1907-05-25 - GRPLpedia

Twenty-Seventh
Year
No.22
Semi-Monthly
MAY 25. 1907
THE MONARCH PUSH BUTTON CHAIR
EVERY PATTERN OF
OUR WELL KNOWN
LINE
OF MORRIS
CHAIRS
WILL
BE
EQUIPPED
WITH
THIS PUSH BUTTON
ATTACHMENT.
The Monarch i.
Perfection, Comfort
and Utility.
Ramsey ~Alton
Mfg. Co.
PORTLAND,
MICH.
Note the simple yet absolutely rigid construction.
Fully guaranteed and protected by U. S. Letters
Patent Nos. 653,452 and
648.715.
Will Exhibit on the Ground Floor of the Ashton Building (Formerly Pythian Temple), Grand Rapids, in July,-1907.
RELIABLE and SUBSTANTIAL fURNITURE
SUCH AS WE
.!Y'_~~IS
EVER~
~THE SOURCE:.:;
OF PLEASURE
AND PROFIT
TO THE
RETAILER AND
THE
PURCHASER
no(nror~ (~air
an~furniture (0.
ROCKFORD.
Blods:ett
ILL.
Block.
GRAND RAPIDS.
in July.
1
The Biggest Line lof Empress and
Princess Dresser~.in the World
~~~~
95 VARI1::'TIES~~~~
The Northern Furniture Company manufactures the
biggest line of Princess and Empress Dressers in the world--95 varieties.
WHY?
Because scores of dealers in all parts of the country buy
Princess and Empress Dressers in Sheboygan even when
placing their regular orders with other manufacturers who are
possibly nearer home.
Elegant simplicity is the popular style today, and that is
the keynote of the Northern
Line.
Above all, everything is
WELL
MADE.
You
won't find Northern furniture
falling to pieces on your floor.
And then the finish! It is
No.
strictly up to date.
It is the
latest and looks the latest thing on the market.
427
That's why the Northern line sells fast and always sells.
We make it a point not to let slow sellers get on the
floor of any dealer. The goods are elegant and popular.
The prices are right--from low and moderate, to as good as
even the highest class dealer wants to pay.
Our mediumprice furniture has gradually been making its way. into some
of the most exclusive furniture houses in the United States.
No. 322
Drop us a card today, and let U8 send you a special ci,'cu[ar showing our {u[Jline of Princess and
Empress Dressers.
f]"Have you received our 1907 CATALOGUE published a few weeks ago?
NORTHERN FURNITURE COMPANY
SHEBOYGAN,
WISCONSIN
THE GREATEST LINE of the GREATEST MANUFACTURERS
-------~
OF ----
CHAMBER
FURNITURE
Every Dealer Wants It Because Everybody
SLIGH FURNITURE
Buys It.
COMPANY, Grand Rapids, Mich.
Manufacturers
of BEDROOM FURNITURE
EXCLUSIVELY,
New Spring Line ready.
We operate the largest factory in the world producing
chamber furniture.
CalJinet Makers
In theae days of close competitlon,
need the best possible equipment,
and this they can have in . . . .
BARNES'
Hand and Foot
POWER
Machinery
Our New Uand and f'oot Power Circular Saw No. 4
The strongest, most powerful. and in every way the best
macbine of ita kind ever made, for ripping,
Send for our New Catalogne.
cross-cutting, boring and grooving,
"W. F. ®. JOHN .BARNES CO.
654 ~uby
Street. ~ochford.
Ill.
27th Ye",-No.
22.
GRAND RAPIDS. MICH., MAY 25. 1907.
STORE
Competent
Salesmen
MANAGEMENT.
Necessary to Success in Any and All
Lines of Tr ade.
"We tried the commission plan thoroughly but it never
worked satisfactorily"
said George ·~vJ.:Morse of the .:\Jorse
Dry Goods Company, which after years of success, recently
sold the largest department store in Grand Rapids, 1·iich.
"I think the salary system is best," he continucd.
"It is the
safest, because on a straight salary the salesman knows just
'where he is at' and the employer know"",,just what to expect
and is able to judge more correctly as to the real \\/orth of the
clerk. There is no particular advantage in mixing the two
plans. That tends to confusion and is hardly ever satisfactory
to either parly."
Mr. 110rse had been asked to talk about the selecting and
management of clerks or salesmen.
Though kno-wll as one
of the most successful merchants in the country he declared
himself incompetent to "tell others how to do it." lIe declared that 5electing clerks and managing or teachi.ng them
is a matter that can not be governed by fixed rules. "The
methods must vary ·with the characters,
dispositions
and
ability of the employes and they mllst differ in different departments" he said. ;;A man may be valuable in the grocery
department and good for nothing in the dry goods line. T
think it requires much l110re talent to sell dry goods than tn
handle furniture, yet the furniture salesmen command much
larger salaries than the dry goods clerks. Just \vhy it i5 so
I don't know but it is a fact just the same.
Of course the
furniture man must understand his business-must
know all
about his goodsand must know how to please all classes
of people, but that is true and more so with the dry goods
man and the dry goods clerk has much ITlOre to learn and
remember, than the furniture salesmen.
"Novoiccs-green
hands-vv'ill do and may be successful in some parts of a department store, where the quality
of the goods is a matter of common knowledge, but experienced help is more profitable in nearly all lines. The most
profitable clerks are thosc best acquainted with the stock
and the methods used in the store-those
who have grown
up with the business.
Their experience is more than equal
to the best talent and is much more profitable to the proprietor, mainly beCall;:,e \,e can depend Upon their following
his policies and doing the right thing at the right time.
"The matter of securing ca.pable clerks is of great importance to the merchant in any line. There is 110 advantage
in 'buying right' and then wasting the profits in wages to incompetent help."
The Colt WiN Remain in the Pasture.
The hopeful son of an indulgent
dealer in furniture
begged h15 father for the privilege of going to the exposition
towns, Chicago and Grand Rapids in January last to select
stock. "But you behaved very badly when you attended the
exposition last year. I learned that you spent more time in
$1.00 per Year.
studying the values of 'pairs' and 'full houses,' in contemplating the attractions of skirts and in gazing Upon the rosy when
it was red th.an in pursuing seriously the business for which
you were sent to the markets," the father argued. "Now if
you witJ promise to abjure cards, to refrain from drinking
and to look not upon the skirts that attract, you may go again
in July.
"I cannot accept, the conditions, father," the young man
replied. "If I were to cut out all the pleasures you mention,
....
vby should I wish to go to the markets?"
The old man will go to the markets in July.
A Profit~ble
Investment.
A retailer, while in the Grand Rapids market last July,
bought a number of mahogany sewing tahles, priced at $45.00
each. \iVhen the tables were delivered at his ware room he
concluded to place in the drawers the things a woman needs
when using t.he tables. Scissors, needles, a thimble and all
the tools and materials needed by t.he woman who sews,
were provided and tast11y distruhnted in the several compart~
ments of the table, adding to its cost the sum of $8.00. It was
placed in a show v"indow, and the next day a lady purchased
it, paying $75.00 for the same. The remaining patterns were
disposed of in the same way for t.he same price.
THE CORRECT
Stains and fillers.
THE MOST
SATISFACTORY
first
toalers and
Varnishes
MANUrAtrUQCD
DNLY
1J
Y
CHICAGO WOOD FINISHING CD.
2.59-63 ELSTON AVEm2.-16
CHICACO.
SLOAN ST.
4
AMUSING EXPERIENCES.
Here's Something Good
Wide-awake Dealers will find thi, practical novelty
a trade-winner
Mission Wardrobe
Davenports
Select Oak Frame,. Weathered Fini,h. Made
with roomy storage box underneath the Seat.
Solid bottom. dust-proof, vermin-proof. Odorou,
Red Cedar Lining jf wanted. CLIMAX LIFT
rai,e, seat automatically.
Entire Fall Line shown at Grand Rapids
JUNE---JUL Y SEASON
COUCHES. DAVENPORTS.
ADJUSTABLE SOFAS.
"SIMPLICITY" SOFA BEDS
Jamestown Lounge Co.
JAMESTOWN,
NEW YORK
Traveling salesmen derive onc half of the compensation
they enjoy from the amusing experiences that follow the pur~
suit of their occupation.
"While visiting a buyer in Omaha last year," one of the
travelers remarked, "I was asked if our house had any 'c1ose~
outs' in stock.
I told him we might have a few rockers and
perhaps a desk chair or two.
I would write the house and
ascertain.
'Oh, don't take that trouble/the
buyer remarked
'\Vrite the house to ship a few desirable patterns, 'twill
be all right.'
1 forwarded the order, which was filled as
directed, and in a short time the house received a telegram
reading:
"Why did you ship so many chairs?
I supposed
yuu \\ere having a clearing out, not a dosing out, sale.' The
amusing feature of the transaction lies in the fact that the
house had shipped three rockers and two desk chairs.
A
closing out sale, indeed."
Another salesman mentioned the fact that he had sold the
line of a company that was noted for the very bad finish of
their goods.
The line was placed on exhibition in Grand
Rapids and in the hurry of its preparation several pieces
were shipped after the filler, stain and shellac coats had been
applied.
The
goods
looked
so
much
better
than
the
completely
finished
samples
as
to
cause surprise.
The president of the company spent a few
days in the market and in conducting a customer through the
line one day, pointing to the partly finished samples, remarked, "These pieces do not represent our regular finish.
Our completely finished samples are back of us." Turning
to look at the regularly finished work, the buyer remarked.
"How did you manage to finish them so badly?
Give me
the half finished goods when you fill my order."
Another manufacturer engaged in pushing the merits of
his goods UpOll a groUp of buyers, remarked, "Why, gentlemen, we sell many of these goods in Porto Rico.
In Porto
Rico, gentlemen!"
The remark was repeated several times,
at intervals, when one of the buyers remarked, "No doubt
these faulty designs and miserable constructions s~ll well in
Porto Rico, where the people are poor and uneducated, but
why don't you try to make a line of goods suitable for trade
in the United States?"
Another salesman was reminded of an incident when he
represented a chair company engaged in business in the state
of New York.
l\iluch attention was given to perio4 work at
that time and the salesman had been requested to purchase
any noted reproductions he might find in the stocks of the retailers and ship the same to the factory,
In Buffalo he
found a gem of the Empire period, and speedily forwarded it
to the manufacturer.
In a short time a letter came to the
hands of the salesman complaining that the seat was too
narrow; the legs too light and that some of the parts were of
birch, stained, instead of mahogany,
The salesman replied
as follows:
"The Empire chair forwarded to you was made
by the
-- Chair Company, who make the best selling
line manufactured in the United States."
Cutting Out the Red Tape.
After July 1 ordinary postage stamps may be used on
special delivery lettef's, under a law passed at the last session of Congress. The postmaster-general,
in the interest of
expediting special delivery, will recommend to Congress
further arrenclment of the presel~t Jaw whereby such letters
may be left at their destinations with au! procuring receipts
in all cases. Until Congress can act, a broader construction
of the present law will be given, so that receipt will be accepted from anyone occnpying the premises to whom ordinary
mail might be given. When ordinary stamps are used for
the extra postage the words "special delivery" must appear
prominently on the envelope.
5
Goods on Installment
One of the "regular"
~ells millions
of dollars
by
retail furniture
,....
,orth of goods
Mail.
houses
by mail
in Chicago,
on the easy
looked at in that light before.
So he went and bought
the
big beefsteak,
and I began to circulate
around
home again.
Now, just suppose all the other dollars that arc scntto
Chicago or some other big city were kept circulating
right here
at horne.
You could see this town grow.
Honest,
now, ain't
I right?"
Working Michigan's Garnishee Law.
Michigan
has a law that allows merchants
to garnishee
a
part of a debtor's
wages in advance-such
a part as will liquidate the debt within a reasonable
time.
The Trade Journal
Association
of Detroit
is urging merchants
to take advantage
of this law, not in the courts but in the form of a "big stick,"
by sending
notice of intention
to use the law.
The association sells blank forms for such notices
in pads of 100 each
and declares that they rarely fail to bring a settlement
when
l1~,cd. They read as follows:
GARi\'ISHEE
State
NOTICE.
of Michigan.
M.
payment
plan.
The style of the advertising
that builds up
their trade is shown
herewith.
It is well
\\'OTth
careful
thought
and consideration
by both manufacturers
and dealers.
Dear Sir:
Under an act passed by the Michigan
Legislature,
a debtor's
wages may be attached
for debt, and unless this amount
due
$..
.
is paid within TEN DAYS or some satisfactory
arrangements
made for settlement
of said indebted~
ness, legal measures
will be taken to have 50 much of your
pel"sotlal earnings
with cost, applie.d towards the payment of
sallle as provided
by Chapter
35, of the complied law of 1897,
with amendments
to same of Section 2, Section 6, Section 10,
approved
:iliay 27th, 1901, relative
to proceedings
against
Garnishees
of the State of Michigan.
Yours
Biography of a Dollar.
Au enterprising
merchant
in a small Iowa
surrected
the "Story of a Dollar"
and 1S using
version of it in his advertisements:
respectfully,
Now They Distribute Premiulns.
town has rethe following
"I am a dollar.
A little age worn, perhaps, but still in
circulation.
I am proud of myself for bcing in circulation.
1 am no tomato can dollar-not
1. This town is only my
adopted home, but I like it and hope to remain permanently.
V/hen T came out of the mint I was adopted into a town like
this in another
state.
But after a time I ,\'as sent off to a
big city many miles away. T turned up in a ::Vlail-Order house.
For several years I stayed in that city.
l\Iillionaires
bought
cigars with me.
T didn't like that, for 1 believe in the plain
people.
Finally
a traveling
man brought
me to this town
and left me here.
I was so glad to get back to a smaller
town that 1 determined
to make a desperate
cffort to stay.
'''One day a citizen of this town was about to send me back
to that big city.
I caught
him looking
over a 1Iait-Order
catalog.
Suddenly
1 found my voice and said to him-he
was
a dentist by the way:
"'Doc,
look here.
Tf you'll only let me stay ill this town
I'll circulate
around
and do you lots of good.
You buy a
big beefsteak
with me, and the butcher
will buy groceries,
and the grocer will buy hardware,
and the h(iFh'"rare man wi\\.
pay his doctor's
bill with me, and the doctor will spend me
with a farmer for oats, to feed his horse with, and the farmer
will buy some fresh meat from the butcher,
and the b11tcher
will come around
to you and get his tooth mended.
In the
tong run, as you see, I'll be more useful to you here at home
than if you'd send me away forever.'
"Doc
said it was a mighty
stiff argument.
He hadn't
Sears,
Roebuck
& Co., the Chicago
mail ordcr
dealers
are now offering premiums
to patrons who buy to the amount
of $25 as shown by a copy of their advertisement
which appearS herewith.
The other advertisement
shows how some
of the "regular"
dealers
of Chicago
are soliciting
orders by
mail.
THESE ARTICLES FREE IF' YOU
I
,
~"a"c
__
fi
.............................
I
i
i
"Oil
0.... """"'~1.
,M"oo In 0'" PJ'OAt
tool> tree. or a bov· •• ult.
MOlT'"
,.
CortIIl<&fOtIOll
'
'eo. you ""0
t·"..
'" RuEif•••·'
SEARS,
uuK
OO"~"'"
't: .~~
.. CnleA'.,
++++
I
" ••••
CREDIT GIVEN!
TO EVERYBODY:
I
1
Write to G'" • poatal will",
.Amedca".s pJon ... r and &noa-t- ::
est ~"'t>lele bou""furnillhers. "\"<>1\ know we are the n"lt
t
mShtut,'on
~ blaze the ....ay and Ong. InM"
tbefar.reaebin&"
plan oj sl"llt'1>D>g gO<l<lsanyl'lace In the"UnitedStates.&"lVln&"
a mllOt prOU::lk:aIaD4I11l .... lIcn4lt
tJoatailOWll olyo"r
"IJ ...
the lJ1>Oda.wblle... Inll' .llttle now lIi.... then. As f"'" money
It ISaOOllCeaed filet that "urt~endnus"utvut
giv,""
u~ ronlrol "fmany
big fnetOrl.,; and-easily
enal>lesourprle!nl: sub.tantlal houSefurniahioga whiChi""ludaFurnltll .....
.~."&"
~~k~
=~.~f:c.:;.'Sft:~::'eb~~l~rb:h:-
any OOncernon earth.
Sample Advertisement used by "Regular Dealers" in
Soliciting Orders by Mail.
6
~
SHOPPING
MY9f1IG7}N
GUIDES
AND THEIR
WORK.
An Inviting Field for Women in the Up-to-Date
Stores.
Department
The recent multiplication of shopping guides in -several of
the large New York department stores shows that this business offers an increasingly profitable field for women, a field,
by the way, disco'\cered hy awomall.
It was a Philadelphia
department store that first gave a woman a chance at the
work,
not because
the manager
was convinced that
there was money in it for the concern
or for the
guide, or that such a feature would be of any particular assistance to customers, but simply because he was a friend of the
woman who asked 'for the work. She was a Southerner of
education and refinement, with a soft voice and pleasing
ways, and she had no early business training to fall back on
when first confronted with the necessity of earning her own
living.
The manager could not give hcr a sales woman's job,
could give her no job in fact which she could execute except
that 'which she herself proposed, so she was taken on as shopping guide, and although the work of a shopping guide was
:MADE BY WOODWARD
"A shopping guide is not here to sell goods," the manager
explained. "Her province is to assiHt shoppers to buy goods.
There is a difference, Her role is to some extent that of
hostess,"
"For out of town customers principally?" the manager was
asked.
"New Yorkers avail themselves of her services quite as"
often as strallgersJ although not perhaps in the same way,"
said the manager. "For instance, Mrs. Blank"-naming
a well
known New York woman-Hearne to me one day and asked
if I eould not send some one with her to one or two departments, someone who could aid her in selecting goods. That
was perhaps three years ago, and from that day to this Mrs.
Blank seldom buys a big bill 9£ goods without first consulting with our head shopping guide.
"Occasionally she pbones and asks if the guide won't come
up to her house for a conf~rence. Of course her request is
granted. We are glad to grant it.
"We have customers who rely so-implicitly on a shopping
guide's taste and good judgment that they simply write to her
or phone when they went certain goods and ask her to send
them along.
'
From the standpoint of a shopping guide of rr:u.::h exper-
FURNITURE
conducted very differently then from ",.hat it is now, the soft
voiced Southerner was successful from the start.
Patrons of the store began to hunt her up to ask for the
invariably polite Southern W0111anwhose taste and good judgment they often found' of aid iti selecting goods and who was
always willing to give assistance.
One after another department stores in Philadelphia and elsewhere heard of her work
and decided to adopt the id,ea.
Shopping made easy is the motto of these stores, one of
which now employs twelve shopping guides as against three
a couple of years ago. One of the twelve is a man. It is
doubtful if this record can be touched by any other store
anywbere.
Other department stores in Kew York have lately
increased their force of shopping guides from one to three.
In the store where twelve are employed -a suite of offices
has recently been provided solely for the guides· use. The
equipment includes a private telephone switchboard.
The shopping guide is here to stay, says the manager of
this store. He says also that the right sort is not easy to
get. He makes it clear that to be a success in her business a
shopping guide must be the incarnation of patience, good
temper, good manners, good judgment and tact.
CO.• OWOSSO. MICH.
ience her success is due to the difficulty many women find in
coming to a decision and also the difficulty many wOmen experience in getting a companion who will stick to them
through a long shopping tou~. This woman has an interesting
tale to tell.
"If any woman who wants to become self-supporting imagines that the calling of shopping guide is a soft snap, she
had better keep out of the work," she began. ")lot for a
minute must the guide assume the role of saleswoman and
yet unless she can show that she has been the means of effecting sales she will not for long stay on the pay roll of any
establishment.
'
As a case in point I remember a young widow who took
up the work with high hopes both on her part and the part
of her employers because she had been accustomed to handsome surroundings all her life and for several years had had
her own home. She kept the job only six months.
"The trouble was this: She had excellent taste and left
to herself could probably select for a house or for a woman's
personal adornment goods or clothing which would delight.
persons whose taste corresponded with her own, but she
seemed to lack the faculty of interesting herself in purchases
7
which ran counter to her taste or of assisting others to select
goods of which she herself did not approve.
As a res lIlt,
there was friction often from the start between herself and
the person asking her aid, or at any rate, a lack of sympathy.
On one or two occasions a customer went to the manageIneut and aske<l to have some one else appointed to help her.
"The woman who got her job and who in some respects
was far inferior to her had in six months built up a custom
which surprised everybody.
Droves of people were constantly inquiring for her, or writing to her. She had ctlstomers,
·who thought her judgment infallible simply because she always decided according to the taste of the person who sought
her advice,
"The secret of my own success? \Vell, I hardly know,
Tt is true that I have a following which extends all over the
LTnited States and that I am c()1lsulted about every sort of
purchase from a pair of shoes to the furniture for a four story
house.
One of m}' greatest achivements is, I consi<ler, being asked
several thousand dollars worth of goods in this house.
"The shopping guide supplements the salesman's labor
and can do more because she can move about from one department to another as she pleases.
"But no one must suppose that a shopping guide builds
up a clientele v.iithout making an effort. On the contrary
she sends out innumerable circulars and letters to persons
shc knows or has he.ard of, asking them to a))))ty to her should
they need assistance ill making purchases when in the store.
They may not respond at Ollce, hut invariably a time cOInes
when they remember that letter and ask to meet the shopping
guide. That is the beginning.
In my case it is never the end.
"The bulk of my time though is spent with customers
fr0111out of tOWll. Whether likely to spend $100 or only $1,
every cllstomer is entitled to equal consideration at the hands
of a shopping guide.
"I now have two assistants ·who relieve me of some correspondence and telephoning and carrying orders to the different departments,
One of them may develop into a first class
MADE BY WOODARD FURNITURE CO., OWOSSO, MICH,
to direct the purchases of a ,\\,0111anwho is setting up housekeeping for the first time, But for me, she dec)ares, she never
would have dr('amed of going; to hm'Lsekeepiug at a\.l. It happened like this:
"?lily customer is a woman who never can shop alone, by
which T mean that she never can decide which two carpets or
two gowns or two pairs of gloves she ought to purchase ullless a second person puts in a word. And she doesn't always
l111dit easy to get a companion on her shopping tours, for she
has no women relations..
