Michigan Artisan; 1908-07-25

Notes:

Issue of a furniture trade magazine published in Grand Rapids, Mich. It was published twice monthly, beginning in 1880. and ~~~~~------_._- ---------- JULY 25, 1908 Semi Monthly • The "ROYAL" Push Button Chair Has 4,500 satisfied dealers. We want 6,000. Will you he one of them? Our national advertising campaign will help you to sell Royal Push BUllon Chairs. Write us for our proposition for your town. Royal Chair Co. l.-. ,."THE BEST" One Motion, All Steel Go~Cart I 11,000,000 readers will see Royal Chair ads every month. STURGIS. MICH. FOLDS WITH ONE MOTION NO. FUSS, NO FOOLING FOLDS WITH ONE MOTION All Steel; Indestructible. Perfected Beyond All Competition. Frame of Steel Tnbing. 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-CART COMPANY, Sturgis, Mich. ~-'- "--'- ' -4'i . , . t'''~''=:'·· ---- --- - &:r: CHICAGO SALESROOM; Geo. D. Williams Ca., 1323 Michigan Ave., First Floor, Ch~cagot Ill. L SOMETHING ENTIRELY NEW A Mahogany Dining Room at Medium Price Suite No. 6021. tII We are ju,t putting on the market something entirely new---one of our arti,tic dining room suites at medium price in imitation mahogany as well as in imitation quartered oak. tII Hitherto it has been impo55iblefor the trade to get an up-to-date arti,tic mahogany dining room ,uite except in very high-priced goods. tII Every dealer knows there is considerable demand for mahogany dining room furniture in the late and attractive designs, and at prices that can be afforded by the moderately well to do. tII The design of this suite is in keeping with our new Colonial Line of Bed Room Furniture. which has been the hit of the past season. tII The workmanship is of the highest grade. but the price is medium. tII We have also added four new dining room suites with pedestal tables. tII Don't miss our exhibit at Grand Rapids this month. It will be the largest and most varied---the one where you willlind the biggest crowd of buyers. Let our salesmen shake you by the hands and give you the latest furniture news of the country. Or drop us a postal card asking for cuts and prices of our new dining room suites. Northern Furniture Company Sheboygan, Wisconsin j• 1 ~------------_._-----------------_._--- ... III I I }r I CHI G A 1\ ART I SAN • Napoleon Bedsteads '---------_._------_._---------------- .... Graceful Lines, Substantial Construction, Reliable Finish Imitation Quartered Oak. We shaH soon issue a catalogue containing illustrations of a com-plete line of Imitation Quartered Oak, and Imitation Mahogany Bedroom Suites in COLONIAL and COMPOSITE Styles, also Dressers, Chiffoniers and Wardrobes to match, in addition to our reg-ular line of Oak and Quartered Oak good.. Especially worthy of your attention is our Colonial Line. Evansville Furniture Co. Manufacturers of and Jobbers in Furniture for All Purposes. EVANSVILLE, - INDIANA Apply for new catalogue now. 2 MICHIGAK ARTISAN 55 Per Cent. INCREASE IN OUR BUSINESS FOR THE FIRST FIVE MONTHS OF 1908 OVER THE SAME PERIOD FOR 1907. OUR LINE ROCKERS ROMAN CHAIRS MISSION SUITES MORRIS CHAIRS MISSION PIECES TURKISH CHAIRS IMPERIAL RECLINING CHAIRS Prompt Shipments. There's a Reason If you are one of OUf cuftomera you will know. n yOll are nol and arc "from Missouri:' we WQuld like an opporrunlly to show you. • OUR PRICES FROM $3.00 TO $30.00 Prompt Shipments. No. 120 Our July Line conSIstingof one hundred twenty-five different patterns is larger and better than ever. Don't Forget to call. shake hands with our salesmen and look over . our showing. It will mean increased business lor you. CHICAGO - 3rd floor Fumilure Exchange, 14th and Wabash. CRAND RAPIDS-2d floor New Auditorium. NEW YORK-1ft Ho"', 155 E. 23nl St. ST. LOUIS -6th floor Manufacturers' Furniture Exchange. 14th and Locust 5ts. Full line shown in our new catolog ready for distribution July 1st. TRAVERSE CITY CHAIR CO., Traverse City, Mich• • GRAND Rr"Plry;, PUBLIC LIDIU[~Y 29th Year-No. 27. GRAND RAPIDS, MICH., JULY 25. 1908. ===~.=====~~=~~~~ How to Figure Profits. Just how to figure the profit on the goods the merchant sells is a problem \vhich ('vcry merchant must work out or he \",ill be doing business by chance and may find himself losing motley instead of making it. Making a t2n or twenty per cent profit over the original cost of the goods n:ay, and ill most cases does, mean an actual 105:; in the fical reckoning, says Chicago Retailers' Journal. It is said that the only safe way to figure profit percent-ages is Oll the basis of gross sales, taking some successful store as an example. For instance, A's husiness brings J11111 $2,4(10a month on an average in gross s:lIes; the funning ex-penses of the business are $360 a month, and by keeping a careful account. i\ finds that he averages to make a net profit of $120 a month. It is desired to find what percentage of profit he is making and how much he must add to the first cost of his goods in order to continue to make it. His 11et profit of $120 over all represents five per cent of his gross sales; his running expenses of S360 a month represent 15 per cent, making 20 per cent, but if he added 20 per cent to his first cost it would not produce the same amount of m011ey. It is clear, of course, that by taking net profit and running expenses from gross sales we bave first cost of the goods, or $1,920, 20 per cent of \',1hich is only $384, and would make his total sales by $2,304 instead of S2,400 a month, which he knows to be wrong. How. then, arc we to get the right re-sult? \Ve knOV\7that the running expenses of $360 a month added to the net profit of $120 a month represents gross profit figured on the total sales basis; \'vhat per cent is this, there-fore, of the first cost? Dividing the sum, or $480, by $1,920 we have 25, which is the percentage which must be added to first cost of the goods. The method of computing profits here outlined is sanc-tioned by some of the brightest men in the trade. The indi-vidual figures ..v..ill vary according to expenses, but the method of figuring here outlined will leave the merchant with a bal-ance in the bank instead of a deficit at the end of the year. Considering the nature of the \vork he docs, the retail mer-chant should make for himself a liberal salary, considerably more than $120 a month 'with 'which A was content. Had A wished to make $200 net pro"fjt a month he would have to have added 29 1-6 pcr cent to the first cost of his goods. A City Under One Roof. Prominent arehitects of New York have expressed the opinion that it is now practical to erect buildings oue hun-dred stories in height, and as regards width and length there is no limit.. In the consideration of the above statement, the conclusion is natural that the inhabitants of a city might be housed under ~J\1eroof, with regularly installed fire and po-lice departments, health boards. etc. ::.Iaturally the best space would be required for furniture stores and factories, and a few cozy corners set apart for the undertakers. There would be 110streets to grade, pave and repair, uo sewers nor flood walls to construct after the main plant had been ercct-ed. Street car service, telephone and telegraph poles, via- $1.00 per Year. ducts and other public utilities ,vould be dispensed with. Elevators wOllUld be import;l11t. Parks, the circus grou"d and such necessities, naturally, would fmd lodgement on the roof. But why withhold the conclusion of this item for the purpose of gathering up the details of such a colossal enter-prise? Unloose the chains of your imagination, gentle reader, and build a city in fancy under one roof. Not worth while, you say? Try it and favor the Artisan with the re-sults of your study. Bank Gives Coupons. A Los Angeles savings bank has interested a Humber of merchants in a new business-stimulating scheme. It is simply the giving of COitpOns to the value of one cent each to patrons, the a1110unt to be regulated by the extent of. the pur-chase and the bonus which the dealer wants to g-et to secure the business. "Then a book has been filled \',1ith properly stamped coupons it can be taken to the bank and deposited to the credit of the holder at its full face value. The plan has this to commend it: That it gives the cus-tomer the actual cash value of the discount, and as- compared with the average premium scheme. the advantages are in its favor. The main argument agai11st it is that the premium giving idea is usually ullbusiness-likc in principle and danger-ous in practice. The merchant who inaugurates it, like the man 'who cuts prices, always "starts something," and when he gets through figuring up results he can usually discover that his business is in no better position than it was before. because his comp~titon; have met him upon his own ground: but he is out the ~ratuities that he has given to customers. Tall Post and Napoleon Bedsteads. Bedsteads with tall posts and with ~apoleon shapes are growing in favor. 1,fanufacturers of bedroom furniture gen-erally have added these features to their lines. A few years ago only a few patterns wer2 produced, and these were built by manufacturers ,possessed of nerve anad enterprise. For several years the metal bedstead dominated the market, but as it is not possible to reproduce the tall post aand Napoleon effects of the mahogany bedstead in brass or enamel, it may well be claimed that wood has regained its place in the furni-ture of the bedroom. It is not possible to displace with brass the beautiful examples of nature's bandiwork-croth mahogany, bird's-eye maple and curly birch. Metal must ever remain secondary to wood in nature's workshop. Following the <i\',1arding of contracts by the general gov-ernment to the amount of $750,000,000, there should be im-provements in all lines of business. The letting of contracts amounting to many millions, following the opening of the war with Spain, served to clear away the long lingering panic of 1803. As a panic extinguisher the governmental treasury never fails to prove effective. MICHIGAN EVANSVlLLL EVANSVILLE, Ind., July 20._Conditions seem to be improving slowly and the 1st of. September ought to see,'a good volume of business rolling in from the southern states. Crops-throughout the' South are said to be good and there is a general impression that there has been a gradual picking up in all business lines. Cotton is moving and farmers are busy and prosperous. \~lith the marketing of the farm products, trade is bound to improve some and the furniture manufac-turers say they will get their share of the prosperity. Deal-ers have been buying in small lots and have low_stocks. Of course, the imprqvement will be slow, the manufacturers say, but better times are bound to come and the dull times will doubtless be succeeded by a rush of orders. This will be in the natural order of things. \Villiam Koch of the Evansville Metal Bed Company and John Prisse of the, Metal Furniture Company have returned from a business trip through the South and report they took a fair amount of orders. They visited Atlanta, Chattanooga, Birmingham and other cities. They believe the, general busi-ness conditions of the country are improving. Edward Ploeger of the Bosse Furniture Company, with his wife and children, have been spel1ding several weeks on the lakes around Chicago and have had a most pleasant visit. Be.njamin Bosse of the Globe Furniture Company spent several days recently at S1. Louis and Springfield, 111.,looking after Lutheran colleges. Iv!r. Bosse is a member of the Lu-theran Trinity Synod, whose, duty it is to inspect all the col-lege buildings of the church. On his way back he stopped at Chicago to attend the furniture exposition. Charles Frisse, manager of the \Vorld Furniture, Company, whose plant is located in West Maryland street, has returned from several weeks' trip through the South. The new warehouse of the Globe Furniture Company is about completed and when finished will be. one of the finest and best arranged in this city. "V. H. Ferris of Birmingham, Ala., who is the agent in that city for several of the Evansvilk manufacturers ..v..as in. the. city several days ago consulting the furniture men about the erecting of a large warehouse at Birmingham which would be a great convenience for both manufacturer and shipper. A sample room and warehouse will have sufficient capacity to contain from forty to fifty carloads of furniture. Mr. Ferris will hamlle variolls local lint'S and will continue to boost Ev-ansville furniture to the best of his ability. He finds there is a great demand for Evansville furniture in Alabama and the southern states. Eli D. )"lil1er of Eli D. ):liller & Co. reports that he did a good business at the furniture exposition with his "Eli" fold-ing bcd, which has proved to be a great seller. Mr. Miller and his fan:ily will spend the remainder of the summer on the beach near Chicago. Henry Sabel and his estimable bride were, welcomed to their new hOlre at 1302 East Delaware street on Monday night, July 13, by a big charivarie party. Most of the men in the party were the emp10yes of the Crescent Furniture Company, of which popular conccrn the groom is bookkeeper. Sabel's bridc was Miss Rose Kramer, a pretty and popular young woman of Peoria, 111. The wedding occurred at Pe-oria July 4, and Mr. and ~hs. Sabel spent their honeymoon in Chicago and Duluth, and had a most pleasant time. The ser-enaders, after leaving the happy hOITe of Mr. and Mrs. Sabel toured the city in a large, moving van. In addition to being connected with the Crescent Furniture Company as bookkeep-er, 'Mr. Sabel is sccretary and treasure,r of the Star Furniture Company of this city. ARTISAN The Buehncr Chair CompallY, under the management of Theodore Kevekerdes, has forged to the front and is now en-joying a good business. The company, after' repairs follow-ing the recent fire, have been running on good time and some fine work is being turned out. The company had a fine line of patterns on display at the furniture exposition at Chicago. The Standard Chair Company have displays at the furni-ture exposition at Chicago, being with the George D. Wil-liams Company at 1323-1325 Michigan avenue. The cane seat chairs and the rockers that are turned out by the Standard Company are hard to duplicate in any market. Evansville citizens are highly pleased over the announce~ ment that the Furniture Exchange building here is a sure go. They say the stove and furniture manufacturers of the city deserve great credit for the move they have made and they feel that the new building will be a great thing for the city and bring many people here in a business way. If other manufacturers of the city would show the push and go-ahead-edness of the stove and furniture manufacturers the city would forge to the front much more rapidly, it is pointed out. Ernst Schor of the Karges Furniture Company is of the opinion that business of all kinds will get better after the presidential election in -:.:rovember. Mr. Schor is a young business man of most excellent judgment and has high stand-ing in the commercial world. Gus. Stoltz of the Stoltz-Schmitt Furniture Company is one of the most enthusiastic Elks in this part of the country. A petition has been filed before Judge Louis O. Rasch of the Vanderburg county circuit court by the General Stores Company of Fulton avenue, this city, asking that the name oi the firm may be changed to that of the Reitz-Spiegel Furni-ture Company. By the new boost in freight rates to the southwestern asso-ciation territory, including Texas and the adjoining states, Ev-ansville shippers, particularly those manufacturing stoves, vehicles aed furniture, will have to assume a new advance iu tariffs an-ounting to about ten per cent. In addition to the flat advance in all class tariffs the Southwestern Tariff AS30- iation is now proposing to raise the minimum weights in car-loads, thereby creating actually a double increase. Ve-hement protests have been voiced from this city and shippers here, in league with those from other points in the central states chiefly affected by the n~w. rates. expect to -procure the suspension of the new minimum weight rule. The work of finishing up the old Neptune Launch Com-pany's plant below the city to be used by the new chair COt11~ pany that is b~itlg moved bere from Boyd, Wis., is going on rapidly and the factory will be in operation some time in August and will prove a valuable addition to the other bi ~~ industries of the city. C. 