuee IC, Charcoal, Deanm........ .......... 9 00 14x20 IC, Charcoal, Allaway Grade......... 4 00 14x20 IX, Charcoal, Allaway Grade......... 5 00 20x28 IC, Charcoal, Allaway Grade..... -—..- ooo 20x28 IX, Charcoal, Allaway Grade......... 10 00 es ones = TIN PLATE 4x , for No. ers, 9 14x56 IX, for No 9 Boilers. { per pound... " i OE Atal RAPIDS 24 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN The Produce Market. Apples—The market continues weak and unsettled, except for extra choice stock, which 1s not affected so much by the competition of oranges. Dealers hold ordinary stock at $2@2.25 and fancy at $3@3.25. Bananas— I'he market has kept well cleaned up and values are ona firm basis, with a tendency to take on strength rather than show any weakness. Heavier supplies will soon commence coming, but the trade will also show more life. Beans—Handlers pay 50@75c for un- picked, holding city picked ,mediums at $1.10. Beets—25c per bu. Butter—Factory creamery commands 20@2Ic, but the demand is by no means active. Dairy grades are coming in very freely and the price has a down- ward tendency, due to the accumulation of supplies. Local handlers pay 10@ I2c, according to quality. Cabbage—$4 per too heads for home grown. Carrots—2oc per bu, Celery—15@18< per doz. bunches for White Piume. Cranberries—Cape Cods, $7.50 per bbl.; Wisconsin Bell and Cherry, $6.50; Jerseys, $6. Cucumbers - H« thouse mands 75c per doz. Eggs—The market is lower East and in Chicago, but the local market holds up well, dealers still paying 20@21c tor candled stock. Honey—Amber is held at gc, while white is slow sale at IIc. Lemons—Tbke demand continues fair, wito values holding to the same place as a week ago. Lettuce—14@15c per pound. Nuts—Hickory, $1.50@2.50, accord- ing to size. Walnuts and butternuts, 6oc. Onions—Spanish are steady at $1 per crate. Home grown are higher, com- manding 38@42c per bu. Oranges—Values of all varieties show a decline of 25c from last week. The outside demand was l:mited last week, but has since developed some additional tone. Mexican grades continue to meet with fair demand. Parsley —25@3oc per doz. Parsnips—soc per bu. Pop Corn—134@zc per lb. The crop was not large and the supply is undoubt- edly limited. Potatoes—The market is without par- ticular change, with no indication of an improvement in the near future, Squash--75c@$1 per too lbs. Sweet Potatoes—Illinois Jerseys are in moderate demand at $2.75. stock com- —___22.___ The Boys Behind the Counter. Portland—John Hehl has severed his connection with M. J. Dehn’s store and gone to Detroit to attend a business col- lege. After a course there he expects to go to Buffalo to engage in the com- mission business. Mr. Hehl carried away with him, as a mark of his em- ployer’s appreciation, a handsome gold watch. Hastings—L. D. Stevens has severed his connection with Bessmer’s jewelry store and returned to his home in Cold- water. Charlotte—Lester Newark, for a num- ber of years clerk in Geo. Foote’s drug store has resigned the position. Geo. Gibbons is the new clerk in the book and stationery department. Central Lake—Clarence Doubis has taken a position in the general store of Liken, Brown & Co. Saginaw—Fred Zabner, who has clerked in the hardware store of Emil Jochen tbe past seven years, has sev- ered his connection with him and taken a position with the Valley Hardware Co. Casnovia—Claude Ballard has severed his connecticn with J. L. Norris’ store and returned to his home in Sparta. Owosso——Parker Palmer succeeds Thomas Tubbs as book-keeper for the Owosso Casket Works. Manton—R. C. Ballard has a new salesman in his hardware store in the person of John L. Perry, who was for- merly identified with the hardware de- partment of the Hannah & Lay Mercan- tile Co. at Traverse City. Owosso—Albert Norris, who has been in the employ of A. Garland, the South Washington street merchant tailor, will take a position in Mr. Garland’s new store in Howell about February 1. Muskegon—C, H. Slayton has taken a position in Paul Ostholm’s grocery store. Lansing—Lon D. Colvin, formerly a well-known drug clerk of this city, died last week at Umatilla, Flordia, of con- sumption. Mr, Colvin had been in poor health for some time