"She came to me for assistance in purchasing an easy
chair to send as a present to a brother-in-law who lives in
another state. The salesman did his best, but it vvas to me
she looked for 'he1p to decide. I gave her all the help 1 could
and incidentally made some remarks on the sort of chairs
suitable for different moms, as asking if she knew what sort
of carpet was laid in the room for ,,,..-hichthe chair was intended and what sort of hangings,
"As a result of that O!1C tranaction she plucked up courage
to begin housekeeping and before she is done she will buy
shopping- guide; the other by no possibility could ever succeed
in the role, which goes to prove that not every woman is
fitted or can ht herself for the work,"
Fraternity Halls Furnished.
Since January 1 of the current year the Retting Furniture
company have furnished t"...
·enty-three fratcmity halls located
in all parts of the country.
A considerable number of the
contracts were secured by Walter Brackett, with the aid of
legitimate retailers, lQcated in small towns of Pennsylvania.
Pratcrnities
flourish in that state as in no other, and Mr.
llrackett states that there are many little cities in the region
of Pittsburg that contain better furnished lodge rooms tha11
are used in the famous city of steel, and millionaires.
Towns
containing less than one thousand inhabitants contain lodge
rooms with furnishings that cost upward of $2,000, and the
same ratio is preserved in towns of larger size, The raising
of money for fraternity purposes seems to be an easy task
in the Keystone State,
8
OF COURSE
THE STANDARD LINE OF AMERICA IS MADE BY THE
ROCKFORD STANDARD FURNITURE CO.
WHO ELSE
COULD MAKE IT?
China
Closets
Combination
Cabinets
Buffets
Library Cases
Write
(Of'
Watch For
New Catalogue.
OUT
ad ne.\'t montl!.
No.451 Chi"a' CIo.et
No. 919 Buffet
The Ford & Johnson CO.
MANUF ACTURERS
Are you handling Fibre Rush?
If not you are missing profitable and easy sales.
No. 3772»
FIBRE
RUSH
Fibre Rush and Malacca Furniture sells quick~
Iy to discriminating trade because of its Lightness,
Durability, Artistic effects and its beautiful Color,
the FIBRE RUSH GREEN-a
soft, natural green
that is restful and pleasing to .the eye and harmonizes so well in any place.
Stock carried and delivered from any of the followingwarehonses
CHICAGO
CINCINNATI
ATLANTA
NEW YORK
:
BOSTON
-------------------------9
Good and Bad Taste
•
In
Sideboards
It is a good tbing ,.....
hell one can buy a well
designed piece of furniture for a moderate price,
such as the side hoard shown on the left. Its
straight lines will contrast admirably with the
curved surfaces of china and silver placed upon
it. In contrast the flamboyant ornament on its
opposite neighbor is vulgar and offensive This
excess of ornament is meaningless and will hold
quantities of dust.
The oak dresser shown on the left is of English design. The effect is strong and honest. The
unfortullate affair opposite stands in an American
home. It is so top heavy in design that it produces at once an effect of instability.
The low
glass door with convex surface is liable to be
broken.
Then, too, the sideboard is so shallow
from front to back as to render its compartments
of little practical value. It is safe to assume that
the ornament, which covers almost the entire surface of this piece, conceals poor stock and bad
workmanship.
The sideboard shown on the left dates back
a hundred years.
It is of polished m"hogany,
with brass trimmings.
Such patterns arc happily
being reprodnced
nowadays.
Good proportion
preV(lils here. and there is just the right amount
of ormllrent to ball111ce the phin surfaces.
This
sideboard is substantial, but not heavy, while the
(me on the right is ponderous. yet weak.
On the left is shown a beautiful example of
the type of de.'iign made £amous by Sheraton.
Tt is of mahogany, inlaid with lines of holly-wood.
The lasting beauty of such a sideboard proves
that masterpieces
may he produced in furniture
as well as in any other kip.d of original work.
It is needless to point to the glaring ugliI1CSS of
the example on the right.
Such machine made
wares will soon become rare
if once a tittle
thought IS expended in making selection.
Reproduced From the Ladies' Home Journal.
'""----------------------------10
Rockford, Ill. l\lay 23-Rockford is a city worth any man's
time to visit. It is 110t only one of the most beautiful in
Illinois, but next to Chicago leads all others in this commonwealth in manufacture.
The stranger visiting Rockford is
apt to be astonished at the variety and magnitude of its manufactures.
As a matter of course everybody interested in the
furniture business knows of Rockford, and there is scarcely a
furniture store in the land (and hardly a home) where Rockford goods may not be found. But every furniture man does
not know that the largest knitting mills in the west are located in this city; nor of its silver plate works, its agricultural
implements works; its piano, sewing machine wood and iron
working establishments and scores of other industries.
vVithin the last year Rockford has secured industries that, when in
full operation, will add from four to five thousand inhabitants
to its population/
Rockford is famous for its beautiful women. The schools
of Rockford are attended by more than five thousand children, and the addition to the high school now welt under way
is a triumph in school architecture.
Rock River is a beautiful stream with high banks and
clear water Hawing through th~~center of the city, and on
either side are located many beautiful homes, with grounds
exteJlding from broad avenues down to the water's edge.
It has been the good fortune of the writer to visit Rockford
one or more times every year for more than t"...
·enty years,
and I fecI safe in saying that T have never see!! so many
'buildings under' construction as at present; and I was told
that the number does not begin'to meet the demand. The
next United States census is likely to furnish some surprises
in the growth of the cities of this country, and Rockford will
furnish one of them.
The furniture factories are making preparations to show
their l1ew fashions in July, al1d the furniture expositions in
Grand Rapids, Chicago and New York will be replete with
Rockford goods.
The Mechanics' Furniture Company will make a beautiful
display of huffets, china and music cahinets, on the third floor
of the Furniture
Manufacturers'
Exhibition Building, 1319
Michigan avenue, Chicago, in charge of D. J. LeRoy and J. E.
Hanvey.
Their catalogue for 1907 is One of the best they
have ever mailed to the trade.
Of course everybody knows ·of the Standard and "Yohnny
Yohnson."
Both will be on exhibition at 1319 Michigan avenue Chicago, on the first floor-same
space they have had for
several seaSOl1s. The Standard's line of library and dining
room fllrnltu;·e is always to be reckoned with when one goes
to market to bliY furniture.
The Rockford Chair and Furniture Company will occupy
their beautiful new offices before this number of the Michigan
Artisan is mailed. It is the finest in the city and the Artisan
congratulates the company on the taste
displayed in the
building, fittings and furnishings.
Of coUrse they ...
vill have a
great display of lJe"W patterns jn the Blodgett Block, Grand
Rapids, in July.
The Rockford Frame and Fixture Company has long
been famous for the style, and finish of their fancy cabinet
ware. There will be no lack in this regard in July, and the
magnitude of the display will he on a par with its excellence.
They will make full exhibits in Grand Rapids, on the second
floor of the Big "Vaters Building, the Furniture Excbange,
fourth floor, New York; and lI,'lanufaeturers Furniture Exhibi-
tion building, Chicago. To describe the line would take two
or more pages of the Artisan, and then not do it justice.
The Royal Mantel and Furniture Company (they do not
make mantels) will show their full line of china closets, buffets, combination and library bookcases on the sixth floor of
1319 11ichigan avenue Chicago, and at the New York Fl1rni~
ture Exchange.
They have just completed a fine briek addition to their factory, 80 x 112 feet, five floors,
The V'J' est End Furniture Company were well pleased with
the results of their first exhibit in Grand Rapids, in January
last, on the sixth floor of the Blodgett Block, where they will
make a better display in Ju\y. The line consists of china
closets, buffets, library and comhinadon book cases.
The CeHtral Furniture Company will make their display
in all the leading furniture stores between the two oceans (or
nearly all of them) in July, August,
September,
October,
Made by Mechanics Furniture
Co. Rockford, Ill.
November and the rest of the year; but not in any of the Exposition buildings.
Their "ad" in the June issue of the Michigan Artisan will explain why.
The Union and Rockford Cabinet Companies will take
up a large space in the new Manufacturers' Building in Grand
Rapids in July.
The Forest City Furniture Company will show in July
only at 1411 Michigan avenue, Chicago on the third floor, incharge of E. P. Chamberlain, O. E. Landstrom and E. A.
Clarke.
Charley Cox Looks for a Good Season.
Cbarles If, Cox, the vice-president of the Michigan Chair
company, who returned from a tour of the large cities of the
eastern states recently, anticipates a satisfactory volume of
trade during the remainder of the year. He states that although, on account of the severity of the weather, the volume of spring sales by retailers was not large, it was fully
equal to the same months of 1906, which was followed by a
heavy fall trade. There is nothing discouraging in the outlook from his view point.
Michigan Chair Line Ready.
The Michigan Chair company's fall line is finished and in
the hands of the photographer.
Treasurer Garrett states that
it is as large and featured as strongly as the lines brought
out in the past.
..~
11
A "REGULAR FURNITURE DEALER."
His Requirements "Officially" Defined by President
bury.
Rosen_
A short time ago the 1Iichigan Artisan received a letter
fro111 a gentleman
about to engage in the business of selling
furniture by retail and incidentally by mail, by means of catalogues, inquiring <IS to wh;lt plan of conducting sales it is
,.
tempt to compel retaiters of merchandise to conduct their
business on the basis laid down by President Rosenbury.
It
is not necessary to seek far for impregnable trade barriers
\vhich the National Retail Dealers' Association would have to
overcome before it could put its policy into effcct.
Spiegel,
a retailer of Chicago, is credited with having sold through
the mails outside of Chicago, last year, fUfniture and kindred
goods valued at over $3,OCO,IJOO.
Hartman of the same city
is credited with installment sales through the postal service!
amounting to $5,000,000,
Volinegar Brothers of Grand Rapids~ it is claimed al1thentically~ sell $50,OCO and upward annally outside of Grand Rapids as the result of their enterprise in distributing catalogues through the mails, and the
Hisbop Furniture Company by the same means a considerable
larger amounts.
Bishop mails 200,000 catalogues annually.
/\ nother instalhr.ent house sells less than $25,COO from its
store in Chicago, but its mail order business amounts to
$2,500,000 annually.
These enterprises, and there are many
others, are destructive of the interests of the legitimate retailer, as defined by Mr. Rosenbury.
But what is the legitimate retailer going to do about it?
In business, only the fittest survive.
.!vlany will cease to be "legitimate" retailers
and thereby prolong their existence.
The Antique Industry.
by nw.challical proc.ess is a latter-day
practice.
Reproduction
of artistic pieces, dating from the
time of Sberatoll.
Hepplcwhite and Chippendale, form a
special business <lnd rn;L11Y an over zealous dame is "roped in"
by these "counterfeitcrs"
in their eagerness to adonl their
parlor with sometbing ";ultique."
The process of producing
the antique nppearance in furniture of modern manufacture
is ,,11 ilitcrcsting one. By no means is t11e completion of
these specimens of handicraft arri\'ed at when the regulnr
finisbing touches have been applied-not
until appearance
qualifies the article tn be accepted as a "genuine" sample of
by gone days. Upon the assumption that the offerings are in
fact models-not
imitations-of
the remote periods, fancy
prices are oht;line.d from credulous purchasers.
Carvings
aTe sand~hhsted to <lge angle edges, panels are warped with
<lcid, wood is worm eaten by drills or shot and dents are accomplished by hammering, until the destred aspect is obtaincd.- The Decorative Furnisher.
",\g;cing··
Made by Rockford Chair and Furniture
RockfOrd, Ill.
Co.,
necessary to pursue in order to obtain recognition as a legitimate dealer by the state and national associations of retailers.
The matter is of such importance that the Artisan felt
it incumbent upon itself to submit the question to the highest recognized authority in the retail trade, C. C. Roscnbury,
the president of the Katlona1 Retal\. Dealers' Association, for
an ofGcial definition.
Under date of April 29 President Rosenbury replied as follows:
hlrniture
Editor Michigan Artisan:- Yours of April 27 to hand.
A
regular furniture dealer is generally considered to be an individual Of firm who carries a stock of fUT11itnreadequate to
the COmn"lU11i.ty in which he is Going business, even though
this individual or firm should issue a catalog in connection
with this business.
Dutwould
add, further, that the sales
from stores should comprise the bulk of such business, and
not where some concern doing practically a mail order business stocks a limited amount of furniture, merely to cllable
them to be classed among the regular retail furniture dealers.
Curb-stone dealers or C1.Ub-stmie broken;, as termed,
refers to parties selling furniture from catalogs, without carrying a stock.
Yours truly,
C. C. ROSENBURY.
1f the National Retail Dealers' Association
shall undertake to compel its members and the thousands of dealers who
are not members, to observe the defill1tion supplied by 1'rcsident Rosenbury as to a legitimate dealer in fl1rnitttre it will
find the task a formidable one.
The reduction of Port Arthur would be .but a small affair in comparison with an at-
Made by Rockford Standard Furniture
Rockford, IlL
Co.,
12
Johnson Chair Company
CHICAGO,
- - ILLINOIS
Manifacturers
-
Office Chairs,
Dining Chairs, Bedroom Chairs,
and
Parlor Rockers
Sendfir our new catalogue,just out,
illustrating our entire line.
PERMANENT EXHIBIT:
Furniture Exhibition Building, 1411Michigan Avenue
ITS BECAUSE
WE HAVE
THE RIGHT KIND OF MECHANICS
THAT
WE MAKE
THE
RIGHT KIND of FURNITURE
MECHANICS
FURNITURE
COMPANY
-
ROCKFORD,
ILLINOIS
Write for new Catalogue
and keep YOQr eye peeled
for this space next month.
13
AN IOWA
IDEA.
Plan to Cripple the Mail OrderHousesbySystematica1.ly
Bleeding Them.
The retail merchants of Iowa have adopted a plan of
campaign against the mail order houses which may be all
right in theory, hut it does not seem likely to work out effectively in practice.
It is said to have been originated and
llsed by the retail hlmber dealers of the state, as a weapon
against the combination of wholesalers and manufacturers.
As submitted to members of the Retai1 Jvlerchants' Association it is like this:
Every member is requested to write a letter to mail order
houses, requesting copies of their catalogues.
Steps are to be
taken to disguise the identity of the writer and the merchant is to pose as a prospective buyer of goods. Vlhen the
catalogue arrives, tJ,e merchant can upon some pretense or
another keep up a correspondel1ce with the m;tiJ order house
and provided he writes aile letter a "week, he is putting a tax
of just that amount upon the mail order concern to say nothing of the cost of-llterature,
the value of the catalogue, the
time of employes in replyillg to correspondence,
etc.
In this way, provided a sufficient number of merchants
enter into the spirit of the idea, the catalogue house can be
put to an expense of several humlrcd thousand dollars a year,
for which they will receive no return,
vVith increased operating expenses, i.t is natural to expect that these hrms will be
at least compelled to advance the prices on their goods. If
it is carried far enm~gh, it would entirely Wl1)('. out the p-rofits of the mail order business, unless those engaged in the
latter line, devise SQm~, way to circumvent the merchants.
It is stated that upwards of a thousand lumbermen have
pledged themselves i.ndiv1dually to do tlle1r part and the intention of the promoters is to have the agitation spread to all
kinds of retailers and to aU other states, as the larger the
number of merchants committed to the scheme, the greater
wilt be the loss to the mail order people. Naturally the hltter
who through the publicity given the matter, arc a'Nare of
their danger, will use evcq' precaution against falling into
the trap and in doing so it is figured that communications
from bona fide patrons of the house "will in many cases be
consigned to the waste basket and enemies made thereby.
An Io\',Ta ll1an interested in the movement in e.stimating
the results which may be expected, flgures that if the 8,910
merchants of the state pledge their support and each one
writes two letters per week, the catalogue houses \<lill be
compelled to spend $3,564 in postage alone, not counting any
other expenses, from which they will receive no return.
The promoters of the scheme w-iH probably find that the
merchants will not pull together-each
will depend on the
others and very few of the letters wi.ll be written after the
catalogues are received.
\Vhere they are not received further correspondence will not be attempted-it
would bleed the
merchant rather than the mail order concern.
It will also
be found that the mail order houses will not feel the loss of
a fe"w thousand
catalogues.
Of course they cannot buy
postage stamps at a discount, but it will be found that the
time and other expenses of correspondence
\"ill not affect
them to any great extent even if the merch!:l.ots work the
schenle in full compliance with the theory of the promoters.
Pennsylvania
Will Have a Railroad Commission.
Pennsylvania ""viII have a state railroad commission, the
legislature having passed the bill which the governor will
sign. It was amended to suit his views before final action
was taken.
Thousands
In Use
Furniture Dealers need have no more
fear. With the use 6f Cline's Caster
Cup one table may be placed on top
of another without injury. Made in two sizes in the following finishes: Oak, Mahogany and Rosewood. Special prepared felt bottom, preventing sweat marks, scratching, etc,
Price: 2M in. per 100, $3.50; 3% in. perlOO. $4.50
We also manufacture Ihe mOllt reliable Card Holder
on the market.
Write lor our new 40 page Catalogue.
L. Cline Mfg.Co.• 'U9W.baahA"'c'
Chicago
The New Banquet Table Top
lIS
wellall OFFICE. DINING alid DIRECTORS' TABLES are our specialty.
STOW & DAVIS FURNITURE CO.• a~~id..
Write for Catalotue.
Get mmp1elof BANQUET TABLE TOP.
MANUFACTURERS
HARDWOOD
OF
LUMBER &
VENEERS
SPECIALTIES:
~tW;'gll'BQUAR.
OAK VENEERS
MAHOGANY
VENEERS
HOFFMAN
BROTHERS COMPANY
804 W. Main St..
FORT WAYNE, INDIANA
The New
"PERFECT""
FOLDING
CHAIR
Comfortable
Durable
Simple
Neat
The Acme of Perfection in the line of
Folding Cha"rs. PJJ:Rl'fiCT COMPACTNESS
when folded.
WRITE
for
PIHCES
The Peabody School
Furniture Co.
North Manchester.·
l:IlIdlana
14
SUGGESTIONS
Moderation.
FOR WINDOW
TRIMMERS'
Simplicity and Common Sense Ideas are Better
Than Unique Methods.
The following suggestions
for window trimming are
credited to Frederi(~ Schmahl, head decorator for the SiegeJCooper Company, 1\ ew York, by the Decorative Furnisher:
\Vhat a good introductioll is socially a good display window
is commercially.
It is by the display wimlow5 that the prospective or non-prospective buyer is iutroduced to the store;
thus one can readily see that great importance should be laid
on the ultimate success of that introduction.
The window
dresser has a great responsibility resting on his shoulders; it
is his task to present the goods in sllch a way that they will
not only catch the attention of the passer~by but he must
create in the spectator the desire to buy. Many unique methods are employed to attract attention and many of these draw
the gaze of the public eye, but do not create any" purchasing
desjre. The publjc stops, la\1ghs at the ingenuity displayed,
then passes on when their curiosity is satisfied.
in our
different fields have nothing to do with such methods, the upholstery window display, the furnitufe display, or the wallpaper display must posse5S artistic as well as practical value.
If the display is at once artistic, attractive and practical, the
decorator has made a long stride toward the goal of success.
That a window must be practical is its most essential feature; a window may possess exquisite artistic features but
they may be entirely unfitted for practical use. Upon the
practicability
of a window depends its trade compelling
power, which is the effect all decorators desire to produce.
Every \vindow decorator, to-day, recognizes that this art has
reached a standard, which in the larger retail establishments
requires a staff of thoroughly expcrienced men, capable of
taking any line of merchandise and presenting the same to
the public in a trade compelling manner, as the object of all
display is to sell goods. In other words, we might say that
the decorator is the hypnotio;t who makes suggestions jn a
manner which causes instant action on the part of the public.
The decorator must not only have the power to create ideas
but he must have t!:te power to adapt them as well. A theoret:,:al knmvledge is useless without the practical.
OJle well know decorator has divided window dressing into
two classes, that arranged to attract attention to its artistic
merit and that devised to increase the sales of the merchant.
It is the happy combination of these two that forms the ideal
window trim, The artistic Of high art window has a certain
advertising value which cannot be denied and serves a wider
purpose in that direction than is generally credited to it. A
well dressed, artistic window draws admirers, and the impression made is invariably a lasting one. If the admirer does
not prove directly to become a buyer, he is sure to tell his
friends of the impression it made UpOn him and in this way,
perhaps, the trade compelling effect will have been produced.
The beholder is influenced by the beauty and harmony of the
display and instinctively looks to the house maintaining this
standard for what is correct and valuable.
Another of the prime essentials to be considered in dressing a window which will appeal to the general public, is to
have the goods properly marked with neat price cards. The
first idea., after the prospective buyer admires the goods in
the show window, is to wonder concerning the price of the
goods. Of course this feature is not so important among
the wealthier classes, but generally speaking, it is an important factor in the sale of goods. Don't have the price cards
so conspicuous that t]ley will detr<let from the artistic effect
of thc window, but place them il. such a position that they
can be easily seen without jarring on the artistic ~ensihilities
of the observer. The keynote of all window dressing should
be simplicity.
One of the principal faidts of the average
show windows is overcrowding.
A mass of draperies, or
whatever the goods may be, is worse than useless. The
'''ie,
tendency of the best window decorations of the day is towards plain and practical decoration.
Common sense should
rule. Permit nothing to be seen which is not a part of the
general show, that is, the window should possess a harmonious scheme throughout.
Decide 'on some method or unit of
arrangement and repeat it carefully throughout the display
The way the light falls on the display, whether it be artificial
or natural, is a very important essential to be considered.
In
the daytime great care should be taken as to the arrangement of the awnings nod the shades. Light goods appear
to better advantage without much light, while the darker
materials require light to show them to better advantage.
As regards the effect of artii1cial light the decorator has often
deferred this part of his work to the illuminating; engineer.
The illumiJ1ating engineer, whlle he may have a knowledge
of physical quantity, power and energy, has not studied the
decorative value as affecting color. The decorator to fully
complete his scheme of unity in decoration should possess a
thorough knowledge of the decorative value of artificial light
as affecting color. The engineer cannot be expected to
appreciate fully the harmonics of l:oJor in decoration; his
is only a technical knowledge.
It is the d.ecorator's province
not only to determine the power of the light thrown upon his
display, but the character of the light as well.
As a general maxim, it is safe to keep the back ground
of the window light. For this effeet mirrors are often used
Grand Rapids Caster Cup Co.
2 Parkwood
Avo., Grand Rapids. Mich.
