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- Issue of a furniture trade magazine published in Grand Rapids, Mich. It was published twice monthly, beginning in 1880. and Twenty=Eig,hthYear-No.2 JULY 25, 1907 Semi-Monthly Colonial Dining Room Pieces FROM THE LINE OF \r= ~7 "THE BETTER MAKE" ~=~ WE HAVE OVER 400 PIECES IN OUR UNE Bedroom, and Dinin~ Room Furniture ---- SUITES TO MATCH ---- NELSON.MATTER FURNITURE COMPANY GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. Factory and Salesroom, 37 Canal Street \ l!===«:';~T' - ,i;.~'.';Mi:'.". Why Biggest in the World? At the coming Furniture Exposition at Grand Rapids (opening June 17.) and that in New York (from July 15th to August 3d.) the Northern Furniture Company will as usual. have the largest space of any American Manufacturer. Though but a few years old. the Northern makes more bed-room. dining-room.and kitchen furniturethan any 'other manufacturer in this country. and that means in the world. .WHY? Why was Northern space last year more crowded than any other at these two expositions? BECAUSE-The Northern line sells best on the floorsof the retail dealers. It's a quick mover. It doesn't get stuck. It givessatisfaction. The prices are the kind the people want-not so low as to necessitate poor workmanship. not so high as to be fancy. The Northern line is noted for its elegant simplicity. It is stylish without being over-ornamented. It is substantial without being gaudy. It looks well for years and it wears well for years. It is solid all the way through. It has inner quality as well as outer quality. And the people know it. Do you know it? Call and see us. You yourself will then know WHY. The plates on this page are but a suggestionof our enormousline. NORTHERN FURNITURE COMPANY Sheboygan, Wisconsin - THE VICTOR WAS ~~~~=:::O: VICTORIOUS The victory was complete. Our exhibition of an en-tire new line of Victors and a full line of EXTENSION TABLES at 1319 Michigan Ave., Chicago, did the busi-ness. Write for new catalogue. Posselius Bros. Furniture Manufacturing Co. Detroit, Michigan 1 p l JH!fiT ir 'ii) uDUt; L 15 GRAND RAPIDS. MICH.. JULY 25. 1907. ==========,'~ ~========= STORE METHODS AND MANAGErENT. I Various Expressions of Ideas and Opinions en Mail Order Business, Stock~Keeping, "Shopping'I' Etc. During the summer sales season the Daily )Artisan-Record as usual, published numerous interviews with frrniture buyers and sellers, m~nufactt1rers and dealers ou toPjcs supposed to he uf general mterest to those in any way connected with the trade or industry. The dealers \..'~ere questibned in regard to their methods of store management-mail larder business, keeping stock records, "shop talk," treatm~llt of chronic "shoppers," etc., and as their ideas and opinions will be of interest and perhaps valuable to many readers of the Michigan Artisan, some of the talks ha ve been condenscld and are here reprinted: ! W. N. Artz of Dayton, O.-;.lail order b~~sincss, as it is genC1"allyU1Hkrstood both by the furniture tl'atle and the pub-lic at large, is not being extended in the wa~1of 1lew enter-prises directly jJl that 11ne. It is dominated b a few big C011- cem~ which carry immense stocks and their .eld covers the nation and evcn lands beyond the confllles ff our country. Their system, to say nothing of the great capitalization em-ployed to ·wield it and the years of success ubparallcled, has given them a firm seat on the commercial thro~e, but the car-rying of sufficient stocks by the legitimate, pbrhaps I might better say the regular merchant class, for the ~cconl1nodatiOl1 of trade within a big; radius of the respecti~'e locations of such establishments, I helieve to be au the Increase. The falling away in this line of business endeavorJ is among con-cerns assuming. a high sonnding title, emploYlng about all of their available cash in advertising space, ,;m€1., ·whencver an order comes in, running to some manl1factu~er to buy the goods with which to J-i.1l it. Such dealers ha,e no legitimate standing in the mercantile \vorld. They are simply agents of the factories, in many instances carrying 01business under their own names, but simply agents regardl S5 of that pre-tension. In some instances they have no age ICY connection, but a working arrangement with manufactulJlers and simply secure a commission on sales. Such dealers are more thor-oughly understood by the public today tha] formerly and cannot long remain a factor in competition wit 1 the legitimate dealer nor the big mail order enterprises. 1\ow, getting back to the regular dealer Iho is engaging in this distant patron service, I have said it fS growing, but consider it hardly fair to denominate it Urail order busi-ness. It is so, to a certain extent, and there is nothing par-ticulady obnoxious in the term, yet the dra]'ing of the line between the mail order house and the regular dealer has been so sharp, and there is such a feeling prevai J ling against the former on the part of the latter, that we rat er resent being classed with the mail order industry. Yet ,all it what you will, all enterprising dealers in furniture, dr~pery and other lines, located without the very largest eitie~ rre delving into this line of work with profit, and the trend 0 the times is to use all possiblities opened up through it. With our mvn 28th Year-No.2. $1.00 pe' Year. house we carryall the goods we think our distant patrons may need and they get just as good prices as the city custom-er, with the difference that the long haul and the cost of trans- Jlortation, together with the packing, is added. That is strictly legitltnate \vork, although the orders may come through a mail communcation. The reason at the bottom of this trade is the growth of the interurban roads. With us of Ohio and in the neighboring state of Indiana, you know, the electric interurban has reached its highest development. With us of Dayton, and with those houses located in otller cities of our state, it is not a matter of serving a community within a radius of forty or fifty miles but of three or four times that distance. These lines, at first, brought the customer into our cities and stores, he readily affording the low rates of fare and combiiling a pleasure trip to the city with his business mission. As this business grew, \"ie began to go after it. The customer first came to us, and HOW we are going after him, which is SaIne thing of a rever-sal of the customary trade formula. As the electric road brought in the country customer, so with the addition of pack-age and freight cars to its service, we have been sending our advertising matter and our wares to them. I am telling yoU how we work this phase of business in my establishment and it is all strictly legitimate and in ke~~pillg with the ac-cepted trade forms for furniturt: dealers of the old schooL THE CORRECT Stains and fillers. THE MOST SATISFACTORY first Coaters and Varnishes ., ....I'IUrACTUlrClJ ...... i.y BY CHICAGO WOOD FINISHING CD. ZSg·63 ELSTONAVEmZ'16 SLOAN ST. CH I CACD. 4 ~MI9rIG7jN $ What is true of our method is true, with certain variations, wi~hvmost of the houses, in OUf ,city and with those of other communities, so {ar as 1. have knowledge of their workings. Stewart Brothers of Columbus have long featured the mail order d'cpartncnt a11d have made a success Of it. Their cata-logue is a big,selling factor in their business and they arc pushing this Qut-oi-town business for all it is worth. F) H.o Peavey of Peavey & Nash, Sioux City, Ia.~1\.Jait or~ <leT business, as it' is generally understood, has had a good field in our portion of the country. That is true of nearly all agricultural districts. \Vith the merchants it has been a problem for many years as to how to combat the competition we constantly meet from that source, but we have solved that problem, at least to a degree. vVe impress upon our pat-rons that with their home dealers they can get as good goods as the big mail order concerns can provide, and as cheaply. Better than this, the goods are right before their eyes for ex-amination. They can view our displays, make their selec-tions '\\'ith their eyes open, and in case eithe.r we or they make allY error we are both, buyer and seller, right together as neighbors and all mishaps can either be remedied or the cost thereof refunded. This method of dealing has appealed to the common sense of the farmer, and I believe theyare more and more inclined to carry their trade to their home dealers than. ever before, although it is but natural to expect that some of them stm give a portion of their patronage to the big corporations. .As to how far the regular dealers enter the wail order class. I would 110t hazard a guess. V'le have an exee'11ent·business yet a large portion of our trade is from the surrounding territory. V\'e issue no catalogues for the reason that styles change so frequently. We do get after them, though, through the medium of their weekly papers. The plan we follow is that generally employed by merchants in towns of our calibre and those catering to the agricultural masses.. Some do it by catalogue, some as we do, and some by both mediums. P. M. Gauchat of the Keim-Heffelman Company, Canton, O.-Themail order business is one of the evils which we have to contcnd with at Canton and we try to counteract it as much as possible by meeting the mail order house price. vVe do a considerable amount of business with what I call the middle-class trade and do not fmd much difficulty in convinc-ing them that we are treating them as well as the mail order houses, but on the other hand we do find it difficult to con-vinc'e the farmer trade and the more ignorant class in this matter. However, the most pronounced evil that we have to contend with is the competition we meet from a firm do-ing business a few miles from Canton. They arc selling their goods on a ten per cent basis,. that is to say, ten per cent above cost. They usually tell prospective customers, if they find any difficulty in selling them, that they will sell them the same kind of goods handled by competing houses at a price twenty-five per cent less than the price shown by their cata-logues. The movement has been started among Canton dealers to remedy this evil by refusing to purchase goods from the manufacturers selling that cOI).cern. G. A. Stowers of the Stowers Furniture Company, HOlls-- ton and San Antonio, Tex.-We have always done more or less mail order business in both houses. We get out an an-nual catalogue which i'g a trade incentive of big value to us. The territory tributary to u's and like communities is a legiti-mate field for our labors and we hav.e found it a most profit-able' one. Trade talks and selling points provide a profit-able subject for discussion among our selling forces and de-partment heads. \ It is a part of the system of the enterpriS"- ing .cstablishment today to keep posted on everything pertain-ing to business. This can best be effected by calling the men togethcr frequently and discllssing topics which are being generally talked over in our line of industry. These natur-ally bring out the original ideas of those who so gather, fos-ter a spirit of originality and. intitiative that might otherwise lie dormant, if not entirely. undiscovered. H.C. Silsbee of ElmiTa, N. Y.:------That mail order proposi-tion I don't know much about. I'm too old, too indisposed for tempestuous doillgsto go out after the country trade. If it comes, all right, but if not I have plenty of city patrons. Elmira has forty thousand inhabitants and is steadily increas-ing that number, so with no inclination to spread Ollt beyond my present limitations, it would be the height of folly' for me to go hustling after a lot of trade which in reality I do not want. To adequately care for this class of business would require catalogues or some such devices. You've got to have something to show these outside people before they will come into your store. You get back from this market and it .will take a couple of months or morc before you can get such a publication out. By the time you are getting any· re-turns from the distribution your stock will be low and it will be about time for yOUto go into the market again .. Sup-pose a man ordered a piece of goods of which you are out. You send to the factory and after a ,vait, yoU are informed that it has been rt1I1 out and that the plant is making no more. Then you are called upon for an explanaion that ex-plains nothing to the man or woman who wants the go?ds. E. A. Jennings of the C. F. Wing Company, New Bed-ford, Conn.~-As to mail order business by legitimate dealers-caring for the merchandise wants of a fairly large expanse of territory within their neighborhoods-that has been a policy with us for at least five years. VV' e issue a catalogue and the electric lines which traverse our part of the ...:ountry enabl~ us to give service which is a decided accommodation to the public and which not alone pays us big returns each year, but which has been a most efficient factor in bringing our house to the important position it occupies. By our system our stock accounts are kept fully posted each day, wbile the trial balance at the end of eac.h month shows almost to a cent ex-actly how we stand as to liabilities and assets. Each de-partment is treated· as a unit and there are some eight or t"'a of them. The purchases are added and +he. sales deducted with the margin of profit for each article and thus we arnvc at an accurate figure. It is a duty which takes precedence of almost everything else in our store ,to keep the posting right up to the minute, and thus at a glance we know at any time the information desired, how our stock stands for any particular item and what each line of goods and its integral parts are paying or losing for us. J. T. Clark of the Kirkpatrick Company, Denver,Colo.,...- The mail order business, I believe, is being t:xtended by the regular merchants of the country, making lts greatest pro-gress among the dealers in the smaller towns. Yet that is not altogether true, for in cities the size of Denver and even largcr, there is a tendency to extend the territory covered and to cater to districts within a wide radius. vVe carry a big stock of carpets, draperies and furniture. We have fully $100,000 invested and are in a position to care for the wants of customers for anything in these lines on demand and at prices which will beat, in many iustanees, those quoted by the big mail order houses. As to the merit of the products, there is no comparison! at least none that I will admit and 1 am rather fair minded, at that. Forrest L. Oilar of the Foster Furniture Company. Fort Wayne, Ind.-Mail order business, at least with us, has never appeared to be allY barrier to the growth of our trade nor the retention of the business of our old patrons. I am now speaking of the mail order business as conducted by the giants engaged in that class of mercantile work. FoT' the otbers, we never hear of them. We don't even have to resort to the cxpedient of showing our trade that we can sell them at first hand thc.same goods at as fair or better prices than the mail order concerns. They know us, they are our friends and fair dealing with them at all times has secured and retained their ct1~tom. \\le do not attempt to do mail order business, but we have a nice line of distant btisilless \vhich we assid-uously cultivate, though not by means of catalogue nor simi-lar devices. Our advertising consists of matter in the rural press at times, but in the main we confine our publicity cam-paigns to our local dailies. The illterurbans which give In~ diana such excel!c:nt service, and the rural free delivery are of great advantage to us. B. F. Huntley, a South Carolina manufacturer and dealer. -The· southern lllerchat1ts feel the effects of the big mail or-der houses and some of them have met the c0111petition to a certain extent by engaging- in that line themselves. Their plan }lJS proved effective in at kast cutting clown the vol~ ume of trade ~vhich, Jegitin,ately theirs formerly, '\'8S given to the: great establishments. 