he Michigan Tradesman. VOL. 6. GRAND RAPIDS, WEDN ESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 1888. NO. 262. APPLES We make a specialty of handling AP- PLES in car lots and less and would be pleased to open correspondence with a view to receiving your shipments. Will at all times make liberal advances. “Prompt returns at top market price,” is our maxim. 8. T. FISH & 00, STANTON, SAMPSON & C0., Manutacturers and Jobbers of Men’s Furnishing Goods. 189 So. Water St., CHICAGO. Sole Manufacturers of the ‘“‘Peninsular®’ Brand Pants, Shirts and Overalls. State agents for Celuloid Collars and Cuffs. 120 and 122 Jefferson, Ave., DETROIT, - MICHIGAN. GEO. F. OWEN, Grand Rapids; Western Michigan Salesmaa. BEWARE! It has come to our notice that unscrupu- lous manufacturers of cigars are putting an inferior brand of cigars on the market under a label so closely imitating our ‘‘Sil- ver Spots” as to deceive the general public. At first, we were inclined to feel flattered at this recognition of the superior merits of our ‘Silver Spots” by a brother manufac- turer, knowing full well that it is only arti- cles of standard or sterling worth that are imitated, but we feel that we should be derelict in our duty to the public should we not warn them against this infringement, and also to dealers in cigars, as we feel positive that no first-class dealer would knowingly countenance or deal with any manufacturer who had to depend upon other manufacturers to furnish him brains to originate brands or labels for their cigars. A counterfeiter is a genius, but amenable to the law, but a base imitator who keeps within the law, or just ventures near enough to be on debatable ground, is not worthy of recognition in a community of worthy or respectable citizens. The “Sil- ver Spots” are to-day the best selling five cent cigar in Michigan. If you don’t be- lieve it send us a trial order. GEO. T. WARREN & Co., Flint, Mich. CASH SALE CHECKS. Encourage your trade to pay cash instead of running book accounts by using Cash Sale Checks. For saleat50 cents per 100 by =. A. STOWE & BRO., Grand Rapids. ASK FOR ARDENYER MUSYAR BEST IN THE WORLD SAFES! Anyone in want of a first-class Fire or Burglar Proof Safe of the Cincinnati Safe and Lock Co. manufacture will find it to his advantage to write or call on us. We have light expenses, and are able to sell low- er than any other house representing first- class work. Second-hand safes always on hand. C. M. GOODRICH & CO., With Safety Deposit Co., Basement oi Wid- dicomb Bik. THURBER, WHYLAND & C0, NEW YORE, RELIABLE FOOD PRODUCTS. » [It is both pleasant and profitable for merchants te occasionally visit New York, and all such are cordially invited to call, look through our establishment, corner West Broadway, Reade and Hudson streets, and make our acquaintance, whether they wish to buy goods or not. Ask for a member of the firm.] LUCIUS C, WEST, P A Attorney at Patent Law and Solicitor of American and Foreign patents. 105 E. Main St., Kalamazoo, Mich., U.S.A. Branch of- fice, London, Eng. Practice in U.S. Courts. Circulars free. ADE OUR FALL LINE OF pohool Supplies Fing Stationery iS NOW COMPLETE.——— OUR TRAVELERS J. L. KYMER (of our firm), GEO. H. RAYNOR and GILBERT J. HAAN Will soon call upon the trade with a complete line of sampies. BATON, LYON & 60, 20 and 22 Monroe St,, Grand Rapids, WM, L, ELLIS & CO. BRAND Baltimore Oyster Broker in CANNED GOODS. Salt and Sea Fish. B. F. EMERY, - Manager, 20 Lyon St., GRAND RAPIDS, MICH, FOURTH NATIONAL BANK Grand Rapids, Mich. A, J. Bowne, President. GEO. C. PIERCE, Vice President. H. P. BAKER, Cashier. CAPITAL, - - - $300,000. Transacts a general banking business. Make a Specialty of Collections. Accounts ef Country Merchants Solicited. WANTED! POTATOES, APPLES, DRIED FRUIT, BEANS and all kinds of Produce. If you have any of the above goods to ship, or anything in the Produce line, let us hear from you. Liberal cash advances made when desired. EARL BROS., COMMISSION MERCHANTS 157 South Water St., CHICAGO. Reference: FIRST NATIONAL BANK, Chicago. MICHIGAN TRADESMAN, Grand Rapide. ESTABLISHED 1866. Barnery Bros. 159 So, Water Street, Chicago. We do a General Commission Business and offer as inducements twenty years’ ex- perience and clear record. The best equip- ped and largest salesroom in the business in this city. Ample storage facilities—full 20,000 feet of floor space in the center of the best market in the West. tal and first-class references on Ample capi- file with you wish sell, It Write us if information, whether to buy or THE TRADESMAN. will cost you nothing. BARNETT BROS. RDMUND B. DIKEMAN THE GREAT Watch Maker = Jeweler, 44 CANAL 8Y., Grand Rapids, - jillch, Voigt, Herpolsheimer & 60, Importers and Jobbers of DRY GOODS Staple and Fancy. Overalls, Pants, Htc., OUR OWN MAKE, A Complete Line of Fancy Crockery2 ancy Woodenware OUR OWN IMPORTATION. Inspection Solicited. Chicago and Detroit Prices Guaranteed. KLEIN GLOVE KMPORIUM Gloves and Mittens Buckskin, Dogskin, Napha and Sheepskin, IMPORTED AND DOMESTIC KID GLOVES A SPECIALTY. Full Line of. MISSES AND YOUTHS’ GLOVES, Mail Crders will receive Prompt Attention. OTTO KLEIN, Manager, 79 PEARL STREET, Grand Rapids, - Mich. Telfer Spice Company, SOLE MANUFACTURERS OF ABSOLUTE SPIGKS, a Absolate Baking Powder. JOBBERS OF Teas, Coffees 2 Grocers’ Sundries, 46 Ottawa St, GRAND RAPIDS. BOOK-KERPING WIPED QUT! No Pass Books! No Charging! No Posting! No Writing! : No Disputing of Accounts! No Change to Make! TRADESMAN Credit Coupon Book. THE NEWEST AND BEST SYSTEM ON THE MARKET. We guote prices as follows: $ 2 Coupons, per hundred eee es $2.50 $5 et te ee $16 a7 a7 $20 oe “ Subject to the following discounts: Orders for = Or Over... 22... ae ss ** 1000 “ss ee Send in sample order and put your business on a cash basis. K, A. STOWE & BRO., Grand Rapids, The Old Cow. The old cow walked by the dairy shed, : And she said, in her ruminant way, she said: “T am feeling about as fine as silk, But I’d like a drink of my own good milk.” And, looking around, she presently spied A pail a-standing the door beside— It was buttermilk, about two days old, But the aged vaccine hadn’t been told, So she only remarked: ‘Its mean to bilk An industrious cow of her own good milk.” And she took a drink, and looked surprised, She walked away, and that cow surmised; She surmised about half way down the lane, And said, in astonishment mixed with pain: “To judge by the flavor of that ’ere milk. T can’t be feeling as fine as silk; I must be billous, I bet a hat, When I get to giving down milk like that!” —— > AN UNPLEASANT BED. A good many years ago, when quitea small lad, I had the great misfertune to get my right hand torn to pieces in a threshing machine. I say my misfortune, but it was wholly a result of my own wilfulness; I had no business at the thresher, but, boy- like, I wanted to feed some grain into the machine. I was told not to put my hands so near the revolving teeth—told two or three times—but out of sheer contrariness I thrust them down still closer, and my right hand was caught and mangled. It healed up at last, but there was only an odd-looking and worthless sort of claw, with three fingers pointing in as many dif- ferent directions. Several of my dear friends, who saw the accident, were frank enough to say that it served me right. Their opinion may have been lacking in sympathetic quality, but it was true enough. That claw hand was what led me to be- come a peddler, for I was provided by na- ture with a good pair of legs. I bow to the prejudices of the people who have seen all they wish to see of ped- dlers, and refrain from entering upon a de- scription of the hawker’s life; but some of my adventures may be worth recounting. One night in the month of May, 1877— eleven years ago—I came to a solitary house, twelve or fifteen miles south of In- dependence, Kan. The house stood out on the prairie, and there was not another human habitation in sight from it; and, in fact, the road leading to it was merely a trail over the prairie. But good roads were not then to be looked for in those parts, and that was something in my favor, for the more remote 2 house was, the better trade would be apt to be. It struck me as a rather queer-looking place, for there was a good-sized frame house, not very old, but no out-buildings to indicate that farming or any other kind of business was done. In response to my knock, a woman opened the door—a woman apparently twenty-three or twenty-four years old, dressed in a soiled calico gown, with a mass of tangled black hair hanging down her back. She was thick and broad-shouldered for a woman, with rather coarse features, black eyes and remarkably heavy eyebrows, yet by no means ill-looking. “Good evening, miss!” Isaid. “I’m a peddler. Can you put me up for thenight ? Vyve something handsome in the way of goods and jewelry to show you.” The woman looked me full in the face a moment or two, ran her eye over my cloth- ing, glanced at my bulky pack, then said: “T reckon, mister. Come in.” Something in her manner led me to ask, as I followed her in, ‘“‘Is this a public house ?” ‘‘Wal, stranger, we puts up sech as comes our way,” replied the woman. She opened the door into a recom which contained a table, a rude lounge and a number of home- made chairs. In the far end of the room an old woman sat smoking a corn-ceb pipe, with her foot on the tender of a cooking- stove. Taking out her pipe, she looked me over with the same unpleasant, calculating seru- tiny which I had noted in the younger woman, but‘at length said: ‘‘Make yer- self comf’table, stranger,” and resumed her pipe. In about an hour supper was ready— avery good supper for those parts. The young woman prepared it and waited on the table, but spoke scarcely a word. After the table was cleared up I opened my pack and commenced displaying its at- tractions. The old crone bougkta ‘‘moura- ing” silk handkerchief. The younger woman purchased a few yards of ribbon and two napkins, worth in all about $1.50, and in paying for them displayed a pocket- book containing a roll of bills. Seeing this, I immediately opened the jewelry compart- ment of my pack and exhibited a pretty lit- tle gold wateh of Geneva manufacture, bracelets, rings and watch chains; my en- tire stock, in fact. At length she brought out from a cupboard three pairs of gentle- men’s cuff-buttons—two solid gold, the third native gold nuggets, such as miners sometimes have made. Noting my look of inquiry, she said: ‘‘Them belonged to my poor brother Bill;” but her tone led me to distrust the state- ment. She wished to swap the buttons for a lady’s gold watch-chain, and, thinking that if she got the chain, she might take the watch, I exchanged with her. She next produced a gentleman’ silver watch, somewhat worn, which she wanted to swap with me for a pair of bracelets. ‘“*Was this your brother’s ?” I asked. “No,” she replied, flushing a little, but looking me in the face keenly. ‘*That was give me by one o’ my beaus.” ‘“‘Jane, what are you talking about ?” ex- claimed the old crone, in what sounded like an angry tone. ‘Nothin’, mau,” said the daughter, care- lessly. Then to me, in a lower voice: ‘‘Mau’s allus dead agin my havin’ a beau.” I decided not to take the second-hand watch, and seeing that no more trading was likely to be effected that evening, I asked to be shown to my sleeping-room, saying that I was rather tired. The young woman took up the small ker- osene lamp and led the way into a room a4a- joining the one we were in, upon the ground floor, but in the rear of the house. It was a good-sized room, but very bare, having only a bed, one chair, a dirty little wash- stand, and a large chest, which stood against the wall on the back side. I brought in my pack and set it down near the head of the bed. “That must be a lug for you, all day long !” the woman remarked, and sat down on the chest, as if to talk for a moment. ‘*Yes,” I replied. ‘“‘T should like to have all there is in that pack,” she continued. ‘‘Ain’t you some- times afraid of bein’ robbed ?” “Oh, no,” LE said: “IT should be,” she remarked. ‘‘I should be scairt to death sleepin’ in strange houses. But I expect you go well ‘heeled ?’” ‘‘Not particularly,” I replied. ‘‘But you see I’ve got a good stout stick for my pack.” “111 bet you’ve got a pistol,” she said. To this remark I made no reply, but in- quired if she and her mother lived alone. “No,” she answered, after hesitating an instant. ‘But pop and my brother’s gone up to town after grub stuff. They may get hum to-night, or mebbe not till to-morrer.” I made no reply, and she rose to go out, taking the lamp. ‘*Please leave the light,” I said. ‘Do you mind?” she asked. ‘‘It’s all the one we’ve got, and I’ve work to do for breakfast.” I said, ‘‘All right,” but I did mind a good deal, for the room as as dark as pitch. There was but one window. I feltmy way to the sash, and tried to raise it; apparently it was nailed down, and, as no light came in, I concluded that there was a closed shutter outside the glass. I went to the door and felt for the key; there was none, but a ray of light from the sitting room came in through the keyhole. But I was used to this sort of experience. I had in my pack a little patent device, with a clamp, called a ‘‘burglar lock,” for fasten- ing adoor on the inside. 