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- Michigan Artisan; 1908-03-25
Michigan Artisan; 1908-03-25
- Notes:
- Issue of a furniture trade magazine published in Grand Rapids, Mich. It was published twice monthly, beginning in 1880. and Twenty-Eighth Year-No. 18 MARCH 25. 1908 Semi-Monthly
CHICAGO SALESROOM: Geo. D. Williams Co., 1323 Michigan Ave., First Floor, Chicago, Ill.
The ROYAL is the Original
Push Button Morris Chair
THE."ROYAL.'
PUStf BUTTON
MORRIS CHAIR
E4tfrt ¥cal'$ oi Te.n H.ne Established hs SupremJl()Y
ALL OTHIlRS ARIl IMITATIONS
I MORRIS CHAIRs FROM-I16.25
to 130 --- _._----
CAT ALoe UPON APPLICATION.
Royal CLair Co.
STURGIS, MICHIGAN
Chicago Salesroom: Ceo. D. Williams Co.,
1323 Michigan Avenue,First Floor, Chicago,III.
"THE BEST" One Motion, All Steel Go-Cart
FOLDS WITH ONE MOTION
NO FUSS. NO FOOLING
FOLDS WITH ONE MOTION
AU Steel; Indestructible.
Perfected Beyond AUCompetition.
Frame of Steel Tubing.
Will Carry 200 Lbs. Over Rough
Pavements.
The Only Perfect Cart With a
Large Perfect Quick Actiou Hood.
CATALOGUE UPON APPLICATION.
FOLDED
STURGIS STEEL GO~CART COMPANY, Sturgis, Mich.
~O'~(",\C.
.i~.~~ ....)
....
A Complete Line of Wardrolles
We have just ready a COMPLETE Hne of wardrobes,
-small WARDROBES for small Northern houses,
-tall WARDROBES/or stately Southern homes,
-low priced WARDROBES,
-high priced WARDRUBES.
All Wardrobes Match Our Regular Furniture Line.
NEW COLONIAL DESIGNS.
Orders for this new line of wardrobes are coming in so steadily and the wardrobes are giv-ing
so mnch satisfaction that w~ beHeve they will become one of the most popular features in our
line of furniture.
If you have never sold wardrobes, just make a little inquiry among your customers and see
how many would like something of this sort if they could secure what they wanted at the right
prices.
We are preparing a 5pecial Wardrobe catalogue, which will be ready in 30 day •.
SENT ON RECEIPT OF POSTAL CARD.
NORTHERN FURNITURE COMPANY
SHEBOYGAN, WISCONSIN
Largest Furniture Manufacturers in the World
in
Dark and Tuna MtlJlOgany
BirdJej't Maple
Birch and CiTC/wiatt Walnut
Lu"ce..Redmond Chair Co., Ltd.
~r-a.I9!fHIG?JN 7 7'I~TI~-X *"'- 1
Buy a BACHELOR'S WARDRODE
and have a place for everything.
Bachelor's Wardrobe No. 12
BIG RAPIDS, MICH.
HIGH GRADE OFFICE CHAIRS
DINING CHAIRS
ODD ROCKERS and CHAIRS
DESK and DRESSER CHAIRS
SLIPPER CHAIRS
COLONiAl PARLOR SUITES
Furniture buyers visiting Grand Rapids between seasons will find our full line on the
2d floor (Ionia St. front) of the Manufacturers' Building, where they can inspect and
make their purchases at any time.
Bachelors and Old Maids Get Wise
The Cost
is Sm~n.
The
Convenience
is Great.
Made by
Th.
Manistee
Mfg. Co.
Manistee, :\-lief,.
f()()/j Catalvj!,lit:
110'2(' relld)'o
Bachelor's Wardrobe No. 10
2
Oliver8 CO.
ALLEGAN, MICH.
Combination and
Ladies' Desks,
Library Cases.
China Closets and
Buffets
1908 CATALOG
now ready
No. 108
6S inches high. 34 inches wide.
Gloss finish .....•....... 1)9.00
1)8.25
No.10S
63 inches high. 34 inches wide.
Gloss finish .. , ..... , ... , .
No. 107 with mirror toilet same
as on No. 108 .
1)7.75
~8.50
Polish Finish
50c additional No. 106, with wood back same
as on No. 10.5.........•...
METAL FURNITURE We make a specialty of All·Steel Tables, Chairs and Stools.
Wood and Cane Seats; Wood, Marble and Glass Opalite
Topsj all finishes. Artistic:. sanitary, indeatructable.
I
(
No. 74 No. 110 NQ.70
New line of Brass Costumers. We call p.rtiCiular attention to our uWONDER" COSTUMER. (Illustrated on
page 9 of this issue.) AUateel,indestructable, no screws. In lots of one doz. or more, fiJlished in Antique Copper,
$18 doz.: finished in Dead Black, $15 doz. Adjustable Tables. Shaving and Bath Mirrors, Chevals, Triplicates.
~;'!~;:·.nd DE.TROIT RACI\ CO., Detroit, Mich.
Il
..~
GRAND R /\ D~r~' (
... ,~ "- _I~ ..... .r' _)
~ " 'T .. ~ 'j . i
28th Year-No. 18.
"Wishbones Where Their Backbones Should Be."
A. F. Sheldon, who conducts a training school for salesmen
111 Chicngo, was a guest of the Add Club of Grand Rapids at
their monthly banquet recently and delivered an address on
the topic "The Science of Salesmanship."
"Science is organized kJlOwlec1ge, according to one phil-osopher/'
remarked 1,fr. Sheldon, "and it hai-i likcwi,~c been
termed classilicd C0111m011 S('l1;.;('. T would call the science of
salesmanship the pf)l,Ver of pcrsll;Lding plenty of people to
purchase pleasantly for a pront that yvhich we ha-ve for sale.
There are many born salesmen and advertisers, just as there
are men born 'with natural proclivities for other callings, bllt
none can attain full development of hi:; powers without study
and without training,
"If we would become masters we must apply ourselve:-..
There are lots of men with a ,vishhrl11c where their baekbonc
should he. There 8re four types of them, the indifferent, the
studellt, the adept and the master. The 18tter bas had to
pass through the two lower classes to <lniye at the top.
"Tt is the positive forces which win and develop the true
man. This is the age of ethics in husiness anel the square
deal. The men who suttec(l arc tIle men who arc guided by
truth, who build for perm;\llency. [t is the repeaters who
count. In talking to a eustnll'.er :you mnst be nhle to read
him and you must have the <lrgllrnents which appen1. ~'Tore
orders are 'lost througb too mnch than too little talk. It's
points that count. I liken salesmen to birds familiar to us,
the sparrow class, fluttering around and never seemi1lg to
knO"w where he wants to go, and the barn swallow, darting
here. and there. These are simply order takers. The real
salesman is like the grand Arnericall cagle.
He doesn't flutter or dart abollt. IT c is self-contained.
He kllO\VS when he wants sometbing <lnd ,vhere to go for it.
He \vatches for the proper moment, focuses his forces, drives
to the lloillt and gets 'what he goes after. In this day the
vocation of distributing thc products of thc field, forest e-tnel
factory is a 1I0ble 011e and the ll.l<lnshould bring his best to
his task. The salesman, the customer and the things sold
are the forc('.S in selling, but in t11C end the sale is the reat
thing.
"There are these degrees in reaching the culminating point
of all the effort, first, commanding attention, then arousing
the interest, inspiring confidence, creating the desire, formu-lating
the resolve to buy e-tlldthe giving· of satisfaction."
1\.1r. Sheldon related inst.ances of the 11egative qualities of
clerks in many retail stores wbo waited upon a customcr in
listless fashion and instead of asking is there anything else
suggested there was nothing else that the customer desired
to buy.
A Few Moments With "Central."
Hello! One double seven nine? One double seven nine's
busy. ---- You said 011edouhle seven five? Ycs, yOll dio
-not. Come 011t of it. I know wbat you called for.
Kever mind the anvil chorus now. You can't hand me that
$1.00 per Year.
line of cOllversatiilll, you kllo\-y. wasn't born yesterday.
The line's busy now. Quit your kiddin' now and run along
and set! your vVar Crys. This is no pink tea.
Hello! No, this isn't Blanche. Blanche didn't come to
work today. This is J\fadge. Oh, is that you, Fannie?
H IH\' is every little thing? No, Lucy's got a d<lte for the
shmv tonight? \VeIl, what dp you komv' about that?
;\0, \1')'1"t1caill't here allY more. She's trimmin' lids in a
female ernporiulll. --- \;Yell, so long, Fannie.
1-1 e11o! You been waitin' ten minutes? Nat so you
could notice it. Cheer up, your carburetor's dry. Three
four nine seven? --- Three four nine seven's busy. ---
What is three four lli11e seven doing? \-Vhat do you think
I mH. Sherlock Holmes or Joe Smith? If I could guess rid-dIes
like that I "vou1dn't be jimmying around a switchboard.
--- S;\y, kid, you're almost as funny as a hearse. If
George ':",1. Cohan ever heard of you he.'d turn green.
;\0, my 11a111("snot 1\.I8ry. --- Oh, is that so? VVell, I
know a fellow that choked to death once trying to spring that
g-ag. lirllsb by now and sell your furniture, here's your
number.
Hello. Oh, is that you, Fred? Ko, I didn't go to the
([allee last night. I. didn't hear of it in time. YO.l1c«lIed
me up? Ch<lllge your brand, Freddie. Guessyol1 didn't
eal [ \'ery lond. T was expecting an invite all day.
Sure, I'll go an(1 sec Charlie Grapewin. --- Oh, any scats
will do, just so they <Ire aisle seats in the, third row on the
right haml side of the house. --- You don't tell me.
So she's hooked up ,vith th8t quince, has she. '''lell, f'rever-more!!
--- Eighteen plus car fare for her's now, all right.
---N"aw, she C8n't cook. She don't know a welsh rarebit
frorn :t hean sandwich. She always had her clothes made by
a dres"m<lker, too, when she was in the manicl.1rin' business.
All right, Fred, 7:30 tonight.
Hel1-o-o-01 You'll have to come. again with that number.
['Ill no Chinese aeldin' machine, you know. --- Oh, it:-,
l,lyrtle, is it. Pardoll mc. I thought it was one of the sub-scribcrs.
--- Nopc, not tonight. Got a date.
Oh, you could ncve1· guess who with. -~- That kid?
\Vell, I should S8y llOt. I'm not robbin' the infant class or
runnin' a kidnappin' agency. --- :\To, there's nothing like
that in my fami1:y. It's a real man this time. He's got a
s\vell job, too. --- Yes, and expcnses. --- vVhy,
my Alice blue silk, of course. ---?\ 0, I'm just having
the old one m<lde over with a new feather and buckle On tbe
side. --, So Amy's eloped with that corn doctor? Vllell,
wouldn't that warp your wninscotting! --- All right,
\{ yrtle. --- Call up any old d<lY. I've always got lot,.,
of time. --- "\Vell, so long.
Alldrew Caruegie says the banking system of the United
Stntes is the worst in the world. Considering what it has
done for :'h. Carnegie there seems to bc no reason why he
should denounce it and spurn the ladder by which he ascend-ed
from poverty to the realm of the billionaire.
WALNUT PRIZED AGAIN.
.Civil War Furniture Ripped Apart to Supply the
New Demand·
It isn't alone Santo Domingo mahogany that's getting
so rare that a decent piece of it will make an old furniture
sharp's eyes sparkle. The humble black walnut has come in-to
its own at last and furniture builders who arc making sin-gle
reproductions of old Italian and Spanish antiques are
huying up some of the heavy and artistically atrocious ward-robes
and tables and sideboards of thirty or forty years ago
just for the wood.
They tear the things apart. and when the walnut re-appears
it is in a design worthy of its quality. Some of the
:Ma.deby Horn Bros. Mfg. Co., Chicago, Ill.
handsomest and purest furniture llOW produced is Ina.:le
up from lumbering arks which, just after the civil war, were
installed to give the final touch of grand and dismal unsight-liness
to houses which commemorate the worst stage of
American taste.
"Good walnut," said a Fifth Avenue furnhure maker,
"is worth more to me than mahogany. \Ve can fake the
mahogany but not the walnut.
"And the walnut trees about the country, that used to
he chopped down and converted into wood for the kitchen
stove, .fetch all kinds of money. I know a man who has a
little hillside farm over in northern Jersey who for years
staggered along trying to feed a big family and a small
mortgage at the same time.
'''The family grew steadily thinner and more poorly clad.
but the mortgage seemed to gain in health with every suc-ceeding
-year. Ry and by I noticed that conditions were
changing, a.nd one day I met the man on the road. He was
whistling as he jogged along in his cutter.
"'You seem pretty good natured today, Rowley,' says 1.
"'Good reason,' says he. He unbuttoned his overcoat
and fished a paper out of his inside pockct.
"'That d.amn thing': he said. shaking it at 111e:, 'ha.,>heen
taking the sleep off my eyes and the hair off my head and
the clothes off my back and the victuals out of my mouth
for years, but now it won't do it any longer, for I'm gain' to
burn it up in my kitchen stove tonight and celebrate with a
square meal for the Jwl1 family. That's a mortgage, that
is, an' I hope you'll never have one:
"'\~rdl, your farm has done pre.tty well by you,' says 1.
"'Farm nothing,' says he, spitting contemptuously over
the dashboard and ramming the paper down in h's pocket.
'Farm nothing. I paid that mortgage with black wa.lnut.'
"'Why,' says I, 'T didn't know, there was any timber to
speak of on your place;'
"iThey hain't,' says he, 'T wish they was. If it was
all black walnut I'd o.vo Bergen county by this time.'
"Nope. It .v..as a piece 0' luck, this was, an' it only shows
how casy it is to make a success if a man's only got gump
enough to take a holt of a chanst when it's put right under
his nose. I built a little chicken house out there. and had to
buy part new lumber for it.
"'\-Vell, when T went into the lumber office to pay up,
I heard the clerk talkin' to his boss over the telephone, The
old man was sick an' the young fdler was tellin' him what
was in the mail..
<iHere's a letter from So-and-So," says he, "and they
want to know about black walnut. What? No, they want
to buy. They want black walnut trees standing an'll pay
any kind of a fair price for 'em and do the cutdn' them-selves,
provided the trees is big enough to saw up good."
"That was enough for me. I paid my bill an' got out.
T put up my hoss in Samson's stable an' took the fust train
I could catch for the city just as J was. I hunted up that
lumber ftrm over on the \hJ'est Side, an' sa'ntered in an' says:
"Is they any market for black walnut?"
"I guess so," the feller says.
"I kin git you all you want, mostly," says I, "but you'll
hcn'e to cut it."
"\Ve want to cut it," says he.
"Before I quit I'd signed an agreement to give them first
chance on all the walnut I could flOd, an' the figure suited
mc, for I knew where there was a lot of old trees scattered
around the country!'
"Next day I hitched up an' started', Sell 'em? Of
coursc, all the farmers 'd sell 'em, and glad to git the money.
All 1 had to do was to pay down a dollar to bind the bar-gain
and git a bill of sale and then spend two cents now and
then for a stamp.
"1 tell you T kept 'em busy, an' I didn't care whether J
got my corn <In' potatoes in or not. The boys can look
after the farm now. I've got a better hoss an' a little
spare money, an' I'm goin' pros pectin' fer black walnut.
By the time I git through they won't be a walnut tree left
~t;,n,lin' his side of the Great Lakes. Gidap!"
The First Spring Mattress.
\Vhat year was the first spring mattress made? Is it an
American or foreign invention?