1 think you \",.il1hardly find any representative merchant who is not no,,\, carrying stock:,; from \,.,hich they can promptly furnish anything; their patrons may want. TllC mail order hOllse has a forceful way of g-et-ting at the consumer. Us ;Ich'crtising matter comes 10 the fireside and is alluring, hut the cOllntry Hlerchants today are extending their advertisements to meet such competition and they are meeting ·with success in the campaign. The mail order llOtlSC of the big type ".".i.I.1 doubtlesf1 be always with us, but in the future it ,,~rill have harder work /0 nwkc inroads tlpOn tIle trade of tbe country merchants than it h"s had ill the past, if tIle methods recently adopted are systematicall)' follm'llcd Ollt a.nd broadet1ed. Claudius Jones of Little Rock. Ark.-Little Rock is tl)O large a city hr its business hou~es to he inconveniel1r:ed through the inroads of mail order campaigns. \rv~e r10 a little of that sort of thillg ourselves, for we go out after distant business. I should say tlwt ollc-thitd of our volume of trade: comes from distant patrons and it is not alone profit-able, but it is growing all the time. "Ve issue 110 catalogues. I have discovered that styles change too frequently to make that a profitable sort of advertising agent. \Ve employ the rural papers generollsly <tl1dwe carry lo.rw' \>tocks of !5taplc goods which enable us to pnnnptly care for <:lily demand made by the outside trade. C, K. Montgomery of Megary & Co., Wilmington, Del.- The "shoppers" are assuredly beneficial to us. ,Vc <ldver-tise to bring people to our store and once we get them there we take particular pains that they shall be il.ccorded such a cordial \'\'clcomc and such courteous treatment that they '\vi11 be. glad to come again. We do not expect every caller to prove a buyer; but we can at least show l1irn something wbleh will take his fancy. All this «shopping" helps advertise the house and is a iactor in proving its popldarity. Our stotk keeping is something similar to the card system, although a book is kept. The similarity lies in this book being a loose leaf ledger and it is kept right up to the minute all the time. That is an ordet' 'vhich none of us has the temerity to disre-gard, no 1118tter what his position ,'vith the house may be. From this ledger ,ve ('an tell at a glance just how we stand 011 each article and \vh.at the measure of profit or loss may be upon each piece of goods. It is simple and it is handy, and what is more to the point, it is distinctly accurate. A. W. Crawford of Rudge, Quenzel & Co" Lincoln, Neb. -V'-/e have two cluhs in our store, the buyers' dt1b and the 5e11e·r5'club. Each meets once a month nnd naturally tl,e former is more restricted in its membership than the latter. There are sixteen buyers and heads of departnlcnts who belong to the' cluh. "Ve meet ;It smile hotel <tl1d discnss matters ,'vhich, while having their origin in the respective de-partmellts., still have a hearing Upon general husiness. Each meeting brings out something of value and that is communi~ cated to the selling force hy department heads to be worked out. Some meet with success, others fail. ¥lith the sellers the meeting is a general our forces which ::tre not on the office starr. gathering of all The department heads and frequently members of the finn meet with us. There is a regular set program,; certain papers are read,there is discussion of matters brought up in these and of timely :ar~ cles in the trade journals. vVe also ha.ve ..a qucstio'n box which is opened each month and the questions pt·opounded are handed to some person to look up the information and re-port <:[t the next meeting. These clubs have been ·in exist-ence with us for sever;i! years and they are growitlg in in-terest and in ''''orth. Mrs. J. G. Grant of the Grant Furniture Company, New Orleans, La.-I am thoroughly convinced of the merit of trade talks with Out selling forces and of the development of commercial science. The plan of regular meetings with our helpers h2S been in vogue in our store for many years and the system Oil which it is conducted is be.ing strengthened. It bring-s us better ideas. \Vithin the last year these meetings have been held monthly at my home. I like to have the boys with me and they like it. 'Vile make some kind of a so-cial fUlJctioll of these gatberings, although while the friendly spirit and the good times provide the atmosphere of the meet-ings, we never lose sight of the fact that business and its :'>tudyis the foundation of the assembly. I have ideas myself, so docs 1-Ir. Kestler cmd our other department heads, but we arc not alone ill that. All of OUt men have ideas of their own and no man of the force, or ",voman either, is jn too ht1111blta position for any sugge~tion they advance to fail of meeting the 1110stcareful consideration. }fot all of the ideas are availahle-not all of them work out satisfactorily-but we canvas!; everyone tllat 1S ;ldvflnced. ,""'le take the trade journals and they arc read with care and with interest as well. All articles which have a general beating are marked for per-usal by employes in the establishment who could in anywise profit by the ideas advanced. Leading articles or new thoughts are discussed at our meetings and frequently papers and talk::; by members of oUr own staff Upon trade subjects are read. Commercialism is a science which we have long since recognized and which we study as carefully as we did our les-sons in our school days. C. L. Sandusky of Danville, 1lI.~,Talk over trade matters and smoothing out ~elling points? We certainly do. Not OUT house alone, but every merchant in Danville is well up in the science of selling goods. It is a regular practice to call our salesmen together once in every two Or three weeks, when points are thoroughly disc.ussed and every proposition which promises to advance the ability of our forces is can':' sidered. \Ve ha\'e <111 exceJJcnt merchants' assoc.iation in our city and last winter under the auspices of thls organization we gave a series of lectures for the benefit of the sales forces uf the various stores. The lecturer was Dr. Krebbs, who is the offic5al head of the Sheldon School of Salesmanship and his talks· were valuable. The effect of the lectures has been shown in the better 'work of oUr men. The high tone of sales-manship has become more g/;."nerally understood in the last few years than ever before. It is a profession and the quick-er tllC man realizes this and stttdie~ the systems which will increast his capacity for results the more quickly will he be-come interested in his work and the more quickly will his value be recognized by the merchants. John McLaren of ]. N. Adam & Co., Buffalo, N. Y.-There i:; but one system of keeping account of stock. That is the c<-:lrdsystem, which 1 have used for a couple of years with the aid of a young lady and I would not part with either systen1 or lndy for :l great deal. The system is all right and so is that young woman. She ~,va.sformerly a school teacher, but her hearing became affected and she had to seek other em-ployment. \Vhen I nrst took charge of the furniture depart-ment of OUr hottse-I had been in charge of others previously -we had two books as big as those back there (and he pointed to a big loose leaf ledger used in the Livingstori: lIotel). They were big and they were dirty, and aside from OUR NEW 1907 LINE OF ALASKA REFRIGERATORS with side ice chamber is made in twenty-one styles, zinc lined, white enamel and porcelain lined. Our cataloguewill interest you. Write for it. THE ALASKA REFRIGERATOR CO. Esclusive Refrigerator Manufacturer$, MUSKEGON, MICHIGAN. 6 bulk and uncleanliness it was. an awft11job to hunt up infor-mation in them. I got the card system and threw away the books. The cards are kept in two drawers and when a card becomes soiled it is thrown away and a clean one substituted. When goods come in they are entered upon a card; when they are sold they are checked off. All Ihave to do is to ask for the stock number. The card is promptly found; I glance at it and there is noted how many of that particular article I have on hand. If anyone has a better and handier method 0.£ keeping track of his goods, I should like to know it. S. A. Gusdorf of Gusdorf & Joseph, Baltimore, Md.-Our method of stock keeping is to give each salesman charge of some part of the stock and require him to keep track of it. It places responsibility upon him which develQps in him the buyer's and the manager's qualifications. We have alway,; found this practice to work to the end ·which it is desired to accomplish. It takes but little time in this manner to dis~ cover offhand just what stock we have in any particular de-partment. As to their individual method of keeping track of their charge, that is a matter which rests with them entirely. They probably have as many ways as there are men, but the result is the same-we know for the asking and at any time, what we have and what we need. Walter McManus of McManus Brothers, Elizabeth, N. J.-As to talking up selling points with our clerical forces, I believe in it thoroughly and not that alQue, but we have practiced the system for years. We gather our forces to~ gethcr at stated intervals for an interchange of ideas and any man who has an idea to advance is welcomed into our coun-cils, whether he is the newest clerk or the oldest salesman. You never can tell who will produce a good idea or when it will be advanced. \Ve arc not alone concerned 'with the ideas we develop ourselves. We are quite well aware that our competitors have some very excellent ideas of thir own and when one of these is brought to our notice we are not slow to talk it over with nut help a"d to incorporate it into our system, if we think advisable. This is not borrowing from them, but rather an interchange, for they are as welcome, as apparently they are free, in taking those we work out on our own account. Peter E. Pickard of Pickard Brothers, Fort Wayne. Ind. -We aim to keep our sellinR" forces fully posted On every-thing that tends to encourage the talent of the members. We hold nO -regular meetings, hut frequently have informal talks that tend to bring employers and employes closer to each other and also bring about better feeling and under-standing amOng the employers, We take the trade papers and whenever there is any article of more than ordinary merit and interest therein, matters which have a direct bear-ing on selling work, we call the attention of our men to it. They se'em eager to pick up anything that will give them bet-ter powers of selling and 1 have yet to witness the instance when a man has to be urged into the study which makes for his improvement in his calling. We do not depend alone on the trade journals nor other printed matter, We hav~ mig-inal ideas and we have sufficient respect for our competitors to know that they arc just as enterprising as we are. When-ever some new force is developed by one of the other houses we review it personally and if it stands our test as to availia-bility we pass it on to our men, S. K. Barstow of Vincent, Barstow & Co., Cleveland, 0.-. Through my banking affiliations I am closely in touch with financial affairs.. I confess that with the tightening of the ffiQney market in the spring I was on the lookout for squally times and the necessity for taking in business sail. No lam free to confess that the clouds have cleared away and that all looks bright ahead. There is no reason why the outlook should he otherwise. Labor is employed steadily and at good wages, regardless of the class one calls to mind. The crop reports assure good returns to the farmers and when the city man and the agriculturist are moving along at a prosper-ous pace, all is well for the country at large, its industries, commerce and its mercantile forces. R. F. Hellwig of EI Paso, Tex~-\Vc believe in any mod-ern device which will add tQ the syst.ematic working of our house and to this. end we long ago instituted a class among our salesmen which meets every, Monday evening. Each member reads the trade papers faithfully and is always pre-pared to intelligently discuss <).nynew topic which arises. We have the question box and any man with an -idea if> wel-comed, especially the idea. Not a meeting is permitted to adjourn without a clear threshing out of every topic that has been propounded, G. A. Gruetzner of Hespeler, Ont.-The trading stamp craze which yoU discussed several seaSOns ago interested me, Our government took a stand in that matter and the evil has been wiped out in the DominiQn. As lQ1\gas people have the desire to get something for nothing, just so long will that and similar "devices be invented and carried out to lure the un-wary. They are catch-penny devices so far as the trading public is concerned, but with those who operate the system they are accumulators of many dollars. The ha'rdest thing the young merchant has to learn is how to buy goods. Most bright young fellows, interested and determined, can quickly ·pick up knowledge regarding goods, salesmanship, system adapted to their immediate needs, etc. They can learn these things steadily and profit by them. When you buy right the hardest part of mer-chandising is over. A well-established house, old in experi-ence, says: 'IAvoid buying job lots, c.heap trash and too far ahead; It is not wise tQ buy of too many different houses." The Higher Degrees of Furniture Construction Have Been Taken by the ESTEY MANUFACTURING CO. For Workmanship -------------- For Quality CHAMBER SUITES No. 400 SIDEBOARDS and BUFFETS For Designs OWOSSO, MICH .----------------; " CATALOGUE MAILED TO THE TRADE ONLY For Finish 8 ·3t~MI9J-IIG?lN , 7l~Tlq;Jf£i1 ..,..- How to Avoid Car Shorta,e. Car shortage, or freight congestion, that annoys mer-chants and has caused numerous dashes between railroads and shippers is discussed by Chicago shippers and railway officials in a symposium of articles in the current number of System. "There is a possible method of increasing the carrying capacity of the railways tl1irty to forty per cent without the Made by Globe Furniture Co., EvansVille, Ind. purchase of another car or locoll1otive/' writes A. B. Stick-ney, president of the Chicago Great Western. "This can be accomplished," he continues, "by loading to the full capacity the cars which the railroads possess. Investigation proves that, aside from coal and ores, the average present loading of cars does not exceed sixty-five or seventy pe'r cent of their present capacity." F. A. Delano~ president of the \Vaba!'