The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-02-26
HOMER, COLLADAY u co.
A Description OF their PaIatIal New
store.

opened 10 the public u is neediesa Ia anv anv
thing In eulogy OF the matchiess exterior 40.
arrangements forrom the time the firss sfounds.
tion stone was laid the progress OF Its erect,on
magnificence. as IL rose from story to story.
made towns talk. Nevertheless, some little
ii-of the character and extent of their bIsl
ness-and then description OF the structure
In he SeaT a sne dy soods Of
Il GuilIou had Its origin. IL at once took
place In the foremost rank of firms in that busi
ness and It's store made the depository In
which Philadelphia fashionables sought for the
richest of imported fabrics. From that time
until the present-the year lS09-the firm as
then constituted has but little changed; for
with the exception of the retirement or Mr.
Guillou and the admission of some juniors the
concern, SO far as regards It's partners remains
as IL was Upon the retirement of Mr.. Guillou
the firm style was Thomas w; Evans 4 o.
the same gentlemen who founded the fortunes
Of the house, and by their enterprise and pro-
bity raised IL to Its present Impregnable posi-
zion, are still included In the Organization of
Us shorty alter the formation OF the house 4,
made connections with many of the great
manufacturers of Paris, Lyons, Belfast, etc.,
lin ems, gloves, hosiery, and the endless variety
OF textiles that go TO make the stock of q great
distributing emporium IN metropolitan city.
The object of the firm was to obtain exclusive
styles OF goods, so far ss possible, and to their
success In this direction is TO be attributed, In
step, followed the rapid increase of their busi.
ness. Another element which oonduced and
largely conduced 10 this success, was their oon-
stant endeavor to procure goods to suit-both
In quality and price-all classes of customers.
While upon the counters OF the store could be
| found fabrics tall enough in price to reach to
the bottom OF the longest purse, yet the most
shriyelled and limp purse could safely venture
| dainty te extures find some, pretty enough. good
enough, but so cheap in price that It's few
| pennies would not all be taken in the purchase.
| Rich and poor were alike certain of discover
| ing goods to suit them. In their new store as
In their Ole. lhe nIm VIII again make this en-.
The name Homer, Colladsy & Co." became
| long ago sort of household word, not only
| with ladies throughout the city, but thro1eh-
out the South ana West. The firm found tnat
literally W crowded away by people seeKing wete te
make wholesale purchases. A.season after wards
they created ,e separate n and distinct depart
| to the troops of fashionable ladies VINO made
the store general mart and rendezvous,
goods stores in other localities who came
| to Philadelphia to select that grade of
Keeps at least the sn OF supply for the Ger Sse
ter class of his trade. We have already visited
TO the general public on Monday next. Every
| Philadelphian will. of course, visit II. The
sti eet, were handsome, but nothing to com.
pare With the new sl building IL ls just the DIFF
| with them. 10 the Arm itself there is no
change, nor is there any in their connections
| They buy for gold all the Silks the veivets the
merinoes, the lawns. the hosiery, and all the
| port, and retain unbroken connections with
the proprietors of the same looms with whose
% aSsS aays Of ns ladies of Pa
| Beio, @ .ntrriux vi .rron description ofthe new
ediacelof the fffn, 4: may be proper to naentioA
Rsn
| busy in the workrooms, and The remaining one
| If nor nj fha,
store are several; what is more, they are note.
worthy 10 everybody. Each department. is
| tlu usty chief. There is one department devoted
to gloves OF all the various kinds; another is
| filled with hosiery and knitted underwear-a
| furnishing store in Itself. The silk department
is something calculated to cause the pupil OF q
linen and housekeeping goods department is
another consoling study. The woouen and
! while long line of counters Is devoted to dress
To our notion the best idea of the whole
thing is The department of lingerie. "Lingerie"
is good idea 1t means that ladies or misses
in want of apparel already made. needn't lin.
ger any length OF time in being supplied with
IL. In the Handsomely furnished paTlors sepa.
rated from the main body Of the store, ladies
underwear. ear and travelling or street dresses s 5,
but can order any garment constituting their
costume to be en-, made @ tosor66er. 6 Dressmskers,
establishments, supervise this particular
branch OF the business. A family of girls. from
u y,
can be fitted out in the lingerie department Of
Homer, Colladay & Co., with entire wardrobes.
fanny one wants to 10s, know why M It is h that the
goods, and the many articles OF merchandise
| that I'LL th cir Shelves the answer is that one
member OF the firm spends, among the manu-
facturers of the European continent, not less
than eight months In the year.
The lot on which this store stands, and by
which II Is entirely covered. measures "a feet
| 10 SAMSON street The building consists of
three prin cipal divisions, three-story front
building, 60 feet deep, four story building, 40
, | feet deep, and between them one-story part,
, 1872 feet deep, the roof being pierced by seven
large skylights, each feet high and ~ feet
keep the first floor entirely unobstructed by
columns, the rear wall OF the two high build
iIgs are pts & Dy o%SnSb SSt S. iron iron
= stIaiping rods, and each grder weighing 10
, tons, while the floor joists are suspended by
| strong iron rods from the roof trusses.
The first fioor being the retail salesroom, Is
subdivided into two parts by large arched
. division, the front part devoted to the sales o
ON one side the dark room" for the display Of
= | evening goeds on the other side o retiring
room for lady customers.
sale of mantillas and dresses, and following
this, at the extreme end, and al the sides of the
a large passage leading to SAMSON street, are the
| cutting and fitting rooms for ladies, stairs tC
upper rooms, and large nre-proof: co..,
q The second and third stories OF the Chestnut
dspsrtment ee While the S ganso% M street tree baidint
| contains In each Of the three upper stories
room 40 by 42 feet, finely lighted and ventilated
Y cloaks, dresses, and ladies' underwear. 1t give
| luxurious room for $50 operators, and Is pro
vided with every modern convenience ant
The basement is used for receiving goods
has hy draulic elevator which distributes tue u
0 tain tains sh dressinsTooms for the employees In tb
establishment, which, like the others, Is sup