The recotlecti'on of a furniture dealer who has been long
in the business are that spring mattresses first came upon
the market in 1867 and that they were the product of Amer-ic;
ltl genius. This seems a trifle too modern, yet it is
remembered that even I..ter than th:3t the bed screw was a
necessary article of the household tool chest and that corded
beds werc still in use. The early type of spring mattress
was by no means the woven wire fabric, but was built up
of double helical coils intricately lashed together and
longitudinally barred with wooden battens. Even with the
double safeguard springs were known to break loose _with
upheaving tumult, quite discommoding to any sleeper less
than Ephesian.
5
RIGHT PRICES
at
g Opalite Lined.
g Enamel Lined.
g Charcoal Filled
and Zinc Lined.
g Zin.c Llned witb
Removable Ice
Tank.
g Galvanized Iron
Lined; Stationary
lee Tank,
five Complete Lines of Refrigerators
Send for new Catalogue
and let U8 name you price.
Challenge Refrigerator Co.
Go-Carts and Baby Carriages Fo,d-Joho". COll.... hl.
IS the ~ to fold. lhe
Gtrongest and besllookioll'
eartonthemarket. ([J OUI oomplele line of samples will be displayed in Ford-Jolm_
IlQn Bldll., 1333~37 Wabash Ave., including a special display of Hotel and Dining
Room furniture. 4J All furniture deaIen are cordially invited to visit our building,
THE FORD & JOHNSON CO., Chicago, Illinois.
GRAND "AVEN
MIC" .• U. S. A
GEO. SPRATT
& CO.
Manufacturers of Chairs
and Rockers. A complete
line of Oak Diners with
quarter sawed veneer backs
and seats, A large line of
Elm Diners, medium priced.
A select line of Ladles'
Rockers. Bent and high
arm Rockers with solid
sears, veneer roll seats, cob-bler
seats and up-holstered
leather
complete. High
Chairs and
ChiLdren's
Rockers.
rou will g~1
ill on the ground
.floor when J'ou
buyfrom UJ,
SI-IEBllYGA.N, WIS.
No. 542
Oak, Solid Seat.
Price,
SI7t:;.
No. 540%
Same as Ne. 542
on I ~ Quartered
Oak, Veneer
Seat,
SI8 ~:;.
No. 542
6
PROTEST OF ANTIQUES AGAINST
UP-TO-DATE WAYS.
The Woman was New, and the Furniture Very, Very Old.
An old house stood at the crossroads. It was a homely
old house with heavy wooden shutters, a deep roof and two
enormous chimneys; hut, as it was fond of saying, "Hand-some
is a handsome does," and it had come through UO
years of hard usage and neglect with sound timbers and
straight sides, even though its venerable clapboards were
bare of paint and its shingles mossgrown and decayed.
The old house boasted that Gen: vVasbington had once
spent a night under its roof, and as it was far and away the
ol{lest Duilding in that part of the State, there was none
who could justly challenge the boast; and indeed its truth
had never been questioned by the gothic cottages, the
mansard roofed houses or even the silly gillgerbread villas
which in course of years came to reside in the neighborhood.
They ahvays listened with doors and ,'\--indows wide open
while the old house told the story of "WTashington's 'visit,
and were mUch shocked when a cynical imitation Colonial
house, which had been knocked together in a precariously
short time across the street, received the honored tale with
a rude "Huh! every old rattletrap in Jersey tells the same
story!"
At any rate it is certain that the old house had' enter-tained
a great variety of persons in the course of its many
changes of fortune. From respcctable farmhousc to rO<HI-side
tavern, to humble tenement, it had finally passed into
the ·hands of a new woman.
This new woman, it seems, though very J;lew and with
all the modern improvcments, yet love.::lto distraction evcry-thing
old-the older the better. She had for years been
collecting old furniture, old china, old carpets and quilts,
old utensils of many kinds, for which the old house seemed
a fitting receptacle. She rejoiced in its remnants of box
bordered flower beds and brick walks because she was all
for an ancient atmosphere, though the newness of her de-manded
a few concessions to modern comfort and sanitation.
The old house did not at first know what manner of
person a new woman might be, for in all its life before it
had never encountered one, but it was quick to make some
discoveries. .
"Lord-a-massy Jonathan!" it groaned to the gnarled
apple tree which had kept it company for some seventy
•
years, "the horrid things that are going on in my interior
would split you straight in two.
"Never complain of bluebird" nesting in your hollows
again, when here am I with evil spirits buried in my walls
and floors. I believe they call ..them pipes and wires, but
I'm bedevilled sure enough, for the pipes end in brazen
serpents that hiss and gurgle and throw off a terrific heat
that makes even my well seasoned joints part company,
and the wires end 111w1l1 0' the wisp lights, which no man
strikes, as bright as a hundred, candles.
"As for the furniture 'folk:' who inhabit me there are at
least twice as many ias I have ever harbored before, and
between yOU and me society is a -trifle:rhixed. Articles that
should be in th-e kitchen are in the parlor, and things of no
consequence are set in prominent places: Through no fault
of their own, mind you l
;'In fact the furniture folk feel very uneasy about this and
other matters, -and to-night we hold a meeting to see what
if anything can be done. Myself, I think we might' as well
rebel against Gen. vVashington and all his troops as against
this new woman, but the furniture folk are anxious to make'
a stand. I wilt try to manage that the west window is left
open, Jonathan, so that you can hear some of the goings on."
It was long past midnight before the new owners of the
old house were in bed and asleep and the atmosphere had
attained that breathless, expectant quiet of the night which
is so necessary to the proceedings of what humans are
pleased to call inanimate objects. The tali clock in the hall
struck one with a resounding oath that would scarcely have
bcen expected from one so staid, and at once broke into re-vilings
of the manners of modern human kind.
·'The tickety-tock idiots 1 Don't know enough to go
to bedr·· it stormed. "At 7 I say, 'Time for sensible folks
to be in bed!' Nobody stirs: I don't expect it. At 9 I say
scornfully, 'Time 'for 'fools kv,be in bed.' It doesn't move
'em. At 11 I thunder, 'Time for roysterers to be in bed,' and
that usually routs 'em."
"La! ma'am!" simpered one prim, straight, high backed
chair to another. "Did you see how this new woman con-ducted
herself on me this e\'eriins, and in presence of gentle·
men too? She seems to know nothing of genteel deport-ment,
erect figure, feet together and hands folded in the
lap, but sits lounging forward, with elbows on knees .• chin
on hands, and, I vow, ma'am! I scarce like to mention it,
but with onc limb actually crossed over the other swinging
her foot to and fro!"
"You were speaking of decorum, ladies," whispered the
settle. "Things have indeed come to a pretty pass.'~
"You know, I've a wide experience in sweethearts.
Many's the time the question has been popped on me, and
always did the man and the maid keep a proper distance from
each other, sitting modestly, one in either of my capacious
corners.
"But last night the sweethearts, who are visitors, sat so
close together that the two sc'arce took up room enough for
one; and though I tried not to see, I'm almost sure he haJ
his ann around her waist and kissed her."
"I'm well aware that this is 110 place for a warming pan,"
quavered an apologetic voice "from the parlor wall, ·'but she
spent a whole day polishing me and she says-I'm only
telling you what the new woman said," it hastily added, at
a contemptuous hiss from the Stately brass andirons.
These andirons were tall, brilliant anJ very aristocratic
and felt themselves deeply humiliated at their enforced as-sociation
with humble utensils. They were particularly
exasperated by the nearness of an ancient black kettle which
hung frOm a crane in the fireplace.
"And as if it were not enough," said they, "to have a
black kitchen wench swinging in idleness right under Our
noses, we must look up and see an impudent chambermaid
disporting herself Upon the parlor wall and claiming kinship
with ust"
The ancient kettle was too solid and prosaic to be much
moved by this unkind speech of the andirons, but the warm-ing
pan, being of a most sensitive nature, was SQ hurt and
shamed that she fell with a loud clatter to the floor.
"The eat's foot!" sharply exclaimed the spinning wheel.
"You ought to have a real trial like mine to fret over."
"Here months of precious time have been wasted, letting
me stand motionless by the fire, my spindle wrapved with
flax and never a thread spun. This new woman is a thrift-less
housewife, or else--I hate to suspect any woman of
such a scandalous thing, but sometimes I almost fear that
she doesn't know how to spin."
"I half believe you're right," mused a charming little
work table with claw feet and glass knohs. "And what's
more, I don't believe she knows a bodkin from an emery
ball, or knitting from needlework. At any rate there's
nothing in my drawers that ought to be there) such as thltn-ble,
thread and needles. Instead, there is quartered there
a regiment of little paper cylinders who roll impudently
about and call themselves cigarettes, though they smell very
much llke tobacco."
HSpeaking of tobacco makes my bowl burn," said a long,
slim clay pipe. "\\/hat I want to know is, where's the master
of this house? The pipe tongs and myself have been
waiting patiently on the mantel shelf for him to come and
use us so long that I am ready to drop with hungcr."
;·By the great horn spoon!" quoth the big dining table.
"You might know this was a masterless house by the
feeding."
"I am still the groaning board, but I groan with weight
of service, not of victuals. No more great joints of meat
nor mammoth puddings, no more delicious pies and dough-nuts."
';The new woman says they're not wholesome, and she
seems to li.ve cxc1usi\'ely on fruit, nuts, porridge and gl'ccn
leaves, for she can't get any nourishment from the long
rows. of knives and forks and spoons which are set out each
side of her plate."
"Oh, dear! "What will become of me?" piped a quaint
little high chair. "I'm so unhappy."
"I used never to be empty, for as fast as
too big for me there was another to take
now-I'm not empty."
UNo! But I hold an ugly smug faced dog whose mistress
talks to him like this, 'Won't Jerry have anu;l:zer teeny weeny
one baby
its place.
grew
But
piece of chicken? Take it to please muzzer, pitty, even if
you <l.fCn't hungry.'''
All agonized wail floated down from tbe four post bed
in the guest chamber.
··Oh, please don't anybody look at me!" it cried. "No
tester, no valance, no curtains, only four pitiful, undraped
sticks of wood stretched upward to the ceiling in silent
protest. The new woman says that draperies are not sani-tary,
but though the patchwork quilt does all it can to cover
me I feel disgraced forever."
Motters and groans, creaks and rustlings eame from all
parts of the house. There were threats of great undertakings
and dire happenings, .
The tall clock struck twenty-four times all at once, the
prim chairs turned their faces _to the wall, the settle tipped
over, the andi.rons heat the -' black kettle and got badly
dented, the spinning wheel actually succeeded in spinning
a thread, the work table spilled the cigarettes upon the floor,
and the little high chair oozed tears of new varnish.
"\\That a silly set of old fogies you are!" said the water
pipes and electric light wires, ;;to think that what you can
do \vill make any difference! Now, we could make some
genuine trouble if we felt inclined. \Ve could burst and
flood the house or set it afire, and the new woman knows it!
She fears us, but you she will very soon set in your proper
places again."
Sure enough, vv·hcn morning came the new woman,
though much amazed at the disorder which she found
i.llroughout the house, gently but firmly arranged her antique
furniture just a5 it was the day before,but the warming pan
could nowhere be found. After a long search it was dis-covered
with its head buried in the guest room bed, which
stretched its four posts upward to tbe ceiling in silent protest.
-Sun.
Tbe "ELI" FOLDING BEDS ARE BREAD AND
PROfU WINNERS
No Stock complete without the Ell Beds in Matlt~1 and Upright.
ELI.0 MILLER & Co. WEvriatenf'O''f''ec.uts aInnddp'ariDcens,
ON SALE IN FURNITURE EXCHANCE, CHICAQO.
7
8
DAVENPORT BEDS SOMHTDING NEW. Swell Fronts and Tops. We Lave tLe Line you
want, and one that wllll!uarantee satisfa&iono Write us-will send cuts
and qUOlli! yoo prices that will intered yon.
WRITE FOR OUA CATALOGUE.
Seeing the Furniture Store,
On your right, ladies and gentlemen .. as you enter, you
will observe the dining table. This is the best mannered
dining table on earth. Nat ice how neat and ard"crty it is,
how it avoids dropping crumbs on the floor, how it tucks
its napliin into its vest, and i5 careful to have the proper knife
or fork in the proper plfLce. No matter how big a dinner
is prepared for it, it can easily adjust itself to it, thus avoiding
indigestion or that full feeling after dining.
Immediately aheail of us is a busy little table, as you will
sec, It is a writing table. X'otice that it does not write 011
its own leaves.
On your left, as we pass along,
tables. Ko, the)r are not the tables
are drinking taples.
And herea're the card lables. They are well shuffled,
you will ob5erve,and the cutting '~vas done at the factory.
Yes sir, they got intofhe game long ago.
Here is 'the folding' bep. By night its excellcnce is plain,
by day it is doubled.
Farther ,dong wetlnJ the steamer chair. It is easily
recognized b~catise if has 'it's sea legs on.
Just to the right of the~steamer chair is the invalid chair.
Yes, that is the invalid' chair-the onc with its arms hanging
weakly and its legs eros,sed. No, it is not called an invalid
chair because it is seasi.ck from sitting near the steamer
chairs. It is so called because it has a weak back.
And here is the reading chair. Step softly and speak
gently, in order not to dis~urb it. Yes, yes.. Everybody sees
that it has an arm full of books.
This is the kitchen chail·. Don't speak to it, for there is
a good deal of sauce about it.
Dh, yes. Right over the.re is the typewriter table. Yes,
that neat littl,e blonde table, with. its feet- tucked under it.
see the row of
with glasses on.
reading
Those
TUOS. MADDEN, SON &. CO., Indianapolis, Ind.
Show Rooms: 35 to 41 North Capital 4ve.
How do we know it is
closing in on the china
And here is a Japanese screen,
a Japanese screen? Because it is
cabinet.
And this? No, this is not a piece of furniture, nor yet
a decoration. This is the salesman. No, madam, this is 110t
one of those high boys you have heard so much about. A
high boy is nobbier than a saJesman. Let us spea.k to the
salesman and tell him we are just looking today.-Ex.
H. S. Jordan Pushes the Auditorium Enterprise.
H. S. Jordan, the president of the Michigan Chair com-pany,
is vigorously engaged in promoting the organization
of a company, having for its purpose the erection of an
auditorium in Grand Rapids. His plan is to place the capital
stock of a corporation in small ({mouuts among a large num-ber
of stoJ:::kholdcrs, and to erect a building to contain a
number of stores and offices, a public hall and quarters
for the national guard, the several m~sical and literary clubs
of the city and such other organizations as may desire to
occupy it. The practicability nf the plan is proven by the
many subscriptions to the capital stock. of the company Mr.
Jordan has received.
Spring Openirtg of a Furniture Store.
The '"Vinegar Brothers, who own two large furniture stOres
in Grand Rapids, had a formal opening of the spring season
in tlleir Division street store on March 7. The large display
windows and the interior of the structure were beautifully
decorated and three orchestras rendered programs, arranged
for the occasion in several of the departments. 'Refresh-ments
were served to the many thousands of people who
visited the establishment. The Messrs. Witt'egar are 'popular,
up-to-date merchants, and the opening resulted in spreading
the name and fame of their store widely,
~MlfpIG7JN
How to Stuff a Mattress.
Any woman who can stuff a chicken G:l.l1 stuff a mattress.
First get your tll8ttress, and he sure that it has been carefully
picked. Spray it with chloroform, if yOll like, and then yOll
will not notice the constant ticking.
Heat your curlers, and curl the hair for the mattress.
This will be a pleasant way to spend your idle evenings.
