ase FTE NCSSRYETR DOE i LAF I RINVEN ee GENS RAAFENRASH IIS ) aS VY Fn NE WS Ea I BON 7g FSS AYS Ze FAC I) OR EEN Oke as CBD NSS eae Wey ay AS Ge di OWL DS ES WS fo FR Be ANN CM a Tee 7 ax a Aa a SW Se CPAP. © A = : SS yr Es) e fa _— x y Vac SBS a >» @ Se s ND MI Fa: U y are a: . Zs Y 1k ie Bika GG “a % ) Na) (Bs me s/ DW Ss p BSS Tn) c nA CY ern) BAN G ny g \ GA Se et POSS NEES ZW WT IDMLZZZ RIE 9 CANES EDN C2PUBLISHED WEEKLY © et RO) WA = SAE DOWIE AS SSS NS Segoe Or Twenty-Third Year GRAND RAPIDS, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 1905 Number 1158 SINGLE INSIDE LIGHT | 600 CANDLE POWER SINGLE INSIDE LIGHT 500 CANOLE POWER SINGLE INSIDE LIGHT ]j 600 CANDLE POWER Increase “x. By making your store bright and attractive—you’ll find it pays. For 30 cays we will make you a special proposition to light your store with the Best Lighting System on earth. Get one before Christmas. Write us today. Noel @ Bacon Co. Grand Rapids, Michigan DO IT NOW Investigate the Kirkwood Short Credit System of Accounts It earns you 525 per cent. on your investment. We will prove it previous to purchase. It prevents forgotten charges, It makes disputed accounts impossible. It assists in making col- lections. It saves labor in book-keeping. It systematizes credits. It establishes confidence between you and your customer. One writing does it all. For full particulars writr er call on A. H. Morrill & Co. 105 Ottawa:St., Grand Rapids, Mich. Both Phones 87. Pat. March 8, 1898, June 14, 1898, March 19, 1901. Chesty! Why of course he’s ‘“‘chesty.” Why shouldn't he be? He's smoking one of those > &. W. 5c Cigars the boys around town are bragging about. Better try a box—one if- you like—and get ‘‘chesty” yourself. Small price for the comfort, pleasure and satisfaction COPV AIG HAT you get. Try One Now G. J. JOHNSON CIGAR CO., Makers Grand Rapids, [lich. RTT Potato Shippers Waste Dollars By Using Cheap Baskets A Braided Pounded Ash Basket, either Plain or Iron strap- ped, will outwear dozens of them. A Dollar basket is cheap if it gives five dollars of wear, measured by those commonly used. Write for particulars. We can save you LL money. Ballou Basket Works Belding, Mich. , Vee Rates Moderate. Write us. Buffalo Cold Storage Company Buffalo, N. Y. Store Your Poultry at Buffalo And have it where you can distribute to all markets when you wish to sell. Reasonable advances at 6 per cent. interest. /A GOOD INVESTMENT THE CITIZENS TELEPHONE COMPANY Having increased its authorized capital stock to $3,000,000, compelled to do so because of © the REMARKABLE AND CONTINUED GROWTH of its system, which now includes more than ows T Mar ‘ 25,000 TELEPHONES asccnes, B of FLEISCHMANN ’S or which more than 4,000 were added during its last fiscal year—of these over ..000. are in ; FW Svithout 4 the Grand Rapids Exchange which now has 6,800 telephones—has p'aced block of its new Bite ile Signat we YELLOW LABEL COMPRESSED STOCK ON SALE ees 2 Se eMheKeircherann = \ ° bates Saeen eet eae aportved cash — of 2 per cent. quarterly 8 COMPRESSED & YEAST you sell not only increases For further information call on or address the company at its office in Grand Rapids. oan ot 4 — . E. B. FISHER, SECRETARY Ope ear o8 your profits, but also gives com- OUR LABEL plete satisfaction to your patrons. The Fleischmann Co., Detroit Office, 111 W. Larned St., Grand Rapids Office, 29 Crescent Ave. SS PAPER BOXES OF THE RIGHT KIND sell and create a greater demand for goods than almost. any other agency. WE MANUFACTURE boxes of this description, both solid and folding, and will be pleased to offer suggestions and figure with you on your requirements. Prices Reasonable. Prompt. Service. Grand Rapids Paper Box Co., «rand Rapids, Mich. Michigan Fire and Marine petroit Insurance Company Michigan Established 1881. SD WS SD” GE? Wa a Cash Capital $400,000. Assets $1,000,000. Surplus to Policy Aolders $625,000. Losses Paid 4,200,000. The Best People Eat 7 q OFFICERS D. M. FERRY, Pres. F. H. WHITNEY, Vice Pres. M. W. O’BRIEN, Treas. GEO. E. LAWSON, Ass’t Treas. E. J. BOOTH, Sec’y E. P. WEBB, Ass’t Sec’y . DIRECTORS D. M. Ferry, F. J. Hecker, M. W. O’Brien, Hoyt Post, Walter C. Mack, Allan Shelden R. P Joy, Simon J. Murphy, Wm. L. Smith, A. H. Wilkinson, James Edgar, H. Kirke White, H. P. Baldwin, Charles B. Calvert, F. A. Schulte, Wm. V. Brace, . W Thompson, a? H. McMillan, F. E. Driggs, Geo. H. Hopkins, Wm. R. Hees, James D. Standish, Theodore D. Buhl, Lem W. Bowen, Chas. C. Jenks, Alex. Chapoton, Jr., 1. Barbour, S. G. Caskey, Chas. Stinchfield, Francis F. Palms, Carl A. Henry, David C. Whitney, Dr. J. B. Book, Chas. F. Peltier, F. H. Whitney. Agents wanted in towns where not now represented. Apply to GEO. P. McMAHON, State Agent, too Griswold St., Detroit, Mich. { Sunlight Fiek. & Walsh-DeReo Milling & Cereal Co., Holland, Mich. > qq all... ae» .4).4ep a, a! We Can Prove What We Say If our representative says our scales will cost you nothing, let him prove it, and if he proves it, won't you acknowledge the fact? His effort is not to condemn the system you are now using but to show you in the least possible time how The Moneyweight System will remove all guess work and errors, and place the handling of your merchandise on an accurate and businesslike basis. The Best is Always Cheapest The cheapest is not the one which sells for the least money, but the one which brings the largest returns on the amount invested. Don’t get the idea because Moneyweight Scales are Best that they are the most expensive. We make scales which range in price from $10 to $125. Send for our free catalogue and see what a magnificent line of scales we have. Do it Now MONEYWEIGHT SCALE CO. 58 State St., Chicago, Ill. Manufactured by THE COMPUTING SCALE CO. No. 63 Boston Automatic : Dayton Ohio No. 84 Pendulum Automatic a A DESMAN Twenty-Third Year GRAND RAPIDS, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 1905 Number 1158 Collection Department R. G. DUN & CO. Mich. Trust Building, Grand Rapids Collection delinquent accounts; cheap, ef- ficient, responsible; direct demand system. Collections made every where for every trader. Cc. E. McCRONE, Manager. We Buy and Sell Total Issues of State, County, City, School District, Street Railway and Gas BONDS Correspondence Solicited H. W. NOBLE & COMPANY BANKERS Union Trust Building, Detroit, Mich. tTreeKent County Savings Bank OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICH Has largest amcunt of deposits of any Savings Bank in Western Michigan. If you are contem- plating a change in your Banking relations, or think of opening a new account, call and see us. IZ Per Cent. 3Bi4 Per Cent. Paid on Certificates of Deposit Banking By Mail Resources Exceed 3 Million Dollars Commercial Credit Co., Ltd. OF MICHIGAN Credit Advices, and Collections OFFICES Widdicomb Building, Grand Rapids 42 W. Western Ave., Muskegon Detroit Opera House Blk., Detroit GRAND RAPIDS FIRE INSURANCE AGENCY W. FRED McBAIN, President Grand Rapids, Mich. The Leading Agency ELLIOT 0. GROSVENOF Late State Food Commissioner Advisory Counsel to manufacturers anc jobbers whose interests are affected by the Food Laws of any state. Corres- pondence invited. 2321 Majestic Building, Detroit, Mich menean bom my a NGRAVINGS CTYPE FORMS, “JRapESMan Co. GaauDeerpsunn. SPECIAL FEATURES. Page. 2. Window Trimming. 3. New York Market. 4, Around the State. 5. Grand Rapids Gossip. 6. Money Is Saved. 8. Editorial, 9. The Credit Man. 12. Clerk’s Corner. The Price of Success. What One Has Missed. The Talking Telephone. Clothing. Sycophancy in Business. Butter and Eggs. 24. “Hardware. 27. Crime Against Trees. 28. Woman’s World. 32. Shoes. 36. The Real Criminal. 38. Dry Goods. 40. Commercial Travelers. 42. Drugs. 43. Drug Price Current. Grocery Price Current. Special Price Current. Compromised With Their Creditors. Wester & Ramsey, general dealers at Bangor, recently conceived the idea that they were insolvent and placed their matters in the hands of an attorney to effect a compromise with their creditors, which he succeeded in doing by using the bankruptcy iaw as a club and threat- ening to throw the firm into bank- ruptcy unless the creditors yielded to his threats. All of the creditors but one or two accepted 40 cents on the dollar in full settlement. The names of the houses which yielded to the pressure brought upon them and the amount owed each are as follows: William H. Bush & Co., Chicago........ $142 89 Annex Shoe Co., Columbus, Ohio........ 49 20 Lambertville Rubber Co., Lambertville, Te ae ce oe woe 53 00 Strous, Eisendrath & Co., Chicago....... 140 50 The Hall China Co., East Liverpool, Ohio 14 63 Chicago Rubber Shoe Co., Chicago...... 13 80 Otto Weber & Co., Grand Rapids....... 23 80 Deemer Manufacturing Co., Chicago..... 18 63 Manistee Shoe Co., Manistee............ 93 20 Rockford Overall Co., Rockford, Ill..... 33 49 Herman Manufacturing Co., Chicago..... 10 50 Jerome Rice Seed Co., Cambridge, N. Y. 47 11 Enamel Steel Tile Co., Bellaire, Ohio.... 45 20 Coronet Coreet Co., Jacksom............. 17 00 Avimekie Proe,, Ceicheo................. 32 80 Stahl, Urban & Co., Terre Haute........ 92 00 Ideal Clothing Co., Grand Rapids... . 24 00 Bagte Tailoring Co., Chicago............ 15 00 American Glove Co., Ciieago............ 13 50 Reid, Henderson & Co., Chicago......... 36 08 Ohio Falls Woolen Mills, Chicago....... 64 50 A. E. Brooks & Co., Grand Rapids...... 24 47 H. Leonard & Sons, Grand Rapids....... 102 67 A. F Bere & Co., Citeues.:............ 11 25 Princess Manufacturing Co., Flint, Mich. 20 15 Fuller Glove Co., Michigan City......... 62 03 Clapp Clothing Co., Grand Rapids....... 6 00 Defiance Tick Mitten Co., Toledo....... 20 88 se. He Bell &. Coe., Giteage....... .. ....e 33 25 Walker & Rowe, Chicago......... eo 5 05 Scotten Tobacco Co., Detroit..... a. 5 40 Thompson-Ehlers Co., Chicago.......... 6 11 Chas. Rubens & Co., Ohicage............ 2 65 L. ‘Gould @& Co, Cmedso. o.oo scsi os 6 65 Fennville Roller Mills Co., Fennville..... 85 75 Triton Manufacturing Co., Detroit....... 18 00 W. F. McLaughlin & Co., Chicago....... 78 05 Minty Cigar Co., Battle Creek.......... 24 00 Bangor Elevator Co., Bangor............ 48 28 Chas. Johann & Co., Uiicare............ 7 50 Judson Grocer Co., Grand Rapids........ 333 82 Ster Paper Co., Melemaeeo............. 18 82 Kidd, Dater & Price, Benton Harbor..... 196 33 Chas. A. Coye, Grand Rapids....... ne 6 34 Hamberger & Silberman, Detroit........ 30 00 G. J. Johnson Cigar Co., Grand Rapids.. 15 00 National Biscuit Co., Grand Rapids...... 11 35 Tracey & Avery, Mansfield, Ohio........ 16 25 McMahon Cracker Co., Chicago.......... 11 57 Lemon & Wheeler, Grand Rapids...... ~. 90 85 Putnam Candy Factory, Grand Rapids.. 21 60 1 W. Teeeeren, Motiend............... 3 30 Verdon Cigar Co., Kalamazoo........... 9 50 Herold-Bertsch Shoe Co., Grand Rapids. 600 80 BL. Dripp, Bangor... 3.6. cece ck se 6 60 Northrop, Robertson & Carrier, Lansing 8 15 R. Nywian; Beier. cock loo os 3 50 a. C. Parrish, St. Joseph.. ee ca oe 10 73 -_. D>. Tem & Go. Peewee... ... 26 6... 13 50 Mrs. J. H. Wester, Bangor............. 300 00 To the credit of one Grand Rapids house it may be stated that it refus- ed to become a party to an arrange- ment of this kind and stood out for too cents on the dollar, which it suc- ceeded in obtaining. The point made by the house was that it would be manifestly wrong to the other houses in Bangor and vicinity to place one retailer in a position to undersell the others by giving him his goods at less than 100 cents on the dollar. This house has always stood out for fair- ness and has invariably kept in mind the obligations which rest on other jobbing houses to hold up the hands of those who are in trade and who pay 100 cents on the dollar, when they come in contact with scalpers, cutters and compromisers. 2-2 Take a Stand on Keno Raffles. Bay City, Nov. 28—The Grocers and Butchers’ Association asked the council last night to enforce the or- dinance relative to keno raffles, say- ing the same are detrimental to their business and contrary to law. It was further urged that children con- gregate where raffles are conducted and that men often spend money that could be used in their homes to a better advantage. No action was taken on the petition, it being merely received. ———_.- > ___ Detroit-—The final dividend of 7 per cent. has been paid by the Detroit Trust Co. as trustee in bankruptcy in the case of the old Detroit Sulphite Fiber Co. This winds up the affairs of the fiber company. The total of all claims was $491,000, a total of 42 per cent. being realized for the cred- itors. The company is making $10,- ooo a month net, the new. organi- zation being known as the Detroit Sulphite Pulp & Paper Co. H. H. Everard is President and James H. Cullen Secretary and Treasurer. The bankruptcy proceedings grew out of the death of A. G. Lindsay, the guid- ing spirit, but the company had previ- ously been prosperous and had a good future. ———_2—>——__ — As the session of Congress ap- proaches’ considerable anxiety is manifested as to the disposition of federal patronage. Early in his pres- ent administration President Roose- velt announced that he proposed to reappoint postmasters and other pub- lic servants who had served but four years and had made creditable rec- ords during that period. The Presi- dent will soon have an opportunity to apply this doctrine, for a number of representatives are clamoring for the official scalps of postmasters who have been in office for four years and whose terms are about to expire. A great many cases of this kind are now hanging fire. ——_2->—____ The ladder of fame is years up and minutes down. Failure of Gordon & Galinsky, at Petoskey. Herman Gordon and Julius Ga- linsky engaged in the dry goods, clothing and shoe busniess at Petos- key last March under the style of Gordon & Galinsky, the business be- ing conducted by A. Gordon, a broth- er of the senior partner. In June they made a statement to B. Marx & Son, of Detroit, claiming that their stock inventoried $4,000, that they had an interest in unincumbered real estate amounting to $1,900 and that they owed only $1,215, making their net worth about $5,000. They never stated to their creditors that they owed Wolf Galinsky about $1,700 and the first the creditors knew about it was an attachment issued at the in- stance of Wolf Galinsky Nov. 1, but which was not levied until Nov. 6. In the meantime the creditors were informed that the stock was being spirited away to the Beaver Islands and other places, which resulted in the filing of a petition in bankruptcy at the instance of Edson, Moore & Co., Geo. H. Reeder & Co. and the Michigan Shoe Co. Geo. H. Reeder was appointed receiver by the United States Court Noy. 20. It now. ap- pears that the stock amounts to about $2,000, so that if the attach- ment of Wolf Galinsky should be held good, there would be nothing left for the creditors and no exemp- tions for the partners. The real es- tate proves to be a residence of small value, owned by Julius Galinsky, and 51 acres of farm land, on which there is a $1,000 mortgage. As soon as the stock can be inventoried a sale will be authorized. The creditors and the amounts owing each are as follows: Citcago Broom Co., Cifenge........... S$ 4é Mohawk Overall & Pants Co., Detroit.. 185 25 Detroit Neckwear Co., Detroit......... 16 67 Michigan Neckwear Co., Detroit..... 22 50 mF Semines Peet... cc 148 50 TT. Zader, Wew York City.......::... 33° 00 American Handkerchief Co., Chicago... 136.53 George H. Reeder & Co., Grand Rapids. 232 3 Louisburg Woolen Mills Co., Louisburg, Re ee 48 09 Wm. HH. Bash & Co., Chicege:... 2... 2. 156 00 Detroit Umirelia Co., Detroit.......... 36 65 Edson, Moore & Co., Detrott...........4 1,045 09 =. Mare & (e.,. Tree. ii eco, 131 95 mm. Groene & ©Oo., Deeteer................ 45 00 Vodrey Pottery Co., East Liverpool, CRO ele a. 13, 42 Rochester Chemical Co., Rochester, DO ee i ee 8% Hamburger & Silberman, Detroit....... 150 00 Eisinger, Dessauer & Co., Chicago..... 198 0) Tisen & Wel, Cifeseu. ......50.:....- 44 39 Detroit Bubber Co., Hetrott.........-. 83 59 A. Dy. Hosen & Coe., Detroit. io. oo... 97 00 Lyon. Brothers, Chicaed. .........4...- 278 00 Michigan Shoe Co., Detrodt..........4, 195 58 BR. Goldstein, ‘Chiesa... 205 os, 186 00 ooo Chloride in the Presence of a Phos- phate. To detect a chloride in the pres- ence of a phosphate, add nitric acid to distinct acidity and then a solu- tion of silver nitrate. A white pre- cipitate, soluble in ammonia water, but precipitated on the further addi- tion of nitric acid, will be proof posi- tive of the presence of a chloride or hydrochloric acid. William Jasper, MICHIGAN TRADESMAN Merchandise Is Resplendent With Christmas Suggestions. And Xmas ls Only Four Weeks Away. So say the Steketees in one of their windows devoted particularly to Holiday specialties. And_ the nearness of the approaching Day of Days is heralded from numerous other store fronts as well. ’Tis not difficult, at this season, for the men who trim them to find catchy things to say on the cards—indeed, the less said the better, for the goods now put forward are, like a woman, fully capable of doing all the talking. And. with so many ffine articles from which to select, it ought not’ be an onerous task for the one with long loose moneystrings to pur- chase gifts for loved ones. ’Tis when the dimes must be counted—mayhap even the poor little copper pieces— and that not once but many times over, that the owner feels how poor he is and how utterly impossible it is going to be to do as he would like, and he dreams of a_ golden glowing time in the future when Fortune shall no longer be niggardly in her gifts to him, and then he will no longer be compelled to be niggardly in his gifts to those near and dear to him! The Steketees this week nicely il- justrate what a different effect may be arrived at by a totally unlike ar- rangement of the same window fix- tures. The identical red stairs, only a foot wide, that I referred to last week are introduced in the farthest section on the other side of the en- trance, also all the boxes covered with the same wine-colored cotton flannel (with the fuzzy side out), and on these and the steps is display- ed a fine line of case goods: comb and brush sets, manicure sets, ba- bies’ celluloid toilet sets, pink and blue,. etc. One of the manicure sets Feposes in a “love of a box,” as the ladies say. It is lined with white satin (no make-believe about the quality) with vivid red poppies, the single variety, and daisies sprinkled over the delicate background. The broad cream-colored spaces of the set—the handle of the buffer, the box cover, etc——are divided by indented lines into diamond shapes. A _ de- cided novelty and sure to _ please some Miss with dainty taste. I have ‘yet to see the person who isn’t fond of red, whether flaming in the soft cheeks of a pretty girl or gladden- ing the sight in the petals of a geranium or flashing on the vision by the art of the milliner, the dress- maker, the wall paper man, the car- pet manufacturer or the upholsterer. There’s always a welcome for the brilliant color wherever it flaunts it- self. The love for it. is universal, so never be afraid to choose it when at a loss what color to select. Blue is cold, pink is “trying” sometimes, green is a “sickly” color, but red— the color farthest from violet in the rainbow or the solar spectrum—red is ever a delight! Exquisite fancy stocks, filmy crepe de chine scarfs, handsome opera bags and evening gloves in another window of this firm tempt the Fem- inine Gender. These dress accessor- ies are tastily hung en high nickel standards, and, while the window is full, it yet is not overcrowded. * * * A glance in the Baxter windows at the “goods as is goods” should not make one longer hesitate as to what “He” would like. There’s something so entirely soul-satisfy- ing about leather goods of the best quality that when one sees them, as here, he has no need to farther stray. What man would not get the traveling fever with such a dream of a trunk as those open ones stand- ing on end to show how the outer garments may depend from hangers just as in the wardrobe at home. Such a trunk is comfort reduced to a science. It is a most convenient example of “a place for everything;” and the old bachelor who “throws his things around” in his own apartment should be cured of the habit by just a sight of this appeal to “Heaven’s first law.” Then there is any amount of other receptacles to hold traveling needs and the luxurious steamer rugs must not be forgotten, so indispensable to an ocean or lake voyage. In other window sections are ex- hibited proper clothing and _haber- dashery for formal functions; and this is the very best time of all the twelvemonth to call attention to such merchandise, when winter fes- tivities are just getting into full swing, let alone as a possible present from Old Saint Nick. Such excel- lent windows of men’s fine attire are a delight to inspect even if one must be economical and deny him- self the pleasures of social life. ce: * In these damp days popular Be- rand Schrouder and the shoe men are appealing to common sense in the care of health; the former with a whole window of Menthol Cough Drops, the latter with stout Keep- out-the-wet footwear. In striking contrast with the latter are stuyn- ning patent leather and suede pumps and dancing slippers. “ * * A good placard in one of the Mayhew windows reads as follows: Footery for Fagged Feet. “+ * The holly (or parrot) colors are much in evidence just now as a floor decoration in more than one’ shoe store—the green on the floor and bright red silk or worsted cord or rope separating the covering into center and border. . These colors con- trast well with black leather. + > The Giant Clothing Company has an immense space filled with all kinds of fur outside garments, rang- ing from the old-fashioned “buffalo overcoat” for Uncle Rube to the costly one trimmed with Persian lamb for the Society Man. —_+-.—_—_ Important Additions To Jackson’s Industries. Jackson, Nov. 28—During the past week three companies of importance have been added to the roll of Jack- son’s industries—one with $200,000 capital stock, one with $50,000 and one a co-partnership. The Metal Stamping Co., former- ly the Novelty Manufacturing Co., and the leader of the country in the oil stove manufacturing business, will go into the manufacture of metallic refrigerators. A new company has been organized and a factory which will give employment to 200 skilled men will be built in the spring. In the interim it will make its refrigera- tors at the factory of the Novelty Manufacturing Co., which old name has been reassumed by the oil stove people. The two companies are un- der the presidency of Hugh L. Smith, and the controlling interests are identical. The Jackson Fence Co., operating under patents originated by A. C. Mills, who invented the loom now used by the. Hudson Co., will, it is believed, lay the foundation for a wire fence industry rivaling that of Adrian. Mr. Mills has been at work for some time on a new loom, which is now perfected. The company, un- der the presidency of P. H. Withing- ton, also President of the Withington & Cooley Manufacturing Co.,_ in- cludes some of the best business tal- ent in the city, P. L. Carter, of the Carter-Lombard Co., being Secre- tary-Treasurer, and B. A. Garling- house, formerly with the Hudson Fence Co. when it operated in this city, Sales Manager. George W. Austin, for many years at the head of the Jackson and Michigan corset factories, and_ his son, George L. Austin, will in Janu- ary begin the manufacture of ready- made children’s garments. There is a movement on foot to build a factory for the Jackson Sleigh Co., which also makes car- riages. This company has been forc- ed out of its quarters in the big Buick automobile factory, the reason giv- en by the Buick people being that they need all the room at their dis- posal. It is not considered likely that it will be forced to look in other cities for factory room, but every available foot of floor space for man- ufacturing purposes is now fully util- ized in this city, and there will per- force be considerable building in this line early next season. —_~+->-2>—___ Good Report from College Town. Albion, Nov. 28—The Union Steel Screen Co. factory is expected to be in working order by the end of this week. They are extensive manufac- turers of sand and coal screens, ele- vator inclosures, oven racks, wire and iron works, etc. They also manu- facture the Union Interlocking sys- tem of concrete reinforcement. The Albion Windmill Co. is to turn out the iron castings for a new Marshall industry. The concern has ‘gument is unnecessary. a patent on a cement brick and block machine. H. J. Courtright and H. A. Walter are the proprietors of the new business, and a factory will be erected for the manufacture of the machine. The Advance Thresher Co., of Bat- tle Creek, has purchased the timber in Brockway’s woods, for many years a picnic grove adjoining the city, and the work of clearing it will be begun at once. The Albion Malleable Iron Works, the second largest manufaciuring plant in town, is doing a rush order business and giving employment to a large force of men. >. Sincerity is the backbone of suc- cess. THE KEELEY CURE OR REMEDIES ARE NOT GIVEN OR USED IN MICHIGAN BY ANY SANITARIUM OR IN- DIVIDUAL OUTSIDE THE £ GRAND RAPIDS KEELEY IN- STITUTE. The Only Cure Endorsed by the United States Government. The Keeley remedies have been proven to be positive cures for in- ebriety and drug diseases. There are thousands of living examples and ar- The great- est objection raised against the Kee- ley cure is that some who have tak- en it have relapsed. Diseases and death are two things which no mor- tal can presume to grant immunity from. The Tradesman is essentially a cold, matter-of-fact, truthful pub- lication, conducted on sound _ busi- ness principles. This is the way we propose dealing with its readers. Ad- mitting the certainty of cure, is it logical to blame the proven remedy when one who acknowledges its effi- cacy willfully resorts again to his be- setting sin?. A valuable horse may be a runaway, and stopping it once or twice in its mad career does not imply that, although danger and death faced it, it will not run away again. But it gets a chance to do better, and what more can a drunkard expect than to be cured and left to his own free will? The Keeley system does everything claimed for it. The Michigan Institute ‘is ad- mirably located and perfectly equip- ped. Under the direction of Dennis Murray, D. D. S., Pres., and Charles M. Beckwith, Manager, the business has been perfected by years of ex- perience, and W. C. Wagner, M. D.. Medical Director, has been specially selected for his reliability and profi- ciency. Write for information and any details you choose. It will cost you nothing to investigate and bene- fit by the experience of others. To the Public: The Keeley Treatment for Drunk- enness, Drug Addictions, the Tobac- co Habit and Neurasthenia is only administered at establishments known by the uniform name of THE KEELEY INSTITUTE. Any others claiming to sell our remedies or to administer our treatment, or some- thing just the same, are imposters. THE LESLIE E. KEELEY Co. CURTIS J. JUDD, Secretary MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 3 « (s Special Features of the Grocery and Produce Market. Special Correspondence. New York, Nov. 25—The big stores which have laid in big sup- plies of severe-weather goods are in the dumps, and if one could ever pick up bargains it is this year, 1906. Day after day passes warm, sun- shiny and perfect. Shoppers are out in full force, but they want only ordinary goods. Room is wanted for the Christmas stocks, and in order to find it the winter stocks must be moved. Coming to the grocery market, we have had a more active week in cof- fee, and at the close the situation is more in favor of the seller. This is true of both the speculative mar- ket as well as that for the real thing. At the close Rio No. 7 is quotable at 8 3-16@8 5-16c. In store and afloat there are 4,628,944 bags, against 4,048,838 bags at the same time last year. The crop movement at Rio and Santos appears to be quite large and is now ahead of last season, be- ing, from July 1 to Nov. 23, 6,759,000 bags, against 4,048,838 bags at the same time last season. Mild grades are steady and without change in quotations. Good Cucutas are held at 9%c and good average Bogotas at Itc. East Indias are steady. Padang interiors range from 15%4@ 17@19c, the latter for fancy stock. Mochas, 1634@18%4c. The trade seems to have stocked up with sugar recently and at the moment there is a condition of quiet- ude. The little business going for- ward consists almost entirely of withdrawals under previous con- tracts and probably little, if any, change will take place. Teas have been relegated to a back seat for the present. Some- way this staple is hardly regarded as a prime requisite for holiday trade and, in fact, the season of festivity seems to “shoo away” tea. Sales are simply of a hand-to-mouth char- acter, and the only favorable thing to report is that prices are generally well sustained. Rice has been in fairly good re- quest all the week, and holders are seemingly fairly well content with the outlook. Choice to fancy, 44@ 5c. Spices are quiet. No change is to be noted in quotations. Some few jobbing orders have been re- corded at steady values, but the gen- eral remark is, “Nothing doing.” It has been a good season for sell- ers of molasses and promises to so continue right up to the end of the year. Arrivals are generally well cleaned up, although quotations are not shaded one bit; on the other hand, they are not advanced, good to prime centrifugal remaining at 16@26c. Syrups are well sold up and the market is firm at 18@24c for good to prime. In canned goods there is a rather quiet condition, as fresh fruits and vegetables seem to be ffilling a Thangsgiving want. There is said to be a continuation of the demand for cheap corn, and an enormous quantity has gone into consumption. The supply of stock at less than 55c is being rapidly depleted, and there will soon come a chance for higher grades. Tomatoes are remaining rather hard sellers even at _ 9Qoc. There is a big consumption of red Alaska salmon going on, but stocks are still too large, and a whole lot of advertising is needed in order that canners may work this off. Fruits are steady and unchanged. Butter retails at 30c, and the man who eats it seems to be about the only one who is getting value re- ceived. The supplies here are more than ample, and the warm weather that seems to prevail all over the country is the cause of this accumu- lation. Dealers are complaining and sighing for the good old days when a pound of butter would fetch as much as a dozen eggs; but that point is not to be reached very soon be- cause the finest creamery is quota- ble at 24c only, while the “hen fruit” from nearby points in this State and Pennsylvania is worth 4oc, and is quickly snapped up. Seconds-firsts creamery butter, 18@22%c; imitation