1 got it out and applied it as well as I could in the dark. Then I went to the bed and felt that over. It stood in the corner of the room and there was a curtain around the front side and foot of it. Continuing my investigations, I dis- covered that, instead of having an open space under it, the bedstead was likea large box with the mattress laid on top of it and the curtain nailed against the side and end, for behind the thin calico there were firm boards down to the floor. Somewhat mystified by this queer ar- rangement, I attempted to lift the edge of the mattress —to learn what was beneath— but found that it was fastened down. I could not even raise a corner of it, front or back. I next lay down on the bed experi- mentally. It was rather hard, and moved laterally with a slight, vibrating motion, like that of scales when one first steps on them. Of course, a peddler finds all sorts of beds in anewly settled country, but this one struck me as very queer. I felt it all ever again; the mattress and whatever it was so tightly fastened to would jog ex- actly like the platform of scales, and plainly was not attached to the boxlike sides of the bedstead, though fitting them so closely that 1 could not get my fingers down between them. ‘“*This may be all right,” I said to myself, “but I’m not going to sleep on it.” My fancy began to seek solutions of the mystery. ‘‘Perhaps it is really a kind of trap-door and scales combined,” I thought, ‘‘so that when a person lies down on it they can de- tect the fact and let him drop into the cellar.” I put the bedclothing on the floor and lay down thereon, having first placed my re- volver beside the pillow, and taken the package containing the most valuable arti- cles of jewelry from my big pack and laid that beside the pistol. I often did this, for, of course, a man with but one hand doesn’t feel quite as courageous as one with two. The light still came in at the keyhole, and after some time I heard the tramping of heavy boots on the doorsteps, and then men’s voices in the outer room. Still as broad awake as ever, I went tiptoe to the keyhole and peeped out. I was just in time to see the young woman fetch a chair and set the back of it before the keyhole and throw a coat across it, evidently with the design of obstructing the view. Then foralong time I could hear the sound of low conversation and whispering about the cook stove. “Pop” and the brother had evidently re- turned, but I thought the precaution of blinding the keyhole and the whispering a little suspicious. However, I lay down again, then by a sudden impulse [rose once more, took the chest and set it on the mat- tress of the bed. It was quite heavy, and would pretty nearly represent the weight of a man on the bed. At last 1 fell into a drowse, and, after waking a dozen times, at least, fell soundly asleep. But asudden noise awakened me and startled me so much that I found myself sitting up onthe floor! It seemed to come from directly under where I lay, as if some one had dropped an ax or a hammer ona bare plank floor. I listened for a moment, but heard nothing further. As my eyes roved about in the darkness of the room, I thought that there was alight spot where the curtains of the bed should be. Iecrept along, and raising it saw that there was really aray of lamplight coming through a crack between the boards of the boxlike bedstead. Some one surely was in the cellar or room beneath, and the light came up through the floor under the bed. I placed my eye at the crack, but the opening was very narrow. Thinking thatlI might enlarge it a little, I took out my pocketknife and was cautiously opening the small blade when there came the sound and jar of a heavy blow close beneath where I lay. The mattress and chest started, sank a little, stuck for an instant, then fell with a loud clatter into a great lighted hole be- neath ! In an instant I was on my feet, staring down into the abyss thus suddenly opened. There lay the mattress and chest. A lan- tern, hanging from a peg in the cellar wall, threw its light over them. There was a slight noise, and then I saw the heads and shoulders of two men, one with an ax in his hands, the other holdinga Winchester. They stood for an instant, with their eyes on the chest as if in astonishment, then turned to glance up. I quickly drew back into the darkness. Then I heard a muttered oath, followed by the noise of quick foot- steps, first over the planks and then coming up the cellar stairs. All this had happened within five seconds of time. With a wild impwiee- of self- preservation, I reached for my pistol, and my hand coming in contact with the jew- elry package at the same instant, I clutched that and thrust it into the pocket of my coat, then turning to the dvor stood, re- volver in hand, at bay, but resolved, since I must fight, to sell my life as dearly as 1 could. In a moment they came at the door with a rush. One of them seemed to throw himself against it, probably expecting to findit unfastened. The knob was violently turned, but my little safety clamp held well. Twice the man pushed at it, then witha curse he stepped back and struck a heavy blow against it with the ax. The clamp would hold but a moment or two longer. My chances were small, in- deed, for I never shot very well with my left hand. My eyes turned to the lighted hole down which the mattress had fallen. There was no one in the cellar now, though the lantern still hung there. An idea—a wild thought of escape—occurred to me, and even before the ruffian had time to repeat his ax-stroke, I was down in the cellar! The lantern showed me where the cellarstairs were, and I darted forward to them. At the same instant, I heard the door overhead go down with a crash. I stole up the stairs and came into the room which I had first entered. The two men were already in my room, and the young woman stood in the doorway leading into it, with her back tome. Pausing but long enough to locate the outside door of the house, I made a dash for it, still on tiptoe. But the woman heard me open it, and turning around, lamp in hand, screamed : ‘*Here he is!” Before the words were out of her mouth, I was outside the house and running at my best pace. It was still quite dark. I started across the prairie in the direction I had come and had gone seventy or eighty yards when the men opened fire. But it was too dark for them to shoot straight. They must have shot more at the sound of my steps than at anything they could see; yet they sent four or five bullets whizzing past me more closely than I liked to have them. I changed my course and ran in another direction. I did not cease run- ning until I had gone a mile or two, for I expected that the rascals would dog my steps and try to make an end of me. Butl saw nothing more of them. As soon as it was light I got my bearings, and during the day reached Vinita. I had a pretty straight story to tell, but I was only a peddler, and neither there nor after- ward could I induce the Sheriff to collect a posse and make a raid on the house of my would-be assassins. I lost over $200 worth of goods in my pack, which I never recovered, nor did I For Sale by have even the satisfaction of seeing the family brought to justice. It may have been the notorious ‘‘Bender family” for aught I know to the contrary. Plainly, that bedstead was contrived for the purpose of making away with travelers, and how many ill-starred ‘‘guests” of the house may have been disposed of in that cellar will never be known. As for myself, I never went that way again. A Talk on Washboazds. A traveling agent of one of the largest washboard factories in the United States gave a reporter the following interesting statistics and information for the Cleveland Leader. He said that millions of wash- boards are made and sold in the United States every year, and at least 7,200,000 are sold yearly between the Allegheny Moun- tains and Missouri River. There is one factory which turns out over a million, and at least two factories which make 700,000 and 800,000 a year. There are at least twenty varieties of washboards, and the best are madeinthe West. The Eastern factories make their washboards out of pine. Hard wood is undoubtedly the best. Pine is soft, and white pine is too expen- sive. The poorer kinds can be bought as low as eighty cents a dozen wholesale; these are single washboards for family use. The better kinds cost $2.25 per dozen wholesale, and double washboards—those that have zine edges on both sides—cost much more, retailing at fifty cents apiece for the best. Laundry sizes of this description cost much more. The first washboards were made entirely of wood, and our washerwomen used to pound the dirt out of the clothes with a stick, by laying them on the board. The first washboards made of zine were put upon the market about twenty-five years ago. ———_—_ Points For Grocers. The mustard crop in California is a light one. The butter pack of California is soon to be all changed from rolls into square blocks. The national Cigar Manufacturers’ Asso- ciation has voted to establish an annual to- bacco exposition. In a California cold storage warehouse $20,000 worth of eggs, placed there last spring, have been spoiled by the impregna- tion of some chemical. A new way to secure a fulfillment of one’s commisions has been adopted by a lady in Springfield, Mass. She commits her wants to meter and teaches them to her husband. Here is one order set to the tune ‘‘Yankee Doodle:” Butter, Cocoa, raisins, eggs, Molasses, baking powder, Vanilla, sugar, cheese and beans, Salt pork and fish for chowder The most satisfactory mixture of Mocha and Java coffee, is one-third Mocha and two- thirds Java. Many customers use them in equal portions, but the first named is a bet- ter mixture. No coffee is grown in Mocha, the fruit bearing its name coming from ar Arabian province, Yeman, of which Mocha is the export town. Itis claimed that no real Mocha gets farther from Yeman than Constantinople, and that our Mocha coffee is grown in East India, Africa and Brazil. ——>_-. <> A Christian Spirit. Mr. Isaacstein—I sells you dot coat, my frent, for sayventeen tollar; you dake hum along ! Customer—I thought, Mr. Isaaestein, that you didn’t do business on Saturday. Isn’t this your Sunday ? Mr. Isaacstein (in a low, reverent tone of voice) —My frent, to sell a coat like dot for sayventeen tollar vas not peesness; dot vos charity. —_———»>.—>—__—- Will Call and See Them.~ Customer (to grocer’s boy) — Proprie- tor in? Boy— Yessir; readin’ de news. Customer—Is hea society man ? Boy—No, sir; but he’s got lots o’ swell customers, an’ he wants to find out when they’re comin’ back to town. He’s wery anxious to see some of ’em. he is in de back room —_—— 9 << That Railroad Sandwich. ‘Look here,” said a traveling man ata railway eating counter, ‘‘there is something wrong with this sandwich.” ‘‘Guess not,” said the youth in charge. “But there is. I can tell. Why, its so soft that I can bite right through with ease.” ——————_> _-+o-—<————_____——_- The State Association of New Jersey has profited materially by the pioneer work done by your Association in Michigan, and hope to still further benefit by the deliberations of the intelligent and progressive merchants of your State. I trust that in the near fu- ture New Jersey and Michigan will be drawn closer together by the formation of a National Association; and your Associa- tion, having been first in the field, should take the initiative, with a view to consoli- dating and cementing the interests of retail merchants throughout the United States. — 2
—
Purely Personal.