>h, protests against legislation hostile to the roads. He says: "One. of the effects of hostile legislation is to alarm illVeS-tors in railroad securities. They doubt whether railroads can successfully survive the hostility and investors who have fol-lowed the history of railroads in the United States, may well be alarmed." John M. Glenn, secretary of the Il1itlois Manufacturers' Association, urges the forming of associations by shippers. He says: "The railroads are strong on associations. They pay a lot of money to keep their various organizations going. When you prescl1t your case to a railroad it must go to an association. Kow, how is the business man going to reach the railroads unles1:i by united efforts." A Cross Road Merc:hant'sExperience. C. H. Rowland, who started business with a "handful" of goods at Casnovia, Mich., a few years ago, has built up a fair amount of trade and is an important factor in the business life of that little to,,,,·u. He occupies a double store of two :floors, and is noted for his energy and intelligence. The big mail order house,s of Chicago operate in his territory largely, but Mr. Rowland 15 contesting every ine\} of ground and holding his own. He watches the railroad freight depot, and "keeps tab" on every article that is shipped in from abroad. A short time ago he noticed a chamber suite at the station bearing the name of a, farmer living near the vil-lage. He readily identified the shipment as having been made by a mail order house. A day or two later the farmer called DU Mr. Rowland and asked the prices on a bed spring, mattresses, pillows and blankets. Mr. Rowland quickly add-ed something to the regular selling price of these articles and when the goods had been loaded and paid for, Mr. Rowland invited the customer to look at a suite he had in stock, stat-ing that he had never failed to meet the competition of the postal service merchants. The suite, as Mr. Rowland well knew, was a duplicate of the one the farmer had bought in Chicag-o and ~'hell Mr. Rowland named his price the cus-tomer recognized the fact that, adding the freight he had paid, the transaction with the mail order nouse had not heen pro-fitable. The farmer reported·· his experience to his neigh-bors, and 11£. Rowland "made the most" of the incident. There is a waning of interest in the offering5 of the mail order houses in Casnovia and vicinity. The Great Luce Line. The Luce Furniture Company, down in Pleasant Valley, are making a display of chamber and dining room furniture worth going hundreds of miles to see, In chamber fur-niture they show many beautiful patterns in mahogany, Cir-cassian walnut, golden quartered oak, bird's-eye maple amI curly bureh. Thi.s line is large enough and varied enough in woods, styles and prices to meet the demands of the most careful buyers. The dining room furniture is made up ill mahogany and oak, the latter mostly in dark finishes. The tables, buffets, chairs, etc., in this line are worthy of the most careful inspection, as they are certainly much above the aver-age. The buyers have taken a great fancy to the Luce line this year, and well they may. "Strat" Makes a New Alliance. H. V. Stratton, formerly and for many years a buyer for George Kelly of Philadelphia, has entered into a contract with S. F. Kauffman to manage the furniture section of his department store in Trenton, N. J. r ORAnDlIlunft RT. mun MOST ATTRACTIVE ROUTE JAMESTOWN EXPOSITION Tickets on sale daily until Nov. 30, 1907, at very low rates. Pas, sengers have choice of several routes. On season and sixty-day limits, liberal stop-over. Passengers may go one route and return via another. Full particulars at City Ticket Office, 97 Monroe street. Phones-Citizensl 5576; Bell, main, 576. C. A. JUSTIN, C. P. & T. A. ·~J:A.I9HIG7fN 9 The Monarch Push Button Chair EVERY PATTERN OF OUR WELL KNOWN LINE OF MORRIS CHAIRS WILL BE EQUIPPED WITH THIS PUSH BUTTON ATTACHMENT. THE MONARCH ,s Note the simple yet abso-lutely r-igid construction. Fully guaranteed and pro-tected by U. S. Letters Patent Nos. 653,452 and 648,715. Perfection, Comfort and Utility. Ramsey-Alton Manufacturing Co. PORTLAND, MICHIGAN HINTS FOR HOUSE FURNISHERS. Proportion in construction is merely the regulation of the subdivisions of spaces, It deals ;:ilso with the amount re-spectively of ornamented and plain surfaces that go to make up the pleasing sum total result. The tendency -in decorating is to err rather On the side of over-doing than of over-severity. But it should be borne in mind that allY object which has its surface covered with decorations is not so impressive as if part only were embellished and the other part left plain for contrast. The art of proportion consists in determining ex-actly the relatiollshipduc hetween reticence and enrichment, that shall cause the latter to be appreciated at its full value. Expense and elaboration demand a foil for their value: 'with-out it they are virtually wa.s:te:d:.. In the application of color and form of ornament, the bal-ance should be struck on the one which is 11either too strollg on the one hand, 110r yet dull .and commonplace on the otber. Monotony is wearisome and depressing, while eccentricities ill contrasts shock and startle.::t:h.e beholder. Ground floor fooms in nafrow streets, where opposite houses conduce to (leaden the light, require brightening as far as possible; \\·hile rooms in open spaces, especiaHy in the country, in general admit of a comparatively subdued color scheme. .:::. The satisfactory motn is cheerful, but not gaudy. In the selection of colors the aspect of any given room should be considered. A southe1'11or ,,,,,estern aspect does not require such warm tones as do rooms.:t:h:a.t face more sunless quarters. The most s:ltisfactory room is that which embodies com-fort and restfulness. House furnishers should ever keep 'these requisites in mind. Ornament and color which provides a gentle stimulus to the imagination is agreeable; anything beyond this becomes :In annoyance. Large, lwavy furniture is out of place in smaB rooms. Small, delicate furniture lacks character in large and high rOOms. The health and happiness of the occupants of a home are affected by the color scheme .b:y::\.\'hich they are surrounded. Over severity (extremes) repels; lavishness is vulgar and ostentatious. MANUFACTURERS OF HARDWOOD LUMBER & VENEERS SPECIAL TIES: ~1"i'g'E=~QUAR.OAK VENEERS MAHOGANY VENEERS HOFFMAN BROTHERS COMPANY 804 W. Main St., FORT WAYNE, INDIANA 10 ~M.}f«HIG7JN THE LEXINGTON MiehiPtt Bkd. &; 22d St CHICAGO, ILL. Refurnished and re-fitted throughout. New Management. The fumitul'"e dealers' head-quarters. Most con-venient~ y situated to t b e furniture display houses. Inler-Slale Holel CO, OWNKR &. PIlOPkIItTo:l E. K. CrUey. Pres.; T. M. CrUey, V. Pres.; L.H. F\rey.Sec-TI~. The Summer Sales Season. So far as Grand Rapids is c.oncerned, the furniture sales season for 1907 has been a record breaker in the matter of attendance and it is probable that it will also break the rec-ord for the volume of business transacted. Up to this date, July 25, the -number of buyers registered is 1,012, against 969 for 1906 and 895 for 1905. The figures show a gradual in-crease in the. n\lrnher of buyers visiting the Grand Rapids market and as most of the exhibitors report sales larger than la&t year, it is prohable that the total volume of business "\vill exceed that of 1906 and 1905. in proportion with the in-crease in the number of buyers. The season has been some-thing of a ,surprise to manufacturers. Owing to a cold backward spring, which was known to have retarded trade in all sections of the country. a dull season was expected by many and the opening weeks indicated light attend<lnce and small orders, but since the Fourth of July a better feeling has prevailed and the market has grown stronger day by day. It was generally supposed that' most de<tlers werc well stocked and therefore would be inclined to cut down-thcir usual sum-mer orders. It is probable that many came to the market with -that intention, bllt Wht:ll they got into the rush changed their minds and bought more freely than in former -years. That they are not over-stacked-that they have sold the goods ordered last winter':"'-is shown by the fact that"many have insisted on immediate or early delivery. The 'trans-portation difficulties enc~utltered last year may have caused some to ask for promp~ delivery, but it is more probable that it,s due to the facti that they need the goods. At any rate, they have tried to' ihsure early deli¥eries. It is known that several buyers have :closed their deals with such reluarks (LS tbis: "Now, if you canfillthi:'i order by the first or mid-dle of September, you rllay duplicate it in October or No-vember." Conditions in ChiQagoare similar to those in Grand Rapids. There, also, the season opened weak, but the mar-ket gt:ew stronger -rapidly and has proved quite satisfactory to nearly all concerned. While the attendance to this date has not quite equalled th~t of last year, it is likely to exceed it before the season is clpsed and the volume of sales is be-li. eved to have gone up veh near to the highest record. ! It$; Best Line. The Muskegon Vatle,< Furniture Company have exhibited mallY good lines of chamber furniture, music cabinets, ladies' desks and wardrobes 1,ntl~e twenty years of the past in Grand Rapids, but it is concede? that .the .~ine brought out for the fall season of 1907 surprusses 1n mbit all efforts in design and construction present~d by the company to the trade in the past. Many of the pieces were ornamented with mar- , I quetry, in the laying of which the company has attained dis-tinction. There were pieces in the line containing stich beautifully figured wood that the hand of man could add nothing to the work of nature, and then in other pieces the skin of man was manifested in beautiful carvings. The line impressed the buyers most favorablY. Interfering With Business. G ~;..~~ -:::.:.~-; '. -"""""_ Il·":~ ~ \ .....-_...- Tenderfoot-DOll't you see that man killing all those peo-ple out there? vVhy don't you stop him? Alkali Jim-Stop him! Me! Well, I guess not. Why, my dear man, I'm the coroner, and my pardner is the under-taker. Made by Luoe Furniture Co.• Grand Rapids, Mich. Feather Beds Much Prized in the South. Now is the time when the pe,uple Jiving south of 1:fasoll and Dixon's line from 1.'faryland clean down to North Carolina turn their feat]lcr bob, says a writer in the New York Sun. They do not turn them inisde out or even upside down, hut the feather bed is put next the slats or sacking bottom or spring and a hard mattress of hair or fdt is placed on top. Some folks like to sleep directly on the ieather be j all summer long and there are hotels in the region where the guest is asked in July whether he will have feathers m' noc But most people turn tllcm. The feather bed is the southern sign of respectability and ancient lineage. Every family of old respectability had h,'.\f a dozen feather beds a generation ago, and a good mally are still in use. They arc handed down as heirlooms, cher's!:e,j with pride and care. and in the best families cleansed and r{'- ticked from time to time, sunned thoroughly at least Ollce a week and treated as articles of the highest consideration. Whenever there is a country vendue in the belt fron "Mason and Dixon's line 200 miles 1:iouthward half the com-munity is 011 the lookout for a chance to buy feather beds cheap. They are regularly sold by the pound, and even the oldest, if in good condition, fetch pretty good prices. Really old fashioned folks still save their f:{oose feathers to make heds, though the fetich of the feather b~d is not what it used to be. and the doctors are against it as an article or unwholesome luxury. Nevertheless, when southerners COiT!f; north to live they are apt to fetch along the feather bed". TJlere are old ladies who would sooner leave behind the fam-ily "Bihle than their feather beds, and this \'ery night there ',\"i1l be scores of sOlltherners in )Ie\v York sleeping on feath-ers. 'fheh: is no possession that a colored family in the south 11 takes greater prid(~ in than a feather bed. It usuaHy'com~s into the possession of such a family second hand, but some· times 11 is the result of patient years given to the treasuring of goose feathers. An old colored woman ,-,rho eame to New York from V-ir-ginia leaving a husband behind was vastly disturbed when sne learned that he was ill. The family in which she was etT,- ployed condoled with her and tried to cheer her up, btlt abandoned the attempt when the old woman said: "1 'feared ef he dies dey'll sell my feather bed." He did not die, but the old woman had the bed sent norl h before he had a chance to fall iU again. The value of the feather bed lies in the fact that it is pra ..-... tic ally indestructible and is always an available asset. If the feathers are properly cured and the bed is properly c:tn~d for i~ is as good at the end of a hundred years as on the Jay it waA made. 1here is always somebody south of the Mason and Dixon "ho is ready to pay a fair price for a fcather bed and if by ;Juy accident it liaS lost part of its contents so that it is js too thin to serve its original purpose the dealers are always reatly to buy it and make the feathers up into pillOWS. In this form the feather bed has a new and long lease of lift'. Peo-ple the country over are pmOWiJlg their heads upon feather:.; that .once soothed the 51umbers of Virginials first families. Additional Hotel Accommodations. Proprietor P.1.ntJindof the Morton and Pantlind hotels in Grand Rapids, will have much larger accommodations for hi::; guests ..v.hen the winter furniture season shall open. The Hotel Panttind will he considerably enlarged and a large building adjoining the hotel may be acquired and added to the hotel proper. HAVE' ANIcEH6ME~iFYb(rHAVE ANY We will furnish a duplicate of $1 50 this pleasing room scene - for • • Remit with order. MICHIGAN ARTISAN CO., Grand Rapids, Mich. 12 Our Spring Business was 50 per Cent Greater Than Last Year Sales at the mid-summer furni-ture show in Grand Rapids were more than satisfactory to us, all of which proves the popularity of the Woodard line. If you are looking for Circassian Walnut We have the Strongest Line in America LIKEWISE COLONIAL DESIGNS Have you our DeW tall catalog? A .A If not send tot" it.. A .A Makers of medium priced Bedroom Furni· ture in all the Fancy Woods and Finishes. Woodard Furniture Company Owosso, • • Michigan C. F. SCHMOE. al. CO. SHEL.ElVVIL.L.E. INC. MANUFACTURRJ:S OF KitGlum Gabinet5, Gentlemen'!) Gombination Wardrobe!) and Ghiffonler!). Line on sare at lAanutacturers' Furnlhlre Ex-change. Wa. bash and Four-teenth Street, Chicauo. WRITE FOO PRINTS AN. PRICES EXCEPTIONAL FACTORY OPPORTUNITY Do vou wish lo fitldan opening for a CHAIR. FACTOR.Yorwould you like to remove to some moTe favorable location? If so, it would repay you to at once request information about a fine IOI..--ationin the great timber selCtion of Southeast Missouri along the ... Liberal inducements are of[~r~d to ~cure a bQ'l\a fide 'proposition ~m-ploying oot less than forty men. Good di ..trJbutin~ facilities for finished product. Correspondence is invited regarding thiS and other excellent opportunities for furnitu.r~, mattress, iron bed and other factories along our lines. 8mdjorimlU8lrial descriptive matter about tM Rock latand- Frlsco. M, SCHULTER. Induslrial Commissioner. Rock Island-Frisco Lines. 1144 Frisco BldO., ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI. Morton House American ......Plan Rates $2.50 and Up Hotel Fantlind Rates $1.00 and Up GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. European ......Plan The Noon Dinner Served at the Pzmtlind for 500 is the fiNEST IN THE WORLD J. BOYD PANTLIND, Prop. Creditors Running Breuner Company's Business. H. L, Smith, secretary of the commitlec appointed by the creditors of t.he John BI-el1l1Cr Company of San Francisco, to take charge of the stores in San f'ruocisco and Stockton, Ca1., investigate and report the amounts of assetf; and liabilities and make rccOl11rnenclations as to what action should be taken to protect the interests of all concerned, has sent out the fol-hHving stalement to creditors; Gentle11lclJ:-Purstlflnt to promise contained in fanner etr-cular, r desire to advise yot! that the accountant employed by the creditors's committee has made the follmving report as to assets and liabilities of the J obn Bret\tKr Company of Sa.n Francisco: RESOURCES. Values as pel" face of Ledger Cash on hand _ ,.