creamery, 17@19c; Western factory, I5@17c; renovated, 16@2oc, the lat- ter, of course, for very fancy stock. Little, if any, change has taken place in cheese. The demand and supply seem about equally balanced, and full cream, small size of Septem- ber make is worth 1334c for either white or colored. Large sizes are in smaller supply than small and are worth about %c less. Quotations for eggs have reached a point that seems to be the limit and people can not pay any more. It seems to be not only a goose that can lay a golden egg these days, but any old hen. As already stated, 4oc seems to be a “fair” rate for fancy nearby stock. Finest Western, 32c, and an average will be about 30@3Ic; thirds, 21@24c; refrigerator stock, 20@23c. ——__+-. Cosmetics Labeled Poison in Indiana. The Indiana State Board of Health has decreed that all cosmetics sold in that state must hereafter bear a poi- son label, with skull and crossbones, else their sale will be illegal and the seller arrested. The State Chemist says, after investigation, that practi- cally all such preparations contain corrosive sublimate which, harmless as an external application, is deadly poison internally. The ruling is made as a protection to children and ig- norant persons. ——_>2- New Bank Building. St. Johns, Nov. 28—The St. Johns National Bank stockholders have de- cided to build a fine modern bank building at the corner of Clinton avenue and Walker street. The Ma- sonic order is considering the propo- sition to erect the third story for their exclusive use and at their own expense. ee ee Gere eae So Far as Mere Words Go we are not aware that our advertising is any better than our competitors’. Our scribe is a good deal more of a show case man than an ad-smith. Our advertising is resultful. We fancy that’s because there's a ring of genuineness to our statements that is borne out by the quality of our goods. We have never overstated a single item bearing on‘ our proposition. Our cus- tomers say we have failed to bring out many good points of our fixtures as_ strongly as we should. This all leads up to the matter of what you are going to do. We believe we're right in saying that youll likely write us before doing much in the show case or fixture buying line. We hope so, at least, and believe it will be for your advantage. Grand Rapids Fixtures Co. S. Ionia & Bartlett Sts. NEW YORK OFFICE: 724 Broadway Grand Rapids, Mich. ae .company under the MICHIGAN TRADESMAN °c > “Soa 8 Movements of Merchants. Clare—Burch-Wyman Co.’s_ bean- ery started up for business last Mon- day. Alpena—The Bay City Beef Co. has started a branch store at this place. Mt. Pleasant—W. J. Sanford suc- ceeds William Kitchen in the confec- tionery business. North Branch—Willis Sterling wiil remove to Detroit, where he will eu- gage in the meat business. Kalamazoo—The Quinn Plumbing & Heating Co. will hereafter be known as the Quinn Supply Co. Pinckney—Marvin & Finley, jewel- ers, of Howell, will open a jewelry store at this place about Dec. I. Bay City—The new grocery store of ©. E. Adams, on Broadway, was opened for business last Monday. Kalkaska—T. D. Hobbs will suc- ceed the Palmer & Hobbs Co. in the dry goods and clothing business. St. Ignace—Dr. W. M. Laclare has removed his jewelry stock to Detroit, where he will continue the business. Schoolcraft — Frederic Glass, Jr., has sold his drug store to Briggs Bros., who will continue the business. Marine City—A new store building is being erected here by M. P. Lester, who will occupy it with a grocery stock. Coldwater—Casper Schweitzer has sold his interest in the Champion Brass Works to his partner, J. L. Curts. Central Lake—Wolf Kaplan is suc- ceeded by M. A. Lishtenstein in the dry goods, clothing and boot and shoe business. Albion—F. E. Nowlin has leased the Lake Shore grain elevator here and has installed new machinery for handling beans. Hastings—A new grocery, dry goods and shoe store has been open- ed at this place by W. L. Hogue, of Benton Harbor. Charlotte—W. G. Wisner has pur- chased the undertaking and furniture business of R. L. Carl and will con- tinue the business. Plainwell—Mrs. A. P. Burroughs has sold her interest in the Star drug store to R. F. Graves, who will con- duct the business in his own name. Marquette—Louis Grabower has purchased a new stock of crockery and china which he will handle in connection with his dry goods de- partment. Greenville—Earle B. Slawson has purchased the produce, coal and wood business formerly conducted by Mil- ler & Miller and will continue the business. Saginaw — The baking business formerly conducted by Henry Schust & Sons has been merged into a stock style of the Schust Baking Co.. The company is capitalized at $36,000, $30,000 of the capital stock being paid in, $182 in cash and the remainder in property. =~ Gladwin—Work has been begun on the elevator which is to be erected by A. H. House. Mr. House will build a new warehouse on the site of the old one in the spring. Frankfort — Negotiations are in progress for the purchase of the Hill Bros. cigar and confectionery stock by Seth Gates, who is employed as a clerk by A. B. Harmon. Hartford—S. M. Carpp has pur- chased the grocery and _ crockery stock and meat market of C. D. Olds and taken possession. Mr. Olds re- served his stock of shoes. Detroit—The wholesale jewelry business formerly conducted by the Berkey Cash Jewelry Co., will be conducted i nthe future under the style of the Chas. A. Berkey Co. Fowler—A co-operative stock com- pany has been formed for the pur- pose of carrying on a general grain business and handling coal, wood and cement under the style of the Fowler Elevator Co. Marine City—The store owned by Amos Jones and occupied by R. G. & G. H. Baker, jewelers, has been destroyed by fire. The loss is esti- mated at $5,000, with $2,000 insurance on the stock, but none on the build- ing. St. Joseph—Enders & Rapp are moving their stock of furnishing goods to Three Oaks, where they will dispose of them and will begin busi- ness with a new stock of goods in the store soon to be vacated by the Cash Clothing Co. Portland—F. S. Lockwood has pur- chased the grain and produce busi- ness of E. C. Astley & Son and has also bought the coal and wood busi- ness of J. L. Case, of which he took possession Nov. 1. Mr. Case will re- tain the ice business. Owosso—A new clothing store has been opened at this place by the Bos- ton and New York Clothing Manu- facturers Outlet. Floyd L. Dev- ereaux, who has been employed by the same firm in Detroit, will take charge of the branch here. Ishpeming—Ed Clark is closing out his millinery goods and will remove the goods remaining after the sale te his general store. Mr. Clark’s nephew, B. Benjamin, of New York, will open a novelty store in the build- ing vacated by Mr. Clark. Ann Arbor—Paul Meyer has sold his news and shoe business to Roy A. H. Thompson, formerly engaged at Foster’s Art store. Mr. Thomp- son will continue the business and will add a line of stationery, jewelry, haberdashery and novelties. Marshall-—J. T. Mack has sold his interest in the firm of Mack & Gray, grocers and dealers in implements, to Henry Gibson, who has been in the employ of that firm for some time. The new firm will conduct the busi- ness under the style of Gray & Gib- son. St. Joseph—A new company has been incorporated under the style of the Michigan Produce Planters Co. This company has been formed to own and lease land to cultivate herbs and oil bearing plants and manufac- ture and sell horticultural products. The corporation is capitalized at $12,- 000. Sault Ste. Marie—John P. Mondor, H. H. Hastings and Anna M. Hast- ings have formed a _ copartnership, limited, under the style of Mondor, Hastings & Co., Ltd., for the pur- pose of dealing in merchandise, with an authorized capital stock of $4,000, all of which is subscribed and paid in in cash. Detroit—A new company has been incorporated under the style of the Association Jeweler for the purpose of conducting a publishing business. The company has an authorized capi- tal stock of $10,000, $5,000 common and $5,000 preferred, all of which is subscribed and $2.500 paid in in cash and $7,500 in property. Manufacturing Matters. Gaylord—Lewis Jensen has bought the Logan sawmill, near this place, and will stock it this winter. Sault Ste. Marie—The Northwest- ern Leather Co. has increased its cap- ital stock from $400,000 to $600,000. Portland—E. A. Richards has sold his cigar factory to E. B. Swank and Glenn Powers, who will continue the business at the same stand. Glen Lord—A corporation has been formed under the style of the Glen Lord Fruit Package Co., with an au- thorized capital stock of $5,000, of which $2,500 is subscribed and $2,500 paid in in cash. Detroit—The Parquet Flooring Co. has been incorporated for the purpose of conducting a manufacturing busi- ness, with an authorized capital stock of $5,000, of which $4,500 is subscrib- ed and $1,500 paid in in cash. Alfred—The Lindsley Bros. Co., operating a large lumber and cedar manufacturing plant at this place, has been reincorporated as the Lindsley- Bauman Co. The capital has been increased from $25,000 to $50,000. Marquette—L. J. Leveque has brought suit against the Michigan Pulpwood Co., of Sault Ste. Marie. for $20,000 for pulpwood claimed to have been taken by the company and converted to its own purposes. Calumet—The Dead River sawmill of the South Arm Lumber Co. has been shut down. The plant was run during the past season with few acci- dents and the cut aggregated 12,000,- ooo feet, most of which was pine lum- ber. Detroit—A new corporation has been formed under the style of the Wilmot Reclining Chair Co., with an authorized capital stock of $15,000, all of which is subscribed, $450 being paid in in cash and $14.550 in prop- erty. Copemish—-G. E. Woolf has sold the Copemish Roller Mills to Wm. Smalley, of Sherman, who will con- tinue the business. Mr. Woolf will remove to Traverse City, where he will probably engage in business of some kind. Manistee—A new .company has been incorporated for the purpose of manufacturing forks under the style of the Manistee Fork Attachment Co. The company has an authorized capi- tal stock of $10,000, all of which is subscribed and paid in in property. Pentwater—Sands & Maxwell’s sawmill, operated successfully at this place for thirty years, now that timber has played out, has been sold to Wickes Bros., of Saginaw. The purchaser will tear down the historic landmark of the village and move the machinery to Saginaw. Kalkaska — The Michigan Syrup Co., Ltd., has been formed for the purpose of manufacturing syrup. The authorized capital stock of the com- pany is $300,000, $150,000 common and $150,000 preferred, all of which is subscribed and $1,500 paid in in cash and $15,000 in property. Sault Ste. Marie—The Lake Supe- rior Corporation has begun the manu- facture of butchers’ paper in its No. 2 pulp mill. George H. Bellinger has been appointed general superintend- ent of the sawmill and veneer plants. He formerly was connected with the Hall & Munson Co., at Bay Mills. Battle Creek—A new corporation has been formed under the style of the American Motor & Cycle Co. for the purpose of selling automobiles and bicycles. The authorized capital stock of this company is $10,000, of which $6,000 has been subscribed and $300 paid in in cash and $5,700 in property. Cheboygan—The Michigan Central is constructing a siding 1,000 feet long for the John Nelson Lumber Co., which recently purchased the Little- john mill and is manufacturing the dead logs picked up from the streams in that county. The mill has cut about 500,000 feet and will resume operations early in the spring. Tower—Keys & Warboys, who are ecperating a mill here, manufac- turing 20,000 feet of lumber daily be- sides 3,000 sets of heading and 38,000 staves, have purchased the site of the Mack-Dickinson saw mill, burned last spring, at the same place, and the buyers will erect a large mill plant on the site during the winter and early spring. Newberry—J. C. Foster and M. McPhee have entered into a contract with the Michigan Iron Co. to log a tract of more than 3,000,000 feet of hemlock belonging to the latter, be- sides a large quantity of pulpwood, poles and ties. The South Shore Railway is two miles distant and a branch will be extended to the tract. Camps will be started at once. Saginaw—Business in white pine in every department is good and prices are high; customers are send- ing in orders for box stuff, sash and doors, ceiling, siding and molding as well as for piece stuff, but the cars are not to be had to move the goods. Where twenty cars are wanted in a single day by one concern it is lucky te get five. Everybody is in the same boat. Chelsea—The Glazier Stove Co. is soon to erect a large three-story mod- ern factory building for the manufac- ture of gasoline stoves and_ steel ranges. There will also be a new building which will be designated the Welfare department. This building will be given entirely to the employes and will contain reading rooms, swim- ming pools, shower baths and a gym- nasium. ”y) . 4 €. iy msi fl | t ’ «a wv 1 4 a>? Pr \8 | = ?- — ~ => —_ -_= — ere “d P sw + we * «a> £ ep) - Ge a) PEi¢ t | { t ”™ a w \ spa we? P 4 g | = 2 -\4 ~ => — f 4 P sw + rs > J «a ~ # Nap) - ©. a) (4 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 5 The Grocery Market. Tea—The talk of duty has increased and this has a stimulating effect in some quarters. Aside from this the market is generally regarded as a good one in which to buy, and re- tailers are generally stocking up on teas to carry them well through the winter. Coffee—Brazil options have not ma- terially varied for two weeks, there having been no fluctuation of more than a few points. Actual Brazil cof- fee is likewise unchanged. The mar- ket is inclined to be stupid and gives no indication of any change in the near future. The demand is light. Mild coffees are steady and unchang- ed, as are Javas and Mochas. Goods—There is little change in tomatoes. Occasional re- ports come of a_ weaker feeling, but it is not noticeable enough to affcet prices yet. It is certain that the pack of tomatoes is not large and such prices as prevailed a year ago are out of the question for this season. Asparagus has had a good sale and a still larger demand is an- ticipated until theholiday season is over. Peas are strong. The pack was not large and the demand is and has been heavy. String and wax beans are rather dull at present New pumpkin, which has recently been placed on the market, is not moving much yet. Sauer kraut is in some demand in the Western States, but the prices are high. Canned corn seems to hold the center of the canned vegetable stage as it has for some time past. The belief is spread- ing that the bottom of the corn mar- ket has been reached and it would not be surprising if higher prices would prevail before the first of the year at least. The consumption has doubtless been very large and will continue so, and that should have a strengthening effect on the market. California fruits are selling better, particularly cherries and _ peaches. These seem to be favored for the Thanksgiving trade above some of the other varieties. Apples are mov- ing about as usual, but the higher prices make some trouble, especially in the cheaper grades. Strawberries are beginning to move better. Pine- apple is in fair demand with a firm market. Dried Fruits—Currants are in sea- sonably good demand at unchanged prices. The market is very strong and the new Greek syndicate seems to have been the one thing necded to give it backbone. Loose and seeded raisins are unchanged and in moder- ate demand only. The high prices of the California fruit have inspired a very heavy sale for layer Valencias at an average price of 534c. This is 34c below the California price. Apri- cots are quiet and strong. Peaches are quiet but very high. The demand is good considering the price. Prunes are gradually growing stronger on Canned the coast, but secondary markets have not responded as yet. The coast mar- ket is on a minimum basis of 3%c for the most plentiful sizes. The other sizes not in such good supply run up to 37%c. The secondary markets are {@'%4c below the coast, but will have to move up to the coast basis unless something new develops. Apples are unchanged and very firm and high. Rice—Prime to fancy styles are in better supply, although, as noted be- fore, the market on these is strong. The demand is active. Vinegar—A shortage of apples has made the output of cider vinegar small and it is possible that still high- er prices may prevail before spring. Fish—Sardines are very quiet and unchanged. The announcement by certain large packers several weeks ago that quarter oils would advance within a few days seems to have been a bluff. Herring are very high and in good demand. Lake fish are quiet and unchanged and whitefish are also quiet and unchanged. Owing to the approaching holiday season, the mackerel market is very dull, and the tone is easier. The mackerel situation will be quiet until Janu- ary 1. Cod, hake and haddock are unchanged and inclined to be quiet, though holders are still able to get the full high prices. +2 The Grain Market. There has been very little change in the price of wheat the past week. The visible supply showed an_ in- crease in stocks of 3,096,000 bushels, which would indicate a generally free movement of wheat from first hands and country elevators, and a falling off in exports; in fact, the amount of wheat for and afloat for Europe showed a decrease of about 2,000,000 bushels, while the world’s visible sup- ply, according to Bradstreets, showed an increase since the last report of 5,000,000 bushels. Crop conditions in Russia were reported as favorable and exports of wheat heavy. Aus- tralia will export about the usual amount and advices from Argentine indicate an improvement in the grow- ing crop conditions in that country. The general news, therefore, is of a rather bullish nature, but with domes- tic trade holding its present volume, supported by a fair export demand, we do not predict any material changes at present. There has been a good trade in new corn of late, more especially for do- mestic shipments, and although corn is selling at a lower level than it has for years, we can not look for any decided bull movement until export trade improves, and in all probabili- ty, with the scarcity of cars, the movement from first hands will not cause very heavy shipments this side of the new year. Corn is now offered freely at about 45c for new and 47c for old and new _mixed, delivered Michigan points. Oats have been quiet for the week and declined one-quarter cent per bushel. The market is inactive and of a local nature, being affected from day to day largely by other grains. L. Fred Peabody. The Produce Market. Apples—Steady and strong at $3 for ordinary, $3.25 for choice and $2.50 for fancy. The varieties offered the trade are greater in number than usual but the quality is not always first class. Bananas—$1.25 for small bunches, $1.50 for large and $2 for Jumbos. Butter—Creamery is. steady at 24c for choice and 25¢ for fancy. Dairy grades are firm at 21c for No. 1 and 15c for packing stock. Reno- vated is in moderate demand at 2Ic. Receipts of dairy are larger than a year ago and indications point to an increased production from now on. Cabbage—75c per doz. Carrots—$1.20 per bbl. Celery—30c per bunch. Chestnuts—$4.50 per bu. for Ohio. Cranberries—Jerseys, Sars) Wate Howes, $12. The market holds firm and there is apparently no chance of any decline, at least until after the holiday trade is well out of the way. Eggs—Local dealers pay 25c on track for case count, holding candled at 28@z20c and cold storage at 2Ic. Grape Fruit—Florida has declined to $4.50@4.75 per crate. Grapes—Malagas are steady at $6 per keg. Honey—13@14c per tb. for white clover. Lemons—Messinas are steady at $4.25 for 360s or 300s. Californias are steady at $4.50. Lettuce—14c per tb. for hot house. Onions—Local dealers hold red and yellow at 80c and white at $1. Span- ish are in moderate demand at $1.60 per crate. The market is weaker. Oranges—Floridas, $3; California Navels, $3.25. Parsley—4oc per doz. bunches. Pop Corn—goc per bu. for rice on cob and 4c per fb. shelled. Potatoes—The market is about the same as a week ago. Country dealers are generally paying 50@55c, which brings the cost of stock up to about 6oc in Grand Rapids. Local jobbers sell in small lots at about 65c. Quinces—$2 per bu. Squash—Hubbard, Ic per fb. —__»+»—__—_ Wm. E. Patterson Now in Bank- ruptcy. When Wm. E. Patterson was burn- ed out at Ravenna about three years ago, he had a warehouse in his own name, which was not destroyed by fire. He has since converted it into a hotel and furnished it for hotel pur- poses. He has also erected a livery barn and has a stock of horses and carriages. He now claims that both the hotel and livery belong to his wife, although enquiry discloses the fact that she had no money except $200, which she received from her father’s estate. The store building is on leased property, but on Nov. 24 Patterson gave a bill of sale on the store building and fixtures to his father on a _ pretended claim for $1,900. On Nov. 4 Hon. Peter Doran took a trust bill of sale of the stock of goods, which was sold Nov. 17 to J. S. Duffy, of Detroit, for $2,300. On petition of Geo. H. Reeder & Co, Edson, Moore & Co. and Clark- Rutka-Weaver Co., bankruptcy pro- ceedings were started on Nov. 23 and at the same time Senator Doran secured an injunction against A. E. Patterson, restraining him from dis- posing of or incumbering the store building or fixtures which were trans- ferred to him by his son, also re- straining Mrs. Patterson from dis- posing of the hotel and furnishings or the livery stable and livery stock. Geo. H. Reeder was made receiver An affidavit was filed by J. S. Duffy and W. D. Weaver, stating that Pat- terson in making a statement of his personal condition, never admitted that his father was a creditor and that they never learned of same until the pretended bill of sale was filed. The list of creditors and the amounts owing each are as follows: Edson, Moore & Co., Detroit........... $2,709 98 Geo. H. Reeder & Co., Grand Rapids.. 1,039 79 Ideal Clothing Co., Grand Rapids..... 303 58 Republic OUil Co., Grand Rapids....... 11 30 Hirth, Krause & Co., Grand Rapids.... 16 53 Clark-Rutka-Weaver Co., Grand Rapids 78 49 Valley City Milling Co., Grand Rapids. 37 03 Hazeltine & Perkins Drug Co., Grand Weapige cas ic ol 41 84 Putnam Factory, Grand Rapids.... 43 86 H. Leonard & Sons, Grand Rapids. 228 84 Alabastine Co., Grand Rapids... a 31 95 Worden Grocer Co., Grand Rapids..... 208 60 Dr. Hess & Clark, Ashland, Ohio...... 31 50 Albert Dickinson & Co., Chicago:...... 69 92 The Pierce Mfg. Co., Ludington........ 12 65 H. Van Eenenaam & Bros.., Zeeland.. 9 00 Mayer Boot & Shoe Co., Milwaukee.... 154 07 The Horse Whip Co., Westfield, Mass. . 2 25 Michigan Salt Association, Saginaw.... 74.17 Meier & Schuknecht, Detroit........., 51 40 Aikman Bakery Co., Port Huron....... 12 53 John Albers, Muskegon.......... Saves 59 88 W. F. MeLaughlin & Co., Chicago...... 27 3 Moulten & Riedel, Muskegon.......... 2 39 Hume Grocery Co., Muskegon......... Zor. i Fred Brundage, Muskegonm............. 18 88 Iroquois Cigar Co., Muskegon..... 9 10 Dunkitk Seed Co., Dunkixk, N. ¥...... 30 34 Janeway & Carpender, Chicago......... 125 00 Willtamebure: Furdtture OCo......-.-..; 21 05 —_—_+~-.—___ Kalamazoo Shoe Dealers Join Hands. Kalamazoo, Nov. 28—Kalamazoo shoe dealers, forty-three in number, met at the American House Friday evening for a banquet and to organ- ize. The organization was perfected under the name of the Kalamazoo Shoe Dealers’ Association. For sev- eral years there have been attempts to organize among the shoe dealers, but no concentrated effort was made until now. The following officers were elected: President—W. M. Bryant. Vice President—J. H. Muffley. Secretary—Fred Appeldoorn. Treasurer—E. W. Chase. It was planned to have social ses- sions in the future when the spirit moves and it is stated it will prob- ably move quite frequently. The ban- quet proved to be most successful. W. M. Bryant acted as toastmaster. The speakers responded to topics dealing with various phases of the shoe question and much humor was brought out. Among the speakers were J. H. Muffley, L. Isenberg, W. Ware, Charles Webber, Fred Appel- doorn, E. W. Chase, W. H. Johnson, H. H. Neumeier, John Moore, Ed Mackey and Charles Snyder. Every shoe firm in the city was represented at the banquet. —_——_. >. The Boys Behind the Counter. Rockford—W. R. Browning, of Portland, has taken a position as clerk in W. F. Hessler’s drug store. Mr. B. has had several years’ experi- ence, having clerked in Battle Creek, Kalamazoo and South Haven. Three Rivers — Lewis Hansen, formerly with C. E. Van Avery, the Kalamazoo druggist, has taken the position of prescription clerk for C. A. Fellows, of this place. nal oe MICHIGAN TRADESMAN MONEY IS SAVED By Knowing Just What You Want To Buy. Knowing exactly what you want, and making up you mind exactly how much you can afford to pay for it, is one of the best roads to success in this country. Careless spending of money, lack of thought in paying for even the smallest things, eats up a salary or an income quicker than any- thing else. If one says to oneself, “I must have a new coat of a certain cut, a certain cloth, and at a certain price,’ he comes near getting it. If he says he needs a new coat and runs into a store or to a tailor to make up his mind after looking at coats, nine cases out of ten he will buy and then regret afterwards that he has paid $4 more than he intended to pay. The careful buyer, and the person who knows just what is wanted, always gets the bargains and the fellow who drops in and lets the salesman tell him what he wants gets “stuck.” Merchants real- ize this, and for this reason they pay some salesmen twice as much as others. A striking example of getting what they want at their own figures and their own terms is furnished by a -widow and her daughter whom I know. They have a small income, so small that it would seem almost im- possible for them to live on it. Yet they always live in a good neighbor- hood, get the best small apartments in that neighborhood, these apart- ments are always well furnished, they dress well, their table is good, and they entertain a little, they travel far more than many rich people, and seem to have notrouble about it. My wife says they are “good managers.” Some time ago they informed me that they wanted a flat in a certain building. They liked the building, they liked the neighborhood, and they calmly told me that they would not pay more than $22.50 a month for the five room flat. Knowing that the five room flats rented for $35, I told them it was impossible. The calmness with which they assured me that they would get it at that price nettled me. If they had been men I would have lost a big bet that they wouldn’t, but a month later they moved in and they showed me the rent receipt for $22.50, and cautioned me never to hint it to the other tenants. Another time they took a house, paying $40 a month, of which they got back $28 from two roomers. In the fall they decided to go to Cali- fornia. The lowest fare I knew of was $50 at that time. They got two tickets for that price, packed their own food, took tourist sleepers, and went. Before going they sold their furniture. I knew the furniture in the house, all told, had not cost over $550, but they got $750 cash and $50 for their lease on the house, and about the same time the landlord was trying to make me pay two months’ rent be- fore he would let me move out. They decorated the house prettily, threw a lot of fancy pieces around, and sold it just as it stood. It looked so pretty and dainty that the bride and groom who bought it simply could not resist the temptation. Those dozen pieces of battenberg and a few throws and tidies netted them about $200. They certainly manage well. That girl made up her mind one winter that she wanted a new beaver coat. She knew exactly what she wanted, also what it cost, and the cost price was $140. She was willing to pay $80 for the same coat. It was after Christmas before she got that coat, but she got it at her own price. She said afterwards that the weather fa- vored her, for it was a warm winter, and the prices of furs were slashed immediately after the holidays. The “close” buyer and the buyer who knows exactly what he wants can save money in every line. One of my acquaintances, who is far sighted, is a young man of moderate income, yet one of the best dressed mien in town. He buys entirely “out of season.” He saves at least 25 per cent. on his clothes, 40 to 50 per cent. ou his underwear, shirts, ties, etc., by buying his summer stuff in the fall and his winter stuff in the spring. He has his overcoats made in August, picks up his winter business suits on the hottest days of summer, and his summer clothes buys his shoes in bargain basements, three or four pairs at -a time if he fancies them. We compared clothing bills last year. He had more clothes and better clothes, and always looked better than I, yet his bill for clothing was nearly 30 per cent. under mine. It is knowing what, when and how te buy that aids in saving. Joseph Martin. a earl Less Demand for Staple Hardware. Although the expected slackening in the demand for staple goods, which usually begins much earlier in the season, is now noticeable in the Eastern and Western hardware markets, the business in holiday and winter goods continues to increase in volume. Builders’ hardware, tools, house furnishing goods and smaller lines are also active, and although delays in transportation are still an- noying manufacturers and mer- chants, trade in these goods exceeds that at the corresponding time last year. Heavy shipments of holiday goods are now being made by jobbers to retail dealers, and the business in this line will probably reach larger pro- portions within the next few days. Wire products are selling freely, and many of the leading independent mills are anxious to advance their prices in view of the constantly in- creasing cost of raw materials. The leading interest, however, continues to oppose this proposed upward movement in the official quotations on the ground that it would tend to check buying. The demand for stove fittings has grown so extensive that manufactur- ers of stove bolts have withdrawn Prices within the last few days and it is now believed they will soon advance their quotations. There is no falling off in the demand for stoves of all descriptions and jobbers are still entering the market with large orders for immediate shipment in order to supplement their stocks, which are almost exhausted. Little soliciting is necessary to convince jobbers and retailers to lay in large supplies of holiday goods as the general prosperity of the entire in February. Hel ESTABLISHED 1872. il Just Now until Christmas, we are making special prices on Kimball Pianos Drop us a card today and receive FREE a book of songs with music. Many dollars saved by taking advantage of this offer. Old instruments taken as part pay. Easy terms on balance. W. W. KIMBALL CO. Established 1857 N. E. STRONG, 47-49 Monroe St. Manager, Grand Rapids Factory Branch. iB MARIN 2 eae yrs RADESMAN COMPANY, ENVELOPES, COUNTER BILLS. rca Ase alle FOOTE & JENKS’ Highest Grade Extracts. FOOTE & JENKS MAKERS OF PURE VANILLA EXTRACTS AND OF THE GENUINE, ORIGINAL, SOLUBLE, TERPENELESS EXTRACT OF LEMON Sold only in bottles bearing our address JACKSON, MICH. We have the facilities, the experience, and, above all, the disposition to produce the best results in working up your OLD CARPETS We pay charges both ways on bills of $5 or over. If we are not represented in your city write for prices and particulars. THE YOUNG RUG CO., KALAMAZOO, MICH. INTO RUGS . PATENTED MICHIGAN RUNNER ATTACH- MENT. “Presto Change’’ carriage to sleigh in a few minutes with nominal cost, no extra room for storage when not in use. The most convenient run- ner attachment on the market to- day; all braces and shoes are of the best steel, with rock elm run- ners, painted and striped in an ar- tistic style, and an ornament to any carriage, made in three sizes to fit. % to 1 in. $7.50; 1% to 1%, $9.00; 134 to 1% axles, $11.00, car- rying capacity from 1,000 Ibs., 2,000 Ibs. to 3,000 Ibs. as per size. VALLEY CITY BENT KNEE BOBS SHERWOOD HALL CoO., LTD., GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. No. 6. Bobs finished and painted (no body) with shafts 1%, $14.00, 1%, $15.00, 114, $18.50. (With pole and no shafts, $2.00 extra.) Bodies now in use can with very little work be fitted and changed to these bobs, and you have a first-class sleigh, with sleigh track. They have been universally adopted -by all the Dry Goods, Grocery, Confectionery and Laun- dry trade. (See cuts.) Four Kinds of Coupon’ Books are manufactured by us and all sold on the same basis, irrespective of size, shape or denomination. Free samples on application. TRADESMAN COMPANY, Grand Rapids, Mich. = * a ( - ®, * o > - <¢ — he ~ i» oe ~~ > > Ton \§ wo € ~ ° «i ¥ ~ ae _¢ a (a dj = * a ( ~ = e, % = <>+ » -9 ¢ — i ~ = — — > —_ ~ ® A. ~~ @ ~ —_ 7 Thr. § rm @ 4 é er . @ a * 2 —_ 7 ~~ ae mS rm \@ ) ae e a (a ale MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 9 THE CREDIT MEN. Scope and Purpose of Their Na- tional Association.