\\-'hen yOU have curled all the hair you are gOillg to t1se-unless
you conclude that you would rather have a hairless
Made by Detroit Rack: Co., Detroit, MiCh.
mattress, a bald one, so to speak-take the mattress on your
knee and administer the curled hair with a spoon until its
appetite is satisfied.
Some people have a fad of filling a mattress with bricks,
corn cobs, sticks and cinders. This may do for the guest
room, but for sleeping purposes the curled hair is more satis-factory.
If it bothers you to know which is head and which is foot
of the mattress, put a hat on one end and a shoe on the other.
-Ex.
7I~TI~*~~·
•
Auls~roo~3 ~tur~es
furniture C1o.
STURGIS, MICHIGAN
from Our No. 556 Suite.
-- ..,~-~ WE MAKE =====
BedroomSuites, $16 to $75
Sideboards, $13.50 to $44
PrincessDressers, $12 to $29
ASK fOR 1908 CATALOG.
Mention the Michigan Artisan.
9
10 ·~~Mlf.rIGr
•
EVANSVILLL
~Janagers of the furniture factories report a moderate im-provement
in the market. Evansville goods arc so necessary
in the households of America that where there is "anything
doing" Evansville must ever benefit thereby. Lumber and
factory supplies have moved more freely, which proves that
the machines in the factories are again in motion.
Benjamin Bosse of the Globe Furniture Company is large-ly
interested in four factories operated in the manufacture of
furniture. That these corporations have no fears of the fut~
ure is evidenced by the heavy purchase of timbered lands lo-cated
in Arkansas for his companies by Mr. Bosse recently.
A lot of 1,000,000 feet of satin walnut was shipped to Mr.
Bosse recently by tow-boat from the state of the "Arkansaw
Traveler" lately.
A large addition to the plant of the Buehner Chair Com-pany
will be erected in the near future.
Secretary Dixon of the Evansville Business Association
reports thaUti.<':deal has been practically closed with a chair
manufacturing c9'tPorat.ion loea"ted in Wisconsin to move their
business to Evansville.
The new line of the \Vorld Fu"miturc Company is attract-ing
much attention. Their folding beds, bookcases, china
closets and hall racks are in neat styles and the goods are
priced moderately. Dealers in furniture find their catalogue
an aid in buying stock that should be kept near at hand.
The Evansville Furniture Company issues a catalogue of
illustrations and descriptions of the very large line. of goods
manufactured and jobbed by the company. Copies may be
had for the asking.
The Eli D. }'1i1ler Company are shipping quite freely.
Their inantel beds possess many points of merit.
In the manufacture of tables the Bockstege Furniture
Company must ever be considered in the front rank. Mana-ger
P. B. Fcllwock is pushing the business with never-tiring
Made by Horn Bros. Mfg. 00., Ohicago,"Ill.
energy. His dynamic power is potent in the business life of
Evansville.
If given her choice between a piano and a kitchen cabinet,
such as is made by the Bosse Furniture Company, the average
housewife would choose the latter.
I
~~el~JvilleDes~
lom~anJ
MANUFACTURERS OF
orflcr DrSnS
Mahogany and Imitation O!Jartered
Oak. Plain Oak in Three Gtades.
Special Features. A Square
Deal. Write for latest Calalogue.
SHELBYVILLE, IND.
,.
L
11
Evansville furniture Co.
Manufacturers of Odd Dressers, Chiffoniers,
Chamber Suites, Cupboards and Wardrobes.
Also jobbers of a complete line of furniture.
One Bill from One House.
Mixed Cars/and Opening Stocks Our Specialty.
New Catalogue out April 10, '08. Write for it.
We have our own Exposition here showing all
goods in our own building, and are under no
expense, so we can save you money. Give us
a trial and be convinced.
EVANSVILLE, IND.
The Salesmanship Problem.
According to well-nigh universal experience, it is practical-ly
impossible. to secure salesmen who can be depended upon to
act in strict accordance with the principles of good salesman-ship
at all tim.es and under all conditions. Yet the ohserv
anee of these principles is essential to the achievement of suc-cess
in any business, and the problem is therefore one of the
most important with which large merchants must contend.
The salesman, as a matter of fact, is more potent than the ad--
vcrtisement. For while the latter will bring people to a
store, their continued patronage. depends almost wholly 011
the treatment received from and the service rendered by tI-,e
salesmen to whose tende,r mercies tlley are consigned. And
very· frequently hoth treatment and service are of a very in-ferior
brand. Tt is a matter of common knowledge that
salesmen are prone to look upon every customer as being
merely one in a tho~lsalld, giving the impression that no par-ticular
individual's patronage is essential to the Sllcce::os of
the busir;e~s, and tlwt they arc really doing a favor to conde-scend
to attend to anybody's wants. l\lost bouses try to
overcome this condition, but only a comparatively small
measure of success ever attends their efforts.
Recently a large firm made an attempt to secure hetter
service. from its salesmen by issuing a manual of instruction
for their guidance. [t has always tried to impress upon It.;:,
employes the business value of good service; but hundreds
who have gOlle into its stores in various parts of the country
have been kllO..v..n to leave with a feeling of dissatisfaction at
the treatment recei'Fcd. Of course, this is not the company's
fault; but people always blame a concern for the actions of its
salesmen.
\Vhat effect the, new manual will have is a question. 1t
is certainly strong enough and specific enough to make an im-pre,
ssion upon the most indifferent saJesman. It makes de.ar
the fact that "effective organization is dependent On co-opera-tion,""
that every employe represents the personality of th<.::.
company, and that loyalty and ability will always be substar~
tially recognized. It declares that two things are vital to
the succc.ss of any business-good goods and good service.
The l1"Janua! on the whole, does not present anything new 011
the subject of good salesmanship. It simply emphasizes the
fact that what has been said before has not been said merely
to fill space, but because it was worth saying. Its main con-tentions
are:
That "good salesmen are students of characte .," which
means that tlley must know hO'w to Hsize up" a customer ac-curately.
That an estabHshe,d reputation for courtesy is one of the
most desirable assets any store can have.
That every customer should have personal atien,tion t11e
minute he enters the store.
That no customer should be kept \vaiting, but receive
prompt attcntion.
That the first minute with a customer gives him a lasting
impresslon of thc salesman and of the whole organization.
One subject which is forcibly presented is that of "double
sales." Salesmen are urged always to try to sell a customer
t\,.'.O. floor rockers instead of one. This, of course, is good
btlsiness, and the possibilities should he s.tudied by prOgres-sive
salesmen. Several injunctions are e,speci"dly commend-able.
One is: "Do not run down a competillg house."
Another: "Never address a customer as 'lady'; madam is the
proper term.'· Inattention to simple rules has often made a
bad impression 011 a prospective. patrotl.
In conclusion it is pointed out that "the.re is no more im-portant
feature of personality than enthusiasm," and that
every salesman should remember that he is a part of a great
concern that is worthy of his enthusiasm.
12
MANUFACTURERS OF
HARDWOOD LUMBER&.
VEN.EERS
SPECIALTIES :
~'L";'iPEtQUAR.OAK VENEERS
MAHOGANY VENEERS
HOFFMAN
BROTHERS COMPANY
804 W. Main St" FORT WAYNE, INDIANA
Morton House
Hotel PantJind
Owing to a new poSt-office
ruling that all
subscriptionsmuStbe paid
in advance and that all
subscribers who become
nmety days m arrears
muSt be dropped, we
urge you to send in $1.00
today to extend your
subscription and t h u s
make sure that you will
continue to get this paper.
( AmericanPlan) Rates $2.50 and Up.
(EuropeanPlan) Rates $1.00 and Up_
GRAND RAPIDS, MICH.
The Noon Dinner 'Served-at the Pantlind for 50c ig
THE FINEST IN THE WORLD.
J. BOYD PANTLIND. Prop.
Kragen's Stock Sold.
The San Francisco Board of Trade sold the bankrupt
stock of Kragen's on Saturday, ).'1arch 7th, to 'vV. H. Wright
for $160,000. Sohr nothing has deve!c',wd as to whom 1'!r.
\Vright was acting fOT, but the report has been widely cir-culated
that Mr. Hines has again, secured possession elf the
stock and store and that he will soon be in business' at the
old stand. If this is true, it looks as tho he might in the
end come out of th2 $500,000 failure with something like
$440,000 profit, ,""hich should enable him to continue along
his chosen fille till the end of the chapter. The retail trade'
Made by Oliver & 00., Allegan, Mich.
is naturally interested to know whether or not the stock is
to be dumped on the market at any price it will bring, but
so far nobody seems to know what is to be done with it.
-Pacific Coast Trad~.
"Train1ng and Team Work" is the title of an article pub-lished
recently in the Saturday Evening Post, in which the
system folIowed in dealing with customers by the merchants
of London, England .• is described. Attention is the keynote
of the employer and his assistants. It is so little trouble
[or these people to show goods that it is difficult for a caller
to leave an establishment without purchasing. If Mr.
Hawkins for example is unable to make a sale, Mr, Lloyd
undertakes the task, to be succeeded by Mr. \Ve1ch, and Mr.
McAndrews in turn if necessary to accomplish the purpose of
the merchant. It will be curious, if not exl.raordinary, jf
the entire contents of the store are not turned upside down
for inspection. "Vhen a purchase has heen madc, :VIr. Haw-kins
reappears and endeavors to interest thc purchaser in an
article that he had not thought of buying. After one escapes
to his hotel he is more than likely to be pursued by Mr.
McAndrews or Mr. We1<;-h to whom the thought has oc-curred
that other useful articles were needed. Americans
complain of the ov~r-attentjon of these "keeping ever-lastingly
at it salesmen," but when they learn that it pays
to dicker with them the experience is not without interest.
In detail of good personal salesmanship these men are
strikingl)' efficient. A capable salesman will serve three or
four hundred customers a day, attending to the wants of
several at once. By playing back and forth into each other's
hands everybody is kept sweet. tempered and happy.
71R..TIS'~
e S$.- 13
Moon Desk Go. MUSKEGON. MIC".
OffiCE DESKS
NEW STYLES FOR SPJ<lING SEASON
LIne on sale iri
New Manu1acturers' Bllildlno. Qral'ld Rall'ids.
HAND GRCULAR RIP SAW
No.4 SAW (ready for cross-cutting)
MORTISER COMBINED MACHINE
Complete Outfit of HANO and FOOT POWER MACHINERY
WHY THEV PAY THE CABINET MAKER
He cao save a manufacturer's profit as well as a dealer's profit.
H~ can make more money with less capital invested,
He can hold a better and more satisfactory trade with his
customers.
He can manufacture ill as good lJtyle and finish, and at as low
cost as the factories.
The local cabinet maker bas been forced into only the dealer's
trade and profit, because of machine mauufacturcd goods of factories.
At! outfit of Rarnes Patent Foot and Hand-Power Machinery,
reinstates the cabinet maker withadvantag-es equal to his competitors,
If desired, these machines will he sold on trial, The purchaser
can hav~ ample time to te~t them in llis own shop and on t'\'lework he
wishes them to do. .lJesG1'iptiv, cataloglJ~and price li8tfree.
W. F. IiJOHN BARNES CO., 654 Ruby St .. Rockford, III.
FORMER OR MOULDER HAND TENONER
No, 4 SAW (ready [or dpping)
No.7 SCROLL SAW
14
~STAiilUSHEO 1880
.. UI!l .... lI.HECI BY
MfCHIGAN ART/SAN CO.
ON THE 10TH AND 25TH OF EACH MONTH
OP'P'ICE-10S, 110, 11ZNORTH DIVISION ST., GRAND R....PIDS. MICH.
EI'lTERED "S ",ATT!R OF THE sECOMo CLAst
The national and state associations of retailers will bGd it
worth while to pay attention to the builders of knockdowJl
furniture. These concerns advertise extensively in the maga-zines
offering to supply cases, chairs and other articles of fur_
niture right from the saws and planers, so that any_ one can
set up and finish the same. The stuff is like that that
"mother used to make" when an empty barrel 0;- packing caSe
was placed at her disposal. The public should be warned
against encouraging this "game." Jointing ill-fitting stove-pipe
is a pleasure in comparison with the task of setting up
half-seasoned, poorly machined, carelessly cut furniture.
°to
A retailer, C. T. Ackley by name, suggests that retailers
could pl1rchase goods cheaper jf the manufacturers could be
induced to do without the services of traveling salesmen. He
would employ an agent to place orders with ·the factories for
the goods needed by a state or local association of retailers.
This plan has been tricd repeatedly and failed to satisfy the
participants in the deal.
Traveling salesman are finding larger employment for
their time and talents. In recent years of the past one Or
two short trips each ye.ar served the purposes of their eOl-prayers.
Those who had become rusty in the arts of sales-manship
welcome the change, which affords opportunities for
testing old and developing new methods. Kecessity is the
mother of "hustle."
Running an "odd price sale" for a week, serves to excite
interest in a store. Every article should be marked down
or up to an odd price, except one of a given value. The
finder should be presented with the same. A $5.00 hill placcd
in the bottom of a box and covered with envelopes In (he
usual "iay, serves the purposc admirably.
'to
"\Vhat would the manufacturer do without the retailer?"
a contemporary enquires. 1£ force'd to it he might sell his
product at retal), as he did in the middle of the past ~entury.
He does not desire to return to that system, however, but
recognizcs the' importance of the retailer and endeavors to
deal with him in harmony.
°to °to
In discllssing the subject of the value of character in
business, :\'1. J. Mulvihill of 51. Louis declared that there are
men of wealth in that city who can not obtain a dollar of
insurance upon their stocks. All their money thrown onto
the scatcs would not move the lever of confidence.
Manufacturers of furniture are wisely foHowing the plall
agreed upon several months ago for reducing the output of
l
their plants.
sustain pricfs
Short hours and reduced working forces will
rind prevent an oveT.~tocking of toe mark'.'ts.
Don't overcrowd show windows. A sufficient number of
pieces to attract attention and invite inquiries as to the
goods in stock will serve the purpose of a merchant. Har-mOllious
color effects are impori.ant .
Fifty tall mission clocks were distr1buted recently by a
firm engaged in the manufacture of gelatine, to fifty persons
who were the first to send in fifty gelatine wrappers.
't' 0 .,.0..
A wood carver at work on an ornament in the window of
a furniture store always attracts a crowd and draws attention
to the store employing him.
0tO °to
The salesman \',;\10 favors his customers more than his em~
ploye,r wil[ 110thold his job very long.
°to °to
A "salesman's trade" is of no value to him whatever if he
1s not well supported by his house.
°to °to
Tact, common sense and energy effect more sales thal1
low prices.
J. L. Hudson Says "Tell the Truth."
At the monthly meeting of the Add Club of Grand Rapids,
]. L. Hudson of Hudson &. Symington, Detroit, dealers in
furniture and gene.ral merchandise, urged upon his hearers the
importance of rigidly adhering to the truth in the representa-tions
that shall be made to customers in regard to goods, and
in advertising matter as well. An· extract from his remarks
reads as follows:
"Store ad,,-ertising to be good must be continuous, not
spasmodic, but regular. The advertiser who keeps at it gets
the buying public to look for his advertisments and to always
expect something and he should never disappoint them. The
advertising man cannot make, his work effective without the
merchandise man's help; the merchandise man cannot do with_
out the advertising man. I would as soon think of going out
of business as I would think of stopping advertising. Much
money spent in advertising is wasted~ The untruthful adver-tisement
does not pay; there is nothing like truth in an ad.