'vV. B. Looked at from the right standpoint, competition is the life of trade. 'Ill. S. Holbrook, a leading merchant of Daven-port, Iowa, attributes his success to the enterprise and ac-tivity of a competitor. "I bad but little capital," he ex-plained, "but I had to take chances that would not have been considered, but for the lively pace set by my neighhor to get business, I won out, because I had to, It was the old story of the ground hog and the boy: I might gain meat for the hungry family by hustling. My competitor died a few years ago but I revere his memory." There is a lesson for all in the foregoing. Buyer Olsen of Mexico City, Old Mexico, is authority for the statement that the period styles of French furniture are preferred by the people of his country. He states that such goods can be purchased much cheaper in France than in the United States. Reciprocal trade relations between the two republics would turn the tide of trade in such goods to the United States. Furniture is not manufactured in Mexico. 6 1VIICHIGAN Selling Merchandise. The broadest, biggest, brainiest occupation in the world 15 sel1illg merchandise, ,;ays a correspondent o[ Buck Shot. You've seen a traveling man come into the store when the proprietor bad nO more intention of buying than he had of funning for poundmaster on the prohibition ticket. He felt sort of sorry for the lad when he came in-he'd come such ~l ways to sell nothing. Far as the owner was concerned, he might as \'\'ell have lett his order book at the hoteL Tllen, somehow, he began to get interested in spite of him-self. ;>li that "were so," he would catch himself saying in his subconscious, "I'd consider that line," Then before he had time to interpose an objection, he'd have that embryo objec-tio11 proved, and pretty soon he would hear himself i:iaymg aloud, "No, only six; can't use more than that." You know how it goes. Later on, after the 5,,1esman h<.\.dleft would look over his duplicate and say: man knew his business.'" Then "when he looked the goods over, when they came-a nice, new, dependable stock, and finally when that line sold at a good profit, just as the salesman said it would, he said to himself for perhaps the hundredth time: "That i:ialesman knew his business." There you have it; there's the key to all commerce-sup-pose you put it this way- \Vhen the salesman knows his business, then there's busi-ness for him. Yes, indeed. You've seen the ~tore, t11('. boss "VY' ell, that sales- "\Vhen a man knows how to sell, he can sell. it proved a dozen times in a hundred di:1erellt ·ways. Take that fellow who started a new store at Rid.Jway. Everybody opined that be wouldn't last. "Ridgway is a small town; several dealers starved to death there in '80: one walked hack to S1. Paul, iivhere l:e came from, do you re-memher?"- all th<u kind of talk. Then J'vfr.New Man opened up and started to rustle. Ad-vertised. Solicited. \Vrote to every farmer within twenty miles. Pretty soon he bad half the trade, alld--- vVel!, he's paying taxes on four or five eighties now-store still humming; say a quarter-page ad of his juust the other day; and the wolf must be close to a million miles frotH his door and still running. All because that dealer knew his business; he knew ho\ ..·. to sell. Then, take Bill Andrews at Stockholm. Remember his son that just had to go to college? Boy wanted to be an en-gineer, build machinery, design engines, and do such work. He wasn't what you'd call a star-not much of a mixer. Always drawing diagrams, he was; covering paper with fille figures which seemed to answer up with an x or a y, or something like that. Vacations he used to wait on trade for his father. One day Bin t\lrned his son loose to sell a stov<.~to a -fin-icky prospect. The fellow was a fusser-·-a child could see that. But in responSe to the parental invitation the son took his p2per and vencil and began: "There are 8,000 calories, or heat units given off every time a pound of coal is buurncd in oxygen," the boy led out. The prospective customer pricked up his ears, He was prepared to have the young man te11 all about the nickel plat-ing and the graceful pose of the goddess at the top of the stove, but this was different. So he listened. "Now, a stove, from an engincering point of view," the boy weM on, "is nothing but a macchine for getting every pas· sible caloric fr0111a pound of coal. The more nearly perfect the combustion, the more heat you get for your money." So the boy 'Went on and all, tel1illg about perfect and imperfect com-bustion; drew diagrams to prove that the stove he was selling was built on the best lines to force right draft, and then to utilize what heat was secured. ARTISAN The prospect hadn't heard the 'word "quality" or "looks" once; he even forgot to ask the price. There was the proof of everything right on paper, dia-grams and figures and.all. And the stove was sold. \Vhy? Because the boy knC\v his business. He had learned that nothing is taken for granted in ellgincering. He applied that he had learned as an engineer to the problem of seIlil1g stoves. \Vith his engineering training, it would have seemed just 2S criminal to have tried to guess his way to a sale as it would be to guess how many feet of steel rod it takes for a bridge. He engincered his stove problem-and made his sale. He kllew how to sell. l\~ow, this selling game is not so difficult as it is compre-hensive. \Vben a man wants to be a doctor he studies a score or 1110rediffere,nt branches before he dreams of practic-ing. Chemistry, anatomy, surgery, bacteriology-he grinds Made by Mechanics Furniture Co., RockfOrd, Ill. away on such studies day in and day out. Even the man "\\'ho doctors your horse put in three years' study and practice before he took a case. And that's what you've got to do in order to get into the game 2nd gel in to stay. Selling the goods means far more than handling the trade that comes into the store. Selling is the broadest biggest, brainiest subject in the world. To sell, you've got to OTganize your business amI organize it. right. You've got to finance it-to reach out for trade-to study each of its many subjects like ;1 student cramming for a gotd medal contest. You've got to know your business to know how to sell. You'll always find this knowing how is the greatest thing in the world. It's not alone in the dolln.rs that it puts in the till-in the bonds that it stacks up for you in the vault that it counts-it's in the splendid. slIperb, magnificent, deep-do\ vn satisfaction that it gives you when you do a thing and do it right. That's where know-how is greatest-and where it pays best. The pure, unadulterated joy of striving and winning, that's the spirit which impels every real salesman onward and on-ward to better things. MICHIGAN One of the "New Superior Line," Made by the Bockstege Fur-niture Company. , The accompauying cllt sho\"$ something entirely different from anything ever before illustrated. The "Ideal" drop leg feature. This leg can be put on any length extension table, whether it be a six-foot or twelve~ foot table; will be just as substantial as any leg table. By the use of the "Ideal" drop lrg the pedestal leg- or 135e does not divide and show the inside rough appearance of this I!cdestal base when extended. This has betn the objec-tion in.a great many cases, people often prefer to have a ped-estal table, but ob-ject to the inside rough appearance of the bas e. The "Ideal" d r 0 p leg does away with all that. The base is al-ways in the center and makes a neat appearance. The "Ideal" drop leg is not seen when table is closed; they are securely concealed underneath the top. When leg is dropped, it is latched auton~atically and is held rigid. In case of an accidental bump against this leg it will 110t fold up or change from its vertical position, thus afford-ing safety of not lowering when filled with something good to cat. If you want something nice in a ped~stal extension table that will look nice when table is extended or if you want something nice in allY other knid of a table, give them a sample order. Their goods giv~ satisfaction. ARTISAN 5 the corresponding average for the year 1906 being $923 less. The income from operation or the net earnings of the railways amounted to $849,589,764. This amount exceeds the previous year by $51,701,868. The net earnings a mile of line for 1907 averaged $3,696; for 1906, $3,548, and for 1905, $3,18U. The anioulli of incomc attributable to other RAILROADS HAD A GOOD YEAR. Summary of Annual R~ports Show That They Have Little Cause for Complaint. Advance sheets from the annual report of the Interstate Commerce Commission for the year ending June 30th, show that notwithstanding the dcpression during the last half the year, as a whole, was good for the railroads. The number of railways for which mileage is included in the report is 2,440. During the year railway companies owning 2,811 miles of lines were reorganized, merged or consolidated. The corresponding figures for the year 1906, was 4,054.46 miles. The mileage of roads operated by re-ceivers was 3,926.31 miles, or a decrease of 45.12 miles, as compared with 1906. The number of roads in the hands of receivers was twenty-nine. Passenger revenue, $564,606,343, iJJcrease, $54,573,760; mail $50,378,964, increase, $3,007,511; express $57,38~,931, increase, $6,322,001; other earnings from passenger service $12,674,- 899, increasc, $1,36fJ,662; freight revenue, $1,82;3,651,998, in-crease $183,265,3'43; other earnings from freigh~ service $6,- 113,648, increase, $468,426; other earnings from 'operation (in-du ..;I~ng unclassified items) $74,346,795, increas,e $14,342,708. Oross efl.rnil1g~ from operation per mile averaged $11,383, sources than operation was $286,583,942. Dividends declared during the year 1907 amounted to $308,137,924, leaving as surplus from operations, $141;323- 264. The surplus from operations as shown for the pre-ceding year was $112,234,i6L Casualties were 122,855, of which 11,839 repr-esented the number of persons killed and 111,016 the number injured. Bought Goods for the Hotel Washington. H;. S. Kettleton of Frederick & Nelson, Seattle, was ac-companied to the market by the manager of the Hotel Wash_ ington, soon to be opened to the public in that city. The hotel cost several million dollars and the furnishings cost a - Made by Northern Furniture Oom.pany, Sheboygan, Wis. handsome sum. The factories of Grand Rapids will supply the greater part of the goods, although one very good order for inlaid bedroom furniture, wa-s placed with the Muskegon Valley Furniture Company. Locks for dra~ers that any old key will not. unlock have been introduced with the approval of housekeepers. MICHIGAK DEMAND FOR CURLY MAPLE. Old Time Furniture Hunters on a New Quest Now-Supply is Limited. Old furniture hunters ha"ve a new interest. Mahogany, walnut. and even the ancient pine have given place to curly maple. There are scores of dealers and collectors today who have abandoned the search for mahogany and are scouring the villages of Connecticut and the old farm houses of KC\,,,' York state for quaint fOUf poster beds, chests, desks, cabinets, highboys and lowboys, carved from the curling, twisting maple boughs, to which time has added the rich tones of old brown ivory and amber. One of the best known collectors and dealers in old furni-ture in Nel,v York-a woman, by the way-has filled her workshop and her showrooms ·with curly maple and is kept busy supplying the demand that has sprung up among the fashionable New Yorkers. "Curly maple is quite the 1110St in demalld of allY wood at the present time," she said, "and I believe its popularity "will last even longer than the craze for old mahogany. "'Vhy do I think that? Because it is so much prettier in the first place, and it is much more difficult now to find a piece of really old curly maple than it is to pick up a piece of old mahogany. There never was such a great amoullt of it made, and th/ere have been comparatively few imitations. So if you do come across a piece it is almost sllre to be genl1iJ1(~. "A few years ago," she went on, "you could buy a curly maple four poster "bed at almost any auction sale for a ridic-ulously small price. I have seen them sold as low as $1- beds that ,vou1d now bring from $25 to $50. I bought many fine pieces then, much to the surprise of other dealers, who wondered what 1 wanted with furniture for which there was no demand. But T liked the eo10r, the beautiful, rich tone of the wood and the delicate shapes, and I bought partly to gratify my personal taste and partly because I was convinced that there would soon be an awakening to the real beauty of this furniture. "Now, with my storerooms stocked and old furniture col-lectors crying for curly maple, I could get from those same dealers many times the prices T paid for every piece. I have furnished several complete rooms in the homes of welt known New Yorkers in curly maple, and every room has brought more orders than I can fi..1t. Tn 011e in.stance in a house in Fifth avenue I furnished a roo'm with curly maple, replacing an entire set of old mahogany, and the effect was very much more beautiful. "Curly maple began to be used for making furniture in the seventeenth century, just preceding the use of mahog-any. Many of the shapes of the old mahogany furniture of the late seventeenth and early eighteenth century are copied from the old maple furniture. The swell front bureau is Ol1e of the rarest pieces of curly maple to he found 1l0W;Hbys, al-though chairs and old couches are also difficult to obtain. It is only in the extremely old settlements that one comes now upon desirable pieces. "Pine was the first wood used in America for making fur, niture, and it dates as far back as 1660. There arc a few pieces of the carved pine furniture still to be had. But a genuine old pine wainscot table may be regarded as a most cherished possession. One of the famous ones of this wood is an object of great interest to antiquarians in the Metropol-itan Museum. One. of medium size like that of mine ,vill bring from $75 to $100 today. "After pine. came the red walnut of the south, then in Ke'<v England cherry and curly maple. After that came mahog any and then oak. Chests of drav, ..ers in maple, mahogany and oak first appeared in the last part of the seventeenth cen-tury. It was not until the eighteenth century that secretar-ies, desks and bookcases were made of these woods. ARTISAK 7 "The Dutch feet, which are so gracefltl, will be found in either cherry or maple, but seldom in mahogany. In fact there were many graceful lines made in maple which were for-gotten at the later period and are not reproduced. "To my mind and to those who appreciate really old fur-niture and love it for the beauty of the wood and the grace-ful lines, curly maple is the finest of all furniture. "Curly maple can ncver entirely take th'e place of mahog-any, but collectors now seem interested in little else. Unlike mahogany, the quantity and variety on'the market is limited, and its rarity makes it obtainable only by the few."