* To be asked to address you on such a large subject as the “Scope of the National Association” is a pleasure indeed, and I assure you that the honor conferred upon me by the Entertainment Committee is fully appreciated. I do not feel that simply because everybody else whom the Committee asked to talk on this subject refused, and I was asked as a last resort, lessens the honor con- ferred on me, and I want to thank each member of the Committee per- sonally, in the hope that I may sometime have the opportunity of talking on a subject I know some- thing about. I regret exceedingly that the Com- mittee did not give me more time for preparation. In this respect I believe they took an unfair advantage of me, inasmuch as I did not have time enough to send to National Sec- retary Meek for literature on the sub- ject, which would. have made it un- necessary for me to rack my brain for ideas or search so many bulletins for facts and figures. The fortunate feature of this is, however, that you will not be in- flicted by any lengthy talk. In fact, I feel as chivalrously disposed to- ward you as Senator Depew did one morning at Saratoga Springs. The Senator was out for an early morn- ing walk and a bevy of charming young ladies met him with great en- thusiasm and one of them remarked: “Oh, Senator, we have visited all the springs and have had about forty drinks apiece.’ The Senator raised his hand deprecatingly and hastily said: “Well, well, if that is the case, ladies, don’t let me detain you a mo- ment.” While it may be conceded that you gentlemen have not been so fortunate in the matter of drinks as the young ladies mentioned, I am inclined to believe that to detain you long would be a mistake. The purpase the Executive Com- mittee had in view in assigning to me this subject was that there might be presented to our members, brief- ly, an outline of the workings of our National Association, with the hope ‘that a better understanding of this subject might produce beneficial re- sults, not only to our own member- ship but also to this great Nation- a! organization of which we form an important part. The National Association of Cred- it Men was organized on the 25th day of June, 1896, in the State of _New York, and the certificate of in- corporation, signed by fifteen mem- bers, was issued on the 13th day of December, 1897. The Association will, therefore, be ten years old on the 25th of next June. The object of the Association, as set forth in the certificate of incor- poration, and also in the by-laws, is as follows: The object of this Association shall be the organization of individual credit men and of associations of credit men through- out the United States, in one central body, for the purpose of rendering more uniform, and establishing more firmly, *Paper read at monthly meeting of the Grand Rapids Credit Men’s Association by A. B. Merritt. ‘the basis upon which credits in every branch of commercial enterprise may be founded, which shall include a demand for a reform of the laws unfavorable to honest debtors and creditors and the en- actment of laws beneficial to commerce throughout the several States; the im- provement of existing methods for the diffusion of information, the gathering and dissemination of data in relation to the subjects of credits; the amendment of business customs, whereby all commercial interests may be benefited and the wel- fare of all may be advanced; the provision of a fund for the protection of members against injustice and fraud, and such other objects as the members of this As- sociation may determine upon in manner hereinafter described. The officers of the Association are President, Vice-President and Sec- retary-Treasurer. These officers, to- gether with eleven directors, con- stitute the Board of Management. The duties of the Board of Direct- ors, as set forth in the by-laws, are as follows: The Board of Directors shall, sub- ject to the instruction~ of the Association, control and manage its business and all appropriation of funds, but shall have no power to make the Association liable for any debt or debts to an amount which shall exceed the sum of cash in the hands of the Treasurer and not otherwise ap- propriated, without the express authority of the Association. The Board shall also appoint, as soon after the annual meet- ing as possible, the regular standing com- mittees, and may also appoint, from the membership of the Association, such oth- er committees as occasion may require and as may seem proper for the carrying out of the objects of the organization, and shall have power to fill vacancies. It shall have power to employ a Secre- tary and direct him how to proceed. It shall also have power to elect a Treas- urer of the Association. There are six standing committees: Legislative, Membership, Business Literature, Improvement of Commer- cial Agency Service, Improvement of Credit Department Methods and Credit Co-operation. Besides the regular standing committees, special committees are appointed each year for performing special work. Last year the Special Committee on Fire Insurance, of which our own Lee M. Hutchins was Chairman, did a great deal of hard pioneer work, which so appealed to the last convention, on account of the great promise of good to come of it, that a resolution to re- new this Committee was unanimously adopted and the President was au- thorized to make the necessary ap- pointments. These Committees make their re- port in writing at each annual con- vention, and usually each report is followed by some recommendation in the form of a resolution which re- quires action by the convention. The report of each committee, with its accompanying resolutions, is al- ways the occasion for interesting de- bate, every delegate having the privi- lege of taking part if he so desire. Regularly appointed leaders in de- bate are allowed five minutes for ex- pressing their views and all others are limited to three. This. rule is necessary in order that the business of the convention, which is great, may be finished promptly, and it has the advantage of making the debates which take place short, snappy, right to the point and thoroughly inter- esting every minute. Any association can introduce res- olutions. For instance, the Milwau- kee Association introduced a_ reso- lution last year in regard to com- mercial agencies which was exactly the same as one introduced in our lo- cal Association by Chairman Pren- dergast of the Committee on Com- merical Agencies. This is the reso- lution, which was carried: Resolved—That the said agencies be requested to issue their reports on a better grade of paper than they are now using and that more care be used in the execution of the read- ing matter of their reports. Any member may introduce reso- lutions during debate, but it must be done in writing. The membership of the Associa- tion the 1st of last June was 6,061, be- ing an increase during the year of 734. All the states and territories in the United States except nine were represented at that time, and it is expected that by next year every one of them will get into line. The Committee on Business Lit- erature, which. has in charge the pub- lishing of the bulletin and other lit- erature of an educative character, re- ports that 8,500 of the bulletins are issued every month. The bulletin contains the doings of each local as- sociation, as well as the affairs of the National, and contains each month many valuable articles on credits contributed by men of broad experience. Many of these articles are copied by trade and daily papers and thus their influence is spread over the entire country. Grand Rapids has been ably represented by papers of this kind in the past, and we hope there will be more of them in the fu- ture. The National Secretary vites articles on subjects of interest to credit men, and I know of no bet- ter field in which the ambitious cred- it man or the one with an idea‘ can promulgate his views. Here is an op- portunity which the young credit man should not neglect, and I am sure that our Association will give all possible encouragement to.any one of its members who desire to take ad- vantage of it. The Entertainment Committee is always interested in getting good subjects to discuss, and is never overstocked with candidates who are willing to read papers. Whether this arises from modesty, lack of time, or an indisposition to let the other fellow in on some of the good points which have been ac- quired by personal experience, I am unable to say. I am quite certain it is not from lack of ability or knowledge on the subject, for we have men among us who far outshine in ability many of those who take prominent parts in the National conventions, and I want to urge the members of in- our Association to take as active a part in the meetings as possible. lf you have any subject in mind you would like to have discussed mention it. If you are struck with an idea you would like to unload do so. Ii you are called upon by the President to express your views let him have them, even if you may not always be complimentary to that dignified indi- vidual or his accomplished: Secretary. This is your Association. It is bound to be what you make it. The officers are simply here to look after the de- tails. The more you do for a friend, the better you like him. It is the same with an organization. The picture you paint yourself, the gar- den which is the result of the sweat of your own brow, the business you establish yourself, all have a deeper hold on your heart and are of far more worth to you than the greatest picture of the greatest artist, the achievements of a Burbank or the accomplishments of a_ Rockefeller. Let this organization have some of that personal heart interest; lavish on it some of that affection which I am sure every member possesses in large degree. The Committee on Credit Depart- ment Methods issues trade inquiry form blanks, which any member can get at a low cost by writing to the National Secretary. This form is be- ing used by credit men all over the country and whenever it is sent to one of the 6,000 credit men in our Association it receives prompt atten- tion. These forms were used last year to the number of 213,600, and I advise members of our Association who have occasion to make trade in- quiries in other cities to supply them- selves with these blanks. The ques- tions covered are: How Long Sold, Terms, Highest Recent Credit, Owes, Past Due, Pays, Other Information. It is probable that many of you have had these sent you to fill out and have not realized that they were the offi- cial form furnished by the National Association. This Committee also. publishes | Are You Looking for a safe and profitable investment? If so, it will pay you to investigate our fully equipped free-milling producing gold mine. P. O. Box 410, Minneapolis, Minn. Torpedo Granite Ready Roofing Made of pure asphalt and surfaced with granite. can apply. Simply nail it on. coating to live up to its guarantee. ings, barns, factories, etc. The roof that any one Roofing does not require coating and re- Resists rain, sparks, fire. Torpedo Granite Ready Roofing is put up in For dwell- rolls 32 inches wide—each roll contains enough to cover 100 square feet— with nails and cement to put it on. Send for free samples and particulars. H. M. REYNOLDS ROOFING CO., Grand Rapids, Mich. Established 1868 10 Property Statement Blanks in differ- ent forms adaptable to different busi- nesses; 450,000 of them were sold to credit men last year. These are for the purpose of getting a statement of assets from your customer, etc. This Committee also issues an offi- cial Form of Collection Letter; and returns made to the National Office last year show that Form Letter “A” had been used to the extent of $86,- 654.38 and Form Letter “B” to $11,- 101.30. A card system has been in- stalled in the National Office by means of which debtors are listed ac- cording to location. Under this com- mittees work comes the report, also, of the great work accomplished by the Denver Adjustment Bureau. These are some of the practical re- sults which members of the Nation- al Association get, whether they are members of a local association or in- dividual members having no local af- filiation, and form in themselves suf- ficient reason why all firms not al- ready members should become such, as the great benefits obtained can be derived in no other way. The Special Investigation and Prosecution Committee has handled several important cases during the year, but I will mention only one, that of I. Wiener & Co., which is typical and shows what can be done by determined effort. I will state now that our own President, Mr. Brown, has been appointed a member oi this important Committee for this year. At the time of the report of 1904 it was stated that David S. Ludlom, the trustee who had been appointed by the creditors, as a result of the work of the Association, had located Weiss, the partner of Isaac Wiener, who had fled to Canada. As a result of the efforts of the Association, and pending the trial of the indictments which had been obtained against Weiss, the Honorable Edward E. Hoffman, Referee in Bankruptcy, on the 7th day of March, 1905, filed his report, in which he required both bankrupts to pay over to the trustee the sum of $76,000. The bankrupts made several offers of settlement, which the Committee refused, and which were rejected by the creditors in order that the trial of the indict- ‘ments in Philadelphia might not be prejudiced, and this case is still in| progress. The attorneys of the de- fendants filed objections to the re- port. Other cases have been followed in a similar manner by this Committee and the lives of a few fraudulent debtors, at least, have been made mis- erable by the Credit Men’s Associa- tion. The knowledge that this work is being carried on by the Credit Men has undoubtedly made other would-be fraudulent debtors hesitate, and it must be conceded that some good has been accomplished thereby. The Committee on Improvement of Commercial Agency Service has done a great deal of hard work and_ it believes it has accomplished re- sults in the way of getting better service from theagencies. It reports that in some localities Bradstreet gives the better service and in others MICHIGAN -TRADESMAN | : Dun. This is caused largely by the! the brief time allotted I can give only efficiency or inefficiency of the local Managers, and the sense of the Na- tional Association in reference to that feature is illustrated by the following resolution, which was carried at the Memphis Convention: Resolved—That the Committee on the Improvement of Commercial Agency Service be, and is hereby in- structed to make a thorough investi- gation of this matter and, by an ex- tended examination of the Agency reports and an exhaustive comparison of the service rendered by the two agencies, determine which one is giv- ing the better service generally; and also ascertain where the local branch- es of this Association are suffering as a result of unsatisfactory agency service, to the end that the National Association may exert its influence to a betterment of such conditions. a short summary: Last year Mr. E. A. Stowe was a member of this Committee and this year Mr. John Sehler is our repre- sentative. It has strenuously pushed the work of getting Sales-in-Bulk laws passed in the various states and last year bills were introduced in sev- enteen states and the law was passed in Maine, Illinois, Pennsylvania and Michigan. A resolution was passed at the Memphis convention recommending to the s9th Cong:cos the passage of the Lodge Bill, to contain, among others, the following provisions, in reference to the consular service: Substitution of salaries for fees. Improved classification or grading and transfer of consular officers and increase of salaries. Adoption of the merit system of A. B. Merritt local association feels that it is not getting from the local branch of either of these agencies the service to which it is entitled, it has but to bring the matter before the National Committee to get some action taken that cannot fail to produce bene- ficial results. And, as local associa- tions may bring these matters before the National, so, also, may local members bring desired reforms to the attention of their local organization; and, if conditions which are unsatis- factory continue in any city, it must be largely the fault of the local asso- ciation in not using the weapons with which the National Association provides it. The work of the Legislative Com- mittee is so extensive, and so much has been accomplished by it, that in It is apparent from this that, if any | examination, appointment and _ pro- motion of consuls. Consuls must be familiar with either the French, German, Spanish or Chinese language and possess a knowledge of the natural, industrial and commercial resources of the United States with reference to the possibilities of increasing and extend- ing the trade of the United States with foreign countries to which they are accredited. The power of the National Asso- ciation in obtaining favorable legisla- tion is second to no organization of business men that can be conceived, because it is interested in legislation that affects all kinds of business and is not working in the interest of any one class. A prejudice immediately arises in the minds of legislators when any bill is urged by any organi- zation representing one line of trade only. For example, suppose the iron men advocated a higher tariff on iron. It would be natural for the legislator to look for a nigger in the fence, be- cause it would appear on the face of it to be a measure calculated to bene- fit only the iron men, and would very likely work for their benefit but be detrimental to most other lines of business. On the other hand, when the credit men ask for legislation it is in the interest of all the different classes of business men all over the country, unbiased by the special needs of any one class. Our vegislative Committee is striv- ing to obtain a law making the filling out and mailing of fraudulent state- ments for the purpose of obtaining credit punishable by a fine of not more than $1,000 and imprisonment for not more than five years, or by both fine and imprisonment at the discretion of the court. It is also working for a_ uni- form exemption law and a law mak- ing it necessary for all persons carry- ing on business under assumed names to file with the county’a statement of the actual names of the real parties owning and operating the business. The subject of having all chattel mortgages filed with county officers was taken up by resolution in the last National convention and the Commit- tee is pledged to work to secure legis- lation of this kind. Probably the hardest work of this Committee has been done in connec- tion with the National Bankruptcy Law and it is well known that the National Association is unalterably in favor of a permanent Bankruptcy Law. The paper read by Mr. Pren- dergast at the last convention was an able effort and met with great ap- proval. It has been published in pamphlet form and any member can get a copy by sending to the National Secretary. The Committee on Credit Co-Oper- ation reports eleven trade organiza- tions for credit co-operation which are doing satisfactory work. They are: The Jewelers’ National Board of Trade, with offices in Chicago, Provi- dence and New York. The National Association of Cloth- iers, with offices in the twelve largest clothing centers of America. The Electric Trade Association of the Pacific Coast, with offices in San Francisco. ~The Merchants’ Credit Association of California, with offices in San Francisco. The Stationers’ Board of Trade of New York. The Hardware Board of Trade of New York. The Crockery Board of Trade of New York. The Lumbermen’s Trade Associa- tion, with offices in-New York, Balti- more, Philadelphia and Providence. The Glass Dealers’ Protective As- sociation. The Manufacturers’ and Dealers’ Protective Association, dealing in plumbers’ materials, with offices in New York. ‘a ees a lar ep r alii ¢ # $ © MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 11 The New York Paint and Allied Trade Association. The Special Committee on Fire In- surance under Chairman Lee M. Hutchins brought in the following resolution, which was adopted: Resolved—That in compiling re- ports on merchants from whom they have received no statement, the mer- cantile agencies make an effort to at least secure information, either from the dealer himself or from a local fire insurance agent, as to the amount of insurance carried. Gentlemen, I have endeavored to give a general outline of the scope of the National Association. I have not gone into ancient history to do so, but have given you some of the most important things which have been done the past year. These facts and figures have all been published in the bulletins and I have simply sorted them out and arranged them for the benefit of our new members and those others who have not kept in touch with the work of the Asso- ciation through the bulletin. It is gratifying to note that Grand Rapids has taken its share in this work and that we are well repre- sented on the Committees for the present year. Mr. Brown is a mem- ber of the Prosecution Committee, Mr. Sehler is on the Legislative Com- mittee and Mr. H. C. Cornelius is State Vice President. But, gentle- men, we believe we should have more. The next year should find one of our members on the National Directorate, and it is the sense of your Executive Committee that. that man should be Mr. Hutchins. But I believe it will be necessary for the Detroit and Grand Rapids Associations to get to- gether when an office is desired at the hands of the National convention, and the time to do it is right away. We ought to be better represented in the National conventions. We are entitled now to seven delegates and we should have them all go. We cught to have men interested in the work. There are thirty-five individ- ttal members in the State. We ought to get their proxies for the next con- vention. With forty votes at our disposal we would be something worth considering. We could make a trade for votes and help those who help us. There is no reason why some one of our members should not be President or Vice President. I should be glad, for one, to have some one in our midst develop that sort of ambition. We might as well aim high, and it would be only natural that the next President should come from the North. We've had them from the East and the West—why not try a Michigander for a change? Again I want to urge every member to take a personal, active interest in the Association. Come out to the meetings, get your thinking cap on and give us the benefit of your sug- gestions. Ask questions. If the President can’t answer them keep them over until the first of the year and try them on the new President. If you have any suggestions that will make our meetings more interesting hand them out. Don’t keep them for use when you get on the Entertain- ment Committee, let us have them now. If you know of anyone who ought to become a member go after him. If you can’t land him call up Rutka and he will call out his scouts and together you can get him. Tell him of the good the Association is doing. Tell him how much you like it yourself. Tell him that we are trying to make ourselves better credit men, better citizens, better friends. Tell him that the old narrow-minded- ness and selfishness are giving way to a broader conception of the duties and privileges of credit men and that through the aid and work of our asso- ciations we have made the name of credit man second to that of no pro- fession in the respect and esteem of the commercial world. SE Best Beet Sugar Results. Believing that commercial advance in growing beet sugar depends large- ly upon the character of seed furn- ished the grower, the United States Department of Agriculture is making every effort to produce a strain of pedigree seed that will enable Amer- ican farmers to produce large yields to the acre of beets, containing a large percentage of sugar and a low- er percentage of undesirable constit- uents. The work was begun by securing the best strains of European seeds and all known strains of American- grown seeds and growing them for comparison. Of these the best four strains were selected as foundation stocks and all beets of exceptiona! quality were saved and planted the following year as mother beets for seed production. In the succeeding year one-half of the seeds secured from these individ- ual plants were sown and the best specimens of beets preserved as spec- imens for the production of the first crop of “elite” seeds. The other half of the seed was planted this year and the beets secured will furnish next year’s supply of seed for the new strain. Along this same line of improvement a private grower at Fairfield, Wash., has produced a lot of some 300 roots testing from 20 to 24 per cent. Sstigar, a most extraor dinary achievement in view of the fact that the usual best seeds availa- ble do not contain over I5 per cent. sugar contents. This valuable im- provement in sugar content is com- bined with a high yield per acre and a very high coefficient of purity, ranging from 86 to 92 per cent. This means it is perfectly feasible eventually to make permanent this high sugar content, and when this is accomplished the farmer will have a crop for which the manufacturer is willing to pay fully one-third more to the ton. Last year the Depart- ment furnished some small lots of high class seed to growers for ob- servation in comparison with the seed furnished them by the factories for whom their crops were intended. The returns from 561 acres show that one strain of Government seed contained % per cent. more sugar and yielded one and a half tons more to the acre than factory seed. SO ee It is fool financiering Cupid teaches —that two can live cheaper than one. Bookkeeping Bower: Nut Shell If every page in your ledger could be in plain sight at one time—if each item in your day book could be carried with its ledger page—if you could have a statement made out without effort on your part, then the old style book- keeping systems would be almost as efficient as the practical, rapid and accurate Simplex Accounting Method But the Simplex Method does more than this. It enables you to have a time and credit limit for each customer. It ledgerizes the account and itemizes each transaction. It double checks each entry to prove its accuracy and it does all this in 4 the time required by complicate bookkeeping systems. The Simplex is the most complete and yet the simplest method ever devised and it will pay you to write for our descriptive booklet, “The Pilot.’” Mailed promptly on request. Connard-Hocking Co. 205 Dickey Bldg. Chicago, Illinois Ready for the Safe Bankrupt Stock Calendars We bought very liberally of the bankrupt stock of calendars of the Marshall Manufacturing Co., of Chicago, and consequently are in a position to give our patrons ex- tremely low prices. The time is drawing near when you will need your calendars. Order now and you will have them when you want them. Tradesman Company Grand Rapids, Mich. } eg ica MICHIGAN TRADESMAN He Began With a Pack on His Back. Since commerce and commercial people are shifting things and since the itching for trade is a thing that runs in the blood after it is inocu- lated, we must all count that we have had ancestors that have engaged m some kind of trade or other some- where. The acuteness of Scotchmen in their dealings with other people is as proverbial as the shrewdness of the Yankee or the tenacity of the Jew. Scotchmen are pretty sharp traders, and they count all the costs and all the possibilities pretty closely. I might illustrate by telling a story which most of you have heard about the only Jew who is still doing busi- ness in Glasgow in competition with the Scotchmen—doing business be- cause the Scotchmen are so sharp they don’t allow him to accumulate enough surplus to get away., But that is not what I started to tell about. The Scotchman of this story is not a Scotchman at all, but some of his ancestors came from that moisty land of the North, and he inherited some of their business acuteness. His name was Robert, of course. It might have been Douglas, but it wasn’t. Everybody called him Rob instead of Bob. Where I first heard of him was in a mill town in an Eastern State. There he was born and had the usual life of a village boy until he was somewhere about four- teen years old. His parents didn’t have much money, but they managed to live pretty well, and they wanted the boy to go to school and get a good education, but, as is often the case, the boy thought he had learned enough of books by the time he was fourteen and wanted to do something else—something to make some money. Maybe that was the Scotch of it, but that was the way of it. They managed to keep him in school a year longer, but it was no go after that. He wanted to start in Eusiness for himself. Just how, he didn’t know, but that was what he was after. They wouldn’t listen to that, so they got him a place in one of the village stores with Old Mr. Smith. Old Mr. Smith was a nice old man who had had a store there since the time of the original deluge, or somewhere near that date, which could be proved by the things still in stock in that store. Everybody thought he was a nice man, and so he was. But when it came to doing a lot of business, the days of Old Mr. Smith were over. Rob didn’t like it there a little bit. He learned some good, honest things that stood him in stead in the years that came after, but he didn’t get much start in the later-day way of hustling. He knew it wasn’t the real up-to-date kind of a business place, but, of course, he didn’t know what was the matter with it all. Rob began his work with Old Mr. Smith in the early summer, and when summer began to appear again, he got his back up and said he was going to do a business for himself. His parents were both unable and unwill- ing to put money up for him, and Rob figured out his own scheme. He didn’t get much pay from Old Mr. Smith, but he saved twenty-five dol- lars from the year’s work; with that sum he started out. In the city, six miles away, was a wholesale house where he found out, by inquiry there. that he could purchase small wares, notions and such stuff, with which to start a peddling trip. And that was what he determined to do. Objection at home was no go, and the youth finally had his way. It was a strange thing for a youngster like him to start out with a pack on his back, and the people of the town were set to wondering for nine days after the boy had really started. It was not exactly a picnic for a boy of six- teen to go packing about the country and trusting to luck and good deals on the way for his living. For his first trip he followed pretty closely the line of the old canal for fifty-odd miles until he reached another city of importance, where he could replenish his stock of goods. This trip was not a great success, for peddlers along the canal didn’t have a rich reputation among the country folk, and Rob was no better than any other in their sight. When he struck back toward home he took an interior road and made a little better progress, but it didn’t suit him, and he began to think that either the peddlers he had seen going about the country were better sales- men than he—that they could make the farmers’ wives believe they want- ed goods whether they did or not. By the time he reached home he had been gone a month and sold his stock almost completely out. He dis- covered that he had made but little more than his expenses, had tramped out a good pair of shoes and had less than thirty dollars in his pocket. He didn’t like that, but he wasn’t going to give up the idea. He didn’t start out with his pack again, and the peo- ple thought they knew that Rob had sickened of his job. That wasn’t it. He had another plan. He wanted some more money, and he wanted it as soon as he could get it, so he went to work in the mill and worked early and late, raking in every cent that came his way. His old companions didn’t understand him, and he didn’t care anything about that. He stuck to the mill all the winter, and when spring budded forth he had enough money to buy a horse and wagon and a peddling out- fit larger than that of the year be- fore. Attached to this scheme, he bought eggs from the country people, paying them in goods when he could and paying cash when he had to. The egg scheme worked better than he had anticipated, and he found that he could not be gone from home more than. a week without coming back to unload. His business in- creased to the extent that he spent only five days peddling and the sixth day getting rid of his eggs and stock- ing up anew with merchandise. One of the most important items in _ ‘Tine tea will Keep them. 2 eo For a mediu ed article that the best, use ~ x > t 4 ~ 7” «+ ' - e a ~ € e ? 