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- Issue of a furniture trade magazine published in Grand Rapids, Mich. It was published twice monthly, beginning in 1880. and Twenty_Eighth Yea.r-No. 20 APRIL 25. 1908 Semi-Monthly "THE BEST" One Motion,All Steel Go-Cart THE" ROYAL.' PUSti BUTTON MORRIS CHAIR FOLDS WITH ONE MOTION NO FUSS, NO FOOLING FOLDS WITH ONE MOTION All Steel; Indestructible. Perfected Beyond All Competitiou. Frame of Steel Tubing. Will Carry 200 Lbs. Over Rough Pavements. The Only Perfect Cart With a Large Perfect Quick Action Hood. CATALOGUE UPON APPLICATION. FOLDED The ROYAL is the Original Push Button Morris Chair Eieht Year'S of Test Have EstahlisLed Its Sqpremacy ALL OTHERS ARE IMITATIONS !MORRIS CHAIRS FROM I i6.25 to i3!J CATALOG UPON APPLICATION. Royal Chair Co. STURGIS, MICHIGAN Chicago Salesr,oom: Ceo. D. Williams eo:. 1323 Michigan Avenue. First Floor, Chicago, III STURGIS STEEL GO-CART COMPANY, Sturgis, Mich. CHICAGO· SALESROOM: Geo. D. Williams Co., 1323 Michigan Ave., First Floor, Chicago, Ill. ... THREE PIECE BEDROOM SUITE 1752. Biggest Line in the World BEDROOM, DINING-ROOM AND KITCHEN FURNITURE The biggest furniture catalogue ever published, of the biggest line of Bedroom, Dining. room and Kitchen furniture ever manufactured, has just been mailed to the trade by the Northern Furniture Company of Sheboygan, Wisconsin. It is a noteworthy thing that while the entire furniture trade has been feeling the recent business depression severely, since people can economize on furniture when times are hard, the Northern Furniture Company has done about the Same business during Jannary, February and March as they did last year. That can have but one meaning-they have the standard goods which people must have, their styles are standard, their manufacture is acceptable, and their goods sell in hard times as in good times. It is easier to pick out a satisfactory selection from the Northern catalogue of every grade or style you may want, than from any other furniture catalogue in existence. The special Table Line of the Northern Furniture Company is better than is shown by most Table specialists. The Dining.room furniture showu by the Northern is more popular with most dealers than the product of almost any dining-room specialist in the country, and the same is true of their line of Library Furniture, shown in their special Lihrary Catalogue. They have the best-made line of Kitchen Cabinets. If you have not received your copy of the new complete catalogue just mailed out, be sure to send a postal card to the NORTHERN FURNITURE COMPANY, SHEBOYGAN, WIS-CONSIN, and get one. It will "giveyou your standard of style and price on everything you buy. NORTHERN FURNITURE COMPANY SHEBOYGAN WISCONSIN -------- 1 "1319-The Big Building" Again The Zenith of Fumiture ExhibitiOrl'<Enterprise The World's Largest and Best Furniture Show Over 200 Live Wires Already "Connected Up" with Live Buyers-and We Get the Buyers. Doubt It? Then Come and Let Us Show You. 10,000 RETAIL DEALERS CAME LAST YEAR and proved the absolute supremacy of "1319-The Big Building" as the one place to select trade-pulling lines. You make a money-getting line; show it to these 10,000 progressive dealers in the World's Greatest FurnitureMarket-Chicago Ask us about space and how to bring the buyers. Manufacturers' ExltilJition Building Co. 1319 Michigan Avenue, Chicago 2 JUST A HINT FROM· "THE LINE OF READY SELLERS" No. 112 Chase Leather Marokene Leathe. No. I M. B. Leathe. $10.50 11.75 21.00 Imp~rial Reclining Chairs Mission Suites and Small Mission Pieces Morris Chairs Roman Chairs and Rockers Do Yau Like Prompt Shipments? We Make Them. Oor Desi~ns are Ri~ht Oor Mater-ials are Ri~ht Oor Con-stru& ion is Ri~ht Oor Prices ar, Right A Sample Order will Convince Yoo-May We Not Have Yours? Write fOT <II copy of oue March. Supplement. Regular calalog ready June 151h. No. t09 Blue Back Iml. Leather Chase Leather . Ma.okene Leather . $6.50 7.25 8.50 TRAVERSE·CITY CHAIR CO., Traverse City, Mich. No. 1002 Imperial Reclining Chair (Patent applied for) No. I M. B. Leather $20.00 No. 73·19 Blue Back 1m!. Leather Chase Leather . Marokene Leather . K. D. Rat and compact. $4.50 5.00 5.50 28th Year-No. 20. GRAND RAPiDS. MICH.. APRIL 25. 1908. == ==~==~~==~~~~~= $ 1.00 per Year. Abolish the Easy Chair. You '.'.'ill notice, jf you make a tonT through aLy office building, that the men who have the most businesslike, wide-awake appearallce arc the lllen in straight legged, straig-ht backed chairs. The employes most liable to have an idle thOllSftud miles away look are those ne:,ted in swing- b,lCk, ball bearing seats of rest. It is not the fault of the employe that he looks lazy, it is the fault of the chair. "A mistaken idea of comfort has led manufacturers to develop a style of chair which is comfort-able in theory, but which for business purposes i.s a mistake. It makes V'.'orking a hardship. No man can lower himself into a device which instantly invites him to loll back, light a good cigar, clasp his bands behind his head, ,met tell a gooel story-no average man can sit in such a chair and work 1\1ental concClltratioll is dependent on physical stin~ultls. The chair which makes a man sit erect, keeping him poil1tell at his work, is best-best both for the employer who hires the man and for the mall \vho uses the chair. There is at least one employer in Chicago "who has di:,:cov-ered this fact and acted upon his discovery. He OW11S a large printillg business. Not long ago he moved into l1ew quarters. His ofl1ce force he placed in a 1arg"e room in lull vie\v of the entrance. This r00111 he elaborately finished in costly wood, furnished it with fine beavy desks a~ld with lllx- \.lriant chairs. He was particularly proud of this of6ce, and he showed it enthusiasticaly to every business and social acquaintance who called on him. One day he ;:l.\voke. He had been showing all out-of-town customer over his plant. and on returning to his private office settled back contelltedly with, """VeIl, \vhat do yOU think of it?" The reply was prompt: "Everything is fine except the parlor. YOll have the laziest looking ofIice force 1 ever saw in my life. I came in here from a small city. expecting to see thing"s done as they should be, and here I Jiml onlv a set of idlcrs. \vho do nothing but lie back and yaVl'Il. How do thcy ever work? Take my advice, either get a new set of clerks or put firecrackers under those you "have." The employer pondered-2nd watched. About a ..".eek later a furniture van brought to his door a sufficient number of erect. ellergetic looking chairs to supply his office force. It departed loaded with an eQual nutub('.r of the -indolent kil1d. Today that employer points with pride to a roomful of what he declares to be the, most alert, wide-awake, illterested looking desk workers in the city. The change of chairs did it. W. A. FREDERIC. Fate of the Floor Walker. PetCT G1.(iSSwas an ambitious yo~1t1gmall W110 was a Boor walker in BeTg & Starter's great departmcllt store. How-e; ver. l\Jr. Gla!"s was not entirely the type of undesirable citi-zen that these conditions Illig"bt seem to indicate. There were extcnuatil1g circ'umstances attached to each of these de-v10rable conditions, and besides this 1-1r. Glass really had his good points. One of these was his sociability. }h. Glas~.;was strong in his bumanitariall principles. He liked people. Some he liked more than others, but his general love of humanity avec-aged much highe,r than thc average citizen's, not to mention the average Hoar \valker's. Socinbility and the ability to mix '<lell are great assists in it bl1~;;iness career. You have read this before, but you may have forgotten. NIr. Glass never forgot it for all in-stant. He lived by that rule. Be sociable, and you will be successful. So he began to be affable to the new saleslady. It was a mere illcident, of course, that she was beautiful. 1\1r. Glass would have denied indignantly that he noticed the new saleslady on this account. It was his innate sociability that prompted him to do it. It was not the fault of :'1r. Glass that she "vas beautiful. He wasn't responsible. for that. He 'vas just sociable. Of course he knew all this time that there ,vas an ironclad rule in Burg & Starter's emporium that prohibits anything approaching sociability towards salCsladie,s on the part of floor walkers. He saw the rule every time he entered the superintendent's office to explain why he was late that morn-ing-. But there arc "ways to take c,xceptions to all rules. l\Tr. Glass spoke to the beautiful saleslady only when no-body was lDoking. That made it entirely safe. She and he were the only people in the world who kncw that he was so-ci< J.ble-to her. She wouldn't tell, of course. She ",;as such a demure, quiet l1tHe th1ng that anything of the sort was Impo::,slblc to her If she hadn't been Mr. Glass would 110t have been so affable. But Slle--\vhy, she actt1<J.1.lyrefused his invitation to take her to dinner out of she,er timidity. It wns the day after the dinner invitation that Mr. Glass was summoned to the superintendent's office. He smoothed down bis hack hair and arranged his tie as he, went alollg. He wanted to make a good appearance. The superintendent pointed to the rule whieh comma11Cled Hoar walkers not to be sociable to salesladies. "\i\icll, what of it?" said Glass. "I haven't broken that rule." "l\'1e Glass," said the superintendent, "you have broken that rule." "R ow do you know, sid" "IvIiss Perkins," called the stlpe,inte.ndent. saleslady came into the 1'00111. "::\1r. Glass," superintendent, "this is ;\.'1iss Perkins-a store here is yom pay check. Good clay, Glass." "Hurl!" said ]'vfr. Glass. outside. "ft's fierce to think of what low down tricks a mall will resort to to get the best of a poor, h01lcst ,;vorker!"---Chicago Tribune. The beautiful continued the detective, and A very touching appeal is n~ade for trade in another col-umn by one of the mail-order houses. Itis worth reading, on aCCOll11tof the good, as well as the ludicrous, points it contains. 4 "Who Pays for the Piano?" Hundreds of retail dealers have adopted the modern ad-vertising plan know!) as the "piano scheme" and bought pianos to be given away free to the customer holding coupons totaling the largest amount. Now the interesting question arises in these trade contests -who pays for this piano? The dealer's customers do not. Out of the hundreds of dealers who have used this plan not aile of them has ever advanced his prices because of the plan. Therefore, it is absolutely certain that the cost of tlle piano does not come Qut of the pockets of the buying public, The dealer himself does not. His net profits at the expiration 'of the contest are far in excess of what they would have been if he had not llsed the STAR CASTER CUP CO. NORTH UNION STREET, GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. (PATENT APPUEl) Foa) We have adopted celluloid as 'a base for OUI"Caster Cups, making the best cup on the markel. Celluloid is a great improvement over bases made of other material. When it is necessary to move a pi~ce supported by cups with celluloid bases it can be done with ease, as thl!!!bases are per-fectly smooth. Celluloid does not sweat and by tbe use of these cups tables are never marred. -These cups are finished in Golden Oak and White Maple, finished light. If you will try a aample order of tMS6 gOOd8you wU! deBire to liAndle tAem in quantities. PRlCES: Size 2N inches,. .... $5.50 per hundred. SiZf!2~ Indies .••. ,. 4.50 per hundred. f. o. b. Grand Rapid8. TRY.A SAMPLE ORnER. plan. This increase in the net profits is llsually many times tbe cost of the pia~o. Therefore, after deducting the cost of the piano from the amount of the excess profits, there is still a large balance left in favor of the dealer. In other words; if, because of buying the piano, he has a great deal more money in the bank than he would have had if he had not bought it-then it is certain that· the cost of the piano does not come out of the dealer':;; pocket. VvT ell, then-:- If the dealer's customers do not pay it- And the dealer himself does not -pay it- Who does pay for the piano? Let's take a typical exam'ple. and see who actually does pay for this piano. Once any dealer gets it into his head that a piano docs not cost him a cent, he will grab for this piano scheme and do it quick. Otherwise his competitor will. Now, then- Here are two dealers in the same town. Both are doing about the same volume of business, 'say $15,000 semi-annually. Their general expense-light, heat, rent,. clerk hire, insurance, taxes, bad dehts, etc., is about the same. One of these deal-ers is "Progre?sive;" the other is a "Back Number." The i<progressive adopts the piano premium plan and pays-say $228 for his piano and advertising matter. As a re-sult of his campaign, at the end of a six months' period, he finds that his gross sales have increased 50 per cent, that is, his sales have been $7,500 in excess of what they would have been without the piano. This increase in business has been handled without any corresponding increase in general ex-pense. He has been able to get along with the same force of clerks by keeping everybody moving just a little faster. His light, rent, insurance and taxes have increased little or nothing and his losses from bad debts have greatly decreased because the plan bdngs in the cash! Now, the average general store will earn a net profit of ten to twenty per cent and a gross profit of twenty~five to forty per cent. Figure-i>ay, thirty per cent on $7,500 and the "Progres-sive" dealer has made $2,250 net profit in eXcess of what he would have made without the piano. This $7,500, under-stand, does not stand its pm rata of ex'pense to conduct the business, because the general expense has not increased and the merchant would have been compelled to pay·the same ex-pense if the business had not increased at alL Therefore it is "velvet." The "Progressive" now deducts from this $2,250 the en~ tire cost of the piano and advertising matter, and finds that he is still $2,022 ahead. Clearly, then, the piano has not cost him one cent, but on the contrary he has $2,022 in the bank which he would not have had without buying the piano and using this fascinating scheme of advertisement. True, he had to be progressive enough to advance the money for the piano in the first pl'ace, but as he ha'" $2,022 more. money in the ban\< in the end, than he would have had otherwise, it is certain that the piano has cost him actually $2,022 less than nothing. But what about the "Back Number?" His trade began to fall off the moment his rival began to advertise the piano. Couldn"t help it. His people, trans-ferred their patronage to the "Progressive" dealer, hoping to get a piano free. Of the $7,500 increase in the "Progres-sive" dealer's sales, probably sixty pef cent of it was patron-age taken away from the "Back Number:' Tht1s~ During those six months the "Back Number's" sales have been $4,500 less than usual, while his general expense remains about the same. His rent, light, heat, insurance, taxes do not decrease perceptibly. It takes the same number of clerks, though all wDrking .at a slower pac.e. His losses from bad debts greatly increase because everybody who can rake up the cash is using it to get piano coupons-actually standing him off to get cash for his "Progressive"rivaJ. See? It is clear, then, that the· "Back Number" (estimating his usual thirty per cent on loss of trade amounting to $4,500) is actually $1,350 out of pocket 'and that at the end of the six months' period his profit account is $1,350 short of what it ordinarily would have been. Now, then- What became of that $1,350? We have figured that $228 of it went to pay for the piano. The remaining $1,222 went to swell his rival's account as ex-cess profits. Thus the "Progressive" takes $4,500 worth of Morton House ( American Plan) Ratea $2.50 and Up. lfotel PantJind (European Plan) Rat •• $1.00 and Up. GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. The Noon Dinner Served attb~ Pantlind for 50c is THE FINEST IN mE WORLD. J. BOlD PANTUND. Prop. trade away from the "Back KUlllher" in six months' time, and the piano and advertising matter ,>,lith which he turns the trick are actually paid for by the "Back ;\umber!" The one merchant being' wide-awake and progressive and seeing his opportunity, advances the money, but in the end he cashes in a big profit and tbe other pays his bill! Should a dealer ·with a ycarly sale of $5,000 take on a piallo proposition and double his sales, his general expenses for rent, light, beat and clerk hire would not he increased. or at least not materially increased. Suppose his profit 011 the increase be only tv.'enty per cent (this is figured exceptionally low) or $1,000, then, after deducting tbe cost of the piano and his announcements be would be making a clear gain of $772. This profit is made from the increase of his trade and the decrease of the "Back Number's" trade. 