-Sun. Pedestal No. 412. • • 115 to 135 Palmer Ave.• DETROIT, MICH. PAlMER MFG. CO. Manufaclurers of FANCY TABLES PEDESTALS TABOURETTES for the PARLOR AND LIBRARY Our famousROOKWOOD FINISH grows in popularity every day. Nothing like it. Write forPictures and Prices. ~------'--------------, Murphy Chair Co. MANUFACTURERS DETROIT, MICH. A COMPLETE LINE. ...--------_. • ~-------------------, iI Plonrm Manufadurinf (om~anJ DETROI't, MICH. Reed Furniture Baby Carriages Go-Carts ~ Full litls shown 011 M;condjtOo1', 1319 M'ich-iqan AIM., Ohicago, in, July. • ________________ --6• 8 MICHIGAN Furniture ,and Decorations for the Stage. Retailers of furniture in rr:any cities have an intimate ac-quaintance with the stage property man and bis work. The condition of the property, exchanged for a few complimentary seats, when returned, has caused many an honest dealer to utter words of condemnation for the enlightenment if not the entertainment of that indispensable factotum of the amuse-ment world. \Vithin recent years the fact that any old furni-ture from a regular or second haand dealer's would not serve to set the stage for any old scene of a play has dawned upon the managers of many places of amusement in the larger cities and an explanation of what has been accomplished in this line is stated by David Belasco; the greatest producer of plays of his day, in an article entitled, "The Art of Illusion," published in the Saturday Evening Post of July 25: Of course furniture and costumes arc the prime attributes of atmosphere. Few persons know Old Dutch from Old English furniturc. But there is alway" one man in the aud-ience who can tell the difference, therefore one cannot afford to take any chances. \Vhen I produce a play of a remote period I carefully study the furniture of the time. If I cannot get originals I obtain reproductions.. Nor does it do to "cross" furniture, so to speak, mix up English with Dutch or French with the idea that its antiquity will carry the fraud. When' I put on "The Darling of the Gods" I felt the necessity of some great war token to put in the chamber of the minister ,of war. The Japanese consul obtained from his government a statue of a war god which was brought to me bearing the legend, ''OJ in Teno, August, War God, Mightiest of Eight Thousand." From this sacred piece I made a huge reproduction which perfected the atmosphere of the scene. The statue was only loaned to me.. When the play was produced I returned it to the consul, but he told me that the drama had dealt so truthfully with Japanese at-mosphere and conditions and had pleased his countrymen so greatly that he begged that I would accept it as a memento of their appreciation. I always invite criticism of my furniture as it pertains to· ccrtain periods, particularly from students of the history of that time. One cannot to'o carefully guard against a laugh that some incongruity may bring about in the midst of a scene ,de-signed to bc scrious. For instanc~, some years ago a play of the Cromwellian period was produced. Great pains had been taken by the manager that the scenery, costumes and othcr effects of that date be correct. Inane scene a soldier picks up an axe and smashes a door. It chanced that the property axe on this occasion had been mislaid. When the soldier was ready to do his smashing' he looked about for his axe, and he couldn't llnd it. The scene would not wait until a search had been made, so the actor grabbed the near-est thing at haud, which happened to. be a brand new fire de-partment axe. He hid ple thing as best he could, but in-stantly the audience caught on. Loud guffaws filled the house and a splendid tragedy situation was turned to one of bnrles::jlle ar.d confusion. On another occasiion avery clever one-a.ct p13y of the tjme of the French Revolution was produced one Sunday night in a Harlem theatre-on trial. The laws of New York forbid the presentation of plays with costumes, scenery or other properties on Sunday. Obvious~ ly the success 6f this play depended 011costumes and setting;;. Instead of a typical French kitc.hen there were four bare watts, a plain table and two chairs.. The actor who impersonated the soldier appeared in a frock coat and derby hat-a com-bination which lent itself to cpmedy; the one who acted the part. of the citizen was dressed in the ordinary clothes of the mechanic. For a time their spirited dialogue held thc aud-- ience, but when, with rage and fury, they attacked each other with billiard cues instead of swords, thrusting, and parrying and skipping about, the mirth of the audience knew no bounds. The actors ignominiously abandoned the scene and the curtain was rung down without a moment's delay. ARTISAN In a scel:C where the furniture is entirely modern I a111 careful to adapt it to the tastes of the man who plays it. If it be the house of a parvenu, there cannot be too much gilt and red and hcavy furnishings-everything on the scale of the coarsest luxury. The gcntlen:an's resider-ce, of course, has old portraits and other heirloorr.s in evidence while that of the literary man IS denoted by books, to give the illusion of culture. Some ycars ago a prominent actor played the pa.rt of a promoter. Evcrything in his drawing room was ornate-- dcsigned to impress his victirr.s with the tremendous prosper-ity of his scheme. This was artistic illusion. It IS notor-ious that the offices of promoters are furnished magnificently. Later the same play was produced at a provincial theatre. The scenery and settings were tawdry, and it failed dismally for lack of atmosphere. "Faking" in the matter of furniture is dangerous, if not fatal. Nothing pays like the genuine. If I have a scene representing the home of a man who moves in the same circles as the Astors or Vanderbilts I study the homes of such persons of wealth, and spare no expense to make an exact re-production. I have on one production alone spcnt from fifty to one hundred thousand dollars in order to get the real at-mosphere- and it pays, pecuniarily no less than artistically, since evcrybody "gocs away" full of enthusiasm about such and such a scene and advertises the play better than a news-paper. Thoroughly artistic atmosphere inspires the actor who absorbs it to the full. He feels through the scene that he is a Japanese, a Frenchman or a German-as the case may be. It puts him in closer touch with his character than any amount of coaching. The matter of time on the stage is a curious illusion. This is produced ,more frequently by the playwright than by the producer. He must lr.arshal his events' in rapid, yet grace-ful and logical succession. A court scene involving a murder • Dining and Office TABLES Large new line ready at the opening of theS("ason. We guarantee the prices put on our good:! June 24th through the Fall Season. Stow &Davis Furniture Co. GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN FDm'th Floor Blodwett Bldg. • ~l 1CHI (; A 1\ trial that would ill reality occupy two 01" three days is ac-complished on the stage in half an hour. Only the essell-tials of the stOfY afC treated-there are no waits, no repeti-tions. The jury i:-, in the box, the judge on the bench as the curtain rises. 111a fevv words the di:;trict nttorney pre-sents his case-it is all Oil the rapid-fire order, yet by good stage mallilgC1l1Cnt it is not only effective, but oldequate. The effect of n:e passing of night was accomplished ill "IVladal1lc ButtedIy," where the vigil of the girl Cil11tinllCS into the morning, when her husbar;d appears from the ship. \Ve may crowd it day's events into thirty-rive minutes so long as we do 110t outrage common-sense. nut this aft has devclcped only within the past decade. Bc<ore that we were comre]-ltcd to j-e:,:,ort to ntlIrCrOLlS i'cel",CSto stretch over the lapse of a year. The act \voll~d start. p;,rt of the scene de-velop;, then a her. l s:::el,e was lowered rind son:j"s and dances Ma.deby the Luce Furniture Company, Grand Rapids, Mich. introduced which were supposed to carry the audience along six months, or a year, into the following scene. Some acts would have four or five scencs.t\ow they have hut one. The Greeks had the art of perfect playwriting. They were able to develop scenes right into one another and with-out \"'reeking the unities. For a long time music was used in much the same way as lights; the bright for the cheerful sccnes and the heavier for the more dramatic. have (l<me away with music because I find its equivalent in the acting, the lighting, the atmos-phef(~_ in my theatres. 1 assist the play and player with music where it can be introduced without being dragged in. T do not bring the hero or heroine on with music as former-ly; nor do I use it for nerve-racking scenes. I find 1 can be more effective by avoidng aany such false illusion which makes the play stilted, heavy and old fashion cd. Surely (me can embellish bad plays and help bad acting with music, hut I nr,d that, as a rule, the public favor not hav-ing it. They do 110 need a stimulant to elljoy the play,- and that is what music is-a stimulant. It also tends to arti-ficiality. y./ e arc working for a bigher :land better theatre. This makes it 1110redifficult for the manager, because he must convince his public, and he cannot do so through artificiality. Retailers are much pleased with the action taken by the manufacturers for obtaining uniformity in the finishes of fur-niture. Out-of-town mallufactufers will be furnished the formulas upon application to F. Stuart Foote, secretary of the local association. Great annoyance and much cxpense will bc spared to fctailers by the general use of the <;Grand Rapids Finishes." ARTISAN IT'S BETTER TO BUY THE "-BEST Buffets, Combination Buffets, China Closets Combination Bookcases, Library Bookcases Rockford Cbair and Furniture Company Rockford, III I• Full line on exhibition in July, 3d Floor, Blodgett Block. Grand Rapids, Mich. 9 • 10 MICHIGAN PHILOSOPHY AND CHARACTER IN FURNITURE. By ARTHUR KIRKPATRICK. Instructor and Designer in the Grand Rapids .School of Designing. By their furniture, ye shall know them. Did yOU ever stop to think how closely allied is one's character with his home surroundings, especially with his furniture? Do you know that one displays his character in the selection of his furniture? Not mine, I fancy I hear you say. I select my Made by Maniatee Mfg. Co , Manistee, Mich. furniture according to my allowance. \;Vell even so, that is one way of classifying a person, but jf one has a choice of three pieces where the px:ices are equal, and he selects one, he again portrays his character in the selection. Not only does he display his individual chara~tchl)Ut informs the clOse observer of the section of the ·country which he belongs to. The furniture designer divides the country into three sections, the East, \-Vest, and South, and allowance is made for each section upon the drafting board. He also divides the people into four classes. First, the rich" who can afford to employ an expert draper and d,eco-rator, therebY eliminating the possibility of their character reading, a's the work of the expert is clearly visible in his careful rendering of some classic or period style, and in his imitation :of the grandeur of other days, we designate the wealthy of our time. It is the second, the professional class in which one sees the strongest and most varied character. In their selection of pictures and paintings they portray their emotions while in their furniture, they display their stability. If they are light and gay, their furniture will be light of frame and up-holstered tn velvets and brocades of bright htres, but if they are deep and broad mentally, the furniture will be stocky and upholstered in leather of subdued shades. Their pictures are 'apt to represent historical events and their bric-a-brac will be a selection of trophies that ',suggests travel. It is for the next class, the mechanics, clerks, salesmen, ARTISAN and bookkeepers that most of the furniture is made. This class is also varied in character, and have a tendency toward showy furniture, both in ornamentation and wood. It is for them that the designer works the hardest to make a profit for the manufacturer by making goods which look like 20, but can be made for 10. The quality of the furniture is called medium grade. Their pictures are as varied as their furniture, ranging from love scenes to prize fights, from photographs of their friends to crayon portraits of their relatives, and the bric-a brac from gilded walnuts and chicken wishbones tied up with bunches of baby ribbon tC' crape paper owls and pumpkin blossoms, and a thousand other queer things made of paper, putty, and plaster of paris. We now come to the fourth and last class, the laborer, upon whom everyone pounces with hobble nail boots. He lives far from work and walks. He wears the poorest of clothing, buys the cheapest of. furniture, which is put up with the thinnest of nails and softest of glue. Soon to be out of repair, and soon to be-replaced on the "easy. pay-ment plan." The pictures upon his walls are cut from last year's calendar, and the bric-a~brac are his children, whom he is raising under difficulty. In hard times, he buys no furniture at all, and sometimes no bread. But not only does the character ally itself in the selection of the furni-ture, but also in the manufacturing. Have yoU ever noticed Grecian Style. how a big persptnng manufacturer produces goods in his factory that are large, luscious, and slightly over ripe? Others of a more compact build will turn out goods with enough ginger about them to make a tuning fork. Butthis does not end the ch~racter. reading in furniture because na- :VII C IT I G A N tions can be judged and periods marked by the dominating influence of the time. What a profound adrniratio'J1 we acquire for the Greek in a study of their furniture and architecture. The beauty of figure and the stability of their character arc truthfully por-trayed in their designs. The construction is simple but sub-stantial, and the curves and lines are plain but beautifuL ARTISAN II parade with varying moods from gay to gra\'e, arid from the sturdy to the weak. Let us begin with the Louis XIV style as the first of the purely French styles. The king himself was but the re-flection of the sturdy characters around him and the healthy and substantial c01lClition of the French people, and for a time France was great and was admired, envied and feared ,I { / , ~.:,,; Louis XIV Style. In the mythology of the Greeks, we can see the depth and breadth of their philosophy, showing that intellectual acti-vity and artistic quality are paraUelled to refined character, In their placid and revived conditions, this same fact can again he clearly traced in the Dutch and Italian nations, but it is to Fr;~nce that ..v.e turn to illustrate our character sketch, where style follows style like an ever changing historic by all other nations. It was the ambition of Colbert, the minister of finance, to make the French court the grandest in the world. He was aided in this by the talented LeBrun, and also by the designer' Boule, who were leaders in their line, and the combined' effect ,was trllly grand. Ebony 'was the wood Llsed £0.1' the furniwre, and the decorations were (Cont.1nuedon pa~e ~~;) p2 MICHIGAN ARTISAN --_._---_._-_.