1908-01-25 - GRPLpedia

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Twenty-Eighth
Year-No.
14
THE"
JANUARY
25, 1908
Semi-Monthly
The ROYAL is the Original
Push Button Morris Chair
ROYAL'
Eigbt Years of Te.st Have EstaEJished Its Snpremacy
PUS" BUTTON
ALL OTHERS ARE IMITATIONS
MORRIS CHAIR
) MORRIS CHAIRS' FROM
i6.25
CAT ALoe
to
~30
UPON APPLICAlTION.
Royal Chair Co.
STURGIS, MICHIGAN
Chicago Salesroom: Geo. DJ WilliamsCo.•
1323 Michigan Avenue, First Floor. Chicago. Ill.
The One Motion, All Steel Go-Cart
FOLDS WITH ONE MOTION
NO FUSS, NO FOOLING
FOLDS WITH ONE MOTION
All Steel; Indestructible.
Perfected Beyond All Competition.
Frame of'Steel
Tubing.
"
Will Carry 200 Lbs. Over Rough
Pavements.
The Only Perfect Cart With a
Large Perfect Quick Action Hood.
FOLDED
CATALOGUE UPON APPLICATION.
STURGIS STEEL GO-CARTCOMPANY, Sturgis, Mic".
CHICAGO
.
SALESROOM:
Geo. D. Williams
Co., 1323 Michil!an
Ave., First Floor, Chicago, Ill.
TABLES
I
New Line of Tables.
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(No) TROUBLE
TABLES
(No) TROUBLE
~
CJl We know!
CJl Those great big' shiny surfaces, and putting tables together so they will fit, give you a lot of trouble.
t]J The Northern Furniture Company is going into the table business with an entirely new line.
(] We win give you as handsome a finish as ,he beft lable makers in Ametica-·~but medium prices.
CJl Above all we offer you a line of tables that will give you NO TROUBLE.
(j On all our tables we use our new patent knock-down feature, so that anybody can put the legs on a table before
you can say Jack Robinson.
CJl What is more, any pedeSlal will go on any table top, and 3 actual tables on your Roor will give you 9 distinct Slyles
by combining the different 'pedeStals with different tops.
CJl We make these tables so that they will
they won't get scratched all to pieces.
fir when they go together. They won't warp, and we will pack them so
If you want to get rid of your table trouble, try the Northern
"NO TROUBLE" TABLE LINE.
NORTHERN FURNITURE COMPANY
SHEBOYGAN, WISCONSIN
1
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No. 655
No. 608
to stock numbers in Brass and Iron Beds that please everyhody
---elegant finish, original and exclusive designs---sell easily and
pay a hetter profit than the other fellows?
THEN BUY
The Laycock Line
Write for Catalogue, illustrating Complete Line.
M
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This is No. 271-a most elegant Spring for people who appreciate a comfortable Bed.
It's noiseless and will
support the heaviest weight.
The frame is tubular side rails, and angle end rails, finished in gold bronze.
Elevated fabric.
Heavy rope'
edge.
1.fedium double weave, with an eight-rO\"/ spiral spring, supported by our Premier Fabric.
The T. B. Laycock Mfg. Co., Indianapolis,
Ind.
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2
Luce Furniture Company
Godfrey Ave., GRAND RAPIDS, MICH.
NEW FEATURES
in Upper Clas.
CIRCASSIAN
WALNUT
I
.
i
A LARGE ADDITION TO
OUR LINE OF STAPLES
MEDIUM and LINE FURNITURE
for the
CHAMBER and
DINING ROOM
--------------------------
28th Year-No.
14.
GRAND RAPIDS. MICH .. JANUARY
Going Down.
Here] stano within the hall;
For the elevator hav·,tl
\\lith a frown.
'''Going up?" I loudly cry,
A.nd the urc11in makes rer-,Jy:
Going down."
Here you see me buying stocks,
Hoping to acquire both rocks
And renown.
"Going up:" [ lOlldly say.
But my hroker answers "1\ay:
Going down."
\Vhcn old Charon T shall meet.
Looking mystical htlt neat
J II his gOWll"Going up:" I'll murmer low,
And he'll doubtl(~."s answer "Ko;
Going down."
$1.00
25. 1908.
per
Year.
the store "\"indow? ,,\nd yet it ought to be the first consideration. If the proportionate
share of window or windows
to an entire store rent ",:ould bring the value of the former
to $1.;')00 a year, those window advertisemelHs must net $30
a week to covcr their money east alone. The kind of display which draws the most observers to the window, and
from their inspec'tion of the window into the store should be
noted.
A teading" manufacturer adopted for one year a new plan
for introducing his goods. He instructed his travelers to
stop soliciting orders and in place of that to arrange with as
man.y retailers as possible to give a special window display
of his goous, he furnishing the goods and his own men arranging the displays. The result was that most of those
retailers sold a much li:\rger quantity of these special wares
than they had ever sold before and the manufacturer
himself disposed of nearly double the amount of any previous
year's sales. That .WIS a very good test of the value of
windo" ...
· shows. It was a conclusive proof that the window
is an aclvertisQment, and a paying advertisement
if sensibly
nsed. \Vc commend the lesson it teaches to every business
man. There is no storekeeper,
whatever line he handles,
~~-ho cannot make [dty-two effective displays in a year,
jf he will take the trouhle.
The Value of the Window.
"1 pay $2/'100 a year for tbi$ store," said a tradesman,
"and $2,000 of that is for the window. Thereiore, to make it
pay its way, I am jl1stiJlcd in giving my window four-fifths
of the time r am able to give to displaying my stock."
How many tradesmen have as keen an apprec.iation, says
the 1ronmongers'
Chronicle. as had this man of the real
money ,:'alne of a store window?
How many even realize
that their store rent is so largely fixed by the relation the
window bears to the pedestrian traffic of the town? Owners
of business property arc Hot blind to this consideration;
the value of the window as an advertising factor has a large
share in fixing the rent of a store, and if the tenant doE'.snot
make the most of his opportunity he is paying too much for
his situation.
Let him, for instance, ask himself wlwt the
effect on his sales would be if he glazed his window with
opaque glass, which would still admit light to his store while
it effectually shut out all view of what he had in it. vVould
the result be to increase or lessen his turn over? VI/e do not
need to answer our qucstion.
It is painful to see how many
storekeepers act as if they really believed the opJque window
would be a profollnd stroke of enterprise.
They "·go just
one better" in improving on the opaque glass by a display
that is calculated to be\vildcr rather than entice the passerby: Indeed some displays are as effective as the opaque glass
would be. The latter might a·rouse curiosity; the show of
goods call arouse nothing but distaste.
The store window is an advertisement.
and an advertisement that is dearly pai..:l faT. It has got to be paid for
in hard cash. It should bring in at least the money it costs.
How seldom the same thing is borne in mind in considering
OUD SP[(IAlIMPtKIAl
wtAJU[UtO OAK Oil STAin
is the standard all over "merlca.
Me YOUusing It?
Write us for Samples and~Quotations of the
BEST S"ElLAC VARNIS"ES
MA,NJJTJlrT~RED
OI'lIl.Y
U
Y
CHICAGO WOOD FINISHING CO.
259·63 ELSTONAVEm2·16 SLOAN ST.
CH I CACO.
I
·Jl~MICHIG7:IN
lEi
4
. cess of this co-operative
association, credit is due in no
small degree, to the following prudent stipulations in its
statutes:
1. That members holding shares may be expelled
Paper, Read Before the Class jn Applied Christianity, at
if not actually patronizing
the association;
2. That even
,f.ollntain Street Baptist Church.prand
Rapids, Mich.
non-members become ent.itled to a bonus on every dollar's
wor-th of purChase, by which inducement the trade of the
On Sunday,'"]anuary19,A.
S...\,\lhitc read a paper before
association is kept steadily increasing
the' elass in 'Applied Christianity,
of the Fountain Street
Following the great political upheavel in France at the
Bap'tist . Church, on the subject of Co-operation and Profit
close of the eighteenth century, Rohert OWCl1 and others
Sharing.
Upwards of 500 members
of the class were
caught the spirit of the revolution anel instituted cQ-operative
present and a 'lively discussion followed the conclusion of
and profit sharing associations in that country, with the aid
the reading.
Robert \"1. Merrill of the Phoenix Furniture
of the general government, which furnished ninety-six per
company, recalled the history of Albert Dolge, the altruist
cent of the funds required, the people supplying the labor.
of Dolgeville, who had given co-operation and profIt sharing
Incompetent management and the dishonesty of the officials
a thorough trial, resulting in failure and bankruptcy for Mr.
soon wrecked these ambitious enterprises,
and socialism
Dolge. 1\Jr. Merrill cOl1tented that the only equal basis for
scored a failure. This is the only instance in which sothe plan is a division of tbe losses in lean years as well as
cialism has been -undertaken by a government.
the profits in years of plenty. The pastor of the church,
In 1828 spasmodic attempts were made to realize some of
Rev. A. W. Wishart, expressed the opi.nion that there is
Owen's ideas by the organiz,ation of, what were called union
merit in the system; that it would be of value in solving the
shops, for the supply of the common l'iecessaries of life, the
industrial problcmn.
Au abstract of Mr. White's paper is
profits of which were to be applied to the formation of
as follows :
productive works and independent industrial colonies. These
"CO-01K'Xation, is defined as the act at working, or operatflourished for a short time but collapsed in the year 1834.
ing together to an end; joint operation; concurrent effort or
In 1844 co-operative and profit sharing societies were orlabor. Profit sharing is tbe distribution of the advantages
ganized in England, for several purposes, as follows:
1. To
gained in some commercial undertaking with others.
Since
huy
and
sell
to
members
alone,
or
to
members
and
noni~5 inception, many centuries ago, co~operation has been apmembers under differing conditions, the necessa,I"ies of life
plied, with varying degrees of 'success, to almost eVeTY puror the raw material of their industry;
2. Societies of propose. In the field of husiness it has been utilized in manuduction, the object of which was to sell the collective. or
facture, navigation,
banking, farming, merchandising,
real
individual work of the members;
3. Societies of credit or
estate and kindred interests.
As technically understood, cobanking, the object of which was to open accounts of credit
operation occupies a middle posibon between the doctrine
with members, and advance loans to them for industrial
of communism and socialism on the one hand, and private
purposes.
property and freedom of labor on the other. At a very
These several plans define the distinguishing
characterdefinite and significant point it takes its departure
from
istics of the co-operative society proper, and it is somewhat
communi!'>n1. The motive of individual gain 8nC possession
remarkable that these three kinds of associations have atin the sentiment of a universal happiness or good, would be
tained a measure of success in three different European
extinguished
by communism.
All the existing rights, laws
countries.
England ranks first in societies of consumption;
and arrangements
of society would be remodeled on a basis
France in societies of production;
Germany in societies of
deemed consonant to this end. Co-operation seeks, in C,Ol1credit. With reference to the variety of result, it has -been
sistency with the fundamental institute of society as hitherto
developed, to ameliorate
the social condition by a COtl~ observed that the social eq~ality following the great revolution, in connection with the character of much of the
Clirrence of increasing
numbers
of associates,
The comanufacturing
industry of France, has given that country
operative idea requires identity of purpose and interest, with
a larger number of artisans, who work in their own houses,
a community ot advantages and risks, though not necessarily
and have a passion for independence
in their handicraft,
absolute equality or uniformity of individual relations among
than is to be found in any. other country of Europe.
On the
the co-operators.
1iVhen the investment passes into 'a mere
other hand, the masses of operatives in the factories, while
investment and trading company, the idea would seem to
retaining their position as wage eamers, have put forth most
be lost.
energy and attained theiT highest co-operative
success in
During the middle ages, co-operation was in use in Russia,
societies for the purchase, and in some degree the production,
but it was not until near the middle of the last century that
of their own immediate necessaries of life. In Germany it
practical plans were adopted and the merit of the system
has been demonstrated that societies of credit were the necestested. The impracticability
of the plans of operation, insary foundation of the co-operative system, and their decompeteIlcy and dishonesty in the management, caused many
velopment ,has been remarkable. Credit unions are mainta.ined
of the associations
to suspend business, involving heavy
in many cities, and loans are made to artisans and mechanics.
losses to the investors.
At present the business of the RusThe movement in Great Britain owes its inception, its capasian associations is confined to the purchase and distribution
city and progress ent'irely to the genius and energy of workof supplies needed by their members.
The most prosperous
ing men. It was born of their needs and the outcome of the
association, at present, is that which is located in one of
hard conditions under which they lived and worked.
Its
the subllrbs of St. Petersburg.
It was started in 1880 with
methods were adapted to their requirements, and its results
one hundred members <lnd a capital of 7,500 rubles. The
have been acl1ieved by their unaided efforts. These sopresent membership is 2,168, and it not only possesses coucieties, known as th(', Roachdale associations,
are mainly
siderable funds, but has also its own bakeries, breweries,
engaged in the purchase and distribution of family supplies.
stores, dining halls, and other real property.
The goods
A fixed interest (never more than five per cent) is paid 011
handled arc bought directly from domestic and foreign prothe capital invested and the remainder of the profit is divided
ducers, and the enterprise yields a profit of from 100 to 200
among the members in proportion to their purchases.
The
per cent per annum upon the capitalization.
Members ownmembership of these societies in England numbers 2,500,000; .
ing shares receive substantial dividends, sometimes up to
the value of the products handled annually is. $425,420,000
24 per ceflt per annum, and the common consumers get a
and the profits $11,000,000. Co-operation is well developed
honus upon every dollar's worth of purchase.
Besides, part
in Switzerland, and Dr. Muller. the head of societies in that
of the net profit is used for benevolent purposes, for schools,
COimtry, regards it as "a ray of divine light, showing the
homes, for invalids and asylums for the aged. For .the suc~
PROFIT
SHARING
AND
CO-OPERATION.
5
way out of the confusion of sterile social doctrines and
theories to the IOJlg-sought for ideal of a new, harmonious
order of humanity."
A concrete case reveals the plan most generally chosen
by the co-operators of onr country.
Suppose Brown puts
$100,000 into the manufa(ture of say, furniture.
Smith invests $50,000 and accepts tbe presidency of the corporation
at $10,000 per yeaf'. Jones subscribes $25,000 and gets $5,000
per annum as secret'ary. Hill pays $15,000 and gets $B,OOO
as treasurer, while Field puts in $10,000 a11(1receives $2,000
as manager. The five named who invest $200,000. four of
whom recei\'e $20,000 ill annual salaries, employ ten men at
$5.00 per day, t.wenty men at $3.00 and forty men at $,1.50.
These, men \"'ork 300 days in the yC;tr. YVagcs then amount
to $15,000, $18,000 and $18,000 in these three grades of labor
or to $51,000. In the spirit of fraternalism, the partners proIJose to sJwrc profits or losses of the business, at the end of
each year i11proportjon to the investment of money or labor.
Capital invested amotlllts to $200.000; salaries amo11nt to
$20,000; wage~ amount to $ril,OOO-total values $271,000.
The net profits are divide~l by ~>-71,OOO
alld cach of the seventyfive mcn who have contributed to the ~,uccess of the firm,
draws his proportionate
share. Brown receives $10,000;
Smith $6,000; Jone,s $3,000; Hill $1,800; Field $1,200; each of
the ten receives $HiO.OO;each of thc twenty receives $90.00;
each of the forty receives $45.00.
The payment of $5,100 to
the wage earners of $51,000 is marc than compensated by
the feeling that the laborer is a profit s}wrer.
The most notable example of sUccess is recorded to the
credit of the sted trust, \vhich distributed $2,000,000 among
its cmplo~res all last Christmas.
Five years ago the trust
induced many thousands of jts employes to ilwest a part Qf
their earnings in tlJe stock of the company. Annual distributions of profit were made and in December last the amOllnt
set aside for this purpose represented dividends of seven per
cent and a bonus of $5.00 for each share held by the employes. Building
and loan
associations,
manufacturing
houses, and mercantile establishments, located in many parts
of the United States, have h:sted the system more or less
successfully. )''1<:nytraveling salesmen are paid a stated sum
for selling goods aggrtgating a specified SU111 in value. v\lhen
they have reached the limit pnwided in their contracts, they
co-operate 'Nith their employen-; in the effort to add to their
sales, aMd share ill the prohts gained through such increases.
An organi:tation kno\,{/l as the Co-operative Society of
!\me1'ica is promoting the movement, ~illd a nnvspaper is
maintained for the purpose of jllformi11g the mC'tllbers of its
progress.
In one county of VV'isconsin nine stores arc owned
by an organization of farmers, each of whom invested the
sum of $100.00 in the business. The officers are elected by
the tllc,mbership, and are always subject to the initiative,
referendum and recall. Interest is paid on the capital invested and dividends to all m<cmbers on their purchases.
l\{any of such storcs are located in \".risconsin, Pennsylvania,
1linnesota, California and Indiana.
Co-operation is also employed by students attending the great universities.
In HW6
an eight per cent dividend was paid to members on their
jlurchases lJy the Harvard co-operati·ve society, and a satisfactory business was transacted by the co-opera live stores
at Princeton, Berkeley and Butler, Ind, The grangers of
PCll11sylv,wia ll.'lve establjshed a considcrabl<'. number of
banks; the farmers of Towa many grain elevators; the women
of J'\c\vark, N. J. a shirt factory; thc newspaper workers of
New York, a corporation to crcct homes for its mernbers at
Bayside on the co-operative and profit sharing syste111.These
facts indicate the Hexibility of the plan and th(': facility with
which it may be applied to almost every purpose of life.
It is not necessary to go olltside of our city fa finJ examples
to prove the paternal value of the system.
A few years
ago the Grand Rapids Gaslight company inaugurated a plan.
throl1gh which its 300 employes were to share in tbe gajns
earned in the operation of its plant,. and the transaction of
its business. After remaining in the company's service 18
months the employes are put upon the profit sharing list.
Their share in the profits is an addition of ten per cent to
the amount of wages they have earned during the preceeding
year. \Vage,s arc considered as capital paid into the company's treasury.
One year ago the Oliver Machine company informed its
employes that it would share its profits with them, on the
basis of their carnings, following the plan of the Gaslight
company. lncreased
interest in the affairs of the cor~
!}Oratioll J"las since been evinced by thc 'Norkmen, and cooperation jn the operation of tbe shop \....
as gained through
profit sharing.
J\ unique prof'lt and loss sharing plan upon which the
busil]ess of a manufacturing company in Bridgeport, Conn.,
conduets its business, is as follows: (1.) Employer and employe agree to share both profits and losses; (2.) Net gain
or loss is ascertained by deducting from the gross result of
the inventory on the first of February all expenses for the
year previous of eVQry kind, including deprecia.tion of buildings, tools, machinery, and bad debts. In the case of gain,
the capital invested, as shown by the im'entory, shall first
Jra"\v 6 per cent interest, dOl', in case there 1S less than that
amount, shall dra\ ...· what there is, in liquidation of its
claim"; the balance, then remaining, to be divided between
the company and the individual employe in the proportion
which tlle capital invested bears to his total wages for the
year; (3.) For each current year, one-tenth of thc wages of
e\'ery employe, who is a party to the contract, is withheld
each week. In case there is not a net loss on the entire
business of the year, this reserved money, together with any
accrued protit, as ngured above, is paid to the employe, on
or before March first, of each succeeding year;
(4.) III case
of a net loss on the business of the entire year, without
figuring any dividend as ahove provided for capital, this loss
is divided between the company and the employe in the same
method as th<'tt prescribed for the dividing of profit; but in
no case does the employe become responsible for losses
greatcr than the amount reservF,d from his wages;
(5.)
Other employes may become pai'ties to this contract upon
the invitation of the company. _ ny employe may withdraw
from the contract at allY time, a d from the firm's employ,
but the company then holds the right to retain the 10 per
cent reserve till the end of the current year. In case it is
so held, its owner shares in the company's profit or losses;
(6.) The Grm may discharge any of its employes, but in that
case he shall have the option of withdrawing 11is full reserve,
or of leaving it till the end of the year, to share in prollts
and losses;
(7.) It is agreed by the company that none of
its employes who signs this COiltract shall be temporarily
retired from work so long as tbe company has any work of
the kind he .is accustomed to do; but if there is a shortage of
work in the bands of the company it shall redttce the hours
of work, and so divide the work among its employes. If
at any time an employe becomes sick or incapacitated to perform his duties, and has a certificate of a reputable physician
that he is so incapacitated, he may uraw on his resetve
"\vages at a rate not greater than six dollars a week, without
affecting his interests in the profits at the end of the year.