and spent last win- ter in the South, returning last spring somewhat improved in health. About one month ago he went to Florida to spend the winter, but began failing al- most immediately on his arrival there. [he remains were interred at Leslie, where the mother of the deceased re- sides. Springport—Richard Gillett, who has been working in A. M. Johnson’s hat and shoe store for the past several years, resigned bis position the first of the year in order to finish a course in a cor- respondence school. Cratie Jewell has been engaged to take his place. Eaton Rapids—Frank E. Widger has severed his connection with the Knapp Grocery Co. to take a clerkship in Mrs. Daniel's dry goods store. Owosso—John Rose, of Lansing, has taken the position of head clerk in F. E. Mosely’s new grocery store. Ithaca—Arthur Mulholland, who has acted as prescription clerk for Crawford Bros. for several years, has resigned to engage in the drug business at some location not yet decided upon. Coidwater—Byron Johnson takes the clerkship in the Milnes Supply Co. ren- dered vacai.t by the retirement of Harry Milnes to take a more lucrative posi- tion with the Jackson Grocery Co. Flint—Geo. Ryman was presented with a gold chain by his associates in the hardware store of Geo. W. Hubbard on leaving for Imlay City to assume charge of a hardware store. —-—__ > 0. New Schecule of Acvertising Rates A new rate card for the advertising department cf the Michigan Tradesman went into effect January 1, being an av- erage advance of 15 per cent. over the former schedule. The change is ren- dered necessary by the gradual increase in the circulation of the Tradesman, whose paid subscription list is now the largest of any journal of its class in the United States. The new schedule will resemble its predecessors in one respect, in that it will be rock bottom, subject to no devi- ation or discount under any circum- stances, Nor will any orders be ac- cepted from regular advertising agents except on the basis of the rate card, with agent's commission added, ——_—»0~»__ While Hobson has kissed his way across the continent, blazing his trail by rosy lips, the memory of General An- drew Jackson, who was quite as great a hero, has grown dim, like a faded neg- ative in a photographer’s dark room. ———_o22>___ C. H Libby has sold his grocery stock at 95 South Division street to Cor- nelius Fox and Cornelius Fox, Jr., who will continue the business under the style of C. Fox & Son. Maps For Ready Reference. The Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Co. has just issued in conven- tent form for household, library and school reference an atlas of seven colored maps of the world, the United States and our new possessions in the Atiantic and Pacific Oceans, together with an amount of valuable information connected therewith—all up to date. This atlas will be sent free to any ad- dress on receipt of six (6) cents in postage. Apply to Geo. H. Heafford, General Passenger Agent, Old Colony Building, Chicago, or to Harry Mercer, Michigan Passenger Agent, Detroit, Mich. -——-—__—~ -2 <> Pure Food Bill in Danger. Washington, Jan. 6—Although the Brosius pure food bill bas been before Congress since early last session and the committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce has given a number of hear- ings on it this session, there appears to be very little chance of its passage. It is even doubtful it it will be reported to the House this session. The main fea- ture of the bill is to provide fora stand- ard of purity tor all foods, liquors and drugs, but how to accomplish this is a question that the members of the com- mittee have not yet succeeded in solv- ing. ——__> 0.___ It is gratifying and not a little sur- prising that while Paris has been, ac- cording to the news reports, the head center of all the experimentation with and exploitation of the new automobile vehicle, and while America has seemed backward in this latest craze, Chicago has quietly secured a contract for fur- nishing Europe with 50,000 electro- automobiles during the next ten years, the money involved being something like $5,000, 000 WANTS COLUMN. Advertisements will be inserted under this head for two cents a word the first insertion and one cent a word for each subsequent in- sertion. No advertisements taken for less than 25 cents. Advance payment. BUSINESS CHANCES. $50 BUYS MEDICAL PRACT CE OF 13 9] years, which averages $2 500 annually; airo Office fixtures. horses, buggy, cutter, robes, etc. Address Box i75, Vanderb It, Mich.