-- Our Line is More Complete Than Ever in Odd Dressers Chiffoniers Sideboards Buffets and Bachelors' Wardrobes COMPLETE LINE Shown at 1319 Mickiga~ Ave" CHICAGO, 6tk floor. Call and see a 'warm hUllch. MANISTEE. MICH . • Factories in Sturgis in Operation. The furniture factories in Sturgis are runniT:g and having about -the san:.c average trade as most of the furniture towns in Michigan. None of them are running up to their full ca-pacity, but still are doing a satisfactory business, considering the times. The prospects are good for a steady growth- in trade until the normal shall be reached. ' The Royal Chair Company made a fine display of chairs in Grand Rapids, and took a good many orders for the Royal push button Morris chair, Prospects are good for a good fall trade. Their catalogue is in the hands of the printer and will soon be ready for mailing. The Sturgis Steel Go-Cart Company also made a fine exhibit of their famous collapsible go-carts in Grand Rapids. This is the cart that folds or opens with one movement, and is growing in populaarity. The Stebbins-Wilhelm Furniture Company have a supple-mental catalogue in press. They brought out a splendid line of directors' and library tables and pedestals in mahogany, walnut, oak, birch and bird's-eye maple, and made displays in Graud Rapids and Chicago. :\h. Stebbins said that they are going to discontinue their display in Chicago and show hereafter in Grand Rapids only. The Aulsbrook & Sturges Furniture Company have added a story to a part of their factory, a portion of which will be used as a photograph gallery. They are bringing out for the fall trade a mueh finer line of goods than they ever have in the past. The Grobhiser & Crosby Furniture Company are the largest manufacturers of dining tables in Southun :"1ichigan. They also makeil- line of directors' and office tables. Their display in the Manufacturers' building in Grand Rapids is one of the chief attractions in that building. They always get their share of the trade. Fhilip Nonweiler & Sons Furniture Company. The late Philip )Jon weiler, fot\1lder and for many y-~ars the manager of the Evansville (Ind·.) Furniture Company, pro-vided by will for a change in the name of the corporation. In the course of time tbe corporation will be known as the Philip Nonweiler & Sons Furniture Company. The old name is so widely and favorably known that it would surprise no one if some other corporation should take it up immed-iately upon its abandonment by the existing, corporation. The name is of. great value commercially and the average business man wonders why such a valuable acquisition 'could not be sold for the benefit of the owners. Rights for the use of articles covered by letters patent and formulas for com-pounding drugs and articks of common use arc frequently transferred from one individual to another for a considera-tion, and the sale of a good name when no longer needed by a corporation should be permitted by law. The name Nonweiler is almost as well known as the "Evansville Furniture Company"-in fact by many they arc regarded as synonomous. Perhaps the heirs of Mr, Non-weiler will deem it wise to keep the old narr:e as a suffix to that by which the corporation will be known in the near future.. "The Philip Nonweiler & Sons ,Furniture Company (successors to the Evansville Furniture Company) Incorpor-ated," would not look bad in ink nor sound unpleasant to the ear. Active at Rockford. The furniture factories at Rockford have r~sumed active operations after a long mid-summer shut down and a dull spring season. Rockford goods have. sold wen at the expo-sitions and Rockford's star is again ascending. A very comfortable combination Morris and sle~py hollow chair is one of the new features of the mid-summer market. , MICJ-lIGAY AETISAt\ --------------_._-------- -_._----._---- 13 10fi, 110,112 nor'~ ~iYisionSf. aran~Rapi~s IOfi,IIO,1I2 nort~ DivisionS1. aran~Rapi~s OUR BUILDING PRI NT ER5 B[N DER5 EN G R A V ER5 E N G R A V E R5 PR INT E R5 B INDE R5 Michigan Engraving Company :: White Printing Company Michigan Artisan Company ~--- Erected by White Printing Company, Grand Rapids, 1907. -_._-------~----------_. 14 MICHIGAN PHILOSOPHY AND CHARACTER IN FURNITURE (Continued from page 11,) of solid material. Gold, silver, mother of- pearl and tortoise shell, gracefully adjusted in beautiful tllarquetry designs adorned this most precious of cabinet woods. To weaken character, 'mix grandeur wjth pride. France grew proud, proud of her king, court, artists, looms, work-men, and warriors, and under' the Louis XV period, the ARTISAN that it is useful, only, to an uneasy, over polite figure of that age, nor does the metallic effect of the surface add to its strength, for the gold -thereon is less than one-thousand part of an inch and almost as thin as the politeness of the people. The effect upon France was marvelous to the extent that the sllcceeding king lost his head. The wabbly pendulum had swung to the limit and was upon the return to the more substantial and thoughtful condition of the people, and to the Colonial Style.. people became both morally crooked and painfully polite, and he who could most gracefully strut in satin trousers, or shift his snuff b~x, or shake his lasen cuff, was most admired. Style and show held first place, and this brilliant effect was something to be admired only through the sense of sight. Compare this character with the furnitur~ of the Louis XV period, which was the most curved, brilliant and showy of any furniture at any time., Nothing goes against the grain, and when the grain is crossed and re-crossed by a succcs-sian of graceful curves, it so weakens the general structure nearer straight and cla:ssic lines in the Louis XVI furniture. ~ot in time, however, to head off the great destroyer and builder,. the French Revolution, which like a cook cut out the rotten spots, core and seeds from which the more whole-some sauce, the Empire,was made. \Vhen the smoke had cleared away. what did we see? A one man's France, and a onc man's furniture, a man who played chess with real castles, knights, bishops, kings and queens,. and who put a capital upon everything he touched. In the furniture we clearly see the military straightness, the soldierly dictator, and the OUR OAK AND MAHOGANY DINING EXTENSION TABLES ARE BEST MADE BEST FINISHED VALUES All Made from Thoroughly Seasoned Siock. LENTZ TABLE CO. NASHVILLE, MICH. No 384U i • • I •• MICHIGAN clean brass mounts that are not afraid to stand. out brightly and boldly upon the surface of the solid material which they adorn. The intellectual qualities of :-rapoleon, his political ambitions, and the furniture of his time \vere in perfect harmony with each other, but not in tune, however, with Europe, or even the French people, and therefore he met his checkmate at \7>/aterloo. \Vith the downfall of Napoleon began the French decay, so let us look to Ameri~a for the next change and comparison in style and character. Colonial is a native style, and is the most becoming style Ior Amerjcans, because of its historical ARTISAN 15 and cafe, and is destined to be the leading style which marks the age in which we live. The standard of character is also climbing the ladder of advancement, fostered by the oppor-tunities of free education from public schools, magazines and ne"wspapers, the extent of which may be waiting for some national crisis to exhibit its true value, like a wrecked car of new furniture shows us the solid v'lOod brighter than the subdued surface which we are accustomed to in daily life. This is something that cannot be said of the furniture of any period but our own, because the furniture of all other times has been so embellished with carving, veneer, paint, American Style. connections and its beauty, and especially does it depict the solid grandeur from v,rhich it sprnng. \Ve never find it painted, gilded, or adorned vvith flaring brass, but in the elegance of its modesty, standing ior wbat it is. V\le often find it veneered upon a solid and stocky foundation, but the people also had a cloak of politeness, a picturesque attire and a quaintness of home surroundings which quickens our love and admiration for every figure and picture of colonial times. It would seem that the standard of the mind and character of any period \vould leave its marks upon the furniture of that time, but what of the present? \Ve have entered into a new period of activity. There is a new theology and a marked difference in our political aspect. V./e are living in the greatest inventive age the world has ever known and this new activity is world wide in its effects. Its theology is as broad as the brotherhood of man, and there is now one political party "with the same name, object and ambition in all the countries of Europe and America. The activity of invention is also world wide and the great inventi011s of each nation are soon enjoyed by all. The designs in fur-niture corresponding to this activity are sometimes called new art, mission, arts and crafts, and its philosophy is grand in its simplicity. The philosophy of it is to follo-w the grain. /\t first thought, it does 110t seem to imply much, but as carving cuts across the grain, therefore weakening the stock, it is not much used, but marquetry in new dcsigns and ap-plied mounts of hammered brass and copper are used. Thus, the dominating influence of our time might be summed up, truth and justice in theology and society, and simplicity in art. The cosy corner and the den were but forerunners of the bungalow. A large airy living room now takes the place of the sitting room and parlor, and the furniture of the new philosophy has already iilVaded the living r00111,dining room varnish, gilt or glitter as to cloak the surface vIlith something 1110reshowy than the stock itself. Indeed, it would seem that we are now outgrowing the wisdom of one of the famous quotations of Shakespeare: The world is stilt decei\'ed with ornament. In law, what plea so tainted and corrupt But, being seasoned with a gracious voice, Obscures the show of evil? In religion, \-Vhat damned error, but some sober brow \Vill bless it and approve it with a text, Hiding the grossness with fair ornament? Annoyed Mr. French. F. 'vV. French, the buyer [or Br'own, Thompson & Co. of Hartford, Conn., was very much annoyed during his stay in Grand Rapids over the publication of a report to the effect that L. H. Brown was then in the market representing the above firm. Reports of that sort ereat wrong impressions v.rhen published,but neither 1V1r.French nor the Artisan is able to account for the currency given to the statcment in regard to the presence of :"h. Brown in the Grand Rapids market:. l\h. French COlltinues to buy the goods needed by the firm. A New Firm. Gates & Rich, a new firm doing business in Vv"ashillgton, ,vas represented in the western markets by W. W. Gates. The nc\" firm conduct one of the best stores in Washington. 1\'Iessr~:.Gates and Rich are young, enterprising and ambitious and their prospects for success arc brilliant. Mr. Gates was formerly associated with \"".7. H. Keech, for many years the leading merchant o[ Pittsburg. I 16 MICHIGAN ARTISAK You Can't Make a Mistake By planning for an Alaska agency for 1909, if you do not now handle the line. Our sales for 1908have far exceeded our expec-tations, and the demand has been strong throughout the season. ALASKA QUALITY is what does it. The lines are complete in styles and linings. The Alask.a Refrigerator Co. EXCLUSIVE REFRIGERATOR MANUFACTURERS, Muskegon - • Michigan TRADE IN RUGS BETTER. • Numerous Small Orders Received-Cheap and Medium Lines Have. the Call. Although the present period is considered more or less of a "between" seasons period by selling agents and jobbers handling rugs quite a little summer business is being put through" for spot deliveries. Retail buyers in various sec-tions of the country have been sending in a fairly steady stream of small filling-in orders on rugs and mats needed· to meet their sumnier wants. Porch rugs and mats arc in good request, and are being taken in the cheap and medium priced goods, which range from $2 to $3 per rug up. Buyers in the west and south have becn fairly good CllS-tamers, especially those in the west. Domestic goods as well as, some of the cheaper lines of imported rugs have been taken, and sellers are fee11ng better over the fact that they have been able to book quite ,a little business .during about the dullest period of the year. Several out-af-town jobbers have been in the market' of latc, ar,d SOIT.eof these are s~il1 here. \Vhile they did not come for the expreSS purpose of buying carpets and rugs, they have.at the 5.1.Jnetime placed some fair orders for quick delivery. 1-10st cf these report that while t'etailers in their seetions of the country l:ave for many months been troubled 'with fairly large stocks, they are now in better shape and have been able to cut down their snpplies to quite an extent. Between now and the epening of the new season's lines early in N.oven~ber, jobbers claim that quite a few goods will be needed by retailers with which to fill out incomplete stocks. Jobbers thetTselves have held their own stocks down to a low limit, and any increase in the demand from retailers will mean a ,return to the primary market for supplies. The fall season is just about to ·oren in New York and retailers are expected to arrive in large numbers during the cext two weeks. .\¥hile they will comc for the purpose of pur-chasing all, lines of fall goods, carpets and rugs will repre-sent a fair share of these orders'. Selling agents are feeling mOTe encouraged than they w(;re at any time since the opening of the cltr~ent season. Tt is confidently believed that there still remaills quite a little buying to be done by jobbers as they must make arrange-ments to take care ()f fall trade. The fact that buyers arc interested in rugs at a pricc, 'was 'shown this week :It the auction sales of some dropped patterns. The goods offered . ·amounting to a little less than 7,.000 rugs, were quickly taken, up and the prices secured were good for auction: values. That the mills still have orders on their books to get out· is' shown by the reports coming to hand. Mills that are us-ually closed down at this time of the year for repairs, and to f • • • give the operative::; a vacation, are runnillg on full time, while others tl:at have been on short time for many months; are now said to be running full time again. A Big Hotel Order for San Antonio. , Buyer Stowers of the Stowers Furnituure Company, San Antonio, Texas, brougl1t an order to Grand Rapids for furni-ture to be placed in a large hotel under ccnstruction at San Antonio. Th~ goods ordereq amounted. to $40,000. San Antonio has bccon~e fan,ot,s as a wiriter resort, owing to its superb climate and the historic interest of the city. Very good grades of mahogany furniture were selected for the bed-rooms. Many advertisements calling for skilled labor appearing in the want columns of the daily newspapers attest the im-provement in manufacturing industries. :IMUSKEGON VALLEY FURNITURE COMPANY I MUSKEGON MICH •••• COioniOi Sulles TOil POSI BedS ODd Dressers ChillOlllers worornnes lOdies' TOilels DreSSing ToOies . MOhogony inlaiD GOOds ~ne' on Iale in Manufacturer!' Building, Grand Rapids. • • ·V1ICHIGAN ARTISAN Sligh's Select Styles Satisfy Dealers MANY NEW FEATURES ADDED FOR FALL SEASON. I• EVERYTHING FOR THE BEDROOM (Medium and Fine Quality). Office and Salesroom corner Prescott and Buchanan Streets. Grand Rapidsj Mich. Line now ready for inspection by dealers. 