If any employe is injured by any accident while in the employ of the company, the company, at its own expense, pro~
vides him with a competent physician or surgeon, UpOll application stating that such services are needed,
The contract docs not apply to the whole labor force. The
company did not think the proposition ,~io111dappeal to their
u.tlskilled lahorcrs, comprising about two-thirds of the nllm~
beT in their employ.
As regards the skilled laborers, it has;
becn the company's practice nQt to invite further signatures
to the contract at any time when three-fourths
of their
skilled laborers are already working under it; for the amoi.tnt
6
of business on hand is subject to SOUle fluctuations, and the
firm do not wish to enter into this relation with a larger
number of employes than they can be reasonably sure of
providing with steady employment.
This limitatioll, however, do'es 110t apply to the office force. The result is that,
out of a lahar force of about 250, there are eighty who arc
eligible to admittance to the contract, and sixty arc actuall;v
so enrolled.
1\0 man is ever urged to become a party to it,
but there is aLways a long waiting list.
It ,vauld be unfair if [ were to present only the bright
side of this problem and there is an abundance of material
at the command of the investigator
to prove that cnvy,
jealousy,
ambition,
selfishness
and dishonesty
have ruined
many co-operative enterpriscs, and are likely to prevail in
their operation in the future. The s<\me evils, however, woulJ
have wrecked the busine5s of a private individual, a firm or
a corporation.
At Rockford, (Ill.) a decade past, several furniture factories. were es-tabl1shed by practical shop hands, somc of whom
had been favored with husiness experience.
The officials
of these corporations
received no more remuneration
for
their services than the bench hand or the packer. The
profits divided annually were liberal hut the man at the bench
and the .manattendillg
the saws looked through envious
eyes at the men in the office, and sought by intrigue to
depose them. The operator of a planer deemed himself
fully a.s capable to handle the finances of the corporation as
the one that had been chosen on account of his training and
experience to perform that important duty, <lnd in conse.<luenc.e of the dissensl0ns that arose, the companies soon
lost their co-operative character.
The rapid growth of the milhng bUl'>ines91n lvlinneapolis
attracted several thousand coopers to th<l.tcity. In the course
of time, having· become dissatisfied with the wages paid, the
men (who were members of a union) went out ou a strike
alld co-operative
shops were organized.
In twelve years
time the business was absorbed by the associations, and
habits of thrift, temperance and steadiness were developed
in the workmen.
(Co-operation
is especially
adapted
to
Democratic control and thc co~operating workmen were not
s"l1bject to the trials and losses of lahor disputes.)
But disse.nsions arose. Too many wanted to be Cl general manager;
too mariy clerks were employed; loyalty ,'vas lacking, and
with the withdrawal of the di!o'satisiied the enterprises
as~
sumed the form of joint stock companies.
These shops started with the plan of apportioning gains
ai-id iosscs pro-rata upon the ·wages received by each member.
In the early llinety's one company discontinued the llse of
wages, as a basis for a division' of ;-ulY part of the earnings.
The-explanation
offered by all officer \vas: "It's money makes
the business go. not the men: Vv'e can get all the men to
work we wallt." This proceeding was not ullusu,i1. It has
been employed many times by co~o]lerating companies in
lean years of business.
In Rochester
a few years ago a Union of IVletal polishers
struck work antl organized a shop on thc co-operative plan,
thrrty-four
members contributed $100 each to the capital stock
of a company.
The trials. of management tested the patience
of the stockholders and grad"uatly the di.ssatisfied sold tl1eir
stock until it was conccntrated
in tl~e. hands of five. The
business was successful-the
union was disso[vcd, an open
shop maintained,-but
the noteworthy
result of the experiment is the numher of men, who, from it, started in
business for themselves.
Tt proved a practical scbool of
business for them. It incited many of the original stockholders to quit the shop and engage 1I1 some enterprise as
proprietor-.
The co-operative movement attracted wide spread attentionin
the United States in the ).'ear 18'76, and many mercantiLe and manufacturing
enterprises were launched upon
that basis. The report of the commissioner: of labor of. the
state of Massachusetts for the year 1889 contained a list of
establishments
ope.rated under the co~op'erati.ve plan.
But the panic of 1893. caused many industries to cease operations; thousands of men were discharged and as no profits
were gained necessarily there were no distributions.
Cooperation and profit sharing is distinctly a fair weather proposition.
It cannot withstand a season of adversity.
I have briefly exp[;lined the origin, the purpose and the
history of the movement, ill a necessarily fragmentary way,
supplying facts from which conclusions may be drawn as to
its prospects, and now take up the very important question,
"Is co-operation
a possible
solution
of the industrial
problem?"
To the on-looker, capitalism an,d trade unionism
have the field to themselves, and treat as armed allies.
Through
the exactions of the unions of short work days, a
(imitation upon the apprenticeship system and wages demanded
for service not rendered, monopoly is enabled to sell its products for prices that inflect hardship upon consumers, and
would 110t be charged in a market where competition exists.
Such monopolies can well afford to pay liberal bonuses to em-·
ployee-stockholders,
as is done by the steel trust. At its
inception the co-operative movement had a broader impulse
than now goven1S it. The science of moral philosophy, which
teaches men their duty, was understood
by its adherents,
and they believed themselves in. possession of a secret that
was to transform society. John Stuart Mill, Lord Derby, the
Bishop of Durham and many prominent men in America
gave it support, but the history of the movement is fuIl of
instances of the launching of ethical co-operative enterprises
that "went up like a rocket and came down like a stick."
Paternalistic
co-operation
enables" thrifty families to save
a few cents in the cost of soap and saleratus.
It gives to
the employee a few dollars gratuitously. that he would have
earned hOllestly had he rendered dutiful service, and to
the ,depositor of the building and loan associations a little
extra interest collected from the borrowers of funds from
suchas~ociations.
AsiJc from the spirit of independence and
the determination to engage in occupatioJ1s on their own account inspired in the workmen of France and the striking
metal polishers of Rochester, co-operation has little to its
credit of permanent value. Good conduct has not followed
the transmission
of metal bo~uses from the treasuries
of
monopoly to the pockets of its employes; morality has not
1>e(;',nupheld and strengthened.
It has not boosted .. the man
who is lrying to dtmb the tree of social emancipation,
although it has be(,.l1 available for centur-ies; it does not
teach that the only way a man can work for himself is to
work for others; it fails utterly to reveal anything that
would assist in the finding of a solution of the industrial
problem.
Evolution change~ all things and for the credit of
our civilization, it is to be hoped that it will find that boundless sea of loving kindness, where there is room for every
sail.
189
\\That onc fails to remember at the momel1t when remembrance is of the utmost importance, causes loss that can
never be regained.
Henry Scbmit 8 Co.
HOPKINS AND HARRIET
Cincinnati,
STS.
Ohio
makers of
Upl.olstered Furniture
foc
LODGE and PULPIT, PARLOR,
LIBRARY, HOTEL and
CLUB ROOM
7
IT IS DIFFERENT!
NOTE
THE
CONSTRUCTION
OF THIS
DRESSER
The
Ladies'
Ideal
Dresser
lJpe
Ladies'
Ideal
Dresser
'I
One of Many
75
Good Features
Small Top Drawers
NEW
in Dressers, Chiffomers, Em~
press DT<~Mets. Princess Dress-
STYLES
ers and Washstands In Seventy~Five Different Patterns
and Woods,
200 Patterns
ROLL TOP BEDS, NAPOLEON
DRESSERS and CHIFFONIERS
BEDS,
EMPIRE FURNITURE COMPANY
JAMESTOWN, NEW YORK
--
--
--
--
--
--
-
--
EVANSVILLE
MANUFACTURERS'
-
------------
LINES
FURNITURE
EXCHANGE
Corner Wabash Avenue and Fourteenth Street
THE BOCKSTEGE NEW SUPERIOR LINE
------
EVANSVILLE
Evansville Metal
Furniture Co.
EVANSVILLE, IND.
MANUFACTURERS
OF
Metal Bedsteads
~ F'uliline of Samples on exhibition during the entire year,
Full
line of Samples
011 lff..'ChiOition t!l.r<lUgkout·tke
Nell' Man1tfacturers' Furniture
THE BOCKSTEGE
TflE
year on flu ,tiNt flOOT of tke
Exc1wllge, Wabash Ave. 'and 14th St" OhlCago.
FURNITURE
on first Hoor of the Manufacturers, Furniture Exchange,
corner Wahash Ave. and 14th St., Chicago.
CO., Evansville, Ind.
WORLD FURNITURE CO.
(Member of Big Six Car Loading Association)
EVANSVILLE
-
INDIANA
Globe
Side Boards and
Hall Racks
Are the best for the money.
Gel our Catalogue. Mention the Michigan Artisan when writing.
F uliline of samples on exhibition during the entire year, on the first Hoor of the Manufadurers'
Furniture Exchange, Cor. Wabash Ave .. and 14th
St.. Chicago.
ManufactureR
of Folding Bech. (Mantel and Upright),
BuHe.ts, Hall
Trees, China CIO.Ieb, Combination and Library Bookcases.
Full line of sample .. on e~hibitioh dQring the entil'. year t on first floor
of tbe Mallufacturen
FUI'Qiture Exchanse. corner" Wa.bAsh Ave. and 14th
St ••Chicago.
Globe .Furniture Company
EVANSVILLE, IND.
ON SALE IN CHICAGO
MANUFACTURERS
FURNITURE
EXCHANGE
Corner WabaJh Avenue and Fourteenth Street
Cupboards
Kitchen
Cabinets
and
K. D.
Wardrobes.
JORDAN
Is all we make but
we make lots of
them.
CRESCENT.
Get Catalogue
and Prices.
Start 1908right by buying an Up-to-date Line.
T"[
CRESCENT
is what you want-IT
LINE
The Bosse
SELLS ITSELF.
Furniture Co.
EVANSVILLE. IND.
Crescent Stove WorKs
Evansville. Indiana
Ji'ullline of saMples on exhibit'ion during Uu entire year on }irstfloor oj
the Manujacturer8' Furniture Exchange, corner Waba8h Ave. and Uih 8t"
C/liCQgo.
Karges
Chamber
Suites
ARE OF
BEST QUALITY
GOOD
Style
Construction
Finish
PRICES RIGHT
Wrilf for
WIfa/og1u
Karges Furniture
Company,
EVANSVILLE,
IND.
Full line of sample~ aD
on exhibition dll-linll the
eOlir,. YeM, on
nl€l: ROOt of
the Manuiadllref$'
Furniture Exchange. cerner Wabash Ave. and 14th St.,
Cbicaa:o.
-
10
~~I9fIIG7}N
$
-
--
----------------------
7IR. TItS'S ..7U'l
p.
t
VALI.lEY CITY DESK COMPANY
GRAND RAPIDS, MICH.
We
want you to see the
leaders lhat will keep them
coming al1 the year around.
Big value> for little money,
ouf motto.
A postal card waf bring our
neW red catalogue,
and a sample
order will demon$lrate to you,
Mr. Buyer, that we have the
best selling line 01 cheap and
medium office and typewriter desks in Amenca.
The Robbins Table Co.
Owosso has long been noted as a leading furniture manufacturing city. Several flourishing furniture manufacturing
companies are located there, but none are more successful
than the Robbins Table company. This company has one
of the best equipped f.actories in Michigan. and the line is
made up of square and round top dining extension tables.
The Robbins patent table, which has a receptacle for holding
the leaves under the top, is one of the best things on the
market in the form of extension tables. The company has
recently received from the press of the vVhite Printing company, Grand Rapids, the finest catalogue they have ever
brought out. It has a handsomely embossed cover, and
shows thirty-six neW patterns of round and square tops, in
as attractive designs as any on the market.
The workmanship and finish are equally good. The reader's attention
is
called to the page of illustrations in this issue, also to their
advertisement.
The center column of the pedestals does not
divide when the tables are opened,. which, obviates the necessity of using pedestal locks.
.'
11,'1
r. \Vidc1icomh will not enjoy the publicity
into whieh he
is brought by its relation.
He has de-WlOl1::.trateu his ability
to conquer success in the face of forbidding conditions, hI. a
decent and gentlemanly way, and his example is valu;:lble
in the field of business.
For the Household.
The modern office desk is so useful and so inexpensive that
many house owners purchase them for their libraries and
dens. An excellent line of desks, a. considerable number of
which are suitable for the private library, is manufactured
by the Valley City Desk COmpany, Grand Rapids.
Grand Rapids Caster Cup Co.
2 Parkwood Ave., Grand Rapids, Mich.
Very Complimentary to John Widdicomb.
A "banker" of Grand Rapids took a reporter for the
Herald into his confidence the other day and told him a lot
of facts about John Widdicomb and his bu:;;iness. Bankers,
as a rule, do not discuss the affairs of their customers,
and
as 11r. \Viddicomb is a modest and reticent m~I1,. the ill formation was not furnished by him. The story recounts the
trials of Mr. \i\liddicomb in the management of his business
since 1895, and of his unloading of a burden that would have
crushed most men. He has· not only acquired 'a cOlnl>etency,
but paid off debts amounting to $50,000, for which he was
not legally liable. The story is undoubtedly true, although
We are now putting on the best Caster Cups with oork. ba.ses ever
offere<i to the trade.
These are finished in Golden Oak and White Maple
in a light finish. These goods are a.dmirable ~or polished t'tOQrsand furn·
iture rests. They will not sweat or mar.
PRICES:
Size 2U inches
$4.00 per hundred
Si:te.2% inches······ 5.00 per hundred
Try a Sam,pleOrd~r.
F. O.B. G1'(lndRapid'.
11
Moon Desk Go.
MUSKEGON,Mien.
OffiCE DESKS
NEW STYLES FOR SPRING SEASON
Line on sale in
New ManuFacturers' Bullding, Grant:l Rallids.
HAND
CIRCULAR
R(P SAW
CQMBrNED MACHfNE
MORTISER
No.3 WOOD LATHE
Complete Outfit of HAND and FOOT POWER MACHINERY
WHY THEY
PAY THE
CA81NET
MAKER
He can save a manufacturer's profit as well as It d'taler's profit.
He can make more money with less capital invested.
He can hold a better and more satisiactory trade with his
customers.
He can manufacture in as good ~lyle and finish, and at as low
cost as the factories.
The local cabinet maker bas been forced into only the dealer's
trade and profit. because of m:Jchine manufactured goods of factories.
An outfit of Barnes' Patent Foot and Hand-Power Machinery,
reinstates the cabinet maker with advantages equal to his competitors.
If desired, these machines will be sold on trial. The purchaser
can have ample time to test them in his own shQopand on the work he
wishes them to do. Desf1riptiv, catalogue and price list free.
No.4
SAW
(ready
for cross-<:utting)
W. f. &. JO"N B~RNESCO.• 654 Ruby St.. Rockford, III.
No.4 SAW (ready for ripping)
FORMER
OR MOULDER
HAND
TENQNER
No.7 SCROLL SAW
-
-
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12
GEO. SPRATT
Robbins Tabl6 60.
& Co.
SHEBOYGAN, WIS.
Owosso. MIGhluan
Manufacturers of Chairs
and Rockel'll. A complete
line of Oak Dinera with
quarter sawed veneer ba.cks
and SUt$.
A large line of
Elm Diners, medium priced.
A select line of ,Ladies'
Rockers.
Bent and high
arm Rockers with solid
seats, veneer [oIt seAts, CQhhlerseats and upholstered l~alher
complete. High
Chairs
and
Children's
Rockers.
You 'Will gtt
in on the ground
floor 'U/Ren you
buy from UT.
No. 542
Oak. Solid Seat.
Price,
$17 &~.
No. 318. AMERICAN OAK.
44>4&IN TOP.
AMERICAN BASE.
No. 540)4
7 IN. PILLAR.
Same as No. 542
on I y Quartered
Oak, Veneer
Seat.
$18 ~:;.
NO. 542
Prize Puzzle
Find the Location
of the
WHITE PRINTING COMPANY
If You Cannot Find It Phone 5580 (Long or Short Distance)
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN
FOR
PARTICUL.ARB
CAL.L. AT
OFFICE
.rIR'T'I.5'~
?
13
$$1.
CHAS. A. FISHER & CO.,
1319 Michigan Ave.. Chieago.
WRITE FOR
BOOKLEr
AND
PROPOSITION
ST, LOUiS, MO.
KANSAS CITY. MO.
PEORIA. ILL.
A MODERN
LINCOLN, ILL.
SACKING
MlNNEAPOLIS. MINN
CHICAGO. ILL.
OF ROME.
After the Barbarians Come Old Furniture
Dealers.
Rome, December 28.-Cbristian emperors, popes, mediaeval nobles, the barbarians, Gre, flood, earthquake, aB have
contributed their share to the demolition of the mOl1uincnts
of ancient Rome.
Pagan temples ku'e been destroyed to
build Christian churches, theatres aud baths to build palaec:s,
bronze, statues have been stolen or melted, ,...
·hile marble statues have been converted into lime or used as missles to check
an aS5a1.11t.
It is a pleasing fancy that present generations have a different attitude toward the past, that archaeology is stri\rjng
to rebuild what has been demolished; but the fancy docs not
seem to hold good in practice,
In inet, while the so-caned
destroyers of Rome demolished but did not in every case obliterate all tr<lces of the p<lst, their modern successors of today,
although living in what is supposed to be a highly enlightened time, ruthlessly transform the ancient into the modern,
"Vhen the Via Nazionale was opened the palaces of illustrious Romans which once lined the Vicus Longus and were
discovered ....
vhile the new street was being cut were destroyed
and reburied,
The l-emajns of the celebrated Horti Sallm;tiani which had surviv'ed the shocks of time and were in,o,
porated in two villas, Ludovi5i and lhssimo,
were mercilessly
sacrificed by their o,vners in 1886 and pulled down to make,
'place for new streets and modern houses,
A German, Herr
Spithoever, filled one of the valleys of the gardens of Sallust
with materials brought from the Servian embankment and
converted the place into flat building lots.
Such instances could be multiplied almost indefinitely.
Hardly a month passes without the sale of 411 old palace or
villa fLiB of historic interest and romance,
Tlte ov...
·ners, Roman noblemen of ancient and illustrious families, prefer .hard
cash to an old paLace, and they are always willIng to sell not
only their houses, but also their old furniture.
The villa 1,fattei is called now Villa Hoffmann J.nd is
owned by a German who some day will probabTy Wr,t it iIlt~
a tenement bouse.
The Villa Aldohrandini will soon, it is
said, he converted into a hotel, while its beautiful garde.n, one
of the few old ones still remaining intact in the centre of
Rome, ,.,Iill be uprooted and shops will be built in its place.
A corner of the Palazzo Venezia is doomed to disappear in
order that the monument of Victor Emmanuel II. may be
se~n from the Piazza del Popalo,
One by one the old palaces of Rome. are disappearing;
those that are left standing are being modernized and trans-
formed, eV(,Tythill~r old is doomed to perish.
There is a
craze among the Roman nobility for modernism, which is
encouraged by the tempting offers of both native and foreign
dealers in antiquees.
As a consequence, just as old palaces are being supplanted
by ne.W5 ones, fitted with all the modern comforts boasted in
hotels, the old furniture, is gradually giving place to the lH''''V.
Bamboo cane chBirs are used instead of carved wood. Ellg~
Jish muslin instead of brocade, wall paper instead of damasks
and tapestries, panlttet floors instead of carpets.
No bette.r evidence of this change can be afforded than the accompanying illnstratiol1s.
The sitting room of the Palazzo ldattei is one of the few
sl1f\'iving typical examples of an antique furnished room,
There is not a single piece of furniture in it which lIas not a
J)istoriccll and artistic value. More than a living room, it is
a museum, and yet it is quite as habitable and comfortable as
any modern furnished rOOIl1.
The drawing room of the Palazzo Grazioli gIves an e.:>;
ample of a sort of transition, a compromise between the old
and the 11ew,
The background is ancient.
The wainscoting and beamed ceiling, though polished or varnished, are old,
but the furniture and brie-a.-brae bt'istle with modernity,
One of the halls of the palazzo Piombino, built by the
pritlce of that name with the proceeds of the sale. of the Palazzo Ludo,,-isi, and for a long time leased to American ambassadors to the Court of Italy as their private residence and
now owned by the Queen 1 Iother, .Margherita of Savoy, is
decidedly modern.