'AT e will use another example. A merchant doing a busi-ness of $25,000 semi-annually takes on the piano proposition and increases his trade only 15 per cent, or $3,750, in SIX months. In ·what position is he at the close of the contest? He has the gross profit Oil $3,750, which is $1,125. He has increased his expenses not onc cent, and after paying for the piano and advertising has a clear profit I)f $897. \\Tho pays for the piano? The "Dack Xmnber" who tnrns down a good live induce-ment buying proposit.ion and lets his competitor beat him to it-:-:-he pay;,; for the piano and pays a great deal more. \Vhat does it cost him to torn dm:vn this premium pltblicity? Hun-dreds of dollars in loss of l1et proGts if his competitor is wide awake. V\,'hat has it cost the dealer to take on this novelty advertising proposition? Kot one cent! Absolute-ly nothing! ITundreds of dollars less than nothil1g~ He had made a big profit Ollt of it. He has even made his rival pay his promotion bills. After the contest closes what becomes of the nc.v custom-ers? They remain customers, of course, at least for some time, and some of them for all t.ime. If they are treated right and the merchant's stock well selected and up-to-date, at least fifty per cent of them wilt continue to patronize bis store. This incre;lsed patronage is a good will, the value of which is inestimable hut tangible, and wilt contillue to be profitable for years. H il ever flags some 11CW premium proposition will serve to get it back in line again, and fOT the wide-awake 5 IHerchant there is always something new in scheme work-always something doing to increase bU:'>iness.-Novelty News. New Schemes to Jinger Up Trade. Several Brooklyn stores made special flag offerings in their advertising with a view to increasing sales during Mem-orial Day week. A mention of these offerings will doubt-less prove suggestive to other concerns in connection with the Fourth of July week. Now is the time to begin to pre-pare for that. One of the stores advertised a special four-hour sale of millinery, giving away a ribbon badge for D~c-oration Day to every customer making a purchase while the special sale was on. Another store offered a flag free to ('very purchaser of furniture, carpets or house furnishings during the three d:tys previous to Memorial Day. According to this firm's annOUllcement the flags were made of hunting, in fast colors, and were of a size five feet long by three feet wide. Either of the foregoing suggestions could be readily adopted by stores else,where in connection \."ith a special Fourth of July sale. Tnstead of giving away so large, a flag and confining the gift to stated lines, however, a deaper flag might be substituted and the plan made more general. Buntillg flags can be purchased at 40 cents per dozen for a twelve-inch size.; $1.00 per dozen for a twenty-fouT-inch size; $6.00 per dozen for a sixty-inch size. The printed mus-lin flags, mounted on sticks, in a good quality of material and fast oil colored that 'will stand rain, can be purchased fOT fr0111 18 cents per gross and upward, according to size, A 4'li by n'-;;-inch size would cost 48 cents per gross; a size 8 x 14 inches can be bought for $1.71' per gross; a size 18 X 270 inches C2.n be had for $5.33 per gross. Many sizes bctweerl those mentioned can be secnred, as well as large ones up to 40 X 72 inches, which would cost $40.53 per gross. Silk flags, of course, are considerably higher iu price. A small 10 x 2-inch size can be purchased for 65 cents per gross. A size 4% x 60 inches mounted on a black staff B}1 incl1cs long and having a gilt spear head, just a suitable size for the decoration of rooms or tables, can be had in cases cont.aining one gross, put up ill dozen packages, for $3.75 per gross. A C>;/z x lO~illcb silk flag can be purchased for $8.25 per gross_ OUR OAK AND MAHOGANY DINING EXTENSION TABLES ARE BEST MADE BEST FINISHED VALUES All Made from Thoroughly Seasoned Stock. LENTZ TABLE CO. NASHVILLE, MICH. No. 540 J 6 THE LEXINGTON Mie.n mvd. &: 22d St CHICAGO, ILL. Refurnished and re-fitted throughout. New Management. The furniture dealers' head-quarters. Most con-veniently situated to the furniture display houses. IRter-Slale Hatel Ca. OWNKk &. PltOPRIH10R E. K. CrUey. Pres.; T. M. CrUey, V. Pres.; L.H. Firey.5ee-Treas. FURNITURE MEN OF WISCONSIN HOLD FOURTH ANNUAL CONVENTION. Arwin C. Hahn Tells Members Something of Manufacturer':; Side of the Business. There were seventy-five members. of the Wisconsin Re-tail Furniture Dealers' Association present when the fourth annual convention opened at the Blatz Hotel, I\lilwaukee, on ThUl"sday .tfternooJl, April 10. An interesting address on "Business Methods," ,,,,-asgiven by H. F. Kreuger of Neenah, followed by John H. 1\'1055, president of the 1vlcrchants' and 11anufacturers' Association. The visitors were entertained in the evening at a banquet by the Ivlilwaukee furniture manu-facturers and jobbers at the Elks' club. The next day's ses-sion ,,,,-astaken up ill general discussions of trade subjects,· and the question of admission of retail dealers to the fire in-surance auxiliary of the vYisconsin Retail Hardware Dealers' Association was taken up. Among the speakers were F. G. Cramer, president of the Cramer-Krasselt Company, who talked upon the subject of advertising. Arwin C. Hahn, secretary and treasurer of the Phoenix Chair Company, speakillg On HThe Furniture Dealers' Asso-ciation from the 11anufacturers' Standpoint," made an address in which he said: H~{r. President. Ladies and Gentlemen and Members of thc \\'iscollsin Retail Furniture Dealers' Assodation:-The subject assigned ·me fOf discussion is "The Furniture Dealers' Association from the Manufacturers' Standpoint." "At the time your secretary, Mr. 1'1. E. Hanchett, informed me to that effect, I did not regard it seriously, but when he called me up over the 'phone for the secol1d time, I began to look at the matter in a different light. "For a moment I felt like a yOUng mall who, after two weeks of married life, was furnishing up the home with his young bride, and as they looked fondly into each other's eyes with due ardor and compassion, his little wife embraced him lovingly and said, 'John, you are a model husband!' On walking down the street the same day, John met some of his old~time pals. \\lith that' renewed encouragement he proudly spoke of his dear littk wife and what a good house-keeper she promised to make, and how, after using big words to express her fond affection, she had said to him, "John, you are a model husband.' Yet how different were his ideas v,,'hen he found on looking up the word 'model' in the dictiol1- ary, that it meant a 'pretty good substitute. for the real thing.' "Just so, ladies and gentlemen, do I picture myself before you now, 'lnc1 it makes me feel like the Irishman who was trying to pull on his boots, but found they were too small for him_ Still he kept on pulling and pulling, and finally seemed forced to make the statement: 'Begor:a, I'll get my foot illto ye, even if I never get ye on.' "Little I realized what an immense subject this really was, yet I must say, I am glad to have had the opportunity of meeting this large assemblage of retail furniture dealers. "From the manufal::turcrs' standpoint, the Furniture Deal-ers' Association is the helmsman of that business steamship bound for a port called sueccss. To keep this boat moving towards the goal, the captain (the manufacturer) requires the assistance of. Jwmlreds of people, \v110 lwve a singleness of purpOSe, a desire to 90 the right thinK for and by the boat. V'le have here the manufacturer turning out his ,vares inces-santly, and continually expecting the retailer to buy and buy. Just as I have heard it said of a Ulan who took his lady friend to an ice cream soda stand, asking her if she wished S0111r:. ice cream, whereupon she apparently refused, saying 'Bye and bye,' and of course the young mall kept on buying and buying. throngh this medinm they came into closer circles and finally the home circle. Just so must the mat1Ufaeturer and the re tailer come jnto closer drcles, and work in harmony with each other. "'\"ow let LIS take a look at the association th'-ougb the glasses of the manufacturer as he sees it. Tn the 6rst place, we find it to he a vast assemblage of retail dealers. If each ,111devery· retailer dealer does his best to\vards the cause, then surely the association must be a grand success, which in reality it is today. Therefore we arrive at tlle fact that each and everyone of yOU here today is a live participant in the No. 270. Made by Manistee Mfg. co., Manistee. Mich. battle either for success or failure, and I am not far from right in saying that the former is the goal of your unrelent-ing determination. "There can be 110 half-breeds or slipshod partakers in this crowd, and I am safe in stating that I am in the presence of workers. That 'get-together-it-iveness' has taken hold of the retail world, and you have quite largely the fellow you call the mail order man to blame for your getting together. He 7 SOMBTHING NBW. Swell Frontl! and Tops. wau.t. and one tllst will1!uJ,I.rantee satilfa&:ion. and quote you prices dlat will iDtere.rt you. We have tlie Line you DAVENPORT BEDS Write u.l!.-wi.~llIendcuts THOS. MADDEN, SON & CO.. Indianapolis, Indiana the time bcil1g. give way to the skin deep philosophy of the retailer. "~.falJY dealen demand that the manufacturer supply re-pairs for articles ,vhich they find broken after unwrapping, (about three or four months after they received the same, in some instances), without giving any further particulars as to ho\\' the breakage was incurred. They apparently do 110t realize or stop to COil sider that it takes time and money to hn-nish these rep<Jirs; ne,vertheless aH manufacture,s shouid furnish these repairs free of charge, however, if the dealer shalt secure a notation on the freight expense bill, covering the shipment by his local railroad agent, showing the actual damage sustained, or the '''lords, 'more or less damaged' in-serted thereon, it places the manufacturer in position to seek redress from the transportation company for the damage sus-tained. "The manufacturer's experience along these lines gives him a better practical understanding of how to bring results, <ll1flbring them quickly, and at the same time trace back to the cause of the breakage, and in case it was due to rough and careless handling, his influence does a great deal to avoid a recurrence. "The manufacturer should also give. the dealer credit for the like amount of the claim; furnish the repair parts free of charge, prepaid, or in ease of inferior material in~s'ome article, should instruct the dealer to return this article! at the manu-facturer's expense and immediateiy upon receipt of the same, send him a duplicate shipment, freight prepaid, since a poor article on the floor of a dealer is not only detrimental to him, but to the manufacturer as well. Therefore it is absolutely necessary that the manufacturer at all tlD1es use the very best obtainable material in the output of his goods, finish them welt. and allow none but perfect furniture to leave the factory. madc it so measly hot for some of you fellows that you be-gan looking for sympathy, and you found that when you got together in some kind of a meeting with some of your brother dealers, that then yon had a bunch of fdlo"vs who \vere in the same boat, and out of this condition you found there were a whole lot of other things you could do in order to 110t oniy benefit your own conditions, hut thosc of the people in your immediate ,,~icillity. You dOll't maintain your organization for a bpecinc purpose, hc.(".ause there is something to do. a whole lot to do, all the time. "This furniture associatiOJ1 is the firm-footed rock that is gradually destroying the lll.ait orde:r houses. by forcing them into bankruptcy; it is the only means today, whereby the manufacturer. as well as the retailer, can overtake them in the foothold they have gained. You ha,'e prepared a hook-let showing the names of such manufacturers as arc entitled to appear on a roll of honor. Continue this work ,"vith the manufacturers; upon your ~l1ccess depends their success. The profits will be mutual. "The mani1facturer depcnds upon the reta~l furniture asso-ciation ,therefore by the retail dealer is the stepping "tone to the consumer, a11(lit is through him only that the manufactur-cr is brought into close touch with the consumer. "VOle see the manufacturer living ,,,ith thc retailer in a flat called 'Progress,' and in order to keep peace in the family. the manufacturer has got to contcnd ,~-ith a whole. lot of trou ble. l.~tlknowingly, or intentionally sometimes. the retail dealer will misconstrue the good intentions of the manufac-turer and throw a lime.-light on him that is not altogether de-served. In this I refer to such as the unlawful dcdnctions on invoices of goods, broken goods, goods damaged in trans-it, due to the rough handling on the part of the transportation companies; slight misunderstandings in the correspondence. yet I have said, the Il1anufa('_tnr~.rillu"t take it all in. and for ; t COntinued on page 10. ) five Complete Lines of Refrigerators at RIGHT PRICES g Opalite Lined. g Enamel Lined. en Charcoal Fined and Zinc Lined. g Zinc Lined with Removable Ice Tank. q Galvanized Iron Lined; Stationary lee Tank. Send for new CatalallUe and let U$ naQle you ptice. Sliah'~ S6166tStUI6~S611anaSati~ru D6al6r~ and Th6ir Gu~tom6rs 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. ·"~MICHI.G1A' N7- « 9 G C t d B b C· F ord- Jahnson Collapsible 0- ar s an a y arrlages" 'h,".'" '0 'old. "" stronlleSl and be$t looking cart aD lhe market. q Our complete ]jpe of samples will be displayed ill Ford-lohn-roD Blck!..• 1333_37 Wabash A'I>e.. indudi ...~ a speci",l display at Hotel and Dlning Room furniture. f!I All fumiture dealen are cordially invited 10vi$it our building. THE fORD & JOHNSON CO., Chicago, Illinois. GEO. SPRATT & CO. SHEBOYGAN, WIS. 