17 , ------------------- .... The ford &. Johnson Company I CIIIC400 The line includes a very complete assortment of Chairs, Rockers and Settees of all grades, Dining Room Furniture, Mission Furniture, Fibre-Rush Furniture. Reed and Rattan Furniture. Go-Carts and Baby Carriages. "%'*",4 ~"" " ,,~*g4'''?''' fp"p~ ~-- Nop, 805 C 2 Our complete nne of samples IIIre displayed In The ford 1I. Johnson Co. hulldlng, 1333-37 Wabash Ave.. Including a special display of Hotel furniture. AU Fwrnitttre IJealer8 arecot'dlally invited . to visit our building. • , .,--------- GEO. SPRATT &. CO. I Manufacturers of Chairs and Rockers. A complete line of Oak Diners with • 1 quarte:r sawed veneer backs and SClts. A large line of I,Elm (}jners, medium priced. A sdect line of Ladies' Rock(:rs. Bent and high arm Rockers with solid seats, veneer roll seats, cob-blerseals and I1P~ holstcl'ed leather compl,~te. High Chairs and Childrer,'s Rock(:rs. rOLl will get in lln (he groUIl({ floor 'when you buyfrom liS. SI~EBOYGAN. WIS. No. 542 Oak, 50110 Seat. Price, $ In:;. No. !540~ Same liS No. 542 on I y Ouartered Oak Ve neer Seat, $18 • p" Doz. No. 542 ,I II 18 MICHIGAN EST ABLISHEO 1880 ~U.",S".D .v MICHIGAN ARTISAN CO. ON THE 10TH AND 25TH O~ EACH MONTH OPFICE-l08,110.112 NORTH DIVISION ST., GRANO RAPIDS. MICH. ENTERED ,1.8 MATTER OF THE 8ECOJID CU." The market buyers discussed a number of questions of importance to the general trade during their stay in Grand Rapids the past month. On the question of using statuettes, bric-a-brac, plants, rugs and similar articles to brighten up the wareroom, the opinion was about equally divided. But one opinion was expressed on the subject of the delivery of goods to customers through a single agency, and that was adverse to the plan. The buyers would not dispense with the traveling salesman in the expectancy that by dealing di-rectly with· manufacturers lower prices would be charged for goods. So many advantages accrue to dealers on account of their relations with visiting salesmen that they would not part with them under any consideration. Several prominent buy-ers would grant a discount to purchasers of goods amounting to a considerable sum, but would not make concessions to buyers of small lots. Others declare.d such practices would be unwise ~nd injurious. All customers should be dealt with without preference in regard to terms. Clearance. sales were generally commended, although a number of prominent dealers condemned the practice. On an average furniture could not be sold on a margin of twenty per cent" of cost over purchase prices. Very few complaints were made against manufacturers for selling to consumers, but the mail order houses were subjected to the usual roasting. 0t" Of) An invaluable asset in business is promptcess. The store should be opened. and closed on .the minute set for that pur-pose. It matters not if one puts in time clocks and holds his employes up to -tlie minute ,if one is not prompt himself. Deliver goods, answer letters and decide questions of busi-ness promptly. The great mereltant sits at his desk answer-ing without reserve the many inquiries submitted to him by his· assistants. V.,Titha nod of the head he approves this and with a shake of the head turns down that proposition. Back of these prompt decisions are years of experience and obser-vation. Gte °to If possible, guarantee everything yOU sell, and whenever necessary make your guarantee good. If colors and strength cannot be guaranteed, say so. Take back goods that cus-tomers are not satisfied with. Don't substitute; don't describe an article untruthfully; don't exaggerate values. A philan-thropist refused to sell cigars to customers' because he thought their use would harm people. Lincoln walked three miles once to return to a client money that had been over~ paid in error. Be fair; be honest. 0tO °to Light stocks were reported by a. great many buyers at-tending the midsummer sales in Grand Rapids and Chicago. A great de'al of time was spent in entering notes' of goods examined and prices offered, and while·· fairly good orders were, taken salesmen were promised a welcome from custom-ers · when on the road. Business will be lively during the re-mainder of the year unless some un'usual' occurrence affect-in'g the whole popula~ion unfavorably shall intervene. °to °to The midsummer selling. seaspn of the' current year, called • " '•.. ~'. ARTISAN out about the usual attendance of buyers. Orders were placed for about sixty per cent of the product of the factor-ies, but it is expected that with the n:arketing of the crops and the delivery of the, ballots in the contest for president of the United States business will improve very much. The holiday seaSOf! of trade prorr.i3es to be the liveliest for years. °to °to Full of enthusaism over their experiences in the furniture markets and the goods purchased, many deale.rs have returned to their homes determined to push sales vigorously. Their enthusiasm wilt spread to employes like. contagion. Custom-ers will catch it. It will show in the display of the goods bought; in the advertising; in the assurance of sales people in talks with custome.rs. It is a genuine movement. °to °to During the past mbnth there has been on exhibition at the Ryerson Public Library, Grand Rapids, a collection of col-ored prints illustrating the best examples of interior decora_ tion and fuumishings of the past and pre~'ent age. Ivlany buyers of furniture took advantage of their: attendance upon the sales to view the collection. °to °tD Up-to-date merchants keep welt informed in regard to the selling qualities of goods by going throug-h the store of-ten and ascertaining what articles move slowly_ Prices are marked down then and there. An account of such reduc-tions should be kept for information. °to DtO In marking prices make the figures large enough to be read. Use red ink. People want to know prices. They like to look around before they purchase' an article. Place goods where they can be pushed about. Women like 'to sell things to ·themsdves. "t" °te) Money is often made by losing it, but tittle is lost when used for discounting bilts. Great merchants make as much on discounts as they do in merchandise profits. One cannot expt;ct to make a profit on everything sold. °to °to Railroad officials at Pittsburg predict that there will be a great scarcity of box cars a( the end of sixty days. Probably this anticipation accounts for the orders for early shipments many retailers of furniture have placed. °to °to <lJim" Hill, the railroad magnate, deelares that higher rates for freight are a i'busi'ness necessity." "Jim" has not found a favorable response to his declaration in the mercantile. and producing world. 0tO DtO The steel mills are busy, producing sixty per cent of the output of one year ago, when the plants were operated over-time. Will Promote Sales in Mexico. Ten years ago an enterprising young American ,named Drinnier left college and entered the employ of a mining cQm~ pany in Old, Mexico as a mineral expert. 'In the course of time he tired of his employment. and meeting E. H. Foote of the Grand Rapids Chair Company in Mexico City, tendered his services' as guide. During :the week spent with Mr. Foote he gained considerable information in regard to the furniture business and resolved to take on a few lines on commission. Coming to. Grand Rapids, he easily obtained the agency for a number oigood lines, and purposes working the trade in forty Mexican cities for orders. Mr. Drinnier is confident that with t4e proper presentation of American furniture to the people of ~1e:x.ico,'a heavy business will be created for the manufacturers of Grand Rapids . • r MICHIGAN ------------ ARTISAN 1() • No. 146 Iron Frame Woven Wire Cot, real support, $1.85 Net SMITH & DA VIS MFG. CO. • St. Louis No. 155 Woven Wire Couch, $4.00 Net Write for 1908 Catalogue No. 152 Link Fabric Couch, $3.60 Net No. 73 Link Cot, 2 leet, 6 in., $3.25 Net 3 feet, 3.50 Net SECOND HAND BARBER CHAIRS. ---------------_._--_. • A Market for Them All, Somewhere-Most of Them Go Back Into the Country. The dealer in b<l.rber's fumiture, v,/hen he refits an old shop and puts in the new, modern pedestal revolving barher chairs in place of the old style chairs that stood on legs, will take the old chairs at a price in exchange. And what be-comes o( the old fashkl1lcd chairs thus taken? If this bar-her didn't want them who will? But there is a sate for them all, as there is for anything and everything second hand. Some of them may be sold in the city, but not many. The barber "\yho opened a new shop here, in whatever part of the town the SllOP might he, would he likely to buy the modern pedestal chairs, which he could do even if he didn't have the cash in hand, for l~c can buy a shop outfit and pay for it in installments, So 110t many of the se.cond hand barber chairs are sold in the city, the hulk of them go back somewhere. Sorr.e are sold for Wie in small summer resort places, where the patronage is limited and a city outfit is not expect-ed. And sOl11eof the old fashioned second band chairs go· to the country barber shops. Western Classification Committee to Take Up 492 Subjects. TO FIX MINIMUM CAR LOADS. The 'western classification committee is in session at :rvlanitou, Col., having 492 subjects to take up. Among these is the subject of minimum carload weights, a proposal hav-ing been made that for third class or higher, 24,000 pounds be adopted and 36,000 poutlds for lower classes. It has also been recommended that the rule, requiring proposed changes in the c1assincatipn to be filed 30 days in advance, be amended to increase the limit to 45 days, unless twa.nimous consent to a waiver is given. Another rule to he considered, and probably adopted in view of affirmative action of the same character taken by official classification lines, requires stronger and better pack-ages for freight. Hovv to get better revenue from perishable freight will be discussed and rules now in effect may be amended so as to provide that to get a carload rate the amount of freight stipulated therefore shalt be delivered at a single forwarding station in one working day by an individual consignee for one consignor and destination except that where freight is loaded in cars by the consignor it shall be subject to the car service rules and charges of the for- ,"Yarding road. Kid:1CY shaped sofas, overstuffed, are selling well. .--- I • I Big Rapids Furni-ture Mfg. CO. BIG RAPIDS, MICH. SIDEBOARDS BUFFETS HALL RACKS In Quartered Oak, Golden and Early English Finish. No. 128. Uee $12. 2 Off QIJ day8 f.: o. b. Big Rapids. -- I 20 MICHIGAN ~,I ARTISAN HORN BROS MFG CO 261 ",291 W, Sa"..."S,. o • ~ CHICAGO, - ILL. , I BEDROOM FURNITURE OUR SPECIALTY Good. displayed.t the Manufacturers' Furniture Exchange, Wab8.llb and 14th SL and with Hall & Knapp, 187 Michia'IlD Ave., Chicago,!U. DRESSER No. -330-Price, Oak, $30: Genuine MahOi<lny.Veneered. $31: Tuna Malmw.....y. $3l. CHIfFONIER No. 3t-Goiden Oak. $20.50: Mahogany Veoeew:I and Tuna Mahogany, $21.50. DRESSING TABLE No. 126-bak. $21: Mahogany, Veneered. and Tuna- Mahoiany, $21.50. I ____ ~_~ __ Write for Catalogue "B" -------- 1 THE ONE ROOM FLAT. • A Novelty From the Wett Which Might Be Popular in New York. I~ , New Y01'k got its skyscrapers from the \Vest, and there is now another reat estate novelty which had its origin ther.e knocking at the gate of l'vIanhattan Island. This is the 50- called "one room flat," w-hich by mc,ans of specially built fur-niture makes its one room serve for the purposes that usually take several. Several ''''estern cities are provided with , these apartment houses, son~e of them sheltering as many as twenty-eight families. Some of them are called "residence hotels;" and offer the tenants the choice of taking their meals in ,the public dining room or using- the domestic facilities attached to their own room. Of course., the flat has in reality more than one room, There is an entrance hall, a bathroom, at~d a narrow apart-lwent adjoining the main room which serves for the opera-tion of theJurniture, which swings on a pivot. The plan of these flats shows one large room, the kitchenette of the kind that failed to meet with success in New York, a bathroom, and this cur'iolls room about'three feet deep running paralld with the main living room. One. end of this is closet room, while the other provide!'! the space for the furniture to swing about in. \Vhen the one room flat is serving as a drawing room there is a small ce.ntre table visible, a combination desk and bookcase, and a sideboard which stands in its place, whether the room ·is to be used as a sitting or dining room. It dis-appears only when the time for slumber has arrived. It i3 then that the sideboard turns about, and on the other side of the board partition back of it swing!'! into view a brass be,d. This is foldelj up against the. board, but it is so ar-ranged that the bedclothes attached to hooks in the head cf of the bed are allowed to swing free and are aired all day. The. library table, merely by swinging its edge around, doubles 'its"!'!izeand is capable of seating four person~. V\.Then bedtime is, ,at hand the bookcase. which stands next the side-board a1so~does its turn, and in its pl"aee there appears a dressing table. Of course the same chairs must serve and they ..must be selected with appropriateness for the varied uses of the rOom. The. gre.at merit claimed for these one room flats i!'! the saving of space, the freedom from the greater cares of house-keeping and the possibility of housing so many families i:1 one building. Of cours~ the patented furniture made for them is an indispensable element of the scheme, and without it such dwelling places would not be possible. So it is nat-l. ually the corrpany which manufacturers the furniture which is ,Putting up the houses, selling stock in them ard otherwise promoting them as they would any other building project, . In not every case' is the house supplied Vll;itha hotel dining· room. In e.ome there 'are anI! the small kitchens. ., " Fe.w of the persons who live in these or.e room flats are fortunate enough to pO::5ess servants, nor do they feel the need of them. It is of course r.ecessary to put up the house on sites which allow light to every room, as a one room flat cannot depend for its light and air on other rooms. The schen:e has never been t.ried in New York, ard there is b'.1t one 'an2logous case from which to draw any con'dusiors. There was an uptown apartment hotel which supplied kitchen-ettes to its tenants. This attraction p,oved much less potent than the provide,rs had anticipated. Cutting Prices is Business Suicide. To cut prices as an inducerner.t is apt to' attract undesir-able trade who flit hither and thither in search of bargains and seldom form any basis of steady custom. Cut prices de-moralize the general trade tone of a section and influence many other lines. Besides, this form of an inducement is an advertisement of cheapness of methods and t'~e thinking buyer wilt"fear that quality suffers with the price. The stamp of cheapness once placed on a retail establishment t:kes yeaf3 to ren~ove 1::y high grad~ rr.erchandising. Coupon plans, credit tickets, trade- checks and the like, er:tailing volulliinous explanation a!ld money outlay lose their intended effect if any part of such a plan divorce::; the cus-tomer from the store at any stage to redeem the vouchers or get his reward, other than at the retail store itself. A plan of any kind necessitating the sending away to other parts for catalogues or free merchandlse on the paTt of the customeT will create confusion ard detail anI absolutely fail to arouse enth usia sm.