—the best town in Northern Michig+en, 821 V JANTED—PARTNER IN THE MANUFAC- ture of a patented household article which is in gencral demand. A good oppor- tunity to make a large profit on a smali invest- ment. Address A. C. McCutheon, Sparta, Mich. 819 POR SALE MY STOCK Of DRUGS. GRO- ceries, flour, feed. etc., locuted in Kalama- z00, Mich., 927 East avenue. Will ell for $1,600. Wish to go out of business. Address A B. Trutsdale. 9 7 East Ave., Kalamazoo 820 = 7 EXCHANGE—DESIRABLE AND CEN- trally located residence property in Kala- mazoo for general or grocery stock in gcod town in Central Michigan. Will sell same on long tie. Address Box 357. Kalamazoo, Mich. 81] y= ATION FOR DRY GOODS or dry goods and shoe store combined in tewn of 1,000 to 7,000 Will buy stock in estab lished sta:-d if for sale. Address F. W., care Michigan Tradesman. 808 $10 000 FiRsST MORTGAGE, DRAWING ’ 7 percent., on good improved property, to exchange for stock of goods. For particulars address No. 812, eare Michigan Tradesman. 812 OR SALE—DRUG AND GROCERY STORE. Good chance for a worker: corner location. lil health of owner cause for selling. Address W S. Terrill Muir, Mich 813 O EXt HANGE—9 LOTs UNINCUMBERED on Highland avenue, near Madison, for merchandise. Will Holomb, Plymouth. 14 i SALE—SMALL STOCK OF DRUGS and fix'ures ata bargain. Huazeltine & Per- kins Drug Co. Grand Rapids. Mich. 816 POR HAY, STRAW AND OATS IN CiR lots at lowest prices, address Wade Bros., Cadillac or Traverse City. Mich. 817 7 S:LE FINE STOCK GENERAL MER- cha:dise and well established business: best point in State for general store: three years’ lease of building. with chance to buy reason- able; located on two lines of railroad: fine ship ping facilities, ete ; p:ospects bright for increase in business. Reason for selling toomuch other business Address Box 35, Elmdale. Mich. 818 gece ESS CHANCE— FOR SALE, DRY goods, clothing and men’s furnish ng goods business; wel: estublished in live town. Good reasons for selling. Address H. T. Crosby & ‘o., Clayton, Mich. 805 POR SAL —STOCK OF JEWELRY, SILVER- ware, books, stationery an¢@ wall per in live town in Northern Michigan Gov reasous for selling. Address Books, care Michigan Tradesman. 804 OR SALE—GROCERY AND BAKERY F stock. best in city; cash business of $1-,000 to $20.0:0 year y; geod lecation, cheap rent. Poor health reason fr selling. Address Comb. Lock Box 8 6, Eaton Rapids. Mich. £03 i SALE — WELL-ESTA&LI- HEP AND good-psying implement and harness busi- ness, located in smali] town surrounded with good farming country. Store has no competi- tion within radius of eight miles. Address No. 806, care Michigan Tradesman. 806 PAY CAsH QUICKLY AND PROMPTLY I for stocks of m rchandise of any kind and size, at a discount. Communications held strictly confidential. Address A. E. Poulsen, LaGrange. Ind. 733 JHOTO KAPH GALLERY TO RENT AFTER Jan. 1. best Jocation and oldest stand in the ‘ity. Write Alpena County Savings Bank, Al- pena, Mich 197 O EXCHANGE-#2.40 HARRISON INDE- pendent Telephone stock for a first-class meat market aid fixtures, etc., or general mer- chandise of equal amount. Address Lock Box 33. McBride's, Mich. 796 OR SALE CHEAP—!2 LIGHT ACEI YLENE gas machine and fixtures. Address Howard Price & Co., Kalkaska, Mich. 738 7 ANTED—A STOCK OF GENERAL MER- chandise or hardware in small town. will pay cash. Address No. 799, care Michigan Tradesman 799 IX BEAUTIFUL LOTS IN HAKVEY, TWO miles from Chicago for saie or trad for farm'ng land or city property in Central or South rn Michigan. The above lots are first- class, centrally located, taxes low and paid to date. title guar.rteed. OR SALE—NEW GENERAL STOCK. A splendid farming country. Notrades. Ad- dress No. 680, care Michigan Tradesman 80 Me HANiS—DO YOU WISH CASH QUICK 4¥i for your stock of merchandise, or any part of it? Address John A. Wade, Cadillac, Mich. 628 ~ COUNTRY PRODUCE ANTED—BUTTER, FGGS AND POUT- try: any quantities Write me. Orrin J. Stone, Kalamazoo, Mich. 810 WE PAY SVOT CASH ON TRACK FOR BUT- terand eggs. It will pay you to get our prices and particulars. Stroup & Carmer, Per- Tinton, Mich. 7 ANTED—1,000 CASES FRESH EGGS, daily. Write for prices. F. W. Brown, Ithaca, Mich. 556 FIREPROOF SAFES EO. M. SMITH, NEW AND SECONDHAND safes, wood and brick buiiding mover, 157 Ottawa street, Grand Rapids. 