Democratic enquirer. [volume] (M'arthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1867-1873, 1869-03-10
msrcaants, GTgimg OIL Company III
Lockport. N. IA Brief History Of
its Success a0Il tirAdual Increase from
1871 20 the Present Day.

ImSrcliantss eMgimg OH Company I III
Lockport, N. IA Brief History Of
its Success ana 6rAduai Increase from
1881 10 the Rresellf Day. M
Thisnompouna,Eh Ehtdh has boen inAthsmsEs
ket f3F many yesKs, tlie name oi -mhicll y a.
miiiar u every parrish and hamlet thi1n4hS
out tSS gfSSS fsss me- q N
caee cheelSaliS @ testfy / NotI iiks most petsnl
medicine 4, which have been thrown dpon
Tie public to ek6 out d short existence, II
has stDod the test of upwards of thirty
years, and stands to-day unshaken as tho
rock, it's foundation being built upon
actual testimonials Of the cures it has per-
formed upon both man and beast; The
demAndsEi Eior this me- qpihe have been steadily
increasing for years, and notwithstanding
.tha, ,braaking out Of khaul late WAR Hhiehlent
4 of d large demand from the Southern States,
its spreadin the North made it's sale more
extensive even than before, and now; as the
\ Southern States are again open to The com.
merciallworld; in addition 30 the old ones, II
4 has gained many new customers in that sec-
tion Of the country. Thus ii will be seen that
4 it's name ,is, fast becoming world vide, ana
must soon reach from ocean to OCEAN -
A brief history Of the origin, rise and pro-
| gress OF this valuable medicine may not
prove euninteresting, connected, as it Is, with
/ the fortunes of our country, 1t having been
reared from itsinfahotin n6ekport. Western
| \ ew York, bya resident of that place, Geo;
1 w. Merchant. This gentleman Kept drug
4 store in what was termed Lower .Iockport
| IN 1881, and being practical chenIist, was
pursuing a natural calling when laboring TO
4 discover something to alleviate the suffer
1 ines Of mankind 2 He made several discov-
| cries With some success, but never seemed
4 10 have that confidence in other discoveries
that he did in his Gargling Oil, being aware
i Of its many excellent qualities He next
turned his attention to it's Introduction in
the United States. Its sale in those days
was quite meagre, 1t being some time before
it's virtues were known farther than so miles
around. ,,..,ais s. f.,
y At that time ii was occasionally the eus-
| tom of Mr.. Merchant to introduce a few bot
| Ties at timeiin Tie small villages that he
might see fit tplyisits putting his medicine
q newspaper Office was oGcasi6naDys visited,
| and if a contract for advertising could be
contaminated largo cut would appear,
! the face of which is even now familiar to-
older men. In this manner his territory
yearly increased, as the merits of the oil be-
came fully known. AS the foundation for
the reputationlofs the medicine was being
! built upon its own merit, even in towns
nearer home, the demand kept increas
| ing. and finally il became, necessary for
| Dr. Merchant t6femove his place Of business
! to Upper Loekport, where he might enjoy a
wider field for manufacturing operations. He
accordingly built four story brick Block, in
order that he might be allie, TO manulactare
Sufficient Quantity to meet the demand.
His business continued increasing UP TO the
time Of his disposal Of the entire business in
1858 to NJ. H. Tucker * 90. From the time
the new firm embarked in the business the
territory for The sale OF this medicine in
creased very rapidly, until it Preached every
State in the Union and every village in the land
In the year 1913 a law was passed in the
State of New York, entitled can act to au-
thorihe thei formation Of corporations for
manufacturing, mining, mechanical or chem
ical purposes" The firm avaied themselves
OF the law, and were duly as the
'sMerchants' Gargling OIL Company, in 1858.