- Exchan ge. , Why Not Order? .Say a dozen or more Montgomery Iron Display Couch Trucks sent you on approval? If not satisfactory they can be returned at no expense: to you whalever, while the price lMkc:d" but a tci8e.. com~ pared (0 the convenience thry alford and the e<::onomythey represent in !he saving of Boor space. Thirty.IWO couches moumed on (he Monlgomery Iron Display -CouchTrucks occupy th~ same Roor space as lwelve dis. played in (he usual manner. Write for calalogue Riving full deacnp.. lion andpricein the different finishes, ·to.- gether with iIlustratiQDS demonstrating the use of (heGianiShortRailBedFastener £01' Iron Beds. Manufactured_ by the H. J. Montgomery MEg. Co. PATKNTEFS l • Silver _Creek, New York, U.. s..A• i ;\1 I CHI G A t\ AlZTISAt\ 21 -------------., RICHMOND CHAIR CC•., Richmond, Ind. Double Cane Line "Slip Seats"--the latest and best method of double cane seating. Catalogues to the Trade. MORTlSER I~---_.---_._--------.--- No.4 SAW (ready f{)r-cross-eutting) II I HAND CIRCULAR RIP SAW CO:..t:BINED MACHINE No.3 WOOD LATHE No. 4, SAW (ready for ripping) ~-------- 1 Complete Outfit of HAND and FOOT POWER MACHINERY WHY THEY PAY THE. CA81NET MAKE.R He can save a manufacturer's profit as well as a dealer's profit. He can make more mOTley with less capital invested. He C"In hold a better and more sathiactory trade wilh his customers, He can manufacture in as good style and finish, and at as low cost a<;the factories. The local cahin ..t maker has been forced into only tbe dealer's trade and profit. because of machine manllfactured Koc><1sof factories. An outfit of Rarnes Patent Foot and Hand-Power Machinery, reinstates the cabinet maker with advantRg-€s equal to his competitors. If desired, these machines will be sold on trial. The purchaser can hRve ample time to test them in hi~ OWIl shop and on the work he wishes them to do, lJescriptivtJ catalogue and prite list free. W. f. &- JOHN 84RNI:S CO., 654 Ruby St ••Rockford, III. I•I No. 'l SCROL.L SAW .1 ~----_._-----_._--------------_.._--------------------.-----. No.:.l SCROLL SAW FORMER OR MOULDER HAND TENONER r White Prin tirlg CO. I~--------G-RA-ND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN • HlGHGRADE CATALOGS COMPLETE • 22 MICHIGAN Manual Training Prepares for Business Future By W. J. MacInnes. • To build well, and on a solid foundation, is a 'maxint that only a few of the millions of inhabitants of this globe appreciate fttlly. From the earliest periods of history, down ,hrough the age.s, this axiom has proven a source of comfort and economy. The basic principle of life in all of its broadest phases is correct education. \Vhere education has been slighted or neglected, you \-\Iillfind instead of true life, failures and mere existence. \Ve have evidences of this truth on every hand. Our aim houses, charitable institutions, prisons and asylums are filled to overflowing, and the majority of the inmates are of a low order of intelligence and cultivation. It is true that in recent years quite a large number of bankers and persons supposed to be of a high development of character are oc-cupying -clerical positions in our fed.eral prisons. But pause a moment and read back through their lives, and' you will find that not only their early education, that which is the strongest influence for good and honest dealings, was missed entirely, or, the parents were so little interested in its ac-complishment, that the strong foundation necessary to carry the heavy superstructure, which was to follow in the lives of these men was laid in the shifting sands of plain ig-norance. One has only to ,view the daily press to discover the full meaning of this truth. Faith, hope and cJ~arity arc virtues which exist to a brger degree among educated people, and on these three, the very life of our industrial fabric must depend for its support. The tottering walts of the great nations of the past history of the world, seem to come very close to us in our modern ideas of business integrity and aggrandizement. If then, we desire, and we should make it a part of our living, that the unborn generations shalt avoid the pitfalls which have assailed a vast majority of those gone before, let uS give more and more attention to the foundation of our educational system.' As a child is parent of the man, so we may say the kin-dergarten is the parent of the manual training school, the latter being the strongest factor for deeper education of the present day . As was stated in a previous article, the ideal education is that which is devoted to a homogeneous system of mental and manual training.' A careful observation of kindergarten principles and teaching methods, when correctly applied and absorbed, gives to one an insight into the vast possibilities of the human mind, even at the tender ages of 3, 4 and 5 years. Of course it is not wholesome to produce prodigies, as but one subject is then covered. But who can tell but the teacher, what latent forces lie hidden in the youngsters of the kindergarten age· and how moch scientific training is necessary to caUse them to blaze forth into a resistless flame of energy and ability. These little people interest an alarm-iI1gly small number of us who have advanced to later life cares, responsibilities and vices. It may appear to some of my readers to be a strong statement, that many of us who are credited with a keen discernment in business, high abitity and a development of brain force, can learn from the children in the kindergarten classes. The true and simple life is there exemplified. Avarice, jealousy, envy, hate and such like, the stumbling blocks of our present civilization, ate unknown quantities, and in their stead we find love, patience. honesty and confidence. It i;; an undisputed iact that the underlying principles of society are engrafted and promulgated during the early stages of education. The greatest respect for the laws of order, obedience and cleanliness are taught to the child in many instances. The idea of 'form, constructiveness and inventiveness are con- ARTISAN ceived, all being illustrative of the triumph of object teaching. 'Without going into the history of the kindergarte,n work in America at length, a few interesting statisticscont::ernillg its establishment and adoption in our public school system arc offered. W·hile one would imagine, viithout giving it much thought, that the idea cmallated from Boston, because of the reputation of that city, both ill and Olit of comic periodicals, for things educational, it is rather surprising to note that the first public school kindergarten was established in far out west, and half way south, 51. Louis, Mo., in ·the year 1873. Thi5 important branch of education was not adopted in Boston until 1888, and as a matter of fact, not until the year of 1890 did the eastern states awaken to the importance and possibilities of kindergarten classes in the schools. Training schools for kindergarten teache'rs are now im-portant branches of the curriculum of most of our large colleges and in all universities where co-education prevails. Post-:-graduate courses have become an absolute necessity, if the teacher wishes to keep abreast with and fully under-stand the work in its prescnt state of scientific advancement. Let us visit together, for the sake of a new experience or sensation, one of the kindergarten classrooms in a city of 100,000 inhabitants. vVe will arrive at the door of the school building at the regular hour for opening the morning session, say 8:45 o'clock, and looking across the play groonds we discover, as if their instinct had' guilded them away from the larger boys and girls, and out of the danger of being run down and trampled upon, a company of from 15 to 30 little tots ranging from 3 to 6 years. They arc playing practically the same games as the larger children, but seemingly with more dig-nity, and surdy with greater courtesy on the part of the boy.s toward the girls; than 1S manifested among the boys of the primary grades. The call belt rings, and immediately the line is formed, every child ill his or her place, to march into the schoolroom. This is accomplished with almost the same precision as with a company of soldiers. Each boy.and girl knows just where to hang his or her hat and coat,after they have had assistance from the teachers in removing them. This is something unheard of in the average Amer-ican home, where father, mother or the housemaid are ex-pected to look after the belongings of the child, thrown carelessly upon a nearby chair or in a convenient cotner. The value of the suggestion of order to the mind of the child is not beyond the comprehension of my readers. If pre-vailed in, it will prOve to be a habit for economy and neat-ness, much to be desired and envied. All is not Quiet in the room as yet, but to gain absolute silence the teacher does not command it in a stern voice. No, but in an extremely simple object lesson, by placing her hand against the back of her ear to form a sound bell, and in an almost inaudible voice, saying, "Children, I wish to hear the dock tick." You could hear a pin drop on the floor, at any time during the five minutes immediately following the request. Most sessions of these. classes are started with a simple prayer, which seems to command as much reverence, and perhaps more, than could be expected from a class of adults, all heads, without exception, being bowed and not raised until the prayer has been properly ended. Now we are ready for actual work. A long table at which the entire class may be seated is provided, and chairs of the right height so tha't all may work convenieritly. Up-:- on the table the work for the session is laid out, many pieces of colored paper, cloth, yarn and thread constitute the raw material to be worked up into divers objects. It is needless to explain, nor could one do so with any great amount of satisfaction, the different operations of MICHIGAK ARTISAN 23 • Three Piece Suites in Loose Cushions can't be com. pared, they are the best. Lar~st line to select fr~~l and quality and workmanship can't be beat. Come and see the line and be convinced. . (ASSOR. TME.NT We have'the j .STYLE.S . \ PR.ICE.S DaVUi]J()1·t. Bed .tine is P':f talk oj th~ country from COQRt to eoasl,. do)) t fa~J to ~'t!Jl1us or 'wnte for twis and p:nuB. Leather Rocker line is very large and prices right. Couches from the cheapest to the best. ~--_._-----------_. THOS. MADDEN, SON & CO" Indianapolis, Show Rooms, 35 to 41N. Capital Avenue. Ind. • those little bands in accomplishing the most surprising re-sults. 1\Iind yOU, these are productions after models, or in advanced classes from oral or blackboard suggestions by the teacher. YOll will find ·within a period of two or three weeks an accumulation of objects of furniture made from paper and cloth, covering an entire household equipment, all the way from a stool to a cook stove, with fantastical lan-terns, lamps, bric-a-brac completely worked out, as a diver-sion. Some of these creations \vould be a credit to older persons. I have observed little children at work in these classes, with a pair of scissors, which is practically the only tool em-ployed, that could and did ClIt a straighter edgc than the so-calleu and so-paid skilled mechanics in our factories. As an object lesson for the adoption of manual training in its fullest scope, in our public school system, a board of trustees could nnd no better incentive tJlBll in the kind.er-garten. Boys and girls alike are taught to sew', and can readily explain why stitches of a different character are em-ployed, many of which on doll's clothes and miniature bed coverings would surprise the experienced dressmaker. for neatness and symmetry. The selection of a kindergarten teacher should be made with the greatest care, this branch being of the utmost im-portance because of its effect OB the primary grades, which immediately follow, but, alas, III too many instances, those who are appointed to select a teacher, arc themselves lacking in the sound principles of correct education, and we find the teachers wholly unlit for the work of conducting classes. Education begins while the child is yet in the cradle, and the first steps in this direction are certainly the most important in man's career. An education of some sort proceeds so rapidly in the early years of our life that we have little conception of the development either for good or bad, as the case may be, t:ntil confronted with our overwhelming ignorance, or recog-nized ability to stand at the head of the class. It therefore argues that the kindergarten fills a most important part of uur educational system and leads logically to the manual training school. Furthermore, as a sure foundation for the lIpbui1ding of our liocial fabric, it is without doubt a recog-nized factor. The kindergarten suggests a change from the automatic or superficial Hpoll parmt" to the scientific education, and while the latter at the present time is undeveloped in the classes immediately fotlowing the kindergarten, it should be an easy matter to adopt manual training in combination with the mentaJ training now in vogue for scholars ranging in ages from 7 to 14. We do find manual training in the upper branches of our schools, which is only another forin of the kindergarten, taking a strong hold on the imagination of the American peopl(', and it is bound to develop for scholars of the aRes when the greatest benefits may be gained from '7 to 14 years. Manual training in the primary grades is main-tained in a greater or lesser state of perfection in some lo-calities, and the conduct of such classes has proven to be ex-ceedingly interesting from the viewpoint of deep seated re-sults. Solomon said: "Train up a child in the way he should gO,and when he is old he will not depart from it." Solomon was a wise Ulan. The Koenig & Gamer Furniture company, of Chicago, whose factory and grounds were condemned and 'sold to the Northwestern Railroad company, recently have purchased a Jot on Chicago avenue .. near Green street, upon which a new :ractory will be erected at once. The lot measures 16SxH3 feet and cost $17,000. Goble, Pratt & Robbins, of Shokane, \'\Tash., will add pianos and organs to their stock of furniture. ..l EVANSVILLE LINES MANUFACTURERS' FURNITURE EXCHANGE Corner Wabash Avenue and Fourteenth Street The BOCKSTEGE FURNITURE CO. EVANSVILLE, INDIANA, The Metal ,Furniture Co. EVANSVILLE, IND, MANUFACTURERS OF Metal Bedsteads Fullline of Samples on exhibition during the entire year, on first 800r of the Manufacturers', Furniture Exchange, comer Wab .. h Ave. and 14th St .. Chicago. I I ,', THE WORLD FURNITURE CO. (Member of Big Six Car Loading Association) EVANSVIu.E INDIANA Manufact'lre"" of folding Beds (Mantel and UJH1cht), Buffet•• Hall. ,T,-eel, China ClOftlb, Combln~tiOD and Library Bookc;uea.. Full Gne of ample. on e'thibition durinlll' the entire year, on fint floor of the Manufacturen FuroitQl'e Exchantte. corner WablUlh Ave. and 14th St ••?icaao. L_, _, Globe Side Boards and Hall Racks Are the best for the money. Gel our Cata-logue. Mention the Michigan Artisan when writing. Full ~ne of samples on exhihition during the en-tire year, on the first floor of the Manufacturers' Fumitrire Exchange, Cor. Wahash Ave., and 14th St., Chicago. Globe Furniture Company EVANSVILLE, IND. ON SALE IN lCHICAGO .MANUF ACTURERS' FURNITURE EXCHANGE Corner Wabash Avenue and Fourteenth Street The Karges Furniture Co. EVANSVILLE, INDIANA Manufacturer • • f Chamber Suites Dressers . Wardrobes • ad Chiffoniers ;. PLAIN OAK QUARTERED OAK AND iMITATION QUARTERED OAK Full lill':l of 8llmples on exhihiJ.i01l dllring the eJI-tiTt' year, on filii: fllIOT of the Manufacturers' Furni-ture Exchanlle.cOfnerWa-ba, h Ave. and 14th St., Chicago. Cupboards Kitchen