The "NaIl paper is an imitation of damask, the furniture is modern, though made to look old; the
pictures, decorations and ornaments are such as can be found
in the average middle dass Roman furnished room.
The new art plays an important part in the decoration and
furnishing of modern roo.lUs, nnd while Italy continues to export her old furniture, French and English house furniture is
extensively imported here.
Everytbing ancient is banned
~nd the native furniture is no longer appreciated,
vVhile formerly :1 hallway waS de.:::orated with a trophy
consisting of old armor, either captured from a ·vanquished
enemy or worn hy an ancestor during the crusades, today it
is converted into a so-called Turkish room, with rugs, Skl1";.
arrows and leather shields of doubtful authenticity, and arabesques painted on the walls by a modern artist, perhaps the
descendant of one, who in his day painted Madonnas and
angels.
Jtalians of today, the citizens of modern united Italy, are
very up to date. they will tell you, and they have left the
past away be,hind them.-New
York Sun.
l
I
-
- -
-
-
-
-
._-
--
7IRTI.5' JL7'I \~.,
14
2m
2
l!.S'tABL..ISHED
~
many weeds were allowed to grow
perity, that must be pUlled."
1880
°to
PUBLISHea
eY
MICH(GAN ARTiSAN CO.
OFFICE-lOS,
----~-~------------
--
ON THE IOTI1 AND 2STlotOP EACH MONTH
110, 112 NORTH DIVISiON ST., GRAND RAPIDS, MICH.
ENTERED
AS
IiIATTfR
OF THE
SECOND
CLASlI
Successful merchandising follows the merchant wbo can
get the ~argest number of people to corne to his store. A
store full of folks, most of whom want something, is a
magnet that draws other people who will come to buy. The
successful men.:hant is ever studying up schemes to interest
the peop-Ie. It is advisable to bandle a few goods that afford
no profit, 'if the same shall draw the people. Give away
copies of the daily newspapers to callers; fun a circulating
library; do anything clean and honest to bring out the people.
°to
°to
"Sanitary Desks,'" were manufactured
twenty-five years
ago, but they were such ill-looking things that no one with
a taste for attractive surroundings, would purchase the same.
The legs were pear~shaped,"woody"
and after use for a short
time, "wobbly."
The new sanitary de.sks are so much
better than the old In e\'ery way that thch permanency
seem's to be assured.
CtO
°to
°to
Many manufacturers
who exhibited their lines in Grand
Rapids but transferred the same to other exhibition towns,
will return in June. The new exhibition buildings, the additional hotel accommodations
and the comparatively
low
expense of making exhibits, make Grand Rapids an ideal
place for the mamtfacturers <l.11d buyers to meet.
Of'
Of'''
"1\ ovelties and fashions do not originate in minor cities,
but do originate in Kew York-the
American metropolis of
style and fashion.....-..-and in Kew York only."--,.-Exchange.
Really, now. In the furniture trade novelties and fashions
originate in the "minor" cities of the \Vest and ·are copied
in New York.
"to
QtC
The traveling salesman are again on the road fined with
con£1dence and assurance.
Buying at the expositions
in
January was moderate, but the prospects for the remainder
of the year are so favorable, that the salesmen are confident
of their abllity to 'keep the factories fully employed.
oro
°to
To understand a thing is different from merely seeing
it. One must know the relations of cause and effect to the
thing one sees. \-Vhen this knowledge has been acquired the
enquiring cu.stop1er will see at once that the thing he called
a chiffonier is in reality a washing machine.
°to
°to
Not as many buyers vi-sited t11e expo~itioJls as in January
one year ago. \Vh~n J. A. Conrey, of Shelbyville, was asked
to explain tha cause of their absence, he replied: "A gr(;at
of 11ros-
°to
By returning
to every twenty-fifth
customer t]le full
amount of his Dr her purchase, an entcrprising
dealer in
furniture, located in oue of the mountain towns of Colorado,
created a thirty day sensation.
It proved to be a profitable
venture.
°to
°t"
Trai.'cling salesmcn are again on their territory soliciting
ordas.
To many it seems that they have commenced the
spring campaign too early.
Salesmen covering the far
western territory will not start before February 15.
°to
°to
A 11nnich scientist has invented a microscope by which
one can see an object 1-2,000,000 of an inch in circumference.
That ought to make a .swell lens for photographing
the reductlons in manufacturers price lists for furniture.
QtO
°to
The stay-at-home
buyer runs into a rut and' dries up.
By going to market he freshens up. To dry up· is to lose
customers to market merchants.
New customers arc gained
by the merchant who freshens up.
°t
C
°to
A dealer in Kansas moved a lot of odd washstands by
offering to give one dozen
towels with each purchase.
Farm~'s wives were attracted to the town in great numbers
and the lot was soon sold out.
°to
Digging to the bottom of a long filled bag in search of
an article that is needed, is like stirring up the contents
of the deep drawers provided by manufacturers
in the construction of sideboards,
chiffoniers and dressers.
Narrow
drawers would serve the purpose more easily. ",",'hen dealers
demand cases with such drawers, manufacturers will furnish
the same.
in the garden
°to
°tO
Factories in many cities have be.en shut down for a
season, or a.re operated on shott hours. The owners, after
the strenuous years of the past, desired time in which to "take
a long breath."
°to
°to
By fea.turing each day's work industry is robbed of its
drudgery.
A new plan, a new impression or method occ.urring to a. business man, is an entering wedge for each
new day.
"to
"to
The good-will of a. bride may be gained by the presentation of a valuable cook book by dealers who furnished the
outfit for the dining room.
or
°to
There will he no cuts in prices. Sto,ks are low and
manufacturers
will limit the outfit of the factories to the
daily demands of trade.
",t"
'Ot'"
Offerlng last year's goods to people who want this year's
is like operating a factory in the production of freaky designs in furniture:.
Of)
°to
Those manufacturers
who have a market for ~' part
of their output in foreign lands, are chewing the sweet cud
of contentment.
°t
Q
"T.
°t"
John
Gates sees evidence of returning prosperity in
the fact that "the people ate wearing their old suits;'
Chamber suits?
°t"
0t'''
Arc you an old-fogy dealer, going to rust, or an up-todate twentieth century merchant?
You alone can answ.:r
this question.
"to
°to
The marrying custom will go on uninterrupted
by the
conditions of business, and there will be many "nests" to
furnish.
15
!
No. 833
No. 412
No. 823
No. 325
No.alB
No. 273
a Page of Cuts from the Robbins
Ta.ble Co. Catalogue.
l6
Whether Driving or Striving
Always Follow the Best Roads
~'~Furniture
buyers visiting the western markets will find that the best roads lea.d to the M. L. NELSON FURNITURE
COMPANY, where you will find a commercial institution of more than passing interest; a concern that by its mode of advanced
merchandising in the handling of fa<:tory outputs and se1ling exclusively at factory prices, has riseon toa position attained by
no other similar conceTU in existence.
THE FESTIVAL
OF FURNITURE
as manufactured
and shown by the concerns beJow enumerated
demonstrate
our ability to SAVE YOU SOME MONEY.
Muskegon Valley Furniture Co.,
Muskegon,
Gallipolis Furniture
Co,?,
Rockford Desk Co,?
o. C. S. Olsen
Gallipolis,
Rockford,
& Co.,
Mich.
Fond du Lac Table- Manufacturing Co.,
Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.
Ohio.
Fore"t City Furniture Co.,
Rockford,
Illinois.
The Steuben Furniture Co..
Canisteo.
l11inois.
New York.
The Judkins Co.,
Chicago,
Century Furniture Co.,
Jamestown.
New York.
Come and study the method.
Cragin,
Illinois.
Illinois.
.
The Boatwright Furniture Mfg. Co.,
Danville. Virginia.
the reasons that have blazed the way to &ucc:.ees
for
THE M. L. NELSON FURNITURE COMPANY
1411 Michigan Avenue
OPEN
Chicago, Illinois
THE
YEAR
AROUND
Cabinet Makers
In these oays of close competition, need the best
possible eqnipment, and this they can have in
BARNES'
HAND and FOOT POWER
===
MACHINERY
Send for Our New Catalogue.
Our New Hand and Foot 'P~e-TC.it'Cl11.r Saw No.4.
The stron.~est, mOSl powerful, and in 'every way the' best
machine of its kind ever made, for ripping, cross-cutting,
boring and grooving.
w.
P. & John Barnes Co.
604
Ruby
Street.
Rock.ford. 111.
The Grand Rapids Furniture
Exposition.
A local newspaper of Grand Rapids of rectnt date contains
a lengthy article, \-yell illustrated, on the subject of the Grand
Rapids Fttr1liture Exposition.
A part of the article, of general interest, follows:
The exposition feature of the furniture business started in
Grand Rapids along in the late 70's, when buyers from all
over the country began coming to this market to look over the
lines of the local manufacturers
and to contract with them
for furniture from special designs they brought with them.
In those days the manufacturers had no warerooms, the various pieces of furniture being scattered throughout the shops
in process of construction, part in one portion of the factory.
other parts in different sections of the plant, as facilities for
work demanded_
The huyers were m2inly practical men,
however, and producers and distributors
usually m':!Il3ged to
get together most satisfactorily.
Buyers finally began coming in such numbers that the
manufacturers
saw the advisability of setting aside part of
their establishments
as display rooms, wherein v:.ere as··
sembled groups of their output.
These were mostly shown
in the unfinished sta.te-in the white, in the trade sense., with
just enough finished goods to Sh01N their capabilit.ie in this
line. Gradually they provided themselves with suitahle warerooms and added largely to their original lines.
The contract feature became eliminated in a large measure, not appealing to the manufacturers,
for the reason that they were
subjected to too strenuous a competition, the buyers induc-'
ing as mall)' bidders as possible to figure on the work.
To this feature of COl1tract work, however, Grand Rapids'
early furniture manufacturers
do not deny thal they owe
much of their early success.
The Sligh Furniture Company,
for instance, will have no hesitancy in telling you what a boost
they got when they landed a heavy contract from John Hand,
buyer for George C. Flint & Co. of New York.
The elimination of this feature was merely a natural growth of tbe business, the manufacturers
seeing the advantage of employl11b
expert designers and 30 covering the fil?Jd of manufacture that
every demand of the trade might be met.
The year 1880 fottnd Grand Rapids with fourteen iurniture
factories.
During and immediately following this time there
was a rapid increase both in the number of factories and the
output of the old ones.
This increase and improvement in
OUR OAK AND
the number of lines had its natural effect, bringing additional
buyers, who nOw began coming in large: numbers.
And from this fact that the buyers came here and made
the bulk of their purchases for the season, manufacturers
of
other lines f'lswhere realized that to get in touch with furniture buyers during the selling season it was necessary to bring
their wares to this market.
And in this realization was the
inception of t11e permanent
furniture exposition here· on a
large scale.
So for a t;me when furniture buyers came here to inspect
the wareS of the local factories they met also representatives
of factories outside the city who exhibited to them photographic reproductions of their -lines of goods.
But the system
of selling through the medium· of photographs
proved most
unsatisfactory.
Rarely does the trade photo do absolute justice to its subject, and especially is this true as regards pieces
of furniture.
The cheap piece of 'Norkmanship was frequently made to look most desirable, while others of superior excellence were belittled.
So the wise buyers pw\-"cd lukewarm to p]lOtographs, affirming that they came here to see goods and not photographs,
which they could stay at home and see in their offices at any
time.
Though millions of doHars' worth of furniture are
still sold through the agency of pictures, the buyer who has
the opportunity
offered him will invariably make his selections from the ma_l1ufactured samples in preference.
The first man to realize this changed condition was Fred
D. Hills, who is in the city today exhibiting at the William A,
Berkey Furniture Company's factory saLesrooms that firm's
line of fancy cabinet work and the samples of the :Marble &
Shattuck Chair Company of Clevdand,
Ohio.
It waS in
1883 that il'lr. Hills introduced the innovation here of placing
on cxhihition a line of ontside samples.
In the rotllndu
of the IVlorton House he installed a line of samples of the
New VOl-k chair firm he represented
at the time.
Others
were quick to follow his example.
Shortly after this E. B.
Cald ....
vell, representing the Connersville (Ind.) Furniture Company, brought a line of chamber suites, <Iud about the same
time thc ivYl1skegon Valley Furnitllre Company
sent samples
here tr the inspection of the visiting hosts of furniture buyers.
The three named were the pioneers of tl1eoutside
exhibitors,
Of course there were 110 exposition buildings at that time,
MAHOGANY
DINING
EXTENSION
TABLES
ARE
BEST MADE
BEST FINISHED
VALUES
All Made nom Thoroughly Seasoned Stock,
LENTZ TABLE CO.
NASHVILLE,
MICH.
No. 567
18
·~MI9rIG?JN
and the lines of the outside manufacturers
were shown in
vacant stores wherever tbey could be found.
So few of these
were available, however, that recourse was had to rooms in
the "ppe.! floors of blocks about the city.
On the completion
of the Blodgett block, about 1884, it was fauna admirably
adapted for' display rooms of the kind required by the manufactories, practically all the space in the building was preempted for the purpose, the only use to which it is put to
this day.
P. J. Klingman was really the first to make a great exhibit of outside goods., and has been a leading spirit in the
furniture, exposition ever since.
As the number of outside
exhibitors increased, the Pythian Temple, now the Ashton
building, and the Masonic Temple were pressed into service.
But with each recurring show the demand for space increased,
owing to added exhibits and enlargement of the lines repre~ented, so that the erection of new buildings aevoted to the
purpose became necessary.
The first erected to meet this demand was the Waters
building, the largest _in the world devoted to furnitnre exposition purposes.
This building, with its seven acres of floor
space, is ttnderthe- control of P. J. Klingman, the lessee,
and is distinctly his· individual enterpris"e, though contribu\.~
ing its share to the welfare of the furniture communuy_
A close second in size is .the new Furniture Manufacturers'
building, with five acr.es of floor space.
This building is
maintained on a co-operative basis, and space in it is obtained only by taking stock in the building company, that being one of the conditions of securing the right to exhibit
goods in the building.
The Blodgett block, which affords
about four acres of show room> is a private enter-p" ("
by the Blodge.tt estate, of which C. J. Van Etten is the representative;
But in speaking of the exposition buildings of· Grand Rapids we must not ove.rlook the factory warerooms, which are
now very large and admirably adapted to display purposes,
The fa.ctories are the ba.ckbone of Grand Rapids' furniture e.xposition, the goods dis?layed in their warerooms the magnet
that attracts the buyers hither,
So in considering t,he'{urniture exposition as an abstract proposition let us not 105<,;.
sight' of the fact that the furniture factories are the ~mal
cause of it all. The splendid exhibition buildings in th~ heart
of the city obtrude themselves on' our notice, but in different
directions toward the outskirts of the town are the factories
where Grand Rapids' world famous furniture is made and
where the finished product is shown to the men who come
from far and near to stock their stores with the best and latest the market affords.
Even with thesefasUities in the way of suitable buildings,
the space is inadeq~atJ:'to the demand.
The new Auditorium
building, now nearing cOll1pletion, will do much to relieve the
congestion, as about 75,000 square feet additional floor space
will be available when the furniture men again gather here
next July.
Two local furniture manufacturers' associations are direet~
ly interested in the exposition:
The Trade Mark Association,
which is limited in its membership, and the Grand Rapids
Furniture Manufacturers'
Association, which .embraces all
the local n1anufact~rers.
During these two months, January and July of each year,
Grand Rapids is the Mecca of exhibitors -and dealers in furniture who have to :figure on the wants of their customers.
This hegira brings to the city at each recurring exposition
several hundreds of the country's most representative busincss*
men.
Both buyers and salesmen are of the highest type of successhtl business men,
The buyers, who are either members
of the firms or their representatives, stand for the best there
is. in the furniture business, and give orders for millions of
dollars' worth of goods to be delivered them as the result of
.-'s-
AR. T 1.5'JL7"\I ~.:
It is easy
to
remember Hard
..
our
llDel
hard to firid anything as easy
Bed, and B~,
Price $5.50.
Sidu 2411 spindles 3;Y.iinches apart. All casliron guaranteed for 2S yeats against breakage.
Finished hy 3 coats porcelain enamel. ~ haked on.
Crib U.
ings; malleable
New 88 Pa,e Catalogue.
HARD MFG. CO.
BUFFALO,
N. Y.
their visit to the great furniture mart.
The salesmen must
naturally be high class men, as the average successful business man of today is so much of a specialist that he is loath
to devote much time to a man below his own gra.de of mentality.
In other words, he simply won't do business with a
i<dub." Following the inevitable principle of the survival
of the fittest, the furniture salesman of today is a. man of high
intelligence, keen perceptions and good principles.
Were he
not possessed of all these qualifications he would be crushed
between the upper and nether millstones of keen competition,
and soon be relegated to the discard as a furniture has~been.
The sales!11en, naturally, spend the. entire month here, as
there are buyers looking over the market every day.
The
latter will not tarry so long, nor as long as they used to some
years ago.
Those ,,~ho have large orders to place are usually here from a weift to ten days, instead of ten days to two
weeks, as in thee1j?y, more scattered days of the exposition.
During this tim.ethey see everythi.ng in the market they care
to look at, making copious memoranda and keeping continually in mind the wants and characteristics of their customers.
The keen buyer knows of every prospe'Ctive customer, what
he would be likely to want and how much he· is willing to pay.
So, having looked over the market thoroughly, he goes into
executive session by himself in the privacy of his room at the
hotel, consults his memoranda, and after due deliberation
places hi!'; orders for the many thousands worth with the favored ones or the many he has had on the anxious seat, settles his hotel bill and takes the train for his home city.
Some aspersions have been made anent the habits of the
visitin~ buyers.
They have been variQusly accused of such
crimes as excessive conviviality a.nd undue hJJarity,
But no
large gathering in any city is exempt from such criticism, unless it is a ministerial conference or an. assembly of the Epworth League.
Such reports arc groundless.
The furniture
:AR..TI..5'~
2'-.
t
men, both salesmen and buyers, are a!; exemplary in their
habits as any body of men, equal in number, that you could
bring together,
and more 50 than most.
Today many of
them ,,,,ill help you make o:p the congregations of our city
chnrches, for a good citizen at home is always a good citizen away from home.
On the other hand, a fe\\' of them
will doubtless foregather in some of the hotel rooms and divert themselves with t.he fascination of draw poker, fOl" this
is a dosed town, with an impe.netrable lid :Hld there is little
doing Sundays.
An idea of the magnitude of the exposition is furnished
in the following" list of exhibitors:
Barher Brothers
Berkey & Gay Furniture Co.
1vVm. A. Berkey "Furnitur~
Co.
Bissell Carpet Sweeper Co.
Burnett & Van Oeveren Furniture Co.
Cabinetmakers
Co.
Century Furniture Co.
Crisswcll~Keppler Co.
Fritz & Goeldel Mfg. Co.
Grand Rapids Cabinet Furniture Co.
Grand Rapids Chair Co.
Grand Rapids Clock & Mantel Co.
Grand Rapids Fancy Furniture Co.
Grand Rapids Furniture Co.
Grand Rapids Refrigerator
Co,
Grand Rapids .Upholstering
Co.
Charles A. Greenman Co.
Gunn Furniture
Co.
Hetterscheid
lvlanufacturing
Co.
Hot Blast Feather Co.
Imperial Furniture Co.
I. X. L. Upholstering Co.
Kelley & Extrom
Leonard 1'1anufaeturing Co.
Charles P. Limbert Co.
Luce Furniture Co.
Luxury Chair Co.
Fred "1'1acey Co.
Michigan Barrd Co.
Michigan Chair Co.
Michigan Desk Co.
Michigan Seating Co.
l\{ucller & Sbck Co.
Nelson-Matter
Fu.niture Co.
Oriel Cabinet Co.
Overton Co.
C. S. Paine Co.
Phoenix Furniture Co.
Practical Sewing Cabinet Co.
John D. Raab Chair Co.
Retting Furniture Co.
Royal Furniture Co.
Ryan Rattan Chair Co.
Shelton & Snyder ~urnit1ite
Co.
Sligh Furniture Co.
Steel Furniture Co,
Stickley Brothers Co.
Stow & Davis Furniture Co.
Sweet & Biggs Furniture Co.