Mr.. NJ. H. Tucker, was made Secretary OF the
company, which he held until the time of his
dhatlL March24, 1866. Mr. Hodge was then
elected Secretary, which office he now holds
and, is spoken q BY the Daily Journal 4 Of
Not,alone 10 the healing qualities sif this
medicine isits success attributable, although
It's populatiiy has to be gained only by al
thorough Test. Such a business requires
skillful mh Rage ment,a to respected towns+l
man, JoHh Hodge, Esq, Secretary of Mer.
chants Gareling Oil Company, belongs, to q
very large extent, elcredit OF its unlimited
success. His untiring energy, unsurpassed
BUSINESS qualifications, has won for him, not
only the esteem of all those with whom he
deals, but, through his ,exertions, the credit
of the business has been maintained and has
grown in greatness, and will continue so to
do while under his control. AS citizen, he
enjoys the confidence of those around him,
and, as business man, is looked upon as a
leader. ~ t5'{ "a E]4i- .vig
The company purchased asite and erected
buildings on Cottage street, where they car
ried on business until the year 1868, when
they were yisited by a. destructive FIRE, which
swept the buildings away, at a loss Of about
$4,000. There were also destroyed several
account books containing the bills of trade
Of several commission agents in the State oil
New. York, most of which proved an, entire
loss to- tile company, they never being able
to get at the same The manufacturing es
tablishment then moved to building on
Market street, where tits now located, and
to-day there are employed about the estab
lishment some twenty!sx hands, who pack
generally about 175 cases. Of medicine per
day In the year 1866. one million Bottles
were manufactured for the use Of the COM
pany, mostly made at the glass works .in
Lockports
Up to the time ofstbe outbreak Of tho re-
bellion, q very large trade was Carried on in
the Southern States, and the company we're
losers to the tune of about $50, 900 by Soutll-
ern merchants inability TO pay their debts
dnring tho progress Of the rebellion. Since
the year 1861 the business has increaeed over
300 per cent. They publish over one million
almanacs and circulars every year, and keep
two printing presses lin the establishment,
for thepprpose Of doing work, such as print.
ing agents cards, etc.
Thus this business has grown gradually
until it is now looked upon As one OF the lar
gest in our midst. DR.. Merchant, tho found
or Of the Garghng Oil, was diplomated by the
Philadelphia College Of Pharmacy, and after
established a branch OF business fiOts only
extensive but useful to the world, Every
scientific medical man knows that the com
binedinfiuence Of several ingredients In GER
tain fixed portion, subseryes an effect that
cannotbe Obtain ed by the same ingredients
separated, or in different combinations. SO
with this compound, It has been before the.
pubic over o quarter OF century, and is
deseryedlypopnlarl pA@ '7S'71 "I' o
NUArBER OF wnEcks.4I have been SenaG ena-
bled to obtain table Of wrecks Of Aneri-
can vessels for the past eleVenyears, which
may be relied on as, accurate, the figures
having been obtained from owners and JIM
suTance agents Interested in the lost yes
sells: it'1g ~ &aiI'E. 20 eih"+ fsf q
Year. AZ ,-..byyt.s,, No. ags Value
1868 ~, ~ 80. -, 355 .. 1897 G65
1859 70 Ihontbs) .fiq,n!. 300 Gae. 8,8S92n
1850 III months) sfcha 4e5t ", ,la9ilGS0' gSO
1861 .,,..,.,....,.,,,,. 558 49,, A II t967, 100
1852 q y .!giA ss' f462 ~. p12, ,765 060
1868 ..s.. ~ g.s ~ oE452 5LEsg 2O,58l, 800
1864 ..,...,...,.,.,.,A..- -496 s..a 20,44Q, $50
1865 s.s.id?.. ..e. ~ SO2 ~" 93,794 800
18G6 os.s 90. :. hiAss ., B7fal, . q81,056, 100
1901 eH,. s z s,ri,', srs S30sh fUg y, l5s,kVv
1868, (9 1lonths),t. ~, 257 - ll,6g8,50O
auE ,ia1.i6R salJ5si. 81 tl---lE-s--a-l -
Total, 10 Yrs Pmos. ,4sss71 Sl9s, ,702, ,S76
These figures are enormous, and, II they
were accompanied by the htiinbef Of lives
lost, wonldbe appalling. The average Of
vessels lost or partly lost, il, will be seen, is