Cabinets and K. D. Wardrobes . Is all we make but we make lots of them. Get Catalogue and Pt'ice•• The Bosse Furniture Co. EVANSVILLE. IND. Fnll 'ine Of samples 01/ exhibition during the entire year on firftjloor of the jJ'ant(fac/'urers' Furniture Exchange, corner Wabagfj, Av'e. and 14th St., Chicago. Tbe "Ell" FOLDING BEDS ~~tfrTR~'~N~~~ No Stock complete without the Eli Beds in Mantel and Upright. E~LI 0 MILLE R & Co E.a~.. III•• '~".D. _. • Write for cuts llnd prices ON SALE IN FURNITURE ~XCHANCE. CHICACO • .1 26 MICHIGAN Woman Who Restores the Ill-Fashioned Home. One of the women decorators who have succeeded espec-ially well attributes some part of .her prosperity to the fact that she selected a specialty and confined herself to it. The field that she pick<:d aul W3S not nearly so crowded as that of general decoration. HI knew that my chance of success," she told a reporter the other morning "was to strike out in some new field. I call myself a beauty doctor for country houses, and ther.e seems to be enough people who take me at that valuation to keep me busy. I'll tell you what I've been doing for the last month and you \",ill see how I \'lork. ;;As a specialist skilled insilpplying first aid to the house that has been aesthetically il~jured, I went up to the Berk-sbires last spring to took o\'er a 1l0use, I have just seen it again and I don't besitate to say that it would scarcely be rec-ognized. The bappy hostess who brought me down to the train in h~r n:otor was a decided contrast to the woman who came to me in ,Marcb and said: "'.I\Iy hOllS::-has absolutely no character, altbough it cost enough when it was built to be beautiful. As it is, every-thing is WH)l1g, Kow I want you to come up and look at it and see what call he done.' "It looked ve.ry discouraging. It had b{'.en put up about a quarter of a century ago when the vVaher Crane Eastlake craze was at its height and Fifth avenue decorators got ve.ry high prices fer applying it to houses. That period knew nothing of the lightlless and beauty of French decoration. That was the perio"d in which tbe dado and the frie7:e were regarded as the last word in household dccoration and were 3.1}plied indepe11dent-ly of all care for t'heproportions of the room. "So every ream of the salon tloor of this house had been treated in just the way that would accentuate the mistakes of the architects. Tbe c'eilings were not higb, but that had not prevented the oftginal decorator from adding to eac.h wan fj[ Have YOUreeeived our New Calalogue? If nol, write for it at once. There', Iiloney in it for YOU. q Buffets. China OOllebl. Dinlnll: Room. Sui.tes. Ml.Wk Cahi~b, Pianola Roll Cabi-neh. Phonollraph Record Cabinets, .Disc Cabip:ets, e1c Permanent ~ .. oom •• 1319 Michigan Ave .• ChicallO, Ill. S J. leRoy and L. o. Fosse in cbarlre. New York Furniture Ex.chanrre. 43d and Lexington Ave., 6th floor. James p. Hayes in charge. MECHANICS FURNITURE CO. ROCKFORD. ILLINOIS L ARTISAN a dado or wainscot and a frieze, which gave the effect of three stripes running around each room. With the ceilings al-ready low and the rooms nDt very large the effect produced made the ceilings seem not an inch above the heads of those in the room, Of course any such architectural proportions required exactly opposite treatment. I asked the owner of that' house if I was at liberty to do what I wanted to make the rooms look their best. She told me, to go as far as I wanted. She had lost all hope of ever having them modern and tasteful, like the, ap.artments she saw in her friend's new-er homes. "The first thing I did was to substitute for the dark East-lake papers in the three divisions a light dainty wall paper with the narrow flowered stripes running up and down the wall, to give a sense of height to the rooms. There were no heavy mouldings allowed, but in place of the mahogany about the cornices the mouldings were finished in the color of the paper, That irr.n:ediately gave rre '<I. sense of space which the old decorations had not possessed in the, slightest degree, "The ceiling had been painted in a combiration of pea-cock blue, dark brown and old rose, which was just,the thing, calculated to IT,ake the lOom (\s dark as possible, My pain-ter with 110 thought of what it may have cost rubbed his brush unmercifully over this daub, which had the effect of making the room darker with its tbree windows opening onto a broad lawn than a room in a New York flat lighted by. a court. It was this celing that illustrated so strikingly the ignorance of one of the first laws of'decoration which some-times exists even in the handsomest houses. It is a prin-ciple of correct d~coratioll that the ceiling, which is the dark-est part of the room, since the light from the windows falls on the floor, should be done in the lightest colors, while the floor, which receives 1110st of the light, looks -best with a darker cover. They did not seem to care much about that fact, however, in the days of late Victorian standards in de£.- oration, and in tbis house there was a cream colored carpet on the :Aoor with these three dark colors in the. ceiling. "There was one possible way of arranging the carpet so as to accentuate this fault, and that had, of course, been done. H a carpet in a comparatively small room is surrounded with a border it will look much smaller and give the same effect to a room. This purpose may also be accomplished by hav-' lng a rug of jtlst the size that shows a border of hardwood floor around it, The decorator had been careful to sur-round his rug with a border that took off several feet from the size of the room. "The drawing room that I have described was typical of the whole house, alld the changes 1 made there were about the sJ.me that were rlecessary everywhere. I took the border off that carpet, extended it to the sides of the room and re-lieved it with a few rugs. The curtains, which were hu'ng with heavy Iambre,quins and draped back in such a way as to accentuate the lowness of the ceiling by their curves, were made to hang in straight folds, which gave an effect of addi-tional he.ight. The portieres were draped back and tied with a silken cord, which contributed its share to the squat look of the rooms. By allowing them to fall straight from the poles in simple straight lines there were more circumstances to supply the necessary look of altitude. "When the rooms had been furnished the object of the decmator had been to make every piece fit the room into which it ''''as put. For the low ceilings the.re were approp-riately short and stocky pieces, The only high ceiling in the bouse was in an entrance hall, and there the furniture- was high. "There was a principle of decoration here but it was only half developed. Low furniture for low ceilinged rooms and the reverse for the rooms that have high ceilings is all right so felr as it goes, but it doesn't gO far enough. Th-e theory of broken heights is much more effective. That means that there should be mixed heights to give every piece its value. :I!ICHIGA:J So I brought some of the high piec<:.s out of the hall, mixed them ",,-jth the low [ufl'iture built for dle drawing room and had twice as good an effect as if there had been but one sea'll" in the t\"iO different rooms." The old fashioned decorator!; of .1 quarter of [( ccntUlT ago loved hlues, dark browns, greens and the leather tints. and it was ditncutl for them to get away from them, whether they were decorating [l dining rOOl1l or a drawing room in a sunny country hotne. The woman decorator. 'whose sense of color is, as e.ven her rivab ,tdlLit, better than most n1('11 possess, weld throllgh the sal)]~' proce% ot simplifying the ar-rangement of lhe walls, abolishing the wains20t or dado, frieze and the central band of color. The patterns of this \-vall paper \vere in almest every caSe so large that it tended to n-.ake the rooty,s lost:, much of their size, and in nOlle of the paper 01 the lo'.v ceiling rooms had the ~:tripes that in-crease the e.ffect of height been thoughl of. ';1 did not us;:, the same colored P<IPcrS in every room," she explained. "although that increases the effect of space when Olle call see fWIll OIlE' room into .:lllot]Jf'r, but 1 useu analogue tints that made nu sharp c:ontra:it. In the high entrance h,dJ, nearly as large as 011<; oi the dra\'v·ing roon:s and running to a height of "'1"0 floors. was the only stripped paper. There jn a space already ,",0 high that TlO emphasis of the height was nl."eded, and where there was an exdlet:t opportullity to use paper with a large and dec:,orative pattern, the walls were cov-ered with panels of thn striped brown and green paper in alte.rnate sarin and rough finish. Those ,'itripes seemed to soaT up the \Val1s until the top of the hall looked as far up in tll{' air as the top of the Singer building. "Here wa~ a legitimate clunce. to plunge a bit on decm·a-tion and use some cf the wonderful big figured cretOnnes and wall papers which arc always a temptation to tht, decorator because their color;, are so beautiful but cannot often be ap-propriately used in city houses. The big figures would di-m- inlsh the effect of extreme height and as there was little fur-niture in the hallway and haH the high piece,s had been movtcl into the drawing room there was 1~0danger of producing an effect of overcrowding. "I revelled in being able tn use that wall paper which with its brilliant bluish gr\:cn aed yellow parrots among· \\Tonderful trees in shades of green and btu:: had cretonne curtains to match it exactly. From the high ce.iling down to the floor I ran panels of the paper agail~st a cool sage green back-ground of soft (artidge paper. III the side doors and in the two 'vindows T hl1ng long curtains of the cretonl1l~, broken in the case of the doors lly deep lan.brcquill:'\ in order not to give too great an effect of h:;igllt. Tl-e. woodwork of th(- hall ""hidl had black \valn1t, w;:s paiLted in a tOlle of. sage green background. Two tall p:tlms added variety to the heights of the furniturc. I had o~:ly a narrow fr;e7.c about the top made of the same sage gc:en wall papeL" The decorative be"uty doctor wiw.::d the perspiration from her brow after this enthusastic desniptiol1. "See th;\t house no" ...,.·, she concluded. "and then rem.:mbcr the stuffy, JTlorguelike place the first floor was before 1 began to work on it. TIle change has delighted the I''ioman who lives in it, alld her friends are just as pleased. 1 do not at-tempt to take hOl1ses and decorate them from th,: beginning' and from top to bottom. That would be too much for me, alld curiously ellf.lllgll T have never found it s~) iTiterestillg as what T dn. 11any de.corators hate to l'<lve to come in and correct the tllistakes of their predec(Ossurs ur the (~1l1ploycs 01 their predecessors. I have no such fe.eling, for I like best to gd over son:ebody ~1se's ground and straighten it out. So by making tbis specialty n:y o,vn I have fatted plenty to -do." -New York Sun. I No. 1 parlor suite, introduced to the trade Jlfteen years ago, has been manufactured continuously by the Retting Furniture company of Grand Rapids. ARTISAN We Manufacture the Largest Line of 27 • FOldlno Ghairs in the United States, suitable for Sunday Schools, H a118, Steamers and all public resorts". W,~ also manufatture Brass Trlmmed Iron Beds, Spring Beds, Cots and Cribs in a laTj~evariety. ~. . 1 UNION FURNITURE CO. !I Send for CatalogJJ.e and Prices tG K/\lJfFM/\N MFG. GO. ASHLAND, OHIO ROCKFORD, ILL. China Closets Buffets Bookcases We lead in Style, Comtrudion and Finish. See our Catalogue. Our hne on permanent exhibi. tion 7th Floor, New Manufact_ urers' Buildins. Grand Rapids. ~ , IHARDiOOD'~~I~~~~~ I I SPECIALTIES: ~1.V(~E]QUAR.OAK VENEERS MAHOGANY VENEERS ~----- I I• HOFFMAN II BROTHERS COMPANY I 8M W. Main St., FORT WAYNE, INDIANA I ~ ~ Morton ,----------,------ ---_._-----. House ( Amencan Plan) Ratea $2.50 and Up. 110 tel PantJind (European Plan) Rates $1.00 and Up. GRAND RAPIDS. MICH. II I'---------- The Noon Dinner Served at the Pantlind for 50c is THE FINEST IN THE WORLD. J. BOYD PANTUND, Prop. 28 MICHIGAN St. Andrews Society Chair. A remarkable chair is that used by the president of the St. AnElrews Society of St. Johns, New Brunswick. The materials used in its construction arc a number of valuable woods, many pieces having a historical interest. J Oh11 Rogerson, an employe of the Dominiun Govern-ment, was sent to Scotland to collect historic woods to make the chair, which was presented to the Saci'ty on the one hundred and tenth anniversary of its organization. The chair is made of oak and holly. The story of Mr. Ro.gerson's search among the Scots to secure the material if is il1ter~sting.Ol1ce he went to see a Scotchman about some pieces of wood he .had in his possession,but, it being Sun-day, the matt~r was not entertained, but switched off until the foltowingday. From a Mr. Dryden at Lochmaben was gotten ,a piece of oak 80'0 years old, taken from Lochmaben Castle, in which Robert the Bruce was born. Mr. Hender-son furnished a piece of 'holly that grew on Burns' first grave in the conier ofS,t. Michael's" Churchyard, at Dum-fries. It was cut down in 1815 when the poet's remains were removed to the mausol,eum. This tree has further value in a piece performing gavel duty for the Masonic Lodge at Kilwinning, in which Burns was a member. An-other piece calls to order the lodge of 'Helmsdale, Suther-landshire. Mr. Rogerson got the orily other piece. Another is a piece of oak out of the Glasgow residence of the, Dukes of Argyle and is more than 400 years old. This piece was used to mak~ the 'cross stretch in front of the chair. The seat piece was from an oak grown on the grounds of Loudon Castle. The arms and center crOS'S "stretch is from wood from the estate of the :Ylarquis of' Twecddale. Harrington. On each side and joining thece~ter frame is oak taken from the rafters of Mauchline Castle, ,the ARTISAN hQme of, Gavin Hamilton, where Burns and Bonnie Jean were married. The lion ra1l1pant in the Brnce shield at the top of the chair is made of a piece of holly. Portions of oak, black as ebony, make up the Celtic plaited work design above, below and on each side of the center panel. The two front posts and side stretchers are from an oak which grew close to the River 0Iith, near Maxwellton, under which Burns frequently sat. The chair was made of wood from seven different local-ities in Scotland, 26 pieces in all, and all arc certified to by the donors. Mr. Rogerson's search for a design' for the chair was a more difficult part of his pilgrimage than the gathering of the woods. He visited libraries, booksellers and mu-seums, but he met no success until he discovered a book itl a shop kept in John Knox's house in Edinburgh, which led him to Holyrood Palace, where he was thrilled with delight at finding a model for just such a chair as he had in mind. \Vhile in the act of reproducing the article on paper he was interrupted by a brass hound functionary, who stopped him and threatened him with a view of outdoors. Nothing daunted, Mr. Rogerson asked permission to take a snap~ shot, which made the Scot more than ever certain that the visitor was entirely out of place in the precincts of Holy-rood, and that it was about time to hump him ont. Just then another official appeared and told the bold man from Canada to go to the Government House, close to St. Giles' Cathedral, where h~ mcght obtain permission to counterfeit the historic chairs. An hoor spent there to see the official resulted in being told that he .might make out an application to be sent to London for approval. Being a Government official himself and knowing what circum-locution means, he declined, remarking that' he thought he would be in Canada and ha've the chair made before- a reply-and that perhaps negati\'e-would arrive back at Edinbmgh. In his rambles Mr. RogcrsGn went into a photograph shop on Calton Hill, Edinburgh. and to his surprise he 'found pictures of the Jacobite chairs in Holyrood. In a few minutes he owned them. Not satisfied with this success, the persistent Scotch-man drifted to London and ransacked Hampton Court, South Kensington and the British museums and antique furniture shops, a!l without a new acceptable idea. for the chair. Liverpool and Dublin were as blank as the others. The Jacobite chairs in Holyrood fined the bill and, once back in St. John, Mr. Rogerson began the work, he being highly gifted in the art of woodcarving. The sizes and shapes of the historic woods naturally governed th.e size of the chair. '. Fred ]. Zimmer 39 E. Bridae St•• Grand Rapids, Mich. Maker of HIGH GRADE UPHOlSTERED FURNITURE Writejor. CUill and Prices. Every Piecfr Guaranteed PERFECT. i M I CHI G£\ N ART I SAN ARTISTIC and!l\IEXPENSIVE CATALOGUE COVERS LET US FICURE ON YOUR PHOTOGRAPHING ENGRAVING and PRINTING at Right ~riceli PERFECT PROMPT. WORK DELIVERIES . COMPLETE CATALOGS MICHIGAN ENGRAVING CO. ','::::~AND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN ' . ··"f .l!