613 MISCELLANEOUS, PY ANTED — POSITION BY DRUG, DRY goods and grocery cierk. Address K , care Michigan Tradesman. 815 OUNG MAN WANTED FOR COUNTRY STORE. Address 802, care Michigan Tradesman. 802 ANTED — PERMANENT POSITION IN dry goods or shoe store, by young man 28 years old; 12 years’ experience; Al ref-rene:s. Addre.<... 9 45pm 6 30am Trai» leaving — Rapids 7:10am has parlor car; 11:30pm, coach and sleeping car. Train leaving Chicago 3:02pm has parlor car; 11:32pm, sleeping car. Muskegon Trains. GoINe WEST Lv G’d Rapids... 7:35am. t1:00pe. +3:40pr Ar Muskegon. §:00am 2:10~r 7:050m Sunday train leaves Grand Rapids 9:15am; arrives Muskegon 10:35am. Cincinnati @OING EAST. Ly Muskegon.... 48:10am tii.idaa +4.00p ArG’d Rapids . . 9:30am 12:54p 5:20pr Sunday train leaves Muskegon 5:30pm; ar- rives Grand Rapids 6: 50pm +Except Sunday. *Vatliy c L. LOCKWOOD, Gen’l eee! and Ticket Agent. W. C. BLAKE, Ticket Agent Union Station. South Shore and Atlantic Railway. DULUT Ly. Grand Rapids =i = = IL 1 #1: 10pm = +7:45am Lv. Mackinaw City... 7:35am 4:20pm Ar. St. Ignace.. co-sas.s. OcOoamE % Ar. Sault Ste. Marie... Sette. 12:20pm 9:50pm Ar. Marquette . s.eeeeee.. 2:50pm 10:40pm Ar. Nestoria..........-..---.-- 5:20pm - 12: Ar. Duluth......... be oy ae sitee a 8 EAST BOUND. Boy. me cc +6:30pm Ar. Nestoria.......... ele ss ces 11:15am 2:45am Ar. Marquette...............- 1:30pm 4:30am Lv. Sault Ste. Marie..... Bogs ee Ar. Mackinaw City............ 8:40pm 11:00am G. W. Hipsarp, Gen. Pass. Agt. Marquette. B. C. Oviatt. Trav. Pass. Agt.. Grand Rapids M ANISTE _& Northeastern Ry. Best route to Manistee. Via C. & W.M. Railway. Ly Grand Rapids.................. yooam ....... Ais Mantiiee. so. oles 3 os ea Ev DOMINO ey dete = 4:1opm Ar Grand Rapids be ee ee 1.00pm 9:55pm Se . -~, -A - OPO A I TRADESMAN COMPANY’S CLASSIFIED LIST OF POISONOUS DRUGS e < < ¢ < Tay, “a, . a, - a, a, - a, - Va, -S, -a, -, -S - =e, o' > SsSss539 53535955: SEO Oe THE LAW. 1. S. Sec. 9320. Every apothecary, druggist or other person who shall sell and deliver at retail any arsenic, corrosive sublimate, prussic acid or any other substance or liguid usually denominated poisonous without having the word “poison and the true name thereof, and the name of some simple antidote, tf any ts known, printed upon a label attached to the vial, box or parcel containing the same, shall be punished by a fine not excecding $100. written or To enable druggists and country merchants to meet the requirements of the above statute without going to the expense of putting in a large assortment of labels, we have compiled and classified a list of drugs which are poisonous, or become so in overdoses. They are arranged in fourteen groups, with an antidote for each group; that is, an antidote tor any of these poisons will be found in some one of these fourteen antidotes. This arrangement will save you money, as it does away with the need of the large variety of antidote labels usually necessary, as with a quantity of each of the fourteen forms you are equipped for the entire list. There are 113 poisonous drugs which must all be labeled as such, with the proper antidote attached. Any label house will charge you but 14 cents for 250 labels, the smallest amount sold. Cheap enough, at a glance, but did you ever figure it out—113 kinds at 14 cents—$15.82? With our system you get the same results, with less detail and for less than one-third the money. By keeping the labels in a handsome oak case, they never get mixed up and they do not curl. Price, complete, $4. Order direct or through any wholesale house. TRADESMAN COMPANY, 64ND Rapis. LMI LO. LE LE LO LO LO LO. LP. LP - LP». eo o . eo o> “GY e' e o' e' e' S e' e' oe, ° “eo Sn? ° e e ° e' ° aa? oS ~<) ° ° e e ‘oS oS o' e Q e, e, Q Q e Q e, Pk re. e AQ e, ° O e, Me. e, e