$ 3,645.99 l\lerchandise ., 207,594.55 Bills receivable , _. . 29AOO.OO Accounts receivable prior to April 18, 19Do ,. 14,512.81 Accounts receivable since April 18, 1906 . Sundry accounts receivable . New stable on leased ground . Account receivable BrcuDer Commercial Co. and stock-holders' liability _ . Account receivable John Breuner Co. of Stockton and stock-holders' liability ,. _., . New ",,-arehollse proper-ty on line of S. P. R. R. Co. . $77,017.09 Subject to mortgage of 22,500.00 Estimated values for closing 011t purposes. $ 3.645.99 103.797.28 24,500.00 2,500.00 73,380.38 3,756.02 7,445.16 62,373.00 919.12 3.000.00 5,677.97 1,892.66 8,503.03 5,865.00 ----- 54,517.69 50,000.00 Interest in staTe building on Van Ness avenUe _............... 19,184.95 Ul1col1ccted insurance accruing out of the fire of April, 1906., 6,392.40 Horses, vehicles, harness and stable fixtures 11,743.60 Fixtures m warehouses and stores ... '" .. , . _.,. 15,655.00 AcCotUlts due under leases of fur-niture '" 33,272.75 5,000.00 2,130.00 3,900.00 4,800.00 33,272.75 $494,679.30 LlABILlT1ES, $307,595.80 Accounts payable to San Francisco and California merchandise creditors $ Accounts p<lyble to Eastern merchandise: c\'(',ditors. Bills payable to Cnlifornia and Eastern merchandise creditors ., _.. , . BiBs payable {or borrowed money _ . Due upon sundry local ac.counts " . Due for rent_. . .. 44,557.95 138,688.01 123,011.94 180,100.00 1,818.67 140.00 $488,316.57 So far no proposition of adjustment or settlement has been made by the debtor and as an alternative to sumnl.arily realiz-ing upon the assets the committee will run or operate the business for the time being, as it is upon a paying basis. Respectfully, H. L. SMITH, Secretary. STAR CASTER CUP CO. NORTH UNION STREET, GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. (PATENT APPLIEO FOR) We have adopted cellulQid as a base for our Caster Cups, rnaking the best cup on the market. Celluloid is a great improvemellt over bases made uf other' material. \Vh.an it is tJeces~ary to move a piece, supported by cups with celluloid bases iCccan b~ done with ease, as Ulebasesare per~ fectty snlooth. Celluloid does' not sweat. and by the u~e of these cups tables are never marred. These ClipS are finished in Golden Oak and White MaplE:, finished light. If you will tPy a sample order of tkr-;st goods youwiU desire to har,dl'] tltem in quantities. PRICES: Size 2% inches, $5.50 per hundrf!=d. Size 2;.( il'lches., 4.50 peT hundred. f. o. O. Grand .Rapide. TIt Y A SAHI'LE ORDER. Richmond Chair CO. RICHMOND, INDIANA Double Cane Line SEE OUR NEW PATTERNS CATALOGUES TO THE TRADE 13 14 .J'~MICHIG.7IN 7IRTIS'..7IL".J"~. . ". . • .. , a';. $ e. . i,· MADE BY ESTEY MANUFACTURING CO. OWOSSO. MICH. Protect That Last Dime. Be prOmpt in sending ,;tatements. Put a limit on all ac-counts. Keep your accounts posted to date, so that you can always tell just what a cu"tomer owes you. W'hen payments are not made all promised dates, f111dout \\'hy. You judged your customers were able to pay their bills when yoU opened the accOunt. You should knOVi'if conditions have chang·ed. \Vhen customers have no resources make ar- J1 f jn Made by Richmond Chair Co., Richmond, Ind. rangements ·with them to pay a little each week and show them their obligation to g·ive you their cash trade. [vIany towns are organizing merchants' associations, which keep their members in t.ouch with the character and credit of customers. Tbese organizations are proving a great benefit to storekeepers. In collecting bills never throw a good do.llar after a bad one. All ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. It is better to prevent the accumulation of accounts. See bow big successful stores do business. Study their systems, their methods of increasing trade, their ways of making their clerks more efficient and taking care of their money. A prominent man once said: "The only difference between a rut and a grave is the \vidth and the depth." So don't get into the rut, hut go out and learn how other successful storekeepers do business. Perhaps you do all this. Perhaps you have a good stock, seasonable goods, good clerks, good advertising and good show windows, perhaps you do everythillg suggested in this article and still are not making money. If this is the case, 15 then there is something wrong. You are taking in the money all right, but it is going in a way that you probably cannot account for. There is a reason for every wrong. Many merchants sit down and figure on making 20 per cent profit and stop at that. The most thorough going business man I ever knew figured out to me once a little illustration that made me reali:ze more the lleCessi.ty of taking care of a busi-ness in a systematic way than any argument I ever heard. His illustration was as follows: "Suppose these five coins constitute a dollar taken in, over your connter, what becomes of them? The t\venty~five and fifty ce,nt pieces (seventy-five c~nts) go back into your busi-ness to purchase new stock. The nickel and one dime are used for rent, light, heat, help, insurance, ad...e..rtising and sundry expenses. The remaining dime is all that is left for your net profit. Out of this yOll have to meet your home expellSCS, pay for amusements, educate your children; and save enough to provide for sickness and a rainy day. Every loss in your business falls back on that last dime. There is no profit in handling the first ninety cents, but there is a chance for loss, and all this loss must come out of that last rli111C. Sometimes the loss is even greater than the dime. It eats up tJJis 1::I5tenth of your dollar and goes back into'the nickel and dime which are needed for expenses. Som,etimes it Illay even reach to the seventy~five cents which should go for new stock. In such cases as these the business cannot stand the drain, and ballknlptcy follows. "Can y011 afford to take the chance of losing any part of that last dime through the insufficient protection against care-lessness? Rememher that the welfare of your family is wholly dependent upon that lone dime-the only part of the dollar you have left'utlprotected." This illustration is so manifestly COfl"r:d. as to admit of no arg11l1H~llt.-The Retail ).Jerchant. The White Directory CONTAINS A CAREFULLY COMPILED LIST OF MANUFACTURERS OF. FURNITURE, PIANOS, ORGANS, INTERIOR FINISHES AND KINDRED INDUSTRIES Now Ready. Send in your order. WHITE PRINTING COMPANY PRINTERS, ENGRAVERS, PUBLISHERS, BINDERS 2-20 LYONST., GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. 16 7l"R'T'IS~ 1 2"- WARNING! No. 50. Imitation Spanish Leather Velour Plain Imitation Leather Embossed Imitation Leather Sprillg Seat $5.50 5.50 5.50 5.75 6.25 WARNING! WARNING! We are the owners of the patents and design patents of this line of K. D. Rock-ers. No one has authority to make these Rockers and we will prosecute all infringers and deal-ers who buy of in-fringers. No. 52. Imitation Spanish Leather Velour Plain Imitation Leather Embossed Imitation Leather Spring Seat $6.50 6.50 6.50 6.75 7.25 Send your orders direct to us by mail or give chernla our salesmen who ate covering the entire United States•. STANDARD CHAIR COMPANY, EVANSVILLE, INDIANA. Don't Clutter Your Store. Some very good looking stores are spoiled in appearance by being cluttered. Too much is attempted. There are too many tables loaded down with goods; too much stuff piled up 011 the counters; too much of everything except floor space. and. an opportunity.to take a full breath. Some merchants think that as they are paying $100 a month rent for a 25-foot front they ought to make every foot of space possihle count in earning capacity. Hence they plant long batteries of display cm:mters on each side and then crowd the m ddle full of bargain counters and specials. They have a tend ncy to overlook the advantage of giving their customers r am to get around wit,hout falling over each other. A oderate amotlnt of gymnastic 0;; is gaud lor cus-tomers, but store which offers a continual opportunity for a head-on co lision is a little too strenuous. Crowds arc good for a store, nd crowds indicate prosperity, but there should be a place p ovided to put the crowds. Clever a vertising 'writers recognize the value of white space in adv. rtisements. They avoid cluttering up their adver-tising. Ev rything stands out clear and distinct. The va-cant floor space in the store is similar to the white floor space in thel well-written advertise.ment. It makes things stand out, a9d makes it easier for the customer to grasp the situation. Stores with lots of drapery and cheap jim-cracks hanging from the ceilings generally look cluttered up_ Show windows filled 'with a miscellaneous mess of poorly assorted and worse displayed samples of merchandise look cluttered· up. Avoid it. Don't try to do too much. Your efforts are not apprec-iated.- Merchants Journal Will Protect Their Rights. The line of the Standard Chair Company of Evansville. Ind" consisting of rockers, diners and children's chairs, is shown in Chicago 'l,vith the George D. Williams Company, 1323-25 Michigan avenue. The Standard Company are the originators of the K. D. upholstered rocker, and they are own-ers of the patents and designs. They wish to warn dealers not to"'buy of any other manufacturer who is inf~inging on their patents, for the Standard Chair Company will prosecute all manufacturers and dealers, as well who buy 'from them. The business in Chicago and the St. Louis market is very sat-isfactory this season, and Manager Reitz is of the opinion that there will be a continuance of the good times they are now enjoying. Swedes Asked to Go Home. King Oscar is anxious that the hundreds of thousands of Swedes who have emigrated .to America shall return to Sweden, and has begun an investigation to determine what IJrtJmpted his people to leave the fatherland and what would induce them to return. This investigation is a part of the industrial awakening which is going on in Sweden. The first direct appeal from the crown to men to return to Sweden has been received in Chicago. l1enry Schmit &. Co. nopkln. aRd n.rrld Su. Cincinnati, O. MUBRS 011' UPHOLSTERED FURNITURE OOR LODOE AND PULPIT, PARLOR LIBRARY. HOTEL AND CLUB It00M - - - - - - - -- -- --- --------., Chamber and Dining Room Luce Furniture Company Godfrey Ave., GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. NEW FEATURES in Upper Class CIRCASSIAN WALNUT A LARGE ADDITION TO OUR LINE OF STAPLES MEDIUM and FINE FURNITURE for the 17 18 ·~MI9rIG7JN : l!!:STABLISHEO 1880 ,$~"~~ \-1(( \1'\, "I) ~- j~!"-~'l - ' I , \ --' "'''-9 ~ - \ <_l!'~.~ :!' ~ _J_ ~ ~ FlU!lL.15HI!iD BT MICHIGAN ARTISAN CO. ON THE IOnl ....NC 25TH OF EACH MONTH OFFICE-2-2Q LYON ST.• GRAND RAPIDS. MICH. ENTERED I\S M/l.TT!:F1 OF THE 8EC()ND ()l ..S..S 7119-.T 1.5' 7U'J ? 7F· larger exhibitors have fitted up their quarters in Grand Rapids and Chicago with an idea of permanency. Among those who have jnst rcnnvcd their leases on space in the exposition buildings for a term of three years arc the Jamestown Lounge Company, Hubbard & Eluredgc Company, George Richard-son, the Ottawa Furniture Company, the Northern Furniture Company and Glenn K. Brown. \Vith so many Jamestown tines established in Grand Rapids and Chicago, the prospects for establishing <In exposition 'at Jamestown do not seem to be favorable. *1'" *1* *1* *1* Why should one word placed wrong in a sentence cause the whole statemellt to fall flat? vVhy does a single state-ment worded incorrectly from the standpoint of salesman-ship cause the iailure of a sale? Why should o"nc Ettle look or one little sneer lose a customer? Perhaps for the same reason that one single hair will caUSe the diner to push away the entire butter dish. It makes him suspicious of the rest of the contents. The man who has been treated to sharp practices 0I1C('. in a store does not care to 'Tun the risk again. The man '\vho has been badly treated but a single time will remember that and not go back any more. *1* *1* *1* *'1* Inquiry <lmong a large number of merchants leads to the conclusion that women fllrnish more than seventy-five per cent of all buying consumers. There is a lesson in that. There are some lines of goods which appeal especially to men aud bought almost entirely by them, but in the gener~l lines of trade women buy most of the goods. Get the \VOluen to come to your store, get women to approve of your place of businNis, your w<ty of conducting it and your goods, and you will have the bulk of trade. *1* *1* *1* *1* The mail order houses, when they find a certain district not well supplied or that the advertising is neglected, take it up, flood that section ,,,lith well worded advertising matter, and withot1t exception reap a rich reward. The mercha.nts who at:fvertise \velt and adequately have little trouble over mail order competition. *1'" *1* *1* *J* Many newspaper men as well as furniture dealers would like to know how a paper of such standing as the Chicago Tribune was induced to give Mr. Clark's 'lHome Trade League of America" a column of advertising free' of cost in position that could not be bought by any reputable business man, firm or corporation. *1* *!* *1* "'1* A woman in Holly, Mich., makes a house-to-house can-vass for orders for furniture, carpets, rugs and kindred goods. A big "distant merchandising house" in Chicago fills the or-ders ill car lots. Her success is only possible on account of the dullness and stupidity of the local mercbants. *1>1<*1* *1* *1* \Va1ter D. Boutell arrived in Grand Rapids from :l-'1inneap-otis on Wednesday, July 24, and found the market wide open He was notified that his services as a closer of the Grand Rapids market were no longer Ileeded~that Grand Rapids will be an always-open market here~fter. *\' *1* *1* *\* The mid-summer furniture expositions have ,been largely attended by. dealers and many new faces were noticed among their number. The value of market buying is becoming bet-ter understood by retailers. *1'" *1* *1* "'1* The Holly Cabinet Company, moved recently to Laming, Mich., have changed their name to the Capital Furniture Com-pany. Having capital (in name at least) the corporation ought to succeed. *1* *\* *1* *1* Most of the orders taken 'in the furniture exposition towns during the past month call for early shipments. CHAS. A. FISHER & CO., 1319 Michigan Ave., Chicago. WR1TE FOR BOOKLET AND PROPOSITION ST. LOVIS, MO. kANSAS C1TY,MO. PEORIA, ILL LlNCOLN, lLL MJNNEAPOLIS. M1NN. CHICAGO, JLL Home Attractions Overdone. The man in the ["rled brown overcoat had been growing more and more careworn for the last six months. The wan who sat with him OIl the 'way to the city every morning and on the way home Jt night had noticed it. 1\t last he learned the reaSLin of the change. The careworn man dropped into his scat with such a heavy sigh one evening that it would have been in impossible for his friend not to bear it. "1 guess yOll are glad you"'re going- home, where you can get a comfortable chai, and have a quiet evening," he said. "Quiet C\'cning!" echoed the careworn man. "We dem't have allY quiet evenings )J(l\vadays." "Don't YOtl~" asked his friend, uncomfortably. "\Vhy-er--" "Ther<~'s eo domestic: trouble," said the sufferer. dolefully. Made by Wooda.rd Furniture Co., Owosso, Mieb -- _.