====~ .... '. " • 29 30 MICHIGAN , III• ARTISAN Do not fail to see Our New Fall Line of Medium Priced Bedroom Furniture We have added a large number of new patterns that are both beautiful and low priced. The greatest line in America. Made in five woods and all the popular finishes. Woodard Fumiture Company owosso. MICHIGAN Write for Catalogue • I Dr. Maxwell on Trade Schools. The J\rew York City Superintendent of Schools, in his rc-cent interview in The Times, regrets the spirit that prevents the .youth of the city from getting the full benefit of really useful instruction because they arc beguiled into taking employmcl1t at tempting \vages. He mentions a trade school and shop established by a manufacturing concern, where the pupils have a guarantee of from $2.50 to $7.50 a week for a course of five years, and where large num-bers of them leave as soon as they have learned to operate a lathe and can get $12 or $15 a week. They are warned in vain that they "arc giving up the chances of much higher wages in the future. On this Dr. Max·well says: "\I\rhen boys, attracted by a little higher "wages, leave a trade school in which they are paiJ for their services; when boys and their parents are wilting to sacrifice all the glowing prospects of the future for a little temporary gain, is it matter of astonishment that boys leave high schools, where they receive no wages ,'vhatever?" Certainly the thing the doctor mentions is not a matter of astonishment. It is the sort of thing that is happen- Henry Schmit 8 Co. HOPK1NS Ar'lD H.I,RRI£T STS. Cincinnati, OLio makers of Upholstered Furniture fo' LODGE and PULPIT, PARLOR, _. U.-I LIBRARY, HOTEL and CLUB ROOM f ing in every walk of life among all classes of. society. Lack of foresight and love of immediate ease at the cost of future efficiency and progress are not peculiar to the high school or trade school children or their parents. And we do not see that the illustration throws much light on the problem of the high school. As we understand it that problem is the relative value of the high school in p;opor-tion to its cost. Does it repay the great expense it en-. tails from a school treasury heavily ·burdened with the demands of an immense number of children who neither do nor can avail themselves of the high school? \Ve do not in the least deny its advantages for a certain small chosen minority, ,'vho have the intellect to use these ad-vantages and whose parents can afford to send them to the school. But granting this, is it expedient, is it quite just, to devote to the few in the high school an amount of money per child out of all proportion to the am·ount avail-able for the many who cannot attend the high school? It may seem to an enthusiastic educator sordid to look at the matter from the financial point of view, but as things are at present that is the controlling point of view. If we had money enough to give the best possible instruction" to the children in the elementary schools-say, enough to provide an excellent teacher in every branch for each class of not mOre than thirty pupils-then the claims of the high school would -stand in a different light. Until we have done that, we think. that increase of expenditure should be directed to meet the needs of the vast majority, whose needs are the greatest and most pressing, whose means are the least, and who belong to a class which, in the ratio of means, pays the heaviest contribution to the school funds. News that the match trust has 3,500,000,000 feet of lumber in reserve, will not add· to the comfort of the man who en-ters his.hall bedroom only to find.the box empty. ,lIe H I G1\ 1\ Chintz for the Furnishing of Homes in Summer. Anyone who has been in the homes of London, from the parlors of 11ayfair to the liule drawing rooms of "self-contained" flats in Kensington aud Chelsea, must be impressed with the popularity of chintz and cretonne for summer furnishing. vValls are covered with these materials and furniture b10550m50ut in the gayest of garlands on a spatles;,;ly white background. Cushions look like heaps of flowers, and beds arc flounced and piI1O\.\,cd with the daintiest and coolest of pinks and blues and greens. The effect is charming and cool. It 15 cheering as welt in the gray atmosphere of London, and it is an economical Made by Woodard Furniture 00. idea, for it saves good furniture and silk and tapeHry from sUmmer wear and tear. Only recently h:tve American hOllsekeepers begun to ap-preciate the changes that may be wrought with chintz during the warm months not only in sUmmer homes out of town but in the city Aat. One rea SOH "'lily chintz has not heretofore been utilized extellsivety is that the French variety used to be the only kind to be found and was ex-tremely expensive. The American manufacturers are now producing attractive results in the way of chil1t2cs or their equi\'alent. The aft ticking that sells for twenty-t-lve and thirty cents a :yanl is aeJmirable for walls and covers that require body. For cushions there are dozens of neautifut pattems in cretonne and linen taffeta, silkoline and even gauzy fabrics that can be used as curtains. There is no reason why the American housewife should persist in using the dark reds and greens of denim instead of brightening things up with chintz for the summer. Five or ten dollars expended on a room will do vvonders. Of course it is not wise to transform an entire apart-ment, as that produces an effect of sameness and monotony. But tlte living room and one bedroom may be brightened or a library transformed from its sombre winter dullness into a bovy·er. A wall papered in dark green or red can be changed by a frieze of chintz matching the cushions on couch or chairs. A I, TIS A 1\ 31 In one home in a studio building in Washington Squnre the magazines and paper covered hooks have little slip covers of chintz in a tiny .pattern of Dresden roses and blue bowknots on white. The doors are curtained in a broad satin fluishcd pate blue chintz striped with white, the couch cllshions are of blue and white on a blue cover, and the walls are hung with chintz ili the same color~. During the summer wicker chairs take the place of the heavier ones, and the big awninged window has a garden box rioting in green vines that trail up the sides and over-flow into the room. CUTTING PRICES. (With apologies to IIamle!.) To cut or not to cut. '['hat is the question. \Vhether it is not better in the end To let the chap who knows not the worth Have the business at cut-throat prices, or To take up arms against his competition, And by opposing cut for cut, end it. To cut-and by clltting put the other cutter Out of business-'tis a COnSUl11111ation Dcvotttly to be wished. To cut-to slash- Perchance myself to get it in the neck- Aye-there'S the rub; for when one starts to meet The oth{,J"fellow's prices, 'tis like as not He's up against it good and hanI.· To cut and to slash is not to end the confusion And the many evils the trade is pestered with: :-;ray,nay, Pauline ; 'tis but the fOreUl1l1er Of debt and mortgage such a course portends. 'Tis well to get the price the goods are worth And not be bluffed iuto selling them for what So-and-So will sell his g-oods for. Price cutting doth appear unseemly And fit only for the man who knows not \Vhat his Roods are ,vorth, and who, ere long, By stress of making vain comparison 'T\vixt bank account and liabilities, 'Vill make his exit from the business. ~-----_. ---._---. I Grand Rapids Caster Cup Co. 2 Parkwood A.e., Grand Rapids. Mich. We are now/,utting out the best Caster Cups with cork bases ever offered to the tra e. These are finished in Golden Oak and White Marle in a light tinjj;h. Thes1!lgoods are admirable for polished floors and furn-iture rests. They will not sweat 01' mar. PRICES: Size 2;{ Inches ....•• $4.00 per hundred Size 2U inches'···· 5.00 per hundred Try a sample Order. F. O. B, Grand Rapid6, • 32 MICHIGAN PUBLIC TRADE SCHOOLS. Move to Make Them a Part of New York's Educational System. The b03J"d of education ot ~cw York city recently ap-pointed a committee to investigate trade schools with the idea of ascertaining whether they could be established as part of the public school system of the city. The com~ mittee consists" of Frederick R Coudert, chairman; Samuel B. Donelly, John Greene, L. Katzenberg and M. J. Sulli\ran, and they are formulating a set of questions to be sellt to manufacturers to ascertain what trades might best be developed in these public trade schools. Dr. James P. Haney, secretary of the National Society for the Promotion of Industrial Ed1.lcation. has been re-quested to prepare for this committee a report on voca-tional and industrial schools such as might be established as part of the city's public school system. The :Massa-chusetts commission on industrial education has reportej that there are 25,000 children in that state between the ages of 14 and 16 years who have left school and are drift-ing from one trade to another vainly seeking to gain a foot-hold. "From this it might be inferred," says Dr. Haney in his report, "that the most important part uf the entire question of trade teaching dealt with pupils between the i'ges named, but in reality the question is one which should deal with the pupil before the age of fourteen, for unless the latter has received some definite vocational interest and inclination before he reaches the limits of his compulsory schooling, he leaves the elementary school without insight or training in any of the things which make for a successful adoption and pursuit of a vocation. Vv'hile, therefore, it is emphasized that trade teaching, as such, is not to be thOUg'lt of before the age of sixteen, preparatory vocational train-ing 1nust be a necessary preliminary to the devel( ~ment of what may be termed the clientele of the trade schools. "It is entirely possible to organize this preparatory voca-tional work in the seventh and eighth years of the elemen-tary schools and in the two years immediately succeeding, from the 13th to the 16th years, inclusive. One plan would be to set aside certain of the elementary schools through-out the city as centers in which this teaching mi.ght be given in the seventh and eighth years. A suggestive pro-gramme of work would change the curriculum now in vogue by the omission of certain subjects (music etc.), the sim-plifying of the others (mathematics, history, geography), and the immediate application of the subjects to the needs of the prospective artisan. The time g8.ined might be given in part to the study of industrial drawing and in stin greater measure to the development of skill of hand and knowl-edge of tools through constructive work in wood and metal. "To complete the scheme it will be necessary that there he organized in addition to these preparatory vocational schools of the elementary grade other schools to which the pupil of the age of 14 might go for an additional two years to pursue still further his practise of tool manipulation. This second suggestion contemplates the organization of vocational secondary schoots for pupils between the age of 14 and 16. which might offer courses developing in a similar, but more extended, way the subjects already begun in the elementary vocational schools. "1t would be necessary .in those secon,dary schools to differentiate the departments of instruction to the end that the student might elect to pursue his vocational work along lines of joine_ry and carpentry, or machine shop practice, electrical work, plumbing and gas fitting, or fresco and house painting, etc. "In as large a eityas New York, it may be safely as-serted that a number of employers will be found entirely prepared to acce'pt willingly, even eagerly, graduates of ARTISAN a school of the type indicated, and to advance them more rapidly in their apprenticeship than it would be possible to promote the untaught and unskilled applicant who enters the trade with no definite knowledge or insight into its processes, and no trainiug preparing him to adapt himself readily to the different forms of work required of the learner. "The immediate co-ordination between school and em-ployers is a neeessary part of the plan proposed, .which offers the double advantage of directly interesting a large number of practical men in the work of the schools and of pre-senting to the pupil the stimulus which comes from a knowledge that, as a graduate, he will be put immediately in the way of enter;.lg on his chosen vocation under con-ditions more favorable than couJd otherwise be the case." Philip Nonwe:iler's Will. Evan-svilJe, Ind., July 20-The will of the late Philip Nonweiler, president of the Evansville Furniture company, has been fl1cd with Probate Commissioner, A. C. Hawkins. By the tefms of. the will the Evansville Furniture company passes to the control of his sons. Gustav A. Nonweilcr re- STAR CASTER CUP CO. NORTH UNION, STREET. GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. (PATENT APl'LlIW FOR) We have adopted celluloid as a hase for our Caster Cups, makitlg the best cup on tbe market Celluloid is a great improvement over bases made of o~her mater.ial, When it is necessary to move a piece supported by cups Wllh cdlulold bases it can be done wJth eas~, as-toe bases an! pM-fectly smooth. Celluloid does not sweat and by the use of tbese cups tables are never marred. Tbese cups are finished in Golden Oak and White Mapltt,l.,finished light. If you will try a sample order of theBe goods yOU WiH desire to handle them in quantitielt. PRICES: Size 2X inches, ..••. $5.50 per hundred. Size 2U incbes 4.50 per hundred. f. o. b. Grand Rapids. TRY A SA.MPLE ORIJER. • ceives 501 shares of the stock, Pbilip c., twenty-one shares and Bertheld, 213 shares. To Philip C. Nonweiter is given a large share of the real estate owned by the late furniture manufacturer, while the two other sons received a smaller share of the real estate. The personal estate

Date Created:

1908-07-25T00:00:00Z

Data Provider:

Grand Rapids Public Library (Grand Rapids, Mich.)

Collection:

29:2

Subject Topic:

Periodicals and Furniture Industry

Language:

English

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© Grand Rapids Public Library. All Rights Reserved.

URL:

http://cdm16055.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p16055coll20/id/102