Valley City Desk Co.
David Van BIerkom Co.
\Vagemaker Furniture Co.
Welch Folding Bcd Co.
\JViddicomb Furniture Co.
John Widdicomb
Co.
Shank & Shelton
Corunna Furniture Co.
Atlas Furniture Co.
Skinner & Steenman Co.
B. L. Marble Chair Co.
Grobhiser & Crosby Furn.iture Co,
Carrollton Furniture Co.
Lllce-Redmond Furniture Co.
Holland Furniture Co.
F. Schlo:ss & Co.
Empire Furniture Co.
l\-Jarvel Furniture Co.
Ohio Brass & Iroll Bed Co.
Gralld Rapids Cabinet Co.
Anchor Furniture Co.
Kllrtz Brass Bcd Co.
Gunlocke Chair Co.
V. S. Chair Co.
Buffalo Chair Co.
Bison City Table Co.
K. P. L. Furniture Co.
Hagerstown Furniture Co.
B('elman Cabinet Co.
!\Taddox Table Co.
Rockford Cabinet Co.
Shea.rma.n Brothers Co,
!\Juskegon Valley Funtituclo
Co.
Moon Desk Co.
L. & ]. G. Stjckley
Toledo Upholstering Co.
Binghamton Chair Co.
West End Furniture Co.
Cochran Chair Co.
Crawford Chair Co.
B. T. Owen Co.
St. Johns Table Co.
Ottawa Furniture Co.
Imperial Chair Co.
Charlotte Manufacturing
Co.
V('rity-Caswel{ Table Co.
Hastings Cabinet Co.
C. L. Russell & Sons
vVdls-Shidler A-fanufacturing
Co.
F, H. Conant's Sons
Union Furniture Co.
Grand Rapid~ Bookcase Co.
Black River Bending Co.
Booth Furniture Co.
Stebbins- "Vilhe1m
Manufacturing Co.
Charles Emmerich
& Co.
F. 1...1.Curtis Co.
Coats J'v[anufacturing Co.
Randolph Furniture Works
Taylor Chair Co.
\\'. E, Brown Ct>.
Aurora Furniture
Co.
American Furniture Co,
"Wait Furniture Co.
Rustic Hickory Furniture Cu.
Sinclair-Allen
Manufacturing
Co.
Baines-Mosier Co.
Chase City Furniture Co.
Steinfeld Brothers
United States Furniture
Co.
Smith Metal Bcd Co.
S. G. Estabrook & Co.
Northern Furnitllre Co.
Rockford Frame & Fixture
Co.
], A. Glanton
Austrian Bentwood Furniture
Co.
Cutler Desk Co.
~Iaher Brothers
Long Furniture Co.
Shelbyville Wardrobe Manufacturing Co.
Forest Furniture Co.
The Vv'illowcraft Shops
J,1mestown Lounge Co.
Hubbard, Eldredge & Miller
Miller Cabinet Co.
Youngsville
Manufacturing
Co.
1vVarren Table \-Vorks.
Parkersburg
Chair Co.
Orinoco Furniture Co.
Elgin A. Simonds Co.
v"r oodard Furniture Co.
Ramseur Furniture Co.
Capital Furniture Co.
Boatwright Furntture l\.famlfacturing Co.
Penn Funliture Co.
Knaus Brothers
& Arwinc
Co.
Prairie Grass Furniture
Co.
19
Rockford Chair & Furniture
Co.
Gle.nn K, Brown
Liberty Furniture Co.
Himebaugh
Brothers.
Alliance Furniture Co.
Kent Furniture Co.
Kent-Coffey Furniture Co.
A. D. Fischer Co.
H. C. Dexter Chair Co.
Phoenix Manufacturing Co.
Kenton .Manufacturing Co.
Conewango Furniture Co.
H. Lauter Co.
Grand Ledge Chair Co.
Valley City Desk Co.
Forest City Bedstead Co.
Shelley .& Ahl Co.
C. D. Widmar} CO.
£. T. Burrowes Co.
Harper Furniture Co.
National Furniture· Go.
Fred J. Zimmer
39 £. Bridge St.,
GRAND RAPIDS. MICH.
HIGH GRADE.
UPHOLSTERED
FURNITURE
WrUefor
Cuts and Prices.
Every Piece
Guaranteed
PERFECT.
Hasting's Table Co.
Greensboro Furniture Co.
Ude11 \Vorks
Roya.l Clnl.ir Co.
Detroit Cabinet Co.
Spraguc-Smith
Co.
Sargent Manufacturing Co,
C. H. Haberkorn & Co.
American Chair Co.
Cron-Kills Co,
L. C. & W. L. Cron Co.
Josiah Partridge & Sons
Lewisburg Chair Co.
Steinman & Meyer Furniture
Co.
Fanner Manufacturing Co.
Olbrich & Colbeck Co.
f'ox & :Mason Furniture Co.
The Bailey-Jones Co.
Standard Furniture Co.
Barnard & Simonds Co.
Galax Furniture Co.
Mocksville Chair Co.
Basic Furniture Co.
Virginia Table \-Vorks
Connersville Furniture Co.
Conrey & Birely Table Co.
Conrey-Davis
IVIanufacturing
Co.
H. Campbell Furniture Co.
D. L. Conrey Furniture Co.
The Hawks Furniture Co.
Camden Cabinet Co.
Henllccke Co.
Stearns & Foster Co.
Herschede Hall Clock Co.
John Danner Mal1ufacturing
Co.
George Hunzinger' &.;;50115
Jamestown Table Co.
Leopold Desk Co,
e.
e.
Has No Fears of the Future.
W. ]. Long, representing
the furniture department
of
"The Fair," Chicago, spent the second week in January in
Grand Rapids and placed heavy orders for immediate shipment.
1lr. Long has no fears for the future and the liberality of his llurchase created a. cheerful feeling in the market.
Last year was the" most prosperous in the history of "The
Fair," and the sales of the Iurinture dcpartmelllaggregated
a larger sum than for any year of the· past.
If all buyers
"were as sagacious as Mr. Long the fa~torjes "wo'uld soon
be running full and normal trade conditions restored.
Mr. Long formerly resided iJ;l0rand Rapids, having been
employed in the main office of-the Western Union Telegraph
Company as an operator.
He located in Sioux City a decade ago, where he began his career in the furniture trade.
I
20
Reliable and Substantial Furniture
SUCH AS
WE MAKE
IS EVER
THE
SOURCE
OF
PLEASURE
AND
PROFIT
TO THE
RETAILER
AND THE
PURCHASER
ROCKFORD CHAIR AND FURNITURE CO., Rockford,IlL
Something DiffERENT in Couches
No. 155
WOVEN WIRE
COUCU
$4.00
Net
We have made for some time, Couches and Davenports with woven wire tops. Our latest essay in
this line is DlfffRENT.
Made and shfpped K. D. Easily set up. A trial order wiR COJ1\11nce.
SMIT" ~ DAVIS MfG. CO., St. Louis.
-
-
--
-------------------------------------
----
21
RETAILERS IN CONVENTION.
Chicago, January 14.-The annual meeting of the National
Retail :Furnitttre Dealers' Association was held here today.
The attcndnnce was Jargn than \vas really expected and the
interest manifested was certainly gre3ter and more earnest
than at preV[(H1Smeetings.
The main features were President Rosenbury's message ::wd the secretary's amw<l1 report,
which showed that tho>ie officers have been active during the
past year.
The President's Address.
Immediately after YOllr executive otftcers were elected in
]anu:uy last, a vigorous campaign was outlined, ,vhich was
begun by them 'with much enthusiasm and was only checked
by the lack of proper financial support.
"Ve saw at the
outset the necessity of this assocatioll engaging a paid secretary.
The proceedings oC the al1T1i.lalmeetings ,",vere\vritlcn up
and printed in a neatly bound booklet, which was fonvarc1ed
through tbe secretaries to the members.
The hooklet was
issued giving the courfs decision in fuHof the case of J\Jontgomery \Varcl & Co" with the SoutbDakota
1.ferchants' Association, and copies mailed to membei"S.
Lea:Hets were also printed giving a c.opy of an article written by a furniture dealer, entitled, "It will be a sorry day
when the furniture de<ller is eliminated and furniture is sold
direct from hctory to consumer."
Later on the Association Bulletin was issued, which contained a roster of membersbip and important
items regarding the assocJation, ano
mailed to all members,
Endless corespondence
has been carried un day alte!
day by your executive officers, pertaining to the work in
hand. State and local associations have been formed through
the efforts of your secretary and other officers, while other
local and state organizations have been encouraged in their
work.
On February 19 ;[nd 20 the secretary and myself took active part in tbe Iowa sUIte convention, 11cld at Des '~doines,
where three enthusiastic meetings 'were held.
At that timL
the dealers took stelJS to organize a local association.
On the 21st Chairman Foster, the secreta.ry and myself met
by prearrangement
with a representative
body of Chicago
dealers, which meeting resulted .in the organization of a local
association, and which has since affiliated with the National
through the Illinois State Association.
On the 22d an executive committee was held in Chicago,
the attendance being light.
However, the situation \vas
thoroughly gOlle over by those present, and it was decided to
go .!Ihead with the ' ....
'ork laid ont, which included plans to secure the amOUl1t.'; promised to make up the proJlosed $5,000
fund, :md to push ion,vard the work vigorously-to
go ahead
and publish the honor roll.
Soon after the first bono noll was printed and copieb
placed in the hands of the state secretarioes to be distributed among the members.
But Upon becoming aware that
this first issue of the roll was incomplete, mainly on occount
of many factories having failed by neglect or otherwise to
make known their po~,ition, these copies were recalled and the
secretaries advised to proceed at once to re-canvass thoroughly the entire cOlllltry and to re~print the roll.
This wa"
not an easy task, but was accomplished after much corres~
pondencc.
On l\.fay 28, acting on a suggestion from your secretary,
I appointed Me C. E. Osgood, presj·dellt of the Home Furnishers' Society, to represent our association before the table
manufacturers
at their meeting in New York city, it being
<leemed advisable to have the co-operation of various manufacturers' associations.
Our position was ably presented by
Jl.h. Osgood, and resolutions were adopted by the table manu~
facturers which were very favorable to our association, the
manufacturers asking ill return that certain evils claimed by
them to exist be corrected by the retailers.
On June 26 your president met v,,·ith the Indiana State Association at Indianapolis, taking active part in t"",o very enthusiastic mcetings, later on going to Chicago and holding
a ~,onference with other officers to formulate plans for the
July meetings, the proceedings of which have been read by
your secretary.
During the past six months your officers have carried on
a continued round of correspondence in performing the duties
\vhich fell to them, and in the interest of the -work whiCh
they were- striving to accomplish, the second issue of the
honor roll having been receiycd from the pr~tj5 and distributed to members.
I visited twenty-nine different cities during the past year in five states, and seventy-five different dealc:·s in their places of business.
1Jany are aware of the existillg unfair conditions.
Some
have started in a feeble way to overcOOle the unusual competition, 'while others merely stand alone and whiningly ntmark, '·You C<l11110t. accomplish anything ,,,jth an association:"
They talk like school boys instead of. n.en in business, with
no apparent will power or determination whatever to do sometbing to protect their own interests.
Some aeaters are aWkward because they are not identified with the retailers' organization.
They wonder why and how these things are being
done.
It is not the association Jwrdware dealers that wonders
hoV'o/ and why the evils in their line of business are being cm
reeted, for he knows it is by the po.ver of his association
through the eo-operation of their members.
Does the furniture dealer realize the disadvantage under which he is striving to compete for trade with the mail~order houses? Does
he know that some Grms arc selling the order houses twentyfive per cent less than he can buy the same articles for as a
rerail dealer, and in addition the factory saves the order
hOUSethe expense of handling the order, by making the sl111-'
ment direct to the consumer, and charging the account to the
order house.
Now, in. the face of ac,tual kno\vledge of the_tJl~nl1faeturer
<o;upplyingthese order hOuses about twenty-five per cent less
than to you, I repeat, in the face of such will the dealers of
lhis country let this National Association-the
only one power-the
only national institution
equipped to tight these
llnjust practif::es, go on unstlpportedand
leave it alone to lie
dormant, or possibly to pass Ollt of existence altogether, and
.;ee our business demoralized <Iod shrink away step by step?
Or s11all the furniture dea.lers throw tJl(>jr cussed indifference
and rise up in their might and .by co-opcratlor,-and
w_ell-direeted e1tort-,-grapple with these problems?
For with tlwir
concer:trated power a few master strokes will reve.rse t]1C
conditions entirely in favc)r of 'the retailer.
I wish to give a few reasonswby
I believe it imperative
that interest should be maintained by the retailers in this organization, and also why we should maintain the honor roll
procedure:
First:
That the manufactu:re.q;, who are dealing squarely \-vith the regular retflil furniture dealers who stock the
manufacturer's
goods, is heartily in sympathy and approves
of the honor roll, as it does a.s it is_':intended to,-boom
the
business of such manuf<J.durcr.
Second:
That the manufacture-rs and others who cnss
and rail at the honor roll and attempt to belittle, it are thOse
whose business we have not boomed through this procedur.e
and their attitude shows that it is causing some uneasiness.
Third:
That lTIany manufacturers
who a-re not tied hand
and foot to mail--order c.oncerns have discontinuea selling tu
them ana asked to be enrolled on the'list of manufacturers
".-hose business we are booming.
Fourth:
Also the vindication of the Sioux Falls Merchants' Association ill their suit in the United States COUrt
22
assures us of the legal right to urge factories to re,frain from
dealing with order houses while they are supplying the regular retailer.
Fifth:
Also ttJat suits now being brought
for fraud
against the order houses at Des Moines need OUf support, as
we will be benefited by the results of these cases if the order
houses are convicted, and no doubt our support will also be
needed in other similar acti.ons taken by 'others.
Sixth:
The last and most important reason is that this
association alone is the one and only power that prevents the
large e~hi~ition buildings in Chicago, Grand Rapids, New
York and other furniture centers from being thrown open to
promiscuous dealers.
Gentlemen, do you grasp its impor~
tanee?
It practically means the demoralization of the retal!
trade witbin hundreds of miles of these furniture centers.
Now, some of our members, and even some state officers
have advised us that they cannot use the honor roll until it is
more complete.
Gentlemen, this roll is just as complete as
the members have allowed it to be, for we have acted UpOll
all the inforrr.atioll we have had placed before us-and if yOll
have withheld information which you should have given us,
you are that far responsible for any_ incompleteness.
And
if this roll is continued to be published it will be just what
you m.ake it, and I might also add that this association is also
going to be just what the dealers of this country make it.
I believe your officers will always continue to act on any.
recommendation coming from the members, and if the dealers
shirk the. duty they owe to the work-to
this associationthe results will show it.
We have got to "get down to brass
tacks" and get into this work, each one of tis and do our
share.
We have got to do things for ourselves tnrough tht-s
organization (or at least until some one organizes a better
one).
Now, you would not really expect these executive officers
whom you selected, to open a business somewhere for you
and spend their own time and money, in making and saving
money for you without any compensation whatever.
No,
you would not, if it was put to you in that way.
However, by the cussed indifference of some of our members and the indifference of other dealers (who really want
the work to go on) they are asking this very thing.
We now need substantial support from those members
who have in the past urged the need of a paid secretary.
We
now have him, and he is a man for the place.
Will you ratly
to his support?
Dotson has taken hold of the duties with an
iron hand, and he has already dealt some masterful strokes 111
your interest.
It is also needed at this time that those merchants who are
enthusiastic over this most important work direct their efforts toward convincing the indifferent ones of the need of
co-operation with them.
Ralph B.Clark, president of the Indiana Retail Merchants
Association, names six laws passed in the state of Indiana
through the influence of the Indiana retail merchants and for
the benefit of the retail merchants, and he makes-the statl>metH that if given the support of twenty thousand merchants
in his state laws will be passed that will legislate the big mail
order houses out of business in Indiana.
Have you really tak~n notice of the large number of furniture manunfacturers who have withdrawn their lines during
the past year from the order houses?
It was largely due to
the influence of this association.
No individual firm could
have persuaded anyone of these factories to give up. selling
the order houses.
A little co-operation on your part halldone this much, and with proper co-operation of all furniture
dealers much more can be done.
1 am satisfied that had a national furniture dealers' organization been in existence and 'properly supported when
the nrst 1argc furniture mail-order catalogue was issued, and
the furniture dealers shown their strength througll organizCt-
tion in <>pposition to goods they were buying being placed
therein, they could have prevented the order house,s issuing a
second one showing any amount of furniture at all.
They
could have made it impossible at that time for the order
houses to obtain the furniture at the very outset in large
enough quantities to pay for the undertaking, and this would
have prevented others from embarking in the mail-order furniture business.
But through our lack of co-operation we
neglected our opportunity at that time.
Why not take <1lesson from this, and not allow the power we have today to
go for naught?
Shall the business of the regular retailer of furniture, who
markets ninety per cent of the manufacturers' output, and
stocks the manufacturers' goods, be demoralized by a few
who secure the other ten per cent and by their piratical
methods create confusion and ruination among the regular
retailers?
Can the manufacturer himself afford to encouragt.
Of e;ven allow this ruinous competition
which is gradually undermining the business of those to whom he as a manufacturer looks for his own support?
At the Iowa meeting I became convinced (especially after
visiting the hardware dealers' convention), of the need of
enlightenment in store methods and would suggest that a
time be given at our meetings for the discussion of this subject by experienced and able men, and followed by a general
discussion by the members of these most important and practical subjects, which would stimulate attendance
at our
meetings.
Ask our members to come prepared to offer something.
If you have put into operation plans and ideas 1n your busineSS that. have worked out satisfactorily, pass them along the
line, that they may be put into operation by those of us who
may need them.
I sincerely hope that this convention will take up the
following questions and make a proper disposition of each
one of them:
1. Adopt a plan whereby hotels may be furnished; that
wilt be satisfactory to manufacturers and dealers alike-one
that is practical under existing conditions and will not shut
out our members from the bene.fits of hotel sales.
2. That this convention determine what shall constitute
a regular retail furniture dealer.
3. That the advisability of recommending bette.r regulatons pertaining to the admission of people to wholesale furniture exhbition buildings be taken up and properly dis.posed of.
4. That some practical plan be adopted for the forwarding of complaints by our members to proper officers of this
association.
S. That the mattcr of discrimination in freight rates, and
the just and proper classification by the railroads be 'looked
into by this association, and the proper steps talcen to aid
in the correction of the same.
6. That some plan be put before OUr members in smaller
cities, whereby they may direct their customers to the larger
retail stores in the larger cities when necessary, and share
in the profits of sales made, similar to a plan now being car~
ried out by some Minnesota retailers.
7. That this association determine whether or not -it is
advisable to treat certain large consumers, such as institu~
tions, -railroad companies, etc., as wholesale consumers, allowing that the manufacturers have the right to bid for such business and allow a local dealer to share in the profits of the
same,.
8. That the members of this association, in the interests
of .those manufacturers who aTe protecting the regular retailer; refrain from and discourage in others:
.
The; practice of retailers taking patterns to other factories
to be reproduced :at lower prices; taking unjust discountS in
settle,ment; -making 'claims for damages that do not exist; in
misrepresenting prices and discounts; in demanding exclus-
23
ive sale of an entire line, and then failing to protect said line.
These evils being claimed by some manufacturers
to now
exist.
9. That steps be taken through the proper committees to
obtain pledges from individual dealers, and made payable at
stated periods for the next few years, in addition to the
per capita tax of state associatjons, so as to place this national association all a sound financial basis.
10. That this convention go on record relative to its position toward the adoption of the proposed parcels post.
1 L That this association, directly or through the proper
committee" take up the question of making up an honor roll
c~ntaining the names of sustaining members and subscribers
to its support, giving opposite each name the amount subscribed and paid,. that this may he an inccntive to others to
also subscribe.
12. That this convention adopt a policy or plan of treating the card system still in use by some manufacturers
and
retail dealers.
13. That the benefits of the mutual fire insurance compan_
ies among retail furniture. dealers be looked into by this association.
cial support of this a%ociatioll-in
all, the amount of $15';,
which inc1ude~ their per capita tax.
From communications received from the states of Wisconsin, Minnesota, Nebraska, Indiana, and Ohio, I have reason to
believe that those a.<;sociatiol1s are in a prosperous condition
and that they are conducting campaigns for new members.