We are now putting on the best Caster Cups with cork bases ever
offeree to the trade.
These are finished in Golden Oak and White Maple
in a light finish. These goods are admirable for pollShed floors and furniture rests. They will not sweat or mar.
PRICES:
$4.00 per hundred
·5.00 per hundred
'Frya Sample Order.
F. O.B. Grand Rapids.
Size2Uinches
Size2~ inches··
to good advantage.
Patent reflectors, of recent invention,
frequently offer great aid in the display of a window.
Last, hut not least, is the cleanliness of the window.
This may seem a tri'"ial thing to mention, but we have often
seen an otherwise good display spoiled by dirty windows, or
furniture covered with dust. A dirty window creates a bad
impressiOll on the person looking into the window, so we do
not consider it too unimportant to mention.
Free
Advertising
Proposition.
No live furniture dealers can afford to pass this offer. With
an order for one gross of Nall's Red Star Polish, 25 cents
size, at $1.75 per dozen, we will give the dealer one gross 10
cent size free as a souv('.nir to give away to customers. Every
person receiving one of these 10 cent bottles will be a customer on the 25 cent bottle, and will sell yoU a gross in a
short time.
The dealer's business card goes 011 each bottle, both sizes,
which will place your name in the homes and ten them where
to buy Red Star Polish, atldwhen they \vant anything in the
furniture line they \vill surely remember you. 11anufactured hy
THE AMERICAN PHARMACAL CO., Evansville, Ind.
15
Something DiffERENT in Couches
1110.155
$4.00
WOVEIII WIRE
Net
We have made for some time, Couches and Davenports with woven wire tops.
Our latest essay in
this line is DIffERENT. Made and shipped K. D. Easily set up. 1\ trial order will convince.
SMITU ~ DAVIS MfG. CO., St. Louis.
SPRATT'S
CHAIRS
ARE THE JOY OF THE CHILDREN.
OUf new CHILD'S MISSION
IY rill f~r Catalogut and pria..
ROCKER was a winner from the stan.
Our line is large and prlces are right.
We make
CHAIRS
the larg.
WE estmanufacture
line of F'OLDING
CHAIRS
in the United
States. Buitable for Sunday
Schools, Halls, Steamers and
all Public Resorta. . . . .
We also manufacture
Brass
Trimmed Iron Beds, Spring
Beds, Cots and Criba in a
Iarg-e va.dety. . . .
Send for Catalocue
and Price. to
Kauffman Mfg. CO.
GROWN-
ups
AS"LAI'ID. 0"10
as well as
CHILDREN,
UNION FURNITURE
CO.
ROCKFORD, ILL.
GEORGE
SPRATT
& CO.
Shelmygan,
China Closets
Buffets
Bookcases
Wis.
Sa)' you
thiS ad
in
saw
tbe
Michigan Arti~
~an.
We lead in Style:, Confuudion
and Finish. See our Catalo8ue.
Our line on permanent exhibi~
lion 7th Floor. New Manufacturers' Building, Grand Rapids.
16
lEST ABLISHEO
appear to be so desirable by the manufacturers
ishing goods
1880
~(~~ ?-
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,- l;; " ~~,
~
.:t ~~.
~
~
I
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i: ;)
,'""
~L \
'
,,~,
'1;$,; \
.-!'3..
,
~
PUBl.ISHED
MICHIGAN
ON THE
OFFICE-2-:i!.O
10TH AND
LYON
EIIITERED
~
-
MONTH
RAPIDS,
OF TI1E S£COND
MICH.
CL,.SS
The cold, backward spring-unseasonable
weather in April
and the first half of May~cau5ed considerable dullness in the
furniture trade. By retarding building operations, delaying
alterations and improvements in residences it cut down the
demand for new outfits. The effect has been noticed more in
the eastern and middle states than in the West and South,
but even in the latter sections it was sufficient to be felt by
the factories.
This condition of affairs is not likely to continue, however. Nearly all cities, and towns report more residences being erected than ever before and as every new house
calls for new furnishings, either partial or entirely, furniture
dealers in all sections have every reason to expect a rapid
picking up in trade during the summer. Labor is scarce;
every man able to work can nnd employment.
Under these
conditions there is no reason to expect that the volume of
trade in any line will be less than that of last year. There
is every reason to expect that it will be larger.
*1* *1" "1* *1"
The mail order microbe, it appeal'S, has attacked the
banks. The United Bank of Detroit, Mich., is accused of
doing business in violation of the state banking law. The
other banking interests brought suit to have the offender
enjoined, but they were beaten in the Circuit Court. They
have appealed to the Supreme Court and expect an early
hearing. The suit is based mainly on the allegation that
the United Bank ignores the law requiring that twenty-five
per cent of deposits be held in reserve, but the mail order
methods used by the bank, which have become popular and
very profitable, are said to constitute the greatest grievance
of the more conservative bankers.
Now here seems to be a
chance for a solution of the mail order problem.
If the
complainants win in the Supreme Court and compel the
United bank to mend its' ways, perhaps the "regular" furniture dealers may be able to secure legislation regulating the
operations of the mail orderandpremiumhom.es.
*1* *1* *1* *1*
Complaints are frequently heard in the offices of the manufacturers of the slowness characterizing the settlement of accounts, by retailers.
1lany seem to think that payments
may be made for goods whenever
it is convenient
to forward
remittances
and not in accordance with the
terms
of purchase.
I n former
years
the mam1facturers were enabled to obtain the supplies required in the
production of goods on three, six, nine and twelve months
time, but in these piping .times of prosperity short settlements are demanded and enforced by the supply men. The
appropriation of long time in the making of settlements by
the retailers frel]uelltly subjects the manufacturers to expenses
and annoyances that were not comtemplated when the goods
were sotd.
*1*
*1" *1* "1* *1*
CO.
011' EACH
ST •• GRANO
~sM,l.TTER
~
*1* *1* *)* *1*
That "Iowa Idea" of a tampaign against the mail order
houses has one meritorious feature.
If put into practice
and carried along. as planned it would help to make
up the deficiency of fourteen million dollars in Uncle Sani's
postoffice pocket.
1ST
ARTJSAN
25TH
~
of house furn-
*1* *1* >kl*
If a certain number of retailers would combine to take
the output of a factory and pay for the same promptly
without too much kicking. the ready cash and the heavy
orders of the premium and mail order merchants would not
It is quite desirable
that catalogues should be of uniform
sizes-small,
medium or large. Will some considerate dealer
kindly suggest to the Artisan, for the benefit of the general
trade what these sizes should be, measured by inches?
"I" *'* *'* *1"
The New York Stock Exchange is no longer considered
a reliable business barometer.
Neither does the wheat pit
exert mueh influence on finance, general trade and industry.
"I" *1* "1* "I"
The retailer who buys tine goods from a "photo" runs a
great risk. .It is better to go to the market and learn just
what will be delivered before placing an order.
*[* "t" *[* "["
The Corey chateau, near Paris contains three elaborate
bathrooms,
The occupants must be an unclean pair.
"'1* *!* *1* *!*
Going to the market?
You would gain dollars and sense
by spending ten days in Grand Rapids and Chicago in July.
*1* *1* *1* *!*
A well-arranged show window is an object lesson.
better when seen than when read of in a newsp,aper.
*1* *1*
Abuse of your competitor
a merchant should avoid,
*\*
It is
*1*
and self-flattery
are two things
*1* *\* *!* *\*
The outcome is unsatisfactory
lives beyond his income.
to 'every
merchant
that
*1* *1* *1* "J"
If all dealers were to handle exclusive lines there would
be no incentive for prIce cutting.
*t" *1* *1* *1"
A l,>erysensible business man is he who will not leave a
customer to attend a prize fight,
*1* *1* *1* *1*
Ambition
is commendable;
The Interstate
greed reprehensible.
Rates Are Paramount.
Railroad officials are highly pleased by a decision of the
federal court of' appeals, in a Kentucky case, to the effect that
when there is a conflict bewteen interstate rates duly filed
with the commission and the combined rates of various
states through which traffic moves, dle rates filed with the
Interstate Commission shall be the legal rates.
Under this decision the roads cannot be punished for
failing to make immediate reductions of interstate rates on
a basis ·of the two cents fare laws or of orders of state commissions for reductions in freight rates.
Experts dedare that to revise completely their interstate
passenger rates to the basis fixed by various western states
will take them at least two years. Not llIltil all the roads
have made a revision of their tariffs alld the necessary comparisons and changes have been made, can anyone road prepare and file with the Interstate Commerce Commission a
satisfactory tariff sheet.
Inset
This Machine Makes the Money
==========BY SA VI NO IT =========
It makes a perfect imitation of any open grain because it uses the wood itself to print from, and one operat.or and a couple of
boys can do more work with it than a: dozen ruen with any otht::r so-called machine or pads on the market.
That"s why it"s a money maker. It imitates perfectly
PLAIN or QUARTERED OAK.1MAHOGANY.WALNUT. ELM. ASH or any other wood with open grain
WRITE
'tHE
--------
-~-
...---
Posselius Bros. Furniture Manufacturing Co., Detroit, Mich.
FOR PRICES AND FULL PARTICULARS.
MENTION
THE MICHICAN
ARTISAN.
Inset
Qran~Da~i~s Dlow Pi~e
an~Oust Arrester (om~anJ
THE
LATEST device for handling
shavings and dust from all woodworking machines. Our eighteen years
experience in this class of work has
brought it nearer perfection than any
other system on the market today. It
is no experiment, but a demonstrated
scientific fact, as we have several
hundred of these systems in use, and
not a poor one among them.
OUf
Automatic Furnace Feed System, as
shown in this cut, is the most perfect
working device of anything in its line.
Write for our prices for equipment •.
WE MAKE PLANS AND DO ALL
DETAIL WORK WITHOUT EXPENSE TO OUR CUSTOMERS
EXHAUST FANS AND PRESSURE
BLOWERS ALWAYS IN STOCK
Offioe and Fa.ctory:
205-210 Canal Street
GRAND RAPIDS. MICH.
Cltl:zea.a Pbone 1282
l1el1, hi .In 1804
OUR AUTOMATIC
FURNACE
FEED
SYSTEM
Inset
To Our Western Patrons
NOTE:
There has been no change in the management
of our CHICAGO FACTORY. the
same practical men who have brought it to its
present high standard continue in our employ.
BE NOT DECEIVED.
.
WE CAN MATCH ANYTHING
FILLER
THAT Will DRY
I
BONE HARD OVER
NIG HT
The great majority-in fact just about all of the manufacturing trade ask
for a filler to be hard dry the day after filling. We can do better than that.
USE OUR FILLER AND YOU
CANNOT DIG IT OUT OF THE PORES THE
======= NEXT DAY ========
IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR VARNISH TO PENETRATE THE SURFACE
IT SANDS OFF IN A POWDER THAT WILL LEAVE YOUR
SAND PAPER CLEAN AFTER THE WORK IS DONE.
The Barrett-Lindeman
T
CONSOLIDATION
Company
WITH
The l.lawrence-McFadden Co., Ltd.
61-63-65·67 No. AshlandAve., CHICAGO.
1400-2-4 frankford Ave., PHILADELPH"IA.
Inset
The Universal Automatic
CARVINO MACHINE
====
IPERFORMS
25
THE
WORK
OF
====
HAND
CARVERS
And does the Work BeUer than it can be lione by Hand
---~---MADE
B¥-------
(0.
Union [MDOSSlno MACUlnr
Indianapolis, Indiana
Write for Information,
Prices Etc.
The Pittsburg Plate Glass Company
MANUFACTURERS
AND
JOBBBRS
QI'"
Plain and Beveled Mirrors, Bent Glass for China Cabinets,
Plate Glass for Desks, Table Tops and Shelves.
OUf facilities for supplying furniture manufacturers will be und~rstood when we state that we have 10 Glass factories, extending
from Pennsylvania to Missouri; and 13
Mirror plants, located as follows:
Also, our 22 jobbing houses carry heavy stocks in all lines of Klass, paints, varnishes aAd brushes
and are located
New York
Boston
I'hlladelphia
BWI'/Uo
Clacbmatl
st. LouIs
Minneapolis
Atlanta.
Kokomo, Ind.
Ford-City, Pa.
High Point, N. C.
Davenport
Crystal City, Mo.
Clnelnnatl-Broadway and Court 8ts.
St. Louis--Cor. 7th and Market Sts.
Minneapolis-SOO-510 S. Third St.
JH,troit-tiS-55
Larned St., E.
Flttsburgb-IOI-I03
Wood Stl'eet.
MUwaukee. Wis--4f}2.494 Market St.
Rocbester, N. Y.-Wnder
Bulldlng, Main
and ExchRIlge 8ts.
BaItIJDo..-221-223
W. Fratt Street.
It needs no argument to show what
advantages may be derived from dealing
directly with us.
AGENTS FOR THE COULSON PATENT
B. WALTER & CO.
M...
w,tu=. of
WABASH
INDIANA
TABLE SLIDES Exclusively
WRITE
FOR PRICES
in the cities namecl below:
New York-Hudson
and Vandam Sots.
BosOOn--41_49 Sudbury, 1-9 Bowker. Sts.
Cbleag0--442-462:Waba8h
Avenue.
AND DISCOUNT
Buft'alo-S72·4-6~8
Pearl street.
Broo~85
IUtd 837 Fulton Skeet.
Phlladelpbla-Pitcaim
BuDding,
Areb
and Eleventh St8.
DaVeDPort--UO-416
Seott Street.
Cleveland-149-S1-63
Seneca St~t.
Omaba-1608-10-U
Harney Street.
St. Paul--349-1U l\IInnesota Street.
Atlanta., Ga.-30,
32 and 34 S. Pryor St.
Savunnah, Ga.-74S-749 Wheaton Stl'eet.
:Kansas City-Fifth
and Wyandotte St8.
Birmingham, AIa...-2nd Ave. and 29th St.
CORNER POSTS AND RATS.
GLOBE VISE AND TRUCK CO.
Offiee 321 South Division St••GRANDRAPIDS,MICH.
Mfrs. of Higb
Grade
Wood Workers Vises
AND
Factory Trucks
Quality and Price
SOMETHING
NEW
W
E have perfected a new GOLDEN OAK OIL
. STAIN without the use of asphaltum or
acid.
taLk in factory trucks
and we can interest
you. Will you send us
your address and Jet us
write you about them?
Writ~fM Pried8
This stain is the strongest and most penetrating stain on the market.
It entireJy penetrates the wood, leaving no surplus on the surface to penetrate with the filler.
Samples furnished on application.
CRAND
RAPIDS
WOOD FINISHINC
1S15-59 £LLI!iWOATH
AVE •• GRAND
RAPID$;,
COMPANY
MICH.
We have over l~ different styles of factory and warehouse trucks
also a complete Ih.e of woodworking vises and benches.
to offer.
MICHIGAN
Our Clamp. reoelved GOLD MEDAL at World'. Fall'. St. Louis.
VENEER
PRESS
CHAIN
(Patented June JO, t903,)
CLAMP
(patented
June 30,1903.)
Write for
rices and particulars.
Black Br s. Machinery Co.
M NDOTA,
CABINET CLAMP.
----
Boston
ILL.
-------------'OFFICES------------+----_
New York.
Jamestown
High Point
Cincinnati
Detroit
Grand Rapids
Chicago
Auoelate Office. a.nd Bonded Attorneys In all Principal cities
t. Louis
Mlnneapolla
The Furnitu e Agency
REPORTING
FURNITURE,
U
HARDWARE
AND KINDRE
TIONS
MADE EVAN
UN R
THROUGH OUR COLLECTIQ
DERTAKERS,
CARPET
TRADES.·
COLLECVALLED
SYSTEM
DEPARTMENT
•.
,
wE PRODUCE RESULTS WHERE 0 HERS lI"A.tL
WRITEl"OR
PARTICULARS AND YOU WILL SEN
US Y OUR BUSINESS.
Our Complaint an Adjustment
Department Red
rafts Collect
H. J. DANHOF, Mic igan Ma.nager.
"No-Kum-loose" Mission Knob
(PATENT
APPLIED
FOR)
This is the latest style in Mission Knobs. It is
m;tde in plain and quartered oak, and takes the same
finish as the drawers it is designed to go on. We
make a toilet screw to match. We also make the
"No-Kum·Loose" Knobs in birch, maple, walnut- and
mahogany in many sizes and styles, and carry in stock,
a ful1line of Quartered Oak, Walnut and Mahogany.
WADDEll
MANUFACTURING
SAY YOU SAW THiS
AD IN THE MICHIGAN
CO., GRANDRAP OS, MICH.
ARTISAN,
MARCH
10TH
EDITION.
Saw and Knife Fitting Machinery and Tools l~n""B,1,~'.:ia~~~,~d~t
Baldwin, Tuthill ®. Bolton
Grand. Rapids. Mich.
Filers, Selters,
Sharpeners,
Grinders,
SWM6S,
Stretchers,
Brating and
Filing Clamps.
Knife Balances.
Hammering
10011.
Investf::~
our
New 200 page
Catalogue for
1906 Free.
Bolton Band Saw Filer for Saws % inch up.
B. T. a B. Style D, KnifeGrinder.
ull Automatic.
Wet or dry
Inset
PALMER'S
Patent Gluing Clamps
USE A
MORTON
KILN
IT WILL END YOUR
DRY KILN
TROUBLES
Does not warp or check lumber.
.
THE MOST PERFECT MOIST AIR
KILN ON THE MARKET.
TRUCKS, CANVAS DOORS, RECORDING THERMOMETERS and other supA';
;plies.
'Write for catalog H which tells HOW
TO DRY LUMBER.
MORTON
Are tb. mQ8t successful. PUlng Clamps Made
Fol" the followlD' reason_
They clamp in8tantlly any width of dimension stock, DO adjusting clamps to tit the work, they book at 0llC6 to the desil'bd
width.
Released lnstantly-thl'ow
Qutthe
lever and take them 08'.
The work can be ~moved as, fast as It e8n be handled.
As the claw.p is placed. over the work and look8, into tbe ~ne
below it, 'tl1e draw Is alike 00 both sides, prevents all springmg
no matu.r bow wide the stock, may be.
ImpolISible tor them to llilPl the weqe has serrated edge Rnd
cannot be moved when ~Iamp is flJ.osed, hammer all you. like.
Unlimited power; ;&TOOt strength and durabUity; malleable irOD
and
DRY KILN
CO.
Regarding
Orders
their
the knocklo Joints are sooketJoint8,
Dot rivEltl'l.
N(Il, 4,
A. E. Palmer. Owosso. Mich.
218 LA SALLE ST., CHICACO.
Duplicate
illteeI;
Although the best they cost you less.
Fo!' lurtber intOJ'lDstloD a8k 101' eqtRlope
Attest
Satisfaction
<fAB C" MOIST AIR KILN
THE AMERICAN
LUMBER
CQ;. Albuquerque, N. M" write ..
* * * The receipt by you of a duplicate order from us is evidence of our satisfattionwith· the Kiln.
and we believe the fact of our havin~ placed duplicate order with you is as strong a testimonial as one could
give~and you may use this letter" as SUCh,ll
II
Shan we send you our Catalogue
No- 166 M A?
AMERICAN BLO\NER COMPANY. Detroit. Mich.
NEW YORK
CHICAGO
ATLANTA
LONDON
Inset
BOYNTON de. CO.
SEND
-
,,- ~
FOR
---~--
,
-
....--.--
"X_:",,_;.
/..,__
Manufacturers
of
Embo ......ed aDd
Turned Mouldinga.
Embosaed
and
Spindle Carving ...
and Automatic
Turning •.
_ ........
~"'C:":'~'...o"":::~A;;'
We also manufacture a large. Hoe
CATALOGUE
of Embosaed Ornaments for Couch
Work.
419·421 W. fifteenth
St., CnlCAGO, ILL.
SAW
FOX
DADO
GREATEST
FASTf!;.ST
QUICKEST
ADJUSTMENT
RANGE
CUT
LEAST
LEAST
POW~R
TROUSLIt
LONGEST
PERF£,CT
LIFE
SAFETY
t.n
Also Machine
KnlveJ'. Miter
Macht~.8. Etc.
We'll lliladly
YOU all about
It.
PH"RMANI;!.NT
F. B. WILLIAMS
38t2 VINCENNES AVE., CHICACO
Manuiadur~r.oi Hardware Specialties for the Furniture
Established
ECONOM'i'
FOX MACHINE. CO.
185 N. Front Street.
Grand Rapids, Mtch
Wood
Forming
FOLDING BED FIXTURES
Profitable fixtures to use are those which give the
least trouble. They are made by Folding Bed
'Williams in many styles and designs, suitable for
every folding bed manufactured.
Furniture Castings, Panel Holders, Corner Irons, etc. New ideas
and inventions constantly being added to the line.
HEADS
SMOOTflE5T
GROOVES
Cutters
We offer exceptional value in Reversible and
One~Way Cutters for Single and Double Spindle Shapers.
Largest lists with lowest prices.
Greatest variety to select from.
Book free.
Address
Trade.
SAMU~bo~·PE~N~ttt~~.
s~. SONS
]871(
THE KNOB THAT WONT COME OFF
NO·KUM·LOOSE WOOD KNOBS
UT shows the construction of our line of Wood Knob •.
The metal nut is clinched into the wood at its front end, preventing turning or pulling out. To the back end of the nut
is riveted a steel base, having projecting spurs which enter
the drawer front. The knobs are held in place by a screw and corru-
C
gated spur washer, which avoids any· possi-
bility of unscrewing. All goods are smooth2 inch "A"
ly sandpapered, and shipped only in the
White. Regular screws furnished will take drawer fronts ~ to 1}8 thick,
long-erscrews to order. Stock knobs will be kept in mahogany only. Other
woods to order.
The face of knob" A" is veneered with specially selected fancy stock, same
as used in making crossband veneers, presenting
a beautiful
and attractive
appearance when finished.
TOILET SCREWS: Ij£ to 2 inch knobs can be furnished as toilet
screws to order only with standard bolt 3}f inches long and patent drive nut
Section of "A"
and washer.
GRAND RAPIDS BRASS COMPANY, Grand Rapids, Mich.
I
~MIP
Inset
..HIG7J-N
0
7If--TI'{~
~.
INSIST ON HAVING
Johnson's Tally Sheet
MorrisWoo~I Sons' Sol~ Steel alue Joint (utters
tor there are no other" ~~
ju.rt aol'good.·'
----IFOR----
HARDWOOD LUMBER
NOT LIKE OTHER
TALLY SHEETS.
c. A. JOHNSON, Marshfield,
Wis.