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 ilded line of Ladies' Rockers. Bent and high arm Rockers with solid seau, veneer roll seats, cob-blerseatsand up-holstered leather complete. High Chairs and Children's Rockers. rou will gn in 0/1 the xrQuyd flour '1uke/1 fHI '/'uJ from rn: No. 542 Oak, Solid Seat. Price, $17 ~~;. No.540~ Same as No.542 o n I ~ Qual1eted Oak, Veneer Seal, $/8 ~:;. No. 542 The New Banquet Table Top a~w~llallOFFICE.DINlNGand DIRECTORS' TABLES al'e our ,peclalty, STOW & DAVIS FURNITURE CO.. Kf':':~,;.J.· Write for Calatogue. Get zamlliea of BANQUET TABLE TOP_ UNION FURNITURE CO. ROCKFORD, ILL. China Closets Buffets Bookcases We lead in Style, Con~on and Finish. See OUT Catalogue:. Our line on permanent exhibi~ tion 7th F1ooT, New Manufact-were' Building, Grand Rapids~ We Manufa.cture the Largest Line of FotOino GnairS in the United 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_ &nd f~r GJ'al~g"e i2t1d Pricu to K/\UfFM/\N MFG. GO. ASHLAND, OHIO MANUFACTURERS OF HARDWOOD LUMBER &. VENEERS SPECIAL TJES : ~1"!'fE~QUARO.AK VENEERS MAHOGANY VENEERS II HOFFMAN BROTHERS COMPANY 804 W, Main SI,. FORT WAYNE,INDIANA ---------------------- --- -- -- lO ·f'~MI9jIIG7fN (Continued from page 7. ) "Through the returning of goods, one finds through ex-perience, that t11ere are generally two classes of dealers. First the dealer who is exact and particular in his transac-tions, and keeps his records as correctly and as clearly as if he were receiving a shipment of goods. He is careful as to 110W the goods are shipped back, precise in his explanations as to what he wants done. and at the same time. shows a warm inflcction of courtesy all the way through. This is the kind· of a dealer the manufacturer likes to do business with, and holds in very high esteem.: he is also very apt to be less conservative when, it comes down to an extension of credits, for the n:.an who is particular in his transactions is also reas-onable and thrifty. Thel1 we have the <lealer who allows himself "to be somewhat careless in returning goods to the factory, keeping nO record of same, and making unlawful de-duction~ as he sees fit. "Possibly he had made a purchase and when the goods arrived ]1e discovered an article. broken. In all probability he tells his drayman, 'Return that to So-and-So.' \¥hen the shipment reaehesits destination the manufacturer finds some article which does not belong to Jl;m, it is not of his make, and wjthout a shipping tag or rlame attached. Of course it is up to the manufacturer to locate the shipper, and right here let me tell you that it sometimes requires two or three months to do this. In the meantime, howeve.r, Mr. Dealer pays his bill to the party from whom he made the purchase, and deducts a reasonable amount (according to his own judgment) for the article he, has returned. The manufacturer is dumb-founded, since he knows nothing about the goods re-turned, so -he writes the dealer about the shortage, and re-quests an explanation, in order to satisfactorily adjust the matter. But here we find a silent member, for one. can't get a response unless a club is used, and then it will only create an offensive uprising. 1\ow, you can imagine what manu-facturers are up against sometimes. «In many instances it requires two or three years to get a matter of this nature properly adjusted, and when we stop to cOl1sider that it was all caused by the apparent neglig-ence and carelessness on the part of some retailer, it is certainly a sad proposition to wrestle ,;vith. Howe\'er, I do not know whether the retailer e,ver stops to think of it in this \ovay. "l\ow with regard to differences in ideas. Why must the manufacturer be subjected to unlawful deductions? The shoulder to shoulder step is the olje that takes one farthest. V\'I'hycause this waste of time in arriving at an adjustment?" "If it is due to local circumstances, crop condi6ons (which is frequently the case), or whether it is a temporary finan-cial embarrassment, which is no disgrace, no matter what the trouble may be, or seems to be, the manufacturer W01.1Idbe only too glad to assist in any manner whatsoever, for he then knows that your hearty co-operation is with him. Exper-ience prmres that the manufacturer can be very lenient in matters of this kind. Therefore why not be open and free in your business interc:ourses -: The manufacturer has a deep insight into these conditions, and a generous heart that feels the necessity of co-operatiol1- Co-operation. That's the word that counts in business. Sing-Ieness of aim, unity of action is what we n~ed most. That's what we're striving for, and that's what wc'll get. The great army of dealers throughout the United States, and the bond which brings them together, grows eve,ry day stronger. Each and every dealer is beginning to feel, if he is not already moved, the desire to be enlisted in your ranks. "With co-operation and the right kind of attitudc toward the manufacturer, each and every· dealer ought to control every bit of furniture that enters his community. lilt would not only be for his gain and welfare, but for the manufacturer's as well. "The game of business is a very interesting and exciting one. The chief participants are the retailer and the manufac-turer. As your pre.sident, Me \Villiam Mauthe, has stated in his offic5al annonncement, Ibe honest and by all means play the game fair.' Be honest and yOtl will of your own free will and accord play the game fair. But you must be honest with yourself at all time.sand in all places at any event. "In many in!>tanees a retail dealer will order a car of fur-niture from a certain manufacturer, 011 which of course he enjoys a special carload discount. Some tin:.e after the re-tailer buys another lot, amounting to considerably !c:,s than a carload, but on which he insists that he ought to receive the san;e terms and discount. The manufacturer cannot con-scientiously concede a transaction of this kind; and still claim to be playing the game straight and fair. Conse-quentlya sale is lost, if the manufacturer shows 110 partiality. But i" it not worth more to him to know that he has been fair and uprig-ht with yourself, the rcbiJ furniture deeders' as- !"ociatioll, and your customers thaJJ to enjoy a ft'w hnndred dollars more business: ;.Themail order and premium house people are ple(ls:.!rt to do bu:;iness with. They do b1.lsin~::;salo:T;!: the line;; of modern methods, and the manufacturer th;,t ~e:ls them vcts the full face of the invoice strictly in accord ·l1lee with the terms agreed upon. \Vben they receive goods ill a d1.ma:Jed condition and are obliged to ask for repairs, they expect to and do pay for them. Another deal on which the manufac-turer pulls the shorter end, is the orde_dng of specially nn-ished goods. An order is sent to the manufacturer or given the salesman, including such and such an article to be fin-ished in some odd finlsh to match up some, old, antiquated out-of-date Colonial heirloom. Of course, the manufacturer is always ready to comply with the wishes of- the retail deal-er, in whatever manner possible.. Instructions are given the superintemlent, and the article is set in construction. Then, when the article i;; about half-way through the factory, the retailer writes the manufacturer that he has either changed ARE BREAD AND PROFIT WINNERS NQ Stock <:ompletewithout the Eli Beds in MaJ:Jtd and Upright. Tbe "EU"FOLDINO BEDS ELI 0 MILLER &. Co It.BonUJe,IDdlaaa • . • Write for cuts and prices ON SALE IN FURNITURE EXCHANOE, CHICACO. ·~MlfrIG7;!-N t ,7IR T I 15'JI.N ? z,.· 11 "A Thing of Beauty is a Joy Forever" BEAUTY IS ALL RIGHT IN ITS PLACE~-lh.,;, '0 ooy when it is combined with STRENGTH AND UTILITY. THESE FEATURES ARE COMBINED IN THE LINE OF THE WOODARD FURNITURE CO., Owosso, Mich. ~ Manufacturers of Fine and Medium Chamber Suites in Mahogany, Circass.ian Walnut and Native Woods. ~ Write for our neW Catalogue. his mind, or his custon:er "vcnt hack Oll him, or one thing and another, in short, h<.:,eque.sb that t11(:(wdet fot" the spe-cial goods he cancelled. Consequently the manufacturers has a piece of odd-finished furniture on his hands. which is of no earthly use to him. "This is something be !lever can expect of the mail order hol.;t,se.inasmuch ~L!', they sell the goods just a~; they are c.ata- IOgllCd. at a specified price to the people direct. There is no large assortment of special oddities to select from V\'hen oue huys of a mail order house. "These al"e some of the rcasow; \vh:y the mail order C011- cenIS arc proli.tahlc to do husiness \"1itl1,,wd no wonder Hut so mallY (If the factories arc looking for their orders. "~o\ov that so mallY retait dealers arc issuing cataloguu;. soliciting husil1CSS outside of their o\ovu cities or towns, I think that this evil of throwing goods back on the manufac-turer is going to be IHacti.sed te.ss frellucntly. Rcta-ilers arc iearnillg'" from actual experience just 'what it means and are looking for metllOds to avoi(l such loss. "\Vith man)" retail dealers sendillg ant catalogues to the people eOlltaining illustrations of the manufacturer's goods, the question of 'what constitutes a mail ordcr house,' is one that is bound to come up. "Frequently the manufacturer receives instructions from the retailer to ship a certain piece of furniture to a COllsumer direct, in some city or town other than \",·here the retailer it'; located. inasmuch as he overlooked to enclose shipping tags of his own, and more so to save on freig-ht charges, (by ship-ping direct). Th1s may seem out of place <1-nel practicc, hut in reality it is fai r and square, since the manufacturer in the first place uses blank tags on a shipment of this kind.: and secondly, the dealer who furnished instructions to ship to the const1Dwr, will bc duly charged for the freight on the ship-ment. 1t only goes to show 1n another form. the ever-ready ronrtesy the 1ll<lntlf:-!cturerhas for the retailer. and is always \,vil1illg to help him out wherever and whenever he possibly can, ;'\Vhile the mail order feature has -reached its climax, the 111<lllUfartl1rerfrequently receives requests from individuals for catalogues with the, explanation that they 'wish to pur-chase certain pieces of furniturc, or contemplate entering into the furniture hu-;:,iness. This places the manufacturer in a very peculiar position; though one thing is certain, that when stich an inquiry is received, it should be anf,wered in all cour-tesy. and at the same time the entire matter should be re-ferred to the fUflliture dealer ill that locality, the,reby giving opport\lnity for co-operation. Tn th1s manner the manufac-turer would he protecting the retail dealer to his fullest ex-tent, and in the event of an order in sight, wOlild give the dealer the. benefit of the same. "The manufacturer has complete confidence in the retail dealer. His interests are taken into consideration under the most UllUSlWI circumstances. It is up to the retail dealer to confHle equnlly ill t11e manufncturcr. The retailer practically holds the manufacturer in his palm, and it is only through the manufacturer's best efforts that pleasant relations are main-tained. \VllCll snch i.s the case. c.onii.dem:e is established, and there is little danger of desertion on the part of the retailer. "It is my sincere 110pe that the \Viscollsin Retail Furni-ture Dealers' Association will continue its great work, and be the means of bringing the manufacturer and the retail dealer into c\nser working retations. In c.onetusion I would say: Let's weather the storms together. Let's shou1der the load in twain, Ld's pull in the same direction. Let's reap of the self-same gain,- \;Vith 'F of\vard' our motto before us, \~lith co-operation ever at heart, Let's firmly resolve and remember TInt: of the world's great work, we're a part!" I How Marshall Field and John Wanamaker Use Premiums. \-Vhile an establishment like John vVanamaker's may never really have offered a premium to people trading w.ith them, still on every rioor, in every department, there is some-thing free. The principle is the. same and the managers know it. '0lc ·will refer to these free things as premiums and show why every big department store caters to trade on this basis. Rest r00111S,upholstered like palaces are free, waiting maids, lavatories, use of ,"vriting rooms, dainty little comers for appoillttiLe,nts, telephones, telegraph stations, branch post-offices, buyers who will shop for you, free f€..ctures on cook-ingand food demonstrations, 111usic;children's play rooms, free nurseries, advertising novelties, and so on in an almost endless train of inducements offered free in return for your patronage. It is the aim of the manager to create snme ne.\, fad or fancy or little conceit in the way of an inducement that he can proclaim to the public and some.thing he hopes his competitor cannot imitate. The great mercantile battle of the big cities is a battle of fertile brains, which after ac-complishing the science of placing goods on sale. seek every possible means to bring the buyers to their cOl1nter(';. Our friend, the general merchant. cannot have rest rooms, waiting maids and all theoth('.r features of the city store; but he can let the vital principle of giving inducements sink deeply into his brain and then act quickly. The whole scheme boiled down to a working fact is, first, make your store attractive., alld then give the trade a practical, consistent and profitable. reason for buying from you in preference to a competitor. Take a bold step from conventional forms, in-augurate a new era in selling goods in your particular section. Be original and put in operation selling plans that Smith and Jones will not bave the hardihood to imitate. It i", not necessary to slash prices, lessen quality or cur-tail any former favors extended. Maintain all of these and couple with them, as your standards of successful merchan-dising, a profit sharing with your customers in form of some-thing absolutel;r FREE in recognition and appreciation of their patronage. In other words, distribute premium favors as a return for trade given to you. The distribution of premiums is not such a problem as the proper selection of the premium itself. The general merchant should not under anyeircumSUtllCC5 consider or adopt any premium plan of a general character whereby the merchant is to issue checks, tickets, coupons, or other redeemable vouc11ers which are to be 'redeemed by some company away from the merchant's own place of business. The writer trusts that the reader of this article fully under-stands he is not .Ilnw critieising" any particular plan or scheme which may be promoted to install premium systems, but cJ<lsses .all the above as not being applicable to the premium needs of a general merchant. The merchant mllst devise his own plan and operak every detaiJ of this important de-partment. Every premium intended for distribtttion must be on exhi-bhion at all times so that the cllstome.rs can see for them-selves the character, make-up and quality of the article or articles offered to them as gifts. There are numerous premium schemes being advertised and sold allover the country catering to the patronage of the ;:;eneral n:ercbant. Quite a few of these plans ha\'e merit ant! illtrin~ic value and are worthy of conside-atioll. The plar:::. or ~chemes havil1,{ v<.lIneare those which sell to the general lrerchnnt son-~ fon'n of premium merchandise oul and out. a clean husiness ·transaction. and many really novel and :tttractive articles <Ire offered by houses making a spec~ iatty of p:-emium merchandise, and the general merchant will do well to look up some of this class of merchandise when perfecting- his premium plans. But to repeat, do