H. M. Lee, the Nashville merchant, was
in town last week.
M. S. Scoville, the Kalamazoo grocer,
took in the fair here last week.
Frank E. Hibbard, the East Saginaw
druggist, was in town on Monday.
Geo. H. Reeder leaves next week for a
tour of the shoe factories in the vicinity of
Boston.
E. S. Houghtaling, the Hart grocer and
beechnut king, was in town several days
last week.
B. S. Harris and B. F. Emery have gone
to Chicago to take in the exposition and—
other things.
D. R. Parish, the grocer and cider and
vinegar manufacturer, is out with a new
delivery wagon.
Richard Gannon, the oblong White Cloud
butcher, beamed on his Grand Rapids
friends on Monday.
Jas. Vernor, the Detroit druggist, was in
town Sunday to attend the obsequies of the
late Major Watson.
H. D. Harvey, who recently sold his drug
stock at Bangor, put in a couple of days at
Grand Rapids last week.
Byron 8S. Davenport, formerly engaged in
trade at Paris, has come to Grand Rapids to
live and may enter the employ of Reeder,
Palmer & Co.
Capt. H. N. Moore, President of the
Grand Rapids Packing & Provision Co., is
spending afew days in Chicago, bent on
both business and pleasure.
W. T. Lamoreaux walks on crutches now,
in consequence of a slightly damaged knee
pan. There are no flies on Lamoreaux—he
carried three accident insurance policies.
L. J. Rindge, wife and daughter has re-
turned from Nantasket Beach, where they
spent three weeks, principaliy for the bene-
fit the change worked in the health of Miss
Rindge.
W. E. Watson, the Mancelona merchant,
was a passenger in the same carin which
the late Major Watson started for Chicago,
helped him to a seat and rendered such
other assistance as lay at his command.
M. D. Bentley, manager of the Bentley
Oil Co., of Detroit, was in town several
days last week, superintending the inaugu-
ration of business by the Grand Rapids
Tank Line Co., of which he is also man-
ager
A. B. Schumacher, who has been engaged
in the drug business for twenty-four years,
sixteen of which he has spent at Grand
Ledge, was in town acouple of days last
week. Mr. Schumacher is probably the old-
est druggist of his age in the State.
Smith Barnes, General Manager of the
Hannah & Lay Mercantile Co., has returned
from a visit to Marquette, Ishpeming,
Houghton, Hancock, Lake Linden, Calu-
met and several other towns in the iron and
copper regions. He reports an enjoyable
trip.
Daniel Stern, the able and enterprising
editor and publisher of the American Arti-
san, tarried a day at Grand Rapids last
week. Mr. Stern is a steam engine in dis-
guise, with a capacity to run either forward
or backward and propel everybody and
everything connected with him and his
splendid publication.
Robert M. Floyd, who has an extensive
acquaintance among the Michigan trade,
wili shortly lead to the altar a Philadelphia } 3
lady, to whom he was engaged fourteen
years ago. Family views and arrangements
intervened to prevent their marriage, since
which time each has been married and wid-
owed. The prospective bride is Mrs. Reid,
the daughter of Peter Henderson. She is
spoken of as a lady of rare personal graces
and unusual mental attainments, a charm-
ing conversationalist, a story writer of
merit, whose strong and amiable native
qualities have been ripened and enriched by
extensive travel and unusual social advan-
tages, both in this country and -abroad.
THE TRADESMAN joins with many others
in extending congratulations.
Myron H. Walker, whom the B. M. A.
workers of the State have reason to regard
with gratitude, was married at Kalamazoo
last week to Miss Lourettie E. Stevens, of
Lowell and the happy couple are now enjoy-
ing life in Massachusetts. They are expect-
ed back about October 1.
W. S. Brown, Traveling Passenger Agent
for the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern
Lailway, put in several daysin this city
last week. Mr. Brown has the reputation
of having a ‘‘heye like a heagle”’ and the
fact that he recognized an old friend here
whom he had not seen for twenty years
gives credence to the story.
Judge Ramsdell, of Traverse City, Presi-
dent of the West Michigan fair, compli-
mented the Michigan Business Men’s As-
sociation by sending all the officers and
committees a season ticket to the fair. The
courtesy was appreciated and in several
cases the opportunity of seeing the exhibi-
tion was embraced.
A correspondent of the Hastings Banner
writes as follows concerning the veteran
general dealer at Orangeville Mills: ‘‘Will
wonders never cease! Wonder if olden
times are returning to us in this the nine-
teenth century! Mr. and Mrs. Eli Nichols,
of Orangeville, have become parents to a
fine boy. Mr. Nichols is 56 years of age
and Mrs. Nichols is 53. About thirty years
ago they had achild born to them, but it
survived but a short time, and now, after
more than thirty years, they are again
parents. May the young fellow live, thrive,
and be the main stay of the old folks.”
wt ee
Attention is directed to the advertisement
of Samuel Lyon on another page. Anyone
who has ever dealt with that house couldn’t
be pulled away to an opposition establish-
ment by a ten elephant power.
FOR SALE, WANTED, ETC.
een
Pree
Advertisements will be inserted under this head for
two cents a word the first insertion and one cent ¢
word for each subsequent insertion. No advertise-
ment taken for less than 25 cents. Advance payment.
D ps
FOR SALE,
| ee SALE CHEAP —18-HORSE POWER
Good as new. Address 298, this oftice.
re SALE—THE JEFFERSON FLOURING MILL.
Best water power in the State. Inquire of N. G
King, Brooklyn, Mich. 294
OR SALE—DRUG STOCK WHOSE AVERAGE DAILY
sales is $17. Splendid opening for physician.
Good reasons for selling x, Address No. 289, care Michi-
gan Tradesman, 289
OR SALE OR RENT—HARDWARE AND GROCERY
store, dwelling and lodge room above. Address
Box 24, Merrill, Mich. 290
OR SALE—WELL-ESTABLISHED IMPLEMENT BUS-
iness, choice location, in rich farming country.
Capital required—about $5,000. Profits about $500 per
month. A golden opportunity for live man. Address
Jno. T. Marriott, Agt., Wakefield, Neb. 283
Po SALE—GCOD RESIDENCE LOT ON ONE OF
the most pleasant streets ‘‘on the hill.’? Will ex-
change for stock in any good institution.
ENGINE,
Address 286,
eare Michigan Tradesman. 286
p=. ‘SALE—WELL-SELECTED GROCERY STOCK,
situated on good business corner. Stock and fix-
tures will inventory about $3,000. Reason for selling,
other business. Address Henry, care Michigan Trades-
man, Grand Rapids. 282
Fs SALE—ONE 9x24 ROWNDS’ SECTIONAL ROLL-
er mill, with elevators and scalpers complete; one
Webster bran duster; one OO Geo. T. Smith purifier.
The above mac hines are allin g ood condition. —"
of owner, » D Briggs, North B nh, Mich. 277
OR SALE—BAZAAR BUSINE WELL
ESTAR.
lished in one of the liveliest and best business
townsin the State. Proprietor’s health failing. In-
voice about 31,400. Now is the time to buy for fall and
holiday trade ddress A B C office of this paper. 272
por SAL N GROCERY, DRY GOODS AND
Crockery stock, situated ina railway town, with
good line of customers. Stock will inventory about
$2,000. Will take part cash and balance on time. Ad-
dress A. S. Musselman & Co., Grand Rap ids, 260
PROR, SALE—DRUG FIXTURES AND SMALL STOCK
2 Of drugs.
Address Doctor, Box 242, Rockford. 258
rT SALE—OR EXCHANGE FOR STOCK IN TRADE,
Grain Elevator, ten carloads capacity; horse
power, large grounds; fine town on C. & G. T. railroad;
good wheat and produce market. Write for particu-
lars, W. B. Tyler, care B. P. & D. A. Co., Grand Rapids,
Mich. 259
| Tes SALE—GENERAL STOCK, GOOD TRADE, LONG
or short lease of store. A bargain for some one.