- -- -_ .. _- --------~ 19 "TIler",':,; nothing I'm ashamed to speak of. It's only that my wife has been reading a series o.f articles on 'How to 1'!ake Home Attractive,' and she's carrying out all the ideas-with me to help her. "You needn't think of me sitting in an armchair before the flre with my feet up now, I can tell you. You can picture me stringing peapods to make a handsome hanging or cover-ing an old apple bar-reI with wool wadding ready for the pink muslin that's goitJg to turn it into a charming mirror stand. If it isn't that, 1 shall be engaged in giving a hardwood flllish to some of the floors ''\1ith a preparation that I saw my wife mixing in a till pail this morning. "Our home may be attractive if we ever get it done and I'm alive to appreciate it, but I'U wager the woman that writes those articles lives in a hotel or boards in a. hall bedroom," Clnd the careworn Jll<111 gave another heavy sigh as the brakeman called out "}JL\radise Centre!" and he gathered up his bundles. Some Queer Burials. At an undertakers' banquet a soft-voiced gentleman read an essay on lIpright burial. "The quakers," said the essayist in conclusion, ""once \vent in for upright burial. Thus we have the case or one Jane Taylor, wif~ of Captain Tilylor of Brighouse, a quaker, who was buried upright in her garden, October 28, 1684. "A :.\1rs. Norton of Pawlin, -:.r. Y., was buried sitting up-right in a rocking chair. Tlarry Hems of Norfolk and Clement Spelman and George Backhouse of New York are other well known in-c; tances of upright burial. I, in a career of tWl~nty-sevell ~ycars. have only buried one person upright." ;;I," said a young undertaker, "once buried a man in the bed l.le died il.l. He was cornfortablYjtUCked ill \\'ith pi11O.\..s.· and coverlets. just as he had died." "1 once buried a maiden lady of gr at wealth and beauty," ~aid a third undert'tker. "People ha often wondered why ,.,he neyer married. Alas, the embalm ng process revealed to me her sad "ecrel. This lady, tilOUg"l no one suspected it, h'lJ a false foot." Behind Orders on Caster Cups. The .A. . L. Cline Manufacturing Company of,l239 vVabash avenue. Chicago, 111., manufacturers of caster cups, T(',port an active demand for their products, a-nd that at present the factory is behind on its orders. Dealers in furniture are in-vited to \"Tite for the company's catalogue. 20 Sligh's Superior Styles Sold All Through the Season Dull Trade is Unknown by Dealers Handling the SLIGH LINES. CI THE JULY SEASON'S SALES OF SLIGH GOODS A RECORD BREAKER. fJI CORRECT STYLES, GOOD MATERIALS AND HONEST WORKMANSHIP, STRONG FEATURES IN THE SLIGH LINES. SLIGH FURNITURE COMPANY, BUCHANAN STREET, GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. Thousands in Use Furniture Dealers need have no more fear. With the use of Cline's Caster Cup one table may be placed on top of another without injury. Made in two sizes in the follow-ing finishes: Oak, Mahogany and Rosewood. Special pre· pared felt bottom, preventing sweat marks, scratching, etc. Price: 2)4:In. per 100. $3.50; 3» in. perlOO. $4.50 We also manufacturetbe moat J"'eliable ColU'dHolder on the market. Write for our new 40 page Catalogue. L. Cline Mfg. Co.• 1239W.b .. bAve .. Chicago The New Banquet Table Top as well III OFFICE. DINlNG and DIRECTORS', TABLES at'e (lIUt' .peei.Jty. STOW & DAVIS FURNITURE CO.. 2\d:ii!:~""" Wtile for Catalo;uc. Get samples of BANQUET TABLE TOP. WE manufaet nte the larg~ est line of FOLDING C H A IRS in the United States, suitable lor Su.nday Schools, Halla, Steamers and all Public Resorts. . . • . We also man ufacture Brass Trimmed Iron Beds. Spring Beds. Cot.. and Cribs in a larKe variety. . . . S9.d for CataloltUc llDd Prlct:1I to Kauffman Mfg. CO. AS6LAND. 0610 UNION FURNITURE CO. ROCKFORD. ILL. China Closets Buffets Bookcases We lead in Style, ComouCJ:ion and F'mish. See our Catalogue. Our line on permanent exhibi-bon 7th Flooi, New Manufact-urers' Building. Grand Rapids. - -- -- - ------------------ Tbe Ford 8 Jobnson Co. MANUFACTURERS Chicago Salesroom Ford·Johnson Bldg., 1433·35-37 Wabash Ave. For the July market we will have many new things to show. All furniture dealers are cordially invited to call and inspect our line, which includes Chairs, Rockers and Settees-all goods; Dining Room furniture; Mission furniture; Fiber Rush and Malacca furniture; Reed Rockers; Children's Go-Carts and Carriages, etc. WE ALSO SHOW SAMPLES AT OUR OWN SALESROOMS IN Cincinnati Atlanta New York Boston Cal)inet Makers In these da.ys of close competition, need the beat pOilliible equipment, a.nd this they can have in . • • • BARNES' Hand and Foot POWER Machinery Our New "and and Foot Power Cireul ..r Saw No.4 Tblt: strongest, most powerful, and in every way the best mac:-hineof its kind ~ver made. (or ripping, cross-cutting, boring and grooving, Send for our New Catalogue. "W. F. ®. JOHN BARNES CO 654 Ruby Street. Rochford, Ill. 21 22 ~rvu9,.HIG7JN e Out of Place. Hardly anything in the modern parlor is 50 interesting a~ the mantel piece. It is such a trouble to most people to think what to put on it that they end by accepting, blindly, the dictation of friends and tradesmen. A rich lady one day introduced a house furnisher to a stunning suite of mantel piece ornaments, fearfully and wonderfully made and costing n.ll that even the most fashionable votary could desire. The handsome owner stood before her purchase and good natured- Iy excused herself by explaining how she had been hadgered by her friends, who, one and all, to the self-same tune and words, had assured her she must hav(~a set of orname.nts for her mantel piece. A clock finds itself naturally at home on a mantel, but it is a pity to give up so much space in what ought to be the central opportunity of the room to anything that is not worth looking at for itself apart from its merely utilitarian uses. It is very seldom worth while to look at a clock to know what time'it is, and as a rule it would be much 7'IR'r I>5' A.l'l 2 0/"" vase, a Roman lamp, and a piece of Venetian or English glass. A vase filled with roses, a plate of red cheeked apple,s, tIle quaintly painted gourd or the wreath of autumn leaves may be used. Candle sticks with real candtes, to be lighted at twilight, before the hour for the gas, in the hour of illu-sion and lK,nsive tlloughts, castlng a wavering gleam over the ensemble, bring a few moments of poetry to close the weary working day. vVe once know a man "l/ho was gifted with a keen ,sense of humor. He could say really clever things, and write them. He made some store signs, embodyillg the keen wit that was in him, and they attracted attention. He used good sense and they offended nobody. People looked for them when they entered his store. He made jt pay. A neighboring rival attempted the same thing. V\-'hen he tried to be funny his jokes were either ,coarse or pointless. He had no appre-ciation of their possible offense. He was puzzled when his ~J , / WRITING OUT THE ORDERS. better to keep clocks out of our dining room, though, for that matter, it is ]1ard to say where the~,.are not an lff\pc,rti-llellce. In the dining room they are a constant reDnke to people who come down late to br<.',akfast,alld they give mOTal support to the priggis.hness of punctual people, while they have, no doubt, to rcproach themselves fOr a good share ill the very bad American habit of eating in a limited time. In the drawing room the clock plays a still more ill-mannered part, for what can he do there but tell visitors when to go away, a piece of information the wen-br'ed mall is in no need of, and which the ill-bred mal1 never heeds. So that, if a dock must usurp the place of honor on a mantel piece, it ought to have so good a form, or serve as the pedestal tn such a bit of br011ze, or l1ave such a case as to make one forget the bnrden of time and tide in the occasiomtl contemplation of art eter-nities. The clock habit, with its flanking of candle sticks and vaseS, was acquired from the French. They get rid of the main difficulty by either making sure that the clock docs not keep good time or by using clock cases, without working parts. The mantel ought to second the intention of the fireplace as the center of the family life-the spiritual and the intellectual center, as the table is the materia! center. There ought to be gathered upon the shelf or shelves over the fire-place, a few beautiful things-the most beautiful the family purse can afford-things t.hat will uplift the beholder-worth living with. "'ith the "great things'; a notable picture or 8 cas~ of a famoHs individu:tl, there is room for pleasant little things 011 the shelves-a bit of Japanese bronze, an Etruscan cards drove customers away and provoked a guffaw only from loungers. Funny business does not pay save in exceptional cases. It takes an artist to do it just right. Asked concerning a price cutter, the merchant smiled. Poor fool, he seemed to say in that smile. He has lost his standing among his fellows, he is losing his money fast, and the sheriff will he likely to take his remaining goods,He, like the lady of the one-time popular song, is "more to he pitied than censured." FURNITURE POLISH \\,Ie offer a polish guaranteed to produce a BRILLIANT and PERMANENT lustre on any finished wood, A dealer's trade bUilder. Send for sample J4 gross, $3.15. Our Superior Repair Finish never fails to remove burlap marks and mars; and, used with crystal shellac and a set of our colors, [aniline, to match any finish] will repair deep scratches and jams, and reproduce the original finish, at once. A boon to factory or store. Repair outfit complete, with colors, one $Q 25 quart finish, and instructions for ·use, U. Send for Sa.mples. Grand Rapids Furniture Polish Co. 24 Milton A"e., Grand Rapids, Mich. AutomaUc: Phone 8226. BEWARE OF THE PROMOTER. Mr. Clark of Chicago Trying to Exploit the Furniture Dealers Apparently for His Own Benefit. The 1Jichigan ,\rtisan recently warned its readers against the \viles of those \vho seek to promote organizations for the purpose of combatting the mail orders houses. .Further warning should not he necessary, hut it may be well to notice a flchcrnc ill this line [('cently launched in Chicago by Alfred C. Clark \\'ho started out by securing a big free advertisement for his project-a column Or lUore on the IjL~t page oJ the Chi-cago Tribune under bold head-lines declaring "Vv'ar to the . K.nife," "Dig Catalogue to Be Put Ont of Business," elc. lilT. Clark's scheme is 1I0t materially different irom others that have been proposed "for the protection of the small deaL ers against C'ompeLition from the mail order houses," but its proposed scope is wider and its plan of operations more elab-orate. It is to be calted the "Home Trade League o[ Amer-ica" and the proposed <:onstitution explains its purpose as fol- 10\;\,s: "To combat the m<lil order system in a1\ its phases, be-lieving that its tendellcy is to the con<:enlratjon of trade i\1 the hands of a few individuals, Of at most a few cities. Now, therefore, to the end that we may help restore the merchan-dising trade of the nation to its natura!, normal condition, the members of the Home Trade league pledge themselves to have no business ·with the retail catalogue house or any jobber Of manufacturer who continues to sell them. V'/e regard the consumer as Ollr logical ally, alJd. everything being cqual, we believe he ,,,ill trade with the merchant in his home tOWlI. Tt is the purpose of the league to bring the manufacturer, the jobber, all(l retailer together to the end tbat the retail mer-chant can successfully meet the competition of the catalogue house." The by-hnvs provide for a president, a secretary, a treasur-er, a general manager, to he elected by a board of twenty-one directors, and also for a vice pre,sident and an a(lvisory com-mittee of ten from each state. 1Ir. Clark declares "the bat-tle will be fO\1p;htout along the lines of trying' to meet mail order COllJpctitioll. \-Ve "",ill fight to make the wholesalers. jobbers and manufacturers give to the retailer the benefit of the same prices as lhose given the mail order houses. Con- S11nH.'1'5 ·will be asked before sendil1g their orders to a mail ortler house, to give the retail dealcr a chance to llgure on the111,and if the local merchant cannot llleet them the Horne League will place him where he t<:\n. IVlerchants are also pledg-illg thell>;clves not to buy of jobbers or manufacturers 'vho sell to a c:ltaloguc hOllse. Thousands of leaflets are being- s<:nt out to retail dealers urging them to co-operate in this me;:tSlue. and every effort ,vill be made to arouse local - - -- ----------------- 23 pride against patronizing the mail order houses. Excur-sions will be run from all centers where a large section of the state can be interested in seeing that retail dealers can supply goods as cheaply as the mail order houses." To the credit or 1lr. Clark's common sense it should be stated that the "Home Trade League of America" does not endorse the plan to cripple the mail order houses by ordering their catalogues in lnTge numbers merely for the purpose of destroying them. It is also stated that this league does not propose to do away ·with the state associations, hut will use them as a "nucleus for this org·anization." It is announced that the "majn offices have been estab-lished in the 1\lonadnock building" Chicago, and the work of organization is "progressing rapidly" in Illinois, Wisconsin, Grand Rapids Caster Cup Co. 2 Parkwood A.e., Grand Rapids, Mich. We are now putting ou the best Caster Cups with cork bases ever offered to the trade. These are finished in Golden Oalc and White Maple in a light finish. These goods are admirable Eorpolished floors and furlL~ iture rests. they will not sweat or mar. PRICES: Size2:'.<incbes ...... $4.00 per hundred She 2% inches'" .,. 5.00 per hundred Try a 8ample Order, F. O.B. Grand Rapid8, Kansas. J\'Iinnesota and lHicbigall, but no names or Iurther particulars arc gjven in connection with the state organiza-tions because "many of those interested prefer for the present to keep in the background for the reason that they do not care about incurring the open hostility of the catalogue houses and theil' powerful influence." By the way, it is provided that the vice president for Illinois-presumably Mr. Clark-is t6 be the tirst general manager. From this outline of the "Home Trade League of America" it is plainly evident that like to.o many other trade associa-tions it i? a "one-man concern" and that any success that it may achieve will be at the expense of the retailers and the only bendiciary ,,",,illbe Alfred C. Clark of Chicago. Ii BERRY BROTHERS' II Rubbing and Polishing Varnishes II MUST BE USED IN FURNITURE WORK TO BE APPRECIATED THEY SETTLE THE VARNISH QUESTION WHEREVER TRIED II II II II WRITE FOR INFORMATION, FINiSHED WOOD SAMPLES, AND LITERATURE. N~w York 262 Pearl 5t. Boston 520 Atlantic Ave. Philadelphia 26-28 NQ. 4th 51. Baltimore 29 5. Hanover 5t, BERRY BROTHERS, LIMITED VARNISH MANUFACTURERS DETROIT Chic:aB"o 48-SO Lake St. Cindnnati 420 Main St.. St. Louie 112 Sc..4th St. San, Franc:illC:o 66B HClWard St, THIS IS THE CAN AND LABEL C"NADIAN FACTOR•• W4LK£RV'LLE ONTARIO 7 Prl6e $18.50. Has 48 InNcho. T2o5p, 5. Legs an d' IS H'1gh]y Polished. It's Oneof the "SU~~OR" There are many more•Iall ePeaancdhegse,tPaietaasnted. Pudding. Send for Cata ogu BOCKSTEGE fURNITURE CO. fVA.NSVILU IND. TUE Globe Side-boards nre me BeS! on me G10!Je lor me Money GEl vUR CATALOGUE MentiontheRT~~- CAN A _, when wnbllil. Globe Furniture The "ELI" fOLDI NG. BE.DS ~RREOFBITRfAWDI•• AENRDS Company itbout the Eli Beds Mantel and Updght. In No Stock complete w .ville. IDdi~Da ELI D. MILLER &-. Co.