They Cl.1t a clean perfect joint always. Never burn owing
to the GRADUAL CLEARANCE
(made this way only
by us), require little grinding, saving time and cutters.
No time wasted setting up and cost no more than other
makes.
Try a pair and be convinced.
Catalogue No. 10 and
prices on application.
MORRIS
WOOD
&. SONS
Tblrt,.-two ,.ears at 31·33 S. Canal Street. CHICAGO. ILL.
Po H. Reddinger' Carving Worhs
(li'Q'I't1U!1"lyCincinnati
CARVINGS
"Rotary Style" for Drop Carvings, Embo8KOO Mouldbag8, Panels.
EMBOSSINC AND DROP CARVINC
MACHINES.
l\laebines for all PUrpOS68. aod at prices within the reach of
all.
Evel'Y mlJcWne hUMour guanmtee agaInst breakage for one
Oarving
Works of Cincinnati,
0.)
and FURNITURE
ORNAMENTS
of all kinds.
EVANSVILLE.
nw.
,.-(,21".
"Late ....l
Style" for large capacity
heavy Carvings aod Deep
EmOO8l;logs.
We have the Maebloe you want at a satisfactory
price. Write
f01' descriptive clnmla1"8.
Also make dies for aU make8 of Machines.
UIVIOIVfllfBOSSllVO 1If4CUIIVf CO.. 'ndlanapOII.,
Ind.
By sending me a small order I will convince you
that I am the man who can make yom carvings.
ONE TRIAL WILL DO THE BUSINESS.,
17
CONDITIONS
IN SAN FRANCISCO.
Strikes, High-Priced Materials and High Wages Retard the
Rebuilding of the City.
C. L. Retting, the president of the Retting Furniture com~
pany, returned recently from the Pacific coast. The .york of
Tc-building the city goes ste8dily OIl in spots, but there are
vast areas in which evidences are lacking of the intention of
the owners to erect buildings to replace those destroyed.
The winter \V<l.S extremely cold and the heavy rains of the
spring did great damage to prop<:fty and interfered \vith the
uperation of the railroads. Vast quantities of building materials
were cot delivered causing a suspension of work in many
leather upholstery.
A feature of the exhibit will be a continuous demonstration
of the "Simplicity" sofa bed throughout the exposition season. A representative of the firm will
be in attendance at all tilres for the purpose of giving any
desired information in relation to the line and looking after
the distribution of advertising matter.
It is the ir:tertion of the Lounge Company to make their
display, one of the most interesting and beautiful and their
sofa bed demonstration should prove something of a novelty
in the way of a furniture exhibit.
It can hardly fail to attract
a great deal of attention.
The LOllnge Company would be glad to have furniture
dealers 'who visit the exposition make their headquarters on
the grounds at their exhibit and mail may be s.ent "in their
FACTORIES OF THE PALMER AND PIONEER MANUFACTURING
instances.
The high wages demanded by union labor and the
strikes of the street railway employes were also causes of
discouragement.
Hod
carries
,-"ere iBid
fifty
cents
per hour but recently they struck for $5.00 per day of eight
hours. The city vvill be reblli1t but not as rapidly as had been
predicted shortly after the earthquake.
Oakland is prospering remarkably on aCCotUlt of the calamity of her nearest
neighbor, vvhile Portland, Seattle and Spokane arc living examples of marvelous prosperity.
These cities arc expanding
their borders and adding thollsands to their population every
month,
•
Jamestown
Lounge Company at the Jamestown
Exposition.
The Jamestown
(=-'J, Y.)" Lounge Company will make a
display of their Line at the Jamestown Exposition and ''lilt
have a very attractive exhibit in the l\fanufacturers' and Liberal Arts building. This will occUpy a corner section on one
of the main aisles 18 x 24 feet in size. The booth will be of
Colonial design, finished in ivory white and gilt with the
interior appropriately decorated.
The tine shown ",rill consist entirely of colonial patterns in mahogany with "Reliance"
COMPANIES, DETROIT, MICH.
care. It should be addressed care Jamestown
pany, Section 27, Manufacturers
and Liberal
Norfolk, Va.
Lounge ComArts Building,
New Trade Paper.
One of the latest additions to the list of trade papers is
the vVest Virginia Lumberman
and National Wholesaler
to be published semi-monthly, with officers at Elkins W. Va.,
and Pittsburg, Pa. The first number appeared' on May 10.
Charles J. Holmes is the editor and K. H. Stover, general
manager.
The paper is to be the official organ of the West
Virginia Saw J\Jill Association of which Mr. Stover is president. It makes a decidedly creditable
appearance
for a
youngster, features of the initial number being a sketch of
the Saw 1Iill Association and news matter well condensed,
;ho\\':ng condition of the lumber trade. at various po'nts In
West Virginia and adjacent states. A feature that wi:,l. b~
of special interest to dealers is the publication of lumber
freight rates on the principal railroads, from West Virginia
points to Baltimore, Buffalo, Chicago, St. Louis, and other
large distributing centers.
18
jog at all it certainly
is this one, though this does not decrease the danger which the custom holds out to him. He
drinks because drinking adds a certain percentage to his
Salesmen Who Find it Necessary Usually Achieve Only
value as a salesman. and consequently a certain number of
Temporary Success.
dollars to his salary. But when his drinking becomes a habit
to him, as it inevitably does in time, he is as helpless in its
Abollt a year ago a certain large western wall paper esgrip as the man who drinks because he has' a strong craving
tablishment had in its salesroom a man whose name shalt he
for intoxicating liquor.
Jones, because his name really is something quite different.
Despite the multitudinous "schools," and "systems," and
He was one of the star salesmen of the house. He knew
"rules" for salesmanship, selling goods remain what it was ir:
the wall paper business. He had started in as ati order picker
the beginning-largely
a matter of personality.
Enthusiasm
at the manufacturing plant. From there he had gone to be
force, confidence, and the mysterious ability to impart these
city shipping clerk in the· salesroom.
From shipping clerk
qUf!-liticsto the customer are what makes the salesman. Perhe bad come naturally to the salesroom, a ceu"_plcte c:xpersonal magnetism, amounting sometimes almost to hypnotic
ience in"the line recommending him for the position of salesability, makes sales where without it no sale would be made.
man. But at first he couldn't sell goods.
He could show
Some men_possess this magnetism.
They are the born salesthem. He could help other salesmen pick out patterns and
men, the natural "convincers" of their profession. They have
colors. He could tell a customer what really was the best
no excuse for drinking, but their number is few.
kind of paper for her to buy, but he couldn't make the sale.
Other salesmen do not possess this force, and it is they
He wasn't naturally equipped with the magnetism, or whatwho drink. In their normal condition they are too cold, inever it is, that makes the salesman.
different, and deficient in enthusiasm.
There is "too mucii
One day he came" to work with two drinks where noroom between" the customer and themselves. They don"t "gel.
thing but his breakfast should have been. To his snrprise,
together."
No matter how hard they try, no matter how
he sold the first customer more goods than she had intended
much and how earnestly they desire to sell goods, they can't
to purchase when she came iu. The same with the next, and
do it.
the next, and the next. At 11 he went out and got two more
Slightly stimulated by whisky they are different men.
drinks to take the place of those that he had "worked off."
The whisky furnishes them with the warmth, enthusiasm,
For the next two hours he was so successful in his salesand force that they lack. Their tongues are loosened; new
manship that he was surprised.
And when he felt that he
ideas seeth in their minds they are fiIlled with confidence in
was beginning to l?se his grip he went out and got a couple
the goods they are showing, their own abilities, and in the
more drinks.
.
certainty of making a sale, and they carry the customer with
A few days later, in a moment of confidence, he was tellthem until the sale" has been consummated.
They know they
ing his experience to the head salesman. The head salesare going tQ make a sale, and-they
do it. Normal they
man laughed. "Well, there are three others here who are
would fail; stimulated they win with all brilliance,
doing exactly the same thing," he said, "and I'm none of 'em,"
The temptation which they are subject to under such conThe young salesman began then to go about his work
ditions is obvious. If they don't drink they won't make good;
with what technically is known as a "still jag." He couldn't
if they do, they wilL The result is that they drink. Some of
sell goods without drinking; so he drank. At first three or
them drink little. Usually these are the beginners.
Some
four drinks a day served to put him and keep him in the proof them drink much. These are the veterans; at first a little
per condition for his work. Later on it took five or six.
suffices to do the work; later on the quantity necessary inPretty soon it took twice as many. Eight drinks a day is a
creases. Some go through the natural period of salesman's
whole lot for one man to take into his system and assimilate
activity apparently entirely unharmed by tDe habit. Others
regularly every twenty-four hours. It is too many. This
go to a drunkard's lot in a few short years.
man found it many too many. He is out of a job now; he is a
There is but one thing which the young man who condrunkard.
The drinking began in order to help him sell
templates beginning a career as a salesman should consider.
goods, grew on him until it became an unbreakable habit and
This is: Can he afford to take the chance? The- chance-for
I,e went down and out in a hurry.
becoming a hard drinker-is
there to a big extent. If he
This story is true in every detail. Possibly, in that it refeels that he cannot touch liquor without coming under its
sulted in such a speedy and complete ruin of a young man
sway the course of wisdom for him would be to find some
of bright promise, it is an exception. But the salesman who
other line where the temptation to drink would not come to
drinks in order to be good at his work is not an exception
R. Greene.
and if there is any class of worker who is justified in drink~ him in the guise of business success.-Daniel
DRINK A DANGEROUS EXPEDIENT.
BERRY BROTHERS'
Rubbing and Polishing Varnishes
MUST BE USED IN FURNITURE
THEY
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FINISHED
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BERRY BROTHERS.
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AND LABEL
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YORK,
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(ESTABLISHED
1858)
BOSTON.
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LIMITED
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ST. LOUIS,
ONTARIO
SAN FRANCISCO.
19
Prudential
It matters not how far away you live or
whether you reside in a city or in the country.
we'll ship you a single article or furnish your
home complete and give you from twelve to
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'In
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Our Goods are of Highesl Characler
made for finest city trade and offered to you at
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22 Great Stores Tb~out
the United States
Thisgreatconcern
handles more goods than
any other store or combination of Furniture
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which enable US to sell goods lower in price
than any other concern t"n the country. You
are welcome to all the credit you waDt and
may pay for your pUrchases iD
Small Monthly Payments
Thill fsnot
1m Art
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This is a
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a large and beautifully fIIustrated
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Furniture&:
HARTMAN
!YI
Carpet Co.
Oldest. largest, most $ubs,tantlaJ :rondrno.c;tre1Iab1o
homefurnJshing
institution
in America.
Capital, $r.800,ooo.
.In Busz·neisSZ Yean.
•
223.225.227.229 Wabash Ave.
@?.t?~!!!!!!C!!H!!I!!!C!!AGO. S. A.
•
•••
v.
Another Plan Followed by /I "Legitimate -, Dealer in Selling Goods Through
the Mails on the InStallment Plan.
Club Members Fined.
On May 20 Judge Landis of the United State District
Court in Chicago, pronounced sentence upon members of the
Prudential Club, composed of manufacturers of church and
school furniture, who had pleaded guilty to the charge of
maintaining a combination in violation of the Sherman antitrust law. Before imposing sentence Judge Landis said:
"In this matter the indictments contain each three counts,
but there is only one offense charged. In a general way this
offense is entering into a conspiracy in restraint of trade. The
terms of the Sherman law, I bad assumed the business men tl!
the United States were familiar with.
"They used the "assist' or 'straw" bid, the object of which
is to deceive a seller or a purchaser of property.
In this case,
when an as~ignment of a contract was made by Holbrook to
a company in the combination, the intended purchaser of
church or school furniture was made to believe that there
was real competition, when in fact brother members of the
combination received quiet tips to put in bids, but their bids
were to exceed the one of the company to which the contract
had been assigned by Holbrook.
"To my mind this is the most contemptible feature of the
'",hole transaction.
I have seen that kind of trick in practical operation, and it is very nasty. VVhen I Teflect \\pon the
methods resorted to J wonder why it is men engage in such
a business to get money."
"I 6nd in this case that the real offenders are the big offenders. As for the small conccrns, it becomes my duty to
avoid closing up such institutions, and it seems that severe
punishment would force some of them into bankruptcy.
To
keep them in independent operation is the only hope the
consumers have against the big concerns."
The COllrt then ordered that the respondents be required
to pay 6nes as follows:
A II. Andrews company, Chicago
_
_
. _$5,000
F. H. Holbrook, "managing director" of the Prudential
Club
, 5.000
Superior rl'1anufacturing Company, Muskegon, 11ich
1,000
Owensboro Seating & Cabinet Company, Owensboro,
Ky
.
.. 1,500
Southern Seating & Cabinet Company, Jackson, Tenn .. 1,500
Cincinnati Seating Company, Cincinnati
.
2,000
Fridman Seating; Company, New Richmond, Ohio
. 500
H. C. Voght Sons & Co., Parker City, Ind
_ .
500
Minneapolis Office & School Furniture Company, Minneapolis, Minn...................
.
2,250
Illinois Refrigerator Company, :'lorrison IlL...
1,750
Peabody School Furniture Company, North l",lanchester,
Iud
_.
1,000
Haney School Furniture Company, Grand Rapids, Mich. 500
Hudson School Fumiture Company, Logan, W. Va .. , 500
Beware of the "Quacks."
Retailers throughout those sections of the country most
affected by the mail order parasite are being offered a growillg list of quack remedies for combatting the evil, at so much
per dose. There never has been and never will be a disease,
physical or otherwise, which will not be utilized by the
sharper to extract contributions of cash for its cure. But the
retailer who distributes his money among the promoters of
ideas is pretty sure to 6nd that he is but adding an additional
item to his expense account, \vithout securing value received.
There is but one reasonable specific, and that is additional personal effort and c011certed action with his fellow merchants,
and the growth of the latter idea has proven the most effective remedy for any abuses, that has yet been developed.
\Vhen some £e11o\'
...
· atten:pts to annex your coin for the products of his brainstorm, calmly but effectually sit on him;~
Portland Oregonian.
20
able salaried man. Other forces, however, are revolutionizing retail conditions.
If one applies this loose word "trust"
to everything that makes for concentration, .large-scale disEffects of Trusts and Department Stores on Retailers and
tribution, narrowing of profits, etc., then some of these forces
Those Who Would Be Merchants.
may be classed as trust activities.
But other conditions are
far outside, even, of this wide' classification.
(From an article written by James H. Collins for the Saturday
The retail merchant is certainly facing some ugly facts.
Evening Post, Philadelphia.)
First, there are pseudo-trust influences, three in number: the
department
store, the mail-order house, and the chain of
~~ow, how about the young man starting in life to-day, who
stores operated by one management.
The latter is either a
fec~ that he has within himself the making of a prosperous
department store spread out over a whole city, with its econoro~
merchant?
What changes have been wrought in retail conies in buying, or system of shops scattered over the whole
ditions since \Vanamaker and Marshall Field began?
How
country that carries one line of goods direct from manufaclarge will the trusts loom 011 his horizon?
A. T. SteFifty years ago it made little odds where the path of turer to consumer, also with resultant economies
wart did a gross business of sixty-five million dollars a year,
glory led. Where it began was in a country store, and the
but a large portion of this was wholesale.
In Chicago to-day
- neophyte matriculated by sweeping out the place and washare two mail-order concerns, whose business is of a retail
nature, competing with retail merchants; and each of them
does nearly as much business as did Stewart both his wholesale and retail establishments.
All these changes in retail
trade are based on natural conditions-the
growth of population in cities, the perfection of mail and freight service, the
increase in publications, the nationalization
of" demand.
The retailer is also a buffer between manufacturer
and
consumer.
One trims his profit to meet competition in production, while the other trims it because the cost of living
has advanced.
He is even ttp against what some believe to be the greatest
American problem-the
sevant question.
Thousands of small
shops in the large cities would have no clerks at all did not
the proprietors rear their own. Small shopkeeping has drifted
largely into the hands of the thrifty German and Jew, who
put their wives, sons and daughters behind the counter.
The
old-type retailer, too, works harder for his money than anyl·lOdy else nowadays.
•
\Vhether there is as much profit to-day in a modest retail
business as a generation ago is rather a complex question.
Thousands of small merchants still amass comfortable competences in trade. They may not make as much proportionate
to the increase in cost of living. Their rewards appear small
besid-e those of manufacturers,
and even of salaried men.
But they are often men who have risen from the ranks of
wage-earners, and might not have done as well in other fields.
For the young fellow who has genuine retail ability there
Made by Luce Furniture 00., Grand Rap1dB,Mich.
are unquestionably larger opportunties than ever before. He
must look for them in new places, however.
Under some
iog the v\lindows. M r. Rogers started there t'o be an oil king.
circumstances his most attractive field may lie in a salary with
Rockefeller started in a commission store. Men like Wana great merchandising organization.
Under others he may
amaker and Field became clerks and stayed in the retail
build up a far~reaching organization of his own. As the pro~
line, and even General Grant's real career dates back. to
prietor of a single retail business he may; by unusual ability,
his c1erkshipin
Galena. It seems rather curious to find so
earn a satisfactory profit. And it is held by most persons
much ability coming up from the retail store, until one goes
in
the wholesale and manufacturing trades that there is still
back and looks carefully.
Then it becomes apparent that.
room for a moderate success where a man of oriJy average
at that time, there wasn't any other place to start, unless one
ability enters retailing.
wanted to be a farmer.
Perhaps the best way to crystallize this matter is to draw
To-day the young man ,....
ho is not especially attracted
pictures of two typical retailers-the
man of average ability
by the retail career can find a number of other entranccand
the
man
of
unusual
ability.
points to Life. How about the youngster who really wants
There are about two thousand retail druggists in Greater
to be a merchant-who
is willing to hegin by sweeping out,
K ew York. Their average profit must be very low-five
if necessary-who
would keep his shop in the hope that it
thousand dollars a year would doubtless be too liberal a
will keep him?
maximum for all of them, or for any retail line. Much of the
In previous papers it was shown that the trusts have, if
retail trade of every city is mere pushcart traffic. Yet some
anything, immeasurably
increased the number of salaried
of these dealers, by only fair ability, manage to clear from five
plac.es and amount of salary. It was showing too, that
thousand dollars to eight thousand dollars a year, and a few
perhaps, the independent manufacturer has fair opportunities
of the exceptionally able ones from ten thousand dollars upto hold his own, even against a trust.
ward. Our typical druggist of average ability was an elderly
In the retail trade of this country there have undoubtedly
German, who had kept a shop in the lower part of Manbeen more radical changes brought about the past quarterhattan Island for forty years and more. We have figures of
century than in either of these other fields. The trusts themhis gross turnover for a period about twenty years ago, before
selves, as manufacturers or controllers of manufactured goods,
the department store became a force.
He was back in
tnay not bear soheavily upon the retailer as has been asserted.
what 'is now assumed to have been a golden era of retailing.
Many of them need him in their plans, just as they need the
OPPORTUNITIES
ARE NOT LIMITED.
21
Yet his daily sales did not greatly exceed twenty dollars gross,
counting Sundays, and thirty dollars vvas all uncommon day's
business. The gross annual tUrllOVerdid not reac.h ten thousand dollars, aud profits \"'ere not much over thirty-five hundred dollars.
This druggist did a trade that is still done to-day in every
city, and which will probably continue to be practicable for
many years to come--a small neighborhood trade. Prescriptions, medicines and toilet goods made. up the lmtk of i.t. His
shop had become a land mark and gossiping place. He \'.·as
..
content, did not think of advertising, had not kept abreast of
demand, was not a >:ihre.wdbuyer. Part of his proll.t3 each
year were on the shelves in stock, some of it unsalable. He
took \""hat trade gravitated to him, and had hllen into comfortable habits of huilding a TIre eac.h morning, taking an observation on the weather, and wondering how the next election would go.
Abottt twenty years ago this old-time druggist hired a
boy. He was rather an extraordillary boy for three dollars
a week-quick, observant, interested.
He saw a l'ustomcr before the customer saw him, and waited on him in a way that
made friends. He took pride in the appearance of stock, and
put circulars in packages, and brought so much initiative into
this passive business that eventually the old druggist sent
him to take a course in pharmacy. The boy \von highest
honors in a class of seventy-one, and came back, not a pharmacist, but a chemist. Then the proprietor took him in as
junior partner, and by and by, when he died, the business passed to the younger man. The latter has since developed this
neighborhood store in a way that makcs it unique. First,
on the mercantile side, he has put in a tine stock of druggists'
sundries and knicknacks-goods
upon which the druggist
of unusual ability, with a central location, often builds an
cnormous trade, his prescription departmcnt becorning a mere
accessory.
*
*
*
*' *
*
*
*
'"
One of tlie large Sixth Avenue department stores in New
York ·was built up on its millinery depart1l1ent~-as a good
many similiar stores have been built ill other cities. Taste
and reasonable prices in rnillinery make a magnet that draws
trade to fifty other departments.
The millinery buyer in this
store receives a salary of twenty thousand dollars a year,
it is said-not
an unusual one for a department-store buyer
of exceptional ability, for a few well-known buyers receive
thirty thousand dollars. This man runs a department that
does a gross business of OtiC million dollars a year-the
largest in the country, perhaps. He pays no rent, no taxes, no
insurance. takes no risk. An error of a few thousand dollars
in buying might put our energetic druggist into bankruptcy.
An error of fifty thousand dollars with the millinery man
would meal1 nothing serious, for the store would move the
goods by a little activity and price-cutting, and make good
any loss a few months later. There are hundreds of buyers
for the great department stores who receive saLaries of ten
thousand dollars to fifteen thousand dollars, and from that
on downward the positions increase in number, until ,\ve find
many paying twenty-five dollars a week into which exceptionally bright clerks arc stepping every day.
Here is one great chaunel for the young man with retail
abillty.
As the youngster who seeks a salaried place in a manufacturing company, or means to be a manufacturer himself
must learn to sell goods, so the neophyte who is poss('ssed with
the ambition to become a merchant must learn to buy.
Let us look at this department-store business a momellt.,
and find out where it began, and how 1t 1S conducted to-day,
and \vhat it seems destined to become in t.he future.
The department store grew out of the old dry-goods store.
It is very new as yet. The greatest growth has come in the
past decade. Ten years ago the department business of New
York was perhaps not one-quarter that of to-day. The oldtime dry-goods store of thi.rty years ago handled a few lines
of textiles, and had but two busy seasons-spring
and fall.