Oliver Vir endell Holmes said in his poem, 'The One Hoss
Shay,' IIn fact there is nothing that keeps its youth, so far as
I know, but a tree and truth,' and there is no other ad that
pay's like the truthful one. One of the greatest difficulties
the merchant has to contend with in advertising is the di::tpo-sition
on the ,part of the advertiser and the department mana-ger
to exaggerate and to pay too little attention to truth. r
said to one. of my department managers a few days ago, 'If
you do not quit lying I will never advertise a.nother line for
yOUT department."
Furnitur~ Maker Wesselius for Mayor.
Former Senator Vvesselius of the Grand Rapids Parlor
Frame Company is a candidate for mayor, having been nom-inated
by the independents. He is an old resident of Grand
Rapids, prominent in business and politics. An able and
entertaining speaker, he will "rattle the dry bones," to em-ploy
<I. thread-bare expression, which means much or little, ac-cording
to the inclination of the reader, _while the campaign
is in progress.
15
"Push-Don't Knock."
Upon a door I saw a sign;
r cried, "A motto, and it's mil1c~"
A. wiser thing I never saw-
Ko Ivlediall or Persian law
Should be more rigidly enforced,
Than this, from verbiage divorced,
"Push-don't knock"
They know when one should buy and \vhen the market is
,vrong-whether they tell one or not depends 011 how one
treats then1. They can give olle 50me good ideas that they
gather along the road in, the \vay of improving one's method
of handling stocks. or in fixing lip one's front window, a
ne,,,, way to handle mirrors, a ne",,"way to refinish fUL'.;tu e;
l1('\V advertisements of all kinds. There are so many new
ideas they pick up, and if otle is the right kind of a fellow he
'Twas simply meant to guide the hand
Of those who wished to sit or stand
vVitbin the unassuming door
This weight of sermonry that bore
~Twas never meant to teach or preach,
But just to place in e,asy reach ,
The ear of him who dealt in stock--
"Push-don't knock."
Fred J. Zimmer
39 E. Bridge St.,
GRAND RAPIDS. MICH.
HIGH GRADE
UPHOLSTERED
But \vhat a guide for life \.vas that-- FURNITURE
Strong, philosophical and 11;-\t;
How safe ft chart for you and me
"Vllite cruisillg del' life's restless sea;
Pu~h, always push, ,,,,ith goal in view,
Don't knock-avoid the hammer crew;
This rule will save you many a' shock-
"Push-don't knock"
Wrilefor
~'!tI8and PJ'icel>.
Every Pieee Guaranteed
PERFECT.
gets them; if one is the wrong kind, he doesn't. Don't run
ally chances; treat them all nice, and in so doing one will
learn to treat his customers nicer, too. Traveling salesmen
have \vinning ways; rub up against them and these winning
ways stick to one, as everybody likes a good fellow.
\N~hen on the door I see the sign,
I say, "Great motto, you are mille!"
No stronger sermon ever fell
From human lips; no sage could tel!
Thte hothtead youth more nearly how
To point always his vessel's prOw,
There are no wiser words in stoek-
"Push-don't knock."
-Persistent Pusher.
Returned from California.
Quite a number of traveling salesmen have returned from
their winter trip to California. One reported having sold
"overstock" at cut prices to the amount of $28,000. Other~
did 110t do so \vell. "Business was not so active that Wt.
could not find time to wander in the parks, enjoying the
beauties of nature." l·emarked one of a trio. "I do not look
for activity on the coast until next fall. The presidential
c:lL_Vligll may <tbsorb the time and attention of the people
HJ completely that trade 'vill suffer."
Courtesy to Visiting Salesmen Pays.
Everybody in the small towns assemble at the hotels of
evenings to hear the traveling salesmen talk. Their pOwer
for good or barm is great, and a "good fellow" gains valu-able
information from his inte.rcourse with the fraternity.
OUR OAK AND MAHOGANY
DINING
EXTENSION
TABLES
ARE
BEST MADE
BEST FINISHED
VALUES
All Made from Thoroughly Seasoned Slock.
LENTZ TABLE CO.
NASHVILLE, MICH.
No 540
16 -~MIP ..HIG7J-N
Here is a Chance to Make Some Money!
t]I Our No. 897 Carriage is the GREATEST BARGAIN ever put on the market. It is as. well made
as our highe9: priced carriage.
Full Size, without Rod, Paraeolor Upholstering
o SBleen Parasol. wilh one ruB.le and rod. exira.
A Mercerized Parasol. with ODe fume and rod, extra ....
The above with % in Rubber Tire Wheels.
Gears enameled green. Nutless 8Kles with tubber hub caps.
'11 As we can't run our whole fadory making this caniage. you had better send your orders in quick in
order. to make sUfe of baving them filled. This is just a tickler - Qrder quic/c if you wanl to be tickled.
Pioneer Manufacturing Co., Detroit, Mich.
As spring approaches trade of all kinds is picking up.
\\TjtJl the opening of navigation, which is expected about
April first, business always receives a fresh impetus, as
thousands' of .men find employment in the warehouses,
steamers, and on the docks. Then, again th.c building trades
always take a fresh start, which calls for many men in all
branches of this business. Last year fourteen million dollars
were spent on new buildings. If one-half that amount is
spent this year it will mean work for many hands.
The .furniwre business is showing marked improvement.
The Posse1ius Bros. Furniture Manufacturing company are
working a large force of men, although not quite their full
quota, and as the season advances more men wilt be em-ployed.
Their's is one of the largest lines of cheap, medium
and better grades of dining extension tables on the market.
Their famous Victor patent extension table is the best thing
of the kind ever invented. The leaves arc always in place,
whether opened or dosed-i. e. they are always a part of
the table, not in racks to take up extra room, or standing'
around to get marred and the dowels get broken. The
Vjctor.~ all have squnre tops, bllt in spite of the popularity
of the round top table, the square top Victors more than hold
their own.
Business is reported as steadily improving wit;) t~le
Palmer ?-.1anl1facturing company. Their line of parlor and
library tables and pedestals is one of the: most popular on
the market.
Murphy Chair Co.
MANUFACTURERS DETROIT, MICH,
A COMPLETE LINE
.. Each $4.50
.75
1.10
The Pioneer Manufacturing company, manufacturers 0f
reed chairs and rockers, and go-carts and baby carriages, ,re-port
that city trade is picking up rapidly. Dealers who last
month could not be coaxed to place an order for a baby
carriage, are now calJing for them, and jnhurry-ttp orders
at that. In their advertisement this month they show a
carriage that, when quality is considered, we have never seen
equalled in price. This is put out ,as a feeler-a bargain to
make the dealer feet good, and one that cannot fail to make
the mammas feel good when they put their darlings in it.
The Detroit Rack company is showing in their ad. in
this issue a table and some chairs that will be sure to in-terest
furniture merchants in all parts of the country. Take
a look, send for prices and get into the swim. These goods
are good from every standpoint, and will have a great run
this spring and summer. .
C. H. Haberkorn & Co. are fixing up their offices.
The Michigan Upholstering company have a new cata-logue
in the hands of the printers.
Hotel Ordler for Toledo.
Vvallick Brothers of New York, through Lord & Taylor,
retailers, have placed the order for furniture to be used in
a large hotel recently erected in Toledo, with the Slig"
Furniture company of Grand Rapids and Barnard & Simonds
of _Rochester.
A Heavy Contract for Kitchen Cabinets.
The Ranney Refrigerator company, of Greenville, Mich.,
arc operating their factories to capacity, filling a heavy con-tract
for kitchen cabinets.
PAlMER MFG, CO,
116 to13!io Palmer Ave ..
DETROIT. MICH.
Manufaclurers of
FANCY TABLES
PEDESTALS TABOURETTES
forthe
PA.RLOR AND LIBRARY
Our famousROOKWOOD FINiSH grows
in popularity every day. Notbins lik!! it.
Write (or Picture. and Price ••
PfKlestal No. 412.
aran~ Da~i~sDlow Pi~e
an~Dust Arrester (om~dnl
THE LATEST device for handlillg
shavings alld dust lron.-t all '«(Iood-working
machines. Q-1fr nineteen years
experience ill this class of 'lOarh has
brmlght it ncarer perfection than any
other system on the market today. It
is 110 experiment) but a demonstrated
scientific fact, as 'Lue have several Il'll1l-dred
of these systems in use) and 110t a
poor 011e among them. Our Automatic
Furnace Feed S}lstCl1tJ as shown in this
cut, is the 1'11-oSf perfect working dez,'ice
of anything in this line. Write for ollr
prices for equipments.
WE Mi\KE PLANS AND DO ALL
DETAIL WORK WITHOUT EX-PENSE
TO OUR CUSTO"lERS.
EXHAUST FANS AND PRES-SURE
BLOWERS ALWAYS IN
STOCK.
Office and Factory:
208-210 Canal Street
GRAND RAPIDS, MICH.
Cltb:ena Phone 1282
OUR AUTOMATIC FURNACE FEED SYSTEM
18 71R.'T' IS J'U"l ~.
e @,,* ~
RICHMOND CHAIR CO., Richmond, Ind.
DOUBLE
CANE LINE
See Our New Patterns
Catalogues to the trade.
A NOVEL ENTERPRISE FOR ST. LOUIS.
Twenty Thousand Buyers to be Brought to the City
Annually Free of Cost to Themselves.
St. Louis capitalists have engaged in a colossal enterprise
for extending the trade of the manufacturers and jobbers
of that city. It is of such magnitude as to cause the business
men of Chicago, Kansas City, Cincinnati and Denver to
polish up their glasses and read the proposition the second
time. The Artisan has received a view of the club building,
and a description of the saJl,1e,which reads as follows:
"A new type of business building is under way in St.
Louis which presents features never before attempted on
such a large scale, and others of perhaps equal value which
have never been utilized. It is to be called the "Buyers'
Club Building" and its cost, it is estimated, will be fully
$4,000,000, The building" was promoted and will be financed
by H. A, Vrooman, president of the State Trust Company,
of St. Louis. The Buyers' Club Building will occupy the
entire block bounded by 17th, 18th, Chestnut and Pine streets.
a location within one block of the Union Station. Its ground
area is 234 by 324 feet, and it will be eighteen stories high,
with a tower extending ten stories above the building. It
~i1l be given up entirely to the display of merchandise with
the exception of the top floor, which is to be sumptuously
furn,ished for club purposes exclusively for visiting buyers
and convention delegates. The tower will contain offices.
The Club floor will contain a convention hall with com-mittee
rooms, the use of wh.ich will be given free, together
with all the club privileges to all visiting buyers and to con-ventions
where the delegates are in a position to buy goods
Or influence their purchase. The first floor will be devoted
to a general display, demonstration and advertising purposes.
The basement to demonstrating machinery, engines and
tools, with provision for power of every nature. Sixteen
floors \viH be used for sample rooms. The most important
feature the Buyers' Club presents is the plan for bringing the
buyer to the seller. The fare of 10,000 buyers will he paid
to Saint Louis twice annually by the building company, and
the exhibitors will choose the buyers who are to be. brought.
Special trains will be hireJ by the company and run from
distant points where dealers from a considerable radius can
be gathered. The building is designed to extend the terri-tory
St. Louis supplies, so that exhibitors will enjoy not
only the immense trade of the southwest which now centers
l
in St. LOLlis, but that of all the central W'c:stand northwcs~
as well. Only a limited amount of space will be" leased to
('.8('.11 exhibitor. !oo that the exhibits may be sufficiently com~
prehensive to attract the best c:lasses of buyers from great
distances. A dub bulletin will be published monthly and
sent to o\'el' .100,000 retail buyers. A close organization of
all the retailers in the central and southern states will be pro~
mated by the club management and extensive plans for the
benefit of the various retailers are under way."
St. Louis is provided with furniture exhibition buildings
of sufficient capacity for her present purposes; and it e"ident~
ly is not the intention of the buyers 'club to disturb the ex-hibitors
occupying space in the same, although furniture wilI
be shown on the third floor. "Only a limited amount of space
will be leased to each exhibitor," the promoters announce.
"Only a limited space'! will not meet the requirements of
the average manufacturer of furniture, Without space to
exhibit lines completely from 5,000 square fcet upward, it
would be useless to try to induce manufacturers of furniture
and kindred goods to take leases.
Owosso. Mich.
President Fred. \Voodard,of the \Voodard Furniture
company, says trade and collections are improving. This
company makes onc of the very best lines of chamber fur-niture
in mahogany, circassian walnut, figured birch, hirds-eye
maple and quartered oak. It is such a good line of me~
dium and fine work that dealers instinctively recognize its
merits. Their catalogue for 1908 shows the full line in a
most attractive way. Joseph C. Osburn, Tr'easurer of the
company, with his wife, are spending a few weeks in Cali~
foruia.
Henry Schmit fJ Co.
HOPKINS AND HARRIET STS.
ClncluDati, OLia
makers of
Upholotered Fu~niture
10'
LODGE and :PULl'IT, PARLOR,
LIBRARY,fHOTEL .nd
CLUB ROOM
19
No. 865. 28x42.
CHARLOTTE
CHARLOTTE MFG. CO.
Furniture Factories at Big Rapids, Mich.
Fifty miles north of Grand Rapids, on the Grand Rapids
and Indiana Railroad, is the thriving little city of Big Rap-ids.
Three furniture factories arc located here. These are
the Luce-Redmond Chair company, the Big Rapids Furniture
Manufacturing company, and the Falcon Manufacturing com-pany,
lIood & ",Vright, manufacturers of veneers from all
the native woods, and panels, drawer bottoms, mirror backs,
etc.
The Luce-Redmond Chair compauy are manufacturers of
high grade office chairs, dining chairs. odd rockers and
chairs, desk and dresser chairs. slipper chairs, and colonial
parlor suites in dark and Tuna mahogany, birdseye maple,
birch, quartered oak and circassian ,·valnut. This is one of
the very best lines of high grade chairs on the market. In
fact, for style, splendid construction and Ilnish there are very
few lines that are its equal. Samples of these rockers arc
illustrated on other pages of this issue, ;.md will be for scv-eral
succeeding issues, and it will be intere"ting" ro furniture
dealers who appreciate the best to 'watch for them every
month. The line is on exhibition permanently in the ::VIal1tl-facttlrers
building, Grand Rapils, where buyers visiting that
city may call at any time: ;'end make their selections. The
company is having a very good business, and filling orders
promptly.
The Big Rapids Furniture Manubeturing company 1."> one
of the oldest manufacturers of furniture north of Grand Rap-ids
in NorthCT11 Michigan. The line consists of medium
priced sideboards, huffets and hall racks. These are well
made goods ,in oak. finished golden and Early English. The
hall tree illustrated in their advertisement in this issue,
which sells for $12, is a good example of \'"hat they arc
doing. This ball tree is 7D illches hig-b and 29 inches wide,
made in fine quartered oak and finished either golckn or
Our
New
Catalogue
is
Ready
MAKES
GOOD TABLES
CHARLOTTE. MICHIGAN
Early English, and c'Ctta1nly is worth aU and more than the
price named. It would be well for any dealer who wants
to keep in touch \'v·jth the medium priced good things to cor-respond
-with them.
Furniture for Every Room in the House.
A small number of manufacturers in the United States
manufacture furniture for every room in the house, but there
are a few with lines so large that almost every article needed
can be obtained from their factories~ The Northern Furni-ture
company of Sheboygan, "\Vis., is among their number.
General catalogue No. 10, a handsome volume, just issued by
this corporation, contains 190 pages, filled with illustrations
and descriptions of furniture for the bedroom, the hall, the
dining room, the porch, the library, the kitchen-and every
pattcrn is desirable. Dressersr by the hundred; com-plete
chamber suites, with beds of \vood, sideboards,
chiffoniers and buffets in many sizes, woods and finishes
form a big line, appropriate for a hig manufacturing house.