I
trust this statement will be borne out in their reports.
As secretary of the Kansas and Illinois associations, I
might say in the former state we have made a small gain
through the me'lllS of circular letters and by keeptng in close
touch with the dealers.
In Illinois the intercs:t has apparently lagged, although we have started in a campaign for new
mem bers which I hope will prove effective.
I believe then,
is a chance of greatly increasing the membership of this association.
.From communications
that I have received from the
Eastern Associ;.ttion of New York, it does nor seem to be
very active, and it is to be hoped that we can assist in putting new life in this association.
The Oregon association, I understand, is practically at an
end, and tl,e California association seems to have disbanded.
Finances.
This association has received, since the last annual meeting, per capita from the following associations:
Jamestov·..-n, $5; Home Furnishers, $50; Indiana, $135; Virginia, $75; Y.,risconsin, $62; Michigan, $90; New ,Orleans, $2::1;
Illinois, $33; North Dakota. $20; Ohio, $43. Total, $538.
The Secretary's Report.
The following
associations
have sent in contributions
I beg to suggest that while this convention is in session it
from their membership:
\iVisconsin, $75; Indiana, $100;'
de.termine whether Of not it is advisable to give 01.1tthe i<RoB
Iowa, $70; New Orleans, $130.
Total, $,175.
of Honor" booklets to non-members or to local associations
v-"f e have rec:eived in spec:ial contributions during the year,
that may ask for them before they are affiliated with tln~
$755, aside from those received from the association.
Withas!';ociation.
It is important tllat you take action all this
out these contributions this association would have been unin order that your officers may know what course ro pursut.
able to do the amount of work that has been done.
HowI have reason to believe that many of the members have
ever, to do all that should be done during the current year
put these books into practical use as the correspondence in
there must be more general support or means provided for
the files of the offlce will show.
A great deal of this corresthe financiering of the association.
pondence was taken up direet with this office-while
considThese contributions wt;:re received princopal1y through the
able came through the state and local associations.
efforts of the finance committee and by the officers and workIn most cases I have found that the manufacturers wish
ers in the ....
arious associations.
to be fair with the association, while in a few instances they
The last of November I wrote each of the associations
have not exhibited the spirit of fairness which it would seem
who were delinquent in the payment of their per capita tax,
they should.
and in most caSes received replies of the secretaries stating
In company with several of the Chicago members I had
tllat they were endeavoring to collect the dues and hoped to
the pleasure of attending a meeting of the Illinois associatjon,
he in position to send their per capita soon.
However, we
which was held in Peoria on October 16. A very interestare without per capita from the following:
Eastern Associaing session was held, although it was not largely attended.
tion of New York, Iowa, Kansas (not yet affiliated), l\finneArrangement was effected \vhereby the Chicago association
sota, Nebraska, New State (not yet affiliated), North Carobecame affiliated "..·ith the: Illinois association.
This proved
lina, Chicago, Philadelphia, South Carolina and South Dato be very encouraging to the Illinois tn.embers, as it had
kota associations.
been the desire for some time that the Chicago association
affiliate with them.
The Bulletin.
There was organized in Buffalo, N. Y., recently an assoI had expected to issue the Bulletin before this meeting,
ciation as an adjunct of the chamber of commerce.
I have
but owing to the condition of the finances I did not think best
been in correspondence with the secretary and have furnished
to do so.
I am of the opinion that it should be issued fre~
him several copics of the "Honor Roll" and other informaquently, as this is perhaps the best means of directly advising
tion pertaining to tllis association, and lwve asked them to bethe members of the work being done by the national and the
come affiliated with the national.
Their secretary informed
various associations.
The Bulletin is 110 doubt expected by
me that some of their members would probably be in Chicago
tbe members and would undoubtedly result in creating a betat the time of this convention and would, he thought, attcnd
ter interest.
this meeting.
Open Salesrooms.
I was informed by the secretary that the Philadelphia association was making an effort to orgalli:t"e the state of PennFrom personal investigation I found an office loc:ated 111
sylvania, but I h;nre been unable to gather information as to
the main part of the city where a few samples of upholstered
whether or not they were successfuL
It is hoped that the
fumiture are exhibited and where the consumers are invite<1
Philadelphia report will give us favorable information as to
and when they inform the party in charge that they want tv
this.
buy certain articles of furniture, they are taken by the salesI W8.'S obliged to dec.line an invitation, extended by th.
man to one of the exhibition buildings and are priced certain
Utoff, to attend a meeting in December of the New Orleans
lines of goods that are on exhibition there the year around.
association, which has contributed very liberally to the finanThe saleSmUlJ stated he could not do any business during the
14. That some, effort be made to induce the different agenies to eliminate from their reports the mImes of parties now
rated as furniture dealers who are not carrying a stock of
furniture and are not furniture dealers.
.7'IR.T 1..5'.7f..N ~
2
market season and claimed the goods he was sel1ing were
samples. However, I want to say that their operations seemed
to be conJlned to the one building, and they did not claim to
sell only from certain lines shown therein.
They solidt
this business by means of a circular letter, making stateme.nts
therein that they can save the buyer from- twenty-five to
seventy-five per cent.
I also have information received from officers of the association of a firm in this city evidently organized by an indi~
vidual and with seveml manufacturers forming the company,
as a sort of clearing house whereby goods may be sold to the
consumer, public institutions
and perhaps mail order and
premium houess.
This will no doubt bear the investigation
of the association.
The card system is in force in some of the buildings, and
I am informed by one of the managers that he believes this is
in the interest of the dealers in the country who do not carry
complete stocks, and they being good customers, tLe exhibitor
canuot afford to not accommodate them by not selling their
customers sent in with a card.
It seems that it would be wise for the assoclat1on to try
and educate the dealers 110t to send their customers to the
buildings with cards Of letters if we expect to stop the card
system.
The mail order and premium house evils seem to be receiving considerable attention by the retaileui 111 general.
The trade journals should no doubt be given credit for the
campaign- of edl1cation which they are conduding and in the
interest of toe retailer along this line and the dealers should
be encouraged to subscribe for several journals and read
them,
Through the efforts of a trade journal an indictment
was secured against Sears, Roebuck & Cd. in the district
court of the United States,
The grand jury found them
guilty, all three counts, of obtaining money under false pretenses.
The parcels post measure which has been ardently advocated by the postmaster general has received considerable
attention at the hands of various associations and their members.
A.lthough a measure that does not directly affect the
furniture trade as much as lines of smaller merchandise, yet
it deserves the co-operation of the furniture interests for the
effects of such a law would indirectly work to the detriment
of the furniture trade as well.
Therefore, I am of the opinion that we shOUld assist in this fight.
At sonle futufe timL
we may wish the co-operation of other associations in fighting our battles.
1 believe that other associations should
be, and I have reason to believe they arc, friendly to the interests which might work to our benefit.
I prepared and have
distributed
is my correspondence
and through the secretriaes, letters and petitions to congress to be stgned by the
members and citizens of their communities.
Mutual furniture illsurance is a feature that is being investigated by a number of the associations and I understand 1!>
being used by the Minnesota association with considerable
success.
It is of vital interest to the dealers in general as
by mutual insurance the members should be enabled to carry
their own insurance and at a great saving in cost.
It is to be hoped that this association may see fit to investigate and take up a plan of insurance which could be made
to assist in supporting the association and no doubt be instrumental in greatly increasing the membership.
I would
beg to recommend that this association authorize the appointment of a committee to take up this subject and investigate
same.
During the short period 1 have held this office I have
found the need of a committee to act for the association upon
matters, particularly with reference to freight classifications,
Especially will this apply at this time as the Classification
committee is working upon a new classification and there are
:
2
e
-
very apt to be changes made in the classes of various lines of
furniture which would greatly affect the dealers.
With a
committee conveniently located and in touch with this reclassification, perhaps to a greater extent through the office
of your secretary, such matters as affect our members could
be investigated and, if deemed wise, action perhaps in con~
junction with other associations be taken which might result
in securing more favorable and justc1assifications.
I be~
lieve the manufacturers "vill co~operate with us In matters 01
this nature.
The need of such a committee was recently demonstrated
when note to Rule 5 B of the official classification, which .vent
into effect January 1, was to be finally decide:.d by the Inter:..
state Commerce Commission at \¥ashington,
D. c., on Jan~
uary 8.
This did not come to my notice until it was too late
for this association to arrange to take action on same.
The
fact is, these hearings are set on very short notice, which is
all in favor of the railroads and it does not give others interested an opportunity to present their side of the case, and it
is almost impossible to take any concerted aettOn.
The note in question reads:
"Note 5 B win apply onty
when the consignor or consignee is the actual owner of the
property."
This will have cQosjderable bearillg on the furniture retailer, espe.dal1y of the west, as the dealers cannot
under the enforcement of this note, buy good of several different firms and have them assembled and shipped at carload
rates.
Neither wilL they be allowed to group shipments for
several consignees in the same car unless they pay L. C. L.
or local rates.
Another matter that might receive some attention at the
hands of such a committee i~that under Rule 27 of the official
classification, which gives a .table of percelltage increase of
weights on cars over thirty-six feet six inches, on minimun.
carload weights of 24,000, 20,()()O. 18,000 and 16;000 pounds
which amounts to ten per cent or 26,400 pounds in cars not
over thirty-eight feet six inches, when the minimum is 24,000 pounds, to an increase of fifteen per cent or 60,000 pounds
in cars not over fifty feet SIX inches when the minimum is
24,000 pounds.
I am informed that the railroads claim the
additional cost of cars and the general additional expenses of
handling, etc., justifies this advance, but it would seem that
the heavy rate of increase is not in keeping with the additional cost.
I am of the opinion that if these meetings could be held
at a time other than the market season, when we could arrange for a two or three days' session and introduce more educational features, as well as to give more time :to the business
of the association and consideration of matters presented, that
they would be more largely attended and better results received therefrom.
In closing, I wish to express my appreciation of the advice and encouragement
that has been constantly given me
through the frequent correspondence of your president.
He
has at all times been faithful in rendering advice and assistai1~e upon matters where 1 felt the need of advice from one
older in the work than I am.
I desire also to express my
appreciation of the way in which my worthy pred~cessor has
always been ready to give advice on matters pertaining to the
duties of the office, with which he was more conversant than
I.
A number of the officers have also been free with en~
eouragement and have been very faithftll in assisting to raise
the finances with· which it has been possible to carryon
the
work.
It is well known that trade organizations, such as this, in
conjunction with the state associations, have done much tv
improve the conditions under which trade is carried on, Conventions with free interchange of ide.as dealing Viith every ..
day problems of business life have been the most effective
means by which trade organizations have partially ac.'Complished that admirable purpose sought to be attained.
25
WOODARD FURNITURE COMPANY
owosso,
MICH.
Makers of the most popular medium priced bedroom furniture. All the fancy
woods and finishes. Especially 8trong in CIRCASSIAN WALNUT
and COLONIAL
The Woodard
Line.
Talk about bedroom furniture.
Did yoU feast your eyes
the vVoodard line when you were in Grand Rapids?
If
so, you do not need a word in regard to it. If you were in
Grand Rapids during the January trade sales and did not see
this line, you misse,J one of the finest displays of chamber
furniture
ever placed on exhibition
in this or any other
market.
:.;at that it was so high priced, but because of the
beauty of design, Tare woods, careful \'v'orkmanship and beautiful finish. Here one could see magnificent examples of
furniture
in circassian walnut, mahogany,
birdseye maple
and quartered golden oak, that would rivet the attention of
the beholder, 50 that he would be loath to leave it. The line
was one of the largest-probably
the largest in chamber furniture brought to Grand Rapids. and no intelligent buyer could
leave it \'v'ithout wishing he had room for at least two-thirds
011
We Manufacture the
Largest Line of
FolOino 6hairs
DESIGNS.
Send for catalog.
of the pieces in the :line. Of course it sold well. Couldn't
be otherwise.
A new spring catalogue is ready for mailing,
and the dealer who 'does not receive a copy may consider
himself one of the ul~fortunates.
Collapsible
Go-Carts.
In our grandfathers'
days a cart was a vehicle with two
whecis, but in these :Jatter days the collapsible go-cart, that,
by a single motion, qr quick jerk, spreads itself out and rests
011 four ·wheels, is <). >vonder.
It's an all-steel wagon, excepting the leather ,top, and so strong that it will safely
carry a one hundred pound, baby over a rough pavement.
There is nothing lik~ it in this or any other world that the
:vIichigan Artisan knows of. It is made by the Sturgis
01ichigan)
Steel Go-Cart Company.
The New Banquet Table Top
as well as OFFICE, DINING and DIRECTORS'
TABLES are our IIpecialty.
in the Uniled States, suitable
for Sunday Schools, HaIls,
Steamers and all public resorts.
We also manufacture Brass
Trimmed Iron Beds, Spring
Beds, Cots and Cribs in
large variety.
Send for Catalogue
and Prices to
K/\UFFM/\N MFG. GO.
ASHLAND.
OHIO
STOW & DAVIS FURNITURE CO.,
~=!;:""
Write fot Calalogue. Get samples of BANQUET TABLE TOP.
26
ALASKA QUALITY
Guarantees perfect insulation, circulation and the most economical consumption of ice. They insure the dealer a satisfied
customer every time.
Zinc, White Enamel, Porcelain
and Opalite Linings.
ASK FOR CATALOGUES
AND PRICES.
The Alaska Refrigerator CO.
EXCLUSlf/E
REFRIGERATOR
MUSKEGON,
MANUFACTURERS
MICHIGAN
They "Gotta" Live.
r
watched an artist man at work
Depiding chairs, .buffets and desks.
. "How can you give
Your art to such a task?" asked L
And, straightway he did make reply:
gatta live."
,<:>'1
That is the way with men who carve,
Or write or print.
V\le cannot starve!
Your stove or bench
We'll help yOLl on the market put.
We may not love the labor, hut
We gotta Jive.
HARDWOOD
FINISH
FOR PINE.
Capt. Purse Talks of New Process 0 Wood-Preserving
is Claimed to Be of 1m ense Value.
That
Capt. D. G. Purse of Savannah is ouring the south in the
interest of developing the process fa drying all character of
swamp and highland wood, more par ieular1y the swamp o.:ak,
cypress, tupelo, etc.
Re was attracte,d to this proccS5 some twelve months ago
and has been for the past six months in ).Jew York conducting
experiments with wood brotlght from Georgia, taken: from the
native trees.
The results of these tests and ex eriments have been so
satisfactory and have made themsel es so attractive to all
parties interested in the preservation and drying of this character of lumber that a company who own the process have
delegated C<Jpt. Purse to introduce this treatment in the
"outhern states.
As explained by Capt. Purse, the process of vulcanizing
pine and watery gum timber consists of subjecting these
\'\Ioods to intense steam heat in a huge steam cylinder.
A
certain degree of temperature is maintained for a fe-w hm1rs
and the. aqueous properties of the ,\vQodremoved.
The dens'er fluids, the albumen and pitch, the natural preservatives of
the wood, are retained, evenly distributed in the pores of the
wood, a.nd the. timber thus treated is hermetically sealed and
made practically proof against the decay of time.
The
hitherto useless tupelo gum, the cypress tree and the sap
pine become, under this process, as valuable as the mahogany of South America, with the additional advantage that it
has less than 011e-fourth the weight of that valuable hard""Toad.
An idca of the practicability of the process may be Kained
\"he.n it is stated that a plant consisting of a huge steel cyl-
inder capable of receiving 22,000 feet of timbe-r, may be- established at a cost of 1,500 to $3,000:
Twenty-four hours of
treatment of the most aqueous and pulpy timber.converts that
wood into a decay resisting.material
which not only vies with
but surpasses the 1110Stvaluable hardwood as to time resisting qualities, but it is also capable of being given the most
beautiful finish.
Capt. Purse exhibits ~;pecimells of cypress,
gum and sap pine trees treated by this proccss and finished by
a cabinet maker._ At first glance the gum is taken for rare
old mahoKany, but turned over on the ,other side appears to
be the finest grade of maple.
The same metamorphosis is
accomplished with the cypress and the sap pine, th~ latter
being a wood which resists all attempts to fire it in its gree,:l
state, and begins to crumble and decay the moment the dryinK out process commences.
One fact of immense significance in regard to lumber
treated with the new vulcanizing process is that evcry
pore- of the wood is hermetically, sealed for all tim~.
This
makes lumber so treated par excellehce. for intenor finishll1g
of dwelling houses.
Wood as used at present is a perfect culture bed for germs
of disease and dangerous bacteria.
Scientific investigation
has proven. that the germs of diphtheria, scarlet fever and
other dangerous infectious disease-sIllay be, communicated by
the wood in the house for months after such an infected pe-rsail has been in the room.
The, vulcanizcd wood offers as
little lodgment for dise,ase germs and bacteria as does the
polished surfacc of porcelain.
"It ii. our plan," said Capt. Purse, in an interview, "to establish plants throughout the south.
In order, however, that
no particular section may enjoy an advantage over another,
not "a single plant will be established in the south until each
and cvery state in which this timber is found is ready to act.
Then the plants will be started simultaneously.
"This means more for the wealth of the south than any
discovery since Eli \Vhitney il1Vented the cotton gin. Hither~
to any 111allowning land on which the gum and sap trees
grew felt .that his la11dwas burdened with ~l useless p-roduct of
nature,
The pine was susceptible of treatment to the extent
that boards might be made of it, but they rotted away within
a few months of usage.
Thc cypress and gum trees were
good only for the purpose of putting out a fire. so heavily
charged are they with aqeuous properties.
Under the vqlcanizing process these woods surpass mahogany, rosewood
and all other nne woods known to civilization for their wearresisting qualities and the beauty of finish which they take."
The retail furniture trade has pulled the .buckle of its belt
up another notch and placed many orders for goods.
Panic
or no panic, 'ledion aT no 'lection, the trade ~s out for business and nothing can stop it.
27
Five Complete Lines of Refrigerators
at
RIGHT PRICES
iI.JI
Opalile Lined.
(j! Enamel Lined.
tl Charcoal Filled
and Zinc
fJI
Lined.
Zinc Lined with
Removable Ice
Tank.
CJI Galvanized Iron
Lined; Stationary
Ice Tank.
Send for new Catalogue
and let U3 name yoU pTice.
SliOh'~ S616GtStUI6~ S611anOSati~fU D6a16r~anO Tn6ir Gustoill6rs
MANY NEW FEATURES ADDED FOR SPRING SEASON OF 1908.
EVERYTHING
FOR THE BEDROOM [Medium and Fine Quality].
Office and SalesroOm corner
Prescott and Buchanan Streets, Grand Rapids, .Mich. Line now ready for inspection by dealers.
------------------------------
28
----
-!t~Mlf]ilG7JN
Let Him Know It.
When a fellow pleases you
Let him know it;
It's a simple thing to doLet him know it.
Can't you give the scheme a trial?
It is sure to bring a smile
And that makes it worth the whileLet him know it.
You are pleased when an:y one
Lets you know it.
\Vhen the man who thinks "Well done"
Lets yOli know it.
For it gives you added zest
To bring out your very bestJust because some mortal blest
Lets you know it.
\~rhen a fellow pleases you
Let him know it;
Why, it isn't much to daLet him kncrw it.
It will help him in the fray,
And he'll thi'nk his efforts pay;
If you like his work or way
Let him; know it.
T
' .7IR..
+
I oS' AL"il
zee
brought out, and the push button attachment, by which the
back can be adjusted to any position without getting out
of the chair, makes it a delight as well as a comfort.
Any
furniture dealer who carries this line and takes the trouble
to push it, make as much money from it as anything he
keeps in his store. If you have not received their catalogue
~t would be wise to send for it at once.
Reductions
Not Asked.
In discussing the results of the January sale. Major
MacBride, secretary of the ::.relson~Matter Furniture company, said: "Visiting buyers recognized the importance of
maintaining
prices and no reductions
were called for.·
I have not learned of any cutting in prices, excepting on onc
or two hotel orders.
Several of our friends seemed to be
overanxious to make sales, and engaged in sharp compcthion
Over a number of contracts.
Not so many buyers visited
the markets as last year,hut the traveling salesmen w-i1l ·call
upon th-cm soon, and supply their needs. Of one thing
dealers may rest assured: manufacturers will make no more
goods than the trade require.
They will not load up and
carry stock for the convenience of dealers, as in the past."