4+ ~*% e * > z € ts - * & Gi ro ® # - ~~ is ™ Bw r ~ x ae ~ a an { «<) (ee » @ ~~ # - - ~ a “x > . 4 ~ 7” ' a ° a t F o * + (* = e * « z € . - * , MICHIGAN TRADESMAN where a painter had been commis- sioned by a millionaire to paint his portrait. In order that the picture should be an exceptionally good one, he offered to pay a remarkably big price for it. The portrait was so bad that the millionaire refused to take it. The fact was that the artist was in such a hurry to get that un- usual sum of money that his greed would not allow him to take his time over it. He “rushed” the work and failed. It is the desire for the success we want which makes us often too im- patient to gain it. Moltke said that in war the greatest fault of many gen- erals was eagerness to do things too fast. Just remember how the Jap- anese sat down round Port Arthur and waited—waited until the time was ripe. When I see young fellows im- mensely enthusiastic over some new study they have taken up to bet- ter their positions, I wonder what, in the words of Lord Rosebery, their “staying powers” will prove. All persons concerned with horses know that in a race it is not the horse that is most impatient and dashing at the start that holds its own. Human enthusiasts in that way, too, are apt to prove disappointing performers. They picture triumphs that do not arrive, and even moderate success ap- pears a failure so ghastly as to damp- en all their energy. “Progress in life wants taking cool- ly,” said Lord Beaconsfield. “Attain- ing success is often something like catching a train. You will see one man walking at a good pace that he can keep up until he gets there. An- other runs until he can not progress at all. Vast numbers of people are always getting pumped out!” It was. a_ shrewd _ observation. “Spurts” in life are of little good, although we are apt to believe that other people do a great deal with them. They seem to us to get what they want so easily. Whistler, the artist, once was ask- ed how long it took him to paint a certain picture, for which he had received some thousands of dollars. He replied that he had painted it in about five days. “Do you charge that huge sum for only five days’ work?” asked his examiner. “And for the thirty years or so of labor in learning how to paint such a picture,” he answered. There is nothing more delusive than the ease which people have ac- quired by prodigious labor of which one sees nothing. In a case in the courts the other day a tradesman admitted that in a shop he had opened he had taken in money that brought him in a profit of close on $200 a day. “So you just fit up your shop, take down the shutters, and open door, and the public rush in to make your fortune,” remarked the counsel! examining him. “Ah! But I had been in business forty years before,” replied the wit- ness, “and upon getting that stock together I had spent three years’ hard work!” the | The barrister’s client had opened a shop in opposition just across the street, and could not make out why it did not answer. The trick of suc- cess seemed so easy. But having taken down his shutters and opened his door, he found the public did not patronize him. I heard one of the cleverest women of our time say that there was no work which had to be performed day by day that was not felt by the worker at times to be drudgery. It is. I have myself heard men engaged in what the public regards as rounds of perfectly ideal work complain at time bitterly of the drudgery of their lives. But they did not allow the feeling to become habitual. It was just a temporary attack of mental and moral indigestion. The best workers are these passing disturbances. The bad worker loses his head in them and tries to dodge them. That becomes drudgery, too, in time, when it has been repeated _ sufficiently often. Then he sits down and finds his drudgery in daily lamentation and protestation that nothing is any good. The only way when one gets an attack of this kind is to set this truth and “stick to it,’ and politely but firmly ignore all invitations to “go in for something else’ with ‘no drudgery attached to it.” If success seems abominably slow in being attained, it is worth while remembering that the quickest and surest way to render it absolutely impossible is to give up trying for it like some people act when they find themselves in deep water— throw their arms and feet all around in desperation. E. G. Minnick. The church gets no grip when it tries to graft. _ I liable to AO fl Oyisies Ton 1 HT Le Lo El \= == \) \=™, a7 fi A! - L H | ht The nutritious qualities of this product are not obtain- able in any other food and no other Rusk or Zwiebock has that good flavor and taste found only in the Original Holland Rusk Write for samples today. Holland Rusk Co. Holland, Mich. See price list on page 44. Be Prepared for the Rush |_| which will surely come soon for Christ- mas Candies. Get in a line of Hanselman’s Candies which are put up in convenient, at- tractive 4%, 1 and 2 pound boxes es- Ask our i AE ae ig pecially for holiday trade. travelers about them. HANSELMAN CANDY CO., Kalamazoo, Mich. a] When You Buy Your Mixed Candies be sure to have them come to you in these Patent Delivery Baskets They will be of great value to you when empty. We make all kinds of baskets. W. D. GOO & CO., Jamestown, Pa. “You have tried the rest now use the best.’’ Mixed Carlots of Flour and Feed There is a phenomenal demand for Feeds. Mills are quite generally oversold, the car shortage is constantly becoming more serious. Considering these conditions prices are very reason- able and now is certainly a good time to stock up. We can make prompt shipment of mixed cars of Golden Korn Flour and any of the folowing: Spring Bran, Middlings, Mixed Feed and Red Dog. Winter Bran, Middlings, Mixed Feed and Red Dog. Hard Spring, Hard Winter, Soft Winter and Pure Rye Flour Our products are the best on the market. We are reserv- ing our Feed for mixed carload buyers. Take advantage of this opportunity and save money. Write or telephone for prices. Manufactured by Star & Crescent Milling Zo., Chicago, Til. Che Finest Mill on Earth Distributed by Roy Baker, Grand Rapids, Mich. Special Prices on Car Load Lots Boy cok Ra eR ee ee 16 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN WHAT ONE HAS MISSED. It Causes Half the Misery of Many People. “Half the misery of the lives of many people consists in the remem- brance of the things they have miss- ed,” said Spurgeon, “and it would be wonderful what some people have missed if you could only believe them.” His remark applies admirably to many of my friends. ty of people’s natures. Among my friends who have come back from their holidays it is surprising how many there are who have missed something which casts a cloud over everything else. They relate the ter- rible fact to me, expecting me to be exceedingly sympathetic with them. One of them who had six weeks’ fish- ing actually has the audacity to ex- pect me to pity him because he missed a huge fish, and a woman who has had two months on the conti- nent has come home full of sadness because she missed a garden party. I could tell them of crowds of my acquaintance who have had no holi- day at all. I read some time ago of the death of a man who was among the first discoverers of gold in the Klondike. He had been terribly poor—upon the brink of starvation—for many years, when he suddenly tumbled into the possession of gold worth over $r100,- ooo. He was naturally considerably pleased over his good fortune for awhile. He regarded himself as one of the luckiest men in the world. He heard later, however, that an- other man had found nearly $150,000 worth of gold close by the spot where he had discovered his own fortune. He came to the conclusion then that he was the most unfortunate man in existence. It so weighed on his mind that he went mad. He died in an asylum. The number of women I know who have missed marrying the right man is wonderful. The most remarkable things might have happened to them; but then, of course, they did not know he was the right man at the time. There is one who spends a good deal of her spare time in imag- ining how she would manage an in- come of $30,000 a year, which came in most unexpected fashion to a young man whom she rejected when he was making $15 a week. “Not, of course,” she informed me, “that I would have things different, even if I could. John’—her hus- band—“is wonderfully good, but one can not help thinking.” John makes $1,000 a year, and their lives would have been much happier only for that other man’s abomina- ble fortune. The chances that many of my friends have missed in life are mar- velous. The fortunes that would have been theirs if something had only happened that did not happen are absolutely distracting. “Thirty-five hundred dollars a year and opportunities of making an ex- tra hundred or two, that is what 1 missed by just the skin of my teeth!” lamented a friend to me the other! day. “Some people have no luck.” It is a peculiari-| Of course, I expressed my sympa- thy with him. I asked him how the calamity of his missing such a good thing occurred. “I wrote the letter applying for the post,” he explained, “and put it in my hat while I went to have some- thing to eat, and that fool Smith came into the restaurant and moved my hat, and the letter fell out on the floor. I never thought of it un- til the next day, when the waiter who had picked it up handed it to me. That is how I lost $4,000 a year. Between ourselves, I have hat- ed Smith ever since. He has ruin- ed my life.” People of that kind remind me of the-man Max Adeler knew who near- ly made a fortune on the turf. For seven nights in succession he dream- ed that a horse named Whiskers would win a certain race. He was not a betting man—in fact, he knew nothing of racing matters—but the seventh dream was too much _ for him. He sold what he could and started off with the money to the town where the races were to take place. He just missed a fortune through the fact that there was no horse named Whiskers in existence. “He used to relate the story,” said Max Adeler, “and expressed the con- viction that if there had only been such a horse as Whiskers it would have beaten all creation; and I dare Say it would.” In the vast number of chances in life it would be hard for any one not to have once or twice missed something which he could have done well with. Looking back, it is pretty easy to discover some abominably bad luck in one’s existence. “The fact is,” said Lowell, “there are lots of people who really like to think that they are fighting against hard Providence. Nothing ever goes right with them, they say, and they are not at all inclined to ascribe their bad fortune to their getting the worst of it in a square fight with ordinary mortals, who win by supe- rior grit and earnestness. No, that will not do. It does not flatter a man or a woman to think that he or she has failed by some intrinsic fault. It flatters folk to think that Provi- dence does not give them a fair chance.” I have known people who really seemed to derive a _ considerable amount of satisfaction from a vain endeavor to persuade one that they are the victims of the most malig- nant misfortune. There are fortu- nate and unfortunate folk no doubt, but it is not the really unfortunate ones who say the most about it. One of the Rothschilds used to tell the story of a merchant who, by a stroke of really bad luck, lost some $50,000. A friend called on him to condole with him, and commenced the operation in the usual manner. “Thanks, thanks!” said the mer- chant. “It is most kind of you, I am sure, but I have not got time to lis- ten to your sympathy. As a matter of fact, the loss is more serious than you dream of, and that means that I have not got an hour to lose in set- ting to work to put things right!” That man was different from a cer- tain actor to whom I once heard Sir Henry Irving allude. A stroke of bad fortune plunged him into serious difficulties, and he directed the rest of his existence to impressing his misfortune upon the charitable con- sideration of his friends. “Half the energy he spent at the pursuit would have secured him a decent subsistence,” declared Sir Henry. This looking back at the things one has missed is among the most en- ervating occupations one can _ in- dulge in. One of the richest millionaires in the United States carries about with him a little notebook, in which he has noted every cent he has lost for years and years. He is accustomed to regale his friends with little read- ings from it in confirmation of his statement that no one ever had such bad luck as himself.. He has _ lost hundreds of thousands. Where he made a huge sum he might have made more, and that he calculates a dead loss. By ignoring what he has made and totaling up what he has missed he is able to plunge himself into the profoundest misery. It is clear to him that he has really lost millions. Napoleon, on one of his campaigns, while walking about the camp one night, as he was accustomed to do to discover how the soldiers were oc- cupied, chanced to come upon a group listening to an excited speak- er. Napoleon stole near to listen, and found that the man was regaling his comrades with an account of battles that Napoleon had lost. “T had the fellow hanged as a traitor,’ he said. “Men do not win battles by the memory of battles lost!” It is perfectly true. A_ distin- guished military officer told me that after troops had been beaten in a battle it took weeks to get them to fire as well as they had done before. Defeat demoralizes them. If one is continually looking back at the things one has missed in life one loses the power to grip what is yet within reach of one’s hands. Missed things have a cruel knack of making themselves, as one re- members them, a good deal more fascinating than they really were. “Ah, you don’t know!” a young woman remarked to me the other day. “You have always been so for- tunate. Good gracious me! How could you know what—what it is to be really the most miserable crea- ture in the world? How can you imagine what it is to have missed what I have? It is quite impossible!” Fancy that! So far as I can make out she has never had a real trouble in her life. If I were desirous of turning my hair prematurely gray and of walk- ing about on crutches I would de- vote, say, an hour a day to thinking of what I had missed. I believe it would do it. To begin with, I might have been the Mikado instead of my- self. John A. Howland. east Tell Your Delicious uckwheat Cakes © Are Raised With Foam Customers ~“ A ° 4 ‘Ss E ‘<< » = <—- *» 14 . ~— S ° a =. = WZ g we = ~ az = a ‘i ti > S r ¥ € ¥ $ a i ww » ~~ » te & o @ . * ‘So . A = *» 14 os ° i = 2 ® id an = /# - = - ? + ? A ion my ? + +, 4 ~ a = i MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 17. THE TALKING TELEPHONE. How Certain Employes Abused Their Privilege. Written for the Tradesman. “IT wish there wasn’t a telephone on earth,” said the commission man as he hung up the receiver in a friend’s office and sat down in-a chair to wait. “What’s the matter?” friend. “Busy as usual.” “The busier a telephone is the more need there is. for its existence,’ said the other. “The time to take out a phone is when no one uses it. If your one phone is over-worked, put in another.” “Oh, it’s just the cussedness of the thing,” growled the commission man. “When I sit down at my desk for a little bothering work that con- founded machine begins to rattle. Never saw anything like it.” “Well, you can get rid of a fellow in a second, when you get him on the phone,” said the other, “but when he calls on you and gets a chair in your office that’s another thing.” “IT suppose you are right,” said the commission man, “but the very Old Nick seems to be in my machine. It is always ringing when I want to work, and when I want to use it it is always busy. Here I’ve called up my own office from four places this morning and always got the merry buzz in my ear. The shop must be doing a whale of a business this week, for it’s been that way right along.” “Does the amount of business show all right for such a rush?” “I haven’t noticed any difference.” “Then you had better investigate.” “IT have, and the more I look into the thing the more it talks. I hon- estly believe that machine keeps right on going after every person in the city is in bed. It is certainly working over-time.” asked the “Investigate,” said the other. Presently the commission man made another call. The phone was busy again. He hung up the receiver with a jerk and almost ran out of the office. His private office connected witha main hallway, and he reached it with- out making his presence known in the long room where half a dozen clerks and book-keepers were working. From this private office he could both hear and see what was going on in the other room. The phone was busy. That was about the first thing he noticed. He listened to what the flaxen- haired young man who held the re- ceiver was saying. This flaxen-hair- ed book-keeper was rather a favor- ite of the commission man’s. He looked bright and was always well- dressed and neat in appearance. The one-sided conversation the commission man heard ran about like this: “Come again.” “cc ” “Why, yes, I’d like to meet her.” “ ” “You bet. She looks pretty good to me.” 66 2 “There’s only one exception.” “ ”? “Oh, you know who that is.” “ : ca “Y’ll tell you when I see you.” 6c ” . “That’s a long time to wait. Let me come to-night.” “ee ”? “Kate there? That’s all right. ll bring some one up.” “ ” “Then we won’t have to talk to them.” “ ” “Ashamed? I should Charley? Of course.” “cc ” say not. “Mighty fine. park.” “Come, hurry up,’ said another clerk at this time. ‘“You’ve been at that phone for half an hour. I want to make a date myself. Give me a show, can’t you?” He of the flaxen hair hung up the receiver and the other clerk called ap a number and moved the istru- ment over to his desk. Then he sat down on a stool and began squaring a lover’s quarrel on his employer’s time and over his phone, which should have been sacred to business at that hour of the day. By this time the commission man was fairly tearing his hair. He was mad enough to bite his way through the side of the office. In about ten minutes the second clerk hung up the receiver and a third one took the phone to make arrangements for a hunting trip he was planning with a couple of chums. This went on for a long time. The commission man had been in his office an hour, and his phone had been in action every minute, to the exclusion of the legitimate business of the place. We'll go out to the “Fine time my customers are hav- ing trying to get me by phone,” he thought. “I think business will pick up here in about a minute.” The phone was silent only a mo- ment. There were a couple of rings on business matters and these were answered in a short and surly man- ner by a clerk who had gone to the phone to call up a friend on the long distance. This was too much for the com- mission man. He bounced into the office and stood before his employes with a red and angry face. “You all know the rules about the use of the phone during business hours?” he asked. The clerks and book-keepers look- ed confused, but they admitted the fact. Then the commission man ad- dressed them all in language taught him on the plains during his young- er days, and at the termination of the heart-to-heart talk three of the clerks were out of a job, and the others were so frightened that they didn’t use the phone again except on business for the house in almost half a day. “I’ve vindicated the telephone sys- tem, at any rate,’ smiled the com- mission man as, later, he talked with his friend over the affair. “A phone is like everything else. It needs watching.” Alfred B. Tozer. —~<-~<——————— Turkey Talk. With gobble loud and stirring The king of turkey-flock Called all his subjects to him, And made this little talk: “This is our year, my brethren, We've waited for it long; Revenge is sweet as turkey meat, Let’s hail it with a song. “The pound of flesh they’re With it they may be fed; But ’tis a fact, their Shylock act Will bleed them all, instead. after— “And as for being roasted, We'll see them take their turn, When they have found to get us browned That money has to burn. “So gobble, gobble, gobble! And gayly fling the dust; For while they fear, we’ll take good cheer, All hail the turkey trust!’’ Carolyn Wood. a Senator Allison of Iowa, a con- servative of the conservatives, pro- claims his acceptance of President Roosevelt’s ideas on the subject of railroad rate regulation and an- nounces his intention to vote for that measure which, in his opinion, will effectuate them. When Senator Alli- son gets in line it may be inferred that public sentiment is accurately defined. ———_--~.__ The Emperor of Japan has just concluded his worship of his ances- tors at the Isle of Shrines. As the Japanese attribute all their triumphs to the virtues of their ancestors, their worship of them is not surprising. But the Japanese of to-day are really doing more for their country than their forefathers ever did. Posterity will be very busy worshipping them. In a Bottle. It’s a Repeater Will Not Freeze Order of your jobber or direct JENNINGS MANUFACTURING CO. GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. Be sure youre right And then go ahead. Bay “AS YOU LIKE FT’ Horse Radish And you've nothing to dread. Sold Through all Michigan Jobbers. U. S. Horse Radish Co. Saginaw, Mich. Seasonable Goods Buckwheat Flour Pure Penn Yan (New York State) Put up in grain bags containing 125 lbs. with 1o 1-16 empty sax for resacking. (Michigan) Put up in ro 1o-lb. cloth sax in a jute cover splendid for ship- ping, reaching the customer in a good, clean condition. Gold Leaf Maple Syrup ( Vermont) Put up in pint and quart bottles, also in 1 gallon, 5 gallon and ro gallon tins. JUDSON GROCER CO., Distributors GRAND RAPIDS, MICH, Gold a ¢ ay ai d Ee Trade Brisk in All Departments of Neckwear. This has been an uncommonly good season for neckwear. Although it is but a repetition of what has been said before, the fact that there is a general betterment in business will stand reiteration because of the good feeling engendered by the way things have picked up. Estimated by the large yardage that has gone into consumption from the mills to the cutters-up the season is big; in fact, the demand for silks is so good that the duplicate orders received by the silk mills will keep looms active on materials wanted for this season’s consumption right up to December. The sale of holiday goods, too, has thus far been so much ahead of previous years that the mills are taxing the energy of the weavers to get out orders so that they may reach manufacturers in time for hol- iday shipment to retailers. Many of the mills employing weavers who can be induced to work overtime are running until 9 o’clock. In this re- spect the silk people having mills in New York and Pennsylvania are bet- ter off than the New Jersey mills, the weavers in the “Silkopolis” in particular being opposed to _ over- time. Perhaps it is because they all have plenty of work during the pre-holi- day period, which is usually a dull time for the mills, and especially so when neckwear is not having a run. Just now, however, all of the mill centers are busy, and as the looms are yet at work on duplicate fall and holiday orders the present season will be protracted well into the time that looms should be engaged on spring styles. As yet few looms are at work on goods for spring de- livery, although orders for the silks have been placed. The trade is op- timistic of a brisk spring and is pre- paring for it early. According to the designs to go into the looms as soon as _ holiday work has been completed, fancy high colors, fancy weaves and plenty of pattern goods will be taken out by road salesmen on their spring trips; in fact, the orders taken by the mills up to now on loom blankets show a preponderance of fancy effects in colors and patterns. ® The dominating colors for spring will be found in the violet class, tanging from violet to heliotrope, with all the intermediate shades and tints. This is an entirely new se- ties of violet shades composed of blue and metal and therefore less vivid than the red violets of the pres- ent vogue. The greens and reds fol- low as named. In the spring pat- terns figurings in self and two-toned weaves are plentiful, and solid col- Ors are again well represented, the number of colors and shades, how- ever, being larger than at present. Very few will care to discredit the MICHIGAN TRADESMAN Statement that the introduction of many fancy colors has lifted the neck- wear business out of the slough of despondency. The present active season is comparable with 1899, which was the biggest neckwear year known to the trade. That was a year when only colors were in de- mand and staple things were reduc- ed to infinitesimal quantities. It, too, was a violet year. It is, therefore, rather significant that business in neckwear has improved since pur- ples and helios obtained a vogue. Those who passed through that pe- riod will also recollect the slump on purples the year following. Purples will be good sellers for the coming spring and summer. They should be handled as were the browns. Brown proved a good color, and, fortunately, for the trade, everybody got from under when the decline began. Look for good proportions in neck- wear again for spring, for there is little likelihood of many four-in- hands being made less than 2y inches wide, and not wider than three inches, although 234 inches is wide enough to be sensible. The length for good qualities will be 48 inches, although some are now being made 50 and 52 inches long; a scarf 48 inches in length is all that is requir- ed and will make a barrel lapped twice around for a large, full knot. The kind and size of patterns making for spring admit only of large shapes in four-in-hands and string ties, and therefore large club and batwing string ties and four-in-hands will pre- vail. The narrow scarf is not sym- metrical with the man or the vogue of to-day. Considered as effeminate and faddish the narrow scarf, for some time to come at least, has gone into retirement. The 2% inch scarf is nOw universally popular, and there is little doubt that it will remain so for another season or two. The scarf makers are disposed to adhere to the Present well-established shapes, and with past experiences and the losses attending the introduction and ex- ploitation of freaks and fads, have lit- tle inclination to venture novelties of the short-lived type. Commenting upon neckwear man- ufacturers’ statements, a prominent nian in the trade said: “If neckwear people don’t make money this sea- son it is their own fault. There is a good field for neckwear to-day, and, although like other businesses it is overcrowded, the people in it have a chance now to make money if they are sensible in the making of four-in-hands. The trouble with the selling end is too many amateur salesmen. These youngsters take or- ders for neckwear at prices which prohibit a profit to the maker when he comes to estimate on what the buyer wants. Then, rather than lose the order, it is taken at a loss, that business may be done with the buy- er. It seems to be not how much money can be made, but how great the value can be made for a little money. No neckwear maker can to- day give dollar silks in broad French four-in-hands for $4.50 and exist.” Bias Jacquard designs in plaid ef- fects are good for spring, because The Best CCT elt MSU M MUCUS RSC iN SALESMAN WILL REACH You SOON SAMPLES WILL BE SENT ON REQUEST Salesmen are out and largely increased orders prove that “Herman- wile” Guaranteed Clothing for SPRING is again “The Best Medium Price Clothing in the United States.’ Jeans Cottonades Worsteds Serges Cassimeres Cheviots Kerseys Prices $7.50 to $3 Per Dozen The Ideal Clothing Co. Two Factories Grand Rapids, Mich. Jew - % = c ~ ee . + » 4 ‘ “a8 - ow ~ ~< why % aie ad a a a oo * a a E = “= v ¥ o fA - fe we * » * ~% e * a =~ 2 r » ‘1, » ‘ ae & a MICHIGAN TRADESMAN woven effects of machine design can be cut on the bias. Light tints again for spring, with helio, pearl gray, light blue, Nile green and buff shades well to the fore. The best selling color of the pres- ent season is Port wine. Retailers who have kept _ their “plain stuff’ back and forced fancies are the ones who report the biggest business in neckwear. This is a fan- cy, not a plain, season. Plains in weaves and solid in color have drop- ped to second place. Moires, or watered patterns, in various effects, have already had a big run. The moire antiques refer- red to several months ago as proba- bilities for autumn introduction were brought out with the opening of the month by the manufacturers. Moires ir snake and lizard skin effects are running well in half-dollar lines. Moires with Jacquard self figures, flecked with contrasting colors, stripes and plaids, are among the lat- est retail introductions in the moire class. Moires are already out in the quar- ter lines. Cheapening always does affect a good thing. It is the same with the satins brought out at the beginning of the season in New York. The high priced were hardly shown in the store windows of the better class before cotton backed straw satins were out in every flamboyant color and selling at a quarter. Requiem of the satin scarf.—Apparel Gazette. —_+<22—___ Success of Grocers Due Largely To Cleanliness. Written for the Tradesman. I have a certain store in mind which it is a positive delight to en- ter—a grocery store in the town where I reside. : This particular store is rather small, almost triangular in shape, with a light basement and a small store room in the rear. For some reason or other the place had been a hoodoo for every man who had started in business there or bought out a preceding proprietor. Some said the fault of the failures lay in the personality of the various proprietors; that all of them were men of an unpleasant disposition to get along with; that some of them were so dirty themselves, and as to the care of what they dispensed, that this condition disgusted lovers of sanitation and drove away custom that would have gravitated there so far as prices were concerned. A one- time occupant of the place was said to be crooked as to weights and other matters calling for square dealing. Another grocer renting the store was declared to be “such a great old talker,” making himself a regular bore to his trade, so that they could with difficulty get away from him. Be all this as it may, the fact re- mains that the store was never, un- til the present owners took hold of things, the success it should have been by reason of its location as to the residence district and the busi- ness beauty and conveniences of the building, two of the latter being its nearness to the morning market and a wide alley to receive and disburse supplies. The last men to try to earn a liv- ing here are young fellows who had clerked all their lives in stores in which they held no money concern. They were—are—men of the strictest integrity of purpose, prudent in re- gard to their personal expenditures, so that each had saved up a couple of thousands or so. They are men— both of them—of affable manners, backed by a sincere desire to make the most of every opportunity that comes their way. They are excel- lent judges of brands of merchan- dise and, as to the selection of fine fruits and vegetables on the market, they “take turns” each week, getting on the ground so early that they have acquired the name of “Johnny on the Spot” from the farmers. Add to judicious buying of good goods the item of immaculate clean- liness (if I may use the two words together) and the problem of success is solved. These storekeepers had been close comrades for a number of years. They often talked over the different business methods of dealers’ they knew, picking to pieces their ways of handling the public. Then they used to say, “If you or I ever go in trade we will do thus and so.” By and by this proposition was changed to the more direct assertion of “When we go into business, etc.,” afterwards al- tered definitely to “When you and I are partners.” At first, these references were laughingly made; afterward they were characterized by more serious- ness, finally crystallizing into a com- pact, which has lasted now some five or six years. Each is satisfied with the ways of the other, and both are agreed on one tenet: “Cleanliness is next to Godliness.” The clerk who works for them must mind his P’s and Q’s as to dirt; they won’t have a speck of it around, anywhere, if they have anything to say about the arrange- ments—and they really do have the biggest finger in the pie. But, as their hard-earned cash pays for the ingredients of the pie, plus the crust and the tin in which it is bak- ed, let alone the fire underneath, I don’t know but they have as much of a right as any one else to manage the business very nearly as they see fit. Other stores in the town lay great- er claim to size—are much more pre- tentious. Others “cut a bigger dash.” But there isn’t a grocery here which the women so like to patronize; and, when I ask them the reason, I am always met by the statement: “Oh, it’s such a CLEAN store— you can’t imagine how CLEAN!” And they always say it in great big capitals just like that. J. Jodelle. —_>-+____ Horse sense is often developed by the spur of the moment. — ++ +_—___ The man who thinks lives in a little world of his own, H. H. Cooper & Co. Utica, N. Y. Manufacturers of Modern Clothing Desirable Goods, and Perfect Fitting. There is no Clothing more Satisfactory in the Market. Wear Well Clothes We make clothes for the man of average wage and in- come—the best judge of values in America, and the most criti- cal of buyers because he has no money to throw away. for him is the severest test of a clothing factory. so exactly covers his wants as Wile Weill Wear Well Clothes —superb in fit—clean in finish—made of well-wearing cloths. You buy them at prices which give you a very satisfactory profit and allow you to charge prices low enough to give the purchaser all the value his money deserves. If you’d like to make a closer acquaintance of ,Wear Well Clothing, ask for swatches and a sample garment of the spring line. Wile, Weill & Co., Buffalo, N. Y Well Tailored No clothing EHO MCSieeesii oe 20 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN tee, SYCOPHANCY IN BUSINESS. _ General Good Reasons Why It Sel- dom Pays. Occasionally a correspondent writes me a letter of enquiry con- cerning the ins and outs of the world of competition in business, when merely by the opening of his eyes to the spirit of competition as it ex- ists everywhere in every walk of man} the answer would be immediately | before his eyes. “Is it not a mighty poor way to advance by sycophancy,” asks one of these; “grinning when the boss grins, looking sour when he does and forc- ing laughter at his jokes? What do you say about this method of se- curing a ‘stand in?’ This kind of man may work, but he does. not care if he injures another or works another out of his job.” Of course he does not care! 1% want to lend a little:emphasis to the statement. Of course he does not care! Now and then assertions such as this have brought criticisms of pessimism on my part, but I deny it. Shutting one’s eyes to a condition that shows no prospect of change and blindly bumping into it upon the forced supposition that it is not there is not optimism—it is foolishness. -In the modern crowded city it is one of the rarest of circumstances when the man in the car, in the street, in the doorway, or on the stairs shows the slightest regard for you or your rights and privileges, even in the smallest way and where he has the least possible at stake. Shall one expect the typical man of the kind to contemplate a sacrifice when he has taken a place in the ranks of competitive business? Shall one expect consideration from the type when the motto of that type is, Anyway to get there? Considering my _ correspondent’s query in full there is no doubt that in his work he is in touch with the sycophant of which he speaks. He has suffered by him and his methods aS My correspondent sees it. But I might answer this question by an- other: Why should you work for a man or house in which sycophancy seems to you to be the key to suc- cess? If that be the policy of the house you can expect no future in it without sacrificing your ideals. If it be the policy of a manager or head of department only, at least you will need to wait until his methods have lost him his position. It will not be doubted by any man of the world that thousands of men who ought to be bigger than the thought of it are open to the broad- est flattery. This may be a flattery of word, of look, of action—one or all of them—but somewhere they tell upon the susceptible nature. A busi- ness man summons his office boy; there is no hurry about the call, there is no hurry about the delivery of the message, but there is flattery in the quick, anxious attitudes of this mere boy who has responded. An em- ployer, passing a group of his em- ployes, inside or outside of his prem- ises, catches an almost involuntary atmosphere of deference that at bottom is artificial in ninety cases out of the hundred, but does he dis- like it? An employer talking of his busi- ness may use the term, “My men.” He is flattering himself almost al- ways. In the same tone the woman who speaks of “my maid” to the woman who hasn’t one may be giv- ing an offense mortal to friendship. Shall one deny the assertion that a little flattery toward a superior in cffice may accomplish that which nothing else will? Conceding this fact, the situation seems to be one calling for the best judgment of the best employes af- fected by the condition. Granting that an employer or an_ institution of many heads must have a show of flattery, where is the line beyond which the employe can not go and keep his self-respect? It must be a question for individual settlement. If sycophancy be the measure of this flattery, however, a manly man may hardly have two thoughts as_ to whether the thing to be gained is worth the cost. . Whether in the employer, who may demand his flattery in some form, or in the employe, who is willing and quick to extend this showy defer- ence into sycophancy, one may be certain that he has not found the best type of employer and employe. No manly man, having done his full duty by an employer in his day’s work, can have room in his heart to flatter his superior in office. There is no natural occasion for the thing. The employer has paid for a good day’s work. The employe has done his full duty for his pay. Such a man will be quick to give his em- ployer any mark of consideration due him as a superior officer in office hours; beyond that he will not go. Any employer who may be receiv- ing flattery from his employes in personal ways may safely say to him- self that it is a costly kind of pleas- ure. The meanest sycophant, giving his sycophancy, feels meaner still, and his one opportunity to recoup himself will be to take vengeance of the man who has demeaned him. In a hundred ways he may have op- portunity, too. Not only in this manner, but an employer in such a position finding a man who truckles at every turn should recognize in the man a cer- tain spinelessness unfitting him for any position or work calling for the assertion of his strength and man- hood in business. The conscientious man who has the privileges of his manhood, and who will assert it when occasion calls, also will stand with his back to a wall and fight for the institution which has guaranteed his liberty in this respect. The con- clusion is inevitable. So far as a man’s reaching success worthy of a man, it can not be done through sycophancy, or through any- thing else approaching it in debase- ment of one’s manhood. Sycophancy is the tribute of a sneaking, incom- petent nature to another of its kind. But sycophancy is a condition in all its aspects. Moralizing will not | combat it or wipe its evils out. The honest man will find it used against him everywhere, whether he strug- gle as employer or employe. It will be used as unsparingly as any Other of the unfair methods that come to the hands of competitors who carry the black flag, “Anything to get there!” It must be accepted as some- thing which the aspiring man, young or old, must expect in competition. It is only another of the many ac- tive expressions from those who have no care for the fate of others. The whole competitive system at its best has had the attentions of some of the world’s greatest econo- mists as being the root of all in- dustrial and social evils. Do not get blue and melancholy over it; doubtless it will be a long time with us. Cheer up! Only don’t make the mistake of going into the contest trying to make yourself believe that everything that is natural must be “perfectly lovely.” John A. Howland. +22. A Stenographer Has a Say. The stories that have been relat- ed about incompetent stenographers and the lack of enterprise among that numerous craft to push forward find a contradiction, of course, in many places. Their woes and the impositions of various employers are presented in some good stories in the Business Men’s Magazine. One of them writes: I know a stenographer who has been with the same firm eight years and has only had one vacation in that time. Her days are crowded so full of other work that she does not have time to write her letters, so she takes her machine home and writes them at night, often, she tells me, not finishing before 12 o'clock. And her employer now seems to ex- pect her to do this all the time. I think every girl who works in an office, if questioned, would Say she would rather be busy than idle, and people may say all they want to that “anyone can always find something to do if they try.” I am here to state that I know better, not if the work is kept up every day, for there is such a thing as having one’s work right up to the notch. Then there is nothing to do but wait for dicta- tion, and, as I know to be true, one sometimes has to wait half a day, and then be expected to do that half day’s work in thirty minutes. Yes, a girl has a right to expect her work within certain hours, but mostly she will be very glad to stay Overtime to do something special if she is only asked in a kindly man- ner. Permit me, right here, to give you a little “tip.” Why don’t you show a little more appreciation of other people’s work? Don’t you know it is dollars in your cash box every time you show your office help that you notice when they are doing good work? You let them know all right when you notice that it is not good. I entered an office once where I was treated very kindly: no one found any fault with my work, but by the same token neither did they show any approbation. It so hap- pened that when I had been there some three weeks their book-keeper, who had been with them four years, was discharged without notice. I had at that time not yet learned not to worry, and I reasoned in this wise: If they would discharge a man who had been with them four years, without notifying him in ad- vance, what will they do to me? [ continued in this uncertain state of mind some three months, when the company I had been with last made me an offer to come back. Before replying I took the matter to my employer and told him that I did not know whether my work had been satisfactory or not, but if it had not, and he had any idea of dis- charging me, I would be very glad if he would tell me, and I would ac- cept this offer. He asked me not to think of such a thing and almost waxed eloquent on the subject. Thereafter I would al- most have “broken my neck” for that man, and I am sure I did better work and was more anxious that it should be worthy of his approval than ever before. ee Science Called To the Rescue. A cry of distress has gone up from the restaurant keepers. They want more white meat on their chickens, and they call upon the poultry pack- ers to see to it that the demand is supplied. “We are in a very embarrassing fix,” says a restaurant man. “Nearly all of our customers who order chicken ask for white meat. Now, we cut a chicken into four quarters; two white meat quarters and two dark meat quarters. That is all we can do; the chicken is built that way. Consequently, when the white mect runs out, which it always does, we have a lot of dissatisfied diners on our hands. Give us more _ white meat.” Scientists have produced a seedless apple, and have crossed the potato and the tomato, why shouldn’t they produce a chicken which is all white meat? It has been suggested that the easiest way would be to cross the Belgian hare and the chicken. The Belgian hare is all white meat, and by careful breeding through a number of generations, it might be possible to produce a Belgian chick- en, all white meat. The thing seems easy enough.—Merchants’ Journal. ee Visions of Thanksgiving. Now doth the turkey see in dreams he visions of a day That makes his heart go pit-a-pat And turns his feathers gray: The smell of celery gives him ain And though his eyes are wet — With tears of coming sorrow, he tries bravely to forget. A little cranberry is to him a a badge of fate € must wear when he j Into his future state. a An_ oyster makes him shut his To miss the Sight of it; Tr And when he sees an axe, Great Scott! He almost has a fit. He thinks about the peopl 4a ae as female = nd wonders how it’s oi To be inside of then: sarees Ah, guileless dreamer, you are u Against Thanksgiving Day; ve got to starve yourself t Or die the other ay. oo William J. Lampton, If ef 7 e 2 ee ee re 4 * MICHIGAN TRADESMAN Perpetual Half Fare Trade Excursions To Grand Rapids, Mich. Good Every Day in the Week The firms and corporations named below, Members of the Grand Rapids Board of Trade, have established permanent Every Day Trade Excursions to Grand Rapids and will reimburse Merchants visiting this city and making purchases aggregating the amount hereinafter stated one=half the amount of their railroad fare. All that is necessary for any merchant making purchases of any of the firms named is to request a statement of the amount of his purchases in each place where such purchases are made, and if the total amount of same is as stated below the Secretary of the Grand Rapids Board of Trade, 89 Pearl St., will pay back in cash to such person one-half actual railroad fare. If living within 50 miles If living within 75 miles If living within too miles If living within 125 miles If living within 150 miles If living within 175 miles If living within 200 miles If living within 225 miles If living within 250 miles Read Carefully the Names Amount of Purchases Required purchases made from any member of the following firms aggregate at least..............-. $100 00 any of the following firms aggregate .................. 150 00 any of the following firms aggregate ...... LC 200 00 any of the following firms aggregate .................. 250 00 any of the following firms aggregate ........ ........- 300 00 any of the following firms aggregate ...-.............- 350 00 any Of the following firms aggregate ............-..... 400 00 and over 50, purchases made from and over 75, purchases made from and over 100, purchases made from and over 125, purchases made from and over 150, purchases made from and over 175, purchases made from and over 200, purchases made from and over 225, purchases made from you are through buying in each place. Automobiles Adams & Hart Richmond-Jarvis Co. Bakers National Bliscult Co. Belting and Mill Supplies F. Raniville Co. Studley & Barclay Bicycles and Sporting Goods W. B. Jarvis Co., Ltd. Billiard and Pool Tables and Bar Fixtures Brunswick-Balke-Collander Co. Books, Stationery and Paper Grand Rapids Stationery Co. Grand Rapids Paper Co. M. B. W. Paper Co. Mills Paper Co. Confectioners A. E. Brooks & Co. Putnam Factory, Nat‘l Candy Co Clothing and Knit Goods Clapp Clothing Co. Wm. Connor Co. Ideal Clothing Co. Clothing, Woolens and Trimmings. Grand Raplds Clothing Co. Commission—Fruits, Butter, Eggs Etc. Cc. D. Crittenden J. G. Doan & Co. Gardella Bros. E. E. Hewitt Vinkemulder Co. Cement, Lime and Coal Ss. P. Bennett & Co. (Coal only) Century Fuel Co. (Coal only) A. Himes A. B. Knowlson S. A. Morman & Co. Wykes-Schroeder Co. Cigar Manufacturers G. J. Johnson Cigar Co. Geo. H. Seymour & Co. Crockery, House Furnishings H. Leonard & Sons. Drugs and Drug Sundries Hazeltine & Perkins Drug Co. Dry Goods Grand Rapids Dry Goods Co. P. Steketee & Sons. Electrical Supplies Grand Raplds Electric Co. M. B. Wheeler Co. Flavoring Extracts and Perfumes Jennings Manufacturing Co. Grain, Flour and Feed Valley City Milling Co. Voigt Milling Co. Wykes-Schroeder Co. Grocers’ Ciark-Jewell-Wells Co. Judson Grocer Co. Lemon & Wheeler Co. Musselman Grocer Co. Worden Grocer Co. of purchases required. any of the following firms aggregate .............. .- 450 00 any of the following firms aggregate ...............++. 500 00 Hardware Clark-Rutka-Weaver Co. Foster, Stevens & Co. Jewelry W. F. Wurzburg Co. Liquor Dealers and Brewers D. M. Amberg & Bro. Grand Rapids Brewing Co. Kortiander Co. Alexander Kennedy Music and Musical Instruments Jullus A. J. Friedrich Oils Republic Olli Co. Standard Oll Co. Paints, Oils and Glass G. R. Glass & Bending Co. Harvey & Seymour Co. Heystek & Canfield Ce. Wm. Reid Pipe, Pumps, Heating and Mill Supplies Grand Raplds Supply Co. Saddlery Hardware Brown & Sehler Co. Sherwood Hall Co., Ltd. Plumbing and Heating Supplies Ferguson Supply Co., Ltd. Ready Roofing and Roofing Material H. M. Reynolds Roofing Co. as purchases made of any other firms will not count toward the amount Ask for ‘‘Purchaser’s Certificate’’ as soon as Safes Tradesman Company Seeds and Poultry Supplies A. J. Brown Seed Co. Shoes, Rubbers and Findings Herold-Bertsch Shoe Co. Hirth, Krause & Co. Geo. H. Reeder & Co. Rindge, Kalm‘h, Logie & Co. Ltd Show Cases and Store Fixtures Grand Rapids Fixture Co. Tinners’ and Roofers’ Supplies Wm. Brummeler & Sons W. C. Hopson & Co. Undertakers’ Supplies Durfee Embalming Fluid Co. Powers & Walker Casket Co. Wagon Makers Belknap Wagon Co. Harrison Wagon Co. Wall Finish Alabastine Co. Anti-Kalsomine Co. Wall Paper Harvey & Seymour Co. Heystek & Canfield Co. If you leave the city without having secured the rebate on your ticket, mail your certificates to the Grand Rapids Board of Trade and the Secretary will remit the amount if sent to him within ten days from date of certificates. a 3 Weve a See gr tig Ds! 2s, i i i i f MICHIGAN. TRADESMAN Observations, by a Gotham Egg Man. The increasing scarcity of fresh eggs has caused a further consider- able advance in prices for such since our last report. The supply of new eggs has been running very light, as usual at this season, although in most of the leading markets the total receipts are still running larger than they were a year ago. It is quite probable, however, that the larger re- ceipts are made up of a larger pro- portion of refrigerator eggs, of which the holdings are so much greater than last year at even date. In this market it appears that the increase of demand compared with last year has been just about suffi- cient to take care of the increased receipts since the first of November. Partial reports from the _ storage warehouses indicate that the storage reduction since the first of the month has been just about even with that of November last year. Consequent- ly our excess of storage holdings now, compared with last year, is about as much as it was at the be- ginning of the month. A smaller proportion than usual of the stock of refrigerator eggs held in this city is owned by local trade. A large part of the goods stored here this year was put away for ac- count of Western operators, and of the stock stored by local dealers a large part has already been sold. As a rule the owners of the large re- maining stock are showing consider- able confidence in the situation, and yet there is a fairly liberal offering, at about the current range of quota- tions, by owners who consider the present conditions as favorable -as they are likely to be later. The future of the market is now dependent almost entirely upon the weather conditions in the South and Southwest. There is little doubt that any occtirrence of widespread win- try weather in those sections would have a strengthening effect upon the market for refrigerator goods; on the other hand a continuation of the present moderate or mild weather for a couple of weeks more would be quite likely to result in some show- ing of increased yield and it would not require more than the news of a larger influx of fresh eggs at pri- mary points to affect the sentiment unfavorably. Weather conditions during the last of November and the first part of December have an important bearing upon the egg situation. Dur- ing that period most of the fowls in a large part of the country are usual- ly about over the moult, and ready to “do business” in the egg line if the surroundings are not unfavorable. If at that time they begin to lay with any freedom it takes a good deal of bad weather to shut them off. It seems as if the reduction of the limed egg industry in this country had rather exceeded the necessities of the case. Of course the improve- ment and extension of cold storage has, naturally, supplanted the prac- tice of liming to a very great extent, as for general purposes storage eggs are preferable. But there is a cer- tain class of trade which prefers lim- ed eggs, especially in the latter part of the season, and to a limited extent they now sell about as high as re- frigerators. I am not familiar with the cost of carrying eggs in pickle as compared with the charges for cold storage, but if the cost is lower it would seem that a somewhat larg- er quantity of eggs might be profit- ably carried in the lime vats than has been done during the last couple of years. In this connection it might be well for our few remaining limed egg packers to look up the process of “glycerined eggs” which has been used in Canada to a considerable ex- tent, and which gives a quality of preserved eggs which is said to be superior to limed. “Glycérined eggs’ command more money than the best limed in the English markets, where both are received from Canada—N. Y. Produce Review. ee Raising Squabs for Market. At the present time there are more people going into the squab business than ever before. There is more demand in the market for good squabs now than a year ago, and the supply does not nearly fill the de- mand. Squabs were higher last win- ter than ever before. The principal thing to make sure of in the squab business is to have your birds thor- cughly mated. This can only be done by careful study. It is almost impossible to control or keep track of every mated pair if they are kept in large flocks. For this reason we advocate lofts of a proper size for about twenty to fifty pairs. The la- bor will be increased but the re- turns will more than pay for the ex- tra labor. The object of every squab breeder is to get the greatest number of squabs per year from every old pair, and to do this the birds must be given every opportunity. The prop- er nesting places are most impor- tant. There are certain kinds of nests that pigeons like and others that they do not; when you read in a book that nests should be all one foot square, like empty egg boxes turned on one side and stacked in rows, you can make up your mind that the party who wrote the book has not had as much experience as he might have had. A pair of pig- eons should have a nesting place at least 3 feet long by 1 foot high and I foot wide. This will allow them a comfortable little home with a nest pan in each and a space to do their courting in the center. If some good kind of fronts are placed over their home they like it so much the bet- ter. If breeders who are now us- ing the egg box style will throw them out and build new nests after this style they will learn the differ- ence in short order. If you are us- ing wooden nests, throw them out also and buy some good earthen ones; then you will have begun on the right road, FRESH EGGS 24c F. O. B. i is week. Roll butter, wrapped, No. 1 18c, No. 2 14%c. Am ea si pa nonig AA DEE of honey. May I send you samples of Saginaw Noise- less Tip Matches? Write or phone Cc. D. CRITTENDEN 3 North Ionia St. Both Phones 1300 GRAND RAPIDS, ICH. We Buy All Kinds of Beans, Clover, Field Peas, Etc. If any to offer write us. ALFRED J. BROWN SEED CoO. @RAND RAPIDS, MIOH. Your orders for Clover and Timothy Seeds Will have prompt attention. Wanted—Apples, Onions, Potatoes, Beans, Peas Write or telephone us what you can offer MOSELEY BROS., cranp RAPIDS, MICH. Office and Warehouse Second Avenue and Hilton Street Telephones, Citizens or Bell, 1217 Place your Thanksgiving order with us now for Cranberries, Sweet Potatoes, Malaga Grapes, Figs, Nuts of all Kinds, Dates, etc. We are in the market for Potatoes, Onions, Cabbage and Apples, Carload Lots or Less THE VINKEMULDER COMPANY 14-16 Ottawa St. GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. Ice Cream Creamery Butter Dressed Poultry Ice Cream (Purity Brand) smooth, pure and delicious. Once you begin selling Purity Brand it will advertise your business and in- crease your patronage. Creamery Butter (Empire Brand) put up in 20, 30 and 60 pound tubs, also one pound prints. It is fresh and wholesome and sure to please. Dressed Poultry (milk fed) all kinds. these goods and know we can suit you. We make a specialty of We guarantee satisfaction. We have satisfied others and they are our best advertisement. A trial order will convince you that our goods sell themselves. We want to place your name on our quoting list, and solicit correspondence. Empire Produce Company Port Huron, Mich. Y > -l r ~ e % i§ C3 . » as { —— 7 ~ ~~ “tf ‘ > 4 a %. i *€ » Fs we & By 4 7 ~—= > ie a J » = a x ” + | se \ C3 = - 4 ( = - av ~é . i +i os ae = * aN. » FF ww a 4 e * ah MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 23 Market -Poultry May Be