Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1871-1872, 1872-04-05
WALTER II. SMITH.

New Dry Goods Palace. In the character
Of her business warehouses and buildings,
the present is the opening of new era for
ST. Louis. A wonderful transition from the
plain, old fashionde places Of trade to new
and elegant edices, complete throughout
with oil the modern improvements of sky
lights, elevators, speaking tubes, receiving
and shipping rooms, Offices, go, is general
ly and rapidly taking place.
The well and widely known house, the
name of which stands at the head of this
article, is not only not to be . whit behind.
but indeed among the foremost in this
splendid change. Already are scores of
workmen engaged in the construction of an |
immense warehouse, being bails by Chas. P |
ohOusesu, Esq, on the southwest corner of
Main and Washington avenue, for this firm.
No other house in our midst can more safely
or properly contemplate and execute an
advance OF this character. Ii is the well
known successor of the houses of EDDY,
Jameson & Co. and Jameson, Getting &. |
Co., who previous to, and during the late
war, stood at she very head of the wholesale
dry goods business of this city The good
name and wide fame Of those earlier firms
who built up, and conducted this business,
and the elements which led to its former
greatness and success, still attach to it and
their successor. The present firm has
gone on adding to lis fair fame and reaching
q still greater measure Of success. Its his
tory extends backward more than thirty
years, dating its commencement in the year
lS4l, and is, therefore, among the very old
est houses in St. Louis.
Ii is well known to persons at all cogniz
ant of the extensive Wholesale dry goods
business done of late years by
Walter NJ. Smith that it has outgrown the
premises at present occupied by the firm
though really large, yet they are far too
small. He now proposes to advance with
the growth of business and the city, aud
will ere long remove TO the magnificent
structure situated in the very focus and
centre Of trade.
His new building will be constructed of
iron, and will be strictly fire proof, with q
front on Main street of forty -four feet, and
. depth on Washington avenue of one
hundred and twenty-seven feet. 1t will be
six stories high, and will afford ground
space of 3S52S superficial feet, or more
than sbree-four,hs of an acre in space This
will afford ample room for storing and ex-
hibiting for sale one and half millions Of
dollars worth of goods. The lofts are to be
high and will comport with the best and
latest style Of architecture. The building
will contain double steam elevators and
every improvement and appurtensnce for
safety and convenience, in order to facilit-
ate the rapid and smooth transaction of
business operations. 1t is to be completed
under a contract to have it in fall readiness
for the ensuing spring trade.
Improvements of this character are Or
nsmsnts TO any city, ana are monuments
both Of the public spirit of their builders,
and that fourishiBg condition or state of
the commerce which demands their erection
If the familiar Aphorism of Carlyle that
Commerce ia King" be true, then, truly
that sign Of commerce which fosters land
able private ambition, Welcomes the exis.
tence and success of merchant princes, and
the erection OF palssial edi6ces, aud bears
with it the truest indices of the growth,
property aud power of the whole country.
All these things are seen 10 the success
Of Walter NJ Smith or his
business, which was in former years con-
fined to Missouri, Illinois and Iowa, now
extends over twelve States aud Territories,
is almost co-eztensive with the entire Yves,
and South, and is, therefore, suggestive of
almost national prosperity ard CONNER
oiAl Advancement.