Must sell. Address Box 12, Grand-
ville, Mich. 242
OR SALE—THE DRESS OF TYPE NOW USED ON
“The Tradesman”—600 pounds of brevier and 200
pounds of nonpareil. A good bargain will be given
purchaser. 5
Want to go South.
WANTS.
\ TANTED—WE WANT A GOOD MAN IN EACH
town to sell door plates, door bells, house num};
bers and alarms Liberal commissions. Address, Rus-
sell & Hunter, Grand Rapids, Mich. 297
=> REGISTERED PHARMACIST, PERMA-
nent position, Address M. Seward MeNitt & Co.,
Byron Center, Mich. 292
V 7 ANTED—SITUATION ON THE ROAD BY MAN OF
six years’ experience. Best of reference. Ad-
dress J. E. F. care Michigan Tradesman 293
eS] LIVE, ENERGETIC MAN WHO IS SO-
ber and honest, to consolidate grocery or gener-
al stocks with me,in a No.1 location, where a tradé of
$20,000 a year can be done. Don’t write unless you are
all right and mean business. Address Lock Box 129,
Collins, Mich. 275
~~. EXCHANGE FOR VALUABLE REAL
estate, a stock of merchandise. Address 287,
Tradesman office, Grand Rapids, Mich. 287
W JANTED—BY A YOUNG MAN UNDERSTANDING
the meat business, to buy an interest ina meat
market in a good town. Address Cleaver, care Michi-
gan Tradesman. 280
S-. . TO SELL OUR CHOICE VA-
rieties of nursery stock, either on salary or com-
mission. Permanent employ ment to successful men
Address, with references, May Brothers, Nursery men,
Rochester, N. Y. 278
\ J ANTED—PART INTEREST IN DRUG OR GENERAI
store by practical registered pharmacist. Ad
dress Robert, care Michigan Tradesman 271
\ ANTED—EVERY STORE-KEEPER WHO READS
this paper to give the Sutliff coupon system a
trial. It will abolish your pass books, do away with
all your book-keeping, in many instances save you the
expense of one clerk, will bring your business down to
a cash basis and save you all the worry and trouble
that usually go with the pass-book plan. Start the Ist
ofthe month with the new system and you will never
regretit. Having two kinds, both kinds will be sent
by Soe (mentioning this paper) J. H. ——
Albany, N. Y.
\ ANTED—1,000 MORE MERCHANTS TO ADOPT oon
Improved Coupon Pass Book System. ane for
E. A. St 214
MISCELLANEOUS,
A 20-ACRE FRUIT FARM NEAR BENTON HARBOR,
handy to Chicago market, will sell or exchange
samples. towe & Bro., Grand Rapids.
for Grand Rapids realestate worth $1,200. Address
Dr. W. Ryno, Coloma, Mich. 295
OST—AT FAIR GROUNDS, THURSDAY, A GRAY
cashmere shawl.
leaving at this office.
39 5O IN CASH OR GOOD PAPER WILL SE-
$ st cure a thriving hardware business
without competition in Meredith. Address Lock Draw-
er 25, Evart, Mich. 284
OR RENT—TWO WELL LOCATED STORES By
South Division street. Size 22x 80 feet. G. K. Nel-
son, 68 Monroe street. 279
1, 20 CASH BUYS MANUFACTURING BUSI-
ness paying 100 per cent. Best of rea-
sons ‘tor selling. Address Chas. Kynoch, St. ee
ic 22
Finder will be rewarded by
296
A BARGAIN that is A BARGAIN,
ROCERY FOR SALE—A leading Grocery
and Crockery business in a flourishing Ne-
braska city of 8,000 population, with gas, elec-
tric light, street cars, water works, fine schools
and churches. Store first class; sales upward
of $40,000 per year. Crop prospects finest in
the West. Cash required, about $5,000. Write
at once, P. O. Box 303, Kearney, Neb.
GRAND RAPIDS
TANK LINK GO.
Distributing Agents for
Water White and Prime White lnminating Oi]
GASOLINE and NAPTHA.
Works, GR. & 1. anc. aM Jt, Othce, No No. 4 Blo
CORRESPONDENCE SOLICITED.
QUOTATIONS FURNISHED on
(igett Blk.
APPLICATION.
PEACHES
PEACHES
PEACHES!!!
Send your orders for them to
‘LTEIERO. B. GOOSSEN,
WHOLESALE
FPRODUCE COMMISSION MERCHANT
33 Ottawa Street, GRAND RAPIDS, MICH.
Al Lowest Stuer Prices
YOUR COAL OF
A. HIMES,
Office under National City Bank. New
Yards, Shawmut Ave.. Winter and
WY, Division Sts.
TELEPHONE CALL 490-2.
ORDER
RHEHDER, PALMER & CO,
Wholesale Boots and Shoes.
STATE AGENYS FOR LYCOMING RUBBER CO.,
aa Pearl St., Grand Rapids, Mic
: on EPHONE
NO. 998,
HEMOVED
I have removed my stock from
*
40 and 42 South Division Street to
198. Tonia St.
NEW BLODGETT BLOCK,
where five floors and a basement af-
ford me better facilities than ever
before for the proper prosecution
of my business.
Daniel Lynch,
——SUCCESSOR TO——
PRED D. YALE & 60.
KDWIN FALLASS,
Proprietor of
Valley Gily Cold Storage
Packer and Jobber of
The Popular Solid DAISY |
Brands of Oysters.
My facilities for handling Oys-
tersare unsurpassed. Oysters
guaranteed fresh every
time. Send in your or-
ders, which will be
filled at lowest
market price.
Oranges, Lemons, Bananas, Butter, Eggs
and Egg Crates.
No. 1 egg crates, 3%c. No. 2 egg crates,
30c. No. 1 fillers, 13c. No. 2 fillers, 10c,
I have facilities for handling each line above
named that are unsurpassed.
I aim to handle the best that can be obtained.
Mail orders filled promptly at lowest market price. A
liberal discount on Egg Crates and fillers in large lots.
SALESROOH, - No.9 Ionia St, Grand Rapids.
Millers, Attention
We are making a Middlings
Purifier and Flour Dresser that
will save you their cost at least
three times each year.
They are guaranteed to do
more work in less space (with
less power and less waste)
than any other machines of
their class.
Send for descriptive cata-
logue with testimonials.
Martin’s Middlings Purifier Co,
GRAND RAPIDS, MICH.
WALKS - 6001 YEAR
aa
GONNEOTIGUY
publ bers.
OS eee i
naa ae
Oe eS Me.
Write for Fal] Prices and Discounts.
G. R. MAYHEW,
86 Monroe Street,
GRAND RAPIDS.
3 ~ ‘ me PES fe :
The Finest a ot iar Manvfactvred.
LONG HAVANA FILLER.
THEY HAVE NO EQUAL.
Ss. DAVIS,
70 Canal St,, Grand Rapids, Mich.
A.
BELKNAP
Wagon and Sleigh Co
MANUFACTURERS OF
Spring, Freight, Express,
Lumber and Farm
WAGONS!
Logging Carts and Trucks
Mill and Dump Carts,
Lumbermen’s and
River Tools.
We carry a large stock of material, and have
every facility for making first-class Wagons
of all kinds.
Special attention given to Repairing,
Painting and Lettering.
Shops on Front St., Grand Rapids, Mich,
DO YOU WANT & SHOWCASE
SPECIAL OFFE R-—rThis style or oval case; best
quality; all glass, heavy double thick; panel doors;
full length mirrors and spring hinges; solid cherry or
walnut frame; extra heavy base; silvetta trimmings;
6 feet long, 28 inches wide, 15 inches high. Price,
$11, net cash. Boxing and cartage free.
i. TO. CO x,
21 SCRISNER STREET,
Grand Rapids, - Michigan.
»
aan
RANT
~
i
¢
\\
ASSOCIATION DEPARTMENT.
Michigan Business Men’s Association.
President—Frank Wells, Lansing.
First Vice-President—H. Chambers, Cheboygan.
Second Vice-President—C. Strong, Kalamazoo.
Secretary—E. = gruletn — Rapids.
asurer—L. rague. Greenvil
eeakave Board— “Preeident; C. L. Whitney, Muskegon;
Frank Hamilton, Traverse City; N. B. Blain, Lowell;
Chas. T. Bridgman, Flint; Hiram DeLano, Allegan;
Va
Caammuaee. on Insurance—Geo. B. Caldwell, Green-
ville; W.S. Powers, Nashville; Oren Stone, Flint.
Committee on Legislation—S. E. Parkill, Owosso; a
A. Hydorn, Grand Rapids; Allegan.
BH. oH. Fope, _
a x rse
omumittee on Trade Interests—Smith oe rave
. City: Geo. R. Hoyt, East Saginaw; H. B. Fargo, Mus-
on.
—. on Transportation—James Osborn,Owosso;
O. F. Conklin, Grand Rapids; C. F. Bock, Battle
Creek. ce
Committee on Building and Loan Associations—Chaun-
cey Strong, Kalamazoo; Will Emmert, Eaton Rapids;
W. E. Crotty, Lansing,
Loeal Secretary—P. J. Connell, Muskegon.
Official Organ—THE MICHIGAN TRADESMAN.
The following auxiliary associations are Op-
erating under charters granted by the Michi-
gan Business Men’s Association:
€
No. 1—Traverse City B. M. A.
President, Geo. E. Steele; Secretary, L. Roberts.
— 2—Lowell bB. M. A.
‘. s. Blain; Secretary, Frank T. King.
se RD. 3—Sturgis B. M.A.
President, as. Church; Secretary, Wm. Jorn.
No. 4—Grand Rapids we
President, E. J. Herrick; Secretary, E. A. Stowe.
Ne. >. 5—Muskegon mom. AL
President, H. B. Fargo; Secretary, Wm. Peer.
No. 6—Alba B. M. A.
President. F. W. Sloat; Secretary, P P. T. Baldwin.
No. 7—Dimondale B. M. A.
President. T. M. Sloan; Secretary, N. H. Widger.
No. 8—Eastport B. M. A.
t, F. H. Thurston; Secretary, Geo. L. Thurston.