Ki(~mon~
The Ro~al Push Button.
Oair
One of the most intdesting exhibits in the January trade
sales in Grand Rapids aind Chicago~ was that of the Royal
Push Button Morris Chairs, manufactured by the Royal Chair
Company, Sturgis, Mich. There arc about one hundred
patterns in the line, made in oak and mahogany frames, with
a liberal amount of midsion styles. The coverings are in
beautiful shades of plushes and leather. The prices range
from $6.25 to $30. Then there is a line of upholstered floor
rockers, as attractive as anything on the market.' The
Royal is one of the most: popular lines of Morris chairs ever
CO.
RICHMOND.
INDIANA
MUSKEGONVAlLEY FURNITURE COMPANY
Mosl<"lIon.
Mich ••
Odd
Dressers
Chiffoni.ers
Wardrobes
Ladies
Toilets
Dressing
Tables
Mahogany
Inlaid
Good.
Ladies
Double Cane Line
Desks
Music
SEE OUR NEW PATTERNS
Cabinets
CATALOGUES TO THE TRADE
Line on we in ManufactureR' BuildiD8'.Grand Rapids.
•
-----------------------------------_.
-
-
29
STAR CASTER CUP CO.
NORTH
Although the v.:inter s~lling "cason was not what it should
be, jl wa::=.better than the corn trade of Nebraska
a few
years ago, when it cost more to market the product than it
sold for. Several months. uSlIally
active in trade. remain
before tJJe opening of the presidenti.al campai.gn, and as
Evansville goods arc easy to sell aud profltahle to the dealer,
there is no reason why the factories should not be ill full
operation before the ides of l\Jarch.
1Jany buyers, inspecting the exhibits in Chicago, have
had an opportunity to examine Evansville goods in a group
widl somc degree of satisfaction for the fint time. A heavy
trade is looked for from comparatively
new territory.
The
number of dealers in furniture in the United States is incr~8.scd anllually from R.OO to 1,000, and the manufacturers
of
Evansville realize the importance of keeping in touch with
new trade
The exhibit at St. Louis attracted much attention and favorable comment.
The \\101'11] Furniture company will be pleased to receive
applications
for their new catalogue.
It contains
many
beautiful lwJi tone illustrations
of the line. The "llig Six"
combination, through their united corps of traveling salesmen and the liberal distribution of catalogues, are eompletely
covering'. the trade of the United Sta.tes.
It is the purpose
of the furnilure makerf; of Evansville to keep the trade
fully informed in regard to their offerings.
A new catalogue illustratillg, descrihing and pricing the
large line of chamber furniture. manufactured by the Karges
UNION
STREET,
GRAND
RAPIDS,
MICH.
(PATENT APPLIED FOR)
We have adopted celluloid as a base for our Caster Cups, making the
best cup on the market.
Celluloid [s a. grtat improvement <Jver bases
made <Jfother material.
When it is necessary to move a pi~ce supported
by cups with ceJ1ul<Jidbases it <:.an be done with ease, as the bases are perfectly smooth. Celluloid does not sweat, and by tbe use of these cups
tables are never marred.
These cups are finished in Golden Oak and
White Maple .. finished light. If you will t1'1f a sample ordM" of these
goods you witl diJsireto handle them in quantities.
PRICES:
Size 2}{ inches, ..... $5.50 per hundred.
Size 2}{ inches .••...
4.50 per hundred.
f. o. D, Grand Rapids,
TRY.A
SAMPLE
ORI/Ell.
Furniture
company, witl soon be ready for mail. It will
interest every dealer in medium and fine goods.
\-\lork on the new factory of the Standard Chair company
is progressing satisfactorily.
It will be ready for occupancy
early in the year.
The samples of Evansville goods from the big six factories
exhibhcd at St. Louis filled ten cars; and those from the
independent houses about as many more.
e. F. Diekman, the manager of the Crescent Stove
works, is \-vell pleased ",dth the business done last year.
A new catalogue will soon be made ready for distribution.
The Bosse Furniture company, under the capable management of 1'I1r. Ploeger, is one of the most prosperous industries
in Evansville.
Their line of knock down' wardrobes
and
kitchen cabinets is considered desirable and profitable to
handle by thousands of dealers.
Benjamin Bosse, the affable manager of the Globe Furni~
ture company, is ·well pleased with the results of last year's
bllsiness transacted by the company and confident of a good
trade in the future.
An excellent line of low and medium
priced chamber suites and dining room furniture is manufactured.
Their new catalogue will be mailed to applicants
for the same.
The ):1etal Furniture company's line of brass and iron
beels is a strong feature of tbe furnhure industry in Evansville. The factory operated by the company is one of the
j
largest in the city.
~Janager Fellwock
as received many compliments
on
the excellence of the lin of tables brought out for the current
year of trade. The e ition of ten thousand
catalogues,
recently issued by tl1 company, has been broadly distributed.
A'very large and successful business in brass and metal
beds has been established
by the Evansville
lvl eUl1 Bed
company, under the experienced
management
of ""V. A.
Koch. The goods command a ready sale in every market.
How He Got His Start.
Go-Carts and Baby Carrl"ages
Fo,d-Job.",. Col~.. ibl,
is the easieft to fold. the
8tron~ and best lookinll
COlT! on the market.
~ Our complete line of $ll.mple5will be di5played in Ford·Johnson Bldg" 1333.37 WablUh Ave .. including a ~pecial display of Hotel and Dining
Room furniture. iI1I An furniture dealers are cormanyinvited to visit OIH bulklinll
THE FORD & JOHNSON CO.,
Chicago, Illinois.
"'But, after a{l, don't you think a good education is an
essenti ..Jl in business success?"
").Jot much," replied the'wealthy
man; "it was my poor
e.ducation that gave me a start.
I done a job of work for a
rich fellow, and made out my bill for 'too' dollars.
You see,
besides the bad spelling, T forgot to cross the 't.' He sent
me a check for $100."
..
30
Cosmopolitan Apartment.
"Ve are living U"j) in Harlem in an extra swellish flat
That's nothing if it's not High Art, and you can bet On that!
For the hall is trimmed in figures, Egyptian, in relief,
And the fron~door's
Grecian columns wear the big acanthus
leaf.
There's;;t,.dome
above the doorway-very
stylish-Roman~iqu.e!
Looki~,too,
a 'little Moorish, for the carvings are grotesque!
But th'edoor itself swings open to a Renaissance ideal
And the beJlsJ,sd with mosaics, make a Byzantine appeal.
. Katie says the Wattcall subjects in the panels are a dream;
\Vith the Flemish woodwork, really! they do make a noble
scheme!
Stained glass windows, set at random, lend a solemn Gothic
air
Al1'delectric shades in crystal show Venetian fe.eling rare.
Iran's rugs and Turkey's carpets carelessly about are strewn;
Antique chairs from Spain and China with the symphony attune.
Proud we are of all this grandeur, but the landlord's call last
night
\Vas the single factor needed to touch off the picture right.
Atmosphere Italian dazzled from his tie-a radiant bowAs he glanced at our Penate.s-they
are modest things we
know!
"You prefer," I questioned gayly, "Higher Art-things
richer
done ?"
Signor Zetti smiled so sweetly: "High-a-Art!
Ees dat da
mOll?"
-ELAINE DARLDIG.
CHEAP BEDROOM FURNITURE,
What a Salesman Ran Up Against in a Town Where
Fads Are the .Only Things Talked About.
Health
Demar, the salesman, had been having hard luck for a
month.
He was beginning to think that alI his old customers
..were waiting for the Winter Exposition.
Presently he struck
a town which had always been pretty good to him.
It wa1>
a health town and a lot of the money handled there came
nut of the pockets of people who rode through the streets in
wheel chairs.
Demar thought he would make a winning
there, Slire.
He tackled his hest customer first.
Gillette was a pro!:!perous merchant, 'with a store a little '(00 big for the town.
He was never ugly ",,'hen a salesman marked him for his own,
but occasio!lally he grew pessimistic and sarcastic.
The
salesman found him in a disagreeable moo.d.
He hardly
looked up as Demar entered with the merry swing of a man
who has got' to make a sale or go to the poor house.
"vVhat's the grouch?" asked Demar, handing out a cigar
and dropping into a chair.
He had hunted and fished ....
vith Gillette, and played poker
with him, and thought he might cut out formality.
When
men play poker together and don't break friendship, it is surc
that they are good fellows.
"Business is bad," replied Gillette, lighting the cigar. "I'd
like to shut up shop and go tiP north after deer, or somcthing that would keep me on the move.
You needn't get
out your picture cards.
I don't want a thing.
I couldn't
pay for the .stuff if 1 bought it.
I'm up' against it."
. "I'll take my chanc'cs on getting my pay," smiled the
salesman.
"Here!
What's the matter with making a run
on those fine bedroom suites?"
"Bedroom suites!'"' repeated the merchant.
1I0f course!
We've got some beauties!
Look at these
veneered goods.
Eh?
That looks pretty poor, what?"
"What do they do with bedroom suites?" asked Gillette,
j
with a perfectly straight face.
There was even an anxiety
in his eyes which seemed to await the answer as something
impo:rtant.
Demar grinned and threw off his overcoat.
~ I'The bedroom suite of commerce," he said,. "i's the thing
conducive to repose.
In other words, where you pound your
ear!
I've got some bedsteads here that make you sleepy
to look at 'em!
Look at 'em ~nd see!"
"Have you got a bedstead that will turn off the gas at bedtime and walk out on the roof of the porch?" asked the merchant.
Demar grinned.
He was used to the merchant's way, and
saw a sale coming.
"Not yet," he replied.
"Weare
having some made."
"They don't use bedroom suites any more in this man's
town," sighed the dealer.
"I haven't sold six in three
months."
"What do they use?"
"Why, they don't even use the"sleeping
rooms.
How
can a man use a bedroom suite if he hasn't any sleeping room
to put it in?"
'iNo sleeping rooms," said Demar, becoming interested.
"Where under the sun and moon do they sleep?"
"That's where."
"Where?
That's where what?
What are you doing with
all those funny little bugs in your belfry?"
"That's where they sleep."
"That's where they sleep where?"
"Under the sun and uloon."
"Oh! And I presume they use the green, green grass for
a mattress and the cerulean sky for a counterpane!
\Vhy
don't you go out of town for a few days?"
UN 0, they don't slee,p on the grass.
They're getting a
contrivance made to keep 'em off the ground and out of the
dew.
The people about here are sleeping ill the open air,
my friend, so where's the use of my buying bedroom suites ,.,
"Oh, of course, there are a few cranks who do that, blll
there win always be a market for bedroom suites."
Yes.
Of course.
They'll always have to buy somethIng
to furnish their sle.epingrooms with, eh?
Of course.
Well,
they've got 'em furnished already."
"Don't they buy of you?"
"They don't buy of anybody.
They plant their things to
furnish their sleeping rooms."
"It is too bad," said Demar.
"You used to be one of tht:
brightest men on my route, and now you are t.alking abollt
planting seed and raising bedroom furniture."
"You bet they do!" insisted the merchant.
"You go dOWl'
here to the next residence street and turn to your right, or
tUfl1 to the left, if you want, or just .stand .still, if that's your
notion, and you can see the sleeping rooms from the sidewalk.
You bet you can!
How would you like to contract to furnish all those sleeping rooms?
I gtleSs you'd be in a shirt
without any sleeves if you undertook it."
"What do they have in their sleeping rooms?" asked Demar, not quite getting next to Gillette's obscure humor.
"The one on the corner.," was the reply, "is furnished with
a fountain and a brass dog.
There are also some pille Lee"
scattered about, to give the perfume and the moan of the
health-giving north.
Tlle bedstead is on the roof of the
porch, and the ceiling of theslee.ping
room is 50 far up ill
the air that you couldn't reach it with a writ of habeas corpus."
"So that is the latest fad I" exclaimed the salesman.
"Sleeping in the open air!
Wen, that gets me!
Do they
all sleep in second-story porches?"
"I should say not.
Some of 'em pull out a window in the
sitting room and shove the head of the couch out on a flower
bed.
They've got a bedstead here that runs on a track to a
French window, and out to the porch.
"When a man gets ready for slumber he undresses by the
fire, Rets into bed and tucks in, touches a spripg", ,11~dthee
3l
he is, with the North star for a bedfellow and the big dipper
for a dream-producer.
I'd like to see you sell furniture to
a man whose sleeping room is half an acre in size., with it
pump on the side and a carriage house to store toikt articles
in."
"The fad will die oUL" said the salesman.
"In time;' s<:tidthe merchant, "but not in time for me to
get rid of the bedroom suites I have on hand and pay my
bills.
They've got some: s.vell sleeping rooms up in the west
end," continucd the merchallt.
"One mall takes out the
whole side of bis house so the air can get into his bone~.
And tents!
Say, what sort of bedroom furniture would yOL,
buy to furnish a tent?"
"The kind we make, of course."
"\,,-rell, the last sleeping room I was in up there was furnished with a hot-water bag and a bottle of malted Inilk.
The occupant slept with his head through a hole in the wall of
the 'tent and took a bite of pure air for breakfast.
That is,
he took a bite when the wind was in the south, and a bite and
a half when the wind ,vas in the north.
He told me that he
,vas feadul of getting dyspepsia eating so much north wind,
How would you like to put in new machinery to make bed·
room suites for that man!"
uYou haven't looked at my pictures yet," solid Demar.
"1 don't want to look at them," said Gillette. "'I've got
all the furniture I need in the store, and more!
\'\Then a
man breakfasts on north wind, lunches on malted milk, and
wraps the whole dog gasted landscape about him for a sle,ep,
what's the use of selling- furniture?
The landscape experts
are furnishing the sleeping rooms around here.
One of the
new styles is an American beauty rosebush covered with wild
ctlcumbe' t'Jl'lC~.
I guess they expect the combination tn give
an old English effect to the chimney!
Ko, you can't sell allY
bedroom outfits around here, unless you've got rubber goods
and nursery stock!"
HI think ['II have to go up and see this sleeplng room thal
is furnished with a fountain and a brasss dog," said the salesman, with a smile.
"Oh, that's all right!
Go right on up and look at it.
There may be other articles of furniture, like an iron fence,
a red roof, and a brick chimncy.
I've seen wheel-chairs used
as ornaments."
"TllCfC'S
ahvays some fool fad Oil," grumbled
the salesman.
"And all the fool fads hit the furniture t'ade," replied the
merchant.
"If you think I'm stuffing you about the outdoor sleeping rooms, just you go ahol1t (Own and ~ize things
up.
Pretty soon they'll get VI eating condensed food t1'I
capsules, and then there will be. no n~ore dining r00111 fUTlllture."
"About the only real good trade in this town is the casket
trade," c()]ltillued the ruercbant.
"These health towns arc always prilT~e spots for undertakers."
"Then yOll don't want any bedroom suites," smiled Demar.
"If you can furnish a sHite with half an acre of lawn and an
apple tree thrown in, I'll buy a dozen."
Demar took a trolley out of the health town amI waited at
the limits Ior the intc:'urban to ('owe along.
ALFRED B. TOZER.
"No-Neverl"
"\V c never cut prices,
\\Then we put a figure Upon an article, it remains 'till a sale has been 1ll.ade, \'\Te would rather
keep the goods than sell at cut prices," remarked a prominellt, wealthy, intelligent, cultured <llJd sllccessful m;:llJufacturer.
Six weeks later the representative
of the aforesaid
p.. w., i.. c. and s. 111. called upon a buyer in Chicago and
OffCH'<\
a large number of "left overs" for fifty off.
A sale
W;1S made.
Evidently tIle salesman was not familiar "...
·jtb
the policy
of his employer
and was severely reprimanJec1
upon his ret11n, to "the. hOHse."
Lockless Metal Folding Beds
-Manufactured
SAFETY
FOLDING
BED
by the-
COMPA:NY (Ltd.)
DETROIT,
DUelJ,
It ha>l long passcd the experimental
lWJ'int, and Is now I'l'(~ognized as perfectinn ill bed manuflleturiug.
It has been in practical uOlein thousands of homes for the
past sl:li:years and each ~:ear its popularity
has increased.
It
i.-; }Hl COltabJillbedfilet that l\'[l'lTA1. Beds are -UH~
most Sanitary,
and that Folding Metal Beds are the nlO>lt·
desirable
for
many
reason!>.
It has
been our
tlilll
tv
produce
a.
l'~oldlng Metal
Bell
that combines aU the
(Iualities of the ordinary
",tntionary
bcd,
and in addition have
:the folding
feature
simple and safe.
Tt is asimpossihle
for a "Safety" bed to
close up when oecnI)ied lU; it wtluld be ftlr the ordinary bed... In fact, tbe more
\H~jgbt is ;In it, the more ..1gid it is.
'.rhl're are no wcight!l or complicated me(lbanism about tbe
"SaIety"; it is 8implicity lt8elf.
It needs noly to be tried to be
appreciated.
A whole hed when YOUwant it.
One-tbird of a bed wben
:rou don't.
"'hen closed it CLIO be mo.,md about as easily as II
1mby cJlr..rjage.
The bedding is not disturbed and when covered
bed
stand'll
back
u.gainst the wall, leav·
ing the door space for
other uses,
Tbe improvements
during the past year
cover
nearly
every
point In meehanism,
eonlltruction and material.
There
has
been. -absolutely notbing left undone that
(lould add to the desirability of the "Safe~
t)'."
A point
that
we
wish to call your attention
to, and one
wbleh
every
bousekeeper will B))preciate
is tbls:
There is no trOUble in handling tbe rnattre>l8, Cllvers, or
Ilillf)W!l,us they are at all times ~urely
fastened to the bed.
The "Safety" doeOlnot monopolize a whole room when in use.
It folds Ul) to one-third its size when
open, occupying II space
14 x 82 inches.
Witb this bed a parlor 0" sitting room may be
used as a sleeping apartment
witbout the slightest inconvenience or diM~omfort,
\Vhen it's open It looks like a bed, not the great cumbei'some,
unwieldY, uo8ightly tbing of the
J'1l8t that used to be
called a folding bed.
S tee l,
Malleable
\,
11'00 aud High Car'I
bon Angle are u8ed
tbraugh6llt,
thus assuring a strong, durable hed
that
will
(
hl!>t a lifetime.
Each hed, regardlesli. of design, pri(le
or size, has the sante
"Ea ..v I"iit" U}.ecbanism, 'ball bearing casters, tuhular
spring
frame
witb
elastic
fabric, which not only
lns!H'c8 comfort
aut
extreme ease in operation.
No locks or '''eights of any kind are used on the bed. None
llre needed.
Standard
8.1z e s
or spring
frame are
made in the tollowing
width:
4
feet
6
inches, 4 feet, 8 feet
6 inches and 3 feet,
aU 6 feet
3 incbes
long
unless
otherwise ordered.
Mattre>llles
of
standard
lengtb and width can
be u~ed on ilur beds,
We do not recommend
any
pl.'l'ticular
style
DJ' thickness.
,
Write for
DESCRIPTIVE
CIRCULARS AND
rmCE
LIST.
~Lineon sale 1319 Michigan Ave .• CHICAGO.
32
··:f'~M.19jiIG7fN
Ideal Dressers.
The Empire Furniture company of Jamestown,
N. Y.,
made their first exhibit in Grand Rapids in January.
The
exhibit consisted of two hundred pieces of chamber furniture, in quartered oak, mahogany and birdseye maple. Every
design (they numbered 75) is made in three woods, and the
price is the same for each. Mahogany costs no morc than
oak or hirdseye maple.
A feature of the caSe work is th,cc
small drawers above the large drawers.
The middle d.iawer
is lined with plush, and is intended for jewelry; the other
drawe,s for gloves, veils, handkerchiefs, neckwear, and the
thousand and one little things so dear to the heart of the
ladies. There are but three bedsteads in this line, but they
will match any of the dressers.
It is really an atb-active
line, and was admired and bought by many, dealers. The com-
parry's July exhibit promises to be finer, and will be sought
for by many more dealers-as July always brings a larger
number of buyers than January.
Price Maintenance.
In an address delivered to the mer'chants association
Oregon recently, by Herma·n \iVittenberg, on the subject
of
of
price maintenance, the speaker declared that confidence in
one's ability to make a success of business, confidence in
one's community and confidence in the honesty of competitors, are fundamentaL
Price maintenance
means life
for all. Failure is caused by price cutting more often than
other causes. He urged merchants to take little account of
the statements of wily customers to the effect that others
in their line of trade were selling for lower prices.