~~forr c:uts and pnces EVANSVILLE. IND. Cupboards .Kitchen Cabinets. and K. D. Wardrobes. Is all we rnake but we make Job cA tbem. Get Catalogue and Price •. The Bosse FumitureC EVANSVILLE • INDo. . Kar~e5 War~ro~es are800d Wardrobes GOOD Style Construction Finish PRICES RiG HT Writefi or Catalogue Karges Furniture Company, EVANSVILLE: I 26 Michigan's New Embalmers' Law. Michigan now has, or will have when it goes into effect~ over a year heuce-one of. the most stringent laws regulating the embalming and undertaking business. As this law has he,en heralded as one of the best ever enacted and as many furniture dealers in other states afe interested in Lts provis-ions, the most in:portant sections are reprinted as follows: SECTIOX 1. The State Board of Health is hereby au-thorized allc1 empowered to determine the qualifications neces-sary to enable any person to properly emhalm dead human bodies amJ disinfect the premises. The said board, or some member thereof, sball examine all applicants for '111 embalm-er's license, and shall issue an embalmer's licellse to all per-sons who successfully pass such examination. Ko person shall emh;:\\m any dead human body, unless he shall hold a valid unrevoked and _unexpired licel1se horn the Michigan State Board of Health authorizing him to practice the art of embalming. All persons who are engaged in the business of undertaking, or who profess to be engaged. in such busi-ness, or who hold thenlselves out to the public as undertakers, or embalmers. shall be required to possess a eertiGcate, show-ing that they are licellsed embalmers or have canst,mtly em~ ployed a licensed embalmer. Any person embalming- or at-tempting to embalm, or caring or attempting to care for a dead httman body, either as an (',mbalmer or as assistant em~ balmer or undertaker, except under the immediate and pcr-s011al direction of a licensed embalmer, S~Jall be deemed to be practicing the art of embalming, and any person so emba!m~ il1g or caring, or ntten~ptillg to care for a dead hun-an body, or \:vho shall prCj)'-'.refor transportation or burial 01' otl1CTW15£ dispose of any dead human body, or hold himself out as prac-ticing embalming, without being the holder of an embalmer's license granted by the State Board of Health, .shall be deemcd guilty of a violation of this act. The term etribalm-ing, as llsed in this act shall be taken to 111eanthe d-isitifec.tion or preservation of the dead human body, entire or in part, by the use of chemical substances, fluids or gases ordinarily used, prepat'e~l or intended for such purpose, -either by olltward ap-plication of s\.1ch chemical substances, fluids or gases on the body, or by the introduction of same into the body by vascular Musk.egon Valley Furniture Co. Moskel/OD. Mich •• Odd Dressers Chiffoniers Wardrobe, Ladies Toilets Dressing Tables Mahogany IDlaid Good, Ladies Desks Music Cabinets or hypodermic injection-or by direct application into the or-gans or cavities. The finding of any such chemica! Sub-sta. nce, fluid or gas ordinarily used in embalming, or any trace, evidence or appearance there'of upon a dead human hody, the use of which i:r prohibited except by licensed em-balmer, or the placing thereof on a dead human body hy any person who is not a holder of an embalmer's license shall C011- stitue prim8. facie evidence of the violation of the terms of this act: Provided, That nothing in this act shall apply to any person who l}f'epuf'ef'>dead human bodies for buria\with-out the assistance of an undertaker or embalmer, or without acting in the capacity of embalmer or undertaker. SECTION 2. Embalmers' examinations shall be held in the city of Lansing, at least once each year, and at such other tln-:es <ll1d placcs as the said board may designate: Pro-vided, That an examination shall be held once each c.alendar year in the Upper Peninsula, if five or more residents of the Upper Peninsula shatl have on file with the secretary of the said board their applications for licenses. The said board is hereby authorized to send not more than two of its members to the Upper Peninsula to conduct embalmers' ex.aminations there. The members of the said board, except the secretary, who are present and assist in any such examinations shall re-ceive ten dollars per diem for the time actually spent, in addi-tion to reimbursement for such expenses as they may act-ually incur. SECTION 3. No person 5hall he granted a license under this act, unless he shall have had at least two years actual, practical instruction in embalming and disinfecting under a licensed embalmer in this state, or at least oue year of such instruction and has completed a course in some school of embalming whose standing is recognized by th(~ State Board of Health, or who shall have been engaged ill the practice of embalming for five years past prior to the datc of his exam-ination. Each applicant for a license shall be examined orally and in wdting in the following sub.jects: Anatomy, sanitary science and disinfection, the care, preservation, em-balming, transportation and burial of dead human bodies, al1d shall, at the request of the board demonstrate his proficiency as an embalmer by ope'ration on a cadaver. All applica- The Sargent Mfg. Co. MUSKEGON. MICH. Bachelors' Cabinets Ladies' Desks Extra Large Chiffoniers ______ Also Manufacturers and ExporteT8 of _ ROLLING CHAIRS Chairs adapted 10 allltinds of invalidism, both for howie and street use. OVER FORTY DESIGNS TO SELECT FROM MICHIGAN #011' f tions under this act shall be upon blanks iurnished by the State Board of Tlealth amI shall be accompanied by a fee of five dollars and a pllotograph of the applicant. All appli-cants for license to pracTice embalming shall have ,ttuincd the ag"c of twenty-one yea("s aud must [urni.sh a certillcatc of good moral character, signed by three responsible citi-zens, one of ,...-hOltl l11t1st be a licensed embalmer \","ho has heen personally acqnainLed with the applicant for at least one yc"r. i\ 11 applicants sh:t11 furnish the State Board of Health satis-factory ('vidence of their proliciellcy in a c.onunOll school ed-ucation, that they have had :It least two yC;Hs' practical ex-perience under ;1 jiCCllSt:d emhalmer in this state or have had a practical experience of not less th8n one year under a li- Why Not Order? Say a dozen or more Montgomery Iron Display Couch Trucks sent you on approval? If nol satisfactory they can be returned at no expense to you whatever, while the price asked is but a triKe, com~ pared to the convenience they afford and the economy they represent in the saving of ~oor space. Thirty_two collches mounted on the Montgomery Itoo Display Couch Ttucks occupy the same Aoor spaC(';as twelve dis_ played in the usual manner, Write for catalogue giving' full descrip-tion and price in the different linishes. to~ gelher with illustrations demonstrating the use of the Giani Short Rail Bed Fastener lor Iron Beds. Manufactured by H. J. MONTGOMERY PATKNTlH;: Silver Creek, New York, U. S. A. Denni5 Wi,e and IrQn CQ.• Canadian Mlnl,l-factureu. London, Ont. censer! (,l\Jnl11~Cl' ill this state and have completed the reg1l18r course of instruction in a school of embalming recognit:ed as being In good stauding by snid bO<ll"Ij: Provided, That any person now holding 811 embalmer's license issued by the State Board of Health under authority of act numher one hundred thirty-two of the Public Acts of nineteen hundred three, shall be deemed to be a licensed embalmer under the provisions of this act, but SHch liceuse sh<dl tct"mill<lte and expire on the thirty-Ilrst day of July, uineteen hundred seven, Ilnless snOnt'r revoked or cancelled, \vbo shall be entitled to registration without examination llPOIl p8Y111e11t of the fec herein provided for: Provided further, That any perSOIl holding a valid, unrevoked and unexpired liccnse in another state or territory having- substantially similar requirements to those exi"ti1Jg .ill this stilte. provided tl18t such states or territorid rccog"nize license is,';:'l1ul by the fltichigan St8te Board of Health. way be gTClllled a license to pr8ctice in tbis st8te upon lilint'; \vitb tlH: secret8ry of this board a certified statement from the secrctary of the exall1inillg hoard nf t1le state or" territory ill \vhich the applic;mt holds :l. license. showing the rating l1pon \vhich s'lid liccl1se was granted, to-g- ether with his rl'l'on:nieu(][ltion, ~ll~d if satisfactory to tbis board it shall. upon the receipt of a fee of ten dollars. grant such license. Tbe U\Vllcr of any license or renewal provided for in this 8et shall canse a copy of same to 1;e riled in the offIce of the lneal rcgistr:H o[ (,8ch city or \"iriage ''''hercin he intends topractiee the 8rt of emb8lmillg, 8ud no transporta-tion permit 511<"111 be issued by the local registrar to any per- SOl1 ,\'ho has li(Jl a C:ill) of snch license or rene,vrtl on Jile: Provided, That any local reglstr:ll· is herthy authorized to grant a tt8Psportalioil permit to any et1lb81n~cr coming from beyond the jurisdjctinn of .";aid registr8r 1I1):)!l the exhibition of a copy of s:lid license or renewal tn said registrar. It shall be unlawful fOl" :lny railv,'ay agent, express agent, haggage n~aster, conductor, or other person acting as snch, to receive '27 the dead body of any person for shipment, or transportation by railway or othcr public conveyance, to or from any point in this st:lte, llllkss said body he accompanied by a removal or shipping permit sigl"cd by the health officer of the local board of health,. ;llld 8 certificate, attached to the outsick box containing- s11ch body, showing the name and offlcia1 number of the embalmer by whom it was prepared, and the method of preparation employed: Provided, That nothing in this act shall be so constructed as to prevent the shipment of dead bodjes intended for use for anatomical purposes within the st8te wbell the same are so designated by the shipper. [Sections 4 to 8 inclusive relate to revocation of license in ease the holder is found guilty of violating the law or become unfit to pursue the business of embalming, making elaborate provisions for preferring charges, granting the accused a hear-ing, etc. Section 9 provides the penalty. It reads as fol-lows] : SECTION 9. Any person who shall violate any of the provi.sions of tbis act, upon conviction thereof, shall be pun-ished by a fine of not less than three hundred dollars or by irnprisonmcllt for not less than three months nor more than one ye8r, or both such fine 8nd imprisonment in the discre-tion of the court. Prosecutions for the violation of any of the provisions of this act, may be .brought by any person il1 the natTIe of the people of the state of NJich-ig8tl, against any person violating any of the provisions of !J'1S .act, before any court of competent jurisdiction. It is hereby made the duty of all prosecuting attorneys to see that the provisions of this act are enforced in their respectivc countics. [t shall also be tbe duty of aU health officers in their respective cities and townships to inform against and assist in the prosecution of .all persons whom there is reason-able cause to believe arc guilty of violating any of the provis-ions of this acL. This act is ordercd to take effect Septembn 8, 1908. Furniture for the Walls. VvTith rarc exceptions, the rooms of the homes of Ameri-callS :lre sll1nll and in order to obtain the necessary floor space the walls are utilized by the hanging of furniture upon them, that but for the reason stated would be placed upon the floor. Book racks, cabinets, plate racks, hat racks, cup-boards, mcdicine cabinets and small articles, such as- brackets, pockets and slipper cases, jf properly hung, serve to decorate rather than burden the walls. "Vhen the floors are over-fUrJlished, scrimped rooms may be made comfortable and (:onveni{'llces for the oCCllpants provided try using the waf Is, !\ great deal of wall furniture is m,tnufactured, but there is I rOOlll for improvcment in that line of production. The D. & B. Line Steamers leave Detroit weekdays J; at 5: 00 p. m , Sundays at 4,00 p. _ . m_ (centr::ll time) and from Buffalo daLly ~t 5:3~ p.m: (e~stemtime) W_~E"': reaehmg- theIr destmatwn the next------ ~----=-~ morning. Direct connections with early trains. Lowest rates and superior service to New York, Boston,Philadelphia,Atlantic City,aU points east. Popular week end excursions to Buffalo and Niagara Falls, leave Detroit every Saturday. RAIL TiCKETS AVAILABLE ON STEAMERS All r;tas3eg of tickets so!<l readi"!! vi.'!. Michi"<aIl Cenlral,Wabash and Gl'll.nd Trunk railways between Detroit and Buffa!" in either direction will be accepted fur !ran9portation un D. b. R Line S:eamenl. Sel'd 2c. B1aml'-f'Jr iJlnstrated pamphletandGreatLakcsmnp. Address: L. G. LEWIS, G. P. A. DETROIT & BUFFALO STEAMBOAT CO., D.troil, Mich. PHIUP H. McMILLAN, V,Ce,PRE5. A. A. SCHANTZ. G&:I\I. MGR. 28 ManZ!/acturers -- Johnson Chair Company CHICAGO, - - ILLINOIS . PERMANENT EXHIBIT: Furniture Exhibition Building, 1411Michigan Avenue Office Chairs, - Dining Chairs, Bedroom Chairs, and Parlor Rockers Send.for our new catalogue,just out, illustrating our entire line, SUCH AS WE MAKE IS EVER THE SOURCE OF PLEASURE AND PROFIT TO THE RETAILER AND THE PURCHASER RELIABLE and SUBSTANTIAL fURNITURE ROCKFOR.D CHAIR. AND FUR.NITURE COMPANY ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS OUR OAK AND MAHOGANY Dining Extension Tables Are BeSt Made, Bdt Finishl!:d Values. All Made from Thoroughly Seasoned Siock. No. :}&4~Dining Table Top. 48x48. Made in Qyartered Oak. Full Polished. Nickel C~eIS. No. 384. Same style liS above with square top. LENTZ TABLE CO. No. 384}6 Dining Table. NASHVILLE. MICH. Moon Desk Co. MUSKEGON. MICH. OFFICE DESKS New Styles for Fall Season. WHITE PRINTING CO. I I GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. HIGH GRADE CATALOGS COMPLETE 29 ~MI9.rIG7J-N DON'T HIDE BARGAINS UNDER A BUSHEL. A Michigan Dealer's Idea of a Gced Joke-The Late Fred Macey's Methods. Vv'rittcll by Aln~ol'(l Griffen for the Furniture )Iews, St. Louis.-Docs advertising pay the retail denier? \lVdl, the <llls.vcr dq)C1lds largely upon bow and where the "ad" is placed. Lots of money is wasted in advertising improperly placed, 110 doubt about that. The use of a poor cut-this is especially tnte of furniture---is simply throwing money a ..v..ay. Business is not clttracted, LInd it certainly is !lot cre:ltcd, in this "vay_ Advertising has been described as the art of "put-ting things Tight" before the pllblic. It is a science. and UlI- -qt~estinnab\y a science sti.lI in its idancy, dsepite the ma:,ly schools in publicity that have sprnng 11p in these later years, the books that have becn written, and the general avvakening that has taken place on the subject. 