not consider for a 'moment any plan or system offering trading checks; CoUpOl~S,etc ... where the cus~ tomers must send away for their premium or deal with parties excepting the general merchant himself, The customer must he brought to the store from thc (~rjginal purchase point for the redemption of the prcmium vouchers. To properly select premium merchandise make it the first point to select something to be given away which is not a part of your own stock; for instance, if you are selling jew-elry as a regular department, do not for a moment consider giving jewelry; or the customer will think at once you are un-loading somc old stock as premiums. Turn again to the originality of the inducements_ Look over the advertisements of the big mail order houscs aud see what they are offering as premiums and as far a.s pos-sible avoid offering- anything similar; to pattern after these people would be flattery indeed. Strive to secure a novelty or series of unusual things in premium merchandise. There are lots of new creations coming On the market every da.y which would prove accept-able. The writer recalls the case of a general merchant who some tlme ago through a friend found a novelty in the shape of a dock and it was a decided novelty, not only in mechani-cal construction but in appea.rance, and assuming that every home in the country owned a timepiece of some sort, yet tbe newness of this particular clock created the desire to possess one and the general merchant greatly increased his business. He gave the clock away 011 a basis of two per cent cost on sales, which was 1Il reality nothibg marc tlwn a cash djs-count. Another thillg to be avoided is offering as· premiums cer-tain classes of merchandise which have outlived their use-fulness as attractions, and the writer could cite many such articles still being offered by various premium plans. The public have been surfeited with this sort of premiums, but are ever alert for something new and desirable. One merchant made a hit by offering one hundred en-graved visiting cards and the plate for a certain amount of trade. Every woman appreciates dainty cards ::md the initial expense being more than some care to pay, it was not long before a majority of ladies in town were handing out their -little cards a-la-society. To make the thing interesting, the merchant had the engraver come to the store on certain days and show hmv the lwmes were cutin t)le copper plates. Such things as theater tickets, trips, free car rides, tickets to b~ll parks, amusements, etc~, arc to be strictly avoided; they arc effective for the moment perhaps; but the reality is fleeting and nothing remains to remind the participant of the merchant's gift. It must be something which will last and can be seen. Vilithout going into detail in this article the trade in gell-eral is fully awar~ that all games of Cha\1Ce,lotteries, etc., are now against the law and must not be used. Localities themselves have to a great extent had consider-ahle influence in determining the character of premiums to be used. A little intuition and observation should help jm-mensely in selecting tIle proper sort of "free gifts. Opera hats for a mining village would be about as appropriate as sleds for Florida, No matter the nature of the premiums selected to cater to the women and men of your town, yet always have a few things. for the little folks. T\fany a fond parent who probably does not care for the' articles you may offer as an inducement cannot resist the pleadings of the little feJlows to buy from you 50 they can have some of the good things offered. T.hese premiums must aha have quality and be the best of their kind. Children will find every fla\,,·, even if you do not see it. Just as high as the quality of goods you sell must be the quality of the goods you give away. The writer understands that a bureau is operated in Chi-cago where for a. reasonable fee the general merchant can secure information regarding the various premium plans of- ·:f'~MI9JiIG7!N fered to general merchants and also a list of houses who sell merchandise manufactured especially for the premium trade. This would undoubtedly he of valuable assistance to the mer-chant desiring to install an effective prelniu111 system. Now we ha\'e arrived at the point where the general mel"- chant has found the article be desires to offer as a free gift or perhaps he has selected several articles and the next step is to devise a practical rnethod to distribute the premiums and get the best results. Just how much he is willing' to spend, just how much be is "\\rilling to a11m\' for the premium plan is a matter of inch·· vidual figuring and the merchant call quickly establish on a strict percentage basis how much in sales \vill be required to obtain any of the articles offered as a premium. It is not necessary to make a splurge to annoy a rival merchant and give away every dollar of lHont ally more than it is, as men-tioned before, at all necessary to cut prices on staple goods. If the general store is fl1ll on the cash basis the only con-sistent plan to use is is:'iuing checks \"..i.th each sale and thes<:' are the only youchers necessary to secure the premium. Hay-ing loose coupons or credit checks lying around-·quite often and regrettably so-gives ullscrupt1luos clerks a chance to pass out a few extra to some favored customers. The sale check issued by the cashier or the cash register is the safe way. Deliver all premiums free of expense to the c115tomer. If the general store i;; conducted on a part credit and part cash basis the same cash cbecks can be issued for cash pur-chases and the receipted bi]]s or statements can be equally valuable for thc charge patrons. SOlne merchants have trier! to discriminate bnwccn the charge ,llld the cash customer and favor the latter- ..v..ith very unpleasant results. Trade is trade, whether cash or credit and according to the merchant's way of conducting his bus i-ne;; s. The gcncral experiencc, howevcr, ",herever the prem-ium plan has bccn tried, is thatcllstorn('rs of other stores in town where they have charge accounts will not ask for credit, but come ill and pay cash in order to get the frce gifts. Have the premium departmcnt a thing by itself in some promincnt part of tbe store. just as distinct as the dry goods, the gTocerics or the hardware. H ow long the premium feature is to be continued is not a questioll of days or weeks. ::\0 matter how good thc first batch of inducements arc they will have their run and the moment a lack of interest is displayed get a brand IlCW set of premiums and start all over again. This COllstant appcal will never lack originality or interest. Be the tlrst one in your section to start the premium idea and your competitor will hesitate a long white to imitate the methods yon are using and even if be does you will stand as the pioneer premium merchant and the trade 011CC coming your way always stays 'with you. One or t\V() good sized advertisements telling of the in-novation and then small illserlions as gentle reminders that you are in the game to stay will serve in that line of public-ity. Circular work is very effective and one of thc best forms to keep the housekeepers interested in the good things await-ing them by trading 'withyou is to have small cards or cir-culars senl ont ..vith each order at regular intervals, care bcing taken to have the circular slipped under the string of a package to see that it goes into the housekeeper's hands. Onc of the very best advertising phlllS is to use novelties \'"hich may be mailed to your trade, handed over the counter or delivered hy messcngers at the home. These can he se-lected in series, so as to have something· new evcry \,,"'eek and always something useful or beautiful or fetching in some way. Little novelties may be selected g-alore, such ,1S art' suitable to drop into envelopes of i11voices going out where charge customers are carried, calling especial attel1tion to the premium featme of the business. These may be mailed 13 to lists of prospective customers with great success in get-ting them interested. A good plan is to distribute novelties to school children bearing information of the new premium department you are installing. They wil1 promptly carry the news home to 111other. A few wagon umbrellas carrying the announcement of your new premium offers, if put upon all the local wagons and drays, 'will also win attention. Another crackerjack advertising canlpaign just now would be a system of picture post cards gotten out every day for 1\.\"0 weeks and mailed to every family who is, or ought to be, doing business with you. These should bear on the front of the card a little announeemcnt of the new system being installed.:-that of sharing profits with customers-and then follow it up. with feature talks to compel attention, inviting the recipient to come to the store and see and examine the gift articles offered. The men folks must not be forgotten in the deal, although in most cases the premiums witt naturally be for home' use or decoration. Issue the same cash checks or credits with all sales of cigars and tobacco the same as the general line. Leave it to the VVOllH'nto urge the men to trade with you to better their chance of getting a premium. Avoid quantity buying of premium merchandise. No matter how original or attractive a premium may look to you, buy a small lot to determine this with your trade. The average manufacturer of premium merchandise is aware of this condition and will as a rule, supply you in small amounts rlccording to the demands in the early stages of the new vIall. This is also advisable so rlS not to be stocked up whcn the time comes to change to a new set of inducements. r .et Uncle Zeke, Si Perkins and Rube Smith declaim from the barrel hcads and sprawl 011 the counters of Hezekiah Jud-son's cross roads store. Let the council meet in nightly de-liberation around the pot stove and elect presidents. But If you arc a general merchant in the small town with a com-petitor across the ..v..ay or down the street, clean up the store at once, install a premium plan and lay the foundation of a modern business full of energy and profitable sales to leave to your successor instead of a lot of primitive traditions of the rural districts.-~ovclty News. Deception in merchandising is a short sighte,d policy. The dealer who misrepresents the qnality of his goods is short sighted and dishonest. The man who huys a stained birch dresser upon the statement of the dealer that it was solid mahogany will learn of the deception sooner or later, and will huy no more of the man who sold it. Grand Rapids Caster Cup Co. 2 Parkwood Ave.. Grand Rapids, Mich. We are now putting on the best Caster Cups with cork bases ever offeree to the trade. These are finished in Golden oak and White Maple in a light finish. These goods are admirable for polished floors and furn. iture rests. rhey will not sweat or mar. PRICES: Size 2}{ inches •••... $4.00 per hundred Size 2:14inches······ 5.00 per hundred Try a Sample OrdM'. F, O.B. (fY'andB.apiiU. 14 I!STAElLISHED 1880 PUSI.'SoWED !!IT MICHIGAN ARTISAN CO. ON THE 10TH AND 25TH OF EACH MONTH OFFICE-lOB, 110, 112 NORTH DIVISION ST •• GRANO RAPIDS. MICH. ENTERED AS MATTER OF THE SE:COMOelliS!; It would not be surprising if llenry Siegel should be com-pelled to ;:;dvertise for buyers ere long. By the orgat:izatioll of the Henry Siegel vVholesale Company, which will practi-call relieve the buyers of the Siegel houses of responsibility as well as privileges, resignations of the buyers now employed may be looked for. The plan under which the wholesale company wilt work is outlined as follows: Joseph Siegel, a nephew of Henry, will receive from the buyers of the four Siegel stores requisitions for such goods as they may need. Joseph will take up his hammer and pound the manufacturer" of the goods needed for extra discounts "in consideration of the large orders placed." No self-respecting buyer would ac-cept a job under the conditions imposed. He would not care to become a mere inspector of lines, with no authority to "tie his bundles." Delays in the delivery of goods and 1055 of sales will he inevitable while nephew "Joe" is fruitlessly i:iwinging his hammer. °tO °tO The manufacturer's trials and troubles in dealing with re-tailers and the satisfaction that results from dealing with mail order merchants was referred to in an address delivered be-fore the retailers' association of Wisconsin during their recent convention, held at Milwaukee, by IVIr.Arwin C. Hahn, secretary and treasurer of the Phoenix Chair Company. Mr. Hahn presented many good ideas that a certain class of retail-ers would find it to their interests to adopt speedily, The facts stated in regard to the filling of carload and less than carload orders should be sufficient to effect a speedy correc-tion of evils com;plained of. In an address delivered before the class in Applied Chris-tianity of the Fountain Street Baptist church, recently, Wil-liam Widdicomb, president of the \Viddicomb Furniture Com-pany, Grand Rapids, took strong ground against the estab-lishment of manual training schools, declaring that such schools serve no practical -purpose. He favored trade schools operated especially to prepare men for employment in the furniture factories. In the discussion that followed it was apparent that the class favored both manual training and trade schools, and that one was considered as necessary as the other, Manager J. S. Meye.r of the Manufacturers' Exhibition Company, Chicago, will soon commence an extensive adver-tising campaign, for thc purpose of attracting a larger nUlll-bcr of buyers to that city. Last year Mr. Meyer interested a large number of dealers in the Chicago market who had never visited that market for the-purpose. of buying furniture. His .publicity bureau will so0!1 be in full operation. The manufacture of wardrobes for the use of clothiers, tailors, dressmakers and other providers of wearing apparel is a growing industry and the introduction of the chiffo-robe enables the house builder to dispense with the old-fashioned dust tank and insect breeder' called the dark closet. The people of the ""arid are moving steadily forward to better sanitary a11(l comfort-giving surroundings. It pays to put prices 011 tickets on goods displayed in store windows. 