In between times there was stagnation, reduction of expenses,
disn1issal of clerks. It was the need for keeping busy every
month in the year, and the necessity for keeping a clerical
force intact that led to the addition of other departments.
Ne"\\' lines were superimposed on the dry-goods trade, and a
cycle of business built up, by advertising and special sales,
that keeps a great store active the whole year, -.jc * * *
The best ,season is that around the Christmas holidays.
January is made a good month by extraordilJary bargains in
housefurnishings and staple white goods. There is no reason
on earth why peop1e should·buy such goods in January, but
department-store
activity has made it a great mercantile
No. 914.
Made by Estey Mfg. Co., Owosso, Mich.
event of the year. February, dullest of all mDnths except
August in the old days, is a time for pushing goods that lie
dormant at other seasons-silverware,
leather goods, floor
coverings. Then the spring tradi:'. comes along, running until
June, and another season of forced selling occurs ill the dogdays. August is the month of relaxation, when employes take
vacations. Then follows the fall trade, and this leads again
into holiday business.
Thi,s cycle of selling keeps busy at all times a force of
trained clerks. Clerk; are, shifted from ~ectlon to section fOT
special ,sales, and made a charge on the buyer who needs them,
perhaps for only one day.
Based on such economic principles, the department store
has grown until there are now many establishments that do
a gross business of ten million dollars to fifteen million dollars
yearly. Citi.es of 40,GGO population
support
such stores.
There are five hundred with capit;d of fifty thousand dollars
to two million dollars each, onc thousand more dry-goods
stores with thi.rty tbousand dollars to five hundred thousand
dollars capital, and ten thousand others, smaller still, with
ten thousand dollars average capitaL Their yearly gross turnover is estimated at fl"\'e times their capital. Old trade has
been diverted, but the chief effect has been stimulation of new
business. They influence manufacturing, merchandising and
all activity. One remarkable effect is shown in our newspaper.
22
Growth of afternoon and Sunday papers is based upon their
advertising patronage. A conservative estimate gives thirtyfive thousand dollars as the annual advertising expenditure
of department stores in New York and Brooklyn. The newspaper publisher now delivers his afternoon and Sunday paper
to readers below cost, taking his profit from department-store
advertising.
The all-important man in these huge retail organizations is the buyer. He it is who ransacks the world's
markets for attractive goods, and who studies demand, the
weather, the changing seasons and flitting fashions, the needs
and whims of the purchasing public. A small retailer often
buys several 'different lines of goods. He must usnal-ly buy
at home. He has smal capital, a small margin for errors, a
small outlet. The department-store
buyer, however, special'izes on a single line, and can go abroad if necessary.
He has
enorm.ous purchasing power, and an outlet that permits him
to take reasonable risks.
Buying goods is as much a matter of human nature as selling, but, instead of studying a few customers,
the buyer
studies people in the mass. It has been said that a knowledge
of retail human nature is the key to business success in any
line where public taste must regulate one's operations.
The
failure of almost any unsuccessful retail business is frequently
traced to poor judgement in buying, while shrewd gauging
of the public taste often carries a business into success despite lack of capital. Many elements enter into the equipment
of the buyer who rises to a position at twenty thousand dollars-the
output of merchandise is to-day so vast and varied
_that even a little news instinct is needed. But thc careers of
most buyers, traced back to beginnings, are found to be laid
on a knowledge of goods and the public gained in selling behind the counter.
The logical place to begin in this field is as a clerk. There
is a wide spread notion that department store clerks are a
poorly paid, sapless species of humanity.
But it is not borne
out by fact. Under conditions in the old dry-goods stores,
promotion of ten- went by favoritism, as it -does still in the
English "living in" system.
But few classes of workers in
any field are to-day more independent or better paid than
efficient department store clerks.
* * * * *
\Vith knowledge gained as a clerk, many a bright young
man and woman has become a department store buyer on
large salary. Entering a store as wrapping boy or cash girl
then going behind the counter, there acting as assistant to one
of the buyers, then intrusted with the purchasing for a _minor
department, and so on upward-these
ar~ the successive steps
of advancement.
A buyer's promotion is in large degree based on actual
showing of results. As the clerk asks for more salary on
his sales record .• so the buyer is- advanced and given wider
scope according to the gross business of his section. Some
of the shrewdest men turn stock in a single department ~
dozen times a year, and on capital of five thousand dollars
will swing a gross business of fifty thousand dollars. The object in typical bargain stores is to turn stock quickly, and
buyers do so by finding opportunities to purchase stock cheaply. In stores that deal in luxuries, on the contrary, the world
is scoured for novelties, regardless of price.
The same abilities tJ13t would make a merchant successful
in his own establishment will, when directed into this new
field, give him a larger money return.
He needs no capital,
and takes practically no risk
His independence, too, will be
ample. Anything notable in achievement gets about, not
only in a buyer's own organization, but among other stores,
where keen eyes are open for exceptional purchasing talent.
In fact, the department stores of every large city now employ
"shoppers" who go daily to rival establishments,
note the
quality of advertised offerings, the interest aroused among patrons, the new goods on sale, etc. These spies work under
instructions, and their reports shape the policy of the store
that employs them. Every little triumph of the buyer is
known in every other store before night, and he gets into the
mercantile "Who's \Vho" very quickly when his work warrants a place there.
*
*
* * * * *
The largest percentage of commercial disaster falls on the
independent retail trade.
But statistics show that, incompetence, neglect, inexperience and extravagance a-re responsible
for nearly twice as many retail failures as lack of capital or
unfavorable trade conditions.
Vv'hen a retail merchant proves
that he has genuine mercantile ability these days, it is much
easier for him to obtain credit from Wholesalers than a generation ago. A surprisingly large proporationof
the retail trade
ation ago. A surprj~ingly large proportion Qf the etail trade
of this country is carried on the capital and credit of wholesales, jobbers and manufacturers.
The outcry of rctailers against departmcnt stores and mailorder houses has been very bitter.
Yet, despite the enormous volume of goods sold through these establishments, the
neighborhood
retailer can hold his own up to the natural
limitations of his business. Department stores and mail-order
concerns sell pianos by the thousand, yet the-retail piano trade
is growing, too, and it is so in practically all lines. Price
competition may be reduced largely to clever offerings of special articles when keenly analyzed.
For instance, a man went
into a large New York department store's jewelry department
to have his watch repaired. The price asked was three dollars
It seemed excessive, so he went to a small jeweler a block
away and had it done for a dollar and a half. This jeweler
told bim that much of the big store's repair work came into
his own little shop. Country merchants
have repeatedly
fought mail-order houses by quoting comparative priCes from
catalogues against their own regular prices.
* * *
In some ways mail-order -houses press country merchants
closely. Yet they draw only a portion of the cash business
from a community.
The local merchant can have the credit
business, and much of the best trade, such as that in pianos,
stoves,farm
implements and other lines of considerable profit per sale, gravitates to him,
Instances might be multiplied.
But it is sufficient to say
that, while retail conditions have been wonderfully altered in
a generation, yet the small merchant who has ability, prudence
and industry in his make-up, can still live, and live well, up to
th~ natural limitations of his business.
His field has not narrowed, either, but is unquestionably wider than a generation
ago. The youngster with retail virus in his blood may earn
more on salary. Yet, if he wishes to keep his own :;hop, he
will have no cause to quarrel with the world on the :;core of
opportunities.
STAR
NORTH
CASTER
UNION
STREET,
(PATENT
GRAND
CUP CO.
RAPIDS,
MICH,
APPLIED }l'OR)
We bave adopted celluloid as a base for our Caster Cups. making the
best cup 0" tbe market.
Celluloid is a grtat improvement over bases
made of otber material.
When It is necessat¥ to move a pil'ce supported
by cups with C(!JJuloidbases it ca.n be done wlth ease, as the bases are perfectly smooth. Celluloid does not sweat. andhy tbe· use of these cups
tables are nev'!'!r marred.
These cups are finlsbed in Golden Oak and
White Maple, finished light. l.f you wilt try a 8ample ordM' oj lk-e86
good8 you will desire to handle them in quantitia.
PRICES: Size 2M"illcbes
Size 2M inches......
f.
Q.
b. Grand Rapids.
$5.50 per hundred.
4.50 per hundred.
TRY A SAMPLE
ORDER.
23
OUR OAK AND MAHOGANY
Dining
Extension
Tables
Are BeSt Made, Best Finished Values.
All
Made (rom Thoroughly Seasoned Stock.
No. 495 Dining Table
Top. 48x48.
Weathered
Made in Qyartered Oak.
Finish.
Nickel CaSters.
LENTZ TABLE CO.
NASHVILLE, MICH.
No. 495 Dining Table.
MOON
DESK
CO.
MUSKEGON, MICH.
Office
Desks
See Our New
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White Printing Co.
GRAND RAPIDS, MICH.
HIGH GRADE
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WRITE FOR NEW CATALOCUE.
Kar~es
War~ro~es
are Good Wardrobes
GOOD
Style
7
Construction
Finish
Price $18.50.
No. Top,
25 5. Legs an d is Highly Polished.
Has 48 Inch
It's One 0f the "SUPERIOR"
. _
-
PRICES RIGHT
-
Wriu for Catalogue
THE
BOCKSTEGE fURNITURE
EV4NSVILLE IND.
co.
Karges Furniture
Company,
EVANSVILLE,
IND.
The "ELI" fOLDING BEDS mfrl~,~.m
No Stock coMplete without the Eli Beds in Mant~l and Upright.
Evansville.
EL I 0 • M ILL E R & Co.
Indiana
Write for cuts and prices
Kitchen
Cabinets,
Globe Sideboards
Cupboards
~-----
and
K. D.
ARE THE --------,
BEST ON THE GLOBE
FOR THE MONEY
Wardrobes.
That Pleue.
Send for our
1907 Catalogue
Get Our Catalogue.
Mentionthe MICHIGAN ARTISAN when writing.
Now Ready.
The Bosse
Furniture CO.
EVANSVILLE., IND.
Globe Fumiture Company
EVANSVILLE, INDIANA
26
Case Goods Manufacturers
Annual Meeting.
The annual meeting of the ;..rational Case Goods Manufacturers' Association of America was held at the Auditorium
Hotel, Chicago, all May 8, withh President George P. Hummer of Holland, Mich., in the chair. The method for figuring
cost adopted at the last meeting, was reported as working
quite satisfactorily and the secretary reported a considerable
increase in the number of factories represented
the association during the past six months.
The constantly increasing cost of Taw materials and recent advances in wages were discussed and many members
favored an advance in prices of furniture for the summer
selling season. The matter was left open however, to be
considered by the members ~vho are to report their views to
the Secretary to be submitted to the executive committee,
for defin-ite action at a meeting to be held about the middle
of June.
Officers for the ensuing year were elected of follows:
President-George
H. EJwell of the Minneapolis Furniture Company and the Elwell Kitchen Cabinet Company.
in
a Cltstomer permanently.
There is no discourtesy in showing proper concern as to the manner your customer has been
served, but no anxiety should be apparent and the inquiry
should be made in the most cordial manner.
Another thing; customcrs do not like to witness contests
"vhere the proprietor appears in the light of a domineering
character and the clerk as a poor wretch who dares not say
a word for fear of consequcnces.
There are many things
happening that call for correction, but it .is better to have
such matters out with the offending clerk at the proper time
and place. Dissatisfaction
in a retail store is like a wet
blanket on the entire force. In place of fault finding, it is
better to squeeze in a word of commendation
and take
chances on being worked for small favors occasionally.
Fighting
the Premium
Practice.
The Nebraska legislature has undertaken the work of eradicating premium goods. The Omaha Trade Exhibit says:
"Article 4 of Section 8 of the Nebraska pure food law reads,
in part, 'In case of food products, if there be contained in the
MISSION SUITE DESIGNED BY OTTO JIRANEK, GRAND RAPIDS. MICH.
Vice-President-A.
F. Karges of the Karges Furniture
Company, Evansville, Ind.
George G. Whitworth, of the Berkey & Gay Furniture
Company, Grand Rapids, Mich.
The Executive Committee consists of Geo. H. Elwell, Minneapolis; M. W. Coolbaugh, Springfield, Mo.; G~o. P. Hummer, Holland, Mich.; E. H. Foote, Grand Rapids; John
Emrich,
Indianapolis; A. F.
Karges,
Evansville;
John
Scott, EauClaire, Wis.; John Horn, Chicago; P. A. Peterson,
Rockford, Ill.; Chas. F:. Rigley, Owosso, Mich.; A. G. Steinman, Cincinnati; Frank Upham, Marshfield, Viis.; Chas. H.
Wolke, Louisville; \V. B. Schober, Gallipolis, 0.; J. A. Steinmeyer, St. Louis; Gen. G. \Vhitworth, Grand Rapids; E. V.
Hawkins, Connersville, Ind.: R. G. IVlorrow .):Iemphis, Tenn;
A. H. Hall, Leominster, Mass.; Clarence II. Burt, Philadelphia and R. G. Hower, Warren, Pa.
J. S. Linton of Grand Rapids, Mich., was re-appointed
Secretary by the Executive Committee.
Courtesy
to Customers.
Time was when customers would stand for a merchant
making personal inquiries regarding purchases, says a writer
in The General Merchant, but in the general progress and
evolution of things, times have changed and no longer may
a merchant stand at his front door and cross f]ucstion every
man, woman and child who enters his store and leaves it without a bundle. Every time a merchant forces his attentions
upon a customer with. a view to finding out whether he or she
has made a purchase or not, he runs a great risk of losing
package any gifts, premiums or .prizes,' it will be a breach of
the law." Premiums have been a growth, springing from
what is generally considered an unwise advertising scheme.
It is a custom which is tenacious, however, and efforts to
remove it has been vain heretofore.
Some progress has been
made, and some set-backs have been. received. Whether the
section referred to will prove a solution to the problem remains to be seen, and the courts may be called upon to settle
it in Nebraska.
Perhaps it.will be an entering wedge.
A Wag's
Reply.
"Jimmy" Tillotson, the designer, floated into Jamestown
a few years ago seeking employment.
In the course of a day
or two he met "Cy" Jones and stated his mission.
"ey" took
a fancy to the young man, but exercising the discre.tion that
characterizes his business affairs, propounded a number of
questions to his caller.
"Where are you from?"
\
"Grand Rapids."
"Know Phil Klingman?"
"Yep."
"Know Boyd Pantlind and "Sid" Steele?"
"Yes, yes, as you New Yorkers say."
"Sport· a little?"
"I hunt, fish, attend ball games and throw a silver piece for
the benefit of the ponies when I feel like doing so."
"Ever take a drink?"
"Say, Mr. Jones, 1 haven't purchased a reserved seat on the
throne of the Almighty, yet."
27
OUR NEW 1907 LINE OF ALASKA REFRIGERATORS
with side ice chamber is made in twenty-one sty les,
zinc lined, white enamel and porcelain lined.
Our
catalogue will interest you. Write for it.
THE ALASKA REFRIGERATOR CO.
Exclusive Refrigeralor Manufacturenl,
MUSKEGON,
SUGGESTIONS
FOR
MICHIGAN.
RETAILERS.
Arrangement and Display of House Furnishings Are of Great
Importance.
C. L. Carlile of the \~r.S. Carlile & Sons Company, Columbus, 0" is secretary of the Columbus Retail Furniture
Dealers' Association.
At a recent meeting of the association he delivered an addresB on "The Display and Arrang'ement of House Furnishings in Retail Stores," in the course of
\vhich he said:
"I can no l1;ore tell you bow to arrange your stock than
I can tell you how to sell it.
Salesnlen or people with artistic tastes arc horn, and lIot made.
A per SOil without artistic taste cannot arrange your stock to the best advantage.
The old adage, 'Goods \vell bought are half sold,' is only
partly true.
Goods \vell bought or hal£ displayed may cat
themselves up in rent could we charge theIn for ;.-;amc.
"The old time furniturc store looked more like the second
hand store of today than anything else-a conglomerate mass
of stock-the
fnlier and lllere con:pact the stock the greater
credit and reputation for carrying a complete line.
The old
way of displaying goods and keeping store with the old style
bed lounges, hair cloth and brO\vn rep seven-piece parlor suite
and many other things I could n:entiotl, has changed with
time and conditions today.
"The old-time windows and doors have been replaced with
new ones, which an~ ldrge, showy and up-ta-date, gi\,jug tbe
public a good impression of the stock.
On entering the customer will find a nicely decorated \vall, sometimes a carpet on
the floor, or a strip of linoleum running through the room,
also a nice office and complete office furniture and office fixtures, and time and labor saving- devices. The old time way of
a jumbled up stock all packed in together ha:~ completely
changed.
Today we must have several departments, and a
store so arranged that one piece will help display the other.
The up-to-date de,lIer of today never has enough room, it
makes no difference what the si7.e of his building is. Th public desire to see the pieces displayed or grouped, and if we
had the nerve to carry less stock by paneling or dividing our
stock room into room effects, I believe we could do as much
business, and do it easier <IT.dmore satisfactory to the customer.
"V'le buy our goods twhy in exposition buildings under the
most favorable light and arrangements.
Floor space in
these expositions is used extravagantly.
But how much better the goods sometimes look on the wholesale floors than on
aUf own.
VIic sometimes say they have an exhibition finish,
but "..hell we receive them they have a railroad rubbed finish,
alld do not show up so well as on the market floors. They
may be all right, but the fault is ours; it is the way we place
them on our floors.
The proper light which they need, either
<lrtificial or natural, may be at fault.
Perhaps we have
t}Jern crowded jll with other goods, which spoils or kills the
effect.
It would not be appropriate or becoming in me to
attempt to explain to you, brother competitors, even if I
could, how to show or arrange your goods.
Every store is
differently built and arranged, so that the same arrangement
in your store would not appear the same in ours, owing to
the conditions which I have mentioned.
However, I think
it is a splendid plan to changc the display of your goods
often, even changing from one floor to another.
It gives
the pieces a new appearance, alld makes them look like new
stock.
"I have heard it said that some stores carry duplicate
pieces on their floors, but by arranging them differently and
under different light the dealer is able to get a better price on
the saHle pattern. This only goes to show what a little artistic taste and arrang·ement on our part, or the part of the repl"esentati\rc \--..rhohas charge of this, can do, and what extra
profit may be gaincd by giving more time and attention to
tbc arrallgemcnt of our stores.
If we crowd our stock we
can still do business in a smaller building, but it costs us
more to repair and refinish [me goods which are marred and
scratched and have become unsalable.
So if we pay more
rent for larger buildings and display the goods to a better advantage, the chances are, everything being equal, we will do
marc business, and if we get the business the expense will
take care of itself. ~Il~ere should be quit~ a credit cLiming
to the rent proposition if our goods are not damaged' on our
sales floors.
"So it is up to us to arrange or have our stock arranged to
suit our own tastes and to the best advantage according to
to· the light, space, arrangement
of building and all other
conditions.
There is only one good rule that I think will
hold good, and that is, change and change and rearrange your
stock often.
Sometimes you will like the llCW arrangement
better and sometimes the old, but the public almost demand
change today.
They like to trade with up-to-date, live dealers
"enry Schmit &. Co.
"opklns IRd lIarrld Sil.
Cincinnati. O.
".U::llJtS 011'
UPHOLSTERED FURNITURE
LODGE AND PULPIT, PARLOR
LIBRARY, DOTEL
AND CLUB ROOM
CHICAGO
MANUFACTURERS' EXHIBITION BUILDING CO.
12th Season
Commencing
12th Season
Commencing· Jaly 1, 1907
July I, 1907
The Original Building-1319
MICHIGANAVE.-Admission
PARTIAL LIST
American Furniture Co., Bassett, Va.
American Metal Ware Co., Chicago.
Banta Furniture
Co., The, Goshen,
Ind.
Bassett Furniture Co., Bassett, Va.
Blanchard-Hamilton
Furniture
Co.,
The, Shelbyville, Ind.
Billow-Lupfer Co., Columbus, O.
Bissell Carpet Sweeper Co., Grand
Rapids, Mich.
Brumby Chair Co., Marietta, Ga.
Buckeye Chair Co., The, Ravenna, O.
Burkhardt Furniture Co., The, Dayton, O.
Bay View Furniture
Co., Holland,
:rvlieh.
Cadillac Cabinet Co., Detroit, Mich.
Campbell, e. H., Co., Shelbyville, Ind.
Campbell, Smith & Ritchie, Lebanon
Ind.
Capital Furniture Manufacturing Co.,
Indianapolis, Ind.
Capital Rattan Co., The, Indianapolis,
Ind.
Cass, B. T. & Co., Chicago.
Cates Chair Co., Thomasville, K. C
Central Bedding Co., of Illinois, Chicago.
Chippewa Falls Furniturc Co., Chippewa, Falls, Wis.
Conrey & Birely Table
Co., The,
Shelbyville, Ind.
Conrey-Davis
1lanttfacturing
Co.,
Shelbyville. Tnd
Co-operative Furmture Co Rockford,
Ill.
Coye Furniture Co., The,
Stevens
. Point, Wis.
Cramer Furniture
Co., Thomasville,
J
N.e.
Crowell Furniture Co., Bassett. Va.
Davis, Hon ....
ich & Steinman, Chicago.
Dillingham Manufacturing" Co., Sheboygan, Wis.
Dixie Furniture Co., Lexington, N. e.
Dunn Co., John A., Chicago.
Eckhoff Furniture Co., St. Louis, Mo.
Elk Furniture Co., Lexington, N. C.
Emmerich, Charles, & Co., Chicago.
Empire Furniture
Co., Jamestown
N. Y.
Empire Moulding Works, Chicago.
Emrich Furniture Co., The, Indianapolis, Ind.
Fall Creek Manufacturing Co., Mooresville, Ind.
Fenske Bros., Chicago.
C
Ferguson
Bros. Manufacturing
a.,
Hoboken, 1'\. ].
Fisher, Charles A., & Co., Chicago.
Foster
Bros.
Manufacturing
Co"
·Utica,
N. Y.
Fuller-Warren
Co., The, Milwallkee,
Wis.
Fulton Manufacturing Co" Chicago.
Freedman Bros. & Co., Chicago.
Garvy Co., The, Chicago.
Globe-Home
Furniture
Co., High
Point, N. C.
Co., Jamestown,
Golden Furniture
N. Y.
Goshen Novelty & Brush Co Goshen, Ind.