1\ow, let 11S brush ;tll long theories aside and get down to the busilless at hand-that of sell~ng furniture by the use of printer's ink. First, as to your medium. I am a believer in the efficacy of the local nc·wspaper, and let it be the right paper. By all means, study the paper. Does it go home? Is it read by the family? Is it well edited and clean? Is the editor of the old school, who lets the devil (printer's) rtlIl the sheet while he goes fishing, meantime permitting the stale ads to go along from month to month unchanged? If he is _of this type, you can rest assured that the circulation of the paper is not what yol.1 want, neither as to qnantity or qnality. Then, having found OUI: medium, theit~ is the advertisement itself to· consider. A good "ad·" writer must be able to see and to tell deady. The "ad" must first of all catch the eye, but its function is to go farther than that. It must not only interest the reader, but it should stimulate him or her to aet. I was personally acquainted with the late Fred },:Iacey, founder of the Marey Company, Grand Rapids, who was one of the most successful mail-order advertisers in the country, and the two essentials that he insisted on in all his ad-con-struction, as he often told me, were that the price of the ar-ticle should never be 'omitted, and that the ads "hould be so adroitly \Vorded-mesmerically worded, if you please-~ts to influence the reader to remember and do. Ability to stir people to act and act now,-that's a vital point in good ad-vertising. The wisdom of stating the price in plain figmes is appar-ent. It is human nature to 'want to kliow the price of an ar-ticle the iirst thing and how can a reader be expected to act or indeed to take any interest at all in the effort at pub-licity, with so important an essential left out? The adver-tisement should be especially appealing to a womall's eyes, since womep usually do the buying, or at least are very close to the buyer, and what they say "goes." Here's a combination that has often proved lucky in the saie of easy chairs at holiday time, and there arc mallY other combinations equally suggestive; the chair-a mall in smok-ing habit comfortably seated-and the price. Let the cut bc high grade and attractive and not much else is lIcceSS:lry in the way of description. Neither over-estimation nor nn-der- estimation, but the exact truth should he aimed at in de-scriptiOllS of the goods. But the matter docs not end with the writing uf the "ad." 'fhe art of the compnsltor, or ;nl-man, t11e sort Of type llsed, the arrangelllcl,t, :'pc! last, but not least, the position in the paper, are ,Ill il~'I)(.lrtal~t consid~rations. The successful ad-vertiser studies these details and does not trust to chance or to otl1er people's humors. He sees the money-vahle in knowing these things for himself. I know of many people, and so do yOU, who haven't the gumption to write: their Own advertisements. The newspaper representative on entering the store is met with the exclama-tion, "By Jove, I had forgotten you. Can't you fix up some-thing for me?" Possibly he tears off a piece of wrapping paper and scribbles thereon his announcement, on the spur of the moment. This is not business. It is playi"g at b'lS-lness. There are people who never advertise. A dealer in Big Rapids, l\lich.; a city of possihly 5,CCO people., Jifty miles north of Gram} Rapids, ";as recently t(~l1ing some of his friends what he considered flS a good joke. A large adverti ;ement (If kitchen cabinets had been run in a Grand Rapids' paper, offering the article at the "reduced price of $16.50, regular KOOK WOOD and a general line of F/\NGY TABLES Write fOT Cuts and Prices PALMER . Manufacturil1g Co. 115 to 135Paln1er Ave. DETROIT, I\fICH. Full line shown on second floor. 1319 Michigan Ave., Chicalro. in JllDuary· Pioneer Mfg. Co... DETROIT, MieN. Reed furniture Baby Garriaocs Go-Garts Full line sLowD on second Hoor. 1319 Michi~Bn Ave., Chi-cago, in January. DETROIT, MICH. Murphy Chair Co. LINE. MANUFACTURERS A COMPLE.TE SHELBYVILLE DESK CO. MI\:'{UFACTURERS OF OFFICE DESKS Mahogany, and Imitation Qyartered Oak, Plain Oak in Three Grades. SPECIAL FEATURES A SQUARE DEAL Writ( flr latest Catalogue. SH ELBVVI LLE, 'N D. -- -- ----- -------------------, 31 price $20." The cabinet is manufactured at Big Rapids, and, said the dealer, "the funny part of it is that some of our people ""vent to Grand Rapids to buy the cahiuet at the re-duced price, ....h..ile all the time I ani selling the same goods, made by the same company, at $14." As (l matter of fact, wasn't the joke on the dealer !"ather than all his legitimate customers? Are the people to blame because he hides bis bargains under a bushel, never letting it be kllO\Vll in the public prints what he bas to sell, and the pricc:? Ire thinks that the people :dl knmv him all)'wa)', and so know his bargains. But they don't They have 10 be sh(l\vn, and if his customers go to Grand Rapids to buy what h~ could sell them <3.t a low('1- price, he has none but llimseH to blame. The case referred to was probably a bargain for Grand Rapids folks, but not so there. The story is I-dated of a man 'who \vent to a merchant to buy a remnant of cloth. long Ollt of fashion. "'VVhy did you come to me:" asked 111edealer. "I thought you'd be likely tf) lwvc it beo:::allse you Bever advertise," \vas the reply. If your sto,e is located in a town (,f cunsiderable :::oi:l.c\v. hy not a(/\,ertise in the smaller towns in yonr tenitory:' Ag-gressiw: ncss is required to lmild a busine",s. Dress yO\1\- \vind(Jws, rh(;ll call up a city editor and <.!.'ikhilH to have a n:poder stop at the store. Theil ',<ly to tJ-JC repor-t. er: "\Ve ace carrying an ad with you. }\'ow rec1procate by g-iving our \vindo\Vs it Hiee write-up ill yoUr local ('.olull1l1s." He "vi]l he glad to do so and if you give hjm m;lteri'll for his story, you 'will be surprised next dny W]H'J) the bright, newsy write-up appears. A regular 11e"\'5 writer can llsually hide all the (',,1' Jnarks of ;ldvc'rtising in his stories, therdore he will be of mort value to ,you than the advertising solicitor would be. Advertising will bring people to yOllr store, then il is up to you to "deliver the goods." Extensive publicity does not pay gCllen"llly except ill eases of artickh o[ real, unmistakable meril. Carry the right S(lrt of goods and put them right he-fore the pUblic, tbt.,,;('.two things make for sllccess. It Jus been estimated that the sum of $600;OOO.OGO is spent in advertisillg alone in these United States every year. How much money is that? It is an amount equal i.n value to the annual corn crop and nearly twice the value of the wheat crop of this ('.ountry. This estimate was made two or three years ago and is therefore too small now, since the publicity game is growing rapidly. Of this sum more than seventy-five per cent is spent with the newspapers, trade journals and maga-zincs, Another for Rockford. August Peterson of the Central Furniture Company, Peter H. Palmer of the Royal liJantel Company and J. A. Peterson of the Skandia Furnitnre C0111p<1ny,<tl1 of Roek-ford, Ill., arc the incorpor<itors of the ?'Jational Furniture Company, organized to estahlish a furuiture factory in Rock-foro. The capital stock in placed fit $80,000 and a new plant is to be erected but no anJ)ouncen,ent has been made as to ~tyle or grade of the product. Made by Globe Furniture Co., Evansville, Ind. r---------------------- -- Robbins Tabl6 60. Owosso. Mi6blgan No. 318. AMERICAN OAK. 44x48IN. TOP. AMERICAN BASE. 7 IN. PILLAR. SPRATT'S CHAIRS ARE THE JOy OF THE CHILDREN. OUf new CHILD'S MISSION ROCKER was a winner from the start. Write for Catalogue and pri~t!s. OUf line is large and prices are right. We make CHAIRS GROWN-UPS as well as CHILDREN, GEORGE SPRATT & CO. Sheboygan, Wis. Say you M'W trn! fJd in tbe MiclJigall A",i- .,.. Something DiffERENT No. 155 WOVEN WIRE COUC" in Couches $4.00 Net We have made for some time, Couches and Davenports with woven wire tops. Our Jatest essay in this line is DlffI:RI:NT. Made and shipped K. D. l:aslly set up. 4 trial order wlll convince. 8MIT" ~ DAVIS MfG.' CO.,St. Louis. BUSINESS ON A BOAT. Meeting of Michigan Retail Furniture Dealers Takes the Form of an Excursion. The midsummer meeting of the Miehigan Retail Furniture Dealers' Association was held in Detroit on Wednesday July 24. There was a large attendance from all sections of the state except Grand Rapids, that city having only one re-presentative- G. R. Chaffee of the Young & Chafiee Furni-ture Company. The meeting" was held on hoard an excursion steamer 'which ran up and down the Detroit river, through Lake St. Clair and the "the flats" from 9 o'clock in the morning until 5 in the aftCr110011, making a most enjoyable day for the .furniture men many of whom were accompanied by ladies. Reports on the present condition of business and pro-spects for the fall trade 'oNeredecidedly optimistic, nearly all dealers declaring that since the middle of June their trade has 33 dation to succeed C. C. Rosenbury of Bay City who is now president of the national association of furniture dealers.' 'Love and Politics at Luna Park. Ne"v York wa.rd- politicians, especially those wearing the stripes of the Tammany Tiger, have great faith in publicity as an elemcnt of success and to obtain it they use novel meth-ods that might he adopted by furniture dealers with bene-ficial results. The working out of some of their advertising schemes is describcd by the New York Commercial as follows: "More than 20,000 men, women and children of the twelfth assembly district attended the "Dooley Day" outing at Luna Park Tuesday. The day was planned in honor of Matthew Dooley, chairman of the board of directors of the twenty-second Ward Democratic Club. The most novel and interesting event in Luna's history was the "Dooley Day" wedding." To encourage matrimony and votes in his district, Mr. Dooley offered a complete set FLEMISH RENNAISSANCE SIDEBOARD.· :Made by Berkey & Gay Fumture Company, Grand RaPids. Mich. been better than it ",,-as a year ago and that conditions were never better than at present. The discussions, which were largely informal were de-voted mainly to mail order competition. They showed that the !vlichigan dealers do not fear the big mail order hOtlses so much as they did a year or two ago; that hy making ex-tra efforts to show the people the advantagcs of trading at home they are meeting mail order competition much more successfully than formerly and have certainly checked the business of the big Chicago houses in this state, in the furni-ture line at least. It was stated that several manufacturers have refused to aUow the mail-order houses to catalogue their products and that some who have heretofore sold to that branch of the trade have decided to discontinue that practice. It is re-ported that some of the manufacturers of hardware novelties, etc., in Meriden and New Britain, Conn., have instituted court proceedings, or are about to do so, for the purpose of es-tablishing their right to prohibit the cataloging of their goods by Boston mail order houses. If manufacturers have the legal right to control the use of their products for cata-logue purposes, they may be able to place an obstacle in the progress of the mail order business. W. 1. Owen of Detroit was elected president of the asso-of household furnishing to the couple or couples who can· sented to be married in Luna Park on "Dooley Day." The one condition was that each contracting party must reside in the twelfth assembly district. Five couples made applications, but only one qualified_ The successful candidates were Emelia Swensen and Olaf Jergensen, who came forward with the proper credentials. The ceremoney occurred at 3 o'clock at the base of the tower overlooking the lagoon. After the ceremony, :l.1r. Dooley of-fered his congratulations, gave the couple an order for a complete house-keeping outfit and then conducted the "newly weds" through the "Night and Morningl ' show. In the chamber of skeletons the king and queen gave their blessing, and the verbose skeleton admonished the honeymooners to beware the awful results of "Hell on Earth/" Handsomest Ever. John J. 1\'Icisinger, buyer for the G. W. McAlpin Com-pany of Cincinnati, left Grand Rapids declaring: "I must say the lines are the handsomest and most extensive ever dis-played and I have managed to make quite a selection though in such a market, where there are so many attractions it is hard to decide just what is best to buy. However, a man who ",,-ants high grade goods can't go far wrong in this market," 34 _Don't B~ Too Blunt, Nor Too Smooth. Some busin('.ss men -are blunt in their dealings with CllS-. tomers; others are polished and suave to a degree, The fortner may acquire local reputations for their bluntness and command the kind of respect that is evinced when neighbor3 say, "John is pretty blunt of speech, but yoU always know just where he stands. He calls a spade a spade and yon don't have to think twice to know what he means." while of the polished man and the suave it is sometimes said by the unappreciative, 'He is too smooth, too oily, too smart." The blunt man in business may carry his bluntness too far, just as the suave man may convey the impression of ovcr-smartness. The happy medium is the- thing to strive for-a polite, considerate attitude to",,'ards customers and friendly patient ,treatment of them-neither the bluntness that offends the fastidious nor the "smoothness" that excites suspicion. 1vfenaFe cast in various molds and their methods naturally differ in all callings, trades and professions. This is welt illust.rated by the methods employed by diffcrent puhlic speakers in quelling interruptions. The blunt method, the method of the club and the cudgel, was illustrated when a Governor of the State of Illinois answered an interrupter at a public meeting by the exc1aminati"on: "Back to the asylum with you!" The method of the polished debater, the method of the rapier rather than of the cudgel, was that, employed in thc course of a speech by the great orator, John Bright. He. was saying, "Personally I do not feel disposed to wage war against these Philistines," when an unruly membcr of . 11is English audience shouted "Hee-haw!" ·':~lfhowcvcr;" }Jr. Bright continued witho~lt a pause, "my f.i.-iendat the back·oT the hall wilt lend me one of his iaws I shall be' encouraged to reconsider my attitude, in vie,~ of the- historic success of Sampson when provided ''lith a similar wea1J(ln." Both of these methods were :effectiv-e in quelling opposi- "THE BEELMAN LINE" FOR SPECIAL SALES MiSSION ROCKERS MAGAZIN£ STANDS TABLES MEDIC1NE. CABINE.TS SEND FOR CATALOGUE . l'HEBEELMAN CABINET COMPANY j; ·1682'~t6'72., Columbus Road; CLEVELAND, o. Ij -;_ r' ~•.:." .