The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1870-11-10

il Only to show how long journey the
country has travelled between the Fugitive
Slave Law of 1850 and the Freedmens 6af-
fr.se # 1870. -+l
OF this man Hovey, and the work he nc
complished, and the. inasenee which lives
after him, I wish to say something. His
name may not be known in Kansas now,
but Kansas was known to Chas. F. Hovey
while he lived, and he. poured out his
money freely to mako Kansas free. The
dry goods business of Hovey, Williams 4
Co., w,s established in the spring Of 1876,
and wholesale and retail store was opened
on Winter street. Mr.. Hovey took his re-
ligion and his principles into the store with
him, believing them good enough to live by
and to lie acted upon on all occasions. This is
the res.,on why his name lives and is still
worthy of being talked and written about.
Hovey did not believe in white slavery any
more than black, and every man and wo-
man in his employ knew and felt this great
fact. Fair wages were given to those who
worked for him. the rooms in which they
worked were we'll ventilated and warmed,
and every attention was paid to their per-
sonal comfort. At times when the house
had been very successful, a division of
profits was made with the employees whose
industry and honesty had contributed to
these results. Mr.. Hovey died in 1859,
but his surviving partners and their asso-
ciates have honored his principles by keep
ing them alive. Clerks who served in the
Union army had their positions kept open
for them and their families still shared
IN the division of the profits. But l need
give no more details of this sort. 1t is a
Christian house, and its cornerstone is
honor and integrity. One of the sayings
one constantly hears in this city is this:
"Go to Hovey's and you won't be cheated"
1t il known that You will find honest goods
at honest prices, and if there are any young
men in our State or elsewhere, who doubt
that honesty is the best policy, they will
find here one bright and successful example
of constant and practical integrity. 1t
speaks we'll for New England that its hrg-
est dry goods establishment has been built
up on this manly, generous, honorable and
Christian basis. And it is only natural that
this conscience which has permeated the
whole establishment, should be accompanied
by sagacity, business habits and methods,
| and good judgment; for a sound and
| honest heart makes a clear head.
have taken the trouble, or the pleasure,
| to go through this store; it is the most COM
| plete of its kind here, and the largest have
ever examined, though not SO large As one,
at, least, in New York, and if can de-
scribe it 80 that it will stand out before our
| western readers who cannot often visit the
| Atlantic cities, l believe l shall do them
a service. A true picture of such an estab-
lishment would have a real value in show
| ing how far civilization had travelled in
the way of the collection and distribution of
| the articles worn by human beings for use
and for beauty. Only modern times and mod
ern systems of communication - for goods
and mcn-have made possible such great
mercantile depots. With camels, OK mules,
or horses, or sailing vessels only to rely
upon, the goods and the purchasers could
not be brought together. Division Of labor
accumulation of capital, the perfection OF
machinery and manufactures, communica'
ton by steam, the marriage Of art and arti
san, Of poetry and prose-all that goes tc
make up that peculiar combination which
we call refinement and civilization, is conf
PEELED to unite, fuse and bloom, when any o
these great results is achieved And, when
it is done, we pass it by unnoticed, or pro
coed to make something better.
Robert Hall said of Burke: His imperia
fancy has laid all nature under tribute, and
has collected riches from every scene of the
creation and every walk of art, and wha
genius and industry did for Burke, the grea
merchant docs for his emporium.
In going over this bazaar-which woulC
cover several acres if spread out on ia
surfacc-we will begin on the fifth floor, OF
Summer street-it would bc the sixth if ",
counted the basement. The building ex
| tends from Summer to Avon streets, anC
NAV be said to bc two buildings, ina>mucf
as the first floor is only one story high in thu
centre, the space above that roof being lef
open for light. The Summer street front j:
Of granite, and the only "sign" any wher,
about the building is the name Of the firm
cut in stone, on this front. The Avon street
front is OF iron, painted white, to resemble
marble, and is airy and graceful, while the
other front is solid and substantial.
The size of this north fifth floor is 80 by
II feet, and the fourth, third and second,
i Us
is brought up here by the steam elevator
marked, and lowered through the otheI
stories. Many Of the packages are. never
opened, but sold as received.
The fourth -four is a wholesale room, de
voted to shawls, tiannelS, cloakinss, blanket.
and quilts Among the s!,awls are those OF
the Middlesex Mills, Of Lowell, which, fol
beauty of finish and coloring, cannot bt
equalled. Hovey Il Co. furnish their OWL
STYLES and patterns to the manufacturer, anC
have exclusive control of the goods so ordered
and made OF course the Paris, Paisley
cameps hair, and all other kinds of shawl:
are to be found here.
The third floor is for the sale Of plain
dress goods, hosiery, white goods, linens ant
black goods. The second floor is for fine
French dress goods and silks and for the
counting room and business offices.
| While standing here We will look across The
first story to the Avon street building, the
roof being worth CHANGING at. The space
left vacant to give light to the retail room
| in the roof, measures seventy-one by fifteen
feet-large enough for the floor Of an ordi
nary store. Another light isthir,y by fifteer
i 0lu SIViS arc AZ
roof All are of the bulls eye pattern, the
patent of which is owned by Thaddeu.
Hyatt-once put in Jail for supposed COM
plicity in slave conspiracy-and the man
for whom Hyatt, Kansas, is named.
Now We will 60 to the first floor, the re
tail room. Like the basement, it measures
two hundred and sixty by seventy-one feet,
and is the most handsome, elegant and larg.
est retail room in New England. 1t is now
and always crowded with ladies and gentle
men, the former predominating. Abou. one
hundred and fifty clerks are employed about
the establishment, 80 there is no lack of at
tendance and of courteous attention. The
room is very high, and has spacious and
| imperial air. There are massive black wal
nut and plate glass doors at both entrances,
/ and large vestibule at each, shutting on:
| cold and heat and noise, and giving one a
chance to turn around, think and look before
| plunging into the arena Of brigh; dresses,
CAV colors, fair faces and busting activity.
Look at these columns and lights! There
are forty pillars, with Corinthian capitals,
white ~ the purest marble, supporting a
massive. entablature and producing an ef-
/ feet as they stretch down the long cclonnade
which one might expect to find in a palace
or barouial hall, not in an emporium de-
voted to trade. Twenty-seven chandeliers
make the scene by night even more dazzling
than By day.
The room is divided into twenty
departments. On the west side are en-
broidefy, laces, white goods, ladies hosiery
and gloves, ladies underwear, infant ward
| robes. housekeeping goods, hannelS, do