1\0 matter how good tlle average display is, it needs a "clincher." The buyer naturally wants to know what an article. costs, and if an exhibited article shoy,rs a price, he of course, is more interested in it. A chamber suite . priced at $2,000 will cause more talk-free advertising-than a three-ring circus. at.. °to Employes of the federal governmcnt in Chicago havc es_ tablished co-operative storcs. They will endeavor to pur--: chase articles needed from the manufacturers. What will the attitude of the national and local retail associations be to~ wards such enterprise? \;Yill the honor of legitimacy be con~ ferred upon it? ' A graduate school of business administration has been es-tablish by Harvard University. Especial attention will be given to the development of the, work in business organiza-tion, from the operation of a factory to the management of a department store. Furniture manufacturers throughout the United States are operating their plants on short time and with reduced forces. There will be n.o overproduction Of goods this sea-son. The semi-annual convention of the easemakers' associa-tion will be held during the coming month. An advance in' prices is very improbable. The glue that certain manufacturers use will dissolve the trust that many put in furniture. \Valnut seems to retain favor in the estimation of the buying public. A Country Yap Shows a New Trick. This is the trick that Bill brought. Bill came in from the country, He didn't know it was the country until he got to the city. Then he was informed by the other ,clerks in the big clothing store that he was a yap. This hurt Bill's feel-jngs considerably. Considering that he had been born and raised in his home town, and that the town contained 100,000 people" and that he'd actually been recommended to the estab_ lishment by a traveling man who had seen him work in the smaller town, Bill might have been pardoned fo.r considering himself something of a city man himself. But, no, said the other clerks; he was from the country, he was a yap. After they had heartened Bill with this little. piece of free informa-tion they went to work and kindly showed him a few tricks in selling goods. They showed him how a greet a customer. They were sure that Bill didn't know anything about that. Having come in from the country, they knew that he couldn't know, you know. So they went through their best j)crfornnnces for Bill's benefit. After a few hours Bill knew just hmv y011 OUgl1tto meet a customer if yOLl are a salesman in a big doth-illg store. Bill was much obliged naturally, and said that he hoped he .could e\'en up for what the boys had done for him. "II ow?" they asked. "By showing you a trick to pay for tbis,'! said Dill. lIe couldn't understand why all of them laughed at this. But he didn't stop to inquire, eitheL He was. S01U(' fox, was Bill, even if he did come from the country. EVe)1tllally they let <:l customer stray into BiH's hands. He ,"Vib OJlC of the kind of customer.'i that tile clerks set down as "\vised up," \Vhich mC:lllS that the ClL"tO)l:erlooks as if he kl1C,V what he \\;anted and why a\lc\ for how mllch. Such Cl1stOtr.cr~;come in and say: "1 \'vant a ,pair of dark gra}' trousers, 36 and 32, for $5," make their .;;;election, hand the salesltlan a $5 bilt. taKe theif purchase and walk out. Tbey are single-minded indi-viduals, iind the fine art of salesman-ship is lost upon them. They know just ,,,,hat they \vant. This 'was the cLlstomer that Bill got. The other sales-men watched Bill work with him, or, rather, watched the cus-tomer work with Dill. True to their judgment, the customer :picked out nnc. itenl, made tbe purchase in businesslike fash- 15 iOIl, and stood waiting for his package. That was all there was to do with such a customer. He couldn't be made to buy another thillg. Perhaps l10t. But while Bill stood t;;tlking with him, a bUl1dle boy came up to Bill with four fancy vests on his arm. vVhat he said Made by the Lentz Table Company, Nashville, Mich. Manistee Mfg. Company Manistee, Mich. Chiffonier No. 137 Ql-!attered Oak Gloss Fini~h Mirror 18,;:18 Top 18,;:32 Heio,ht 70 In. PRICE 1)5.75 No.137~ This same base without mirror and with wood b.ck See Sidebaard No. 270 on page 6. Write lor new Catalogue to Bill the clerks couldn't bear, but presently the customer was feeling of the fabric, pretty soon he ,vas matching oue of the vests against his suit, and the first thing anybody knew Bin was lcadlng him off to the vest depa,tme.nt to fit him with something fancy in ne\....spring goods. He sold the cus-tomer two vests, and then he came back to the other sales-men. "That's the trick I meant," he said. "But there ,,\'asn't any trick about that," they chorused. "That boy just happened along with those vests, and the cus-tomer happened to see a pattern that looked good to him, and-" "Not quite," said Bill. "vVhile I was selling him the pants I got him to admit that he might be looking for some fancy vests one of these llayS, and instead of trying to drag him into the vest department I got that kid to just happen along at the psychological moment \vith those samples and say he'd be,en sent to say that if I wanted one for myself I'd bctter comc ovcr and pick 'em out before tbey were all gone, and-" "And why didn't we ever the others of one another. in from the country. think of that before?" demanded And they forgot that Bill came HUBERT SMALL. Sold Out. The Cabinet IVlakers Company have sold out to \V. C. Grobhiser of Sturgis, Mich., and the' business may be moved to that place soon. The company occupies leased premises and manufactures high grade dining room furniture. A short time ago the company sustained a loss of $15,000 by a fire in tbeir wareroom. Made in Traverse City. All excellent line of floor rockers ami :Morris chairs is manufactured by the Traverse City (Mich.) Chair Company. A few specimens of the line, together with descriptions and prices, may be found on another page. The company own and operate a large factory. 16 A Loving Letter. The following touching epistle is of interest to the trade, and from 1t may be drawn some useful and beautiful moral lessons for use in daily business life: ******** * * ********** * DEAR CUSTOMER- * * I want to ask a very special favor of you. Won't yOll, * * if you tan conveniently, as a special favor to me, send us * * an order as selected from one of OUf big catalogues which * * you now have, so that I may have pa.cked and shipped to * * you with your order one of our big Spring catalogues, * >1< the new, big 1908 book? * * To help you in making up an order, I enclose here- * * with some special pages as taken from the new, big book. * * Possibly yoU can use some of these goods at the astonish- * * ingly h)\ ... prices, and together with other ne.eded goods * * which you may select from the catalogue you have, you * * can send an order, writing it on the enclosed special or- '" * der blank, then I can pack in a big book with your goods * * and get the, book to you without expense to yOU, and * * without postage to us. Of course, for everything that * * has been reduced in price that you order you will get the * * benefit, and the differ:ence wiil he returned to yon in cash * * at once. * * If you cannot do me this great favor al this time, won't * * you please use the enclosed postal card, addressed pe.r- * * sonally to me, :and on this card say: "Mail me your big * * 1908 catalogue free," and sign your ll"trne and address: * * Further, if, to your mind, there is anything possible for * * me to do that will be helpful to you, or wilt help to en- * * courage you to send tiS more orders, I would consider it * * a personal favor if you would, on the enclosed card, let * * me have your ide'as. * * Your name is on our i\ list of preferred customers, * * and for this reason I espc<::ially want you to know that T * * personally appreciate more than T can tell you by letter * * business you have sent us. T only regret -I cannot meet * * you faee to face here in Chicago and become better ae- *" * quainte,d ·with you, but as this is out of the question, T * * want by means of correspondence, to do everything pos- * * sible to please you to encourage you to continue sending * * us orders, and to cause you to feel thoroughly satisfie,d * * withcvery transaction you have with tis. * * '\Vhethcr you cali grant me the [i.rst request, and send * * US an ordcr just now or not. wou··t yoU please let me hear * * from you byretum mail on the cllclosed card; and if you * * are not going to send us an order right soon, so I can *- * pack a big catalogue in with your goods, please on the * * encloscd card state, "Mail me your big 1908 catalogue * * free," and also let me hcar a few words from you, for I * * am so very anxious to know that you are thoroughly sat- * * isfied with the treatment we ltave give.n you, and that we * * may expect to receive orders from you in the near future, * * and if you have any criticism or suggestion of any kind to * * offe.r, a few words from you to me personally on the en- * * closed card, will bc very greatly appreciated. * * You are one of our best customers, and T want every- * * thing done here in a way to please you, as you want it; *- * the.refore, I hope you will send this card back to me by * * return mail, that I lllay have just a word frorn you. * * .Yours very truly, * * RICHARD \V. SEARS. Prcsident. * ******** * *- ********** This letter was sent to us by a merchaJ1t who procllTcd it we know not how, and was printed, apparently from a plate, on a letterhead which bore the name of Sears, Roebuck & Co., Chicago. After reading it over several times, "le have been melted to tears by the tender solicitude which he displays for the L health, wealth and future happiness of the dear one-name .left blank until filled in frot11 "1\ list." vVhat are a few slips in grammcr, punctuation and rhetoric to compare with the. anxiety to please the dear one? We think any customer of a mail order house receiving such a letter could enter such as an exhibit in a breach-of-pronijse casc, tending to show extreme and undying affection. Although yearning to me,ct the precious one face to face, still this is impossible, as cruel fate has separated affinities' in this sad case, but the big catalogue will bind souls together in an indissoluble tic. We have shown the sample. to a number of persons not merchants, and following are some of the comments: "Slushl" "Rot!" "Cunning, ain't it:" "Kind of overdone." "Is this a love letter?" etc. There a few strollg points in the le,tter, from a purely ad-vertising point of view, hO¥leve"r. \Vhat the firm wants it has emphasized again and again through the text. The per- Made by Mecha.nics Furniture Co., Rockford, Ill. sonal note which is carried through the entire letter, while somewhat overdone, is put in doubtless to counterbalance the personal influence of home merchants, The desire to save postage and the insistence of the idea of securing something bette'! than ever beiore for thc cllstomer go hand in hand nicely. We think better advertiscments have been sent out--ones that will dra.w nlore trade. It is possible for :rou to adopt the good points without falling into the snares of the bad ones. Do not gush; do not lavish the full tide 6f your young heart's affections on a coarse man who may laugh at it; do not be tOQ prolix; but do introduce the personal note; do stick to the main point, and do go after the business as hard as you know how, without dwelling ·on faults and failings of your adve.rsaries. The letter says nothing about competi-tion, and that we regard as one of its strongest points. Keep as closely in touch with your customers as yOU can. It pays. -Oregon Tradesman. 17 francis' Glue RoomSpecialties Who Does NOT Use Them? A complete equipmt!nt of our Gluing Appliances is not a LUXURY, BUT A N ECESS/TY these days of glued-up and veneered work. Glue "eaters. Glue Cookers. Glue Spread-ers. Veneer Presses. Clamps, Trucks, Etc, Anything Bnd Everything that YOu need In this line. Our Catalogue Is ill handy Book of useful lrlformation. --- CHAS, E, FRANCIS & BROTHER MAIN OFFICEAND WORKS: RUSHVILL.E, IND. Power Feed Glue Spreading Machine.:Single. Veneer Presses. all kind$ and eize8. (Patented) 6RANCH OFFICE; CINC.INNATI, o. Double, and Combination. (Patented) We mahe ROYAL SURFACER It is a PIGMENT FIRST COATER. no firm makes a better piece of goods In our honest opinion Let us convince you. We also make Polishing Varnishes. The Royal Varnish Company, Toledo, Ohio. Marietta Solvent Marietta Solvent is sure to prove its worth wherever it is given a trial. It is of inestimable benefit in the finishing room as it is one of the most perfect solvents for all kinds of oil stains. DON'T BE STUBBORN If your filler works sticky or tough, either from having been left exposed, or from any other cause, a little Marietta Solvent will renew it, making it work freely again and helping it ,to fill, as it will cut the heavy oils. For Golden Oak Stains it is invaluable. ~ When it was first claimed that we shouLd cross the ocean by steam power many people flatly said it could not be done, DON'T YOU BE STUBBORN TUEY WE1l.ESTUBBORN With a certain per cent of Marierta. Solvent in your stain you can use mOTe benzine or terpentme in thjnning.. without impairing the color of the stain: or, you can use all solvent for thinning, which will bring out its full beauty and depth of color. It is a perfect solvent for all oil stains, especially those containing either Asphaltum Gums or Anilines. It is also a perfect solvent for varnish. A small quantity in a hard working varnish will cut it perfectly. making it work freely without in the least retarding its drying qualities, while at the same time retaining the neces-sary body of the varnish. If you are using any of our Golden Oak goods let us send you sample. ~ When we were told that we should travel in horseless carr;ag~s there were many who refused to believe TUEY WE1l.ESTUBBORN DON'T YOU BE STUBBORN ~ When they tell us that we shall soon be flying through the air in airships DON'T YOU BE STUBBORN JUST WAIT AND SEE ffl When tell you that aur new Marietta Solvent is one of the best things everused-in the finishing room 7She DON'T YOU BE STUBBORN BUT TRY IT MARIETTA PAINT and COLOR CO. MARIETTA,OUIO SEND FOR A SAMPLE NOW 18 Here is a Chance to Make Some Money! iIJ OUf No. 897 Carriage is the CREA TEST BARGAIN ever put on the market. It is as well made 113 out higheSt priced carriage. Full Size, without Rod, Parasol or Upholstering _. . Each $4.50 o .Sateen Parasol, wilh one ruffie and rod, extra ..• _............ .75 A Mercerized-Parasol, with one ruffle and md, extra ... ,........ 1,10 The above with % in Rubber Tire Wheels. Gears enameled. 8reen. Nlltless axles with rubber hub caps. IJ As we can't run our whole fad:ory- making this carriage, you had better send your orders in quick in order to mUll!:sure of having 'hem filled. This is just. a tickler-order quick if you want 10 be tickled. Pioneer Manufacturing Co., Detroit, Mich. At Sturgis, Mich. The Stebbins & vVilhelm Furniture Company have re-cently received from the \Vhitc Printing Company of Grand Rapids, the finest cata\ogl1c of parlor and library tables and pedestals they have ever offered the trade. They will occupy in July 3,000 square feet of floor space on the sixth floor, north half, of the Furniture Exhibition building, Grand Rap-ids. The new fall line will possess many attractiolls never before shown by this company. The Sturgis Steel Go-Cart Company, manufaCturcrs of "The Best" one-motion all-steel go-cart, have a cart that ''lith one motion, and that a quick one, enables the operator to open or close it almost as quick as a wink. It is very strong, "viiI carry 200 poulHls over rough pavements, and is without a rival in the go-cart line. Catalogues may be had for the asking. The Royal Chail- Company, manufacturcrs of the Royal PALMER MFG. CO. 115 to 135 Palmer Ave., DETROIT, MICH. Manufacturersof FANCY TABLES PEDESTALS TABOURETTES Pedestal No. 412. for the- PARLOR AND LIBRARY Our famous ROOKWOOD FINISH1lfl)W$ inpopularietyveryday. Nothing likeit. Wrire for Pictures and Prices. Murphy Chair Co. MANUFACTURERS DETROIT, MICH. A COMPLE.TE LINE. and Regal :Morris chairs and rockers, are doing a fine business. The Royal push-button Morris chair is known all over the country as one of the best things of its kind on the market_ The Aulsbrook & Sturges Furniture Company are having a fair trade and are preparing to bring out a line of chamber Made by Oliver '& Co_. Allegan. Mich. furniture in J uty that will be one of the best ever sent out from their factory. The Grohhiser & Crosby Furniture Company are shipping a good many goods every day. They are famous table mak-ers. C. ,"Vilhelm was rccclltly elected lTIdyor of ·this city. Stoll Re-elected. At the recent charter election in Niles Matthew Stolt of the Kompass & Stoll Furniture Company, was elected mayor. Mr. Stoll returns to the mayor's chair after one year's rest from official duites, having held the office several tertns be-fore. The Kompass &Stoll Company's orders for :VIarch were very heavy, the largest in the last six months. 