The book is well printed, substantially bound and should
ha ve a place in the business library of every dealer in fur-n-
itlJrC.
A Timber Picture.
A log of mahogany which has been sawn through at
Belfast was found to contain right through a very clearly
defined "photograph" of a small deer and a larger animal
running. The "photograph" was probably transmitted by
lightning during a storm ,and the pictures must have been
taken a long time ago, as the tree, being four feet in di-ameter,
is an exceedingly old one. Every plank on the log
right through shows the images c1early.-London Standard.
20 ·:f'~i"LI9 ..HIG7}N $
Live Talk to Sell Goods.
Half a century before the dawn of this electric age little
importance attached to the man engaged in the sale of
merchandise. It was largely a hap-hazzard-catch-as-catch-can,
go-as-yotl-please business, with no, guiding principles point-ing
the way to success.
Now things have Tfldically changed. The day of the
plaid suit dude, the whii-iky drinker, the loud man generally,
the day of the so-called merely good-fellow as a sales-man
has passed a-'way.. \iVhat the world demands and in
many lines of business seriously needs is business men of
real, solid ability as salesmen,
Vv'e are living in a new commercialism today. The
7IRc -TIS's~f;.
lluellce people which is the secret of salesmanship. The man
who can reach the will, create a desire in the customer, is
the man of value. The dolt can hand out that which the
customer has already resolved to purchase.
The primary essential of salesmanship, as in any other
line of achievement, is energy. It is the active, wide awake
salesman who leads the list. To be successful he must be
~ hard worker, not only with his hands, but with his head.
He must go below the superficial part of his brain-must
stir up his mental soil.. The unthinking salesman makes
his business automatic, robbing it of its real life and soul.
The model salesman must be a man of ideas; he must
acquire a thorough, scientific knowledge of his stock of
goods. A knowledge of buman nature, too, is almost as
indispensable as a knowledge of the merchandise itself.
Some customers can be driven, others must be led; some
must be talked to, otbers must be allowed to do the talking.
One should study well the law of suggestion, being able
quickly to judge the customer's tastes and fancies, then hastcn
to supply the demand. Hc must possess tact.
Thc ideal salesman will possess self-esteem, which is a
practical virtue, as well as one of ornament to the character.
Belief in self is necessary to the best attainment in any
endeavor. But the employe must carefully guard his healthy
condition; h~ must Use good sense-the best preventative
against that disastrous disease known as the "big head."
The wise salesman avoids self~consciousness, yielding him-self
up completely to bis customer and the article of sale.
Exterminating the personal pronoun "I," he parades judicious
A DEFECTIVE INTERIOR
The large low arch above the mantel illustrated above is intended to relieve a room that othClwise woula
impress the occupant as being a long, low shallow box. The arch is so weak ill construction, however. that 011e
must live in the constant fear that tbe bricks arc liable at ally moment to fall upon him. The hei~bt of the
apartment would be increased by the use of paper with a striped figure. In either case pictures should nol be
hunK oJ.! papered walls. An caseJ supporting a portrait or Ia.Zldsca.pe would help the decorath·e scheme if
placed In one of the comers not shown.
old methods of merchandising have been revolutionized.
Like the crude machinery used in the industrial world of the
past, they have been set aside for the new and improveJ
methods which are now in force. The high intellectual and
moral plane of the present day demands higber laws to
govern the relation between distributor and the public.
\Vith this advance has come a demand for a higher class
of salesmen to represent the merchant in business, sales-men
with larger ability and a ,vider range of talents. The
modern idea cal1s for true salesmanship which in its highest
sense, is at Ollce a science and an art-a science because of
the many deep principles involved; an art because of the
talent and skill rc,!uired in the applica.tion of those laws
and principles to cffect a desired end.
A man possessing the common virtues and bearing the
stamp of sincerity and honesty, will have the power to in-
~M.l9I!!'HIG7fN ,
ideas instead of egotistical improprieties. When a sales-man
consents to serve a customer he, for the time, forfeits
all personal rights. In other words, he belongs to that
customer as much as does the mercha1H.lise after it has
been paid for-that is, his time, his attelltion, his experience,
all that he possesse."i, the cttS(Otnex is entitled to, since pay-ing
for them as well as for the article of sale.. This is 5el£-
surrender.
The value of cheerfulness in any event Cannot be too
higbly estimated. Self-mastery is placed at a ]ligh premium
always. It makes no difference l,vhether the customer is dis-agreeable
in tbe extreme or whether graciously considerate
of the clerk's feelings. whether he buys a large bill of goods
in a few minutes or consumes an hour of his precious time
without purchasing anything-it makes no difference with the
master of art; he should do all cherfully and thereby compel
that customer to carry at least one thing out of the store-a
good impression, which will bear fruit in the future.
There is nothing so cheap as courtesy, and nothing more
influential in business. The salesman's attitude should be the
same as if the customer lvere a guest in the drawing room
of the salesman's own home. By evcr bearing this in mind all
danger of unpleasantness is re{noved-he places himself in
a frame of mind to engender courtesy in any emergency.
Cotlrtesy is a product of kindness, and kindness begets
patience, which in turn is a cro'V.--ningvirtue.
Another paramount essential which should characterize
the ideal salesman of course, is personal appearancc.. A
strong personality is an i"nviable gift, but all cannot possess
it since it is an attribute of nature. nut one thing which all
may possess is a good personal appearance, which is in-dispensable
in modern clerkship. It is there£o,e, the First dllt.V
of every person serving the public to regulate his toilet and
dress in the highest degree of consistency.. The influence
this of essential '\veighs mightily.-C. S. Given, in }loelern
?\ilethods.
Method for Successful Salesman.
Two commercial salesmen were waiting in a harren
country railroad station for the only train of the Jay. One
was in excellellt spirits while the other was gloomy anel
complaining.
Success for the day was depicted in the face of one,
failure for the other-. f n the commcrcial world nothing
seems to give greater satisfaction than a goo(l sale. It acts
as a stimulant. Ii makes the salesman see the best in
his surroundings and the satisfaction achieved contributes
to his contentmetit. Contrary·wise, failure to make a sale
causes depression and is likely to make a salesman feel
blue and fretful.
Mr. Goodlnunor "vas enumerating the joys of the country
life. the pleasure of calling on the country trade and the
hearty and honest welcome the country merchant extended
to salesmen. Mr. I1lhumor forcefully expressed his opinion
that the town was dead, the merchants slow and their
methods prilnitiYe. The more Mr .. Gooc1h~11110rattempted
to cheer his companion, the more pessimistic 1\.'11;. IlHlumor
became.
;;l\lr. Tllhumor," said 1'l'1r. Goodhu1nor in a last desperMc
attempt to touch the agreeable side of his fellow salesman:
.or formerly had as chronic a case of fault-finding as you
have. I ,vas irritable and cross, found little satisfaction in
everything, had no confidence in anyhody and the harder T
worked the less T accomplished. I was optimistic naturally
but somehmv failure to make sales when orders were ex-pected
made me blue. Right in the mic1~t of a busy season
I dropped work and went far into the bac.k woods where I
c.ould do some thil1king undisturbed by outside influences.
\\lllile there T thoroughly. studied my failure. At the start
21
I rightly concluded that the fault was with me and not due
to circumstances over which r had no control.
"The trouble was that 1 bad not been working my territory
intelligently. J jumped from town to town without regard
to regularity and not even ascertaining whether or not there
was a demand for my line in the towns visited. Many a
time I did what you have done today-made a small town
on a br.allch road and did not receive a simple thank-you
for my efforts to help the small retailer. I wandered aim-lessly
about without a prearranged plan. Consequently I did
not visit my trade often enough to get well acquainted with
possible customers and to secure their confidence, which is
necessary for successful selling.
"Ollce having located the cause of trouble it was not
difficult to prescribe a remedy. I first reduced the size of
my territory, for I realized that th~ smaller the territory
the better acquainted r could become with the trade and
greater would become the conn.(lence of the buyers in my
ability to sen!c them. Then I made a list of the hrgest
buyers in my territory. 1 planned to call on these large
buyers frequently and to have them know me 50 well and to
think so highly of me that they would not resent my calling
them by their first names. "VVith a plan outlined to my
satisfaction I returned to work..
"Yes, the remedy was a SUccess. I have built up a large
trade and enjoy the confidence of my customers. Every
one seems glad to see me. My calls are frequent enough
to attend to their wants promptly. T kno"v' my trade in -a
social ,vay. T know their individual strong qualities, their
weakness and I can call many of their children by name.
"Rarely I visit a small town like this one unless I first
call my cllstomer by 'phone and indirectfy in a pleasant talk
learn whether or not he is in a buying disposition. Con-se(/
Hclltly the percentage of sales on such trips is large. I
enjoy these trips, too. They afford me a change. In
variably my customers invite me homE: 10 dlIlner <Jnd to 111e
a home cooke~ dinner is certainly appetizing.
"\VelL here comes our train. My friend, just carry two
prescriptions <tround in your pocket Label one, 'Agrei>
;'b1eness' and the other '1Tethods' Take them in alternative
doses. "'lou wilt have a better disposition ;lnd will be more
sl1cee'Csful on the road."-\~V. "lill. Hiscox in tvfockrn Methods.
Paying the Employes.
A large employer of factory hands in an eastern city
employs the follo\'I"ing system in paying his employes:
The time and payroll keepers use a payroll ledger which
requires the writing of employes' names but four times a
ye.ar. \Veekly International Card Time Recorders arc placed
in each d(~partment of the (actory and the employes keep
their own time by recording on a card the time they arrive
dlld depart. If on time and ,egular their records are in
blue. If latc or early out the record shows red. The time
keeper then on-Iy has to note the. red registrations. This
reduces his labor to a minimum. He transfers the total
hours to the ledger, making out the pay envelopes at the
same time and passes them to the cashier who puts tho:::
money in the envelopes and places them in pockets in
especially designed racks "vhich he turns over to the pay-masters..
On payday the men pass by the pay windows,
caU their numbers and get their wagC' envelopes in a jiffy.
Not for Michael.
U\\'hat's the matter with J.,ofichael?" asked one workman.
" ,E's got a splinter in his 'and," l"eplied another.
"'Vhy don't 'e pull it out?"
""I;Votl In his dinner hour!"
22
STOLE THE DESIGNER'S BRAINS.
It Looked for a Time as if the Thin Air Betrayed His Plans
to His Rivals.
''I've got a design for a buffet," said the manager of the
:10u5ton Furniture Company to the president of the concern,
"that has all the other houses back in the grubs. It will
'le the correct thing this season ,all right."
"Have you taken up designing?" asked the presider:.t.
").Jo," replied the manager. "I only make suggestions to
the designer and then we talk them over together. Of
course, only about one idea in a hundred that comes to me is
any good, but when I do make a wining it is all to the candy.
You come up some night and I'll tell you all about it."
"An right,' said the president, and promptly forgot to go.
Raymond," the manager, thought so much of his new buffet
that he wasn't willing to have the working plans made and
taken to the shop until he had every little detail figured out.
So the makiog of the grand new thing was delayed for quite
a long time.
"Better go slow than to have the idea stolen by a rival
house," Raymond said.
One day the president called the managex into his private
office and handed him a photograph.
"Yon've got to go some to get out a buffet that will beat
this one of Howell's," he said. "How are you getting on
with the great-and...,ollly?"
Raymond thought for a moment that he was going to
have a fit. The office went round and round for a minute, all
right.
The new buffet put 00 the market by the Howell company
was just the thing he had figured on!
"Where did you get this?" he asked.
"One ot the traveling men brought it in."
"Do you know huw long it has been out?"
"1.\ at more than a week or two."
RaymO}ld sat down ilL a chair and fanned him5('lf with the
top of an envelope box.
"What's wrong?" asked thc presidellt.
"Wrong?" repeated Raymond. "V\tTrong? Why, that's
my buffet."
"It is?" shouted the president. "\\-'here did they get it?"
The head of the Houston Furniture Compal1y had been
hopeful of the promised new buffet. The firm needed some_
thing new and novel in that line, and he had made arrange-ments
to rush the thing along as soon as Raymond got ready.
He was not a little annoyed at the discovery that Raymond's
design had been stolen.
"I don't know where they got it," said Raymond, in
answer to the question. "They got it of some one WllO has
heard me talking about it."
"I hope you haven't been goose enough to talk about it to
outside parties," said the IHesident.
"There are just three persons besides myself who know
abollt it," said Raymond, thoughtfully. "The three are
youself, the designer, the· foremall. Now, wh.ich one gave
it away?"
"I haven't told a living 50ul," said the president.
"Not even your wife?"
"N ot even my wife," roared the president. "Do you think
I wanted to have the design printed in the magazines? 1
tell you I haven't mentioned to a soul the fact that we haVt:
au idea in the buffet line."
"It isn't the designer or the foreman," said the manager.
"Then who is it?" thundered the presidel1t.
"1 guess my thinking of the thing so steadily created
thought waves, like the wireless. you know, and these thought
waves crept into the cratium of Howell's designer."
"1 hope the loss of the plans isn't going to make you dip-py,"
said the president. "You get busy and find out who
sold those designs to Howell. What we want is to know rf
we've got a thief in the factory."
"The fact ·of the matter is," said Raymond, "that the de-sign
was never even put on paper! It has only been talked
about. There were no drawings to steal! That's why I
said that the thing must have gotten out of the window and
connected with Ho,vell's designer."
"Come out of it!" said the president, sharply. "\Ve'\,'(>
got to find out where this leak came from. 'Ale can't go on
doing business with a traitor in the manufacturing depart-ment.
vVe must find out about this right away."
"I'll talk it over with the designer and the foreman," said
the manager.
"Don't yOll do it," said the president. "You lay low for
a time and see what comes of this. Keep still about i1. J
reckon this is the only photograph of the -Howell buffet that'
Made by the Luee-Redmond Ohair Co, Ltd .•
Big Rapids, Mtcb.
is about the place, and the others may not know about its
being here. Go right on with the de5igner and the fOTe~
man as if nothing had happened. We can get a new desigh,
but we can't afford to ha,,·e a thief in the plant."
The manager \'Vent away feeling pretty cheap. In the
first place, he blamed himself for the delay in putting ·the
11ew buffet on the market. Then be felt that the president
blamed hi!"!!for the loss. He did not see how this eoulo
justlv he done. but had r:o doubt that it was being done. He
\"v·antedto talk the matter over with the two men to whom he
had confided his plans, but could not do it under the instruc-tions
he had received.
The president was knocked all of a heap, as the saying i,s,
over the matter. He had trusted all his employes, the men
in the factory as well as the manager, the designer, and the
foreman. ::-.Jow'hewcnt at the matter of the theft in a purely
business W~lY. He could not understand how a design which
had never been put on paper COll1d be stolen, but he ·was go-ing
to [md out.
He s{~ntfor three private detectives and had the manager,
the designer and the foreman watche.d. The detectives
looked puzzled when illforined as to their duties.
"It looks odd to 11,e, this hunting for the man who stole
sometbing that never' was," said onc of the men. "How
could a design which never W(lS on paper be stolen?"
"One of the three men gave it away',' said the president.
"Howell is always there with (l bribe if he can make a dollar
by it. If something had been stolen from the shop, some-thing
like a thousand dollars' worth of bedste<lds, I shouldn't
·:f'~MI 9,HIG7JN 23
Smith al pavis Mfg.
~
Co.,
THE BETTER BEDS
ARE MANUFACTURED BY
St. Louis
Write for Catalogue Illustratiug Our Full Line.