No, 9—Lawrence > B. M. A.
President, H. M. Marshall; Secretary, J. H. Kelly.
No. 10—Harbor Springs B. M. A.
President, Ww _J. Clark; Secretary, A. L. Thompson.
President, N.
Presiden
No.1i1—Kingsley B. M. a
President, H new hipple; Secretary, C. H. Camp.
INO. 12—Quincey B. M. A.
President, C. McKa ;; Secretary, Thos. Lennon.
i No. 13—Sherman B. M. A.
President, H. B. Sturtevant; Secretary, W. J. Austin.
No. 14—No. Muskegon B. M. A.
President, S. A. eee Secretary, @ 3 <. Havens.
SE Sand © Take’ B.
President, J. V. Crandall;
No. 17—Plainw ell B. M. A.
resident, E. A. Owen, Secretary _d. A. Sidte
No. 18—Owosso 73. M, .
President, H. W. Parker; Secretary, * amfrom.
TM ee
President, D. F. Watson; Secretary, KE. EB. “Chapel.
ee
No. 20—Saugatue k B. M. A.
John F. Her ecretary, L. A. Phelps.
No. 21—Wayland B. M. A.
President, C. H. Wharton; Secretary, M. V. Hoyt.
No. 22—Grand Ledge BEA.
Secretary, W. R. Clarke.
Ch ll msl
ae A.
Secretary, W. Rasco.
President,
, A. B. Schumacher;
No. 23—Carson City B. M. A.
President, F. A. Rockafellow; Secretary, C.
io. 24—Morley B. M.
es Thurkow; Secretary, W. = Richmond.
No. 25—Palo B. M. A.
President, Chas. B. Johnson; Secretary, H.
No. jieawnsnaraely i,
President. S. R. Stevens; Sec ar,
Ee
No. 2%—Dorr =. WL
President, E. S. Botsford; Secretary, a3
Lo , 28—Cheboygan B.M
Presid ts Frost; Se Se net tary, a. G. Dozer.
No. 29—Freepert rt BM. A.
" 4
President, Wm. Moore; Secretary, J. Cheesebrough.
sl sett fe ore ee
G. Bailey.
President,
. Pew.
No. 30—Oceana B.
_ Secretary, ©
Avery; . Houghtaling.
Ae
> 2 h
President, Th
No. 3% 2
ae
ident, L.
No. 34—Saranac B.™
ident, H. T. Johnson; Secretary, Ee.
No. 35—Bellaire B. A ‘.
, Wm. J. Nixon; Secretary, C. bE. De
; 36—Ithaca B. M. A.
Ns = i : Ban retary, John M. Everden.
A.
sa. a8 E. Ba axter.
D. ae omew; Sec
ns smo re.
treek B. M.
j—Battle ¢ =
Secretary, ade
F. Boek;
No. 38_Scoitville. Be
President, H. E. Symons: Secretary
No. 3 isosupeiel pont —_ .
President, W. S. ¥
2 re mONnt 5. Mi. A.
Je Rat thb un.
eretary C
Se A
Holmes.
“ustix 1 B.
tary, Ww
47—Flint si u
ry, sess Gr ahe vm.
aa
ent, A. oO. Whee
No.
£
Con gdon.
5i—Ced
M. Sel
<= y
*, Hankey; Sex
56—Bangor
rake; Secretary
No. 51—Roe kford q
Preside ont, fees G. Teff e Ar
. Bowman.
Sm
‘: lth
al 39— ennville B. M.A
Presid ent F. S. Raymond: Secretary, »P.S. ‘Sw arts.
No. ‘60—South eee
i : Ss
ary, 1. B. Bs
tsaginaw M. =
ecret .rnes
_No, 6- ces B.
President, C to bertson; Secrets
Nes oo ee B. M. A.
President Alf. G ae ake; Secretary ;
Aliexan B. M. A.
; Secretary, i. F. VanOstrand,
al 69— cotts and © limax BOM. AL
President, Lyma un Clark; Secretary, F. S. Willison.
oe ille . d
tary, W. os
cia a B, = A,
cr ry, Geo. 2 Clutterbuck.
_a.
= ees bs.
elding B. wt A.
~ Secreta ary; O. a Webster.
Special Enterprises Wanted,
error rrr
B URR OAK, MICH.—WANTS A FACTORY TO} ¢
employ ten hands five years. Bonus, $1,000. 266
HEBOYG: AN —WANTS WOOD MANUFACTOR-
Y
C nch to improve the greatest ad-
ty ited qu antities.
help you.
4 _Come and we will
Address Sec’y B. M. A.f 3
N ORTH MUSKEGON-—WANTS ALIVE eer
i newspaper. Address Sec’y B. M. A.
Wace AND—OFFERS UNEXCEPTIONABLE 4
ducements fora cannery. Address Sec’y B. &
-
IFE LAKE—WANTS AN ae OF HARDW —
factories. Address Sec’y B..M. J
A POOR FORM.
Some Flaws in the Proposed Standard
Fire Insurance Policy.
When the Legislature delegated to a
Commission the preparation of a standard
form of fire insurance policy, the Michigan
Business Men’s Association engaged Hon.
N. A. Fletcher to represent the business
men of the State in combatting the adoption
of a form that would not be absolutely just
to all parties concerned. Mr. Fletcher is
particularly adapted to plead the cause of
the business public, as he has made the
insurance question a life study and has won
the gratitude of the insuring public by being
the originator of the anti-compact insurance
law. Mr. Fletcher was unable to be present
at the first meeting of the Commission, but
has prepared the following caustic criticism
of the form now under consideration by the
Commission, which will be presented at the
next meeting:
GRAND RApips, Sept. 22, 1888.
Hon. Moses Taggart, Attorney General:
DEAR SrR—I have examined the New
York standard form of fire insurance policy,
which is under consideration by the Insur-
ance Policy Commission, and I submit the
criticisms which I have to make upon it:
1. The clause in lines 2 and 3, ‘‘Said
ascertainment or estimate shall be made by
the insured and this company, or, if they
differ, then by appraisers, as hereinafter
provided; and the clause in lines 86 to 91
inclusive, which provides for an arbitration
of the amountof the loss, should be stricken
out. It would be very unjust for the Com-
mission to compel every man who takes out
a policy of insurance to enter into a contract
by which he agrees to forego the privilege
of atrial by jury as to the amount of his
damage inaloss by fire. As the matter
now stands, it is undoubtedly true that most
policies of insurance contain such an agree-
ment, but no man who is obtaining insur-
ance is obliged to make such a contract. If
this form of policy should be adopted, it
would amount toa legal requirement that
it must be done in every case. Aside from
the question of policy, there is no doubt
whatever in my mind that the Legislature
itself has no power to pass a law depriving
a manof his right to a trial by jury of a
question of that kind, and evenif it had
the power, it could not delegate to the Com-
mission authority to make such an enact-
ment.
he courts have always held that it was
not within the power of parties to makea
contract which would take away the jurisdic-
tion of the courts to pass upon the question
whether an insurance company was liable
in any given case. They have held, how-
ever, that the parties might, if they chose,
contract that the amount of damages should
be ascertained by arbitration, making such
an arbitration a eondition precedent to the
commencement of suit. If this policy is
adopted with these clauses in it, there will
be no escape for any person who desires
insurance from submitting to a contract in-
volving this condition.
2. The words ‘‘and a warranty by the
insured” should be stricken out of lines 45
and 46. No policy of insurance should in-
clude a warranty, and in a number of states
statutes have been passed providing that no
such policy shall include a warranty, no
matter what its Se may be. The
etfect of a warranty is to avoid the policy,
if an untrue statement is made about an)
thing whatever relating to the insurance e,
no matter how immaterial it may be or how
honestly the statement may have been made.
All the statements made to a company for
the purpose of obtaining insurance —
be treated as representations the effect
which would be to avoid the policy if any
one was unirue in a material respect. This
policy in lines 7 to 10 provides that it shall
be avoided if there is any misrepresentation
concealment of a material fact. In this
clause of the policy the statements are
treated as representations. That is per-
fectly right. But having treated the state-
ments, in lines 7 to 10, as representations,
it is absurd to provide in lines 45 and 46
that they shall be warranties and it would
be unjust, as well as absurd, to leave this
clause in the policy. There is no other one
way in which so much injustice has
done by insurance companies as by getting
contracts which amount to warranties from
unsuspecting persons and then insisting on
avoiding their policies on account of im-
material mis-statements. A company is
fully protected if it can avoid its policy
whenever a mis-statement or misrepresen-
tation is made about a material fact.
A
til
1 Or
peen
All kinds of timber of the finest |
| 3. The clause in lines 47 and 48 should
|also be stricken out. It is in these words:
| ‘In any — relating to this insurance
| no person unless duly authorized in writing,
| Shall be deemed the agent of this com
| It is simply absurd to enact as a law that
;an insurance company may send a man to
| solicit insurance and take risks, and reap the
| benefit of all that he does so far as it desires
|to doso and then repudiate his ageney as
to all acts to its disadvantage, simply be-
| cause the insured is not able to show that
| his authority is in writing. So faras the
}
is
|
any.”
= of agency is concerned, the policy
hould leave insurance companies in exactly
| th 1e Same situation that any other person or
corporation is left who sends out an agent
}to do its business. If it adopts his acts so
| far as they are advantageous to it, it should
| be held responsible for everything that he
says or does which is fairly within the seope
of his authority. There is no reason what-
ever for making the ease of insurance com-
panies exceptional or putting them on any
other footing than other persons who are
obliged to use agents in the transaction of
their business.
4. The policy ought not to provide as it
does in lines 78, 79 and 80 that the insured,
in case it is demanded by the company,
must furnish a certificate of t
the peace or notary public living nearest the
place of the fire that he has examined the
| circumstances and believes the insured has
| honestly sustained loss. It sometimes hap-
pens that the only officer who is within the
terms of such a provision is the personal
enemy of the insured and will not make
any certificate, and the companies are not
slow to seize upon the advantage which this
provision gives them and insist that the
certificate shall be obtained by the insured.