19 Moon Desk Go. MUSKEGON, MIC". OffiCE DESKS NEW STYLES FOR SPRING SEASON Linean sale 11'1 New Manufacturers' Bulldlno. Grand Rapids. HAND CIRCULAR RIP SAW MQRTISER COMBINED MACHINE Complete Outfit of HANO and FOOT POWER MACHINERY WHY THEY PAY THE CABINET MAKER He can save a manufacturer's profit as well as a dealer's pwfit. He can make more money with less capital invested. He can hold a better and more salisiactory trade with bis c ustorners. He can manufacture in as good ~tyle and finish, alld at as low cost as the factories. The tocal cahim:t maker has been forced into only the dealer's trade and profit, because of machine manufactured goods of factories. An outfit of Barnes' Patent Foot and Hand-Power Machinery, reinstates the cabinet maker with advantages eqnal to his competitors. If desired, these machines will he sold on triaE. The purchaser can have ample time to test them in his own shop and on the work he wishes them to do. Descriptivi catalogue and price list free. No.4 SA \",[ (ready for cross-cutting) W. f. 1I. JO"N BARNES CO., 654 Ruby St .. Rockford, III. FORMER OR MOULDER HAND TENONER No. S WOOD LATHE No.4 SAW (ready for ripping) No.7 SCROLL SAW 20 Wood Bar Clamp fixtures Per Set 50c. Priee $2.80 to $4.00 THE WILEY BURNS. Why Young Hamilton Didn't Succeed in Furnishing His New Home at Jobbers' Prices. Young Dick Hamilton was about getting married when the big furniture exposition opened. He had secured his girl and his house, but be was still shy of furniture. It is some-times eaiser to get a wife thali a lot of rich furniture, and Hamilton seems to have ,.,iorked along the line of least resist-ance. The girl and the house had cost him very little cash, for the girl didn't demand a carriage every time he took her to the play, and the house was only $25 a month, payable in ad~ vance, with the furnishi"ngs legally the landlord's if he moved out without paying Hamilton was going to have that house furnished in style. He had a job which caught $125 a month for him, and he had a roll in the hank ".;hich didn"t look like prunes for breakfast, dinner and supper. Besides, both Dick and Mamie had such a lot of friends who moved in the highbrow crowd that they were sure to entertain a lot, and they wanted to show that they were just as much as anyone who was not in on the basement floor .v..i.th some Pittsburg iron company. "You go right on and let the furniture men eat up your mazuma," said Dick's chum, Howard, "and acqUIre a grO\lp of household necessities that you'll be proud of. \\Then it comes to the first_aid_to_the_mismated proposition, you may be able to sa,v-theft1Tniturc off on:Nlamie in lieu of a cash alimony." But Dick ignored Howard's reference to alimony, for How-anI was clerk of a court and saw only the worst side of life. When he went about pricing things he received a shock \'vhich seemed to jar the botto111 stone of the building where his money was drawing four per cent. Just as soon as he found what he wanted, and what II.'lamie said she must have, his bank account began to look like a Foraker boom ill a national con-vention. It looked small enough to put in the hack case of his watch and keep for sentimental reasons rather than for any value it had as a home-furnisher. Much to his amazement, Hamilton discovered that one can't buy crotch mahogany furniture at second-hand store prices. He began to understand that real money has to be paid out to a good many people in order to shape a tree into a fancy parlor suite, and he also found that furniture dealers are not in business for their good looks. Then he thought of the exposition, and was glad. Hamilton had a friend who 'was showing a line of samples at the exposition. That is. he had met Burns once or hvice at a billiard parlor and smoked cigars with him in the lobby of the hotel he frequented whenever he felt like seeing life. Of course, he could make it all right with Burns, for Burns was a good fellow and liberal with his acquaintances. So he went to Burns. "I am going to get married," he "That's too bad,' 'replied Burns. snare you?" "011, that's all tight," a little home with Cupid said to that gentleman. "How did she happen to said Hamilton. in the limelight. '4I'm the boy for I've got a little OVER 15,000 OF OUR .STEEL RACK VISES IN USE 2~ doz. Clamp Fixtures bought by one mill last year. We ship on approval to rated firms,and guarantee our goods uncondi-tionally. Write for list of Steet Bar atamps, ViBeS, Bench Stops, etc. E.II. SIIELDON &. CO. 283 Madison St.• Chicago. girl that has the maple sugar crop soured in the bush, and we're going to live happily ever after." "Of course'" rejoined Burns. Wfhat is one of the symp-tOtl1S~ Have you ever tried living. 'with a friend with a red-headed wife and six children as an etntidote?" "What I want you to do," continued Hamilton, ignoring the Question, which was irrelevant and leading, anyway, "is to put me wise as to furniture. I [l1ld that -it costs about 'steen dollars a minute to do business with a retail furniture Inan." "It cost me $32.97 to do business ,·...ith three buyers for two hours last night," said Burn~, with a sigh. "I'm expect-ing the manager of my company in here with an ax at any m,o-ment. My expense account this ~eason is the thing I climb up 011 when I want to get a birdseye view of the city. You are. right about retail furniture dealers, my son." "I had an idea" said Hamilton glad that Burns was 1I1 a mood hostile to the retail element, "that we might both make a good thing hy working a little deal. vVhat do you do with your samples ,,,hen you get ready to go back to the home plant?" "I sell 'em if I can, hut sometimes I can't," said Burns, '..vith a sigh. "All right," said Hamilton. "That is what I supposed. You can't do better than to sell 'em to me. Judging from the fact that every retail dealer 1 knmv has a diamond as large as a doorknob and an- automible with a snout nine feet long, there must be something of a margin between the prices you get and the prices I am asked to pay! What!" "The retail men insist on having t1lO11eyenough left to pay rent," said Burns, "when they' get to the end of a deal. But I don't see how I'm to let YO~l have my samples. I can't even get yoU 011 the tloor of the exposition building. The re-tailers have an odd rlotion tl:.<ltthey want to do all the retail-ing themselves." "That's all right," said Hamilt(H1, whose head felt best in a seven <lnd three-quarters hat, "yon leave it to me and I'll pack 'em nway ill cold storage. You like this metropolis, don't you? \-Vell. you're going to amble about the streets, in plain view of the multitude. with a little peach that I'm going to loan you, and you're going to take hel' for your OW11. and furnish a home out of your stock, and the stocks of your fellow sample men. It wi\l be just like taking rubies off a blind hotel clerk." "vVill it?" asked Burns, innocently. "Of course it will," \-vas the reply. "I should think you'd see that yourself. !\ow. how much have I got to pay you to sit through this game ,vttb me?" "vVeIl," said Burns, ''I'm 110t getting anything like what salary I ought to have, considering 111y experience and the size of my needs, and so I'll see what I can do for you if you'll toss over a little fizz money now and the!l." "Catch me paying any extortionate rates on furniture," Hamilton said to Mamie, that evening, as he left her in the hallway at a quarter to hve1vc. ''I'v~ got the -thing fixed so that we'll enjoy seeing our stuff, just as an evidence of the power of mind over matter. 1 want you to stroll down the street with me tomorrow, and we'll run across Burns. Then he can take you up to the. exposition building and introduce (TFOIAOE MARK REGISTERED) PAINT AND VARNISH REMOVER Things don't grow without nourishment. Manufacturers do not increase their facilities unless there is a growing demand to supply. In point of sales, Ad-el-ite Paint and Varnish Remover is far ahead of any similar preparation on the market and our new, thoroughly equipped plant enables us to give better service than ever before. You will find that Ad-el-ite contains more energy to the gallon, has fewer dis-agreeable features and brings better results than anything you can get. Eats down through any number of old coats of hard paint, varnish, wax, shellac or enamel leaving the surface in perfect condition for refinishing. Send for Free Sa.mple. STA.E 21 CHICAGO you to the coarse buyers and th(' frec-for-all sample men .vho make our cit), look like a three-ring- circus twice a year. YO\1'll have a line tinle, all right." "The vexy idea!" said \'[arnie. "\Vhat am I going to the exposition building :tor?" "To select our furniturc, light of the earth," replied HaIll-ilton, whose right cuff-blltton \Vas at that momenL caug-ht ill lHamie's hack hair, "You're engaged to BUTns, <llJd you're picking out sticks to set up a wigwam! \iVhen you get it all sele.cted, I'll J-ly down Oil Burn~ with my war hag CpCll and settle. You don't carc if the sample men think }"Olt're going to marry Burns, do you, sweetheart?" "Oh, it is just a trick to ge.t the furniture cheap!'f smilc:d :\larnie. "1 dou't see why you-'re not at the head of a bond compallY ill LaSalle street. Of course I dOll't care. TIen ..... did you ever come to think of such a thing?" Hamilton tapped his brow and declared that he nftcn llad thollghts in the silence which hc~ thought he, could c;Lsh in at the proper 6me. It took ~\'Ial11ic (l long time to sclcn tll".t furniture, Burns couldn't talk l11uch about it O~l th(C Hoo: of the building, and often had to call on the g-irl at bel' home to see about sometlJing or otber. Dick began to feel son")' for himself, he was alone so much. nc consoled himself, ]JO\V- '.'vcr, \"'ith the notion that he was going to save a couple of hur:dred all the furnishing of the house. Besides, 2\Jamic :-;een:cd to be having the time of ber life! One day be hanckd Burns a check for a thollsand and told him to move the furni-t\ 1re right into tlH~ housc 011 ,Forrest avenue. "I'll not show up," he said, "until the furnitl1rc is bought and paid for. You'll be up to the reception, of COllrse?" Burns looked <It the check and put it in his pocket. Then he took it Ollt again and seemed about to hand it back. Then he buried it again and walked aV,!B}', That night HamiltoJ) was called to the long distance 'phone. "It's Burns," came the voice. "I've sent your check hy mail. l\brnie thinks we can get along without it, although L've a notion that you owe me a couple of centuric,s for show-ing' tile g-id a good time!" "\\7hat are you talking about," asked Hamilton. "Do you feel anything blluling in your attic? VVhere are you?" "\\'e'r(': ill Detroit," was the reply. ;'Mamie and I are, at at the pre:lcher's house. Say, J wish you'd go to the freight oft1cc tOlTlorroV\' and see what's the m;ttter with that furniture. [ reckon <;ome of it needs repacking." ]-1 ami1ton felt like falling- off the earth. "V/1'::1t do yott mean:" he gasped. ·'\\.Thy, old man, l'm going to get married." H8milton gasped. Then a serene smile came to his face. "That's too had," he said. "How did she, come to snare you? Have you ever tried an antidote in the shape of a red-headed wife and six children?-" "YOll don't seem to take it much to hear!?" asked Burns. "I don't feci any moisture dripping off the ",,;ire. Mamie will be glad to hear that." Hamilton hung up the receiver and wondered when he wC!tlld get his check back, "Any\',:ay," he said. ;;But"ns is a handsome n:an, and, be-sides. any chap wbo ""ill sellout his firm and the retailers, also, will steal another man's girL" Hamilton gave up the lJOuse next day. ALFRED B. TOZER. Quartered Oak Veneers. The \Valter Clark Veneer Company have a very choice supply of quarter-sawed oak .veneers stored ill their warehouse in Grand Rapids. It is not necessary to visit Grand Rapids to pl"Ocure high grade stock, as Tvlr. Clark will take the ut-rHost care in filing orders. Address him at his city office, 535 Jvfiehigan Trust lmilding. and he wil1 take care of all or-ders with care and promptness. 22 ·~f'o1.19.HIG7f-N ODD CUSTOMS AT WANAMAKER'S. Bugle Calls and Organ Music. The closing of the vVanamaker store in Philadelphia at 5 p. n1. eyery day is: carried ant with great cercmony. At 4:55 every afternoon the National Hymn is played on the great organ. At 5 (-),clock two cadets take a position in the mezzanine at the 1larket street end of the building, and the bugles sound in unison the call of. "Taps." As the notes die away in the long aisles of the 'store, other bugles, stationed on the stairway landing at the Chestnue street end, a full block ;1\\,ay, answer with the call of "Taps." The same call is given in other parts of the store, and when the echoing tones have died away, it means, figuratively, ;'Lights out," and the store is officially closed. As a matter of fact, the lights ;ire never out in the \Vanamaker store-except on Sundays and holidays. After closing hours a new force goes on duty, and works through the night to prepare the store for the llcxt day's b\1siness. Each luornillg the store is opened at 8 o'clock with the "Reveille" sounded on bugles . . vVanamaker has another odd custom. It is the playing of the wedding march on the great organ in the arcade when-ever one of the employes leaves the store to be married. This ceremony takes place at 4:40 in the afternooll, and the custom has been continued for years. As the store has sev-eral thousand employes, it is not at all uncommon to hear the playing of the weddillg marcll. Supplying Mail-Order Houses. "In the past we supplied a considerable quantity of goods to the mail-order houses. Designs especially for s\.1ch houses were prepared, none of the patterns wcre exhibited during the openings of the seasons; no photographs of the same were made.-in fad it was a special order business. X0 one had questioned the right of ally merchant to contract for the manufacture of such goods as he might require ill the transaction of business; we have filled many orders for special articles for dealers whose legitimacy in trade has !lever been questioned, and could not see any impropriety in litling the demands of mail order houses. Regular dealers should remember that hundreds of factories located in var-ious parts of the United 5t<ltes are operated exclusively on special orders <Iud mail-order merchants will never experience difficulty in obtaining goods so long as stich factories exist. That the mail-order merclullt encroaches upon the trade Why Not Order? Say a dOZed or marc Montgomery Iron Display Couch Trucks sent you on approval} If not satisfactory they can be returned at no ex~e to you whatever, while the price asked is but a triBe, COIl1~ pared to the convenience they alford and the economy they represent in .he saving of floor space. Thirty-two couches mounted on the Monliomery Iron IMpla.y Coueh Trucks occupy the same floor space as twelve dis-played in the usual manner. Write for catalogue siring full descrip-tion and price in the different 6nishes, 10- gether with illustrations dem.oDStratingthe use of Ihe Giant Short Rail Bed Fastener for Iron Beds. M.anufactuted.