No. 170 Iron Crib
4 ft. 6 in. by 2 ft. 6 in., $6.25 Net
5 ft. by 3 ft. 6.75 Net
Shipping weight 101 lbs.
have thought 50 much of it, hut this stealing brains before
the act of expression gets me."
"We')} shalt have to shadow these men night and day,"
said the boss of the gang of detectives "\\'ho had been em-ployed.
"\Ve'll have to fmu out where they go nights, how
much money they spend, if they mix with Howell's men,
and jf they <'l1"C leading double Ji,rcs, OJ' anything like that.
vVe may rip up something you won't wallt to know about."
"You go ahead," said the president. "Do all you can to
keep the men £1'0111 suspecting that they arc snspected. I'm
going to the bottom. of this thing, if my money holds out,
and I rather think it will."
Of course, after a time, the three men suspected that they
wcre watched, and it made them angry and reckless. \Vhen
they found out to a certainty that they were being followed
night and day they talked the situation over together 8nd de-cided
to gi\'e the detectives some n:eHy chases. They went
off into the country in automobiles on dark, cold stormy
nights, and nearly froze the shadowers, who weren't prepared
for any such leaps into the arctics, and were therefore ob-liged
to follow on the spur of the moment in light clothing.
They dinecl at swell hotels and so made the suspiciill1s presi-dent
dig dovvn deep into his pocket. But after all, it ·wasn't
so much fun being watched like a thief.
One day after the shadowing had been going on for a
month, when the detectives \-verc beginning to realize that
they were being played with, and when the president began to
look askance at his expense account, the denouClnent came.
The three detectives walked into the private office with a
common canvas bag in their possession, whit.h bag seemed
to be filled with blocks of wood, which rattled together as
the man threvl'" it dm..m on the floor. In addition to the bag
of blocks, they had in cllstody a very pale young lllan in the
dusty g-arments of the shops.
"The next time you have anything to dig out," said the
No. 16& Iron Crib
4 ft. 6 in. by 2 ft. 6 in., $5.25 Net
5 ft. by 3 ft. 5.75 Net
Shipping weight 91 lbs.
chief of the detectives, "you would better let the operators
start in in their own way. Here you've kept us up nights
for a month, fotlo,",,-ing a trio of rnen who would nave jumped
into the river if they thought we would follow them, and who
have bcen laughing at llS and at you, while the place to look
for the trouble was in the shop. Look here."
The detective turned the contests of the canvas bag out
on the table and began arranging them in order. In about
five minutes faint pencil tracings on the blocks developed
roughly sketched designs for new buffets and for new articles
of all sorts. The young man in the dusty clothes made a
leap for the door as the designs showed on the white wood,
Iltlt was met and stopped by the three suspected men.
"These thr~e men," said the detective, "are in the habit of
meeting down in the ruac1Jine room and talking over their
plans. As they talk and suggest, the designer has a had
way of sketching on a piece of smooth board and throwing It
a·way. Vvhen another point comes up he will sketch that
and throw the block a\vay. Clear enough, eh?
"\'\7ell, this cunning young man here," pointing to the
young man under arrest, "has been in the habit of preserv-ing
tllese blocb! Cute idea, that, ell? He's got about a
cord of blocks in his room. Here are the cmde designs for
the buffet. He sold the idea to Howell, and he was getting
ready to sell all your ideas to him----':allhe could find on chips
in the !:ihop1 All yOll can do is to fire hint, I guess.
The president did that, and then went out and bought din~
ner for the detectives and the three suspects.
"The truth's about equal to your window the,ory," he said
to the manager, 8S they sat at table. "I'm almost ashamed of
the trouble I put you men to," he: added, with a flush that wa:-.
almost a blush.
"Oh, neyer yoU mind that," said the three m a breath.
"\Ve rather enjoyed it." ALFRED B. TOZER.
Information_ Concerning Commercial Salesmen.
The following notice is prominently displayed at the
desk of the Albany Hotel, Denver, Colo:
"Commercial men who become guests of the Albany
Hotel, whether they have 'lines' that require the use of
sample tables or not, will greatly favor the management of
this hotel and, incidentlly, possibly benefit themselves, by
giving to the clerk the name and address of the house they
represent and also the line of goods they are handling.
"It frequently occurs that a buyer calls to look at a certain
line of goods hut has forgotten the name of the party he
wishes to see, or he will ask the name of the representative
of a certain business hous,e, or he may not know the repre-scntative
of any special house but wishes to look at a certain
line of goods-all of which inquiries the clerk can the more
sattsfactorily answer if he has in his possession, systematical-ly
arranged, the above requested informatio,n.
;;\Ve hope to have your cordial assistance along this
line.
"Find below blank for your convenience in giving us the
information .ve respectfully ask.
"The Albany HoteL"
fOR THE USE Of COMMERCIAL SALESMEN.
Give the Information as Explained In the Above Card.
Name of, house represented... . .
Line of goods.
Street an<l num ber .
City and state.
Represented by
Permanent address
City and state ,', , , , .
7iR;T1..5'sY•t•N ~~~· _.
New Bulbs Save Money.
The incandescent electric lamp is one of the most com~
manly known and simplest factory devices with which we
have to deal. The lamp in general use is labeled 16 candle-power,
and the average user of these lamps is generally
contented with the mere knowledge of how to turn his light
on and off. He will undoubtedly grumble at times at the
amount of his monthly bill for lighting and will often be in-convenienced
by the dimness of some if his lamps, but the
deficiency in light is made good by turning on another
lamp, and the monthly bill is furthe.r in~reased, says the
Technical World. It probably would never occur to him
that it would be an actual economy in dollars and cents to
SKETCHED BY OTTO JIRANEK,
GRAND RAPIDS, MICH.
throwaway his old lamps and provide new ones at his own
expense, and yet such is the case.
The "smashing point" cannot be accurately determined for
any lamp without rather extensive tests, but in general it
is not necessary to determine its accuracy. A variation of
one or two candle-power will hardly be perceptible under
the ordinary conditions. It is only when the lamp falls off
three or four catldle~power that its dimness becomes appre-ciable,
and it is a safe rule to follow, and it will prove more
economical to buy a new lamp rather than burn an old one
after its diminution in candle-power becomes noticeable.
By this is meant that it will be more economical for the
amount of light obtained, because as the lamps fall off in
candle~power more- lamps must be burned to obtain the
original amount of light. If the reduced quantity of light
from old lamps is sufficient-as, for example, in halls and
closets-it would still be cheaper to throw out the old lamps
an,l replace them with new ones of smaller candle-power.
-f't!If!b.b"MICHIG.7lN Y'IR.TI.s~ \~. 25 ~ ·"7 e? e se- ~
lOG. 110.112
nort~ Division~t.
Qran~ Kapi~s
lOG. 110. 112
nort~ Division~t.~;~ .~~
Qran~ Rapi~s
Michigan Engraving Company :: White Printing Company
Michigan Artisan Company
OUR BUILDING
PRI
NT
E
R
S
B
IN
D
E
R
S
EN
G
R
AV
E
R
S
E
N
G
R
A
V
E
RS
PR
I
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ER
S
B
IND
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RS
Erected by Wbite Printing Company. Grand Rapids. 1907.
EVANSVILLE LINES
MANUFACTURERS' FURNITURE EXCHANGE
Corner Wabash Avenue and Fourteenth Street
THE BOCKSTEGE NEW SUPERIOR UNE
-------- EVANSVILLE
FuU line Of Samples on Exhibition throughout tlte year on thejirstjtoor of the
New .lJ£anu!aclurers' Furniture EiJ:cltange,Wabash Ave. and 14th St., Ck~ca(lQ
THE BOCKSTEGE FURNITURE CO., Eva""vme, Ind
The Metal
Furniture Co.
EVANSVILLE, IND.
MANUFACTURERS OF
Metal Bedsteads
Full line of Samples on exhibition during the entire year,
on first Hoor of the Manufacturers' Furniture Exchange.
corner Wabash Ave. and 14th St., Chicago.
•
TlfE WORLD FURNITURE CO.
(Member of Big Six Car Loading Association)
EVANSVILLE - INDIANA Globe
L
Manufacturers of FoldiDIr Bed .. (Mantel and Upright), Buffeb, Hall
Trees. China CI06eh, Combination and Library Bookeases.
Fulliioe of lIamples on exhibition during the entire year, on first floor
of the Manufacturers Furniture Exchange, corner WablUlh Ave. and 14th
St., Chicago.
Side Boards and
Hall Racks
Are the best for the money. Get our Cata-logue.
Mention the Michigan Artisan when writing.
Fullline of samples on exhibition duriog the en~
tire year, on the firS! Hoor 01 the Manufacturers'
Furniture Exchange, Cor. Wabash Ave., and 14th
St., Chicago.
Globe Furniture Company
EVANSVILLE, IND.
ON SALE IN CHICAGO
Cupboards
Kitchen
Cabinets
and
MANUFACTURERS' FURNITURE EXCHANGE
Corner Wabash Avenue and Fourteenth Strut
JORDAN CRESCENT.
Start 1908right by buying an Up-to-date Line.
is what you want-IT SELLS ITSELF.
Crescent Stove WorKs
Evansville. Indiana
K. D.
Wardrobes.
I. all we make but
we make Iota of
them.
Get Catalogue
and Prices.
The Bosse
Fumiture CO.
EVANSVILLE, IND.
Full line of sar"ples on exhibition during Ihe enUre year on flrstjloor of
the Manufacturers' Furttitun Exchange, corner Wabash Ave. and 14th St .•
Chicago.
Karges
Chamber
Suites
ARE OF
BEST QUALITY
GOOD
Style
Construction
Finish
PRICES RIG HT
Write for Catalogue
Karges Furniture
Company,
EVANSVILLE, IND.
Full line of oamples On
on exhibition during the
entire year, on lirtt Root of
the Manufacturers' Furni-ture
Exchange, comer Wa-bash
Ave. and 14th St.,
Chicago.
28 ·"''-MlffIIG7fN
• PAINTED PIANOS IN DEMAND.
Instruments Valued at $50.000 Each-Scenes From Well
Known Operas on Cases.
There ·was a time when a piano was only a piano, and
that was all there was to it. For decades piano builders
gave all their attention to sound mechanism and there was
about .as much variety in piano exteriors as there is to tele-graph
poles. The case was of rosewood or mahogany.
Your piano had serpentine moulding or it did not have, It
had angular legs or curved ones. That was about all the
variety you could get, ,and you CQuid pay your money and
take yOur choice.
The piano makers of to-day are a unit in declaring that
the vogue of the ugly piano case, with its huge, unshapely,
elephantine legs and unrelieved lines, is gone forever. The
American demands almost as wide a range of choice in piano
cases as in furniture, and gets it. Out of this demand,
strengthened by European example, has grown the painted
piano .
. It is true that some of the more elaborate spinets of
Colonial days were hand painted, but the development of the
pianoforte did not carry with it the decoration of the case.
Perhaps' this was due to the hideousness of most of the
scenes inflicted on the long suffering spinet. Any way,
when the piano began to be considered an article of furniture
and ornament its artistic aspect assumed importance. So
long as simple, haircloth furniture held its vogue the old
rosewood standby was good enough. Its passing came with
more frequent trips to Europe and the introduction of type
or period furniture into American homes.
The identical case piano was doomed with the first white
and gold music room. The clumsy, old type piano was so
out of harmony that even its music was not appreciated.
Makers were forced to turn to curly maple and other light
woods. They took long breaths and gilded and enamelled the
case's.
The piano was the last piece of furniture to fall into the
decorator's hands, but it may stay longer. presenting more
possibilities than tables Or chairs. At first the casemakcrs
w'ere conte1Jt to conform to a' particular peri()(J, with the
idea of fitting the piano into its surroundings. One of the
fir'st decorative examples of one of the oldest purely AmC'ri-can
piano houses was inlaid work along marquetry lines.
There was a year when I..ouis XVI piano cases were all
t'le rage. Then came Empires and Henry IV's. There was
a fad for '..h..ite and gold 'cases, which ,:went out because of
the ghostliness of white enamel and because American en-amellcrs
could not obtain the opalescent effects of the
Parisian WOrkmen.
But there is more -to it. Americans learned that some of
thegreat artists of Europe did not scorn to use their brushes
on plano cases. A few rich imported them without
interior mechanism. The imported exterior was better than
anything made here.
The $50,000 Marquand is the most notable relic of this
age of importation The ease was designed by Alma-Tadema
amI executed by Poynter. It cost the famous art coUeetor
fully the amount named, though at auction sale on his death
it brought only $14,000.
It is a grand piano, with solid ebony case, inlaid with
ivory and lapis lazuli. The cover and the panels have scenes
representing Greek maidens dancing to the accompaniment
of ancient musical instruments. Then there was a Burne-
Jones p:ano that attracted much attention. The artist fairly
covered this piano -..vith his work. There were paintings
on both sides of the lid and all around the band.
.."-m"'ricans who cared enough about a piano to pay $50.000
for it were not numerOus. Several. however. weTe willing
to invest $25,000 and run the risk of getting an art work so
.7iR T I.s' JI.l'J \~-
3 s". ~
delicate and yet so u",.,'ieldy safely thrOUgh a dangerous
ocean voyage.
One of these $25_,000pianos came to a member of the
Vanderbilt family. It was wonderfully carved with garlands
hanging free from the body of the instrument. The panels
were painted by Kammerer, of Paris, and aside from the
panels the case was covered with cream white enamel.
Of late years the special order case has been the rage,
and there are not a few houses along Fifth avenue and
Riverside Drive that have spedally decorated pianos. They
are not $25,000 creations by any means, but there has been
and still is an unusual demand among people of wealth for
decorated pianos costing $8,000, $10,000 and $15,000.
There is a wide latitude in the decorations. Some show
small panels on strict school lines, a Louis XV case, for
Sketched by Otto Jiranek. Grand Rapids, Mich.
instance, with panels painted after Watteau or Boucher.
Often the piano is taken ;IS the background for idealistic
paintings. There have been "Faust" pianos and "Romeo and
]uUet" pianos, with scenes from these operas.
"VVhe11 the prospective purchaser of a decorated piano
has eccentric ideas ~e have our troubles," said the manager
of one of the big piano houses to a Tribune reporter the
other day. '-'1 remember one woman who had her own ideas
about 'Faust.' She insisted on a 'Faust' scene for the lid,
which would not have been so bad. Then she insisted that
Faust, in the love scene with Marguerite, sit upon a tomb-stone,
'with relaxed muscles.' The artist assigned to the
t:lsk gnashed his teeth.
"Our great dread in this decorative work," said another
man whose name connotes piano wherever heard, "is th"
difficulty in repressing the portrait effect. Women, are mas I
often victims of this incongru'bus desire. They come in with
the portrait oJ Some departed loved one which they want
painted on the piano cover. As a vehicle for portraiture
the piano is unsuitable,- no matter how. attractive the suh-
~Mlf,flIG7fN 29
LIGNINE CARVINGS, UNBREAKABLE
Increase your business.
Increase your profits.
Increase your business friends by adopting LIGNINE CARVINGS.
Send for sample and new catalogue showing Drawer Pulls, Capi-tals,
Pilasters, Drops, Shields, Heads, Rosettes, Scrolls, etc.
ORNAMENTAL PRODUCTS CO., 556 Fort St., Detroit, Mich.
ject. They get their ill memoriams if they insist on them, but
we'd rather brand the pianos \vith our rival's name."
Examples in w-hich there is all utter ahsence of symbolic
relation in the decoration either to the piano or the music
arc frequent.
"Do yOll halldpaint pianos ?" an arrival from Pittsburg a
few months ago asked a prominent piano maker. Decoration
in \Valteau style upon the top and rim of a Louis XV case
was suggested.