- -. - c, . tion. Bluntness and polish may both win, but in business the most likely channel to success wilt probably b~ found by steering a middle course. Laziness and lngenuity. The man who tries to make.his work easier is not general-ly a lazy man. Too many business men are today inclined to look with suspicion on anyone in their employ who tries to so simplify his work as to be able to do it in less time. A man who goes to his employer and outlines a- plan whereby he can do the same amount of work in less time i"sgenerally about as likely to get a cool reception as encouragement. Why this is the case is hard to say. Iii rnostcases it probably comes from the fact that the employer is not himself familiar with the work, and naturally feels that an employe is more likely to try to shirk than to accompli-sh more. This is entirely the wrong view to take of the matter. \Vhen an employe takes enough interest in your business to devise plans of saving time for you, he is too valuable a man for you to overlook. He is not trying to save his time for his own use, but for yours. He re~lizes that you are paying him for a full day's work, and if.he studies out a method of saving an hour of his time each day, or even a few moments, he knows he will be expected to find something else to do during the time: This· is the kind of a man to, encourage. Every idea he advances should be taken under consideration, and if found to be sound they can be givena:triaL Each trial will encour-age 'him to be more valuable to you, and what do you hire men for, if not to help you? The lazy man is more like the machine. He plods through routine work and never tries to thi'nk of better ways of doing it. If he can get more assistance by a little shirking he is more likely to shirk. If he has any thoughts which would benefit you, he is avcrse to letting you find it out. Do not get -these two classes of employes mixed in your mind, for if you do, you fail to get what you should. Dont's For Young Salesmen. Don't think that because the boss has a. roll-top desk and a pri.vate -office that he also has a cinch. The man who car-ries the responsibility is the man whose shoulde~s first grow bent. If the- boss has a system for you to follow, you follow it. Don't try to introduce any variations on your own re· sponsibility. Exercise the same discretion in choosing an employer that the employer uses in choosing a salesman, and then stick to your choice. It doesn't pay to recommend goods a bit higher than they wilt stand. A customer fooled that way once won't Rive you a :Sec~n.dchali~e. Don't tell your story too glibly. The man who rattles off his piece about the goods as if he had said it a thousand times doesn't inspire any too much confidence. It is a- wise sales~an who take-'j pains to know inote than he is expected to know about the goods he sel1~. Study some branch .of store work on the side. Learn to make sign cards, to write advertising, to dis-play goods, to handle correspondence. It's a busy man who hasn't time to learn something outside of his· routine. . NeW' FactoriES. Shawnee,' (IlL) Bedding Company. Brooklyn (N: Y.) Dining Room Table Company. Warten & 1i.fartin, West Point,Tenti. Jacob Jacckle Furniture Company, Buffalo, N. Y. DearboTll Desk Company, Marion, Ind. Piqua (Ohio) Furniture' CompanY· Moore -Furniture Company, Knoxville, -Tehti. Gastonia (N. C.) Mattress Cori1panY._ Globe ;Brass Bed Manufacturing Company, New Ya:tk City. Miller Furniture Company, Orailge;Tex. NoweH.:.P,eacock UpholsteI:ing_C~tnpanYI .Lexingfori, ;N. C. Miscellaneous Notes. At the annual meeting of the National Traveling Men's Protective Assoc,iation, held in Detroit during the third week in July, officers for the ensuing year were elected as follows: President, Louis T. La Beaume; of St. Louis; vice"president, L. C. Deets, of Des Moines; secretary and treasurer, A. L. Sheetz, of Omaha,N eb. The 1908 convention will be held in Lake Placid, :K. Y. Cincinnati furniture men do not have much in the line of dull care to drive way. Kcither do tbey propose to allow all \vork to make them dull. 'I"be Queen City Furniture Club will have a "stag outing" at \Vhite \~ril1ow Park, over in "Old Kaintuck" on Tuesday,. August 13. To complete "the other half" of the.ir boilding, the l\Janu-facturers' Building ~ompany of Grand Rapids, :dich., have increased the capital stock trom $70,000 to $125,000. The new stock has all been subscribed fOj" and exc.H,-at;on for the additional structure is in progress. Tht Lent:! Table Company of 1\ashville, J\Hch., shut down the {attory for two weeks in July in order to install a new engine and make otber betterments demanded by rapidly i11- 7IRTIS'A~ t T t· 35 the best modern type fire-proof buildings, 70 x 150 feet, four stories-to be completed by Novernber l. The Gutter Furniture Company of Port Huron, Mich., gave aV"'ayover 4,500 souvenirs at the formal opening of their new quarters in the Armory building on Ivlilitary street. A three ,~tory brick buildjng is to be erected on lVlain street, Zeeland, .:\lich .. for the accommod~\tion of DePree & Pruim, furniture dealers. The Bay Poplar Company, capitaliz.ed at headquarters in Cincinnati, has been organized poplar as a furniture wood. \V. E. "Vig-Icy of Gatesville, store to i\lortoll Scott of \Vaco. and will retire. $150,000, lvith to {;xploit bay Tex., has sold his fu.rnitme fllr. Vligley is 70 ycars old The Armstrong Cork Company is building a linoleum plant at Lanc:aster, Pa., that will cost $250,000 and cover fi.ve au.es of land. Farnham. & Fillmore have purchased the furniture store of George Gave of Petersburg, \lich .. and will continue the .busi-ness. The Helena, Ark., branch of the Ford-Johnson Company MADE BY ESTEY MANUFACTURtNG CO, OWOSSO, MICH. creasing business. The managers are planning to add two buildings to the plant next spring-. The furnitll1"(~sales season, now closing, having 5ho\vl1 the need of greater hotel facilities, the directors of the Old :\ ,,- tional Bank, owncr of the building, are having plalls drawn for a nve-story addition to the rear of the Hotel Pantlind, Grand Rapids. The Standard Furniture Company of KashviIJe, TC11ll., is huiJding a la.rge w<ll'elwusc: as an addition to the plant and v..·.ill put in a number of ncw rnachincs, thus increasing the ca-pacity d the plant about forty per cent. Thc!htson-='le.vcJl Furniture Company are buying g-oods for thei;- new cash and instalhnent store to be opcned at IIat-tiesburg, Miss., about the middle of Ang"ust. Cbarles E. Newell is vice president and manager. The nanw of the l\:f ohawk Desk Cornpany of Herkimer, 1\'. Y., has been chnged to the l\atlonal Desk Company. The Buckeye Parlor f<'tunitttre Company of Toledo, 0., has inc.reased its capital stock frOth $10,000 to $25,000. C. Xiss & SOllS, the well kn<nvll furniture dealers of Mil-waukee, arc erecting a large addition to their store-one of will herea.fter be known as the Helena ::\Janufacturjng C01'n-pany, A factory for the Hmaking over of hair mattresses" is be-ing established at Dixon, III. The Hillsboro (Ohio) Chair Company are enlarging their factory. Emil Tyden of Hastings, 1\lich., has been granted letters patent on his famolls pedestal table lock. . L. i\. :.\lallecy, furniture dealer of 01.ea.n, 7'J". Y:, .is laying the foundations for a new store. The: B. A. :rvfdvlillan Company of Salt Lake City has the contract for seating- the new Catholic cathedral in that city. The pews \vill cost about $6,500. Sargent's Strong Exhibits. The Sargellt ]'\'Iannfacturing Company of Muskegon 1Tieh., are among the leading exhibitors of ha.ll racks,. desks, chiffoniers chiffo-wardrobcs and kindred goods in the Grand Rapids Furniture exposition. The line has heen,grea:tl1:yen-largcd and improved and the liberal ordeTs'taken: r-ewa'i'u: the enterprise and good judgment of the management.' EV.RNSVILLL Evansville, July 24.-Tbe mid-summer selling season h:as produced satisfactory results to manufacturers.- Liberal or-ders for goods were booked at the St, Louis and Chicago ex-positions and the mails have added materially to the sales. The factory of the recently organized World Furniture Company is about ready for operation and a line of goods will be prepared speedily for the market. The new line of fqe Crescent Furniture Company is in the hands of the photographer and the engraver. A machine for producing imitation of figured woods has been installed by the Specialty Furniture Company. The Buehner Chair Company has changed management, Mr. Lichtenfeld retiring. His successor is George Keve- New Furniture Dealers. Angelo (Tex.) Furnitur'e and Undertaking Company. Cap-ital, $50,000. Michigan Furniture Company, 2174 Third avenue, New York. Bernard Mendel, 1401 Fifth avenue, New' York. Star Furniture Company, 268 West One Hundred· ann Forty-fifth street, New York. H. Horwitz, Baltimore, Md. O'Donnell Company, Boston. Nichols & McEachren, Monterey, CaL E. Lapowski, Douglas, Ariz. George Swadner, Fairfield, Ky. Henry W. Bergman, Bradford, Pa. E.Sehneider & Co., Allentown, Pa. Universal Furniture Cornpany, Troy, N. Y. Batson-Newell .Furniture Company, Hattiesburg, Miss. Furniture Fires. Zen gel & Heidrick, New Orleans. Loss, $60,000, insured. PIOK UT THE BUYER. kordes. Improvements will be made in the factory and the line strengthened. The great factory of the Karges Furniture Compan t.s well supplied with orders for chamber furniture and w rd-robes. A. F, Karges is giving close attention to the op ra-tion of this great plant, as usual. Eli D. Miller has returned from Chicago, where he oak many orders for the famous Eli folding beds. A new line of tables has been placed on the market by the Bockstege Furniture Company. The designs are mee tng the approval of dealers ·generally. The Bosse Furniture Company are marking many large shipments to dealers in the west and south. Their goods are manufactured for shipment knocked down, thereby effecting a great saving in freight. Evansville is a great market for carload shipments of mixed lots. Everything needed by the average dealer is man~ ufactured here which makes this feature of the business pos-sible. A verse from the pen of "Ben" Fellwock, the furniture rhym-ster of Evans.ville, reads as follows: "Evansville is on the Ohio-- Near Henderson, Kentucky- :The dealer selling Evansville goods Is lucky, lucky, lucky." In other words, according to the sweet-singing Ben, the dealer is three times lucky if he can stock up with Evansville goods one time. J. J. Reifensnyder & Bra. Philadelphia, Pa. Loss, $1,000. Charles Dusenbury, West Branch, Mich. Loss, $1,800. Ferdinand Serengo, Brooklyn, N. Y. Loss, $9,OOQ H. J, Miner, Clayton, Mich. Loss, $8,000. Made by Woodard F'Urniture 00., owosso, Mich. THE OLD MAN'S SOLILOQUY. 37 How to Meet Man Order Competition. The retailer is getting over his state of funk. He realizes that the retail catalogue 'houses may worry hi111) but cannot crush him, That they will continue to exist, and must be accepted as one of the conditions of modern day merchandising, says The Butler Way. He knows now that while their monster catalogues are universal encyclopedias of merchandise their actual sales arc big only in certain classes ·of bulky goods-trivial in most shelf ware, and especially so in popular priced articles. No wonder the retailer was rather "rattled" .vhen he woke up and found how far into his field the foreign catalogue houses had crept. The ene-my came at him in a new form and in a new way. Almost before he knew it the offending catalogues ,..-ere in every farmhouse and orders were going away from home by every mail. 1\ ot unnaturally, though in light 'of hind sight not wisely, he refrained from advertising the retail mail order houses by not recognizing their exist-ence. lIe simply ignored them. His customers construed his silence as a sign of defeat and the enemy grew apace. As usual, the first impulse spent itself in talk. There was much discussion of ways and means, but little real fighting. Merchants' associations did not get beyond oratory and resolutions. Meantime, a few hard-headed merchants in dif-ferel1t parts of the country were meeting the issue squarely. They got right out into the field and fought. Each season a few more recruits joined the ranks of the fighters. They found the retail mail order houses were not invulnerable. As in all cases, the danger when met face to face proved Jess formindable than in prospect. Successful fighting of retail mail order houses appears to be along two lines: L Every merchant must fight to stop the peo-ple he classes as his customers sending orders away from homc. To do this, he must be willing to sacrifice his profit, and more if need be. At all costs, the idea 111USt be uprooted that home merchants cannot sell goods as cheaply as foreign concerns. 2. The merchants of a town must stand shoulder to shoul-der against the common enemy. Their powerful influence must be brought to bear on the local newspapers to dissuade them from accepting advertising from retail mail order houses and to advocate home buying in the editorial columns. The associated merchants should learn the names of people who are sending orders away and bring to bcar on them all pos-sible pressure at least to give the home mercha"nts an even chance at their business. From what we have heard from customers in many states we are convinced t.h.1.t.if the merchants of a town wilt set themselves vigorously to the task they witi soon stop the growth of the retail mail order houses in their territory, and after that slowly but .surely reduce the present busines don.e by those }lOllses. Good-bye, old friend; good-bye! Geary leaves the house that made molts. Twelve: years ago I came to you and asked for ·work. I informed you that 1 was an advertiser. You gave me :.l. triai; at the end of three days you hired me for one year. I made good and you arranged with me to stay another year. \Vhen that time expired you arranged with me to remain ten years longer. That time has expired. We part. r leave the house that made me famous. The house that had the nerve to back my advertising schemes. The house that grew from the smallest to the largest in the world. The hOltse that never resorts to unfair methods, the house that gives one hundred cents worth for every dollar that you hand them. The house that gives every man, woman and child a square deal. That's Pickerings. Nuf-ced. Back to the farm for James Geary, R. F. D. 2, Allegheny, Pa. The above "advertisement" appeared in the Pittsburg pa-pers last ·week. James Geary, familiarly known as "Old Man Geary," ,,>'1)0 had been connected with Pickerings' adver-tising department for twelve years, closed with them on July 20. In an explanatory Jetter to the Michigan Artisan, Mr. Geary writes: "Some say my ads were £1-- bad; others say results count. \Ve (Pickerings) are no"..- as big as they (we) want to be. vVe agreed to disagree-that's Y I am out on the farm planting new advertising ideas. As soon as they ger-minate I will have something to selL "Thank you! "JAMES GEARY, "Original Nu.f-ced Man." The Ero Office Supply Company and the E. R. Thompson Printshop of Carthage, ido., have been consolidated under the control of Mr. Thompson, who proposes to increase the capi-tal stock and enlarge the business, using the old name of Ero Office Supply Company. Yeggmen entered the furniture store of J. c. Herms, Keosho, Mo., wrecked the safe with explosives and got away with about $30 in cash. 38 Mr. E. Z. Mark Helps Out 1. MRS: MARK_The,.e! There, E. Z., is Just the very thing I want you -to glve'me for a Christmas present; that (lId Eighteenth Century ltalial\ i;abinet. It is onJyflve hundredd ollar& S.· Z., I have set my heart· OD,It_I must have H:. MR. E. %.-WHAT! Not MUCH! VDU'V~got tl:1nthel' :nu~ss. 2. STRANGER (later in theday) .....Mr. Mark. i am secretary of the Sellleg.a.mbol'lian Missions, of ""hi!;h Mra. Mark is QUI'1\i)n!2~ preei~l\t. We wlosh to make her a little Chrlrmna$ !itlft aad , have beendttlegated to- ask you qul~Y to 8i1S9e1t something that would pl(.aBe our b,eloved Mr.. Mark. 3. STRANGER (eontlnuh:g)-We have only -tfole sum of four hundred'-,", .had l:Jo~ 'to ralae fi~ hundred- MR. "E. L::.-8Y jovel I know what. She wants that old Italian eilt!lnet down at Flotsam .. Jet· urn'. antique store. He....: I'll acid an1:lthe:r hun-. <lJMd to )'OU1" fow, ,VOPU-"'8oclQWnalJd-buy' that for ber oIlIndshe'll bepJ.eaaed to·~th. ~ '"";".-... "}"$" ,'~;::;:' ..._.~:'~.:'*7::l:. , :\10."",,_ 4. E. Z.- (that cvenfng)-Ah-er<-Mary". you stan4 very WII'II with th~'- members of the te:ne- . gamQ,OllliM Mi$$i9n.S, don't you1 I moan, thoy think iI: .Jot of, y,ou,'dOn't the)'. ~~ar1 MRS, MARK...;..;Sencgambe-nian 'Mia.ions? WAy, I nevt'r heard of such a thing. Th-e're t8 DC)sUCh $IO<lr¢y in e.l(hitenroe as f.ar as l.k.nollV. WhX. ~' Z .• ,wh.t I. the matter? Have you got a .fit? ~ TREATMENT OF GRAFTERS. Famous Architect Who Was Kind to Them Was Finally "Skinned" by One of the Tribe. \Villiam Le Baron ]cnne::r. the famous Chicago architect, who \\<as the inventor of skeleton construction, and who died re:ccntly in Los Angeles, 'vas a man of odd characteristics. He' recognized hutmtl1 fraiJities, but seldom condemned the frail man. Jenney despised worse tban .anything the gTaftcr, ;llJd hjs manner of dealing with that type of man was effective. Arch-ness. If you \vant to do the best kind of business, "..-jth the best Jirms, don't do as you have
- Date Created:
- 1907-07-25T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Rapids Public Library (Grand Rapids, Mich.)
- Collection:
- 28:2