The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1867-03-20
Capital and system.

ne seW 1 Ofh correspondent OF the Louis
vile Democrat gives a description of I. the lar
gest dry goods house in this country and il
the world. "-Stewart's:l
There IS a head of the house A partner
who has charge of the foreign department is
the resident European partner. residing al
Manchester, England. All the various branches
OF this house, throughout Europe, are under
his personal direction.
a partner who has the principal supervision
of the vast purchasing department, in which,
during the last year, the expenditures amounted
to the snug sum of nearly seventy millions.
A superintendent of the Bureau Of Credits.
and the general Office business.
There are about seven hundred men en-
ployed, embracing statesmen, book keepers,
shippers, receivers, porters, draymen, etc.
Each department is systematised and every
precautlon taken against populations or frauds.
Each department is under the control of one
particular person, who is held responsible for
himself and the suhordnates who assist him.
From SIX to ten men are sent to Europe ev-
cry season, on special missions, as special pur-
chasers; while agents of the house can be
found in every fabric manufacturing district in
the world
The dry goods market Of the United States
is represented on the principal floor of this es-
tablishment. Their sales extend to almost
every part Of the habitable globe. In the
busy season 1t is not uncommon for at least ten
thousand buyers to have been in this house,
pricing and examining goods, in one day.
A prlv-te telegraph Office is located in the
building, where buyers can telegraph to their
houses and get advices in few moments,
while they are looking over the enormous piles
of patterns
Even Manchester and other parts of Europe
are IN daily communication with this house,
so that the least fuctuation in the market
throughout the world is Instantly known to
Claf1in q Co., while haf-hourly bulletins of
the state of the gold market is posted for the
benefit Of their customers.
A room in the third floor Of about one hun
dred feet square in a new extension which has
recently been erected, is devoted as a regular
dry goods exchange, with handsomely fitted
up desks for resident partners of dry goods
firms in other cities.
There is a postoffice where regular boxes
and pigeon-holes are kept for customers and
those employed in the house. Something
like two thousand letters daily pass through
this office-more than is handled by many
postmasters in some of our small Cities A
legal bureau adons this, where a first class
lawyer and his clerks are constantly busy set
Ting up the business of delinquent creditors
These gentlemen are all under the pay of the
house.
There are seven steam elevators constantly
in motion taking up or bringing down both
passengers and goods. There is a carpenters
shop, cooper's shop, packing room, five steam
engines in basement, shipping Office, and all
the other concomitants for doing an enormous
business in the shortest possible space of time
Ships and railroads are constantly delivering
and taking away goods from this leviathan
concern, and not unfrequenty the value of the
whole stock on hand is absolutely sold in one
or two weeks, while fresh goods are being ia
ken in at the same time. The clerks being
we'll paid are happy and contented and are
devoted to the interest of the house They
appear to have constantly on hand an i'm
mense bulk Of goods, but with their peculiar
facilities for handling heavy or1ight packages,
there is no confusion OR difficulty in its trans
mission to and fro.
Many millions of dollars are employed as
capital, which may readily be imagined gives
he firm very high social position as we'll as
political weight Of the most extraordinary
character. Their influence at the National
capital, or in this State, can hardly be real
sed by the casual observer, though they have, I
Is yet, contented themselves with the glory of
not only the largest dry goods house
n this country, but in the world.