The Pittshurgcr looked over a sample, but did not like the
beautiful maidens playing old-fashioned musical instruments.
"'Tain't up to date enough," was his verdict.
"It is the latest design of one of mlr t1nest artists," re-turned
the piano man.
"You don't get my idea," said the man of money with a
superior air. "That may be art, but I want art that 1 can
compare with the orig-inal in my mind's eye. Kow, the man
who decorated my saf~ at the office do\vn Broad st;eet caught
the idea. You know I've opened all office down there among
the bulls and bears 1\'0, I'm 110t going into business. It's
just a plac-:: to loaf in where 1 can close to the ticker."
"\Vhat did the 'artist' put on your safe?" was asked to
shut off the PiUsburger's boast of what he ""vas going to do
to \Vall Strect.
"\~rhy, he painted the Brooklyn Bridge with one of 'Bob'
Evan's battleships coming under the arch, full tilt," said
the Pennsylvanian, admiringly. "That's the sort of aft 1
want. Now, on this piano let us have the Hudson River,
with the P;llisades in the distance."
The piano maker groaned as he booked the eccentric
order.
"Have your artist paint in a steamuo;:lt or two. one of the
Day lilles. for instance," was the parting instruction. I like
planty of life and motion."
Most piano artists have little admiration for the great
gold and white piano that decorates the \Vhite House. The
case 110uses an exquisite instrument. The panels are from
the brllsh of T. Vv'.Dewing. If the decorations stopped there
all would be \vell, but they don't. The coats of anns of the
various states have been plastered over the instrument until
the last inch is utiliLed.
"It reminds me of old Joe Kirby," said a recent visitor
to the \Vhitc ITouse, after gazing on the overdecorated
wonder.
"Al1d who \vas Joe Kirby?" interrupted a youthful mcmber
of the party.
"You did not let me finish," said the critic "I was abollt
to S<lY the piano remi.nded me of Joe Kirby wrapl)\.ng hlm-self
in the Amcrican flag and dying to slow music."
Kirby was once the most popular actor of the Bmvery,
,1l1dhe was best in death scencs. "\lI.lakc me up when Kirby
dies" was the injunction of the sleepy members of his audi-ences.
It became one of the sayings of his time.
One of the most noteworthy pianos ever designed in New
York was executed for the Chicago \lIlorld's "Fair exhibit
of a prominent piano company. Vv'hen the exhibition closed
the instrument \yas brought back to Kew York and eventually
found a purchaser in H. Cohen, a rich East Sider, who gave
it as a wedding present to his daughter. It was the pride
and amazement of Henry street for years,
Another handsome piano made by this same house lies
at the bottom of the Oce,l11.HOW, It was pure Empire. in
style and v\I'as put in the music room of a pleasure yacht
that sank.
\-Vhen painted pianos first became the rage there was a
great Jeal of mystery abollt them. It \"..a.s impossible to get
photographs of them, and the number made \vas limited.
The owners of the pianos feared their exclusive designs
would he c,opied and reproduced in stock instruments. The
exact design executed by Edwin H. Blashficld for a piano for
Mrs. Anthony Drexel, of Philadelphia, was a close secret
for a long time. "Music" is the theme of this decoration,
thc band being divided into panels, each of which typifies
some particular class of music-miJita-ry, ecclesiastical, classi-cal,
etc.
A late achievement in piano decoration is "The Rhein-gold,"
now all exhibition at a piano house on Fifth avenue.
The \vhole top of the piano is thro'wl1 into one picture, com-posed
in such a way as to fit the arbitrary form of the in-strument.
The Rhine Maidens are seen in the depths of tbe
water circling round their hidden treasure, \\.'hieh sends
up its yellow glare, tingling and irradiating their floating
forms and draperies. The ugly dwad, wrth his sordid,
voracIOus face, forms <In effective foil for the beauty of the
maidens. X ear the top of the picture three or four fish, un-conscious
of their supernatural companions, are complacently
basking in the sunlight that filters through the translucent
waters. The peculiar opalescent olive light that a diver sees
Y;'hen he opens his eyes under water is the prevailing color
note of the picture.
On the piano legs rllld lyre reeds gilded and tinged in
greenish hue are carved in relief, and elsev·...here the sculptural
ornamentations of the instrument arc' made up of these
same reeds.
/\mong the Americans who have notable pianos de luxe
:He -Mrs. Cornelius Vrl1lderbilt. George Gould. \Villiam E. D.
Slakes. !\frs. George Drexel, Ex-Senator V/illiam A. Clark.
11.'11':-. Thomas Scott and 1\1rs. James L. Flood. Sir Donald
Smith, of Canada, also has a costly instru111ent.-K ew York
Tribune.
Foreign t1l<lrkets should b(~ cultivated assiduously not as
:\ tenl'porary makeshift but with the purpose of establishing
a permanent trade.
The difference between "red tape" and system is a prob-lemn
not easily solved.
Economy is not stinginess. The economical man invests
his funds wisely.
30
How to Get By the Man at the Door.
"Mr. Smith is busy, sir; what do you want to see him
about?"
No doubt yotl have run up against this question many
times, especially if you are a salesman, or if your business
takes you much among people. The man at the door bars
your way. He; is not satisfied ..v.ith your card or your name.
He Jooks at you as if he ,..",ollldread your soul. Sometimes
he is a private secretary and a man of some discretion; often-er
he is an office boy who knows nothing except a hard and
fast rule.
Now, if you have come, to sell something to the president,
or secretary, or somebody else who happens to be secluded
in a private office, you are up against 'a stone wall unless yOu
know how to handle this pestiferous cre-ature who wants to
know your pcdigree. If you don't know how to do it you
might as well turti around and march out.
An old and successful .salesman tells how he meets the
problem.
"The man at the door is a tough proposition to cope with.
He is an outcropping of trusts and big establishments. Twen-ty
years ago all a salesman had to dov..ras to 0lJen a dOor ana
·walk jn. Today he must give the history of his life to some
dinky little felow who is so puffed up with his $8 a week that
t,e thinks other folks have )10 right to live.
"Years ago 1 came to the conclusion that turn about is
fair play. If a merchant employs a lot of salesn:en himself
and sends them all over the country to bother other folks, hc
ought to be willing to be bothercd by salesmen who come
to see him. When 1 go after such a man and his lackey at
the door refuses me admittance I get busy.
i<There are two ways to get into the merchant's private
office. The first is to grasp the lackey firmly but politely
by the coat collar, yank him out of your way, and proceed
with dignity. I have tried this method a good many times,
but as a general thing it is not to be recommended.
"The other plan which I pursue with great success is to
use my wits instead of my muscle. I foHow a regular system.
I make such a ·sudden and psychologically startling attack
that· I am admitted out of pure curiosity. In about thirty
seconds I change the whole situation. Instead of being a
supplicant, I become an invtcd guest. The merchant wants
to see me. He is really dcsirous to know what I look like,
and what I have to say. He voluntarily drops important
business to ask me in.
"Yesterday I called on the general manager of a huge
concern in Chicago. He is also the head of the buying de-partment.
Na doubt he is overrUn with salesmen, but he
ought to expect it, That is what he is paid for. I argul-that
he should treat visiting salesmen as he wants his own
salesmen to be treatcd. He had different ideas. A shriv-eled
up little man blockaded the way.
"'Who are you: he demanded.
"1 knew that to give him rp.y business card would be to
commit business suicide.
"'That,' said I, 'is none of your business. I want you tu
take a note to Mr. Jones. It is private, and mind you, if
you open the envelopc I'll ,throw you out of the nearest win-dow.
Understand?'
"Often the door lackeys will read whatever you write, but
this fellow didn't. I knew how to talk to him.
"What 1 wrote was this:
"'Mr. Jones: The nuisance who guards the door has im-pertinently
refused to let me in. I never let a nuisance stand
WHITE PRINTING CO., GRAND RAPIDS, MICH.
PRINTERS OF CATALOGUES
andeverythingneededby businessmen
in my way. I have too many of them myself to allow them
to bother me. I go along about my business, no matter how
much they annoy me. I am a salesman, representing --.
I am out for business. I know a lot of your salesmen, and
I have shown at least a dozen of them how to get past just
such rodents as this onc here, In doing this I have added
perhaps five per cellt to your annual sales. This is my re-ward.
I believe J have earned tcn minutes of your time.
tJy proposition speaks for itself.'
"The result was just what I anticipated-instantaneous.
Jones wa·" astonished. No salesman had ever written a let-ter
like that before. He was really anxious to see me. Here
was something new in salesmanship. He was a salesman
himself, and I touched him on the psychological spot.
"Now, I never attempt to get into a man's presence by ly-jng-
abollt my jdcntity_ Only thc novice does tha;LI refuse
STAR CASTER CUP CO.
NORTH UNiON STREET, GRAND RAPIDS, MICH.
(PATENT APPLlED FOR)
We have adopted celluloid as a base for our Caster Cups, making the
best cup on the market. Celluloid is a great improvement over bases
made of other material. When it is necessary to move a piece supported
by cups with celluloid bases it can be done With ease. as the bases are per-fectly
smooth, Celluloid does not sweat and by the use of these cups
tables are never marred. These cups are finished in Golden Oak and
White Maple, finished light. If you will try a sample lYrder Of tMse
goods you wW desire to handle them in quantitit!8.
PRICES: Size 2M"inches $5.50 per hundred.
Size 2U inches, ,.... 4;60 per hundred.
/. Q. b. Granlj Rapids. TRY A SAMPLE ORDER.
pointblank to tell the door keeper my name or business, but
when I write a note to the man inside.1 com~ out boldly with
the truth.
"The other day J ran up against a doorkeeper who refused
to deliver a note unless 1 totdhim the nature of the message.
" 'y oung man,' I said, taking out my watch, 'I'll give you
just sixty seconds to get that note to Mr. Browl!. If yOli
don't do it I'll take it in myself.'
"'I've seen yOU fellows before,' he retorted. 'You're a
salesman and I know it, Mr. Brown is not seeing salesmen
today,'
H 'Thirty seconds!' I said.
IIHe looked about helplessly. He knew he would catch it
if he allowed me to burst in on Brown. I was bigger than
he, and he wasn't used to desperate men.
"He took in the note. This is what it said:
")'h. Brown: One of your salesmen was intoxicated last
month and I was foolish enough to help him out and save
your house a large sale. Don't ask me his name, for I won't
tell it. There is a fellowship among salesmen, and often
they make sacrifices for each other. I am a salesman myself,
representing ---. I used the word "foolish" in the fore
going because, in the light of the .present it looks that way
to me. The wretched little rat at the door bars me out,
when I ought to be welcomed, and get a brass medal in addi·
tion. 1 don't ",,'-:lntany charity, but I claim the right to do
business. My proposition will make you money.'
"I walked in a moment later.
"1 wouldn't give away my system
that I'm going to quit the road soon.
E. M. Woolley.
if it wasn't for the fact
I've kept it a secret.-
31
MANY NEW FEATURES ADDED FOR SPRING SEASON OF 1908.
EVERYTHING FOR THE BEDROOM [Medium and Fine Quality]. Office and Salesroom corner
Prescott and Buchanan Streets, Grand Rapids, Mich. Line now ready for inspection by dealers.
The New Banquet Table Top
as welllll! OFFICE, DINING and DIRECTORS' TABLES are out' specialty.
STOW & DAVIS FURNITURE CO., ~~~;':p",.
Write for Catalogue. Get samp\esof BANQUET TABLE TOP.
UNION FURNITURE CO.
ROCKFORD, ILL.
China Closets
Buffets
Bookcases
\Ve lead in Style, Contlrudion
and Finish. See our Catalogue.
Our line on permanent exhibi-tion
7th Floor, New Manufact-urers'
Building, Grand Rapids.
Big Rapids Furni-ture
Mfg. Co.
BIG RAPIDS, MIOH.
SIDEBOARDS
BUFFETS
HALL RACKS
In Quartered Oak, Golden
and Early English Finish.
No. 128. Price $12·
2 off 30 days /. o. b.
7JigRaplds.
We Manufacture the
Largest Line of
Foldlno Gllalrs
in the U oiled States, suitable
for Sunday Schools, Halls,
Steamers and all pubLic resorts.
We also manufacture Brass
Trimmed Iron Beds, Spring
Beds, Cots and Cribs in a
large variety.
Swd jor Catalogia
and Prices to
K/lUFFM/lN MFG. GO.
ASHLAND, OHIO
32 ·f'~MI9 ..HIG7JN 2 7l:<-TI'-b~ f1II'1-
I '
33
DINING ROOM TABLES
WELL BOUGHT-MORE THAN HALF SOLD
This motto is well apprecialed by big buyers"and wilh our enormous modern
fadoty which is equipped with Ihe very late:ft machinery for producing perfed
and uniform construclion we can offer unexcelled quality at moderate prices.
A VAST VARIETY OF PATTERNS
402
The Famous "VICTOR" Extension Table (Patented)
is a specially of our make which has ".ontinually grown in favor and volume of sales.
Write for Full lnformation and Quotation"
, 471
Posselius Bros. Furniture Mfg. Co.
DETROIT, MICHIGAN 4.;2
Reliable and Substantial Furniture
SUCH AS
WE MAKE
IS EVER
THE
SOURCE
OF
PLEASURE
AND
PROFIT
TO THE
RETAILER
AND THE
PCRCHASER
ROCKFORD CHAIR AND FURNITURE CO., Rockford,Ill.
34
".-;,' .~ fJ~ ~MICHIG7IN
,,' ;':"'. .' - -• :l C -. i
Made by NOrthern Furniture Co.,
Sheboygan, Wts.
Made by Posselius Bros Furniture Mfg Co
Detroit, Mich.
::;;~- t __<:;I
Made by Posseliu8 Bros. Furniture Mfg. Co.•
Detroit, Mich.
Made by Woodard Furniture Co.,
Owosso, Mich.
REX [::;:~]MATTRESS
CHAS. A. FISHER & CO.,
1319 Michigan Ave., Chicago.
WRITE FOR
BOOKLET
AND
PROPOSITIOK
Warehouse&:
ST. LOUIS, MO. KANSAS CITY, MO. MINNEAPOLIS, MINN.
PEORIA. ILL LINCOLN, ILL. CHICAGO, ILL.
THE LEXINGTON
Michillan Blvd. & 22d 51
CHICAGO. ILL
Refurnished alld re-fitted
throughout. New
Management. The
furniture dealers' he,3d-quarters.
Most. co"n-veniently
situated' to
the furniture display
houses.
Inler-Stale Holel CO,
OWNER &: PROPRIETDR.
E. K. erHey. Pres.;
T. M. eriley, V. Pres.;
L. H. Flrey, See-Tler.s.
Horn Br1ltlwrs rqJort illl:-iinc;;s pich:ing np 1ig-In along;
rtmning full time and tbe outlook g"O()(\' Tbey are making a
tip-top line of hed room furniture.
The Seng Company "h;l\'c il hell IJll" ;\11L! whell she hatdll'"
out lhc IlCW hird the noise oj the cackling \",il1 make (JIlt' thiuk
that all the hen:" in the b"rnyard have comc off at ol1ce. [Tlllet
your hreatb, l1(H~·. a11d be prcpared fnr wh,.t'" coming. Fv-ery
extension table lLaker in the country \'\'ill be intcl'e.;ted.
Schultz & Hirsch, the well k11(IWn [e,ltller and !lcddillh
house on SCllIth Despl",ines c:trect. have sold their facror,'
building and h.'1\'(' pllrcha:;cd a l1ew i'actory at Fulton anc! T~li;"-
abeth streets, \vhcrc they will be: scUled by the hrst of .:'ILa\.
