The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1870-01-07
EMPORIA AND HER BUSINESS HOSES
A Glimpse OF the Business of 1863.

Emporia has never, in any one year
made such rapid strides toward that de-
gree of importance and prosperity which
its friends have always claimed it would
attain, as during the year just closed.
The business of the town was never half
so great as during the year 1869. The
town draws its trade from large dis
trict Of country. That country has, du-
ring..the year past filed up rapidly with
newcomers. The increase of perma-
nent settlers in the Valleys of. the Neo-
sho and Cottonwood and their tributa-
ries, has been great, and the trade and
business of the town have been proper
tionately larger than ever before.
Strangers and travellers say Emporia
can boast of some of the most thorough
and best fitted business houses south OF
the Kaw river. Some of our rooms as
as well as some of our stocks would
compare favorably with many of the bu-
siness houses East in towns of four
times the population of Emporia.
In point of improvements no town in
Kansas can show a better record for
1863 than this. At the close of last year
q careful canvass developed the fact that
there had been about one hundred thou
sand dollars worth of building done
during the year 1865. We had intended
to have a complete list of the improve
ments of 1869, but time and space will
not admit of this. 1t is estimated by
those best qualified to judge that the
value of improvements for 1863 will
double those of 1868. When it is con-
sidered that great proportion of the
houses built were small and CHEAP. it
may readily be seen that two hundred
thousand dollars worth of new build
ings will go q great ways in the actual
growth of the town. Buildings have
sprung PIP in every quarter as if by
magic. To-day we think we could go
over the town and count fifty buildings
which have not yet been long enough
from the carpenters hammer or the ma
sons darby to receive the universal coat
of paint. Probably the most substan-
tial and valuable improvement of the
year is the brick block completed by
Messrs. Moore and Weaver for their
new drug house, and Mr.. T. G. whitley
for the new dry goods store which he
already occupies. There are few more
tastefully arranged or substantially
built blocks in any western town than
this. Many other substantial and beau
tiful business houses would have been
erected had it not been impossible to
obtain the materials. Already arrange
ments are concluded which will insure
the erection of several fine blocks early
in the present year.
We are sorry that there is no means
of getting at the actual figures of the
BUSINESS transacted by the town during
the year, because we know they would
make o good showing for our young
city. AS it is, we are compelled, in onr
showing of the business of Emporia for
1863, to rely upon estimates in a great
measure, in place of the actual figures.
In
RANKS.
We have two good and well managed
banking institutions, with capital suffi-
cient to accommodate the wants of the
community. Swallow, Heritage & So
den established themselves in this bust
ness in 1866. Riggs, Dunlap & Co.
opened in May last. The first named
firm have one of the finest fitted bank
rooms in the State. Riggs, Dunlap & CO.
will build on the old Eskridge corner in
the spring. Both these institutions dc
good business.
DRY GOODS
the principal houses are Bancroft and
McCarter, Newman and Bro, T. G. Wi.
bley, Hall and Bro, j. c. Fraker anJ
p. G. Hallburg. The first named firm
commenced business in October, ani
has sold at the rate of from eight to tel
thousand dollars per month. Newman
Brothers, Qate Newman and Houghton
have sold during the year in the neigh
borhood of fifty thousand dollars worth
of goods; at least this is our guess
Whitley Gate Whitley and Truittl ha
done a fine business, amounting, ",
should say, to thirty or thirt-five thous
and dollars during the year, while Hall
| berg has done a business little behint
the best. This last named is one of tn
oldest houses in the business. Hall an,
Bro. are not much if any behind thei
neighbors. Mr.. Fraker opened late il
the season, and we cannot even guess a
his sales but Judging from his univer
sal popularity, we should say his trad
had been as great as any house in tow
with the same amount of capital invest
ed. lie has branch store at EldOradt
This house and that of Bancroft an
McCarter have been established durin
the year, while those of Waskey an
Hurst and c. V. Eskridge have clC
| sed out.
GROCERIES.
j Most of the stores above menti0ne
/ keep groceries, but we have some lare
establishments exclusively in the gr'
Gerry and provision business. Bale
and Painter, Gillett and Hadley, NJ
MILAN and Houghton and Wicks al
Mayse are the principal firms in tn
! line of trade. They are all doing
splendid business. The houses of NJ
MILAN and HOughtOn and Bailey Al
D Painter have been established duriI
the past year. Wicks and Mayse bougl
5 out G. W. Frederick. Bay and Hall, 6
: old house in this trade, went out of b
e siness. Besides these houses, ]. L. Da
ton, Ferguson and Harvey and John '
Morris do very considerable grocer
, trade. Counting the establishments re
q ularly in the business, and all those pa
r TALLY so, and we estimate that the gr
c Gerry trade of the town during the We
It will not fall short of 100000.
II CLOTHING.
IS i. E. Perley and Co. are exclusive
s in the Clothing trade. William Clal
3 adds boots and shoes, and both the
: honses have done a heavy clothing b
s siness. Many of our dry goods stoE
also make clothing 8 feature in thu
. trade. The first named house has go
into the business during the year.
he BOOTS AND SHOES.
= p. ]. Lehnhard, Topliff and Fren
he and William Clapp are the firms in Il
of trade. Messrs. Lehnhard and Cha
y have manufactures in connection WI
their trade, and manufacture extensi'