Divided In- to Five Classes. Market poultry can be graded in five classes: Squab broilers, broilers, small roasters, large roasters and stewing fowls. The first class re- quires a Io to 16 ounce chick. This weight, in good order, is reached in five or six weeks. The broilers weigh 3 to 4 pounds to the pair, and are finished in eight to fourteen weeks, according to parent stock and size demanded. In roasting chicks the weights most desirable are from 10 to 12 pounds to the pair. As a rule, they command top prices at this weight. There is a growing de- mand, however, for extra good soft roasters, weighing 8 to 12 pounds each. These choice big fellows are even better eating than are turkeys, and when they become more general- ly appreciated, they will need to be grown in large numbers. This top weight has been reached in_ six months. It takes good vigorous pa- rent stock, and an experienced feeder to drive them quite as quickly as this, however. Stewing fowls are desired plump, with yellow skins, and as young as your conscience will force you to put them on the mar- ket. Prices for market poultry are gov- erned first by time of year, and sec- ond by condition. I put the season first simply because best prices are determined by fashionable trade to a certain extent, and because it is much easier to condition poultry at some parts of the year. Good squab broilers rarely ever fall below 60c per pair in New York, or Philadelphia, while the Boston mar- ket seldom goes as low as this for top quality stock. The highest price I ever received was $1.40 per pair for selected chickens in private trade. A full season’s record averaged 81c per pair for the output. Our average cost to produce was about 5o0c per pair. This could have been reduced somewhat if we had eggs. Squab broilers are used at luncheons, both it private families and at hotels and clubs. They make a much better ap- pearance than does a regular broiler, served split. Broilers should weigh 3 to 4 pounds to the pair, price from 20 to 60c per pound. Have known price to remain constant at 35c for six weeks at a time. From February to September the average price in a good season will be about 32c for first quality chicks. The best broiler is one we can plump up at eight weeks, and have it reach 1% pounds weight. This size, in per- fect condition, and with good yel- low legs and skin, will bring top market price. Tt will cost about 30c to produce a first class 2 pound broiler, and a Established 1883 WYKES-SCHROEDER CO. Fine Feed (Orohaeme Es . MOLASSES FEED LOCAL SHIPMENTS and range in: little less than a 1% pound chick. You will see that this leaves a good margin of profit in this branch of the industry. When we are forcing chicks for broilers we put a box of beef scrap in their pen when they are two weeks old, and let them eat what they wish. They will soon become accus- tomed to it, and will not gorge. It is a big factor in producing quick growth. Perfect cleanliness is ab- solutely necessary to _ successfully raise broiler chickens. The production of roasters is get- ting to be more and more a profitable and prominent branch of the poultry industry. My _ personal experience with this branch has been very lim- ited. We market each fall several hundred off-colored specimens from our thoroughbred flocks, but have never forced growth from shell to roaster age. If I were to do so, would start in the same as with broiler chicks, but not feed the beef scrap until about three weeks old. Beginning with the fourth or fifth week, would make one feed a day of a good concentrated mash food, and gradually increase number of mash feeds until we were feeding it three times a day with mixed grains in between. This method would help grow larger frames, and not force plumpness too quickly. The cockerels in a flock of chick- ens you are raising to the roaster age should be caponized for the best re- sults. It not only increases their eating qualities, and their market value, but it makes them docile, ping proclivities. This will them to convert all food into growth and not waste any energy in recov- ering from battles with others in the flock. The modern cramming machine promises to revolutionize the fatten- ing of fowls. When marketed they should be plump, yellow as gold, and not over fat. Experiment with the machine has produced this result in a shorter time, and with no more labor than other methods. A poultryman can combine all branches of the market industry just described, or, better yet, can com- bine some one branch with the pro- duction of ducks for market. The raising of broilers will conflict: less with the ducks than will the pro- duction of roasters, as they are turn- ed over more rapidly, and are easier to drop when work on ducks becomes burdensome. Morris F. Delano. ge Paris Egg Trade. The cost of fresh eggs varies in Paris with the season of the year, being as high as 26 to 30 cents per dozen. Eggs of the choicest grade, guaranteed to be freshly laid, sell and does away with scrap-| enable | consequently | here as high as 3 to § cents each, but ordinary eggs, such as are used for cooking and other purposes, are im- ported in enormous quantities and sell at from 18 to 24 cents per dozen. The eggs imported to France come chiefly from Italy, Russia, Austria and Turkey, and amounted in 1903 (the last year for which we have completed statistics) to 33,401 metric tons, valued at $6,456,393. The yolks of eggs, which are used for tanning and other industrial purposes, come from China and Turkey, and are imported regularly in large quanti- ties. The total value of eggs ex- ported from France in 1903 was $5,079,053, of which something more than half went to Great Britain. The duty on eggs coming in to France is 10 francs ($1.92) per 220 pounds, general tariff, and 6 francs ($1.15) per 220 pounds minimum tariff, i. e., from a country having a reciprocal treaty with France. Milk pays 5 francs and 2.50 francs, respectively; condensed milk, 10 francs, general tariff, and 5 francs minimum tariff, per 220 pounds, if without sugar. When sugared less than 4o per cent., the duty is 50 per cent. of the duty on sugar plus 8 francs, general tariff, and 40 per cent. of the duty on sug- ar plus 6 francs per too kilograms, or 220 pounds, minimum tariff. There is, in addition, an “octroi’” entering the city of Paris of 4.20 francs (80c) per 220 pounds on eggs. —Consul General Mason of Paris. duty for) Poultry Industry in Tennessee. Jessie Lee Wilcox in the National Daily Review says that the credit for the immense volume of export business in eggs and poultry that has been built up in Eastern Tennes- see belongs largely to the women ot that region, especially those who live in the small towns and farming communities. Nearly 32,000,000 eggs, representing nearly $500,000, and 12,- 636,000 pounds of poultry, valued at $2,274,480, were shipped from Mor- tistown, Tenn., during 1904. —_+<-.___ A self-made man wears tailor-made clothes. We want competent Apple and Potato Buyers to correspond with us H. ELMER MOSELEY & CO. 504, 506, 508 Wm. Alden Smith Bldg. GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. WHEN YOU THINK OF shipping eggs to NEW YORK on commission or to sell By OF=<. 8. your’ station REMEMBER we have an exclusive out- let, Wholesale, Jobbing, and eandled to the retail trade. 'L. O. Snedecor & Son EGG RECEIVERS 36 Harrison St. New York. ESTABLISHED 1865. for Thanksgiving. If you have Either Phone 1254 We Must Have 20,000 Ibs. Poultry and Geese to offer, write us at once stating number and kind. We will reply promptly naming prices. WESTERN BEEF AND PROVISION CO., Grand Rapids, Mich. any Turkeys, Chickens, Ducks 71 Canal St. Butter, Eggs, Potatoes and Beans I am in the market all the time and will give you highest prices and quick returns. Send me all your shipments. R. HIRT, JR.. DETROIT, MICH. W. C. Rea REA & A. J. Witzig WITZIG PRODUCE COMMISSION 104-106 West Market St., Buffalo, N. Y. We solicit consignments of Butter, Eggs, Cheese, Live and Dressed Pouitry, Beans and Potatoes. Correct and prompt returns. REFERENCES Marine National Bank, Commercial Agents, = ress Companies: Trade Papers and Hundreds of ppers Established 1873 MILLERS AND SHIPPERS OF Cracked Corn GLUTEN MEAL mek STREET CAR FEED -—~ STRAIGHT CARS ACC ete ee GT yl d Ts ND RAPIDS, MICH. Mill Feeds COTTON SEED MEAL Sugar Beet Feed KILN DRIED MALT Oil Meal MIXED CARS “ 2 a i wm J é xg ge spi ees dey pew A oe wish sis sain a2 3) MICHIGAN TRADESMAN Plain Statement of the Catalogue House Situation.* One of the questions frequently asked by those not familiar with the subject is: Is this catalogue house question general or local, or does it exist largely in the imagination of the retail merchants? To be able to an- swer this question fully and intelli- gently, on October 20 I caused to be mailed out through the secretaries of a number of hardware associations a circular letter in which I. enumerated thirty-two lines very generally carried in stock by the retail hardware mer- chants of the country, requesting the merchants receiving them to check the various items on the list on which they were most frequently called on to meet the catalogue house price. While I knew something of the ex- tent of the territory covered by the two prominent catalogue houses, I was very much surprised on checking replies received to note that they were from Minnesota on the north to Texas on the south; Massachusetts on the east to Washington on the west; and was still further surprised to find more items checked on the same num- ber of replies on the lists from Wash- ington and Connecticut than from Wisconsin and Iowa. In this connec- tion I will give you a few of the prominent lines indicated, simply giving you the percentage as to the whole number of replies received: Ammunition ............ 60 per cent. Builders’ hardware ...... 60 per cent. IEEE ee. te 30 per cent. fay eos 26.6 Pl 50 per cent. Poultry fence ........... 55 per cent. Sporting goods ......... 70 per cent. Blacksmith tools and sup- Dies eo 60 per cent. Cream separators ....... 40 per cent. ers 93 per cent. Mechanics’ tools ........ 80 per cent. Sewing machines ....... 60 per cent. PEOVCS cs 85 per cent. Tin and enameled ware..4o per cent. Washing machines ...... 50 per cent. The point I desire to bring out by this comparison is: What avenue of escape is there left open for the re- tailer if he is obliged to meet the cata- logue house price on thirty-two differ- ent lines of goods carried by him? May I ask what lines are left open to him on which he can hope to redeem his business and make it profitable? There is but one reason why a Bos- ton jobber can go to Iowa and sell his wares; that one reason is simply price. That same reason—price—is the real and only foundation upon which the catalogue house of to-day is able to build and maintain its busi- ness. The same weapon placed in the hands of the retail hardware mer- chant, or taken from the catalogue house, would go a long ways toward the solution of this troublesome problem. “Do it now” is a trite say- ing in very common use to-day, and *Paper read at annual convention National Hardware Association by S. R. Miles, of Mason City, Iowa. the retail hardware merchants of the country are saying to the manufac- turers to-day, not to a single manu- facturer, but as to one man, “Do it now.” Cut the catalogue house off your list. If it result in a still further slaughter of prices, let it come. We are ready for the fray. As you must be convinced before this _ session closes we cannot profitably meet cata- logue prices; and their inability to se- cure standard well-known brands of hardware through legitimate and reg- ular channels will injure all far more than a still further slaughter of prices will injure the retail merchant. We have sometimes heard the great growth and present business of the catalogue houses charged up to excessive profits demanded by the re- tailer, this profit sometimes even amounting to graft. Among other duties assigned me as a member of this committee, one was to tabulate a list covering certain lines of hard- ware for use at this meeting. The task became such an interesting one that I did not confine myself to the lines assigned me, but made up a list of more than 150 items, covering pret- ty generally the various lines carried by the average retailer. A number of these items were figured by discount, but 122 of them were figured net, either by single piece, dozen or gross. I find these 122 items would cost the retailer $158.94, against the catalogue prices of the same items of $150.08. Now if this list of goods were sold by the merchant at his exact cost, without freight or even the catalogue house one small percentage of profit added, it would pay him a gross profit of $1.14 or about three-fourths of one per cent. Speaking of graft, this is certainly a direct example. Now if you will add to the merchant’s cost 5 per cent. to cover freight and cart- age and-20 per cent. for the cost of doing business, making a total of 25 per cent., and deduct from this his excessive profit of three-fourths of one per cent., you have a difference and an actual loss of 44% per cent. Considering yourself in a retailer’s shoes, how do you like it? But you may see any dealer that will pay the prices used in this schedule is not entitled to any consideration. I will furnish any jobber or manufacturer in this room or out of it a copy of the items and prices used in making this comparison, and if they will agree to supply the same goods at a mate- rial saving in cost to the retailer, I will undertake to put them in touch with a volume of business that will prove very gratifying both in quality and quantity. Making this compari- son was not in my mind when making up this schedule. It was suggested as the work progressed. And prices used are those at which any live re- tail hardware merchant can _ pur- chase the goods enumerated. But I have every reason to know the prices used are lower than are being made to the average dealer, either by the jobber or by the manufacturer; mak- ing the comparison from the stand- point of the average retail merchant a still more aggravated one. Occasionally some writer for the trade press solemnly and wisely in- forms us that business conditions have changed, and that the manufac- turer must go direct to the retailer, if not to the consumer, to market his products. In this connection, I have compiled some figures. I requested a jobber selling southern trade, one sell- ing eastern trade and a local lowa jobber, to send me a few copies of orders just received from their cus- tomers. I made this request without disclosing in full my reasons; but, notwithstanding, they responded very promptly, and I think a brief study of these replies will prove not only interesting but instructive. I will give vou the state from which the order was sent, the number of items and the number of factories with which it would be necessary to place orders to cover the various items. An order from Texas of 31 items came from 10 different factories; Louisiana of 20 items from 12 different factories: Missouri of 36 items from 17 different factories; Mississippi 58 items, 22 dif- ferent factories; Arkansas, 60 items, 26 factories; Missouri of 28 items, 12 factories; Massachusetts, 76 items, 15 factories; Maine, 200 items, 34 factor- ries; Iowa, 52 items, 17 factories, at a total cost of $50.82, or about $3.00 for each factory order. Iowa, 39 items, 19 factories, total $75.95, or less than $4 for each factory order. Iowa, 53 items, 27 factories, $74.08, or about $2.75 for each factory order. While orders of the size indicated above might be satisfactory to the manufacturer, the placing of forty or- ders with as many factories to cover ninety items would not be satisfactory ALABASTINE $100,000 Appropriated for Newspaper and Magazine Advertising for 1906 Dealers who desire to handle an article that is advertised and in demand need not hesitate in stocking with Alabastine. ALABASTINE COMPANY Grand Rapids, Mich New York City New Oldsmobile Touring Car $950. Noiseless, odorless, speedy and safe. The Oldsmobile is built for use every day in the year, on all kinds of roads and in all kinds of weather. Built to run and does it. The above car without tonneau, $850. A smaller runabout, same general style, seats two people, $750. The curved dash runabout with larger engine and more power than ever, $650. Oldsmobile de- livery wagon, $850. Adams & Hart 47 and 49 N. Division St., Grand Rapids, Mich Grand Rapids, Michigan Merchants’ Half Fare Excursion Rates eve Grand Rap’ Send for circular. == . sas 79 South Division St. MICHIGAN STORE & OFFICE FIXTURES CO. JOHN SCHIMUDT, Prop. Headquarters for counters, plate glass and double strength floor cases, coffee mills, scales, registers, etc. Large assortment of counter tables. Warehouse on Butterworth Ave. Grand Rapids, Mich. a MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 25 to the retail merchant. I think these figures will serve to show that the re- tail hardware trade are not yet ready to go to the manufacturer direct in order to supply all of their wants; and that there is not only a very wide field of usefulness for the jobber, but a decided reason for his existence on the part of the retailer. Too limited stocks carried by the average retailer is also frequently urged as a reason why the catalogue houses have been able to build up their present busi- ness. Jet us consider for a few mo- ments what it would mean to the re- tailer to buy a majority of his sup- plies from the manufacturer. It would mean one of two things, and still more limited assortment or increase in cap- ital invested. It is very much of a question, even if the retail hardware merchant in every locality were able to and did sell every dollar’s worth of hardware in the territory belonging to him, if he would be justi- fied in multiplying his present invest- ment in stock by 2%, which would surely follow were the jobber to be eliminated. As a patriotic American citizen, as well as a retail hardware merchant, I am proud of the high rank of the American hardware merchant. I am proud of the high rank the American hardware manufacturer has attained among the hardware manufacturers of the world, standing, as he surely does, at the very pinnacle. And I congratulate you, gentlemen, on this proud achievement, but lest you for- get, I ask if you will consider, for a few brief moments, at least one ele- ment that has made this success possi- ble, and ask yourselves if success without the aid of the “man behind the gun,” the more than 2,500 active, energetic, loyal retail hardware mer- chants of the United States, can con- tinue. If it can, there is little use to continue this discussion. If not, what then? But you say we want and must have the continued assistance and co- operation of the retail hardware mer- chant. Let us suppose you have had in your employ a man that has: been with you for years. This man has been an intelligent, faithful employe; has been an important factor in the successful conduct of your business. You call him into your private office and say to him, “John, you have been in my employ a great many years; I appreciate what you have done for me, and I want you to continue in my employ, but owing to changed business conditions it will be impossi- ble to continue your name on the payroll.” How long would John stay? The retail hardware merchant of to-day is John. We care little for words of praise and flattery, what we want is our names on the payroll. Without this you cannot hope to con- tinue to receive that hearty and en- thusiastic support that has marked the past, and surely contributed to your success. In the discussion and the handling of this question, the re- tail merchant (hardware) has un- doubtedly made some mistakes. But in considering them we ask you to throw about them that same mantle of charity that he has used in consid- ering your attitude on the catalogue house question. That mantle, while new, seems from the viewpoint of some manufacturers at least to be high enough and broad enough to cover the entire catalogue house ques- tion—the mantle of changed condi- tions. ——_>->___ America Invading French Shoe Trade. “There can be no doubt whatever,” observes the Paris correspondent of Commercial Intelligence, “as to the American invasion of the French market. One has but to walk along the principal streets of Paris to be convinced of it. American boot and shoe shops are to be met with every- where. But this is not the only form of competition that French manufac- turers have to contend with. Thous- ands of pairs of American-made boots and shoes may be seen ex- posed for sale outside certain general shops, and marked at prices which defy competition. It is no unusual sight to see four or five huge heaps of these shoes marked with such prices as ‘Six francs! real value fif- teen francs!’ A French tradesman said to me the other day, ‘The boots were never made for the money. It is a case of bare-faced dumping!’ Be this as it may, all I can say is that the American manufacturer has known how to find his way into the Paris market. “With such competition to meet, coupled with the high price of ma- tieres premieres, can one be surprised that French manufacturers are a lit- tle alarmed at the exigencies of their workmen? The relations between employers and employed are very strained, and the state of the market is not such as will warrant masters granting any concessions; in fact, T am informed that many manufactur- ers, finding it difficult to make both ends meet, have decided to close their factories rather than make conces- sions which would lead them on the high road to bankruptcy. “The general outlook is decidedly gloomy, and manufacturers in Eng- land may be prepared to hear either of a general lockout or a considerable rise in the prices of boots and shoes. But there is American competition to be dealt with. A rise in prices would, of course, let: in more foreign-made boots and shoes; and to prevent the foreigner from jumping the _ tariff wall, a proposal is, so I am inform- ed, to be made, when the Chamber reassembles in the autumn, to in- crease the duty on imported leather goods of all kinds. The proposal will, of course, be brought forward in the interests of French workmen, and, as the next six months, in con- sequence of the coming general elec- tion, will be a period well suited to political ‘kite-flying,’ such a motion, if really presented to the Chamber, will certainly be pressed. British firms interested in the boot and shoe trade of France would do well to keep a watchful eye on the French market, especially until after the next general election.” ——_.+-. Marked Originality. The late General Isaac J. Wistar, of Philadelphia, had a multitude of anecdotes that he could draw on when he desired to score a point or to illuminate an idea. General Wistar was for a number of years the President of the Penn- sylvania Academy of Natural Sci- ences. At one of the Academy’s meetings a rather odd and original method of reaching the North Pole was suggested. Of this method the President said, smiling: T YOUR DELAYED RACE FREIGHT Easily and Quickly. We can tell you how. BARLOW BROS., Grand Rapids, Mich. “Tt reminds me of the way two San Francisco friends of mine once took to get rid of some guests. Send Us Your Orders for Wall Paper and for John W. Masury & Son’s Paints, Varnishes and Colors. Brushes and Painters’ Supplies of All Kinds “These guests came to spend the evening, and didn’t know when to de- part. My friends were patient with them—very patient; but when II, 12 and finally 1 o’clock struck, the hus- band realized that something must now be done. “He was an original chap, and, in his original way, he looked over at his wife, and said, mildly: “My dear, hadn’t up to bed? to be going.’” ——_22 New Hardware Store at Mishawaka. Mishawaka, ind, Noy. 21-—Pred Reynolds, who has been employed in a hardware store here for the past two months, has leased a building in Kendallville, Ind., and will engage in the hardware business there on his own account. He has gone to Chica- go to purchase his stock. al we better get Our friends may want Harvey & Seymour Co. Grand Rapids, Michigan Jobbers of Paint, Varnish and Wall Paper Quinn Plumbing and Heating Co. Heating and Ventilating Engineers. High and Low Pressure Steam Work. Special at- tention given to Power Construction and Vacuum Work. Jobbers of Steam, Water and Plumbing Goods KALAMAZOO, MICH. Our Window Glass Quotations will surprise you. Best inthe market today. Write for our discounts now. The offer is good for only 10 days. G. R. GLASS & BENDING CO. Office and Warehouse, 187-189 Canal St. Bent Glass Factory, Kent and Newberry. THE FRAZER Always Uniform FRAZER Axle Grease Often Imitated FRAZER Never Equaled Axle Oil Known Everywhere FRAZER Harness Soap No Talk Re- quired to Sell It FRAZER Harness Oil Good Grease — Makes Trade FRAZER Hoof Oil Cheap Grease i FRAZER Kills Trade Stock Food 26 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN BETTER SIDE OF A STREET. It Is Where the Best Business Men Are. Written for the Tradesman. Two men, one old in years and ex- perienced in business, the other young, ambitious and looking for an opening, met in the street one day and went to lunch together. “IT saw a store yesterday- which would about suit you,” said Hall, the elder man. “It’s on Washington street, the north side, and in a good block.” “Why,” said Miller, the young man, “that must be on the wrong side of the street. The travel there is mostly on the south side.” Hall smiled and looked meditative- ly out of the window. “Except for that,” said Miller, “the place would be all right. One might as well be out of the world as out of the current of travel.” “You know where my store is?” asked Hall. “Well, I should say so.” “How is that for the right side of the street?” “The travel all your side.” “Logically, where should the travel be on that street?” “Where it is, I suppose. That is a thing no one can account for.” “I beg your pardon,” said Hall. “Tt is very easily accounted for. The afternoon travel on that street: be- longs on the opposite side. The side where I am is hot in summer, for the sun shines there during the best hours of the afternoon. Across the Street the pavement is cool and shady, yet we get the trade. How do you account for it?” “Oh, people just got the notion of walking on that side, and they fol- low precedent like sheep follow the leader.” “Let me give you a bit of history,” said Hall. “When I engaged in busi- ness where I am now the current of travel was on the other side of the street. In the block where I am there were a lot of picture-frame stores, an express office, a laundry office, a wood and coal office and a host of such establishments as do not draw the big retail trade. The shoppers all flocked to the other side, and our pavements were deserted about half the time.” “Looked like a bad proposition, didn’t it?” “Oh, I thought EF knew what I was about. I got a_ bargain and bought the building where I am. It would have cost me $10,000 more had it been on the other side of the street. Now it is worth $20,000 more than a similar structure across the street would be.” “You’re lucky.” “Luck doesn’t enter into the game,” replied Hall. “Before I bought the building I sized up the men who owned buildings on my side of the street. They looked pretty good to me. Progressive and all that.” “They are a fine lot of fellows yet.” “Yes, indeed. Well, I got them all together in my office one day and calmly proposed that we move the seems to be on tide of shoppers over on our side ot the street. Some of them start- ed, some laughed, and some saw what was coming.” — “It was a nervy proposition.” “Just plain business, my boy. I explained that I was ready to set up an up-to-date department store —one which would draw the women from all parts of the city. I told them that the time for them to act had arrived. They must fix up their buildings in apple-pie order and lease them to people who would handle goods women wanted. I showed them that the shoppers would come where the goods were, and that in a short time our block would be it—the shop- ping center, and all that.” “That was a straight talk, way.” “Yes, and it went. Some of them even bought the leases their tenants held. Those who were in business in their own buildings began to brighten up. We got in shoe stores, jewelry establishments, a big candy store, a popular drug and soda wa- ter concern, a notion store and all such things. Of course it took time to do this, but we got what we want- ed in time. Why, there wasn’t a store in the block that wasn’t right in line with the shopping business. “Then we made a campaign for show’ windows. We _ got some peaches in, and we have them yet. And when a merchant persisted in putting on a bad window display we roasted him until he hired a com- petent window trimmer and kept up with the rest of us. “For the first year it was like walking through a fair to pass along on our side of that block. Then we held another meeting and took up the lighting proposition. Our stores closed at 6, just as they do now, but we decided that it would be a good thing to make that block a blaze of light at night.” “T think I remember about that.” “T presume so. We arranged to light our big windows until 12 at night, and every merchant put out electric signs reaching clear to the curb. No transparencies were allow- ed. The lights were the genuine thing. Why, it was the talk of the town, the way we were wasting our money lighting stores that were lock- ed for the night and illuminating a pavement that was well-nigh desert- ed. But this talk was about the best advertising we had. It was expen- sive, but it brought the results, and we did not complain. “Did the crowds come? Well, rather. The buyers soon learned that we wanted them, and they filled our stores. Many an afternoon when that side of the street was deserted both above and below us our block was one jam of humanity—and buying humanity, at that. “Before long the fellows in the blocks nearest to us began to fix up, and then people began to turn to that side of the street before they reached our block. This was rival- ry, all right, but it helped. We got some of their trade—probably more than they got of ours. In the end we movec ¢he tide of travel over to ‘ any- us. The same thing can be done up there on Washington street. The men who own those buildings are all right, and they will help.” “But it will cost money, and it will take time.” “Of course, but the people will soon find out what you are doing, and the immediate results will be en- tirely satisfactory. The advertising you will get will pay for all the money spent.” “Tt’s a new proposition to me,” said Miller, “but it looks good. Just think of moving a current of travel that has been on One side of a street for fifty years.” “It can be done, all right, I know, for I helped to accomplish just such a miracle.” And the young man tried it and won out. Alfred B. Tozer. —_>--——__ Frog Culture. The Fish Commission of Pennsyl- vania experimented in raising frogs at the hatcheries two years ago and were so successful that frog cul- ture was taken up on a large scale last year. At Pleasant Mount hatch- ery 300,000 frogs were raised and distributed, but at Erie an epidemic destroyed the pollywogs, and at Cor- ry more than 100,000 were eaten by snakes. —_++.