'llld v\·il have Tl1nr(' 1'ban l\vi,'c <IS nlncll R(;or space as in t1;'.·
Desplaines street facto:'y.
President i'lleyn of tbe .:'I!<:l1lufacturns' Exhibitiol1 Build-ing
Comp;11ly reports a very l'-'.rgc dem'l11d for space in tbe hig
exhibition building at 1319 Michigan '\\'('1111e. Thc indica-tions
,Ire tl1;,t somdwdy will be disappointed ill not Ret'ting ;lll
the Sp,lCC they want ii thcy delay' their application:-i. TIIi" i"
the 'Irigina1 \lichig<ll1 an'11lle exhibition tn~iltling south 01
Twelfth streer. andthcre is "lways a dcmarid Un- space up te,
ur cxce.eding the full capacity of t11e building-. July is going
to be a busy mont]J \'\'itl1 t11e furniture Illell in Chicago.
The Johnson Chair Company have sold their plallt. except-ing
111e m<lchilHcry. to tbe ~orthwestern H.ailroad Company,
\,\tho~,(' c'(t('n~ion to the nnv \T ad-ic;ml st1-ed station takcs in
his property. and also tilaL of the Knel1ig- & Garner Furniture
CompiLlIY and L. 1:'. X ollllasL. Tbe J nbnSOIl Chair Company
have options all ~l b!-ge tr~lct all the v\,('st side and will build
01H',of the most modeI'll chair factories in the coullLry, taking
advantage of everything that is newest aud best. They have
a year to stay in their prcscm pbce,\vhich ,vi)l afford ample
tillJe to erect their new factory. Tile Koenig- & Gamer Fll'
niturc COli"lpany had 110t definitely settled on their iutme ]n-cation;
b\1t intend to have a factory that will be up-ta-date
in l'very,parricular.
MUSKEGON VALLEY FURNITURE COMPANY
MUSKEGON
MICH ••••
Odd DreSserg
CniliOniers
wororones
IndieS' 101181S
Dresslnu
100Ies
Mnnounnv
IniOid GnOdS
IMies' DeSkg
Music Gnnln8lS
Line on sale in MannfacluTel'5' Build'nl!l. Grand RB:pids..
35
f',1
'%i'
36
Charles R. Sligh for Mayor.
Charles R. Sligh, president of the Sligh Furniture com-pany,
is a candidate for the office of mayor of Gran~ Rapids.
Mr. Sligh has lived in the 'city from infancy, havIng been
born in the. home of his family on ground
now owned and occupied by the \\lhite
Printing Company ,and the l-lichigan Arti-san
Company. During his boyhood, war
between the states ensued, when Mr.
Sligh's father recruited a company, went to
the front, and lost his life in the service of
the Union. To assist in the support of tIll.-
famity j\{r. Sligh was obliged to begin the
battle of life an age when most boys afC in
the enjoyment of adolescency and he proved
to be such a brave, energetic and intelligent
young hustler as to conquer sucees::; in all
his undertakings by. deserving it. :\'1r.
Sligh entered the employ of the Berkey &
Gay Furniture Company as a t 'aveling
salcsman -in the early seventies, and proved
his capacity. Th,ough his efforts the trade
of the company was widely cxtended. In
1880 he organized the Sligh Furniture Com-pany,
erected a modest factory fu:d con:-
menced the manufacture of bedroom furni-ture.
The sales grew steadily in volume
following the introduction of the line; ad-ditions
wcre made to the plant from time to
time and the company steadily advanced to
the front rank in the furniture mallufactul
ing industry. Mr. Sligh has witnessed the
development of Grand Rapids from a COU11-
try village of little importance to a thriving
city of 100,000 inhabitants, and to assume
the lead in the malltIfacture of fine furni-hIre,
His wide and varied experience in
business, his force of characte'i-, his lofty
ideals, his l:iterlingintegrity, his energy and
public spirit qualify him to abiy Gll the hon-orable
and responsible position, to which he
will undoubtedly be elected. IVf r. Sligh
was a candidate tor governor at Michigan
in the 'year 1896, and although the \'ote
polled for him was much larger than for
other candidates on his ticket, he was de-feated.
Two years ago he was a candi-date
for mayor in a three-cornered COntest
and polled a very large vote. He favo.s
non-partisanship in local affairs, and for
that reaSOn will receive the suppOtt of
many business men, regardless of party.
H C Dexter Chair Company and enagagcd in the manufac-tu~
e ~f Arts and Crafts furniture at Ludlow, Vt. His line
will be on sale in Grand Rapids during the month of July~
Jason S. Bailey succeeds Dodge, Spear & Co. in the sale
CHAS. RoBLIGlI
Trade Notes.
A corporation has been organized at Camden, N. J., to
tnt:Lnufacture wardrobes, cabinets and interior finishes, under
the name of the Richard V..'.. Jefferies Company,
J. H. Steiner, formerly \vith Hillman, of Chicago, is the
S1.1CCeSSoorf vv. J. Long ,as manager of the fumiturl? dlitpan
Ulent of thtl j.';air in Chicago.
The Jatnesto,,'n (1\; Y.) Cabinet Company succeeds r s;
Andersori.
H. V. Strattoh. an bId-time salesman; is serioltsiy iIi at
his home in Trenton, ]\7.]. His recoveri is doubtful.
Louis B. RIdenour bas severed his eonnection with the
of furniture a1Hl general merchandise, at 615 \Vashington
street, Boston, 1\.1ass.
The 1Iiehigall Desk Company of Grand Rapids sustained
a loss of $4,000 by the destruction of a quantity of dry oak
lumber, by fire recently.
The Brockmeier Piano Company, recently organized, has
leased a factory in Grand Rapids and will engage in the man-ufacture
of pianos.
The Grand Rapids (1Itch.) Cabinet Makers Company suf-fered
a loss of $15,000 by 6rt: Voihichoecured at their ware-rooms
recently.
The factory of the J. E. Symonds Table Company of
Penacook, }L H" was entint)' dutroyed by firere,cently.
37
WOODARD FURNITURE CO. OWOSSO,
MICH.
Makers of high grade medium priced Bedroom Furniture
in all the popular woods and finishes. New catalog ready.
Send for prices emthis new colonial bed and drell$er (chiHonieJ:"shown on page 34). Made in mahogany and drcaAliian walnut.
You will be surprised at the .r;mt\Uamount asked tor th.ue piece/!.
has been engaged in the manufacture of reliable furniture
more than {1fty years. A ilCW catalogue is ready for the
mails.
A Pleasant Smile.
The tbirg tt;at Gees tl1<~farthest
TCHvard making life worth wlli1e.
Th:n':-; worth the most, that costs the kast.
Is just a pleasant smite.
'Tis full of \,,'orth and Roodncss, too.
\\'ith m;1111y kindliness hlent.
'Tis v· ... orlh a million dollars,
And it doesn't emit a cent.
WHITE"PRINTING CO.
GRANO RAPIDS, MICH
Low and Medium Priced Chir.a Clcset::.
Oliver & Co. of Allegan, }':fich., describe anI
elegant p-:tUCTllS of china closets on another page.
P1"1C~' twu
This Iirei
WE PR'IIIT THE: MICHIe",,,, A "',.,s ......, ANCl
MAKe: ... SPe:CIAl.TY Q. CATALOOUES
FO" THE F"URNITURE: TPAOe:
ALASKA QUALITY
The Alaska Refrigerator CO,
EXCLUSIf/E REFRIGERATOR MANUFACTURERS
MUSKEGON, MICHIGAN
Guaran tees perfect insulation, circulation and the most econom-ical
consumption of ice. They insure the dealer a satisfied
customer every time. Zinc, White Enamel, Porcelain
and Opalite Linings.
ASK FOR CATALOGUES AND PRICES.
38
L
Made by Horn Bros, Mfg. Co., Chica.go, Ill. Made by Aulsbrook & Sturges Furniture Co.,
SturgiS, Mich.
Made by Lentz Table Co., Nashville, Mich.
Auls~roo~3 ~tur~esrurnitureCo.
I MANUFACTURERS I
Sturgis, Michigan
No. 564
Ask for Catalog. Mention At'tisan.
39
Why Not Order?
Say a d.ozen or mote MQntgomery
Iron Display Couch Trucks lent yOI1
on approvaD If nohalisfaetory they can be
returned at no expense 10 you whatevl!r,
while the price uked is but a triBe, eotn-pared
10 the convenience they afford and
the_economy they represeni in tbe saving
of Roor space. .
Thirty-two couches moumed on the
Montgomery Iton Display Couch Truck,
occupy the a.ame 8oor'Pace as twelve dis-plq~
in"the usual mlUlDef.
Write for,catalotlue giving full dcscrip~
lion and price inlhl!l different 6nishcs, to-gether
with illustrations demoostraliDl the
use of the Giant Short Rail Bed Fastener
for Iron ,Beds. Manuf&etured by
H. J. MONTGOMERY
PATRNTBE
Silver Creek, ~ew York, U~·.5. A.
Deno.is Wire and IrOIl Co•• c.nadiI.D ~ ... u.
facturem. l...oodOn, Out. ,'/
'The furniture business in Rockford is in as healthy a COll-
<1iti(~n,_<lsill any city in the country, judging from reports 01
'-Jbc ni<l11l1fitcturerscalled on b~.'the Artisan's representative.
,T-he iactories, as a rule, are working as large a proportion at
their hands as in any other city and orders, though generally
~Illall. are quite numerous. A large number of new patterns
will he brought out for the fall trade, and extra efforts wilt
be put forth to get business.
The Central, Standard, Royal l\.fantel & Furniture C0111-
pany, the Rockford Desk, the Skandia, the Vv' est End, the
Union and the rest of the coterie ate working along ahout the
saIne way. taking care of their orders and making prepara-tiOllS
iorth.e fa:Jl trade.,
The Rockford Frame & F'ixtur:e .company has a new secre·
tary, JTr. Edward Carlson. -\\dlO has b~en the superintendent
of the factory for the p<lst twelve years. He \",ill continue
to till that responisble position as weH as·the dl1ties of his ne,,\'
Grand Rapids Caster Cup Co.
2 Parkwood Ave.•Grand Rapids, Mich.
\\'e are now putting on the best Caster Cups with cork bases ever
offered to the trade. These are finished in Golden Oak and White Maple
ill a light finish. These goods arc .admirable for polished Aoors and furn-iture
rests. They will not sweat or mar.
PRICES:
Size.2}( incbes $4.00 pel' humlt'ed
Size2Xinches-····· 5.00 per hundred
1'1'ya Samp&~Order. F. O. B. Grand Rapid,.
40 71RTltS'A~ , . ? s·
HORN BROS MFG CO 28\ "'29\ W.S"..rio,S,.
. • . • • CHICAGO, • ILL.
BEDROOM FURNITURE OUR SPECIALTY
Goods displayed at the Manufacturens' Furniture uchange, Wabash and
14th St. and with HaD & Knapp, 187 Michigan Ave., Chicago, DL
DRESSER No. 629 -Golden Quartered Oak, $]8,60; Genuine Maholl'aoy. Veneered.
$19.50: Birdseye Maple, $19.50: Genuine Tuna Mabo;any, $19.50.
CHIFFONIER No. GO-Colden Oak, $19; Genuio.e Mahopny Veneered. $20: Bir....•
eye Maple, $20; Genuine Tuna MahOPR)', $20.
DRESSING TABLE No. IS-Colden Oak, $13.: Genwne MalJ.ny, Veneered.
$13.50: Birdseye Maple. $]3.50: Genuine Tuna Mahosan,Y, $13.50.
Send for Catalogue B. !-------"--
office. The Frame & Fixture Company makes a most at-tracitv('
line of fancy fltrnit~re, and will show samples of the
same in Grand Rapids, Chicago and New York. Many new
patterns of parlor and music cabinets, shaving stands and a
line of dilling room suites, consisting of tables, china closets,
buffets and side tables, will be exhibited.
, The Rockford Chair & f'urniture Company are working
n.early their usual number of hands, and doing a pretty largt.
business. This company will add dining tables to their lint-.
so as to make dining room suites cOl11plete,
The Mechanics Furniture Company h"!-ve brought out a
number of new patterns of buffets, chir.a' closets and mUSIC
cabinets. This company have permanent show rooms at 1319
l\Iichigan avenue, Chicago.
The National Furniture Company is hard at work on their
first line, and the goods are coming through the factory right.
INDEX TO ADVERTISEMENTS.
Alaska Refrigerator Co 37
Aulsbr-Ook & Sturges Frun. Co 9-37
Big Rapids Furn. Mfg.,Co ' 31
Bockstege Furniture Co 2b
Barnes, W. F. & John,. Co 13
Bosse Furniture Co.. . . . 27
Charlotte Mfg. Co 1!:'
Challenge Refrigerator Co... . 5
Crescent Stove Works.. . 27
Detroit Rack Co. . 2
Evansville Metal Bed Co 27
Evansville Furniture Co , .._.. 11
Evansville Metal Furniture Co 26
Fisher, Charles A.• & Co 35
Ford & Johnson Co 5
Grand Rapids Caster Cup: Co 39
Globe Furniture Co 26
Hoffman ~rothets Co t2
Horn Bros. Manufacturing Co 40
Hotel Pantlind .12
Inter-State Hotel Co...... . 35
Karges Furniture Co. . . 27
,Kauffman Manufacturing Co 31
Lentz Table Co 15
Luce Furniture Co Cover
Luce-Redmond Chair Co. . . . . . . . . .. 1
Madden. Thos., Son & Co ' 8
Manistee Manufacturing Co.... . . .. 1
Miller, Eli D., Co.. .. .. .. .. 7
Montgomery, H. J.. . . . . . . ... 39
Moon Desk Co ~13
Morton House _ 12
Murphy Chair Co -.- 16
Muskegon Valley Furniture Co , .-35
Nelson-Matter Co. . Cover
Northern Furniture Co. . . . .Cover
Ol~ver & Co ..'.. .. .. .. .. 2
-._--.
Palmer MaJ::lufacturing Co 16
Pioneer Manufacturing Co 16
Po'Sselius Bros. Furn. Mfg. Co 33
Richmond Chair Co 18
Rockford Chair & Furniture Co 33
Royal Chair Co Cover
Star Caster Cup Co 30
Schmitt, Henry, & Co 18
Shelbyville Desk Co 10
Sligh Furniture Co. . 31
Smith &.Davis Mfg. Co 23
Spratt, George, & Co " 5
Stow & Davis Furniture Co 31
Sturgis Steel Go_Cart Co Covel
Union Furniture Co ; , 31
White PriIlting Co 25
Woodard· Futniture Co 37
World Furniture Co 26
Zimmer, Fred J 15
:Macle by POsee1IU8 Bros. FurnJture M!S'. Co.• Detrolt,Mich.
NEW FEATURES
in Upper Class
CIRCASSIAN
WALNUT
A LARGE ADDITION TO
OUR UNE OF STAPLES
MEDIUM and LINE FURNITURE
for the
CHAMBER and
DINING ROOM
rI.
~
GRAND 0" DlD~' . )i .J. ,.£ .l;..Ii:. .j. ,--",_J
'~,
~
If Catalogues to Dealers. on Heavy Plate Paper.
~'
'~ ";}
.~ - 'V
1
F
- Date Created:
- 1908-03-25T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Rapids Public Library (Grand Rapids, Mich.)
- Collection:
- 28:18
- Subject Topic:
- Periodicals and Furniture Industry
- Language:
- English
- Rights:
- © Grand Rapids Public Library. All Rights Reserved.
- URL:
- http://cdm16055.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p16055coll20/id/42