----
----
----
----
---
---
33
HORN BROS. MFG. CO.
BEDROOM FURNITURE
281 to 291 W. Superior St.
CHICAGO. • ILL.
OUR SPECIALTY
Good. displayed at the Manufacturer4'
Furniture Exchange, Wabash
14th St. and with Hall & Knapp, 187 Michigan Ave., Chicago, Ill.
ilLDd
DRESSER
No. 629 -CoidenQuaItered
Oak, $18,50; GenUille Maholl:any, Veneered,
$19.50; Birdseye MaJ:Je, $19.50; Genuine Tuna MahOPlI}', $19.50.
CHIFFONIER
No. 60-Golden
Oak, $19; Genuille Maholl:any Ve~,
eye Maple. $20; Genuine Tuna Mahogany, $20.
$20; Birds·
DRESSING
TABLE No.1S-GoldenOak,
$13; Genuine Maho!ilany, Veneered,
$13.50;
Bildseye MaDre, $13.50;
Genuine TUlla Mahopny, $13.50.
Two Souls.
It happened at Galvestoll.
The stout, florid, iron-gray salesman climbed down from
the car beside the tall, thin, absurdly young salesman, and
together they climbed the acclivity, crossed the sea wall, and,
w-alking across the pavilion, seated themselves, and, leaning
back lllxuriou:;ly, gazed 011t ~lCroSS the chaos of tumbling
waters which, foaming and tumbling in indistinct bottle green
masses in the distance as they approached the shore, formed
themselves
into phalanx upon phalanx of billows which,
rushing UIJ the shelving beach, hurst in thnndcr against the
sea \va1l.
Pioneer
Manufacturing
Company
DETROIT. 1Il1@.
Reed Furniture
Baby Carriages
Go-Carts
"Doesn't the sight of these mighty w;1ters foaming .and
throwing themselves against the shore, only to be beaten
back, then reforming and rus'hingforward
again, and again
and again, forever and forever. day in and day o11t, through
the lifetime of the world, fill your 50ul with poetry?" queried
the young marl.
{'Eh, what say?"
'·r
say doesn't the thunder of the surf, now gTowling
defeM, now thundering in a renewed effort, in a neverending attack that shall go on through our lifetime, the lifetime of our children and of our children's children until
the end of time-I
say doesn't the mighty voice of the waters
flU your sout with poetry?"
"Huh 1 Ho'w's that?"
"1 say is not the majestic sweep of the waters rushing
shoreward like an army of millions of white maned steeds
the very poetry of motion?
Is not the voice of the waters
vying with the thunders of the heavens the very voice of
poetry?"
The stout man sat still for a moment as if in thought,
then, rising, tapped the young man on the shoulder and
led the way across the sea wall down the declivity, two
blocks str<tight into the city and around a corner,
·''\Tow,'' said he, "say it again; those rotten waves made
so much noise I couldn't hear a word you said,""
Il1
Cost of Selling Goods by Retail.
full line
"Twellty per cent of the gross sales is the minimum retail cost of doing business," is the' statement
credited to
Frederick Bolger, a successful merchant of rorth:!nd.
"Tl1<'?"
only safe method of figuring cost," he declared "is 111'on the
gross sales," and the profit should be a pen.:enta.gc oi such
Sales, :Ind not of the COst.
SliOWR OR
seCODtl floor.
1 3. 19
MicLigan Ave •• eLlcaQG. in January.
Murphy Chair Co.
Palmer Mfg. Co.
DETROIT.
MICH.
MANUF ACTURE.RS OF WOOD AND IRON FRAME
MANUFACTURERS
DETROIT, MICH.
Wire Mattresses
SPRING BEDS, COTS AND CRIBS,
ALSO
PARLOR AND UBRARY
Write
A COMPLE.TE
LINE.
TABLES.
for U1ustrated Circula.r,
WE'VE GOT THE GOODS.
THE DESI.QNER DREAMED.
Ancient Furniture Asks an Opportunity to Show What it
Might Do in Bea.utifying Modern Homes.
----
The preside.nt of the Boughton Furniture Company took
his designer out to dinner, one evening not long <;tgo, and
backed him up in a far corner of the restaurant, where no one
would be likely to he.ar what he said to him.
"We're running in a rut," began the president.
"V'v'e'vc
got to have something new.
vVe have now reached that
stage, where we have to just give our product away in order
to get rid of it.
I wish you'd think the matter over between
now and morning, and let me know what you can do."
The designer had heard something of the like before, so
he nodded, as a humble desigller should when in the presence
of the big man of the company, and attacked a seven-course
dinner and a wine list that didn't look at all like financial depression.
The president talked a lot about new styles, but he had
nothing to suggest.
Anyway,' that was what designers were
paid for, to get up things that would draw trade.
After
dinner he lit a large black cigar and went home, graciously
allowing the designer twelve hours in which to get somethin&
that would be worth half a million good round dollars to the
Boughton Furniture COll1pany.
The designer went to his furnished room, pounded on the
radiator for the janitor to send up marc caloric, and sat down,
wrapped in his overcoat to consider the matter.
"I'm blessed if I have an idea in my noddle," mused the
designer, only he didn't say blessed,
"I've worked every
brain cell to the limit now.
Think I'll ask the superintendent
for a job running a cut-off .saw."
i<Before you do anything desperate, like working for your
weekly stipend, suppose you give me a chance at drawilll-,
trade and ornamenting homes."
The voiee was 1m..· and silvery, and was accompanied by
the sound of something sliding over the carpet.
The designer sat up and looked around the room.
Before him stood a queer-looking medtaeval 5e.at, evidently
of Italian make, for it was splendid with paint and gilt. The
voiee seemed to 'come from a bronze image set in the back.
The designer remembered having seen somthing like it in a
museum 'somewhere, only the one he had seen hadn't possessed the gift of spech.
"If you want something new, take me," continued the seat,
making a strange grilt with its bronze mouth.
"I'm old
enough to be new, like some. of the jokes yOll see in the newsp::\pers.
Get onto my shape, ""ill you."
"1 need a design for a chair, all right," said the designer,
"but I hardly think you'd fill the bill.
You might answer for
a lawn seat, only your paint would wash off wlib the firSt
rain.
The ancients made a mess of it when they put you at!
the market.
Besides, no drum.mer \11,'01.11<1 take you out, fo)
you'd wallt to talk when he was trying to hypnotize the
country merchant."
"You want something that will sell for threc-ninety
a
dozen! I presume," Sllecred the mediaeval piece.
"I lived in
a palace in Venice, and I've seen better men than you sent to
the embrace of the iron maidell. I'd like the opportunity to
bring a little culture into your pine towns, but I guess I'm tou
elaborate for you.
You look about as illtelligeut as a sausage."
The dcsigner picked up a shoe to throw at the impertinent
visitor from mediaeval times, hut there was a wrinkling of
the bronze face, and then there \vas nothil1g to throw the shoe
at.
"Rather cheeky for a Dago," mused the designer.
"I'd he
thrown out hodily if 1 suggested anything like that to old
Boughton.
Hello!
-Vlhcre did you come from?"
Again the desig-ner sat up and took notice.
Before him
stood one of the quaintest objects he had ever seen outside
of a curiosity shop.
It was a carved oak bedstead.
"You're l\orthern Europe, all right, just after the, "flood!"
cried the designer.
"I wonder how you got out? You'd
look well in one of those little houses that we furnish complete for an even hundred!
Run along]"
But the bedstead didn't {un along.
It remamed to dominate the rOOIn. It seemed that the ceiling had been lifte(l
to give it space.
It was large enough to nest it nerd of eltphants.
The frame was of carved oak, square and ·heavy.
Carved posts ascended into the air and upon them rested a
huge "tester" of paneled wood.
"Why don't you g-ive me a chance?" dern~nded the bedstead, speaking from the center of the carved headboard
"How do you know that it isn't time for me to come out
again?"
We old fellows come out about so often, you
know."
You look like an ark," said the designer.
"You'd be all
tight in a lumber camp on a rainy day.
How would you like
to come down to the shop and be sliced up into four dozen
chiffoniers?
\Ve'd have to buy a railroad and a half-mile
right of way to deliver you to the trade 'in that form.
r·
want something modern and cheap."
"y ou want something cheap, all right," sneered the bedstead.
"Your brass bedsteads look like nitte cents compared
with me,
I've- sheltered kings beneath my canopy, and I've
heard the dreams of statesmen.
You go make a hemlock
bedstead."
The designer was getting nervous,
He launched his shoe,
which he had been holding in his hand, at the old-timer and
saw it whiz through the empty air'"and smash a mirror hanging- on the wall.
"That must have been a Scot," he mused.
"I think I can
smell heather!
I wonder what's coming off here tonight:
There!
N(HV you run right away, little one!"
The little, one' was a Renaissance cabinet, standing there
by the radiator!
It was constructed in the shape of a temple,
and the open drawers showed many secret hiding places.
It
possessed a sixteenth'-century
elegance of detail which rather
pleased the designer.
.,' hen you get enough of these cheap imitations," said the
cabinet, " suppose y'ougive me a trial?
I'd make a hit with
the wise gL1yS 'who are taking their money out of the banks
and placing it in hiding" eh?
Observe these secret drawers.
These magnificent panels.
Chippendale wasn't in it with
the man that made me!"
"You talk too much slang for a sixteellth-century product,"
said the designer.
"You go away back and ke.ep stiR
I'd
like to send a train-load of you into the corn country-not!
Old Boughton would have a fit at sight of you."
"Go ahead and design a pine washboard," exclaimed the
cabinet.
"You're about that size, I take it."
I've-"
"Oh, 1 know all about that," interrupted
the designer.
"You've concealed the love letters of princesses from the
coarse kni.ght clad in stove pipet
Get Qut!"
The cabinet vanished, and in its place came a table veneered with brass, ebony, and tortoise shell,
It was heavy
and clumsy of frame, and looked like a river alligator ornamented with shining medals.
"I think I have seen you before," said the designer, without waiting for the usual introduction and offer of service.
"You're seventeenth
century, and you were made, by one
Andre Charles Boule, who had the contract for furnishing
the palace of the killg at Versailles.
I don't think much of
yon, with your clumsy old figure and your lah-de-dah decorations, but you represent your period, all right.
You look
to me like a tin scarecrow, hut the people, of your time were
a lot of sillies who thought more of decorations than of anything else.
Anyway, you and all the othe.rs represent a distinctive period, which is more than our modern furniture does.
35
vVe copy and conglomerate
set .styles of our own."
and shift about until
l,.ve lwve no
"That's
nice talk from a desigrier," quoth the table.
"I.,A/by don't you get lip something fine of your own, then?
If you've got to go back to the brains of theirs, why, just
take me.
I'll cut a dash in society, I promise you.
Corne,
now!"
The designer hurled the shoe at the table and knocked off
a bit of veneering.
"You go ,uHl talk to old Boughton about getting up
.something distinctive,," he roared.
"I'd like to represent the
twentieth century, ait right, but I've got to caTll my seven
eents a ,,,,eek. !'Jaw, Yfiu bump away, or I'll get up to you."
The table 'valked ovcr and took thc designer by the neck.
The bedstead camc back and sat down on his se~'en-course
dinner.
The Italian seat butted him like a goat, while the
Renai:ssance cabinet clrevY out a polished panel and tiffed
him on the e:.r.
Then the dc:::igner awoke.
He was lying on the floor, the chair in which he had been
sitting on the top or his diaphram.
There wasn't HInch Ow
look of an ErJglish glade or a V crsaiUe:s parlor in his furnished room,
He crept. shiveringly into bed.
"It "vas that confou1Hl~d dinne,r t" he thought.
"I ,'vonder
what set all the old-time styles off on a tangent tonight?
They're right abollt one thing, though.
\Ve won't have any
twentieth century classics to show if we don't take a brace.
Vie can make just as handsome furniture as those old chaps.
if we get a chance, and quit copying!".
He iell asleep and dreamed that he was making a bedroom suite to look like a T('xas steer, and a parlor suite to
look like a train of I-Iarrinull cars, and cllairs to resemble a
city hall that ...vas empty because. of a grand jury!
"I'H make the furniture look like somethng distinctive of
the time, or bust," he murmure.d in his sleep.
And then it
was time to wake. up!
ALFRED
R. TOZER.
Importance
age:?
Are the orange orchards of the south, or the mingled
blue:, green and gold of the peacock's plumage unpleasant to
the eye?
And yet these comb.i1l8tions of color violate the
rules laid down by theorists.
The truth <-lppears to be that in color there arc various
scales of intensity and strength.
1f the keynote, or, in other
\vords, the most decided color in a roorn be strong and vivid,
you will have to carry out the entire furnishings on the same
scale.
The sUite apartments at '0lindsor castle are a striking example of this fact. They are done in bright colors. The
romIlS Queen "Victoria formerly used are fut1lished in rose
brocade and have wall coverings and curtains to ~natcll.
Th...:
effect is rather bright, especially to one who likes quiet
shadt:s, but fOl' the purpose used they ~tre not out of place.
It is far easier to combine quiet colors harmoniously.
The
reason io; that faults of color arc less c.onspicuous in a dull
toned room than in a brilliantly colored one.
For rooms
ordinarily used quiet colors are much more pleasing, less conspicuous, and do not become tiresome. Such colors as gra.y,
dull blues, bluish greens and browns are never tiresome.
F or drawing roon:s and reception' rooms where furnisbings can he elaborate and where spaces are Jar"ge, bright colors can be used properly combined and will give the right
effect without appearing garish to the senses.
Harmony in
all the. furnishings, walls, curtains, furniture and !loor cover~
ings give the beholder a sense of pleasure and delight. "Lil,
Barry" rooms are beautiful and never jarring.
Many others
eould be mentioned as "well.
1
A few years ago the ):Iexicans purchased their furniture
in France and Germany.
Through the efforts of the "advance agents of commerce." that trade has been diverted
largely to the United States.
The 11exic<ll1s recognize the
superiority of the Amcricanpror.1uets
and besides the advantagc:s gained by placing orders nearer home <Ire considerable.
of Color Combinations in Furnishings.
The question of color in upholstery is an important one.
It does not always rcceiv;: the attention it should to make it
harmonious and suitable to its surroundings. Combinations of
colors may be either pretty or ugly, accor'ding to the v<~rjous
shades w~ed. Red and green ill the right shades combine well,
but woe unto the man who fails to con1bi11e the right ones.
No color can, takcn :ndi~ridt1ally, he called either pretty or
ugly.
The dullest mud-color, if in its right place, ,s cllarming', ancl the mo~t ddicate mauve, if in 'the wrong place, hidcous.
Dirt ha~ been det'ined as matter in the ,vrong plat:'
1\ 0
vne while digging among hls tlower beds would call the net
.nonld "dirt," Lut if he proceeds to wipe his spade ..vith bis
pocket-handkercbief,
he will certainly "dirty" it. In the same
way, when in a picture we speak of a color being ugly (;1'
djrty, all we mean is that it appears so ,,,,
..ith reference to it,.;
surroundings.
'LIke the same color and put it in a more
harmonious setting and it will appear all right.
Vo/ e are told by scientific writers on color that the primaries (red, yellow and blue) harmonize with their secondaries, viz:
Red with green, yell 0\,,,' with purple, and blue
with orange.
This is no douht true in a general way, but it
is by no means invariably truc.
Any color will, under certain conditions, lW1"lnonlzc with all)' other, provided they arc
01 the proper shade, and the setting and background arc suitable.
On the other hand the wrong combination can be
painfully discordant.
The truth is that. color cannot be suhjected to theoretical
rules.
The only safe book for the student to consult is tll~
Book of Nature.
He \'·...i]1 there find no limit to the hannon~
iot1s eornbil1ations of the' primary and secondary <:0101'5. Do
the golden blossoms of the Tag-wort or the blue hells of the
wild hyacinth not harmonize with their respective: green foli-
The "Ell" fOLDING BEDS
~~f~R~IM~~
No Stock complete without the Ell Beds in Mantel and Uprigbt.
EL ,
0 • M, LLER &. Co •
ON SALE
IN FURNITURE
Ev.".vllle.
I"d'.".
Write for cuts and pt'lces
EXCHANCE,
CHICAQO.
----,-------------------------------
36
l'Kaltex
Furniture."
Grand Rapids occupied a leading place among the £urnitur~ centers of this country for more than thirty years,
and for the last fifteen yeaTs the first place in the" manufacture of high grade case work-chamber,
library, dining
room furniture, fancy cabinet ware and chairs.
One thing has been lacking all these years, and that is
st:::mmer furniture along reed lines.
Late last fall the Michigan Seating company was organized in this city by H. B.
Morse, 'who is the pr~sident of the company, A. D.
McBurney, vice-president,
and H. L. Hitchcock,
secretary
and treasurer, and they at once set to work to bring Qllt a
line of high grade wicker furniture which they have named
"Ka1tex Furnitur'e." This line was placed on exhibition
in the ~1ant1facturers' Building at the commencement of the
January sales, and although far from being as complete as it
will b€ in July, there was not an exhibit in the whole building that attracted more attentioll, and none in which more
sample orders were placed. The line comprises rockers,
chairs, settees" sofas, tables, stands, tabourettes, folding drop
leaf dining tables, fio-wer stands, hampers, and many other
jumped into the front rank at a single bound. For furnishing
the summer cottage there is nothing like it, 50 light. cool,
airy, cleanly-it
is beyond compare.
The Furniture City is greatly stn'11gthened as .a furniture
market by the :.\fichigan Seating company, and tt will help to
make -Grand Rapids still more famous as the great furniture
center of the United States.
"Kaltex" furniture is capable of being made i.n an almost
endless variety of styles and can be put to many uses. Every
furniture merchant ill the land should become acquainted
with the Michigan Seating company and "Ka!tex" furniture, if he wishes to keep ahreast of the times and not get
into the ranks of the has-beens.
UNION FURNITURE CO.
ROCKFORD,
ILL.
China CIo~ts
Buffets
Bookcases
We leadin Style, Con~rudion
and Finish. See Clur Catalogue.
Our line on permanentexhibi.
tion 7th Floor, New Manufact.
urers' Building,Granel Rapids.
MANUFACTURERS
HARDWOOD
OF
LUMBER &
VENEERS
SPECIALTIES:
§'t"'f1PE~tQUAR.
OAK VENEERS
pieces suitable ior the summer cottage, porch and lawn;
while many of the pieces are suitable for the library, living
room, den, parlor and bedroom.
These goods arc made very
strong, colored in green, red or other suitable shades, with
soft cushions in the chairs, rockers, sofas and settees, when
q.esireu, and so handsome
in design, so well' made, so
comfortable and inviting that it is no wonder they have
MAHOGANY
VENEERS
HOFFMAN
BROTHERS
804 W. Main St.,
COMPANY
FORTWAYNE, INDIANA
87
Co-Operative Delivery.
THE LEXINGTON
MicmaD
A burdensome
Blvd. &. 22d 8t
CHICAGO. ILL.
Refumlshed
and re-
litted throughout.
New
Management.
furniture
quart~s.
head-
especially
Most con-
velliently
the
The
dealers'
item of expense to merchants,
those who are located
in a small town, is the cost of delivering goods.
Eight
years ago the merchant:,
of a small city
in the VVest entered
upon an experiment
ill the hope of a
modifIcation
of this burden.
A contract
was entered
into
with the owner of a livery stable
to handle
the goods
sold.
The
service
proved
satisfactory and a saving to the co-
situated
furniture
to
display
houses.
loler·Stale HDlet CD.
OWNER
&.
PROPRIETOR
E. K. Criley. Pres.;
T. M. CrUey, V. Pres.;
L. H. Firey, Sec-TleB.S.
No-Kum-Loose Fasteners.
The
xo-Kum-LoosC'
for
knQbs
and
pulls,
j.n.tents,
the Grand
Rapids
Brass
company,
have
become
recognized
<IS
the
only proper
attachments
for c1n:nvcrs, in all kinds of furlli~
ture.
These
knobs
and fastel1CfS
are rightly
named,
f01" it
is almost
impossible
to pull a knob off or loosen
it. ThcS0
fastel1crs <Irc hited to woo(l, gla3s and hrass knobs, and wood
and brass
pulls.