- by H. J. MONTGOMERY PATBNTBE Silver Creek, New Yo~ u. S. A. Dennis Wire and Iron Co•• Canadian Manu_ factor-. LondoD, Ont. rights of the rcgul<J.r dealer is adrnitted, hut he can b~ com-batted effectively \vitbout bringing the manufactmers into the game.'" A l\JANUF ACTlJRER. Buchanan Cabinets. The Buchanan Cabinet Company have rcccntly received from the printer the best catalogue they have ever issued. This catalogue illustrates seventeen kitchen cabinets made in oak, satin walnut- and other hanhvoods; ten ladies' desks in plain alld (!uartered oak, and seventeen bouse desks in plain oak. These goods are gn..',atvalues. Th<.~factory is ol}er~ ated for ten hours a <lay. ]\J r. Richards has spent <1 great Made by Buchanan Cabinet CO.,'BuChanan, Mich. deal of time and money in huilding and equipping one, of th~ best furniture factories in Michigan, and while every part of the plant seems to be as llC<lrperfect as it can be made, he es-pecia\\ y prides himself on his "A. B. c." dry kiln made by the American Blower Company of Detroit. This is a double kiln, with a capacity for drying 75,000 feet of lumber, and he al ways has au abulldant sllpply of hone dry lumber. Solid Mahogany Suites. The Spencer & Barnes Compauy arc going to bring 011t a line of chamber furniture in solid mahogany in July that will be the finest ever turned out by that company, and they have a good reputation tor making fille furniture. They have a permanent exhibit with F. T. Plimllton & Co., 1319 1lichigan avenue, Chicago. Another Factory for Rockford. Thc Standard \Voodworking Company, Rockford, Ill., was org-auized recently to manufacture furniture. The cap-ital stock is $5,000. The incorporators are P. H. Stevens, Erma H. Stevens and August G. Broitzman, METAL FURNITURE We make a specialty of All~Steel Tables, Chairs and Stools. Wood and Cane Seats; 'Wood, Marble and Glass Opalite Tops; All Fnishes. Artistic. Sanitary,. Indestructable. ( No. 74 No. 110 No. 70 New line of Brass Costumers. We call particular ~ttention to our "WONDER" COSTUMER.. (IHustrated on page 31 of this issue.) AU steel. indestructable. no screws. In Jots of one doz. or more, finished in Antique Copper, $18 doz.; finished in Dead Black, $15 doz. Adjustable Tables, bhaving and Bath Mirrors, Chevals, Triplicates. ~~~~igrand DETROIT RACn. CO.• Detroit. Mich. Luce-Redmond Chair Co., Ltd. BIG RAPIDS, MICH. Uigh Grade Office Chairs. Dining Chairs. Odd Rockers and Chairs, Desk and Dresser Chairs, Slipper Chairs, Colonial Parlor Suites in Dark and ~tJJJI1 MlJ.h{)gil1JJ~ Birdseye Maple, Bir(h and .Circt1uian Walnut. Furniture buyers visiting Grand Rapids between seasons will find our full line on the 2nd floor (Ionia St. front) of the Manufacturers' Building. where they can inspect and make their purchases at any time. 23 24 Dried by the "Proctor System" Machine. (We will describe it to you.) (Something unheard of before.) ABSOLUTELY NOTHING BETTER THAN OUR GUM and COTTONWOOD DRAWER BOTTOMS Prompt deliveries of DRY STOCK rain or shine. WALTER CLARK 535 Micbigan Trust Building, GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. Periods of Decorating. l\ow that the professional decorator is to th~ fore there is mllch talk, nl(Jre or less intelligent, as to diffe:-ent periods or dccorathlll. Perhaps some of my readers will find a brief mention of the distinguishing' features of the different styles helpful. For practical purposes we may leave out the distinctly classic styles, the Gothic and Romanesquc, as belonging to architecture, rather than to decoration. For domestic art we seldom get back to the renaissance, v,:ith its adaptation of dassic forms to modt,rn 11S\.'. V'le mnst rcn,embcr that each European COt1lltry was influenced in tbis adaptation by its pe-culiarities of circumstance and artistic temperament. But whether F1emish, 1talian or French, the decorative art of the renaissance is distinguished by its wealth of ornan'.ent whose central idea is always borrowed from the Greek. AC~lllthus scrolls in high relief, fluted columns, swags or festoons of frllit and J1o\vers al1d lion's claws for fe(:t are all clla ..aetcristic Italy gives us the dolphin and the elaborated fieur-d~-lis, the lily of Florence, ,J-nd makes large use of human and :lnil11a[ grotesques. The French rel1aissance is distillguished by simpler forn,s, giv-ing the impression of greater solidity of construction. The salamander is its distinguislliJ1g anim;;d form. In the Netherlal1ds we find the enrgy of the crafts-men displayed in most elaborate carvillgs of fruit alld flo\vers. Here and in France the spiral or turned chair h:g was charac-teristic, but Flemil1g carried the cttT\'e stiU further and applied it to first the foot, later to the entire leg of eh.tirs and couches. He made use of incised and elaborately carved piece orna-ment. .The typical piece oC furnttme of the Italian Renais-sallce is the nwrriage chest; of the French, the square chair, with turned legs and a square hack with an oblong panel con-necti. ng the two uprights. In ordinary use today the styles of the renaiSS3-11CCarc chiefly applied to dining room and hall furniture, in oak. They demand leather or tapestry up-holstery, in rich colorings and a good deal of space. The Jacobean period comprises practically the whole of the seventeenth century and, in England, is conternporaneotls with that of Louis Quatorze in .France. It is of special in-terest to Americans ,IS all our oldest colonial furniture be-longs to i1. It is distinguished by extreme simplicity of con-struction. 1Iost of it might h;;lve bccn made by the joiner. It is tlllcompromisillgly right-angled and the. decoration is generally carving in low relief applieu to panels. The C0111- monest de~igns arc arrangements of nqwating circles and of double scrolls, also of rather crude and angular acallthus . leaves. The oak clwsts. the gate Jeg tables and the high backed chairs with panels of cane work inserted in the backs framed in carving arc Jacobean. I 110ted lately the v.el·)" last thing ill dil:ing chairs, a high-backed Jacobe<lll witll a cane back illld a tapestry seat. Queen Anne lla~es the next period in English furniture. vVhat were familiarly known as bandy le,gs charactc.ri1.e L:'.. VENEER CO chairs, tables and c'lbinets. The highboy and the lov..'boy belong to this period, likewise mirrors and bookcases with broken pediments. If the Jacobean is the period of oak, the Queen Anne is that of mahogany. The intimate rela-tiOllS of Ellgland and Holland at that time led to the intro-duction of marquetry more or less elaborate, an art of which tlle Dutch were past masters. The, Queen Anne. succeeded the Chipendale period. As Chippellc1ale and his SUCcessors, Heppelwhite and Sheraton, have been treated in a recent article in Keith's magazine, it is unneccssary to allude to them in detail here. The bulk of antique, mahogany fttrnilul"c, here in America, derives it!; nesign from one or other of the three. Contemporaneous with the work of Chippendale is that of Adam. Adam's style is the English Louis Seize, and is distinguished by great delicacy of outline and a close adher-ence to classic modeb. He \-vas the first of all an architect, and designed furniture to suit his rooms. He generally em-ptoyed 'sati11 wood, painting it in delicate color,';. lIe-made use of cane work panels of exquisite fineness. The Adams brothers are responsible for the best features of our colonial architecture, the CJuaint leaded oval windows and the delicate carvings of festoons, done on ..v..h.ite wood, so often found in tbe house of the eighteenth cClltury. It may be remarke.d in passing, that there has heen a recent revival of interest in the Adams stYle and that fashionable decorators are applying it to drawing rooms in houses of more or less pretension. Roughly speaking, the three r;'rench styles may be dis-tinguished on the basis of the straight l.ine and the curve. In the Louis Quatroze, the outlines of the pieces combine straight lines and cmvts. In the Louis Quinzc, the whole outline is practically a combination of curves. In the Loois Seize, :dthough some Use is made of curves, the general out-line is a combination of sU·aight lilles. Other distinctions 'will suggest themselves. In the first periDd there was a hi\"- ish use of applied metal ornament, buh] and ormolu. In the second, the wood of furniture was almost ulliversal1y gilded. In the third the frames were usually painted ill white, ivory or gray. French Empire, the rel11ailling style, is distinguished by a recurrellce to classic forms and by a profusion of applied brass ornament. 1n England, the form was copied, minus the metal decorations. 1ts typical piece is the swan neck sofa, the parent of most of our long mahogany sofas. Its distinguishing decorative feature especially ill America, is the pineappte.-Exchange . Disbursed Millions. Since the Sligh Furniture Compa11y was organized ill 1880, when about t\venty men were employed, the company has paid Ot1t for wages $3,OOO,CCO. Six of the original working force arc still in the employ of tll(~ COlllpallY.~ - - - -- ---~~- -- -- --_.- -- -- -- --~- ---~ 25 aran~Da~i~sDlow Pi~e and Dust Arrester (om~anJ THE LATEST de,;ice for handling shavings alld dust froHL all 'l'i.Jood-zvorJdng machil'ws. Our 'Itil1eteen scars experience in this class of 'H..!ork has brought t't nearer perfection than any other system 011 the market today. It is no cxperiuwHt) but a denIO!! strated :lcientific fact) as '<.-(!ehwue several hUH-dred of these s'}'stems in 1dse) and not a poor one anwng them. OUf Autom,af'ic Furnace Feed Systel1z)as ShOTUJ'l, in this cut, is the most perfect 'aJorking device of allY thing in this line. Write for our prices for equipments. WE MAKE PLANS AND DO ALL DETAIL WORK \VITHOUT EX-PENSE TO OUR CUSTOMERS. EXHAUST FANS AND PRES-SURE BLOWflRS ALWAYS IN STOCK. orfice and Fa.ctory: 208-210 Canal Street GRAND RAPIDS. MICH. CUl:zen. Phono 1282 &tlJ, Main 1804 OUR AUTOMATIO FURNACE FlDED SYSTEM 26 ALASKA QUALITY Guarantees 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. The Alaska Refrigerator CO. EXCLUSWE REFRIGERATOR MANUFACTURERS MUSKEGON, MICHIGAN ACCOMPANIMENTS OF A FUNERAL. Dentistry. Music Lesi:!on, Reception and Wedding in the Same Flathouse. "I have heard a lot of stories about singular happeniQgs in New York," said one who has lived in the metropolis many years, "but nothing morc singular than my experience at a ftlocral last week. "It was in a big flathol1se. After the service I heard a scream in an adjoining apartment. T learned later that a nervous woman was having a tooth pulled. That was a good mix-up for one floor. "As we passed to the fl'oor below I heard <l woman sing-ing. I was iuformed that it was her hour for taking a music lesson. "Across the hall an afternoon reception was in full swing. The invited guests were arriving, uWhen we got to the first floor a bridal couple ,,"ere just coming out." Show Caskets in the Front Parlor. "Our sole .aim is to eleva~e our profession. As a matter of fact, there are many persons in the undertaking business HI Detroit who are not undertakers. They hire others to do their work a!Hl have no licenses. It is this class that we intend to weed out; otherwise, we welcome aU practical un-dertakers to our membership:"-PresidcntWilliam ]. Otter of the Detroit Funeral Directors' Association. "The by-'Iaws of the Detroit Funeral Directors' Assoca-tion provide th,\t any trember must carry an $800 stock and the initiation fee is $100. vVe have placed our initiation fee very low, within the reach of every undertaker. OUT members own seven hearses so that we do not anticipate any trouble in doing OllT work."-\Villiam A. Snyder, of the De-troit Undertakers' l\'1utual Association. Detroit undertake;s are divided into two factions known as the Detroit Funeral Directors' Assoc-.iation, with twenty-seven members, and the Detroit Undertakers' Mutual Associa-tion with a membership of twe-nty-eight. There are about seventy-five undertakers in the city, and the lattu and new-er organization hopes to secure practically all of them. President Otter looks grave as he refers to the situation. He says that a number of men have set up in business by converting the parlors of their homes into casket and coffin show rooms ;llld then tacking a sign on the front of the house -..viththe word "Undertaker" painted on it. "So long as a man personally engages in the business," l\1r. Otter says, "we have no objection, But we do object to lowering the standard of our profession by opening ·such a place .and then hiring another man to do the business. The state license law goes into effect in September and we are willing and ready to assist any undertaker in his preparations to pass." President Snyder of the new organization insists that many active undertakers cannot afford, to have an $800 stock or to fork over $100 for an initiation fee. He claims that it would meall that many an undertaker would go in the hole if forced to expend this amount. To Manufacture Reed Furniture. The Bombay Reed Manufacturing Company, Columbia, S. c., has been incorporated with a capital stock of $25,000 hy Frank S. Terry. Edwin K. \Vard and others. The manu-factured products will be fUrJliture, baskets, mats and other llrticJcs. from reed, rattan and straw. MUSKEGON VALLEY FURNITURE COMPANY MUSKEGON MICH •••• Odd Dressers cnlllon~rs womrones waleS' lOilels Dfe88lno roUtIlS MOnOOOny 100Did COOdS IOdies' De8lls MUSiC COblnelS Line Oil salt! in ManufactuJ:>erll' Duildin ... Crand ~picla. ·:f~MICHI*G:171.N i '27 Heard at an Auction Sale of Furniture. A young Egyptiall, v..ho h;lS headquarters in Kel;'l York city, where he ;nHl JJjs brothers ()wn a large store, has bCe!l holding an atH:tioJl "ale for several weeks in Jacksollville, Fla. The auctioneer, who is also an Egyptian, j;.; vcry La11, dark an(t hand::;on:c, with an engaging smile, and a happy faculty of 11l<lking friends with the women and the children, Tourists {[-UIll lhc hotels, men and women [dike, visit the store and many look over tile stock of goods before the sale. There are handsome Oril'lltal TUgS, tables of hand-carvc(l wood from Jhrnascns, jardiniere stands of inlaid wood, jar-diniere:.; of bammercd brass, Japanese kin1Ona5 (the anc-tioneer always pronounced the \vord with the accent on "kim.") ami works of art, such as tapestry and beautiful statuettes. The "lV()l)1en are given a l~earty greeting on their arrival and giYC'lJ the best seats and told to be patient as the sale wilt SOOIl commence. The auctioneer said, the other evening: "\\11-: will serve lunch at 10:30, dinl1er at 12, and to the lady "I'.,ho re111ai!lS until the ::;,de closes will he given this hacdsoLt1e rL1~: hanging" 011 the 'Fedl.'· He sold a lot o( "small stuff" first, bllt didn't like to \vaste his time that way, ,1S he was anxious to sell the rugs and make more money. A deaf man went up in front and eXtllllinecl 011e of the halJ(lsomc rugs di:.;pbyed, marked $120.CO, \vhich the auc-tioneer was trying to sell. The deaf man talked in a loud voice and distnrbed the sale, so the <lllct.ioneer had a hard time trying to sell it He only got $30.CO for it. The deaf man left, mnch to tbe joy of lll~ 811ctionecr, who yelled after him: "(roocl-bye; 1 hope you will n~\'cr come back." He aften'lard tried to sell a handsome drawn work linen bed-spread. i\ fter se\·cral bids had been made and $11.00 was Il,C highest, the auctioneer told one of his a:o"istants to show it to a mall standing lle8r the door. He suid. "If he dOl1't blly it for $12.00 r will give it to him." The ans\ ...e.r. came hack. ';1 am not a married man." A general laugh followed at the auctioneer's expense. The auctioncer then held his haml" behind his back, ask-ing oIlly the mEn to hid on what he held. TJle second bid of tcn cents ",,'on tbe prize, it d8inty little pair of ladies' blue Turkish slippers. This caused nil other laugh and tbe call came fronl the wowell pre:-:ent, "Put up some more for us." One of the assistants who passed among the crowd sllowing the \vare:-:, vd\s seemingly dumb. He might have been the Sphillx v.