Until he has done it, he can sustain no ac-
tion, because a strict complianee with this
| as well as the other conditions of the policy
| is made a condition precedent to the com-
| mencement of suit by the clause which is
| in lines 106 and 107. There is no sense in
| requiring such a certificate from any officer
at all, because the companies always inves-
| tigate losses themselves and know better
a any of the insured’s neighbors whether
| the loss has been honestly sustained. There
| should, therefore, be no such provision in
the policy, but in any event, if such a pro-
i vision is ineorporated in it, the insured
he justice of |
|
should not be restricted to the certificate of |
the nearest justice of the peace or notary
public. There should be no condition in
the policy which it might be impossible for
the insured to comply with, even though
his loss was perfectly honest.
5. The provision in lines 92 and 93, that
‘this company shall not be held to have
waived any provision or condition of this
policy or any forfeiture thereof by any re-
quirement, act or proceeding on its part re-
lating to the appraisal or to any examina-
tion herein provided for,” should also be
stricken out. To adopt it would beto annul
two decisions of our own Supreme Court,
which may be found in Marthinson vs. In-
surance Company, 31 N. W. Rep., 291, and
Cobbs vs. Fire Association, 36 N. W. Rep.,
222. In these cases the insurance com-
panies went to the scene of the fire to ex-
amine the loss. They at once ascertained
facts which showed that the policy had been
avoided and that the assured could recover
nothing. Notwithstanding this, they de-
manded that the assured should incur the
expense of having inventories of his prop-
erty made and complete proofs of loss made
out and forwarded to them. Our Supreme
Court held that, knowing as they did at the
time they made this demand and while the
assured was incurring the expense of com-
plying with it, that he had violated one of
the conditions of the policy which had
avoided it, they waived the right to insist
upon the condition. These decisions are so
manifestly just on their face that the Com-
mission should not undertake to prescribe
a form of policy which would have the ef-
fect of annulling them. The court applied
to the case of insurance companies, in these
cases, the rule to which it would have sub-
jected any individual ii: any other kind of
business. Nothing should be done which
would take insurance companies out of the
operation of the principle.
6. The clause in lines 96 to 101, except
the ‘last sentence, should be stricken out en-
tirely. If that clause was left in the pol-
icy, it would lead to such results as the fol-
lowing: A man has a stock of goods worth
$20,000, insured for $10,000 in ten different
companies, each of which carries a $1,000
policy. A fire occurs and he is damaged to
the extent of $5,000. It turns out that five
of the companies have become insolvent or
that for some reason their policies are in-
valid, and so he ean only ecllect from five
of his ten companies. Under the form of
the policy as proposed he ean only collect
from each of the companies one-tenth of his
loss, which would be $509, and from all of
the solvent companies he could collect only
$2,500, although they would be carrying
policies for $5,000 and had received their
premiums on that amount. This possible
result shows the injustice of the provision.
No wrong would be done the solvent com-
panies in such a case if they were compelled
to pay the full amount of their policies.
7. The clause in lines 106 and 107, limit-
ing the time of bringing an action to one
year, should be stricken out. In the first
place, there is no reason why an action on a
contract of insurance should be limited to
one year when actions on all other contracts
may be brought in six years. If it is said
that aman should sue in one year, if he
wants to sue at all, my reply is that the
same objection could be made to our pres-
ent statute of limitations in relation to any
other contract. If the present period of
limitation should be reduced to one year as
to policies of insurance, the same rule
should be applied to other contracts. In-
surance companies should not be given an
advantage which no other creditor has
But if it were wise to give insurance
~| companies such an advantage, there is the
further objection that the Commission has
no power to doit. It must be remembered
that this policy is to have the force of a law,
and itis mani that the Legislature could
not delegate to Commission authority
to abridge the period of the statute of lim-
ifatior is as to 7 contract or class of con-
racts. If this clause or the clause retating
to the amount of is retained in the
policy, the work of the Commission will
be futile, as the first blast it reeeives from
any
loss
the eourts will destroy it.
8. IT hear that it is urged that the clause
exempting mutual insurance companies
from the obligation to conform to the terms
lof this policy should be stricken out. If
this is done, it will destroy the business of
the mutual insurance companies in this
State. I have not the form of a mutual
policy at hand, or Ieould easily demon-
strate the truth of this statement. All you
need to do is to take upa policy of the
Kent County Mutual Insurance Company
and examine it and you will see that it is
utterly impossible for that company to
write a policy on this form. I remember
very well that when the Commission of
1881 recommended to the Legislature of 1883
a form of fire insurance policy, there was a
great commotion among the managers of
the farmers’ companies throughout the
State, because they saw at once that if they
were obliged to conform to the terms of the
policy they would have to suspend business.
I certainly hope that before you conclude
to strike that clause from the form you
may adopt you will examine some policies
of different farmers’ companies.
If the New York standard form of insur-
ance policy, or anything which nearly resem-
bles it, is to be adopted by the Cummission,
it would be far better, in my judgment, if
the work was left entirely alone. As the
matter now stands a person who is obtaining
insurance is not obliged to submit to such
contracts as the insurance companies gen-
erally try to Impose upon their patrons; but
if this form is adopted, nearly every unjust
provision which has ever been incorporated
in an insurance policy will have to be sub-
mitted to by any person who is obtaining
insurance, whether he wants to do it or not.
I fail to see that any advantage whatever
would by gained by a standard form of pol-
icy, which would begin to counterbalance
the disadvantages which would follow the
adoption by law of the form which 1s pro-
posed. Yours truly,
* N. A. FLETCHER.
a
Sunfield merchants should beware of Ira
Hartwell, a painter, who has lately removed
to that place. He is entitled to wear the
badge of the Grand Army of Dead-beats.
Philadelphia Grocer: Our Michigan
friends are to be congratulated on their con-
vention and the enterprise of Friend Stowe,
of THE TRADESMAN. His report exceeds
any work of that kind ever done by the
trade press.
The report of Insurance Committee of
the State body, which will be found in
another column, is published with the con-
sent and approval of that Committee, in
hopes it will invoke criticism and sugges-
tion. This explanation is due the Executive
Board, for fear the latter might: consider
the early publication an act of discourtesy.
DOUBLY MUTUAL.
The Insurance Plan Adopted by the InfSur-
ance Committee.
In response to the call of Chairman Cald-
well, the Insurance Committee of the Mich-
igan Business Men’s Association met at
Grand Rapids on Sept 19 for the purpose of
considering the various forms of insurance
against fireand decide upon which plan
would best meet the demands of the busi-
ness men of Michigan. The meeting was
held at the parlors of the Owashtanong
Club. The assessment and premium note
plans were both presented, discussed and
passed aside as impracticable. It was final-
ly decided to adopt a combination stock
company and mutual plan—the former to
ensure unquestioned security and the latter
to enable the policy holders to participate in
the profits, instead of turning the margins
all over to the stockholders, as is the easein
stock companies, pure and simple. This
plan is substantially the same as that of the
Mutual Fire Insurance Co. of New York,
which is one of the most successful assur-
ance associations in the country, the re-
turns to the policy holders averaging about
50 per cent. of the premiums paid in, which
are usually below the rates established by
the so-called board companies.
The report adopted by the Committee is
as follows:
To the Executive Committee of the Michigan Business
Men’s Association:
GENTLEMEN—At a meeting of the Insur-
ance Committee, held at Grand Rapids,
Sept. 19, we discussed the question of the
organization of a Michigan Business Men’s
Mutual Fire Insurance Co. and recommend
for yeur consideration and action as follows:
That an eifort be made te organize a com-
pany to be known as the Michigan Business
Men’s Mutual Fire Insurance Co.. with an
authorized capital stock of $500,000; that
$100,000 be paid in, in shares of $25 each
and that every policy holder be a stock
holder: that we solicit only mercantile in-
surance at the National Underwriters’ rates
and that one-half of the net earnings from
the premium receipts be returned to the pol-
icy holders, either in eash or serip, which
scrip shall be issued drawing interest at 6
per cent. until paid; that the capital stock
be entitled to one-half of the net earnings
of the company, when such earnings do not
exceed 10 per cent.; that all subscriptions to
stock after $100,000 is subseribed be accom-
panied by a written application for insur-
ance.
It is our intent to comply with the pres-
ent insurance law, regulating the business
of stock fire insurance, and do business un-
der it. We can find nothing preventing our
idea of mutuality herein recommended,
namely, of making each policy holder a
stock holder and of then declaring one-half
of the net earnings when they do not exceed
10 per cent. on the stock, the balance to
the policy holder. The issuing of scrip for
this dividend to stockholders allows us to
retain a cash surplus, which we can dimin-
ish or allow to increase as our experience
demands. We would make no policy hold-
er liable further than a policy holder in oth-
er stock companies, as now prescribed by
law.
in this recommendation we do not claim
perfection, but after investigating the plans
of the severai manufacturers’ and merean-
tile mutuals based on the premium note and
assessment plans, we can find nothing that
commends to us as a safer or more
peace ang plan of insurance and in no way
so mutual as this plan.
seg king your early
vice, that we may ex
zoo in this dire
ItenlFt
1tseit
deration and ad-
_ accomplish some
1 lay the matter be-
fore the various loeal Smee. we await
your action.
GEO. B. Catpwetu, Chairman.
— STORE,
. Powe RS,
Co nmittee on Insurance.
Chairman Caldwell has notified President
Wells that the Committee is ready to report
to the Executive Board, and the sooner the
latter body together, the mere
promptly the Insurance Committee wili be
able to act in perfecting its plan of insur-
ance, in case it is approved by the Board.
> 9 <> eae
Owosso Will Promptly Re- affiliat
Owosso, Sept. 19,
E. A. Stowe, Grand Rapids:
DEAR Sir—Your notification at hand.
We will promptly forward the per capita
dues on October 1 for the re-affiliation of
our Association, which was unanimously
voted at our September regular meeting.
Allow me to congratulate you and tender
sincere thanks in behalf of our members
for your verbatim report of proceedings of
the third annual convention. It is a mas-
terpiece and shows the energy and enthu-
siasm displayed by you for the welfare and
progress of the Association. There is a
great deal of valuable knowledge to be de-
rived by its careful perusal, and every mem-
ber should avail himself of the opportunity
and read and preserve the same carefully, at
the same time appreciating the skill and
labor which you haye so generously offered
without pecuniary reward in compiling and
publishing the same for the benefit, ad-
vancement and prosperity of the Associa-
tion. Yours very truly,
S. LAMFROM, Sec’y.
a 8 et
Association Notes.