Heroy Glass Co., Chicago.
Herzog Art Furniture Co., Saginaw.
Mich.
Hillsboro Chair Co., Hillsboro, O.
Hodell Furniture Co., The, Shelbyville, Ind.
Hohenstein-Hartmetz
Furniture
Co.,
Evansville, Ind.
Hollatz Bros., Chicago,
Hood, F. L., & Co., Nashville, Tenn.
Hulse, E. M., Co., The, Columbus, O.
Humphrev Bookcase
Co., Detroit,
1Iich.
•
Indiana Brass & Iron Bed Co., Indianapolis, Ind.
Indianapolis Chair & Furniture Co.,
Indianapolis, Ind.
Johnson & Sons Furniture Co., A. J.,
Chicago.
Kelly, ]. A., & Bros., Clinton, la.
Kelly-Sorenson
Furniture Co., ClintOll, la.
Kemnitz Furniture Co., Theo., Green
Bay, \Vis.
Kendallville Furniture Co., Peru, Ind.
Kincaid Furniture
Co., Statesville,
N. e.
to Dealers Only
ON EXfflBITOI\S
Kindel llanufacturing
Co., St. Louis,
Mo.
Knoxville Table & Chair Co., Knoxville, Tenn.
Lamb, George L., Nappanee, Ind.
Langslow-Fowler
Co., Rochester" N.
Y.
Landay, Joseph 1., St. Louis, ~o.
Landay Steel Range Co., St. Louis,
Mo.
Lathrop Co., The, Chicago.
Lilly Varnish Co., Indianapilis, Ind.
Lustre Chemical Co., Chicago.
Manistee Manufacturing
Co., Manistee, Mich.
Marietta Chair Co., Marietta, Ga.'
Mayhew Manufacturin~ Co., Milwaukee, 'A'is.
1'IcDougall, G. P., & Son, IndiallapoIi!>,Ind.
:''1echanics' Furniture Co., Rockford,
Ill.
"Meier & Pohlman Furniture Co., St.
Louis, Mo.
Minneapolis Furniture
Co., Minneapolis, 1\-1 inn.
Mission Furniture Co., St, Paul, Minn.
Modern Furniture Co., Cincinnati, O.
Naperville
Lounge Co., Naperville,
III
National Carriage & Reed Co., Cincinnati, O.
National Table Co., Marietta, O.
>l"orquist Co., A. C, The, Jamestown,
N. C.
Oakland lI.1anuafeturing Co., WinstonSalem, N, C.
Oberbeck Bros. Manufacturing
Co.,
Grand Rapids, Wis.
Onken Co., Oscar, The, Cincinnati, O.
Palmer Furniture Manufacturing Co.,
A. E. Adrian, Mich.
Palmer Manufacturing
Co., Detroit,
:Mich.
Pan a Metal Bed & 1Iaut1facturing Co.,
Pana III
Pionee; Manufacturing
Co., Detroit,
Mich.
Plimpton, F. T., & Co., Chicago.
Posselius Bros. Furniture Manufacturing Co., The, Detroit, Mich.
Probst Furniture Co., The, Pomeroy,
O.
Pullman Couch Co., Chicago.
Queen Chair Co" Thomasville. N. C.
Ranney Refrigerator
Co., Chicago.
Richmond, Ind., Manufacturing
Co.,
Richmond, Ind.
Rishel Furniture Co., J. K., WilJiamsport, Pa.
Rockford Furniture Co., Rockford, Ill.
Rockford
Standard
Furniture
Co.,
Rockford, Ill.
Rome -:I:letallic Bed Co., Rome, N. Y.
Root Furniture Co., Shelbyville, Ind.
Royal Mantel & Furniture Co., Rockford, Ill.
Sanitary Feather Co., 'ChicaO"o.
Sanitary Steel Couch Co., Elkhart,
Ind,
Schneider & Allman, Chicago.
Schram Bros" Chic alIa.
Schultz & Hirsch, ·Chicago.
Sellers, G. I., & Sons Co., Elwood,
Ind.
Sextro Manufacturing Co., Cincinnati,
O.
Shelbyville
Wardrobe
Co., She1byville, Ind.
Shreve Chair Co., Union City, Pa.
Sidway Mercantile Co., Elkhart, Ind.
Sikes Chair Co., Buffalo, N. Y.
Skandia Furniture Co., Rockford, Ill.
Smith-River Chair Co., Bassett, Va:
Spencer & Barnes Co., The, Benton
Harbor, Mich.
Spiegel Furniture
Co., Shelbyville,
Ind.
Sprague & Carleton, Keene, N, H.
Standard
Chair Co., Thomasville,
N. C.
Standard Furniture Co., The, Cincinnati.
Stickley & Brandt Chair Co., The,
Binghamton, N. Y.
Stomps-Burkhardt
Co" The, Dayton,
O.
Streator Metal Stamping Co., Streator, Ill.
Streit Manufacturing Co" The C. F.,
Cincinnati, O.
Sturkin-N elson Cabinet Co., Logansport, Ind.
Swift & Co., Chicago.
Thayer, H. N., Co., Erie. Pa.
Thomasville Furniture Co., 'Thomasville, N. e.
Union
Furniture
Co., Jamestown,
N. Y.
\Vashiugton
Manufacturing
Co.,
Washinf{ton, Court House, 0.
Western Hardware & l\.fanufacturing
Co., Mlwaukee" Wis.
White Furniture Co., The, Mebane,
N. C.
White-McCarthy
Furniture Co., Chicago.
Widman, ]. C, & Co., Detroit, Mich,
\~risconsin Chair Co., The, Port Washington, \-Vis.
Wi!>col1!>inFurniture & Manufacturing, Co.. The, Neillsville, Wis.
Wolf & Kraemer Furniture Co., St.
Louis, Mo.
Wolverine
Manuafcturing- Co., Detroit, Mich.
Yeager Furniture Co., The, Allentown, Pa.
Manufacturers' Exhibition Building Co., 1319 Michigan Ave., Chicago
7IR.'T' I 08 A.2'1
tiS
?
28
Ie
The Department Store Problem.
THE LEXINGTON
Mic~8n Blvd. & 22d 51
CHICAGO,
Refurnished
ILL.
and re-
fitted throughout.
New
Management.
furniture
quarters.
Most con-
veniently
the
The
dealers' headsituated
furniture
t ()
display
houses.
Inler·Slate Holel CO.
OWNHR
&
PROPRIBTOR
E. K. eriley .. Pres.;
T. M. eriley, V. Pres.;
L. H. Firey, See-Tleas.
Chicago, 1Jay 23-1vf. L Kelson, known to the furr,iture
trade all over the west as one of the brig"htest and most successful furniture salesman in tbe business, died at bis home,
1143 Gar6eld boulevard, this city, V/ cdncsc!ay, 1.fay 8, from
diabetes, after only a few days illness. I-Ie leaves a wife and
one child, l'v'Iarion, aged 14 years.
TVfr. Nelson was born in
Terre l-laute, Ind., 38 years ago! and came to Chicago and ,vas
employed by the old fmn of Knapp & StoddaHl. furniture
salesmen.
He soon developed remarkable talent. and in a
few years organized the 1V1. L. Nelson Company with offices
and sales rooms in the Karpen building, on Michigan avenue.
Vv'hen the furniture exhibition building at 1411 1lichigan
avenue \NaS erected he took a large share of it for his business
and soon huilt up one of the largest furniture commission
houses in the COUll try. He \vill be greatly missed by a host
of friends, as he was a man who m<'.demany friends who loved
him as though he were a broth(x.
LIe ....
vas a master organizer
and at his death he left the company so \"ell established that
business will go on unillteruptedly.
\V. l\L Cochran is the
president of the company, and Mr. Nclson was secretary and
treasurer.
O. C. S. Olsen, VdlO sold out hi:=;factory at Austill avenue
and May street last year to the Chicago & K orthwestern Railway Company, has purchased the factory building and grounds
on Moffat street occupied by Sprague, Smith & Co. and "...
·ill
occupy the same some time this summer \'v'hen the last named
firm moves to other quarters.
Preparations for the coming July furniture expositioll are
being made on an extensive scale, and the expectations are
for a large attendance of buyers and a heavy business. Among;
the more prominent agencies at 1319 Michigan avenue who
will he right to the front are the Lathrop Company, Sikes
Consolidated
Chair Co., the "Vhite-McCarthy
Furniture
Company, F. T. Plimpton,
the vVo1verine Manufacturing
Company of Detroit, Henry Spencer Smith local manager,
which also includes the Cadillac Cabinet Company and J. C.
\Vidman & Co., of Detroit, and others.
The Johnson Chair Company have a new catalogue in the
hands of the printers.
1t will be a fine one.
The Union \\Tire Mattress Company have a catalogue in
colors bound in leather that is about as fine a piece of printing as one could wish to see. It is a work of art.
The department store competition problem is much more
perplexing to the suburban dealer than to the country merchant. The majority of the surburban dealer's customers are
women. They like to go bargain hunting and gladly pay
caT fare for a trip dCHvntown in order to enjoy the excitement
found in a big store. The advertisements
appeal to them
and curiosity leads them to investigate the bargains offered.
\bout the only way the surburban dealer can meet the competitioTI is by personal appeal or dose acquaintance with his
customers.
H is personality may count for a great deal and
he may make a point of prompt and careful delivery.
The country merchant does not feel the effect of departmellt store eOlllpetition so keenly, though its wide spread
advertising may have influence on his trade.
He can meet
that by imitating their methods to a certain extent.
He can
<lc1vertise even cheaper than they, can, because he can place
his advertising to better advantage-can
make it more effective.
Department stpres cannot hurt a good, clean, well kept, well
stocked store ~n the country town, An obliging proprietor
and wining d~rks, will save most of the trade at home. Occasionally the !fare paying indtlCement is offered as bait for
the country public.. This may usually be met by local advertising, and i it is not hard to demonstrate
that the man
gOillg to towd, even though his fare is paid, saves nothing
when he count:::;up the change he has left on his return.
The ,vay to meet the big rival of the small merchant-the
department stMe-is
to adopt, with modifications, their ex~
cellence, such i as perfect system, cash payment for goods
and features fbr the cOllvenience of Cllstomers; and to fortify
Made by Luce Furni.ture
Co., Grand Rapids, Mich.
,
,
their weaIter points, such as lack of pcrsonal contact,
men's trade, jonvenient delivcries and working small fields
intensively ra~her than great ones extensively.
OIl
The Duval Varnish & Paint Company, capitalized as $3,500,
a ncw concern incorporated by H. G. Summers and George
A. "Voertz in New York city.
IS
30
"CHRONIC SHOPPERS."
Rightly
Handled
They May Be Made a Means of Profit to
the Store.
"What is your rule in regard to the treatment of 'chronic
shoppers'-those
who come into the stOre frequently, look
and look and then go away without buying, in fact have no
intention of buying?"
The question was fired at William S.
Winegar, of Winegar Brothers, installment dealers, Grand
Rapids, Mich., the other day.
"That's not a very hard one," said Mr. Winegar, "\Ve
don't have many of what you call 'chronic shoppers.'
There
are a few of them, but the lookers are not all in that class.
Most of them are prospective buyers-they
intend to buy
something, sometime and our clerks are instructed to treat
them courteously-just
as if they knew they were going to
buy a thousand dollars worth of goods. v..'e know that that
Why Not Order?
Say a dozen or more Montgomery
Iron Display Couch Trucks sent you
on approval ~ If not satisfactory they can be
returned at no expense to you whatever,
while the price asked is but a trille. com.
paned 10 the convenience they afford and
the economy they represenl in the saving
of Roor space;
Thirty~lwo couches mounted on the
Montgomery Iron DisplayCouch Trucks
occupy the same floor space as twelve displayed in the usualll1anner.
Write for catalogue giving full descrip~
tion and price in the <liferent finishes. to_
getherwith illustrations demonstrating Ihe
use of the Giant Short Rail Bed F asfener
for Iron Beds. Marndactured by
H. J. MONTGOMERY
PATENTRR
Silver Creek, New York, U. S. A.
DtlDrus Wire aDd Iron Co., Canadian Man.u~
f.doteR,
LondOn. Onl.
policy is profitable and would 'fire' a clerk just as quick for
neglecting a 'Jooker' as for snubbing one' of our best customers. They lhust not be cold or indifferent even to the
most confirmed 'shopper.'
Even if they never buy anything
it pays to treat them with courtesy and respect. The time
spent with them is not lost. Beillg treated .....
vell gives them a
favorable impression of the store and what they find out
about the goods and prices docs not hurt our trade. They
are sure to tell their friends about their visit and what they
saw so you see from an advertising point of view it pays, to
be patient, 'attentive and courteous to all. On that poli'cy
our stores have gained a wide reputation for courteo,Us and
pleasing conduct all the part of the clerks. We hear about
it freq\~clltly from outside and it is a valuable part of our
'stock in trade.'
'''The chronic shoppers,' as you call them, never bother
us. We use them to advantage and they are a benefLt to any
store, wherc tIle goods and prices are right,
if properly
handled."
E. W. \Vurzburg, manager of '¥urzburg's
department store,
Grand Rapids, had this to say on the subject discussed by Mr.
\Vinegar:
"OUf clerks must treat everybody who comes into
the store with politencss, deference and consideration.
It
pays to ihow goods. We like to have people come into the
store, 'look ove'r the stock and get acquainted, whether they
buy or not. They get to talking about it and that 'helps our
trade. It may be different wid] the large stores in the big
cities, but here where we have little floating population, it is
necessary to make friends and keep' them so we aim to treat
everybody in a way that will cause them to keep us in mind
and induce them to come again. Perhaps they may be prepared to buy the next time.
"We make it a rule never to ask a customer what she
wants and would not think of importuning her to buy. We
try to give the people the impression that we are here to
serve them, that we have anything they want, and are always willing to show them anything in the store that they
may wish to inspect.
"There are very few who are so strongly addicted to the
'shopping' habit that they are a nuisance. Some of them, even
those who buy generously, sometimes try the patience of the
clerks severely, but that must be expected. It is a part of
thc business and the annoyance must be endured. The time
and patience invested in waiting upon a slow customer or in
entertaining a 'chronic shopper' it rarely lost entirely.
It
usually brings good returns.
"Clerks should not expect customers to know just what
they want when they come into the store. It is impossible
for them to know all about the stock without inspecting it
and they should be allo\ved all the time that is necessaryall that they want-in
which to make their selections."
"There's no use in denying it; the 'chronic shoppers' are
a nuisance to us" said Owen R. Chaffee of the Young &
Chaffee Furniture Company, Grand Rapids, "We have lots
of them and the worst part of it is that the most of them corne
in the busiest seasons. They seem to catch the fever about
the time that others want to buy furniture.
Of course we
have to use thcm wcll, but I tell you it tries the patience of
a man, on a busy day, to spend, may be, three or four hours
showing goods to a person who has no intention of buying
anything.
"It is not always easy to distinguish the woman who is
simply 'shopping' from those who want to buy and are looking around to find out wherc they can do best or for just
what they want. We are always glad fa meet such people,
because if they don't buy here they may regret it and we are
likely to get them when they want to buy again.
"Another class of. people we like to have come in and
look over our store aNd stock whether they buy or not, are
those who come from outside towns and simply wish to
look through the city stores. We are always pleased to entertain such visitors, not only because it helps our business
hut it also benefits the city.
"The 'chronic shopper,' however, is a nuisance to merchants and there is another almost as bad. It is the woman
who comes in and insists on having something that is not
made anywhere.
For instance we had one here the other day.
Her husband had a collection of guns-rare
and valuable, probably. She wanted a chiffonier and gun case, or gun rack,
combined and it was hard to convince her that such a piece
nf furniture is not made In any factory. She did not seem
able to understand why we did not have it. There are others
who have impossible ideas of the designer's genius and ability
and they are not satisfied when told that the only way to get
what they want is to have it made to order.
"Of course it would not do to offend a 'chronic shopper'
or those who have freakish ideas. Some of them may help
us a little in an advertising way, but I tell you that it is an
expensive sort of advertising.
Railroads
Appealing
to Courts.
In a proceeding instituted by the Southern, the corporation commission of Virginia has been enjoined from putting
into effe,ct its order for a passenger rate of two cents a mile.
The corporation commission and state officers of South Carolina also have been re.'itrained from enforcing an order fOf
a rate of I%. cents. It is expected that all other interested
carriers will join with the Southern against a reduction of
both freight and passenger rates
-
-
-------------
31
The Luce Furniture Co.
INVITES
To
1/1
ATTENTION
LARGE
LINE
of
BED ROOM
and
DINING ROOM
FURNITURE
GRAND
RAPIDS,
Saleroom at fa(/ot'J
MICH.
Only, Go4frey Ave.
New Line Ready for Fall Season.
Some
CLOSE OUTS
OF OVER ESTIMATED STYLES
The White Directory
CONTAINS
A CAREFULLY
COMPILED
OF MANUFACTURERS
LIST
OF
IF INTE.RESTED IN
A SAVING
30
per
cent
OF FROM
t0
75
FURNITURE, PIANOS, ORGANS,
per
cent
WRITE US FOR PARTICULARS
Folding Carts,
Go-Carts
and
Carriages
Detroit Folding Cart Co.
DETROIT, MICH., Bta. A.
INTERIOR FINISHES
AND KINDRED INDUSTRIES
Now Ready.
Send in your order.
WHITE PRINTING· COMPANY
PRINTERS,
ENGRAVERS,
PUBLISHERS,
BINDERS
2-20 LYON ST., GRAND RAPIDS,
MICH.
TOILET TABLE
BED No; 1440
OHIFFONIER
DRESSER
CHEVAL
TABLE
Hepplewhlte,Sulte.
SOMNQE
No. 1440.
DESK
Solid Mahog&IJ.Y. Made by Nelson-Ma.tter CO.• Grand ~pids.
Mi~h.
Our folks ate very~a.ppy in the biggest .searSG\~l)
business ever, thanks to the gooq favor
the trade, whom we cordially invite
WEST
MlClflGANI
--------------------~----
--
-
34
THEY FAVOR· STRAIGHT SALARIES
CLEVELAND
DEALERS
POINT
OUT DISADVANTAGES IN THE COMMISSION PLAN.
Better Hire by the Year Than by the Week-Commission
Men Are Very Apt to Neglect the "Lookers" and Thus
Injure the Business of Their Employers.
1n a few days she comes bacK, is waited 011 by the salesman
who happens to be handiest, Salesman :!\·o. 2.• 111d buys the
goods in a few minutes, having had themall selected 011 her
first visit. The first salesman has done the work, and the ~econd gets the commissions, or else the second is dissatiiled.
One or the other is hound to be hurt, and they will quarrel
ov.er the sale, sometimes in the presenCe of the customer."
Tackles the Sleeping Car Monopoly.
George S. Loftus of S1. Paul, Minncsota, has filed a comCleveland .. 0,._ May .23.-L. W". Lederer, of the Lederplaint with the Interstate CotI1merce Commission, ill which
er .Furniture Company, is of the number of those who can
he charges that the Pullman Sleeping Car Company and a
s,ee no good in any system of paying salesmen, save straight
number of western railroads are charging "an exces~l\'~~, ll:lsalary_
"Pay a salesman commission, and you will have him
just and unreasonable" rate for sleeping car accommodations.
disC/:iminatingbetween
customers, to the proprietor's
loss,"
First, he charges unjust and unfair discrimination agaills~- t:)i'
Sd)'S ::vlr. Lederer.
"It is so frequently the case t1mt a prosman 'wbois obliged to use the upper berth, claiming that It
pective cllstomer will make several 'visits to the furniture
is not worth more than half as much as the lower section
store :before finally 'buying, that it pays~to have salesmen give
Then he charges that all the rates are excessive and should
f.ull atteiltioll to tllOse who C',ometo look as well as to order.
be reduced from 33% to 66% per tent.
He cites the r;;tes
Salesmen workillg on a commission basis are bound to cu't between St. 1'aul and Seattle-$12
for 1,829 miles-and
dt'short the time on such customers in order to attend to others
elares they should be cut down to $8 for a lower berth ana
who seem more likely to purchase on the spot.
The man
$4 h)r the upper section.
Between St. Paul and Chicago the
woman who comes to look today is frequ/;',ntl$ the one who
charge is $2, which. he would cut to $1.50 and 75 cents recomes 'back in a lNeek, a mouth, or even a year, ·to buy a big
spectively for lower and upper berths.
For shorter naps,
bill of goods--provided
'he or she is treated courteously on
like that between S1. Paul and Superior, Wis.,-$1.50 for 150
their visit of inspection."
miles-he
would limit the rate to :$1 for the lower man oluJ
50 cents for the LIpper.
S. K. Barstow, of Vincent -& Barstow, takes much tbe same
view of this mooted question as Mr. Lederer.
"Straight
As members of the commission have expressed the opinion
salary,heyond
a d011bt, is the best means of paying ,'i-alesme,n, that the sleeping car olonopoly needs investigation, it is generally expected that the complaint flIed by 1'1r. Loftus wilt
to my mind," said Mr.. Barstow, discussing the topic for the
result in an order reducing rates, but it is said that further
Michigan Artisan.
"It does not p<ty to slight customers, or
legislation may be necessary to force obedience to snch an
seem to slight those who do;not buy.
We have straight contracts with our,men, rcnewed annually, .and [ ;:tmsatisfied that
order.
is the most satisfactory way.
Our salesmen are more contented.
The best of them will have a bad week, now and
Investigating a Furniture Combination.
then, and if they are forced to suffer for their misfortune,
Northwest Furniture Review, Portland, Ore., for May:
their over-anxiety to make up for it the' next week will have
As the Review is being printed, information is received that
a damaging effect on the trade.
It is for this reason, too, .Assistant United States District Attorney Cole, of Portland,
that we hire (lUr salesmen by the year instead of by the week.
will attempt to indict certain menlbers of the wholesale .and
If a man knows that his position is secure for a year at least,
retail furniture associations and others.
It is claimed that
he i~more likely to feel that he is a fixture as a part of the
th.rough the influence of the retailers' associations the wllOlebusiness, a,l1d take an interest in his work that a salesman
salers have refused tn sell to certain retailers who arc not
'working'from week to week would not feel so strongly. Anmembers of the retail organization.
Many witnesses hiH"t':
other, and very good, rea~Oll why we believe in long term
been stll1l1l1oned and the investigation will not he concluded
contracts 'with onr men is because we want them to specialize
for a week or ten days.
on certain lines of goods and learn all there is worth knOWIng
about them.
