The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1872-05-23

pays considerable attention 10 repair
ing, and all persons having dealing
point of workmanship and elegance
of style, but in buildings and conven-
fences also. Like NEST Others when
commencing business, they lacked
many of the conVeniences necessary
to prosecute their business to its fall
est capacity, and, like all mankind,
were doomed to misfortune and ad-
versity-fer, in August of last wear,
| the establishment took fire and burned
to the ground. In q moment the ac-
cumulatiom of years of hard and in
cessant toll was swept away But,
nothing daunted, and with that en-
ergy characteristic of business men,
and ere the ruins were scarcely cold,
they set about the work of rebuilding,
and in sixty days from the date of the
fire their large and elegant tour-story
building, used for the woodworking
department, was completed, Their
loss from the fire was very heavy, ex-.
.ceeding $4,000. But notwithstand-
ing the loss, the check thus suddenly
thrown upon their operations was of
but momentary duration. Instead OF
diminishing, it tserved to create o much
greater capacity for their business.
They have subsequently, erected two
other buildings, one repository and
the other ,blaeksmith-shop, making
three in all. The buildings are of
brick, and in size the following The
woodworking and trimming depart
ment, S0x120. and four stories high !;
the first floor is devoted exclusively
| to woodworking, the second floor to
trimming, the third to painting, and
the fourth floor to vanishing and fin-
ishing. The biacksmith-shop is Cox
70. and three stories high, the first
floor being devoted to the blacksmith
ing, and the two upper stories to gear
ing painting. The third and last
building is the repository, and is Cox
80. and four stories high; this build
ing is devoted exclusively to the re-
ception of finished carriages of every
description. The buildings all stand
short distance apart, and are con-
nected with self-supportiug bridges,
which enables them to move vehicles
from one department to- the other,
free from dirt and dust. They en-
ploy at the present time from % to 80
hands, and make about 800 vehicles
annually, ranging in value from $225
to $500. These vehicles find mar
ket all over the United States. They
confine their business exclusively to
carriage work, such as the building of
fine coaches, hearses, double and sin
gle carriages, sc. They employ the
best workmen that can be had, and
use the very best material that can be
procured. They employ practical
and experienced draughtsman, origin-
ating nearly all of their own designs.
and they have finishing-room equal
if not superior to any in the United
States. Messrs. Merits & Riddle are
both practical workmen, of many
years experience in the principal
shops of our largest cities. Hence
their great success in the business.
Possessing thorough knowledge OF
every branch of the business, they are
enabled to know just what can be
done to yield the greatest advantages,
and where every dollar invested will
pay the largest per cent; and, taking
the works throughout, we can only
say that they are immense, and we
congratulate Ravenna on the posses
sion of such men, and establishments,
as the carriage manufactory of Merits
& Riddle.
9 Col. c. g. Cotter,
Has his Plating establishment located
in one of the buildings of Merits u
Riddle, He commenced business in
Ravenna in.1957, and has continued to
carry it on ever since with the excep-
ton of the period during the war,
when he was in the army. He does
both close and electro plating, and his
work cannot be excelled by that of
any other establishment east or west.
gtr-s j. 8. Smith 10 i33s
Is the proprietor of the "model" dry
goods house of the town, and deserv-
ing of a prominent notice in this
sketch of Ravenna. Mr.. Smith .estab-
lished himself in his present location
about seven years ago. He is man
of large experience in the dry goods
business, as every feature of his large
establishment indicates. We notice
that thing is conducted in a sys-
tematic manner, and his goods are ar
ranged with view to convenience,
both to customer and salesman His
line of fine dress goods is without
doubt the largest and most carefully
selected in the city; and as to prints,
hosiery, notions, &C., there is an end
less variety of all shades and colors.
The carpet department is on the
second floor, and here we were sur
prised to see SO extensive business
in that line in so sEaall a town as Ra-
VIENNA; and we were informed by Mr..
Smith that his stock of carpets were
low, as the season for that class of
goods is about over. But it would
seem to us that he has yet enough left
to carpet all the houses in the village.
This is an establishment of which any
town might well feel proud. His
corps of gentlemanly clerks are all the
very best that could be procured and
i'm fact from first to last, and through
out the entire establishment, every
thing is system and order. The house
of J. S. Smith is doing far the largest
business of anV establishments in town.
The amount of his sales in the past
seven years will aggregate upwards
of 5000, 0,O00-almOst hundred thou
sand year. In fact it is the model
store of the town, both in style and
business, and we congratulate Ra-
VIENNA on the possession of such an
establishment. t.sss1a a.r
4 rf Musser s. Parker - sbfHa
Is the style of one of our popular and
well-known clothing and merchant
ldl4OFIHS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. AnC puSA'
ness was originally established by E.
Musser, about eight years ago, who
continued alone in the business until
about a year since, when Mr.. Parker
was admitted as partner to the con-
Germ. The principal management of
the store devolves entirely upon Mr..
Parker, as Mr.. Musser's time is occu-
pied In the hotel. This firm Is located
at No. 2 Etna Block, and may be
classed, and rightly too, rs the leading
clothing and merchant tailoring house
in the county, or in this sectiQn of the
State. TheFe are other houses, per-
haps, that carry a larger stock of
goods; but for quality, style, and
make up, this house is equal TO the
first-class establishments of our large
eities, They carry avery large and
full stock of ,eady-made clothing
and their line of uent's furnishing