Alma will probably organizea B. M. A.
on Friday night.
There are twenty-one local associations in
the Ohio Retail Merchants’ Association.
The Buckeye Grocer, the official organ of
the organization, censures the State Organ-
izer for forming no new associations in over
six months.
The Cleveland Retail Grocers’ Associa-
tion has adopted the Blue Letter of the
Michigan Business Men’s Association. The
committee making the recommendation said,
“It is claimed for them by the grocers who
have used them, that they are the best they
ever saw.”
The Oceana B. M. A. will probably dis-
band at the next meeting and re-organize
into three distinct associations—one for
Hart, one for Shelby and one for Pent-
water—the three principal towns included
in the membership of the Oceana organiza-
tion.
WwW.
is called
1888,
a ee
Buy flour manufaccured by the Crescent
Roller Mills. Every sack warranted. Voigt
Milling Co. '
Industrial School of Business
Is noted for
THOROUGHNESS,
Its graduates succeed. Write
W. N. FERRIS,
Big Rapids, Mich.
JULIUS HOUSEMAN, Pres.,
A. 3. WATSON, Treas.
Ss. F. ASPINW ALL, Secy.
CASH CAPITAL, $200,000.
MAGIC COFFEE ROASTER
The most practical
hand Roaster in the
world. Thousands in
use—giving satisfac
tion. They are simpie
durable and econom-
eal. No grocer
should be without
one. Roasts coffee
P and pea-nuts to per
fection.
Send for circulars.
Robt. 8. West,
150 Long St.,
Cleveland, Ohic.
baroware.
These prices are for cas buyers, who pay
promptly and buy in full packages.
AUGERS AND BITS
Ives’, old. oe a ais G6
ee OO dis 60
Wouciens” Stee dis 60
PICeCen ais 8&8
ee dis 60
Coes = 40
Jenmnes, soning 6 25
Jennings’, imitation. (8 Giss0G10
BALANCES.
Sariee ee . .@is 40
BARROWS.
er $ 14 00
Garden net 33 00
BELLS.
Hand. ee dis $ 60&10&10
Cow. dis 76
Ce ., uP 30815
Come uid 25
Door, See dis 60810
BOLTS.
Sve dis $ 0
Carmagce new ist... dis 76&10
IO dis 50
SIGN SHGG dis 70
Wronusht Barre! Bolts... dis 60
Cast Barrel Bolts... dis 40
Cast Barrel, brass kpops.........._.. dis 40
Cast Squar re SpE dis 60
Cast Chain. 40
Wrought Barrel, t 60
Wrought Square Be ee eee ck el. dis 60
Ww rought Sunk os 60
ee en dis 60&10
ives Door dis 60&10
s$ 40
50&10
50
net
EO $ 350
Well, swive 4 00
> Ic ae oe bronzed is
WwW rought 3 I ow, bright fast joint..dis
Wroweht Loose (Pin s/n dis
Wrought Loose Pin, acorntip........ dis
y ught Loose Pin, japanned........ dis
Vj ought Loose Pin, japanned, Silver
DppCO dis
Wrought Ti ii
Wrought Ins: Ge SHG dis 60810
Wrou ight B eS dis 5
Blind Giarks dis OSH
Blind, Parker’ Se dis %0&10
Bimed, Shepara’s: ) dis 7
CAFS.
ae _ ee ee ee per m $ 65
ee 60
Mackot ee 60
CATRIDGES.
Rim Fire, U. M.C. & Winchester new list....50
iim Hire, United States... -disad
Central Pire dis25
CHISELS.
Boeke firmer dis 70&10
Socket Framing. eee .-dis 70&19
peesee Comper dis 70&10
Socket Cxe es . dis 70&10
Butchers Tanged Wirmer........__.. dis 40
Barton s Socket Wirmers........ dis 20
Cod net
COMBS.
Curry, Dawrenee’s..... ...... 1... .. dis 49&10
Hoteniass oo dis 28
COCKS.
Brass, Haekine ss... 60
Bip 60
oie 40&10
ee 60
COPPER.
Planished, 14 ov cut to size........ 2... Bb 33
pea ee 31
Coid Rolled, Px56 and 14x60....00..000 0 22
Colt Rotied) ate 29
Bottoms 30
DRILLS
Morse’ S Bi Steek. 000s dis 40
Taper and StraightShank.........._. dis 40
Warne S taper Shank... 6... dis 40
ELBOWS.
Com: 4 piece, 6 Gio... 120s: doz net $.75
Corrugated dis20&10) &0
AGIURIQbIG dis &10
EXPANSIVE BITS.
Clar’s, small, = 00; large, $26 00. dis 30
Ives’, 1 $18 00; 2, $24 00; 3, $30 00. dis 25
FILES—New List.
American File Association List...... dis 60
PISSGOMS oes dis 60
New Simericdn ooo. 6 dis 60
Nicholson's... ... De et dis 60
MIGHUGHM Ss oo. dis 50
Hotler's Horse Rasps. oo. 0.000... ws. dis 50
GALVANIZED IRON,
Nos. 16 to 20, 22and 24, 25and26, 27 28
List 12 13 14 15 18
Discount, 60.
GAUGES.
Stanley Rule and Level Co.’s......... dis 50
HAMMERS. |
Te SOGs. = 25
5
aan ign 5 dis 010
Mason’s Solid Cast Steel.............. 30 ¢ list 50
Blacksmith’s Solid Cast Steel, Hand. .30 c 40&10
HINGES.
Gate, Clarina 1380s el, dis 50
DENS ee per doz, net, 2 50
Screw Hook and Strap, to 12 in. 4% 14
RNG 1TONREP es 7%
Serew Hook and Eye, 14 .......:.... net 70
serew Hook and Bye 36... 2.225... ._.. net 8%
serew Hook and Kye %...-.......... net 7
Serew Hook and Eye. %...:......... net Th
Strap 206 dis 7
HANGER
Barn Door KidderMfg. — "Wood track 50&10
Champion, ep es So eiwice else dis 60&10
Widder, wood track: <6. 0200... 4. 6 40
HOLLOW WARE.
PO ee 60&10
POR IIO 60&10
PICT oe ee oe 60&10
Cray ONAMGIOd 22 ee, 50
HOUSE FURNISHING GOODS.
Stamped Win Ware... -....- 2... new list 70&10
Jepatned Tin: Ware. ooo 25
Granite Iron Ware..... : 25
HOES.
Coun Fe $11 00, dis 60
OLGe Fe 11 50, dis 60
Pe 12 00, dis 60
KNOBS—NEW LIST.
Door, mineral, jap. trimmings....... dis 55
Door, poreceliin, jap. trimmings........ 55
Door, porceluin, plated trimmings..... 55
Door, porcelain, trimmings............. 55
Drawer and Shutter, porcelain oe dis 70
Picture, H, i Judd & Covs.. ....... 00: 40&10
PEOMACHG (00 dis 4
LOCKS—DOOR.
Russell & Irwin Mfg. Co.’ 8 new list..dis 55
Mallory, Wheeler & Co.’s............. dis 55
Bo dis 55
PGW dis 55
ELS.
Staniey Rule and lon 2 ea dis 70
MATTOCKS.
Rae Be $16 00 dis 60
Hunt Bye $15 00 dis 60
EG $18 50 dis 20 & 10
Sperry & Co.’s, ok died ele dis 50
MILLS.
Coffee, Parkers Cos.) dis 40
Coffee, P. S.& W.Mfg. Co.’s Malleables . a 40
Coffee, Landers, Ferry &Clark’s.......... dis 40
Coffee, Enterprise 8 dis 25
MOLASSES GATES.
Steppin s Pattern 0 dis 60&10
Scebbin's Genuine 60) dis 60&10
Enterprise, self-measuring.......... dis 25
NAILS —TRON.
Common, Brad and Fencing.
fate 40g 8 keg $1 =
See toced Adv.
10d adv... eee 0
S@and0@ Adv, 25
Gdama@ia Ady... 40
ai aned od Ady 60
ek CE a)
el AVC 1 50
NAILS—FINISHING.
3 inch advance Sees cee 85
26 te mech advance...) | 1 00
2to 244 ‘inch MAVAMCC ; 15
1% to 1% (imen advance. 8 é
14 inch - BAVAMCO i 75
men Avene 2 25
OILERS.
Zine or tin, Chase's Patent. _........... dis60&10
Zine, with brass Deemed dis 50
Brass or Copper, dis 50
MOAPCr per gross, $12 net
Olmscent a 50&10
PLANES,
Ohio Tool Co's, faney. dis 40@10
Deitt DeHeH = @60
Sandusky Tool @o.'s, fancy... ._._... dis 40@10
Bench, first® “quality. Oe dis @60
Stanley Rule and Level Co.’s, wood... .dis20&10
PANS.
EE ee dis 50&10
Conmmon; polished = dis60&10
Dripping. a Bb 6%
RIVETS.
iron and Eimmed. dis 55
Copper Rivets and Burs......._..... dis 50
PATENT FLANISAED IRON.
“A” Wood’s patent planished, Nos "3 10 20
“B” Wood’s pat. planished, Nos. 2 25 to2 8 20
Broken packs %c # b extra.
ROPES.
Sisal, 4 inised larger 10%
Mani la ee 12%
SQUARES.
preel and iron dis 70&10
Sryand Bevels. dis 60
Mitre dis 20
SHEET IRON.
Com. Smooth. Com.
NOS to 4 $4 20 $3 00
Mes. tote 4 20 3 00
Nos: 3 f0 21... _.. eee cee. 4 26 3 16
NOR ete ee 4 20 315
INGS 23 tO Fe 4 40 3 25
DL 60 3 35
All sheets No, 18 and lighter. over 2 inches
wide not less than 2-10 extra.
SHEET ZINC.
In casks of Gls 2m. 64
In smaller quansities, 2 ee 6%
TINNER’S SOLDER.
NOt, Refined. 14
Market Half-and-halt..........._. i6
serictly Halfand-halt. 18
TACKS.