For, instance, our carpet salesmen have nothing
The Louisville (Ky.) Varnish Company is to have a new
to do with the sale of anything but carpets, rugs and the other
plant at a cost of $30,000.
items that come under the general head of carpets."
A. L. Gold~tein, of the 'May Company, has had occasion to
study all three of the best-known methods of paying salesmen-salary.
salary and commission, and commission oti.rv.
"Salary and commission offers much that is good," sugges~s
l\lr. Gnldstclll.
"A Tnethod that appeals to me is that of
grading salaries by the amount of sales made.
For instance,
a mall is paid $18 a week the first year, with the stipulation
The D. & B. Line
Steamers leave Detroit wcekdaYf3
that if his sales amount to $25,000 -a year, he shall receive
at S :00 p.m., Sundaysat 4: 00 p.
say, one-half of Olle per cent at the end of the year as a gift,
m. (centnl time) andfrom Buffalo
and .is advanced to the $20 a week class.
If his sales still
daily .at 5:3~ p,m: (e~::-tcmtime)~~l::--:--=: ::I1ii,-,.~-":"
increase, his sabry is IIIcreased again.
reachmgthe1rdcstmatlonthe next ~:---:;-morning.
Direct connections with early trains.
"The :qucstion of hay" to pay tlle salesmen gave us much
Lowest rates and superior service to N ClV' Yark,
trouble at Seigel & Cooper's and The Fair store in Chicago.
Boston, Philadelphia,Atlantic City,all points easL
We began 'with a straight commissi()n of two per cent. Then
Popular week end excursions to
switched to a salary of $12 per week and one per eent.
Later
Buffalo and Niagara Fal1s~leave
fheychanged
to 12rger salaries and smaller commissions, alld
Detroit every Saturday.
straight salary.
The ''''orst feature of the commission basis
<'"
RAIL TICKETS AVAILABLE ON STEAMERS
of -payment, to my mind, is the po.'tsibility of dissensions
All da»es of tickers wid readilll: Vla Mkhlzan
Central, Wabash and Gmnd
Trunk railways he[Ween Detroit and :Buffalo in either direction w::1 he aceer:ted
among- the s,,]esmell,' with consequent injury to the business.
for transportatioll
on D. do D, we
S:e~merll. Sct'd 2,;. st<J:mp In illustrated
A wom'<l-n comes into the furniture store where stra1ght compatIlphletand
CreatLake8lll::p.
. A<ldre8111 L. G. LEWIS, 6, P. A.
DETROIT & BUFFALO STEAMBOAT CO., Del,eil, Mich.
missions are paid, looks over a great deal of stock, which is
PHILIP
H. MeMILLAN,
V'CE;-P''''S.
A. A. SCHANTZ,
GE:l'4. foIGR.
shown to her by Salesmanl\To. L
She buys nothing tha.t day.
or
Miscellaneous
Notes.
eel bi~ prof1osed trip to E11fope, on which he was to sail about
June 15.
The remainder of the Klingman Sample Furniture Company's stock in Milwaukee,
Wis., is beilJg closed out at
auction_
J. f-L Ha-rtuwn is succeeded by H. H. Fillheime-r as manag'er of the Hanman FUrJ1iture & Carpet Company, Omaha,
Keb.
F. C Voekhert, the pioneer furniture dealer of Manitowoc,
\Vis., celebrated the fiftieth anniversary
of his store on May
John )'1~ssersl11ith, the well known inrniture manufacturer
of Buffalo, .:\. Y., was recently seriously injured by fallil1g
from <t street car in his home city. He had just boarded a car
\vhen he became dizzy and fell to the p;l\·emcnt.
HE.' was
unconscious for severa! bOiH's, hut has fully rCCDVerC(l.
Robnt
O:sterbcrg, NOl"\-I--ay, 1lich.,
bas been
granted a
pate:1t on a fulding combination desk, chail- and couch_
The Cincinnati Cabinet Company, ,1 slll'all furniture fac~
tory Oil Hogen street, has gone into the hands of a receiver,
1.
O\ving- to a partnership
disagreement.
\Vitt & \i\ratson succeed C. L. Val<tndingham, furniture
Owing to D, 11. Holden's bi\me as manager of the Third
dealer, of Hot Springs, Ark.
Avenue theater.
the Holden Furniture Company of Seattle,
Amos Budd will manufacture lawn chairs at Corunna, Ind.
\Vash .. 'Nas forced into the hands of a receiver and t:,,;·
stock was sold in bulk at auction.
Will Let the Con tract.
The t'welfth annual meeting of the National Association
Louis Kanitz. president of the Manufacturers'
Exhibition
of Credit :;\-Iell,expected to be the most important and SlicceSS~
Building Company, informs the Artisan that a meeting of
£111 in the history of the organization, will be bQld in Chicago
the board of directors wiI{ be held in Grand Rapids on June
J line 12, 13 and 14.
6, when a contract for the erection of an extension to' the
Senled bids on the stock of the ]. H. Crane l'orniture Comcompany's building "viII be awarded.
The new :.;trnchlre
pnny. St. Louis, Mo., were opened by the receiver on :VIay 20. will have a frontage on North Division street and will lJarIt was sold to the Prufrock Furniture Comprlny at $62,COO.
monize lvith the attractive exterior of the frontage on Ionia
T[ll' report that the Binghamton (1'\. Y.) Lounge Company
street.
The corridor w1ll be extended through
from street
...vas nq'~'alliz~d in the interests of Sears, Roebuck & Co., is
to street.
The building will be· completed during the cur~
emphatically denied by tIle managers.
rent year.
The Xn\-" York Filing Cabinet Company, capitalized ,It
$400,000. is a new concern in New York city.
They ,yill
Slower Time on Western Roads.
make fdin.l;f cabinets and other offIce furniture.
i\fnnagers of western railroads bave agreed to schedule
Richard Brasor has eSlablished
an upholstery business at
their trains
slower time in the summer time-tables taking
Santa \lon1ca, enL
11e ,'vas formerly foreman for Barker
effect June 9.
The time of the fast trains between Chicago
Bros. of Los. Angeles,
,wel Omaha will be lengthened two hours, making it 14 hours
\Vm. [{olgatc of Los Angeles. CaL, is dosinp; out his stock
anel 30 minutes. find the same time will be allowed between
of furniture and will giYe his entire attention to the mall11facChicago and Kansas City--olle hour slower than the old schedltlre of lawn swing-so
ule.
Four hours and 30 minutes is added to the run from
Tbe: C11arnbers-Hayes
Furniture Company
of San Jose,
Chicago to Denver, making .32 hours.
Ca1., will open a hranch store in the neighboring
town of
on
SUlllyyd,\ Ie.
H. YV. Pelton of Chehalis,
'VasIl., has retin'd
from the retail {llnliWrc bllsines.s to g'ivc attention to his real est1-te interests.
I
D. X. & E. \i\T;dter's 'Northwest Ag-ency at Portlandl. Ore.,
\vill move into a larger building in Junc.
\iVilliam Gy.gcr, former furniture buyer for Gimbel Bros.,
has become. interested and is nOw ac.ti.vely engag-ed with the
Lincoln Fmnitme Company, of Phi.-ladelphia·,-and hascancell~
A Slight Advance on Case Goods.
John A. Covode, the secretary of the Berkey & Gay Furni~
tnre Company, who attended the recent meeting of the manu[flctuters of Grand Rapids says: "The proceedings of the re~
centl11ceting
of the national association were reported, and
in the discussion that followed the necessity for a slight advance in the prices of flew goods ·was fully established to
coyer reccnt advances on the cost of production."
The Higher Degrees of Furniture Construction
Have Been Taken by the
ESTEY MANUFACTURING CO.
For Workmanship
_--------------,
For Designs
CHAMBER SUITES
.~
•
~
0:::
Cl
§
o
For Quality
SIDEBOARDS and BUFFETS
OWOSSO, MICH.
CATALOGUE
TO
THE
TRADE
ONLY
/"1R'l' I SYLl'!
'rEo
f+
waS.
ENTHUSIASM
You callnot
answer
questions
directly.
objections
ano prepare
an ir.ter<::sting
AS A BOOMER.
Listless, Hesitating, Lazy Salesmen Are Efficient only in Driving Trade Away.
From
thusiasm?
Spare
),Ionents-Do
Lack
back from the
you may have
yOll
realize
the
of it may he the nile thing
37
value
uf
en-
th~it hnlcl6 you
fullest
success
in }"Ollr life, in yOttr business
splendid
system
of organization,
but without dIe Cllergy born of enthusjasm,
of wh(\t avail is it?
Enthusiasm.
is the power
that drives
0111' melltal
Jll8chincry.
[t is the force
that brings
thillgS to pass.
The derivation of the ,""ore! is interesting.
The original
idea is the prescnce of God in a mal1. So when you are enthusiastic
you
may consider
yourself
:Jlspired.
Enthusiasm
is something
that can be devel()ped.
Fall in
love ·with your work and you cannot help becoming
enthtl~iastic.
This ll!ental condi:ion
springs
from kl1O\vledge a11<1CQnit
FURNITURE POLISH
ment in advance.
You canuot
do that successfully
unless
you are full of
your suhject,
have the utmost
faith in your proposition,
alld,
as a consequence,
are running
OV(T with
eilthusiasm.
In advertising
and business
letter writing
enthusiasm
means
dollars in your till.
It may mean the difference
between
success
and
failure.
III the last few years
a markeo
change
11a:; taken
place
in the matter
of advertising.
You have noticed
it if you
have been a re"der
of the Inagazil1es
for the last ten years
or more.
Ti'ormerly,
busi1less
announcements
were
more
often
than not, merely
stiff <l1ld stilted
cards, just general
publicity
without
any life, red blood or enthusiasm
in then1.
But it is different
now.
A new spirit h;{s been installed
and
modern
advertisillg
is the most important
fadorin
a great
many enterprises.
That new spirit is just an expression
oftl1{~'l11ighty
force
that
lllOves the entire
business
world
today---'Euthusiasm.
If you have nut an abundatlCe
()f it, it \',:ill pay you richly to
cultivate
to produce a BRILLIANT
and PERMANENT
lustre on any finished wood. A dealer's
trade builder.
Send for sample );( gross, $3.75.
You must forestall
ano convincing
argu-
it.
We offer a polish guaranteed
Furniture
OUf Superior
Repair
Finish
never fails to remove
burlap marks and mars; and, used with crystal shelJac and a
set of Our colors, [aniline,
to match any finish] will repair
deep scratches and jams, and reproduce
the original finish,
at once.
A boon to factory or store.
Repair
outfit complete,
with colors, one
quart finish, and instructions
for use,
$ 25
Q.
-..;I.
Send -for Samples.
Grand Rapids Furniture
Polish Co.
Fires.
\lontgo1l1ery
& Co., Xashville,
Tenn.
Loss $17,500.
Louisville
(Ky.) Veneer
Company.
Loss $1,000.
Barron
Furniture
Company,
Everett,
'Vash.
Loss $4,200.
Umphred
Furniture
Company,
Emeryville,
Cal.
Loss on
I
24 Milton Ave.. Grand Rapids. Mlch
A.utomatic Phone 8226.
warehouse,
$25,000.
C. S. \Vhitney,
Harrison,
Me., chair factory.
Loss $21,000.
Henry
Hard. Oneida,
~. Y.
Loss; $12,000.
H. C. Bicknell,
Chico, Cal.
Loss $18,000.
R. H. Skillin, Lebanon,
Kan.
Burned
ont completely.
YVanl & Blees, lVlou1tot~ Towa.
Loss $800.
Fmpire
Chair
Company.
Eli:t.abethtoll,
Tenn.
Factory
destroyed;
tidence.
The more knowledge
yon have the greater hecomes
your conlidcllce
and yuur ellthusias111 increases
in the same
proportion.
Be an optimist.
Look on the bright
side of thing'S.
Nothing
so deadens
enthusiasm
as pessimism.
The one IS as
antagonistic
to the other as tire and water.
There is a strong
ekment
of hope in enthusiasm
that inspires
one to his strongest and noblest
efforts.
Enthusiasm
qnickens
all the mental faculties.
It stimulates
the bodily activity.
It is an important
part of love, patriotism.
industry,
perseverance
and a
score of other
fine human
Cll1alities.
Rut there
is all extremely
practical
side to this snb}eet
of enthusiasm,
too, [or enthusiasm
is cOllta~ious
and therein
lies its special v<llue in the business
world.
A thoroughly
enthusiastic
mall call communicate
his earnestness
to his fel··
low ....
vorkers
or the 111el1 under him.
He gets results, and that
is the supreme
test of <I man's efficiency
nowadays.
It is doubtful
if, next to truthfulness,
there is any quality
so much ncede<1 for the sueeessful
salesman
or advertiser
as
enthusiasm.
Arguments
fall 11at, tact is thrown
avvay, if YOIl
do not broach
your btlsiIle~.s propo:=;ition
with ;:1.11the Cllthusiasm
you Gin muster.
\\.Tho has uot been chilled by the
li:=;tless answers
and ll,:sitating
manlier oJ [( plior salesman?
You feel like funning
away from such a pcrson,
ano much
track is driven
away hy inefficient,
unenthusiastic.
s;l!c1;rnel1.
It is better to err on the side of too much enthusiasm
th;l1i it
is to have too little.
)'lany a man who
is very successful
behind
the counter
in meeting
his eustorners
face to face Inakes a dismal fai1ttre
when he tries to reduce his salesmanship
to paper in advertising or letter \'V-riting. There again enthusiasm
is an all important
factor.
Indeed, if possible,
it is more important
than
in the personal
intercourse
with your prospective
custonier.
In cold type, gestures
and f<Jcial expl'cssions,
tones of voice
and aet11al demonstration
of the goods afe necessarily
lacking.
loss
$75,000.
New
Furniture
Dealers.
etter
& /\l1en-Alhambra
Furniture
Store--Alhalllbra.
Katz Bros., 208 Ayenue
A, Yew York.
COly,bination
Furnitnre
Company,
Brooklyn,
N. Y.
Hollander&
Swartz,
Youngstown,
Ohio.
Olson ::\lercantile
Company,
Streator,
Ill.
Herman
H. Schildt
& Co .. Louisville,
Ky.
Ellgrcbetsoll
& TToffoss, Detroit,
~'1illn.
Gold Star Furniture
Company,
Duluth,
2vliull.
O. R. TIery, Lake City, Cat.
Cat.
Creditors
have Gled a petition
in bankruptcy
against
N. J<.
Hutchings,
Harry \\!. Rickey and E. Holt Elia:son, doing- business as thc Pennsylvania
Desk & Furnitt-:rc
Compally
in Philadelphia.
The bilbilities
are cstilll<lted
at $16,000 and the
assets consist of hook accounts
aggregating
<lbout $1,700.
WEBB'S HANDY SET
Curtain Pole
BRACKETS
FINISHED
IN
Golden Oak, Imitation
Mahogany
and White Enamel
Pl"ice complete with Trimmed and Bared Pole. ;
Y.;X'i ft.
Jjix5 it.
-
$1.60 doz.
1.75"
If you want somethinlt
good send in your orders.
:-.atisfaction guaranteed.
,
I. II. WeLh, Bmlenton, .l:'J1#
.7IR..T I.s ...7I.l'l"
38
e
POINTERS FOR RETAIL MERCHANTS
SOME INTERESTING IDEAS AND OPINIONS ON
TRADE TOPICS EXPRESSED BY DETROIT
FURNITURE DEALERS.
The
"Turn-Over" Method Generally Disapproved-Impor.
tal1ce of S{ock Records-Fixing
Salaries and Advertising
Appropriations on the Percentage Plan.
Detroit, Mich., May 24.-"1 do not believe that any fixed
rule should be laid down as to what per centage of the busiIless should be spent for advertising;" said John R. Sullivan
of J. R Sullivan Co:, "and it has been my observation that
a dealer who tries to go by a. fixed rule gets into trouble every
time. It is the matter that must be decided according to
eiTcumstances, al1d every dealer must decide ior himself as
to how much he can profitably spend for advertising. for
instance, a dealer should spend much more at this season of
the year than in the dull season in the summer. This applies to dealers doing business on the installment plan as
well as those doing a strictly cash business.
"Personally, I haven't the sligtest idea as to what per
cent I spend in this way in a year and I have Ilever tried to
estimate it. T am never interested in how much I have spent
during a year; it is how much 1 have made that I am looking
after."
"1 should say that a dealer doing business on the installment plan couud afford to pay about two percent of hisbusiness to his salesrr.en. That is as near as I can estimate
to what we pay here and don"t believe that there is much difference between our business and others."
"The matter of stock-keeping is a most important one.
Here we have one man who does little less but keep track of
of the stock. Every thing that we buy is at once listed and
as fast as articles are sold, they are checked off. In this way,
we are able to tell at any minute exactly what we have in
stock. That, I believe, to be the only practical method."
"As to whetheT it is ever justifiable to use a system of turnovers is something on which I hesitate to express an opinion
but I am firn:ly convinced that it is a poor business policy.
Perhaps it might work all right jf you were dealing with ignorant people but people of ordinary intelligence won't stand
fat' it. I have known of many cases where customers would
come to us saying that they had been disgusted with the methods used in certain other stores where the turn-over system
is used. Not long ago, a woman told me that she had practically been forced into buying something that she didn't want
at a furniture store here in Detroit because the clerks wouldn't
let her go until i'Jhe bought out of sheer weariness and desperation.
So that as far as my ~xperience goes, the turnover system (when used by others) seemg to he a good thing
for the dealer V,dlO uses legitimate methods rather than a detriment."
"N at only can a dealer who is doing business on the installment plan spend more money in advertising than the
one who sells for cash only, but he actually must do it,"
said George Engel of the Engel Bros.
"He rrj.ust do a larger
business than the cash man because only a :portion of the
proceeds from his sales is coming in at any ope time. I am
a firm believer in advertising and if the money ~s spent wisely,
there is scarcely any limit to the amount that can profitably
be spent for advertising.
The effects may n?t be apparent
at once but they are sure to come in time in! the form of a
greatly incH::ascd business."
"I don't believe that you can lay down any hard and fast
T".
rule as to how much the dealer should pay his salesmen but a
installment dealer should pay more because he has to have a
better class of salesmen than the strictly cash dealer, for as
I said before, he must do a larger business and it takes good
salesmen to get business."
"Stock-keeping, I believe to be a most important feature of
the furniture business. Unless a man keep's strict tab 011
his stock, he will find himself overloaded along some one
line. In the furniture business, the most successful' dealer
is the one who can do the largest business on the smallest
ROOKWOOD
and a general
line cl
FRN6Y tRBLES
Write for Cuts and Prices
PALMER
Manufacturing Co.
115 to J 35 Palmer Ave.
DETROIT, MICH.
Ftill line .hown on .second
floor, 1319 Michipn Ave.,
Chicaeo. in January.
Pioneer
Mfg. CO ...
DETROIT, MIen.
Re6d furniture
Babu Garriaoe5
6o-Gart5
Fall line shown. on
second floor. I 3 19
MicLig4n Ave.. Chl(I~o. in January.
Murphy Chair Co.
MANUFATURERS
A COMPLETE
DETROIT, MICH.
LINE
MI CHIGAN
*9' 11' ,.
39
e
CHAS. A. FISHER & CO.,
1319 Michigan Ave.. Chicago.
WRITE FOR
BOOKLET
r
AND
PROPOSITION
Warehouses:
ST. LOUIS, MO.
KANSAS CITY, MO.
PEORIA, ILL. UNCOLN, ILL.
MINNEAPOU5.
MINN.
CHICA.CO. ILL.
amount of stock. It is of the greatest inportance
to keep 'it
ledger in which every addition to the stock is carefully entered
and every sale is checked off."
"VV'e have never used the turn-over system ]lcrc but I
don't believe that it is to be altogether cOLc1emoecl. You would
be surprised to find how many people come into a store whn
don't know \",hat they want to buy. III cases like t;,is, 1
dont believe that there is anything wrong in helping t:~!?mto
make up their minds if you aTC doing btbincss on the S'·lli~1 !'(~
and giving them a dollar's wOlth of '{ouls for a doli<~'· It
seems a shan~e to let people like that get (mt of the store
and go to some other place to spend their money just because they can't make up their minds, \'v'hen yOLlknow that
you can give them just as good bargains as they can get any\",here."
"Vve have never done an installment business, so I am
unable to S,ly what per centage of the business such a firm
can afford to pay its salesmen," said H. B. Barker & Son.
"As to advertising, that is something that is believe is greatly
overdone by most of the installment houses.
I believe in
advertising to a limited extent, as a means
of attracting
people's attention and letting them know that you are doing
business.
It certainly does attract a certain elass of trade
but I don't believe that it is the best kind and it isn't the
kind that we are looking after, V'/e never spend more than
one per cent of the business for advertising and r have no
doubt that some of these installment houses spend at least
ten per cent. I believe that a satisfied Cl1stomer is the best
advertisement
and .ve don't want to get people in here and
'do' them as much as possible on one sale knowing that they
will never come back,"
"Our system of stock-keeping is very simple. \Ve simply
kccp a ledger and as fast as articles are received in the warehouse, they are entcred.
\Vhen they are sold out of the store,
they arc checked off."
"I do not believe that a dealer is ever justified in using
the turn-over system; in fact, r regard it ,IS little less than
downright
dishonesty.
However,
1 don't believe that it
injures the trade of the dealers who uses straight-forward
methods because people who will a110w themselves to be
taken in by such methods aren't, as a rule, desirable sort of
customers."
"\Ve havc bcen in busillCSS such a short time that I don't
feel Qualified to answer your questions about methods of
doing business," said H. "V, Lilldeman of the Standard Furniture Co.
"However, I can say very emphatically that no
absolutely reliable dealer will use· the turn-over system.
It
is absolutely unjustifiable and it no doubt does injure the
dealers who do not use it, to some extent, because the turnover dealer practically forces people to buy things that they
tIo not want and thus shuts off the dealer using legitimate
methods who Inight otherwise get a chance to make the sale."
Two Grand Rapids Annuals.
the annual meeting of the Imperial Furniture Company,
Grand Rapids, "Mich., on l\fay 21, E. H. Foote was re-elected
president; Roger \\T. Butterfield, vice-president and F. Stuart
T'oote secretary and treasurer.
The board of directors is
composed of the officers are John Mowat, Daniel McCoy, D.