·ith his stern set face. reminiscent of the statne of Egyptian rulers in the British l\TuSelll11. The auc-tioneer was annoyed and said to him: "\\'<lke tip; you arc nOt in Eg}·pt 110\\:: yOI1 are in Americ<l." The poor boy made an effort to speak and rolled his eyes helplessly. /\.fter a while he miCn;lg'ed to gct out a few words of English, to our gTCilt surprise. L. Vv'. "Clas~i:al Language." The Grand Rapids Furniture Company of Ke\-v York city employs a master of the "King's English" to prepare its an-nouncements (or the newspapers. Following is a fair sam-ple of hl:~ ability' * * * * * * * * * ;\< * :I: Some beal1tihll examples from the English finds perfect relJroductio!l JrI onr gailery for the Living- Room and Library. The "'\Talpole" desk-a tY\lical ChipDendale specimen, the Tv.'ickellham Sofa-a piec('. that simply hr('athes Heppchvbite, the Carltol1 Table from the facile pcn or Robert Adam.-are mentioned as n fnv clas-sit copies III reflection of early atmos-phere and beautiful surroundings. ****.~******** * :I: * * No. 119 Oak BUCHANAN KITCHEN CABINETS AND DESKS In OAK, SATIN WALNUT and BIRCH Kitchen Cabinetsfrom$4.00 to $15.50 Desks from $3.50 to $12.50 Every One Good Value A Postal Card brings Our New Ca\alogue. Buchanan Cabinet Co. BUCHANAN, MICH. 28 New Styles • In Table Legs [& it not a big advantage, -no\.only in the selling Df yOoUT product. but in the prices you command, if you are able 10 keep changing the style and gelting out something new right along and without any extra expense in the cost? Our No. 5 Table Leg Machine will turn nol only round, bUI square, octagon. hexagon, o\lal or any poly_ ional shape, and aU with the ~me cUllet-head. lt~capacity is equal to eight or len hand turners, and it is guaranteed to do the work successfully. Would i.t not interes.t. yt>u h. know mm-e about this machine? '[hen drop us Aline. C. Mattison Machine Works 863 Fifth Street, Beloit, Wisconsin No.5 Table Leg !.Vb-chine. fl'I ...~ Glues to Use With Different Woods. "SllOUld different glues be employed on different kinds of wood?" is a question which, \vith one exception, can be al1S-wered in the negative. This exception lS maple, which, ow-ing to its extreme hardness and light color, can be joined perfectly only when a glue of very superior quality is used, a condition of affairs attributable in great part to the invar-iable tendency of the darker and inferior glue to streak when employed on maple! and of the joints to assume an appear-ance of being dirt-filled-a sign of careless ·workmanship that every good manufacturer strives above all t~ings to avoid. ·'White Glue;" as many of the manufacturers term the su-perior quality of glue kuown to the trade as Hide glue, owes its color to the ZillCwbich is one of its important constituents and is responsible for much of its strength and consistency. \Vhen ilrst applled "white!' glue 1S as its name indicates, white, but after drying it darkens to the color of the wood, making it practically impossible for anyone but all expcrt to detect the join. Except in the single case referred to, Veneering Glue, the name given to the cheaper article is used on all classes of work and on ;:dl \voods, though in glueing joints which give promise of being stlbjected to severe stra1n the superior ar-ticle is frequently applied. Hide glue is manufactured exclusively from the hides of cattle; vcneering glue is a by-product of the hoofs and other parts. The former is about fifty per cent the more expen-sive, so that except in cases of necessity its use is an extrava-ganc. e. The mannhctme of high-grade furniture has no more im-portant question than the selection of the glue and its proper applicatiml. There are so many really excellent glues upon th(', market at the present time that the selection of a glue vv·cll adapted to meet the requirements of tbe average manu-hcturer is a comparatively easy matter. Of course, there are mar:y inferior glues for sale, but the manufacture.r who has occasion to use glue in any quantity can speedily differen-tiate between the genuine and. the inferior articles. The proper applying of the glue, however, is very impor-tant, and should be delegated only to Olle thoroughly exper-ienced ill this particular branch of the work, for a slight error may do a very great deal of harm, as many furniture manufac-turers know to their sorrow. . The first and cardinal necessity in the glueing of furniture of course. is thc. p:·oper preparation of the wood to be glued, and in this connection it may be remarked, adequate sand-papering and other preliminary .vork are oJ very first im-portance. The g·1ttedecided on, the next question is in what thick-ness to apply it, for it would never do to use glue of the same consistency for all classes of work, the thickness of the glue to be used depcllding vcry much upon the character of the work to be <1ol1c-a two and a half inch table. top naturally re-quiring a heavier gltle than a half-inch veneer. The thicker the wood to be joined, the thicker the glue to he used, is an cxcc.llent principle to foHm.v. Veneered \vork naturally requires a very light or thb glue, for there is a great tendency on the part of the glue in this class of work to thicken and grO\v Jumpy. Tntbis connection lt might be sC:tidth;:,t in a\1 veneer work it is imperative that all wood shall be properly "toothed" off before the glue is applied, otherwise an unevenness \-vill result that no :n1.1oltnl oi sandpapering will ove;·come. No cast-iro1l rules can be laid down ior the. adulteration of the glue hence the great necessity of the glueing being done ollly by a lr.an wbo thoroughly understands his work. J\,1uch, as has been pointed out, will depc,nd on the c-haracte,r of the work, hut temperature and the gene~·al condition of the glue at the time must also he considered. Tn the thinn'illg of glue water atone should be used. GARNAULT AGASSIZ. It's Different Now. "Six months ago when a salesman haudlillg a lille of up-holsterer's materials arrived ill the city," remarked a. manufac-turer of parlor furniture in Grand Rapids, "he opened his samples, called up his customers by 'phone allClnotified them that a hack would bring thcm to his hotel when it would suit their convenience. It is differellt now. One's office is sur-rounded by eager salesmen before the morning's mail is dis-posed of, and during their stay they drop in freque.ntly and ring up by 'phone before their departure." GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. THE WEATHERLY INDIVIDUAL GLUE HEATER Send. your addrels and receive descriptive cir-cular of Glue Heatel'll, Glue Cookers and Hot Boxes and prices. WEATHERLY CO. lOG. 110. 112 nort~ DivisionSt. ~ran~ Ra,i~s lOG. 110.112 nort~ DivisionSt. ~ran~ Ra,i~s OUR BUILDING P R INT E R S B IN o ERS EN GR AV E RS E N G R A V E RS P R INT ERS B INo E RS Michigan Engraving Company :: White Printing Company Michigan Artisan Company Erected by White Printing Company. Grand Rapid••. 1907. 30 "~MI9 ..HIG7}N $ Salesmen Talks. ;;\Nhat are you doing?" asked the macJ1inery man as he strolled up to the table where the supply man was busy with writing material. It was in a certain city club, and there were sever,d salesmen about, men who spent about eleven months of the year on the road, and between spells of plan-ning out for the new year's work and settling up the old, find a few minutes now and then to congregate together, swap a few yarns and compare notes. Taking a seat alongside the same table the machinery man" continued: "It's a blamed sight more trouble to accollnt for all your expenses than it is to make them, lots of trouble, even if yon come out even at the end of the year, \lIlhich I cant't.-': "You miss your guess," the supply salesman replied. "I'm not worrying about my expenses; T am writing a resolution, and here it is. 'Resolved, That while it n~ay pay to be Hice to customers when occasion requires, it's not always good pol-icy to make the occasion." Passing a fresh cigar across the table the Inachinery man settled himself back comfortably ;l11d said: "Unload, dear boy, unload." "\Vell, it's like this: vVhen I landed ill home last week I found a back country customer in the office, a one-horse, backwoods kind of a fellow that operates a little mill, don't buy much stuff and don't get into town very often, and as quick as I got sight of him I thought of" something that hap-pened Ollce before. One time I had one of these country fcl-lows come ilito town with me. He did not know mtlch about the town and asked me to pilot him to a wholesale store where he could buy a bill of goods. I took him around to a wholesale bouse, stayed with him until he placed his order, after which the wholesaler, 'who was a wise man ill his day, took us back where he had a keg of Burbon on tap. I didn"t take any as 1 was on the water wagon, but that old country-man got real enjoyment out of that liquor. That was sev-eral years ago, and I didn't think allY more of the incident till on a recent trip v"here I met a drummer for a rival house, who, in the course. of a session's chat, mentioned this same old fellow, s<.lying it was a peculiar" case where he had never been able to sell anything. It was 110ta matter of price, for he had been able to make coucessiolls that should have been inviting to the old fellow, but he held to the other house with a peculiar old-fashioned constancy that no arguments and no concession in prices cOtlld shake. It all came over me in a ·minute, and while T felt that the wholesaler had got this old fellow's constancy at a mighty eheap price, still, I felt a kind of admiration for the old countryman and realized that with all their peculiarities there arc men who appreciate deeply and remember longest the ,small courtesies. "K ow, when r came in and found that backwoods milt man in the oBiee who did not want to buy anything but a barrel of oil and a half side of lace-leather, all this other business came back to me, and I thought, here, old man, is your chance to do the nice thing ann make a life lOJ1gfriend. So I not only gave him the glad hand, but after seeing his order prop-erly placed took him in hand for lunch and a good time, such as he had never seen before. I brought him over to the club and suggested that before we had lunch we take a little drink and whet our appetities. \\Then I asked him what he would have, he said he didn't know, but would take whatever I did. 1 told him I was going to take a high ball and when the waiter came up I gave him an order for two. The waiter had no more than started after them than the old man shot out with: "'\\That's a highball?' "It took me a minute or two to realize the fact that lots of these people back in the country actually don't know what a highball is, and then I didn't laugh. I told him to, wait a minute until the waiter came back and then I could sho.w him just what constituted a highball. When the ingredients came, he gave attention to the mixing, all right, showing more L_ rIR, 'T'IS'z~r:. interest than I thoug-ht could be manifested by anybody in as simple a concoction :,!S a highball, and I made up my mind while he was carefully sampling and drinking it that 1 ,,,ould take him over to the bar after dinner and let him witness the compounding of some really artistic drinks. I didn't do it, though, I didn't get farther than the highballs with him. \Vhen I suggested the ordering of lunch he said: "';.ro, let's have another highball.' "He kept that up as though l:e had gone daffy on the sub~ ject of highballs, until I began to tbink we would never get any dinner, and finally told the ,"vaiter to brillg a couple of sandwiches along with our drin~s. That went all right, and I thought, now, surely I will get a chance to order dinner, but he said no, he djdn't want anythjng but highballs. He said he could take allOther sandwich, but highballs were better than dinner any time. It may look easy and sound simple the way I am telling it, but I want to say to you that after a couple of hours of this r began to get worried. I claim to be something of a fish myself, and if I have ever been under the table, 1 have not retaine(l cOJ1sciousness of the fact. In fact, I prided myself on being able to stand up and carry a heavy load without wabbling, but the first thing I knew I began to feel groggy and wanted to get up and stir aroulld. I never did get to order any lonch except those little sand~ wiches, and f:]mi.llygave the lunch up entirely and began to try to get the old fellow out of there, get him started somewhere where we could get some fresh air. "1 asked the old fellow when he expected to leave tOWIl and he said he thought he was going out that evening at 7 o'clock. I looked at my watch, it was only 2:30, but I sug-gested that we go down to the station, a half dozen blocks away, and buy a ticket. He took the bait al1 right, but he wouldn't start until he had another highball. Then, when we got on the street I realized that I Vy'asnot only groggy, but he was drunk. Just as I was getting ready to thank my stars that it was about all over we had managed to get even with a saloon door and the old man said highball again. I wrangled with him for a few minutes and protested, but noth-ing would do but another highball. "Well, sir, do you know, I believe that I never saw as many saloons in as small a territory in my life as we ran across on our way down to the station? And, it was the same thing over again at every saloon. The old man stopped like a mule and ,,,.-ouldn't pass a saloon door until he had a highball at everyone. I was able to save myself by muffing my drinks, and getting a little fresh air between times, but by the time we reached the station the old man was so "vabbly on his pegs that 1 had to hold him up. He was 110t a beauty either, by alJY means, and you can guess that I was not feel-ing very proud of my etn'ironment alld was incidentally hop-ing that no one would see me that knew me, and was just finding some consolation in the fact that I was near my trouble's end when the depot cop spied the t1.,'.O'. of us and concluded to act like he thought I was a bunco steerer with a hayseed in c.harge. It don't matter just what he said to me aud what I said to him, but it all wound tip by him tell-ing me to go on about my business and not let him catch me around there any more, and the last I saw of him he had the old man in tow, steeriug him to a se.at in the waiting room, and advising him to steer clear of good looking strangers in the city who wanted to be nice to him. "1\'01.,·.',. then, that was all bad enough in itself, but the worst was to come. About three days afterward '..'e.. got a letter from the old man cancelling the order for the stuff be got and cautioning the house to keep their eyes on me, as I had taken several drinks with him and escorted him to the depot, and when he got on the train for home he found his pockets had been picked. Evidently the old man w.ent to sleep in the waiting room and some one touched him. May be it was that same policeman that ,vas so ugly to me; any~ way, I don'
- Date Created:
- 1908-04-25T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Grand Rapids Public Library (Grand Rapids, Mich.)
- Collection:
- 28:20