—____ Great deeds often are only the re- sult of accidental circumstances. —— Umbrellas and friends are seldom around in the hour of need. Bandle Marguerite Chocolates and you will please your customers Bandle Elk and Duchess Chocolates and you can sell no other Our best advertisers are the consum- ers who use our goods. Walker, Richards § Chaver Muskegon, Mich. Crackers and Sweet Goods TRADE MARK Our line is complete. If you have not tried our goods ask us for samples and prices. We will give you both. Aikman Bakery Co. Port Huron, Mich. Facts in a = Nutshell x Hiaas MAKE BUSINESS - WHY? They Are Scientifically 129 Jefferson Avenue Detroit, Mich. PY wd | | PERFECT 113-115-117 Ontario Street : Toledo, Ohio SEE CEEEEEEEE REE CEE ECC EEER 27 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN ™ 2 a * CRIMES AGAINST TREES. blow down and break someone’s|city or along a country road stood | Oe ee ae head.” ; in peril of a life sentence.” | ‘ hateery. : Do it, then. Why, I — os ner) “I guess,” said the junior proprie- | Wiltticn Soc the Fradecmin. give a thousand dollars than have/tor, “that I’ll go out and see the con- | e S§ ac ; Harm, the bald-headed book-keep- those trees cut dows. A ‘man who | tractor and the aldermen about saving | ‘ er, leaned against his standing desk ne ee —_— a tree in the city ought | those trees.” and drew odd looking figures on a am os oS gee sey And Harm, the bald-headed book- B Ul r hn e r S - bit of brown paper. He would not]. . a . se a ie a*"|keeper, went back to his balance 2 have used a letter pad, because he ae - ee to delace, mark, scar,|heet with a satisfied smile on his'| Z _ : 3 injure in anyway or break or cut), ina1y ¢ 7 af never wasted anything. scan i” ndly tace. : | The clerks in the store called him “We'll Seat aed we es Alfred B. Tozer. A good burner is as essential 4 = Ty Harm because that wasn’t his name. leniniatuce.” a eT ae to perfect light as a good 8 His name was James Kirkland Hud- “Send G field ‘ Th aks Lame Theory. want Wikies Bee ‘| lling him Bs pea Nee a “Do you believe,’ queried the long- : i 4 son, and the boys got ee be better. What with all the corpor-|.. a ; are designed to give the most Bt r - Harm because he did not seem to : a ._|haired passenger, “that people will : a like it at first. Later he rather ap- gaa — ow cig vies have the same vocations in the next tit for the least gas, and O * peared to appreciate the joke, for he 2 Gia ee ee oe ec ead world as they have in this?” | “ ~ The een burner q never harmed a person in the world, signs to nail up, and lovers who want — replied the hardware drum-| will give a fair light for a » wf pce melt, ama ie beys — to see their names cut in bark, the |” that Damar: be impossible ae short time, but don’t be de- * clung to it from force of habit. : poor trees are having a hard time of oe sere : ceived by the temporary good 4 : oe ee ee et OO Tee Sine s0F” sabed eT cgheol cacti aheuen pat ww ; : breakfast on a little pets plate and go- 7S ners So er “ : ” i ni on trial, as in a few days the : : “ 8°"land the school girl, who dance down Because,” explained the knight of tl tl di od a : 4 — — ” a ero for his six the street and catch hold of a freshly|the sample case, “there are quite a ee ee ee 5 o'clock dinner. He had a little =o planted tree and whirl around on it number of ice dealers in this world.” blacken, the glassware break, 4 4 in bank, and so was ee inde-| ntil the roots are loosened. That is ee and the burner become use- ; os Besides, he ‘delivered Pe aecadt and battery, and there ought|Canning American Fowls in Eu- less, and the purchase price a goods,” as the boys said, = to be a jail sentence for it. rope. a coal . a not be apt to want for a position f0r) «py, city paves the streets and} An English canning concern makes ee eee : —— © oe ! chokes the trees to death. How can]a specialty of preserved poultry in lr - 9 tw On this day Harm was drawing @| the water get to the roots of trees s0| glass. The poultry is purchased on have our trade name ‘‘Wels- picture of an apple = the ue of hemmed in? Why, there ought to be|the English markets and includes fin- bach,” stamped on them. + fe brown —— and talking with the tile set down a yard into the earth|est grades of American as well as . ee prone. - ae about - at every tree side, and city laborers| Russian, Surrey and Sussex fowls. improvement being made = ae ought to see that the green beauties}The American Western milk-fed A. 7. Knowlson 4 ee rather, _— =~ © are given a drink whenever they want| chickens were reported by the can- Pa cials called an improvement, and wale “Whie tees ta thie packs ate well nin a ke a iI Wholesale Distributor for the State ; g concern to be giving excellent a ¥ taxed as an improvement. Workmen cared ink Genk many OF the street! satistaction of Michigan. 5 1-60 Congress St. E., were cutting and filling, and the trees look like scrugs in an unfertile ee Detroit, - - Michigan pavement in front of the store would land” a ick Ge GE echablits & ns be left about two feet above the; «y,,, dewkt to live me tic wodds"| apotse chepticiaw: —_— crown of the street. laughed the junior proprietor. There were handsome maple trees} “Oh T like the country in the day- in front of the store, and the propo- light, when the sun is shining,” was ; 4 sition was to cut them down. the reply, “but the high lights and the “If I owned this store,” Harm was paved streets for me after dark. I saying, “I would hire a man to stand|j4ve trees, and so do thousands of by ee Sr . ee = io others, but there is no sense of taking We are the largest exclusive coffee roasters in Pe ee ci : the world, i alf the people who live in the : : for those maples to grow to their| ountry do not know what a tree We sell direct to the retailer. ; a Fs present size and beauty, and it will| jeans They cut and slash about in We carry grades, both bulk and packed, to suit take some low-browed street laborer | ihe forest and make a ruin of what every taste. < of foreign extraction about five min-| .ou1q be a natural park. We have our own branch houses in the principal whee store laok like a naked structure |, “And when they move into the city coffee countries. —- So ta ie dees ™ they begin to do the same thing. You We buy direct. “Tt will make this corner look rath- a Siaeecie ' need ee We have been over 40 years in the business. » uate admitted the junior proprie- ae - ie aoe py will We know that we must please you to continue “Bare? ; ad sey to | Te spoil the growth of a hundred years successful. , ieiidies oS te dos tes nee oc tos to get five dollars worth of green We know that pleasing your customer means pretty, but those trees make it look — It is shameful. : pleasing you, and + fine. Cut them down, and it will I saw an ex-farmer cutting down We buy, roast and pack our coffees accordingly. r show every mark of age, and every|*" —— _—: ere —_ al _ Do not these points count for enough to induce architectural fault. It won’t look like spoke to him about it. He said that : Y lj 8 al? q 4 home up here without those trees.” it stood so near the house that the you to give our line a thorough trial: “I used to play under them when moisture from the _— rotted the < I was a boy,” said the junior proprie- shingles and he couldn’t- afford to tor. “Jolly times we had on these ap on a new ot every few — wy, © corners, long before I ever thought And people build houses and finish of doing business here.” them in natural woods, and never o “The whole neighborhood is at- plant a tree or a shrub in the yard or W F M L hi * ~ tached to this corner by sentimental | along the street. They —s* few red e e Cc aus In ; ties,” said Harm. “Hundreds about flowers in window-boxes instead of ; here have recollections as tender as| having whole tangles of roses and your own regarding those trees. lilacs in the garden. And _ when ompany . va Shall I send out for a gun and hire a| Others plant trees, they want to see » man to watch them?” them cut down, and when others “Oh, I guess it can be fixed through | roses and lilacs they steal the blooms CHICAGO » oe the aldermen,’ smiled the _ other. and break the bushes. ; “We shall have to pay for boxing} “I wish trees and shrubs could speak € about the roots and give a bond tojand cry out when hurt, and I wish a save the city harmless if the trees|man who cuts down a tree in the } Pony ener : i : MICHIGAN TRADESMAN Are You a Help or a Hindrance? One of the New York papers ahs opened an interesting discussion by asking its feminine readers who are married the point blank question: Are you a help or a hindrance to your husband? This is a regular judgment day en- quiry that few women will care to face and answer honestly, for most of us prefer to deal with glittering generalities so far as our conduct is concerned, and to believe that we strike a pretty good general average as a wife rather than to confine ourselves to any specific acts. Never- theless, it is a question that every married woman may well pause and put to herself, for there can be no other thing in the world so important to her as whether she is helping or hindering her husband. In a way it may be said that wom- an’s position on the subject of wom- an’s influence is always an extreme one: Before she is married she be- lieves in it implicitly. After she is miarried she disbelieves in it abso- lutely. Before she is married she thinks that her husband will be in her hands like clay in the hands of a potter, and she goes into matri- mony with all sorts of noble and al- truistic ideas of using this great in- fluence for his uplifting to the high- er life. After she is married, when she finds out that she has not got enough influence over her husband to break him from chewing tobacco, or sitting on the back of his neck, or to get him to dress for dinner, the pendulum swings to the other ex- treme, and she rushes to the conclu- sion that she has little or no in- fluence on his life. Men encourage this opinion in women by treating them too often as dolls to be dressed up and play- ed with, or burdens to be borne, yet it is a very solemn truth that on the day a man marries he casts the die of his fate and that his future de- pends on whether his wife is going to be a help or a hindrance to him. Very, very few men have _ the strength and ability to succeed in spite of their wives, but almost any man can succeed if helped by his wife. Now every woman is either a help or a hindrance to her husband. In a relationship so close as that of marriage there is no middle ground, and a wife is either the ladder on which a man climbs upward, or else she is the millstone about his neck that drags him down. From the dawn of civilization history has been full of the achievements of men who were made by their wives, and in a thousand suicides’ graves lie the wrecks of genius who were ruined by their wives. A wife is either a hoodoo or a mascot for her husband, and it is up to her to de- cide which one she will be. The. woman who is honest enough to ask herself this question: Am I a help or a hindrance to my hus- band? must look at it from many points of view. The first one is the financial one, and she must ask her- self: “Am I running him in debt, or am I helping him to get ahead, and to lay up something for the future?” The majority of American men mar- ry on no capital but their nerve. They have seldom saved up anything, and the bride goes to them equally empty-handed. To a large degree this puts the decision of their future in her hands. If she starts out living extravagantly, spending all that her husband makes or perhaps even run- ning him in debt they will be poor to the end of the chapter. No man, unless he has the genius of a Rockefeller, can combat a wom- an’s extravagance. Any woman can throw more out of the back door with a teaspoon than her husband can shovel in with a scoop at the front door, and so ninety-nine times out of a hundred it is the woman who settles whether her husband shall spend his life on the stool of a clerk or rise to be One of the part- ners. Any woman whose husband is not getting along does well to ask herself: Am I a help or a hin- drance to him? Another question that she may ask herself is whether she is a help or a hindrance socially. Does she in- cline people to him or prejudice them against him. No element in life is so strong as the personal. People will do things for you because they like you that they would not do be- cause it was due you to save your life. A week or two ago a promin- ent politician was defeated for the nomination for governor in one of the largest states of the Union be- cause of his untactful wife making an enemy in high places. How often do we select some particular merchant or banker or doctor just because he is married to such a nice little wom- an, don’t you know. I recall fewer sadder tragedies than one I once knew of a brilliant young clergyman who was driven from parish to par- ish, and finally into obscurity, his life wrecked, his ambitions shatter- ed, his usefulness destroyed by a termagant wife who could never get along with anybody, and who kept him continually involved in church rows until she broke his heart and killed him. On the other hand, we can all recall more than one man of mediocre ability who has literally floated into soft places on the strength of his wife’s popularity. Still another question that a wife may ask herself is, Am I a help or a hindrance to my husband spiritually? Do I keep him buoyed up with hope, or do I dampen his ardor and throw a wet blanket on his enthusiasm. Without going into all of the intrica- cies of the new thought philosophy, which is a bit too nebulous for the most of us, it is still true that a man can only do what he thinks he can do, and if a woman discourages his every project, if she deals, Cassan- dra-like, in prophecies _ of woe, she becomes an evil influence that literal- ly summons disaster. The man who feels that his wife believes in him, that she expects him to succeed and is trying to help him to succeed, has a moral power back of him that almost lifts him- past the goal. He will return again and again to the fight long after the man with the croaking wife has thrown down his sword and surrendered. Am I giving my husband the right atmosphere in which to work? is an- other question that the woman who wants to be a help instead of a hin- drance to her husband must ask her- self. Nothing is more pathetic than to think of what the world has lost through women not understanding their husband’s temperament. Gen- erally speaking, no man can do good! work unless he goes out of a happy and peaceful home. It takes rest and quiet for the poor nerves, worn and torn with the struggle of the world, to knit themselves up again, and many a woman whose home is always full of bickering and strife, and complaints against servants, is literally the cause of her husband’s bankruptcy, simply because she has worn out at home the mental strength and ability that ought to have been given to his business. Nor is this all. Men who engage in literary and artistic careers must have a certain atmosphere if they would do their best work, they must be freed from certain little bondages and duties, and the woman who is married to a man of this kind, if she would be a help and not a hin- drance, must stand like a buffer be-- tween him and the outside world. There is no doubt that many a great poem that might have been written has never been written because the poet had to walk a colicky baby in- stead of wooing the muses, and that the fine fervor of many a novel has evaporated in the drudgery’ of having to do household _ chores. Women seldom sympathize with the impracticability of genius, and that is the reason that geniuses ought never to marry. In this question as to whether a woman is a help or a hindrance to her husband there comes in the very practical matter of housekeeping. In the end, no matter what his talents, no matter what his ability, no mat- ter what his opportunity, a man’s power to accomplish anything de- pends upon his health, and that lies to an enormous extent in his wife’s hands. She can give him dyspepsia that will make him cross and grum- py, and ready to quarrel with his best customer by giving him bad cooking, or she can do much to in- duce a Sunny Jim amiability by feed- ing him on good food. Few men ever consider dietetics themselves. They generally eat what is set be- fore them, and it is the wife’s fault if the food is not wholesome and nourishing. I know a woman who married a delicate, nervous, anemic man, and who literally built him up into a splendid physique by her in- telligent care. The husband’s busi- ness was a strenuous one, in which at times he would be subjected to an enormous physical and mental strain. At stich seasons she surrounded him with a care that made his achievements possible. The table was supplied with only the most easily digested and nourishing things, no sound was allowed to wake his slumber. Everything that could pos- sibly disturb him mentally or physi- cally was kept from him religiously, and thus he was enabled to perform an amount of work that would have been impossible under any other con- ditions. Many of the duties of life are thrust upon us, and if we perform them indifferently we have at least the excuse of the conditions not be- ing of our choosing, but when we niarry we do so of our own free will and accord—we voluntarily shoulder the responsibility, and we sin against God and man if we fail one jot or tittle. To help the man she loves is the greatest happiness that any woman can ever know. To be a hindrance to him is her greatest misfortune. There can be no Other crown of sorrow like that of the wife who, looking back, has the bitter knowledge forced on her that she has been her husband’s evil genius, and that he would have been a happier and more successful man .if he had never married her. Dorothy Dix. —_+-- The value of a catch line or phrase in advertising is well known. While a clever, short turn of speech of this kind is almost sure to rivet the at- tention of the reader, it must be at once backed up with good solid ar- guments in regard to prices or quali- ty of the line offered to produce ac- tual results. The combination of the two methods is_ reasonably _ sure to be far more effective than an ap- peal to the reader utterly devoid of originality, although full of real ad- vantage to him. A good example of this judicious combining of the two elements just mentioned is furn- ished by a handbill or folder issued by Bernhardt Handt, of Madison ave- nue and One Hundred and Eighth street, Manhattan. It reads as fol- lows: “A few words to my friends and neighbors. You can not raise birds by planting bird seed. And you can not get well when sick, unless the prescription your doctor prescribes contains the best and purest drugs obtainable. These are the only kind I use in my prescription department. Low price cuts no figure with me when I buy my drugs, but chemicals of known purity and standard quality and strength are what I select. At the same time I regulate my prices to the lowest in Harlem, and some of my customers walk many blocks to my store to get the best and_ save money.” —___—__> 6 It is rumored that a satisfactory substitute for rubber has been found in the Phillippines, a plant there yielding a substitute for gum rubber. It is said the plant may be trans- planted and cultivated. There are almost as many rumors of rubber substitutes as tries at the non-refilla- ble bottle. ——_+-~. Chance is one of the most profane words in our language. 7% MICHIGAN TRADESMAN Store System | Published in the interest of Storekeepers everywhere. It’s good for a little store like the one at Coalton Ohio and for others Vol 1 NOVEMBER 1905 No I In This Number Store Arrangeraent Practical Bookkeeping Not More Help, but System System in Jewelry Stores System in Photograph Gallery Focus Your Ability Etc. System enables saving of minutes and of doing needless things W: will send this booklet to any retailer who will send a two- cent stamp National Dayton Ohio Cash Register Co. Name Address Business noes ael' 30 MICHIGAN TRADESMAN Mail Order Competition a Condition, Not a Theory.* The worthy and honored president of our national retail organization, our national secretary, the chairman of the joint committee and other official sources, with the discussion of this matter in the trade press have left me no new arguments to bring to you, nor would the ten minutes allotted to me permit me logical presentation. My idea is that we may have for a short time a heart to heart talk about the matter. May I ask how many of you manu- facturers have, like the _ retailers, taken one of these catalogues home and gone carefully through it, noting their prices and the goods of your manufacturer that they illustrate and sell? You know what the catalogue has paid for them, you know what the jobber has paid for them and you also know what the jobber is ex- pected or required to get for them from the retailer. I want to say and and I base my knowledge upon well established facts, that a retailer who pays rent and himself a salary cannot do business under 20 per cent. Re- member that the volume of business done by retailers does not run into millions or even hundreds of thou- sands of dollars, as does your busi- ness. Sales of $30,000 to $40,000 a year for a retailer is a very fair busi- ness; 20 per cent. of the first amount is $6,000; of the latter, $8,000. An at- tempt to pay freight, drayage, taxes, rent, insurance, advertising, dona- tions to all sorts of enterprise, ste- nographers, clerk hire, book-keeper, collector, etc., and to yourself a mod- erate salary out of this will quickly convince you that I have made no misrepresentation as to our cost of doing business. Knowing, then, that it costs the retailer not I per cent. less than 20 to do business seeing how little margin there is upon your goods for the retailer, if he meets the price—which we are having to do more and more all the time—have you not wondered how he can do it and meet his obligations? We are up against a condition, not a theory, gentlemen. a We retailers have no means oO knowing the cost of manufacture, but we have the intelligence to judge of relative values, and we know that the manufacturer, except perhaps when the volume of business runs into millions, can not make money where his products are sold below the actual cost of production—counting nothing for marketing same, wear and care of machinery, salaries, rent, taxes, insurance, etc., for the profits there are for the retailer if he meets the catalogue prices—and if you can not do this with your volume of business, should the retailer be expected to grow rich and opulent upon his? Let me assure you that these catalogues are in very generous circulation throughout the entire country and the only reason they are not in the hands of practically every rural household, at least, is be- cause the cataloguers do not yet know all rural names, but these firms *Paper read at annual convention of the National Hardware Association by E. M. Bush, of Ind, Stee} are turning heaven and earth and, I fear, some postal officials, to trive some way to reach them all. For instance, the recent order that was issued by the Postal Department that mail be delivered upon rural routes by numbers only, and while we have succeeded in having this part of the order held up, the De- partment still insists upon mail boxes being numbered—to my mind a most foolish proposition—for before the numbering is completed upon a rural route some new family moves in or builds upon it and what will his number be? In order to keep intact the numbering of these routes will the next official ruling be that no farm upon the route can be _ subdi- vided and built upon and that every new-comer must settle at the end of the route and so obtain a number not pre-empt? Why is numbering in- sisted upon? Does something lie be- hind it? Allow the present deplorable and unprofitable condition brought about by catalogue houses to continue at the expense of the retailer and you, gentlemen, face not a theory, but a condition, serious to yourself and the country, when these houses be- come so numerous and strong by syndicating that they can dictate to you the prices they will pay for goods or start factories of their own. Let us consider for a moment which system—for one of the other must eventually profit—will bring the greatest output for factories, and which system will tend to produce the highest grade articles. The catalogue house illustrates your wares with small, indifferent cuts, setting forth their virtues in a size type that requires a_ reading glass to decipher and depends upon cut prices to market these wares, con- and a cut price inevitably cheapens merchandise. If the retailer is supplemented by the cataloguer, with him go _ the trade press and a large proportion of a city and country press, for the retailer is the direct support of the latter and the trade press receive their support from the manufacturer who uses this paper to reach the retailer. No retailers—no trade press. The retailer, besides advertising your wares in his local papers, dis- plays them in show windows and well arranged stores, calling atten- tion to their merits through progres- sive, wide-awake salesmen, whose end is to create the desire for pos- session. Who knows better’ than yourself that seeing an article cre- ates the desire for it. How often have you in reading advertisements in magazines resolved to send for that article and never carried your resolve into execution? But see in a show window something you de- sire, you step in and possess it, and so with others of your house- hold. The retailer’s desire is to sell the best and most profitable line, avoiding investing in and talking in- ferior cut-price goods. Hence, gen- tlemen, I claim that in supporting the retailer in this fight you are help- ing win your own battle, having in him an influence always at work to create a demand for more _ goods, and from him comes a more constant demand for better goods that bring a good profit. I attribute the demand there is now for cheap and inferior goods to the influence of the cataloguers, ten cent, racket and department stores, who are forever beating down the price and looking for leaders, that bane and curse of commercial life of to-day. If the change from the “deserved creating” to the “vision es8OROH snenen OB OBOCEOCE CEOHOR You Can Make Gas , 100 Candie Power Strong at 15c a Month by using our Brilliant Gas Lamps We guarantee every lamp Write for M. T. Cat- alog. It tells all about them and our gasoline system. Brilliant Gas Lamp Co. 42 State St., Chicago Venere Duck and Corduroy Coats With Blanket or Sheepskin Lining Our Stock is Very Complete Prices Right Brown & Sehler Co. Grand Rapids, Mich. Wholesale Only AUTOMOBILE BARGAINS 1903 Winton 20 H. P. touring car, 1903 Waterless Knox, 1902 Winton phaeton, two Oldsmobiles, sec ond hand electric runabout, 1903 U.S. Long Dis- tance with top, refinished White steam carriage with top, Toledo steam carriage, four passenger, dos-a-dos, two steam runabouts, allin good run ning order. Prices from $200 up. ADAMS & HART, 47 N. Div. St., Grand Rapids You have had calls for HAND SAPOLIO If you filled them, all’s well: if you didn’t, your rival got the order, and may get the customer’s entire trade. HAND SAPOLIO is a special toilet soap—superior to any other in countle enough for the baby’s skin, and capable of removing any stain. SS ways—delicate Costs the dealer the same as regular SAPOLIO, but should be sold at 10 cents per cake WV a > ¥ . = * : >» é = 7 1 2 a 4 | ss + Fue. 4 -< a + ¥ - A MICHIGAN TRADESMAN 31 destroying” system is brought about, it will be much easier for the retailer with comparatively small _ invest- ments to change his vocation than for manufacturers to adjust them- selves to-conditions that will be irk- some, to say the least, or have for competitors the syndicate of mail or- der houses, with factories of their own—which will surely be the de- velopment of that system. We appeal to you, not as serv- ants worthy of their hire, but in all the dignity of free-born American manhood, as men who believe in a square deal and who do not believe we are receiving a square deal, when, after investing in, displaying and talking the quality and merits of your wares and assisting in making them household words in American homes, you manufacturers sell to, or permit to be sold by cataloguers, these wares which are used by them to knife your friends in the back. In my own place of business there ave some tools that have been sold continuously by my predecessor and myself for fifty-two years, long be- fore a catalogue house was dreamed of, and I am glad to say, gentlemen, I have never seen these tools illus- trated, priced or named by any cata- loguer. What possible argument has a re- tailer with a customer who brings into his store one of these cata- logues with a number, size and name of a manufacturer upon an article quoted at a less price than you can possibly sell and even make ex- penses? JI have been up against this very proposition time and time again, and, gentlemen, it makes me feel like thirty cents. The retailers in our organization appreciate the wonderful progress that has been made in this work, for the comparison of the latest is- sues of the cataloguers with those of only two years ago shows that Many prominent manufacturers, who were greatly in evidence then, have disappeared now and, we believe, forever from these pages. There is an old Arabic prayer of good wishes, “May your shadows never grow less,” and I give it to you heartily—but may the name of every one of you vanish in like man- ner as have these other names. of whom I speak from off the pages of every catalogue in the country, for then will the retailer come into his own again. eee eerie Recent Business Changes in the Buckeye State. Cincinnati—Isaac Bing, of the wholesale clothing firm of I. & S. Bing, is dead. Cincinnati—The Ohio Valley Gro- cery Co., which formerly conducted a wholesale grocery business, has gone out of business. Cincinnati—The Stone-Brown Coal Co. is succeeded in the wholesale coal business by the Brown-Hosea Coal Co. Columbus—The grocery business formerly conducted by E. W. Ken- nard will be carried on in the fu- ture by Kennard & Walter. Columbus—The name of the Ohio Vehicle & Harness Co. has been changed to the Ohio Harness Co. Columbus — Rosenthal Bros. & Basch, wool pullers, are succeeded in business by Rosenthal Bros. Dayton—L. N. Schroder succeeds C. E. Shroyer in the grocery busi- ness. Delaware—C. A. Bardgill, grocer, is succeeded in business by Geo. H. Simon. Findlay—The Lake Shore Novelty Co., which manufactures fire works, will remove to Chicago. Gerald—The implement business formerly conducted by. F. Binder- man will be carried on in the future by Binderman & Cordes. Nelsonville—Aumiller & Edington, dealers in clothing, are succeeded in business by the Hinman-Eding- ton Co. Weston — Singer & Henderson, hardware dealers at this place, have sold their branch store at Milton Center. Wooster—M. O. Proctor has sold his dry goods business to H. Freed- lander & Co. Marion—Isaac Merchant has been appointed receiver for James M. Neer, dealer in hay and grain. —_.