\-T. Amberg, Benj. v\Tolf, A. L. Dennis and Cyrus E. Perkins.
j-\t
Nail's, the Polish that is making Evansville Famous
Nllll's
Red SlarPolish dries
infuntly
and
. nevet sofrens at gums. No diSll!iP'eeableor
offensive odor. Never settles at evllporates
A trial order always makes a penIlllnent customer. Brings out the bnish and. gives new
life to fumiture. This polish ia free from acid.
Can b... used hy llny child. Guaranteed to
~ve 8lltist'lldion,
Sold in 1, 2, 5 and 10 gallon cans and in
barrela,
also put up in 2, 3 and 6 oz.bottles
retailinldor IDe, 15c and 25c; llilowing.
bOOrlllproht to the retailer. W rilll for pricel!
and €tate qmmcily wanted.
A perfeCt Polish and CleaDel'for Furniture, Office and Bar Fixturell,
Pianoll, Organs, Bieycles, Iron Beds, Carriages and Automobiles.
We refer you to the Crescent F umitllre Co .• The Evansville Desk Co.. The Eli
D. Miller Foldinlr
BedCo;, llDd theCity National Bankof Evansville.
AMERICAN PHARMACAL CO"
'Q,-"~~A
"AST ST.,
Evansville, Ind.
The reports showed the factory to have had a vcry satisfactory year and all concerned are pleased with present conditions and the outlook for the future.
The Grand Rapids Chair Company elected Roger W. Butterfield, president;
John 1'1owat, vice~president and E. H.
Foote secretary and treasurer.
The officers with Cyrus E.
Perkins, D. Yr. Amberg, M. C. Ryan and F. Stuart Foote
compose the board of directors.
The affairs of the company
arc in excellent condition.
During the past year new moist
air dry kilns have been added to the factory.
They have a
capacity of 175,000 feet-larg"e enLmgh to avoid all hurry in
drying lumber and also do away \vith the necessity of worknights or Oil Sundays.
'
Both of these companies will have their fall lir.es ready
for the buyers at the opening of the season Dn June 17.
I
,
I
l
40
Save the Di::<cQunt
Here is an article from the Shoe Trade Journal, that can
he read and considered to advantage by many retail furniture
dealers:
In the retail
shoe trade,
like every
other
retaiJ line. there
are many ways of doing
business
Some dealers never think of taking advantage
of the
three or fOllT per cent discoullt, pleading that their accounts
are so small that is hardly worth their white to even think of
paying their bills ten days after receipt of goods. Quite
a number of these dealers who are well rated in the commercial world conduct a very successful retail shoc business still
operate their stores on this plan. They also insist on being
allowed full limit of credit. It is not only to the advantage
of all dealers from the standpoint of dollars and cents to disCOllnt their bills. but it increases their credit rmd business
C. F. SCHMOE, Shelbyville, Ind.
Manufacturers of KITCHEN CABINETS
Write for Catalogue.
Robbins Tabl6 60.
OWO~~O. Mi6bioan
No. 318.
44x:48IN. TOP,
AMERICAN OAK.
AMERICAN BASE.
7 IN. PILLAR.
Dining Room in the Country Home of Geo. Westinghouse,
Ne!ir Pittsburg.
standing '\lith good wholesale houses and shoe manufactmers.
Of course, some dealers believe that by taking advantage of
the sixty-day limit they often obtain a benefit, especially
when they sell out an entire line of shoes quickly, as ,they
are able to use the capital thus obtained in helping their
business. This may he all right if the merchant's capital is
small, but when it comes to a proposition where it is possible
to discount it is always preferable.
It is said that one of the
largest mail .order houses in Chicago sell their merchandise
at the exact cost price, adding only freight and such necessary
expenses as rental and the help hire, to the retail price, and
only consider the discount from the shoe manufacturer a~
their profit. \Vhen it is figured that stocks are turned over
from four to five times a year, their 3, 4 or 5 per cent discount nets them a profit of from 12 to 20 per cent, which
means a better return of intercst than they can possibly secure for the money invested. It also gives them a Al credit
rating, and many houses look to that as the real basis of
successful merchandising.
The same principle applies in
any line of husiness. The cash discount counts, and to obtain it is "vorth all the effort it costs.
When Mohair Is Not Wool.
The United States Supreme Court has rcversed the decision of lhe board of general appraisers and lower courts
\vhich held that mohair, when imported on the skin was st1b~
ject to a tariff tax of three cents pcr pound. The Supreme
Court holds that sueh h:l'ir cannot be classed as wool; that
it is hair and therefore must be admitted free. Such hair is
w:;ed only for stuffing upholstered goods and is hardly worth
removal from the skin.
41
LITTLE
BETTER
THAN GUESSING.
Difficulty in Estimating the Money-Making Possibilities of
New Mercantile Ventures.
"That's a peculiar question," said Sidn<:y F. Stevens, of
the old hardware and house-furnishing;
house of Foster, St<~vens & Co., Grand Rapids, the other day '>"'hen asked ho\\' he
would calculate the profits, or money-making
possihilities,
of
a new vcntllrc in merchandizing.
"I don't know just what
advantage must be considered, and also the character of the
trade-whether
it will demand high grade or cheap goods.
"vVhen a new department is to be added to an old house it
is easier to calculate the results than in starting new.
The
merchant can go to a department store in a large city! 1V1arshall Field & Co., Chicag-o, for instance, and find out how
they do it.
They will take him through the store and give
him any information he may desire as to how much stock they
carry, etc.
Then he should go to a city about the same size,
with inhabitants similar to those of the city in which he i:~
A PRETTY MALLEABLE ORIB BEING CLOSED OUT AT A VERY LOW PllWE
BY HARD
MFG. CO"
BUFFALO,
N. Y.
you are getting at,' he continued.
"The question has a wide
range.
There are several thing" you would have to consider in giving an intdligellt ans\v('r.
First, you would have
to know something about the character of your prospective
customers, v.,hether they would demand the best, high class
goods, medium or the cheapest.
Then you have to estimate
the probable volume of trade and wbat percentage of it would
be profit.
Sometimes there is Ulore money made in small
trade with a large lllal"gin of profit than in a big business ''lith
a small margin.
The cost of your stock, your ability to buy
right-just
enough and no more-your
expenses and many
other things would have to be considered in calculating the
possibilities of any kind of business aul with all this clone
yonr calculations would he far horn reliable.
Tt is difficult
to estimate the prof-its of an old, well-established business ill
advance and llgllres all a new venturc would be much morc
likely to he wrong."
located, and le8n1 how the proposed department is managed
in the leading stores.
He may not wish to adopt their methods, but he "'....
ill gain much information that may be useful
and \,...ill be able to figure out what his new department ought
to yield.
"l\.fuch depends on management
and methods, hO'wever,
and the man "\"ho undertakes to figure out the profits on a
new mercantile enterprise in advance is more than likely to
be disappointed."
"It is difficult to estimate the money-making
possibilities
of a new merchandising venture with anything like dependable accuracy," said D. C. Steketee, manager of the old ''''holesale and r('tail dry goods house of Stekdee & Sons, Grand
Rapids.
"If it could be done to a certainty there would be
littk chance for failnre, but there are so many things to be
considered that the :.-esnlt is alw8ys uncertain and sometimes
surprising.
"As [ look at 5t, the first thing to be determined is the
margin between cost and selling prices.
Tf that is fixed at,
say, 25 per cent, then expenses of all kinds must be 11gured
closely and after they are deducted the net profit will be apparent.
The voll1me of business, the number of times the
capital can be turned over in a year Cl.ndthe ability to buy to
Rates $2.50 and Up
'l'ANTIU)-A
t,ll mlrl~hlJ.l'Ie f1.n int,eorel'lt. i.n
ih Inllnagement.
lWrerence"
gaD ArtilollUI,Grand Rapid!';,
It
Furniture
l\:lan,
j{1l1ll1 lIWI'Clmtilfi
retluire(l.
h"",ine/;'Iii, IInd
'tAAi/it
in
AdclH~!lloI
R. O. R. ellre l\ollchi-
l\Tny25-lt.
Morton House
Hotel Pantlind
American
......Plan
European
......Plan
Rates $1.00 lUld Up
GRAND RAPIDS. MICH.
The Noon Dinner Served at the Pantlind
for SOc is the FINESTIN THE WO~LD
J. BOYD P ANTLIND. P.."p.
42
Muskegon Valley Furniture Co.
Musk.lIOn
Mich •••
Tlte Sargent Mfg. Co.
MUSKEGON, MICH.
Odd
Dressers
Chiffoniers
Wardrobe,
Ladies
Toilets
Dr... ing
Tables
Mabogany
Inlaid
Goods
Ladies·
Bachelors' Cabinets
Ladies' Desks
Extra Large Chiffoniers
------
Also Manufacturers and Exponm of
ROLLING
Desk,
Music
_
CHAIRS
Chairs adapted to all kinds of invalidism, both for
house and street use.
Cabinel'
Line on sale in
New Manufacturer8' Building,
GRAN])
RAPIDS.
Facts About the Factories in Muskegon.
"We are fuHy employed in filling orders," remarked Me
Stephens, manager of the Moon Desk Company.
"\V c have
been so busy that we have not been able to give more than
incidental attention to our new line.
Vie shall make an exhibit as usual in the new Manufacturers' building, Grand Rapids, in June and July," the manager concluded.
The regular
line of the company has not only sold very well, but there has
been an increasing demand for the "he<tvies" added last
season.
"We will make OUT usual exhibit of fine and medium bedroom furniture, music cabinets, and ladies' desks in the Manufacturers'
Exhibition building, Grand Rapids, during the
June-July season," remarked Hugo Kanitz of the Muskegon
Valley Furniture Company.
"It will number one hundred
pieces, containing special features in design and ornamentation," he concluded.
With two factories to manage~the
Sargeant and the Atlas
-making
different lines of goods, Manager C. W. Cunningham
is about the, busiest man in the furniture business of Muskegon.
However, he found time, when visited recently, to inform the Artisan that he had a new line of bachelors' cabinets,
chiffoniers, ladies' desks, hall racks and kindred goods well advanced and that the samples will be exhibited in the Klingman
building, Grand Rapids, during the midsummer selling season.
The Alaska Refrigerator Company is closing the most successful year of its long history in the manufacture of refrigerators.
The mammoth factory is still in operation on urgent orders,
OVER FORTY DESIGNS TO SELECT FROM
he began to make large dents on the perceptions of his Qutof-town customers.
He had courted comparison and then
practically forced it, and he won out.
Carpet Trust in Asia Minor.
The French consul-general at Smyrna reports that an
agreement has been reached between the carpet manufacturers of Asia Minor which will bring about an increase in the
price of Smyrna carpets.
A combination has been formed
with a number 'Of wool dyers known as the Amalgamated
Oriental Carpet Manufacturers,
with a capital of about $1,500,000. A larg warehouse is to be erected in Smyrna, where
all the ca-rpets, etc., made by the firms in the combine will
be stored, and the existing warehouse belonging to these
firms will be closed.
Discontinued
EXCEPTIONAL
FACTORY OPPORTUNITY
Do you wish to find an opening for a CHAIR
FACTORY
or would
you like to remove to some more favorable location? If so, it would repay
you to at once requt"St information about a fine location in the great timber
section of Southeast Missouri along the
Beat Them at Their Own Game.
A wide-awake western merchant adopted an effective way
of meeting mail order houses not long ago. At the first of
each month he had a number of circulars printed announcing
special bargairis for the month.
He chose articles similar
to those in catalogues, put his price upon them and saw to
it that the prices would make a comparison favorable to him.
His circulars looked like leaves torn from some catalogue,
but they bore his name. He scattered them broadcast.
The
effect was remarkable, and before three months had passed
Business.
The Raab & Winters Table Company organized a few
months ago, have discontinued business,having
sold out to
the John David Raab Chair Company.
No more tables will
be made.
•
Liberal inducements
are offered to secure a bona fide ,l?roposition ~mplaying not less than forty men.
Good di.;tributins- facilities for finished
p~uct.
Correspondence
-is invited regarding thIS and other excellent
opportunities .lor furniture, mattress. iron bed and other factori~s alon,:t"
our lines. Send for indU-8trial deBeripti1u1 matter about the Roek I8tand-
Frisco.
M. SCHULTER. Industrial Commi$Sioner, Rock ISland-Frisco
1144 Frisco Bldg., ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.
Lines,
43
Notes From the Far Northwest.
Portland, Ore., May lS.-Spring
has been tardy on the
coa,st, but the weather has been more seasonable than is
reported from the middle and eastern sections of the country.
Retail furniWre dealers are doil"1g a greater volume of business than at the same time last year and the factories are
all busy.
The Heywood Brothers & ,"akcfield
Company report
a rushing business in all lines.
They are having little trouble with sbipnlcnts now, the car shortage having been relieved considerably in the past montb.
The Oregon Furniture T\Jallufacturillg Company is crowded \vith orders and the factory is running under high pressure.
This company recently sent out a new catalogue which
j'i prllving an effective sales agent.
F. S. Hannon & Co., jobber,:, of Tacoma, Portland and
Spokane, have received over sixty carloads of goods in the
past forty clays. They predict an advance of fifteen to t\\'enty-Jive per cent on furniture during tlle summer.
The Orcgon Chair company, recently established, placed
their first line in the market on J..Iay 10 and are highly pleased
with the reception given it by the dealers.
Owing to de1:Iys in sbipments of l11f1chincryfrOtH the east, the factory i~
Richmond Chair CO.
RICHMOND, INDIANA
filily equipped, but it will be in full operation soot"!.
The Pacific Steel Furniture
Company of Tacoma, has
found it 11ecessary to increase the capacity of the factory in
order to meet the demands of the rapidly expanding business.
'Alhat is said to be thc finest lot of bedroom furniture ever
turned out on the Pacific coast has just been placed on the
market by the Art Furniture IVlanufacturing C(lmpany of
Portland.
It is made of Circassian walllut from original
Louis XV models and is claimed to be equal in construction
and finish to the best that is made in eastern factories.
The rnattress and upholstery factories at Seattle and Portland are overtaxed with business, jobbers find ready sale
for all the goods they call get and retailers at all points on
the "slope" report excellent business.
not
Manufacturers Favor Tariff Revision.
The ::.Iad0.11alAssociadon of Manufacturers,
at the Annual meeting held in New York during tbe third week in
1by, adopted a report favoring a revision of the tariff laws
"at the earliest opportunity" and the negotiation of more reciprocity treaties.
The report as presented by the committee,
appointed at a previous meeting to consider the subject, was
based on a poll of 3,000 members of the association.
Of the
total number replying, 55 per cent declared for immediate revision, while 20 per cent expressed a "hands off" sentiment.
Eight per cent believed that the time for revision had not arrived and the other 17 per cent expressed indifference or made
noncommittal answers.
The association also adopted
resolutions
favoring· the
"open shop" and industrial education and opposing illegal
combj]latiolls of either capital or labor. A committee was
fJ-ppointed to raise a fund of $1,500,000 to be used in carrying on a campaign of education ag-ainst "dictatorial combinations."
James \/I,,T. Van Cleave of St. Louis, 110., ,vas re-elected
president and F. H. Stillman, New York, treasurer.
No Postponement This Year.
A meeting of the Grand Rapids Furniture Manufacturers'
Association was held on May 15, to consider a proposition to
postpone the opening of the summer sales season for a week
or more, some of the members, apparently, having become
convinced that June 17 is too early.
After thorough discussion it was decided to allow the date to stand, as a postponement would cause inconvenience and annoyance to those who
have sent out notices to customers and made other arrangements for opening their exhibits on June 17. It was generally
considered, however, that the third week in June is too early
for the opening and it is probable tllat it will be fixed at
least a week later next year.
The matter of advancing prices on case goods was also
brought up but no definite action was taken, further than to
abide by the result of the referendum ordered by the National
Case Goods ?vlanufacturers' Association at the meeting held
in Chicago recently.
Will Bar the Birch.
Double Cane Line
SEE OUR NEW PATTERNS
CATALOGUES TO THE TRADE
Jay Criswell, president of the Criswelt & Keppler FurnitUre Company, recently organized and c~tablished in Grand
Rapids, I\lich., states th:.1t they will make a line of strictly
hjgb grade goods in classlc styles, using thp best of materials
and "not even a bit of birch."
In short they will make goods
of the style and quality that have made Grand Rapids famous
and will have a small line ready for inspection at the opening of the summer sales season, on the fifth floor of the Kling~
man building.
:"1r. Criswell recently made a tour of the large commercial
centers of the country and fOUlld the retail furniture dealers
busy-most
of them exceedingly so. He therefore expects
large orders for the manufacturers during the coming exposition.
·~~MI9
44
..HIG7fN
SHELBYVILLE DESK CO.
MANUFACTURERS
OF
OFFICE DESKS
Mahogany, and ImitalionOlJ.,tered Oak, Plain
Oak in Three Grades,
I
SPECIAL
FEATURES
A SQUARE
Write for lalest
DEAL
COld/oglle.
SHEILBYVILLE, IND.
INDEX TO ADVERTISEMENTS
Alaska
Refrigerator
American
..28
Company.
Pharmacal
. .. 39
Company ..
.
Barnes, W. F. & John Co ..
.
Berry Brothers ..
Bockstege Furniture
Bosse
Furniture
18
· .24
. .. 25
Company.
Company
.
.. .. 3
Chicago Wood Finishing Company ..
Cline Mfg. Company. _. . . . . . . .. .
.
Detroit & Buffalo Steamboat Company
Detroit Folding Cart Company.
.
.
.
.
Charles A., & Co ...
Johnson Company. _.'
.
Globe Furniture Company ....
Grand Rapids Caster Cup Company.
Grand Rapids Furniture Polish Company ...
Hard
Manufacturing
Hoffm~n
Brothers
Hotel Pantlind
.
Company.
.
Company ....
.
,
Company.
Lentz Table Company....
Lexington Hotel.....
.
_
_
Manufacturers' Exhibition Building Company
Merchanics'
Furniture
Company ..
,
Miller, Eli D. & Co,
Montgomery, H. J
35
, ,.41
Chair Company ..
Furniture
14
13
....
Karges Furniture Company..
Kauffman Mfg. Company....
Luce
8
· .37
Jamestown Lounge Company ..
Johnson
School
'
,
'''""
, .. ,
_.
,
.
,
Ramsey-Mton
, .. _.. , .. ·41
Company.
.
Company
_
Company..
Company
Manufacturing
Chair & Furniture
Manufacturing
.
_.Cover
_.. _Cover
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 8
..........
12
,25
30
40
._
42
.......... ....
. . Cover
Company
& Co
_
Furniture
Furniture
White Printing Company,
Woodard Furniture Co
42
_
_
40
',' __
__
28
_
,
, .. .. .. ..
, . .. .,
Company
_
Union Furnitl.1re Company(Rockford)
Webb, I. H
West Michigan
White-McCarthy
43
_
.31
(Chicago) .. 27
38
38
Company
Stow & Davis Furniture
23
29
, .. 13
_. _
.24
.15
12
__
_
Shelbyville Desk Company
Sligh Furniture
Company
S~ith & Davis Mfg. Company....
.. .
Spratt, George & Co .... _. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Star Caster Cup Company .. ,
_
4
Cover
,.
Company
Richmond Chair Company _.
Rock Island-Frisco
System
Schmoe, C. F
Schmit, Henry
_
.
Rockford Standard Fur. Company .. _.
Robbins Table Company..
.
Sargent
42
41
_. _
Furniture
Royal Chair Company..
38
_
Company....
Palmer Manufacturing
Pioneer Manufacturing
Rockford
_
_
Furniture
Peabody
,23
Cover
'
_.
.
Company _
.
.35
.31
25
.
Nelson-Matter
,
_
.13
39
....
Miscellaneous
Morton House
Furniture
· .25
,
__
Murphy Chair Company
Muskegon Val-ley Furniture
Northern
.33
.24
Estey Manufacturing
Company ..
Evansville Desk Company.
Evansville Metal Bed Company.
Fisher,
Ford'&
2
Moon Desk Company
Mueller & Slack Company
Company
Company
...........•.................
_
44
2
. .15
.
15
22
13
,. _
, .. 15
_. _
37
36
Cover
_
23-31
Cover
Woodard furniture Co.
Makers 01 the
BEST
SELLING
MEDIUM
PRICED
Bedroom
furniture
ON
THE
MARKET
In all the
fANCY WOODS and fINIS"ES
If you are not familiar
with this line it would
pay you to investigate it.
CATAlOG
fOr the asking.
Woodard furniture
Company
owosso, -
MIC".
At 1319 Michigan Ave., Chicago, Third Floor
WHITE-McCARTHY FURNITURE CO.
SHOW
THE
FOLLOWING
LINES:
.
OBERBECK BROS MFG COMPANY Ckmb"F.mimm
Fanc:\' Woods.
WHITE FURNITURE COMPANY lnOak.
Bed_f.m".m
.,
I
,
iD
t
STANDARD FURNITURE COMPANY, ~J~::d'.;,'.~,m
NATIONAL CARRIAGE & REED CO., G.-c"•.
and Reed F B,by
umllure. c"n"",
HILLSBORO CHAIR COMPANY, bi':;::;Chaim
GREENSBORO TABLE COMPANY, t"!::'.T,b19
MODERN FURNITURE COMPANY, li.:'foimm
UNEQUALLED VALUES, SMART DESIGNS, UP-TO-DATE GOODS,
At 1319 Michigan Ave., Chicago, Third Floor
k.
.
-
Push Button
Morris' Chair
The ROYAL is-the Origillar
TH E."
ROYAL
PUS" BUTTON
MORRIS CHAIR
Sevell lears of
Test Have
Bstablished Its
Supremacy.
All OtLers
are Imitators.
No Oth.ers
So Good.
MORRIS CHAIRS
·-FROM-
$6.00
CATALOGUE
to
$30.00
UPON APPLICATION
Royal Chair Co.
STURGIS. MICH.
The
M
and
IT SELLS
s Line
AND
SATISFIES
Do you know
that we have been
making upholstered
fumitute more than
two decades and
satisfying our· c.ustomers every minute
of that time?
If
not the fault is
yours,
We are
making the line that
Sells and Satisfies
and
would be
pleased to add your
name to our list
that you may beeo mea
satisfied
customer.
Everything
for the Parlor, tli~LibrarY and Drawing:R,oom:will be found in
OUl'
July Exhibit.
)1
the