The
wood
knobs
arc furnished
in ma.bogany,
walnut,
oak, birdscye
maple,
any ot11;::1' woods
if
rnanUlactufCr!
under
Faslcners
the
ny
ToV\"er
Made by Nelson-Ma.tter Furniture
Grand Rapids, :Mich.
desired:
the glass
knobs
arc made in 111::J.lly sizes, and the
brass
pulls in al1 almost
endless
varie,ty ~)f styles
and size.:;.
\iVben it is remembered
that these fasteners
CO;;t the
manufacturers
nothing
at all, it is folly
for any
dealer
to bc
troubled
"\\'lth loose knobs and pulls on his furniture,
,vl1en
he ha.<; only to dem;:lJld that the rn<lnufacturers
from ,,,.-hom
he buys
his goods
shallflt
;-1.11his drawer
work
with the
Tower
patent
::: o-Kllm- T.oo::e Fasteners.
(rSTASLISHrD
1955)
Ii
II
II
operating
merchants
of thirty-three
per cent was effected .
.Ea('.h men::hant
paid pro rata on the amount of business
transacted.
Goods were
delivered
within
the
corporate
limits
of the cily.
Damag'cs
to goods and breakages
were
charged
to the delivery
c:ontractor.
who was made ,respon-
by the terms
sible
THIS IS THE CAN
AND LABEL
contrao:::1.
The
plan
looks
good.
things
to people
who
thing in the world.
BERRY BROTHERS'
Rub bi ~g
..~~."!.~~.i!~~~l.~o~!
he s
THEY SETTLE THE VARNISH QUESTION WHEREVER TRIED
FINISHED
New York
262 Pearl St.
Boston
520 Atlantic Ave.
Philadelphia
26-28 No. 4th St.
I
of the
Running
in a rut, trying
to sell old
want new things. is tbe most expensive
WRITE
II
II
I
Co"
Baltimore
29 S. Hanover St.
WOOD
FOR INFORMATION,
AND LITE"RATUR'E.
SAMPLES,
BERRY BROTHERS, LIMITED
VARNISH
MANUFACTURERS
DETROIT
CANADIAN
F...CTaRY. WALKERVILLE
ONTARIO
Cbicaflo
48_50 LabSt.
Cincinnati
420 Maio St.
St. Lout.
112 So. 4th St.
Su Fl'ancileo
668 Howard St.
38
GEESE Do Not Grow
BETTER FEATHERS OR DOWN
THAN THESE PILLOWS ARE FILLED WITH.
.-------
WRITE THE -----.~-
--
..
SCHUL 1Z & HIRSCH COMPANY
260-262 S. DBSPLAINBS ST •• CHICAGO,
ILLUSTRATED
;0' th.
CATALOGUE and PRICE UST of Bedding
G40da.
Tl\at win ten you al1 about it.
We would like to have you
see our line at 1319 Michigan Avenue, Chicago.
A TOUCH OF CIVILIZATION.
Old Eben winked at the merchant again.
He was not ;l
little pleased at Almira's n:fe.rence to his blooded stock and
Motherly Old Lady Resorts to Sarcasm in the Interest of a
his farm implements.
There wasn't a farmer in the state
Better Furnished Home.
who had better stock or hetter farm machinery.
Still, he
thrust his strong right ha"d into his trousers pocket and
The furniture merchant saw a stylish rig draw up at the
clutched his money as he moved all toward the parlor suites.
store and waited at the front entrance.
That was old Ebcn
He was in a place where his money wa.s in danger!
Colton and his wife Almira.
They owned One of the largest
"We've never had a touch of civilization in our home,"
and hest farms in the county and had money in hank and in
said Almira" poking at the plush of an easy chair with a
various industrial. ent.crprises.
They! had been building a neW' brown, work-stained fi(lger.
H\Ve"ll 5ee now ,;vltat it seems
house and the dealer already saw himself booking d hug,;
like to have enough chairs for ~hc whole family to sit down in
order.
at once."
"\Ve waut a little furniture," said Eben, as the two,
"vVhen I was a hoy," interrupted old Eben, "we was glad
plainly dressed and stooping with years of toil, stepped inside,
to sit on a bench out in the kitchen!
\Ve didn't have no llse
IIJ ust some medium stuff that':; not too expensive.
Money's
for them hifalutin' things they have now!"
money these days."
Almira smlletl at the old man and continued her inspec"First," said Almira, "we'll look at a parlor suite."
tion of expensive parlor fUflliture.
"\A/hen I was ahoy,"
gI"owled Eben,
we didn't know
"When you was :l boy," she said, "there wasn't ally electric
what a parlor suite looked like."
lights, or telephones, or fancy farm machinery, but that's no
"il'le don't yet," said Almira, "unless we go to the neighreason why we shouldn't have 'em now.
\Ve'll take that
bors' now an' then an' take a peek at one.
OUT own parlor
dark brown parlor suite, and these lea'ther chairs and that
looks like the back room in a county home."
leather couch, and that mahogany table.
That will be qnite
"There's no pleasin' these women," said Eben; winking at
a lot of money, won't it?' ,
the furniture man, who was leading the way to the partoI"
Old Eben looked at the merchant with staring eyes and
suites.
half-open mouth, like a man llstening for a life-or-death
"If we could keep a conple of horses in the parlor," said
sentence.
He was a p1·etty good sort of a fellow, was old
Almira, "we'd h<lve the best furnished one for miles and miles
Eben, but he did hate to part with his money.
around.
If it ever comes to be fashionable to keep stock
"\Vhy," said the merchant, hoping that· the end was not
;\11' {;Hm implements
in tIle parlor, \-ve'l1 beat all the neighyet.
"It will al110ullt to about three hUlldred dollars.
\Iilc
bors there an' back.
You show us some of the best parlor
have some not quite as good, but--'<'·
suites you've got."
"For mercy sake, don't let Eben hear you say that!"
laughed Almira, " or he'll want me to do my se1ectin' all over
again!
Now we'l1 look at somcthin' for tIle din in' r00111 nn'
the hall.
We've always got akmg with llothin', and I expect
Say a dozen or more Montgomery
Eben
will
have
a fit before I get done buyin'.
He paid a
Iron Display Couch Trucks sen!you
thousand dollars for that team Ollt ther'e, but he wants mc to
on approval> If not satisfactory Ibey can be
returned at no expense 10 yOll whatever.
keep right on washin' without a m:tchir:e, an' doin' my s~win'
while the price asked is but a !riBe, com~
by hatH!.
pared to the convenience they alfo ..d and
"As 1 said before, we've never had a touch of civilization
Ihe economy they represen~ in the saving
of Boor space.
.
in OUf hotre.
\Ve've made chairs with an auger, and m;cd
Thirty-Iwo couche$ mounted on the
slabs for t,lbJes, <In' <111
washed om faces in a tin dish out to
Monlgomery Iron Display Couch Trucks
the
kitcben
sink.
The
barn's been better'n our home, an'
occupy Ihe same Boor space as Iwelve disI've often seen the blooded cattle lookin' th,-ongh the winp1a:x..c:d
in Ihe usual manner.
Wrile for catalogu·e giving full descripdows in sympathy."
H
Why Not Order?
tion and price in the ditfereflt finishes, together with illustrations demonstrating the
use of the Giant Short Rail Bed F we.ner
for Iron Beds. Manufactured by
H. J. MONTGOMERY
PATKNTHR
Silver Creek, New York, U. S. A..
Dennie Wile and ltoo. Co•• Canadiasl M..nu~
fac::turen. London, Ont.
"\\Then I was a boy," interrupted
old Eben, "we didn't
need a thousand dollars' worth u' furniture in one room. We
didn't need private baths, for the snow got in tbrough the
roof an' we got into it when we tumbled out 0' bed in the
~lornin'."
"Furniture is civili7.in," declared' Almira.
"If you have a
beautifully furnished bome, your children won't want to go
out nights an' sit in the bar-room. at the tavern.
It's fttr-
i
39
nitttrc,
makes
an' the choosin'
of it, an' the arrangement
of it. that
a bome.
Of course
there\.
the evil d-j~,po5jtion!i
<:tn'
the quick tempers to consider, hut a man ,vill act meaner an'
tillk n:eal1er
in all old barn of a place th'l11 he will ill a cozy
little place full of rich <In' d<iinty thing.;;,"
"f wish [ could have yOll here to talk to 5:)111e of my C\J:-itamers,
Aunt Almira,"
laughed
the fl1nlitt!I'c mall.
"You'd
make a crackin'
good furniture
salesman f"
"'Vben I have to go ouL' to work," smiled the old tady.
"I'll call an' let you know how much it will cost you to get me,
r don't think folks ought to need urgin' to buy furniture. Fur-niitHe an' the Olrrange111ent of it in the home, is the di[fcrclJce
between
the savage an' the treature
of civilization.
illd(illley said that a cheap coat makes
a cheap man, an' r know
that cheap furniture,
or n()l~e at all, makes
a bashful
person
that everyone
!augl1s M all' steps
on \ovbcncvcr
there
is ;\
chance!"
"When
I ' ....
·as a boy," ilHerrllpted old Eben, fearful
that
Almira
was saying
too much
about
domestic
affairs,
"v,'e
"didn't think an article was no g-ood because
it didn't cost ;,
heap of m01H.')',"
The mercbant
\y<:ts
bU:ciming
interested
in the talk, and
urged the old lady on with:
.
"\"le never had much furniture
in our home,"
he s;lid, ';and
I remember
just how cheap \ve boys llsed to feel when we
\Vent out to neighbors'
houses
where
there were fIne things.
I've, never gotten
over my bashful
ways!"
11(' added,
\vith a
wink at old Eben.
"If you've got 'em yet," said the fanner,
"you keep 'em
locked away in a safe witl1 a time-lock
that opens ollly once
a year, and then in the middle of the night!"
"I've felt the sarne \lFay," continued
Aunt Almira,
"many
an' many a time 1
I'v"c dreaded
lo see my chi1dren
go om
from our shabby home int? \vell furnished
ones, klJO"win' what
they would be thinkin'
all the time.
/\1\' \vhen a child begins
to get dissati.sfLcd
'Nith its home, begins
to compare
it with
others to its disJdv<lntage,
it is ,I short cut to a job in the city
or On some one else's farm!
"Furniture
holds families'
tog-ether!"
"If you keep all," said, old Eb<;11, "you'll be wakin' us believe that furniture
c\Jn::s t11e measles
an' the rheumatism.1"
"As I was sayin" continued
Aunt Almira,
setting
aside a
great
dining
table,
"furniture
keeps
families
together.
1t
isn't the old homestead
that \ve Jove.
It is the rooms in it,
and the furnituH'..
\\'hc'n
we go aW:lY, an' look hack at the
old hOl11e, we don't thillk, of bare "vaJ]s, but of the pbee
as it
l1sed to look. with this piece of [urniturc
here and tI\:1t other
piece there.
1l is the v.~ay the romn looks that brings up to
the hOl!le, ;{n' furniture
is what makes it lonk Cine and suibhle
for rememhtrl!1ce.
'VV1Ht i:-; the price of this t;lh1e?"
The dealer looked at old Ehen and th<:ll at (he tahle.
He
half expected
to hear the farn'cr
break out into one of hi"
eJectjon~day
haranglles
toncerning
E'C011OnJy
\",hen the price
W,JS mentioned.
"This
is fifty dollars,"
be said, tryillg
to make the snm
look SUlan by tbe W~\y he said it.
Old Eben tcok it like <L hero.
He placed a pinch of tobacco in' his mouth :Il'd '.valked away to a \vindo\v, ,vhcre he
could
look
ont on the street.
Almira
looked
the table
over and said s'hc tlJought
she'd bke it.
"There
ain"t no use in bringin'
UjJ children
in povertystricken
hom(',s,"
she said, in a moment.
"They
ow be
brought
tlP amidst
pleasal1t
sUtiOUndlllg"
on the installment
pJatl~
It is the house
as the yOllngsters
remember
it that
counts
all their jives.
I'm ashiim('(\
to think what our chil(hen will have to Jookha<:k
to~
"\Ve're
fixin' up the place now. but we might
';1' dOlle it
years ago.
\r."r e're go in' to have a streak of c:ivilization
in the
horne,
after
all these
years
VI/e rright
have
had pretty
things
before,
bilt ,ye llever fc1t ;:\5 if we (':ould afford
'em
Tf T could live my life ovcr again, it would be differentl
T
think these (linin' rool11 chairs are real sweet, an' I'll take a
dozen of 'em.
Now, we'll go pn to the sleeping
room furnituce.
\Vc haven't
got a bed in the house that is fit for the
hed of a river.
\Vhcre did Eben go?
1 want him along."
At. flrst the merchant
had been amused
at the observations
of the old lady, but now there was sometbit1g
pathetic
in her
words a11(\ her manner.
Her voice called him bad< to business.
"Eben
thillks
"ve'd better
rake the. best there is, for fLvt.:
rooms!
As r was sayin'
to him, furniture
js the (]jvidin'
line between
the cave-dweller
an" the man who makes
rail~
roads and ginge1- pop!
The higher thecivilizatioll,
the finer
alld the more pJentif1l1 the furniture,
an' Eben an' me is gain'
to thc tOp row ill rcfillcn::ent.
I reckon
the children
won't
know the place 'Nhell they come home for Christmas!"
,.y cs," said the merchant,
"furniture
is the standard
of civili7ation.
The well-dressed
man from the finely furnished
home "wins in the race~ of the VI/arId."
ALFRED
B, TOZER.
At the Peninsular Club, Grand Rapids,
The fmniture
salesmen
have lit their cigars.
Vv~ell. And
one is speaking.
\Vhat
is he saying?
He don't know yet
what he -is going to say.
He is not going to say anytbingyet.
N"ot yet.
Will he say anything?
There
is no telling.
CUaybe
he w11l Talleyrand.)
Dut if he say<; anything
it
will be a mistake, for that is not what he is there for. Why is
he there, then?
To promote
digestion
and not thought.
He
is to obviate
as far as possible
the hazard
of thought.
But
he is to say nothing.
And to say it with such liveliness
and
dexterity
as to cause his remarks
to simulate
matter
while
r~ally endowed
\-vith s11ch soothing
and oblivious
qualities
as
are only derivable
from vacuity.
But has not high reputation sometimes
grown
out of after-dinner
speeches?
Some
nlen have certainly
hecome
famous
after-dinner
talkers.
Is
it al1 art, tht.'ll, that
makes
farnotls
men:
No, it merely
makes
famolls
:Jfter-dinner
talkers.
But not famous
men?
Oh,11o.
Some famous men have bccotne
famous after-dinner
talkers,
just as othel-s have take'l1 to drink. but it takes more
tlH\ll either rum or after-dinner
talk to make a famous
man.
nul the after-dinner
talk helps, do~sn't it?
On the co;:mtrary;
it d",mages.
If a man is a famous after-dinner
talker
in full
practic.e,
it is next to impossible
to pass him off as a great
man.
Then
what
is the profit
in after-dinner
speaking?
There
isn't
any, except
for the second
or third-rate
men,
How is it possjble,
then, to get so much of it done gratis
by 111en of real :{biJity?
That
is the marvel.
Of course;
it is a sort of intoxicant,
and some men form the habit of it
and cannot break off.
That explains
some ca.ses.
Presently "when the true natllTe of it is better
understood
it wil1 be
rated as an exhilerant,
and furnished
for dinne· parties
by the
caterer.
There
will be as many different
taps of it then as
there are of champagne,
and it wjll be ch;Hged for, roundly,
in
the
bilL
---------
40
f
The live retailer holds trade by frequently
i'ityles, whic.h are the profit winners.
A cheerful and vigorons mind is necessary
best results in salesmanship.
exhibiting
new
to obtain the
M orton House
( AmericanPlan)
Rates $2.50 and Up.
Hotel Pantlind
(EuropeanPlan) Rates $1.00 and Up.
WHITE
PRINTING
CO.
GRAND RAPIDS, MICH.
The Noon Dinner Served at the Pantllnd
w~
,.F1INT
THE:
M,CHICAN
AATISA"',
ANti
fQt'
SOe is
THE. FINEST IN THE. WORLD.
MA.l<e, A. S.Pf:C.\Al.T'f
OF CATAI.OOVIIl:S
FOot 'l'H£
F"UFl:N1TURE: TRAO&,
J. BOYD P ANTUND,
Prop.
INDEX TO ADVERTISEMENTS.
Alaska Refrigerator
Co
26
harnes. W. F. & John. Co
,
11-16
Berry Brothers
.
- .37
Bockstege Furniture Co, .
. .. , 8
Bosse Furniture Co. . . . . .
.. 9
Challenge Refrigerator Co...
. .27
Chicago Wood Finishing Co.
3
Crescent Stove Works. . .. ..
9
Empire Furniture Co. _. . . .
.. 7
Evansville Metal Bed Co ... , . . . .
9
Evansville Metal Furniture Co
8
Fisher, Charles A., & Co
,
13
Ford & Johnson Co
,
, .. 29
Grand Rapids Caster Cup Co
10
Globe Furnture Co
, 8
Hard Manufacturing Co
, .. 18
Hoffman Brothers Co
,
36
Horn Brothers Manufacturing
Co .. 33
Hotel Pantlind _., ... , . , . .
. .. 40
~~el~JvilleDes~
CompauJ
MANUFACTURERS
OF
ortlcr Dr~K5
Mahogany and Imitation G.!:!artered
Oa.k. Pla.in Oa.k in Three Grades_
Special Features,
A Square
Deal. Write for lateSt Catalogue.
SHELBYVILLE, IND.
Inter.State Hotel Co·........
. .37
Karges Furniture Co
,
_. " 9
Kauffman Manufacturing Co. _
25
Laycock, T. B., Manufacturing Co.. 1
Lentz Table Co
,. .
17
Luce Furniture Co .. _.. ,
.. ,. _. 2
Miller, Eli D .• Co...
..35
Montgomery, H. J....
.38
Moon Desk Co.:",..
..11
Morton House .,. _. . . . . .. ... ..,.40
Murphy Chair Co. . .. . . . . . . .. . .
.33
Muskegon VaHey Furniture Co. _.. 28
Nelson, M. L., Furniture Co
16
Nelson ..Matter Co
_
Cover
Northern Furniture Co .. _.. , " Cover
Palmer Manufacturing Co.. .
33
Pioneer Manfacturing Co
_.33
Posse1ius Brothers Mfg. Co
Cover
Richmond Chair Co .. , . . . . .
.28
Rockford Chair & Furniture Co
2Q
Ro bbins Table Co....
.
12
Royal Chair Co, .... , .
. . Cover
Safety Folding Bed Co.
.31
Star Caster Cup Co. _,
.. 29
S1:hmit, Henry, & Co.
6
Schultz & Hirsch Co. . . .
. .38
Shelbyville De£k Co.. . .
. .. 40
Sligh Furniture Co. , . _
,
27
Smith & Davis Manufacturing Co .. 20
Stow & Davis Furniture Co _
25
Spratt, George, & Co
,
12
Sturgis Steel Go-Cart Co .. ,
Cover
Union Furniture Co .. "
36
Valley City Desk Co
,
10
White Printing Co
,
,
12
Woodard Furniture Co.
.
25
World Furniture Co..
.
, .. 8
Zirruner, Fred J..
.
19
r
r
Greater
Than Ever
~~~~~~I
402
A
Great
THE
NEW
Assortment
LINE
of
OF
THE
New
Patterns
Posselius
Bros.
Furniture
Mfg. Co.
DETROIT, MICH.
iT?
Makers of the Famous
"Vidor" Extension Tables
EXHIBIT
at
CHICAGO
Furniture Manufacturers' Exhibition Bldg.,
1319 Michigan
Avenue, 2nd Floor.
F. A. Kun~y, H. J. Armstrong,
J. O. Kemp in attendance.
,~__ T::;'"
"l-"\
..
~
~.
.:\.-....
,'·1'~,
-- "'._~._~
,
French Bedroom Pieces
FROM THE UNE OF
r:::..==7
"THE
BETTER
MAKE"
&: ~
I
,
r,
WE HAVE OVER 400 PIECES IN OUR LINE.
Bedroom
and Dining Room Furniture
----
SUITES TO MATCH ----
NELSON~MATTER
FURNITURE
COMPANY
GRAND RAPIDS, MICH.
F' actOlY and Sa.tesrQom,
37 Canal Street
Catalogues to Dealers,
•
I
ll(
,
.f'!.
c,-",f
'
on
Heavy Plate Paper .