Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1871-03-31

ID. b.. FISK & Co,

importers and wholesale dealers in millinery,
straw goods, ladies' furnishing, fancy goods, and
above engraving. 1t is the pioneer wholesale
millinery house of the Northwest, was established
in the spring of 1853, on Wells street, between
Lake and South Water. and was regarded at the
time as a hazardous experiment The city then
numbered about 10000 people, the surrounding
country was new and sparsely settled, railroads
In 1854 they moved to 1874 Lake street. From 1855
to 1857 they were at 165 and 167 Lake street, up
stairs. In the spring of 1887 their business having
steadily increased, they removed to the splendid
iron building where they now are, occupying the
second and third floors; Two years ago their bust
ness had so outgrown heir accomm odations that
they took the whole building-the two floors
above them for manufacturing and packing
rooms, and converted the two stores below into
one. for a salesroom and counting room-and fit
giant sty e, with toilet rooms on the first floor for
their lady customers.
AN ACRE AND QUARTER OF MILLINERY
So that including the basement they now have
six floors, so by l65 feet-l931@ square rods, or
nearly an acre and quarter of floor room for the
display and sale of millinery goods-it being the
largest store devoted exclusively to the millinery
trade in the United States
80 EXTENT OF THEIR TRADE.
Their trade extends from the Wabash to the
Pacific, and from the Red River country of Brit
| ish America to Texas. Beginning with annual
sales Of few thousand dollars, they have sweiled
into the millions, their sales last year exceeding
by 80 per cent. the sales of the year previous.
Western people are more liberal in their eXpendi-
lures than Eastern people, and the ladies, espe-
cially in our thriving Western cities and villages,
require even more fashionable and costly styles
of dress and millinery goods than their Eastern
sisters.
SYSTEM AND PRONIPTNESS. ... ..
Everything in this house Is systematized, and
their arrangements with the telegraph and ex-
press companies are so perfect that they can send
orders to their buyers in New York on Friday
night, and have the goods ordered delivered Mt
their store in Chicago at 8 O'Clock on Monday
morning, in season for their morning customers.
! LARGEST AND FRESHESTsST0CK.
They always have the largest, freshest, and most
complete stock of goods in their line to be found
under one roof in this country, thus saving their
customers the time and expense of coming Fast,
and the extra freight on their goods, and reducing
! the time between purchasing and ordering their
| goods from days to hours.
| REASONS OF THEIR SUCCESS
| Their great success has been achieved by their
| enterprise, sagacity affability, integrity, indus
| try, good taste in the selection Of their stock
promptness in securing the latest and best styles am
turers of their goods, both in the Old World and in the
New, tributary to their wishes; thorough acquaint-
ance with the wants of the trade, and constant aten
ton to the interests of their customers and by keeping
Only those in their employ who efficient and trust
wa iv assistants and who take personal interest in
| the business of the firm
gf aa WHATSUCH MEN HAVE DONE.
| 1t is such as they who have transformed Chicago
within few years. rom mud village, struggling for
existence between waste of waters and painless will
derness into gigantic city whose business houses OF
mammoth proportions as bsta initial marble and
iron can make them whose temples ofscence, art and
religion rival those of cities hundred years old whose
trade and commerce embrace both hemispheres, and
| whose name has gone abroad into all the earth