-. Recent Business Changes in the Hoo- sier State. Grantsburg — Ferguson & Ford are succeeded in general trade by D. S. Millar. Indianapolis—C. C. Lucas is suc- ceeded by Baker & Minor in the grocery business. Indianapolis — Williams & Hunt, soap manufacturers, have dissolved partnership, M. C. Hunt continuing the business. Kokomo—E. Weser, cigar manu- 'facturer, is succeeded in business by Harvey C. Reed. LaFayette—The wholesale busi- ness formerly conducted by the La- Fayette Notion Co. has been merged into a stock company under the same style. Monroeville—John A. Wybourn is succeeded in the vehicle business by J. Clem & Sons. Owensville—Geo. E. Daugherty, dealer in hardware and stoves, and C. H. Dilday, furniture dealer, have consolidated their stocks and_ will conduct their business together in the future. Logansport—Otto E. Adams, deal- er in clothing, has made an assign- ment. Union City—An assignment has been made by Mrs. K. A. Boone, dealer in dry goods and groceries. Warsaw—Ripple & Rowan, gro- cers, have made an assignment. —_—_. +. Want Ordinance Repealed. Saginaw recently passed a city or- dinance prohibiting the sale of dress- ed poultry unless drawn. There was not much opposition to it at the time and it slipped through. Now the meat and poultrymen are organ- izing to have the ordinance repealed. Another bright ordinance just pass- ed by the Saginaw city fathers is that all Thanksgiving poultry raffled for shall be drawn. Mica Axle Grease Reduces friction to a minimum. It saves wear and tear of wagon and harness. It saves horse energy. It increases horse power. Put up in 1 and 3 lb. tin boxes, 10, 15 and 25 lb. buckets and kegs, half barrels and barrels. Hand Separator Oil is free from gum and is anti-rust and anti-corrosive. Put up in %, 1 and 5 gal. cans. Standard Oil Co. Grand Rapids, Mich. Mica _ Ge : — pe TCI U Get our prices and try our work when you need Rubber and Steel Stamps Seals, Etc. Send for Catalogue and see what we Offer. Detroit Rubber Stamp Co. 00 firicwald St. Netrnit. Mich. eee ee LONG Say Ne2 ei This is That Guarantees Good Service It pays to use the Long Distance Tele- phone because you are there and back before your slow competitors, writ- ing, telegraphing or traveling get started. 4,000 subscribers in Grand Rapids. Call Contract Department Main 330 or address Michigan State Telephone Company C. E. WILDE, District Manager, Grand Rapids The best is always the cheapest. Are you one of them? at the Sign Here FOR THIRTY DAYS ONLY we will ship-to enterprising merchants our famous American Hollow-wire System, consisting of four No. 5-LP Lamps, 5-gallon steel tank and pump as illustrated and 100 feet of hollow wire for only $35.00. Don’t miss this opportunity to provide your store with a 2500 candle power light. WHITE MANUFACTURING CO., Chicago Ridge, Illinois 182 Elm Street 9, That + ae Draws Cu MICHIGAN TRADESMAN How To Wait on a Shoe Customer. A salesman or clerk never _ be- comes profitable, and is invariably a loss and expense to his employer until he has learned how to proper- ly wait on a customer. For this reason an article on this subject should be read with a great deal of interest. What is said herein is the result of years of experience and ob- servation on the part. of the writer. It is experience that has been glean- ed from all the various branches of the retail shoe business. To properly wait on a customer one must first of all be interested in his merchandise-and its owner, be ever ready:to greet the approach of a patron and in doing so avoid any form of familiarity even although the person in question be an ac- quaintance or friend. A mild form of dignity is the keynote to quick confidence in business. This much done, ascertain in as quiet a way as possible the wants of your visitor, without comment or further conver- sation. Proceed as quietly as pos- sible to get exactly (or as near as you have) what was requested, and at this point is offered the first op- portunity for a display of salesman- ship. It is here the clerk can suggest the economy of better priced goods of similar style, or the more per- fect suitability of other shapes, size or kind. In offering suggestions of this or other kinds, it is well to add as much strength to the same as possible by comparison. If you have not just the goods desired, do not try to palm off or substitute. Be frank. Admit the fact, and seem to be surprised and disappointed that you should not -have just what is requested. Offer some suitable goods instead. Under no circumstances. should the clerk condemn or criticise the mer- chandise he did not happen to have, or the maker of the same. In offer- ing goods of any kind it is well to point out this, that or the other ad- vantage and under no_ condition must one contradict or argue with a customer or prospective buyer. Al- ways bear in mind the adage, “Con- vince a man against his will, he’s of the same opinion still.” A sale pleas- antly and properly made is the first step toward the clerk’s success. This done, the clerk should suggest the possible need of this, that or the other in other departments. Offer any facilities you may have at your disposal, by way of delivery, trans- fer, etc. Never promise anything that your house will not afford; very often a clerk’s ambition to do this has end- ed in dispute and dissatisfaction, which costs the employer cash and customers. The clerk also finds the customer who is in this way disap- pointed harder to deal with and sat- isfy forever after. Avoid as much as possible special orders. The clerk who sells $50 worth of stock is more valuable to the merchant than the one who takes $200 worth of special orders, as this is always mingled with more or less disappointment, no matter how care- fully attended to, and the annual accumulation of left-over specials becomes a burden at_ stock-taking time. Avoid guarantees as much as pos- sible, and when necessary frame them in a careful way. Remember, merchandise out of one’s’ store is subject to any abuse its owner may see fit to give it, and a grumbler never makes allowances for this. In hearing a complaint be patient and quiet, and avoid any argument of any kind, even although you know the complainer asks something mor- ally unfair. Remember, he has come to. get something from you. Be as lenient as you can afford, and whatever you do in cases of this kind do it as pleas- antly as possible. None are so dis- satisfied as a dissatisfied kicker, and remember even men have friends and can influence them to pass your door, and because of their meanness are very apt to exert themselves along these lines. To act any other than pleasant to these customers robs your transac- tion of its advertising feature. In exchanging goods try always to re- place the returns with goods of ex- actly the same kind, as no matter what value you may give back if it is not exactly the same, the cus- tomer stamps the deal as a confi- dence game, and advises his friends of the unreliable methods of your house. These are but some of the many things to learn in order to be a suc- cessful salesman. Bear these in mind, and act accordingly, and you will benefit yourself, your employer and his business, and, mark you, your efforts will not go unnoticed. Your advancement is as sure as some other’s failure. It is in this way clerks become merchants. You can in this way earn respect and gold in- stead.of disappointment and failure, which is the positive lot of your running mate who never found out how to wait on a customer.—Walter Britchford in Boot and Shoe Re- corder. —— — Canned Missionary. The difficulty of ° obtaining and transporting fresh foods in Alaska] has resulted in an extensive use of canned goods, and the natives have come to consider Americans and canned goods as altogether insepara- ble. Recently some one sent a pres- ent of a phonograph. The natives were intensely interested, and gath- ered round to hear the first selec- tion, which happened to be the Lord’s prayer. When it was concluded there was a moment of impressive silence, and then One of the Indian chiefs, with a flash of inspiration, ex- exclaimed, “Hah! Him canned mis- sionary!” Concentrate Your Efforts on a few good, strong, favorably known lines of shoes, and for Men’s, Boys’ and Youths’ wear sell Hard-Pan Shoes They wear like iron You'll sell more shoes and make many times more clear profit than 4, you can dis- sipating your I energy on a lot of un- knownmakes. Try the business-like way. Try Hard-Pans—exclusive terri- tory—continuous sales—hosts of friends—also P. D. Q. deliveries from stock. Hard-Pan Shoes have our name on the strap of every pair. It’s your insurance against dissatisfied customers. The Herold-Bertsch Shoe Co., Makers of Shoes Grand Rapids, Mich. Reeder’s of Grand Rapids can say without fear of contradiction that they have the largest stock of rubbers on their floors for im- mediate shipment of any house in the state of Mich- igan and what makes it more interesting they are the celebrated Hood and Old Colony Rubbers Also have a full line of Leather Tops, Lum- bermen’s Socks, Combinations, Felt Boots and Waterproof Leggins. Geo. H. Reeder & Co. Grand Rapids, Mich. te Wop ot + MICHIGAN TRADESMAN Have Plenty of Room and Abundance of Light. To the man contemplatig the addi- tion of a clothing department, either connectedly or as an _ independent business, I would say: Secure your space with an eye to the best light possibly obtainable, remembering that a “good effect is worth Io per cent.” Having settled this, as you will find, very important item, next attend to the no less important one of fixtures. Be generous in the matter of elbow ‘room, for what might seem at first blush almost a criminal waste of space would prove by trial a splendid investment by obviating all necessity of crowding, fatal alike to effect and to the integrity of the garments by mussing in handling. Never try to jam the clothing into “any old place” most convenient for this rea- son. Do not even attempt keeping odd pieces on the usual narrow shelving found in nearly all stores. These will answer admirably for hats, shoes and haberdashery, but always use tables for clothing. These should be from two and one- half to three feet in width and 32 inches high, built as solidly as it is possible for an open counter to be. Do not forget that clothing is heavy; just try picking up a bunch of say one-half dozen of big ulster overcoats on your shoulder at one time and see if you don’t agree that the table con- taining them should necessarily be a good one. A table two feet wide will answer for boys’ and children’s clothing, or odd pants or vests, but by allowing yourself three feet, you can, if exigen- cies require, put one tier of the small stock on each side. With the men’s suits, overcoats and extra size goods and such more bulky stuff, you will eventually feel well repaid for the extra cost of material and space by the superior facility with which the goods can be handled without crowd- ing and doing away with the unsight- ly effect caused by the tail of a coat and waistband of pants overhanging the edge of the table, and in the case of small articles, knee pants, vests, ets., which do not even require one- half the width, you will find the in- creased counter space almost invalu- able for brushing stock, besides guarding against chafing at the edges. Now, having secured your counters to your satisfaction, place them cross- wise of the room, if space will possi- bly allow it. This insures the best application of the light and also brings your stock in “Company Front” to anyone approaching it, throwing the aisles at either side next to the shelves, or side counters, con- taining the accessories, overalls, jumpers, heavy working shirts, etc. If, however, you are so placed that you cannot devote an entire room, either an upstairs or downstairs to this department by all means then appropriate one end of your building © tc it, rather than attempt to just poke it in somewhere. Bear in mind this fact, the best stockkeeper on earth, though he be yourself, cannot adjust and maintain a clothing stock in apple pie order without proper appliances and fix- tures. One thing supremely needful and yet most liable perhaps to be overdone is the dressing room. Don’t waste space, lumber, labor and money in constructing an elaborate and ex- pensive room for this purpose, into which will inevitably drift hats, coats, wet umbrellas, cast off shoes, rubbers, and all the unwanted things of a store, to the exclusion of its legiti- mate use, in about six months. I say, don’t. Just take a heavy wire, run it across one corner of the room at the ceiling and from this suspend a cur- tain of some fancy stuff, as a screen, leaving just space enough behind it for one person at a time to adjust his garments. Supply this space with a light stool or chair and a couple of hooks in the wall for the convenience of the customer. _ Allow nothing else to be placed in there. The curtain should be weight- ed slightly at the bottom to prevent it blowing out at inopportune times, by sudden draughts of air, and it should clear the floor by at least 1 to 2 inches, thereby insuring daily atten- tion to the corner by the person sweeping out the store. Now, to buy the stock. In this par- ticular every man is the architect of his own fortune, literally. What suits exactly one section and one class of trade is dead ducks in another place, perhaps not many miles removed from there. Every merchant invest- ing in clothing must study beforehand what his particular locality not only requires, but what is decidedly more to the point, what can be introduced safely as novelties, and what not. And right here I want to make a difference also—buy your novelties, i. e., what are usually denominated young men’s goods, early; as early as possible in fact, in order to secure choice patterns and styles, leaving the staples until later in the season. Don’t be afraid, there will always be plenty of chinchilla overcoats, cheap work suits and doeskin jeans pants to be found later, after you are at the edge of the _— season, where you can see more clearly what the demand is likely to be for such. Oft-times a broken lot can be picked up at the close of the wholesale sea- son at a discount that will pay for the delay. On the other hand you want your selections in nobby stuffs of all kinds that you purpose handling at all as near the cream of the market as pos- sible. No matter if you are satisfied that you can buy that $12 overcoat for $10.75 six weeks later, or that $11 suit for $9.37, the chances are very large indeed that the sizes you par- ticularly want will be out about that time, and, instead of a_ half-dozen patterns to select from you will find yourself confined to one or two, and they, naturally, the least desirable. For this reason it is well to consider seriously the oft reiterated proposi- tions of that angel of commerce, the drummer, who is anxious “just to show you through.” Accept his good intentions, it costs you nothing to ex- amine his samples, get his prices, and it is not unlikely you will find in Buck Sheep with wool on 6 in. Lace - - $6.75 per dozen. 8in. Lace - - - 8.75 per dozen. 15 in. Boot - - 15.00 per dozen. We carry a full assortment of warm goods, Leggings and footwear. Hirth, Krayse @ Co. Grand Rapids, Mich. Our “Custom Made” Line Of Men’s, Boys’ and Youths’ Shoes Is Attracting the Very Best Dealers in Michigan. WALDRON, ALDERTON & MELZE Wholesale Shoes and Rubbers State Agents for Lycoming Rubber Co. SAGINAW, MICH You Are Out of The Game Unless you solicit the trade of your local base ball club They Have to Wear Shoes Order Sample Dozen And Be in the Game SHOLTO WITCHELL Sizes in Stock Majestic Bld., Detroit Everything in Shoes Protection te the dealer my ‘‘motte No goods sold at retail, Local and Long Distance Phone M 2226 4 nt ne oe ee a a ee Cieniten tal its iad eae it | Ero ERs eee es ee eae SIE Shia Serre na eee te MICHIGAN TRADESMAN that particular line just the thing you were thinking of trying this season. ° Remember you are in exactly the same boat in relation to your own customers; you are just. as anxious to Show your styles, patterns and prices as the drummer is his, and for the same reason. So deal gently with the young enthusiast who represents “the biggest concern on earth” and who is so anxious to make you: a present of the firm’s profits for the present season (?). Speak easy to him—you may be a drummer some day yourself. Meanwhile, get your advertising ready. Printer’s ink is to all business nowadays what a good strong fertil- izer is to the farm, and can no more be neglected than can the enrichment of the soil, if the crop is to be com- mensurate with the natural expense of harvesting it. Clothing is a commodity that lends itself as readily to the genius of the advertiser as perhaps any one thing in the entire catalogue, and there is not the slightest question but what with the most judicious advertising it can be made, if not already, the best department of your entire stock. The greater part of the first class clothing manufacturers now furnish special advertising in the form of booklets, electrotypes, etc., and, for the rest. you can, by “keeping ever- lastingly at it,” soon make “Perkins’ Pants” or “Smith’s Swell Suits” as familiar locally as “Bull’s Cough Syr- up” or any other much-bespoken article that owes its tremendous popularity to a thorough introduction to the public by the fearless and inde- fatigable advertiser. \ “Premium ticket” schemes are es- pecially good in this department: So many tickets good for a certain kind of hat, or a pair of shoes, an umbrella, an alarm clock, a necktie, etc., down to perhaps a collar button; or what not, at your own option. Always strive to avoid any picayunishness in dealing with your trade. Don’t get the reputation of being stingy in smal] matters, better “throw in” a pair of suspenders or a necktie unso- licited, than to impress the customer with the belief that he could—by urg- ing—“force your hand,” for, if you once put this idea in his head he is liable to insist, in future dealing with you, on his own choice of gratuities, and perhaps on dictating terms alto- gether, as I have personally known to occur in communities that had been persistently mis-educated in this way by ambitious but badly mistaken dealers. Go to the market at least twice a year, primarily to finish buying—inci- dentally to see things. Keep both eyes wide open, visit the retail district, and observe what the big concerns there are showing. You will gain as much information on window display alone as will pay for the time expended. But particu- larly notice what kind of goods, col- ors, styles and patterns seem to be the favorites there, and you will find it to make buying easier for you when you go back into the wholesale dis- trict and begin to load up in earnest. And now, gentle reader, comes to you a most magnificent opportunity to commit financial suicide. While clothing is bulky, it is no less truly deceptive in relation to bulk and value, and while a hundred dol- lars’ worth of notions, millinery or fancy groceries might tax the capac- ity of a hay wagon, the same amount invested in suits at $12.50, or over- coats at $15, could easily be carried under one arm. And serious as a bad spavin or strain would be in a valu- able horse it means infinitely more careful nursing, anxiety and sleepless nights when applied to your pocket book. You have, of course, long ago set aside just what amount you will spend the present season on this de- partment, and now comes the tug of war to keep inside the appropriation. Better lack a few items, neighbor, than to attempt corralling all the good things in sight. Another thing I would also suggest in this connec- tion, don’t skip sizes, buying for in- stance a 34-6-8 of one kind of suit and expect to fill up with a 35-7-40 of another. Very rarely indeed will you find a customer who will not prefer just the one shade, color or cut, that doesn’t fit him. Better buy the line of sizes clear through in one, and omit the other altogether, then. he isn’t confused by too many comparisons either. Pay very particular attention to the cut and fit of the goods. “A pig in a poke” never was a good investment. Satisfy yourself that if a garment bears a 38 size mark it will fit a 38 inch measurement, and not a 34 ora 41, and, further, that the cut is appli- cable to your locality. Some com- munities will, for instance, require the long, — slim, peculiar fashion known technically as “Southern cut,” others again the short, chunky style of the “Western.” Again I reiterate, study your locality. In the proper understanding of your outlet lies your whole commercial salvation. Well, that’s over, and we are home again, ready to receive the new stuff and attend to the boss’ duty of check- ing every article with the bill, and likewise comparing both bill and goods with the memorandum which, of course, you made at the time you bought, and at once noting and re- porting to the house or shipper any discrepancies in quality, price, sizes or number of articles that May ap- pear. Attend to this yourself, and attend : to it at once, while the matter is fresh and before the lines from which you bought are broken any worse. bought are broken any worse. Now, arrange your stock on those broad tables we mentioned before, aud you will more thoroughly under- stand the advantage of having them broad. It will allow of spreading out a garment more conveniently. And always bear in mind that the more wrinkles you press into a garment, the more you accentuate the “hand- me-down” character of its appear- ance. See that the coat sleeves lay per- fectly smooth together, and that the tails and lapels are pulled out straight, GRAND RAPIDS SHOE Our Men’s Fine Shoes Not only look fine but are fine in every way. Made Blutcher and Bal cut out of the very best Velour, Box Calf and Vici Kid. of correct style, good hard wear and They form a combination comfort that will satisfy your most critical patron. Would you like.to see the samples? It will be well worthy your while to look through our line. Rindge, Kalmbach, Logie & Co., Ltd. Grand Rapids, Mich. When Ou Know of the good and last- ing qualities of our Walkabout Shoes you will be the first dealer to take ad- vantage of our proposition to one merchant in each town. And you may know all about these “$3 shoes with a $5 look” if you will drop us a postal and let our traveler call on you. a MICHIGAN SHOE CO., Distributors DETROIT, MICHIGAN POOR Seg a. yi ike Pee: BER & 4 ot a4 © don 4 a MICHIGAN TRADESMAN the pants folded carefully and faced up alternately. That is, one pair fold- ed with the seat on the right hand side, the next pair on the left, etc., folding each pair at the knee and placing a pin tag on the fold, prefer- ably on the right hand corner. On this tag you will indicate the size, price and stock number, if the pant is part of a suit; if an odd garment use instead a cost mark. I prefer, where the space is obtainable, to stack the coats on the first counter, ali carefully folded and stacked up with the face to the left hand, and immediately behind, on the second counter, stack the pants with the vests folded inside the fold of the pants, and attach the tags suggested. Stack all garments according to quality with the largest size on the bottom of the stack, followed by the next size, etc. For example, in an odd pant stock don’t mix cheviots, cassimeres, worsted, jeans, etc., in- discriminately, but, assorting quali- ties, begin with say a 40x33, then 40x30, 38x35, and so on up to the smallest. Divide the overcoats and suits the same way. Avoid scratching up or disfiguring the tickets sewed on the collar or waistband; rather, add a small price tag to the upper button- hole of each coat and a pin tag, as before described, for the pant tag. See that all stock is thoroughtly brushed at least every two weeks and the best instrument ever invented for this purpose is the time-honored whisk broom and not too stiff a one. Always go over your stock every morning, anyhow, brushing the tops and edges after removing the cover. But the semi-monthly clean up is to be for the extermination and demor- alization of the festive moth and roach as well as to liven up the fabric by letting the air to the surface in new places. Therefore it should be attended to not perfunctorily but with an interest, looking out for pos- sible damaged places, loose _ but- tons, bad wrinkles, tickets hanging by one corner, and so forth. A stitch in time may truly not only save nine in this case but also an occasional dollar or so in value by preserving appearances and obviating that bug- bear of all stockkeepers——“shelf wear.” Always brush a coat from the col- lar downward toward the tail. A pant should also always be brushed from the waistband downward _ be- cause the grain of the cloth lies in that direction. “ Do not use your broom with a scrubbing motion; just whisk it light- ly against the cloth so as to remove the accumulated dust and insect eggs, and not to disarrange the nap of the cloth. Use good heavy covers. No econ- omy was ever attained by using light, porous coverings that allow the dirt to sift through, and are easily torn in handling. Make the covers on a gen- erous scale, too. They should be plenty wide enough to allow the edge to fall quite below the edge of the tables when the stock is at the fullest. As under favorable trade, the stack of goods shrink in height, ‘Io per cent.” and the covers become too large, turn the edge under, pinning it up so the effect will be uniform. In all ar- rangement of stock or fixtures always keep in mind, “a good effect is worth I have known many good stockkeepers turn pants wrong- side out, to prevent damage from dust, notably jeans, black worcted, rough faced cheviots and the like. Allow a good profit on your new goods, especially the novelties, mak- ing your bargain. prices on staples, and, twice a year, say about August for summer goods and February for winter stuff, cut prices “to the red.” Rip out everything possible on which you can secure first cost, and by so doing not only secure ready cash out of what would otherwise remain un- salable on your hands for an entire season, but also give the best backing to your claim of “new goods entirely” at the opening of the succeeding one. Your per cent. of profit will, of course, be largely influenced by your environments, whether you run a cash or credit business, and the temper and ability of your competitors. Now, here is another don’t—don’t sell a man a garment that is too small, whether he wants it or not. If he in- sists on buying one that is too large for him, let him have it, but never if too small. The reason for this is, if the garment fits too tight he will be constantly straining it both seams and fabric, with the result that the life of the garment is materially shortened and the justly dissatisfied party will inevitably regard you as a robber and will be just that much more difficult to placate or to sell to again. Don’t, under any circumstaces, mis- represent any goods. Not one cus- tomer in 999 knows anything about clothing, and this very reliance on your veracity and integrity should warn you that as the responsibilities are great, so’°the condemnation will be for betrayal of that trust. Should a customer especially fancy some one garment that does not fit him, yet by a little remodeling could be made right, by all means attend to it for him, gratuitously too. He will think better of you for it than if ,to save a dime or two, you should insist on selling him another that did fit him. Study the business, get hold of clothing journals, quiz the drummers, try to understand why this cloth is called “French-Back,”’ and that one “Tricot-long,” where they are manu- factured, of what, where certain dyes are made, and the general minutiae of the whole thing. Then when you go to market, you will feel as if you are entitled to a front seat in clothing circles and less like a cat in a strange garret than you did the first time. And now, in conclusion, brother, let me beg of you, don’t neglect to advertise, advertise, advertise, for that is the life breath in the nostrils of success in the present hurly burly generation. Keep your stock and store scrupulously clean. No fly specked mirrors or greasy show cases ever attracted any trade yet. And, incidentally, keep yourself that way, too. You may flatter yourself that no one cares, and it may be. that old Farmer Jones coming in for a pair of overalls doesn’t notice or care one whit how you are dressed, yet the chances are even that some, perhaps many, of the young men of your place, the very fellows you are anxious to interest, wonder “why the Dickens old Blank doesn’t try One of those he’s they’re such a good thing.” new suits blowing about, if Spruce up, trim your show win- dows tastily and often, buy with mod- eration, sell with circumspection, keep up with the procession if not a little ahead of it, and it shall come to pass, that when thy days are as a tale that is told and thou art gathered to thy fathers, thy heirs shall gather from the far places of the earth, and, beholding the accumulated shekels of thy well spent life, shall lift up their voices in one universal acclaim, “Virchlich, das ist ausgezeignet.”— C. E. Bartram in Drygoodsman. ESTABLISHED 1888 We face you with facts and clean-cut educated: gentlemen who are salesmen of good habits. Experienced in all branches of the profession. Will conduct any kind of sale, but earnestly advise one of oul “New Idea” sales, independent of auction to center trade and boom business at 4 profit, or entire series to get out of busi- ness at cost. . E. STEVENS & CO., 324 Dearborn St,. Chicago, Suite 460 Will meet any terms offered you. If in rush, telegraph or telephone at our ex- pense. No expense if no d@ Phones, 5271 Harrison, 7252 Douglas. Alsoinstruction By Maru. The MCLACHLAN BUSINESS UNIVERSITY has enrolled the largest class for September in the history of the school. All commercial and shorthand sub- jects taught by a large staff of able instructors. Students may enter any Monday. Day, Night, Mail courses. Send for catalog. D. McLachlan & Co., 19-25 S. Division St., Grand Rapids q O22 7 : air, 00-5 al “wosrrnl Ny a iy ; F 6 Se 40. 2 es acc ce 7 Sete a ME Cesc ® 20 £0.28 cocci 26k. Poe | Dea eeecsccs Setebeke «2. ae 3 is eeerererreerererere 2 roy o Ln) 8 o ee a 2 PEEPS Ss 00 “IN Om 08 09s * Poles Bamboo, 14 ft., per dus. 55 Bamboo, 16 ft., per doz. 60 Bamboo. 18 ft.. per doz. 80 GELATINE Cox’s 1 qt. size........ 1 10 Cox’s 2 qt. size ...... 1 61 Knox’s Sparkling, doz 1 20 90 | Knox’s Sparkling, gro 14 00 Knox’s Acidu’d. doz ..1 20 Knox’s Acidu’d. gro 14 00 Nelson’s