American ai kinds 0 f) dis 60
Steel al kinda = . dis 60
Swedes, aii kinds = dis
Gimp ite =
Cis ar Box Nail
Conn on ‘and Boies Brads... “ais
Hungarian Nails and Miners’ Tacks. dis
Trunk and Clout Nails.... . 1... Gis
Tinned Trunk and Clout Nails... ___ dis
Leathered Carpet Tacks....___._. is
TIN PLATES.
IC, we, Cuarcoas 6 00@s 20
x, 14, Ap pameitier 78
IC, 5
rx, i
IC, 145 20, Cha
1x, 14x20, eck
Xx, 42. C} areoa! 35,
1254 1 Chee ens
IXXXX, Lao CHAFCOR)...1. |. Poo en 13 15
EX, peed, Cnaregs 16 10
DC, 100 Plate Ciaregat |! .. <€10
Dx, i Pinte Caarcoal |, 9 10
Bix, 00 Pilate Charcoal.) HE 10
DRX 100 Pinte Charcoal... 13 10
Re ‘ipped C harcoal Tin Plate add 1 50 to
7 35 rates.
ecting Mya IC... > 40
Moolne, 1404r EX 7 00
Heenan, Moxen IO 12 00
mooune, 2oxen EN. 15 00
TIN—LEADED.
IC, 14x20, choice Charcoal Terne........... 6 00
IX,1 4¥20, ehoice Charcoal Terne.......... 7 60
iG, "90x28, choice Charcoal Terne........_.. 112 00
EX, 2028, choice Chareoal Terne........ 15 00
TRAPS,
Sece, Game 69&10
Oneida Community, N iad jeg s..... dis 35
Oneida Community, Hawley & Norton’s 60&10
Hotehiasg 60810
Sf GW. MioiCos. 60&10
Mouse, ee ee 18c @ doz
Mouse, delusion. os $150 8B doz
WIRE.
reo MAPKeG dis 67%
Anncaiod MaArKeG 8... dis 7b&lu
Coppered Murkef..............._....... dis —
Hara Bale dis
‘rmed Markee. 0 dis 6234
Hitned Broom | eb 09
ied Maceress 2 b BM
Coppered Spring Stecl............0.._. dis 50
Dawe Spring Steer dis 40&10
Elgin Wemece ss... Sb 3
Barbed Hence, salyanized.....0..... 00.00. 4 Of
a pated... 3 25
COppOR new list. net
Brae new list net
WIRE GOODS.
Briggs. dis 70&10&10
merew Hyves... dis 70&10&10
MOORS i dis 70&10&140
Gate Hooks and Kyes............ dis 70&10&10
WRENCHES.
Baxter’s Adjustable, nickeled..........
Coes Geunme dis 50
Coe’s Ptent A gricultural, wrought, dis 75
Coe's Ptent, malleable... ........... dis 75&10
MISCELLANEOUS.
Bard CRPCR 50
Papmpe, Cisterm ...0 dis “ae
Sorews, new Hest... 0&
Casters, Bed and: Piate.........-... disdossrieci0
Dampers, American oo. 40
Forks, hoes, rakes an all steel goods...d 23
Copper GUE ae
HARDWOOD LUMBER.
The furniture factories here pay as follows
for dry stock, measured merchantable, mi.
culls out;
Basawood, lop vu... 0.0... 26... 13 00@15 00
Bireh, log-run ee ae ee de caer 15 00G@16 00
Birch, New tana se 2 00
Black Ash, log-run See cee cece ee 14 00@16 5)
Chery, lomran... 25 00@35 00
GChercry, Nos. 1 and 200000000.) Be ae 00
Cherry. Cao. 2
Maple, lop-run.... 5... eae fea
Maple, soft, TOR TU es,
Magpie, Neos. Lands...
Maple, clear, flooring... 60... 05...
Maple, white, selected ee ce eee ae wie
Hed@alke tom-run. 3200s... f
Red Oak, Nos. 1 and 2 as “
Red Oak, 14 sawed, Sin and upw as
Red Oak, “ =“ *yegular Boe ces
Bed Oak, No. L,step pilank..........
; Walnut, log-run aa ie!
Wainut, Nos. BONG A oo,
WArGS, CONS eo.
Grow: Him, ferrin. oi cs sas
White Ash. log-run. ote.
Whitewood, IOC EH es
‘ff RO
eS
Weekly ‘Pointers,’
AMSTERDAM HOLLAND,
The King’s Palace isa wonderful building;
to give you an idea of the size, the audience
room is 150 feet long, 30 wide and 100 feet high.
The roof is supported by an arch. The Crown
room is not quite so large, butis magnificent,
and here all the Kings and Queens are crown-
ed. Inthe King’s bed-room, I found a stove
from the Detroit Stove Works, also, in the
breakfast room, I found one, of a larger size.
I think Frank Graves must have been in Am-
sterdam.
NS
O-
(The above is an extract from a letter of
N. L. AVERY, Esq., who is now in Eu-
rope.)
We are Agents for the De-
troit Stove Works, and any-
thing bearing their stamp is
“All Right.”
HOS : Sevens & C0,
10 and 12 Monroe 8St.,
5,37, 89
33, 35,3 and 41 Louis Street.
Weekly ‘Pointers,
Fruit Season is
=_— a
Here.
‘se bane Tin Fruit Cans in 1 and 2 Quarts.
Also Fruit Wax for sealing cans or bottles.
The Enterprise Fruit, Wine or
Jeliy Press
Can be used for many purposes, such as mak-
ing wines, jellies and fruit butters from grapes
and other fruits and berries; the entire sub-
stance being extracted at one operation. For
pressing lard it has no equal; working contin-
uously, it presses more lard in less time than
any other press of its size and price, and is es-
ly useful for extracting the juice from
‘eparing beef tea for the use of inval-
— BVELS & CO,
10 and 12 Monroe 8t.,
35, 37, 39 and 41 Louis Street.
_ Sgt
Weekly ‘Pointers
Bronze
nze
Bargains in Hardware
Rich and tasty trimmings play an important
part in the appearance of a house. That so
stapie an article of hardware, to endure for
all time, should be subject to the changeable
rule of fashion may seem strange, but is true
What, a few years ago, was the correct style,
is now shelved to make room for more popular
designs. We have always aimed to havyethe
most complete line of bronze in the State, and,
of course, have odd lots left, rich and artistic
designs, not enough to trim a large house or
block in one siyle, but otherwise very desira-
ble patierns.
SOLID BRONZE LOCKS,
KNOBS AND BUTTS.
51 to $2.
ws Bronze Front Door Sets from $
2 Ditto rich ‘‘Damascene’”’ finish, $3.25.
= Solid Bronze Bell Pulls, Levers and Knobs.
k= Solid Bronze Butts, 4x5, 44%x4%,5x5,
6x 6,in various styles of finish, planished,
steel finish, nickel finish, Damascene finish,
ete., some at $1 per pair, solid bronze knobs
only 40c, almost as cheap as porcelain, and so
on through the entire line of trimmings at
greatly reduced prices.
Understand that these are bargains and must
not be confounded with the complete asgort-
ment of new designs in our show cases,
ai SBVELS & G0,
10 and 12 Monroe St.,
33, 35, 37, 39 and 41 Louis Street.
\L
The Michigan Tradesman
THE QUESTION OF CREDIT.
Overhauling the Matter to Show that
Creditisa Good Cane buta Bad Crutch.
From the American Storekeeper.
A universal reply to the question, ‘‘How
is business ?” has come to be, ‘Business is
good but collections are slow.” This re-
ply may be varied as concerns business, but
eollections seem to be chronically slow.
Collections follow as one of the many
troublesome sequences of granting credit,
and granting credit seems to be with most
merchants a necessary concomitant to bus-
iness.
The evils of credit are frequently set
forth in our trade exchanges, and articles
are often published describing successful
methods of collecting bills. These vary
trom the shotgun policy to the soft-soap
policy, but one thing stands out very
plainly on them all; they are undignified,
unbusinesslike and, we believe, unneces-
sary.
Merchants who are burdened with slow-
paying customers universally regret that
they have acredit system, and as universally
declare it to be a necessary evil connected
with merchandising. We are prepared to
admit that credit is, in many cases, a heces-
sary adjunct to a mercantile business, but
we cannot admit that it need always be an
evil. It simply lies within the merchant’s
power to make his credit customers a dis-
appointing and profitless feature ot his
business, or a prompt, reliable class whose
payments may be reasonably relied on.
To acertain degree the necessity of ex-
pending commissions to collection agencies,
whose effectiveness in many cases is due to
their blackmailing schemes, must be very
humiliating to a merchant. It is an evi-
dence that he has placed confidence in un-
worthy persons, and that his judgment is
not to be relied upon. It is an evidence
that he did not give that attention to the
details of his business which would enable
him to conduct it without giving his goods
away. Itis an evidence that the consumer
savas a little too sharp for the dealer.
We are well aware that some of our read-
ers who have made bad debts will not thank
us for taking this view of the case, but if
they will be patient, we will endeavor to
show them that our position is correct. To
do this we must consider for a moment what
credit is. There should be no difficulty in
understanding the nature of credit. Itisa
loan of salable commodities without secur-
ity. The merchant who trusts a man for a
barrel of flour, furnishes the man material
on which to live while he earns money to
pay for it, the flour being consumed when
the payment is made.
Credit thus permits us to wear out cloth-
ing before it is paid for, to consume grocer-
ies without having given anything for them,
and—in other words—to eat our chickens
before they are hatched. The merchants
who grant credit place themselves in the
position of philanthropic persons who en-
able their customers to live before they have
earned the right to live. There are cases
of deserving poor who are temporarily un-
able to pay for the means of sustaining
life, but merchants who feel charitable
should support such persons purely as a
charity and not as a business policy.
Consider for a moment the position which
you, asastorekeeper, occupy. You have
invested your money ina stock of goods.
If the goods have been paid for, they be-
long to you absolutely. They are to you
the results of saving, thrift and economy.
Those goods you can giveaway if you like,
but you possess them because you believe
that you can profitably exchange them for
commodities you need.
In this exchanging process money need
mot necessarily enter, as your goods could
‘se directly bartered for other goods—as they
frequently are for butter, eggs and pro-