The post. [volume] (Middleburg, Snyder County, Pa.) 1864-1883, 1873-08-28

WASAMAKER 4 BRows, SOUTHEAST cor.
OF SIXTH AND MARKET STREETS, PHIL
ADELpHIA.

| ply DiItu WibuOus itdthtfr. ttuu Oue
OF the chiet objects of existence Of a
large class Of men among civilized
communities seem to be most taste.
fully to make up for this deficiency.
"What to eat, and "Wherewithal VIC
be clothed p are the two great ques
tons which make up the cum OF
mans temporal wants. As we al
vance in culture we also improve in
dress, and our perfection in the lat
ter is no bad criterion Of our position
in the scale Of civilization and refine
ment.
The rcady-made clothing business
in this country has made prodigious
strides and under the stimulating
influences of taste combined with en-
ergy and capital, this country car
claim to be one Of the best dressed
nations on the globes New York City
for many years had almost exclusive
control Of this influential branch oI
trade, & vast firms have been estab-
lished and grown in wealth and in
fluence. In the course OF our inves-
legations we have had occasion FIRE
quently TO make mention of such
houses, and we now with much
pleasure yield the space for an up
precintive notice of an establish
ment which for marvellous prosperity
may be fairly called one Of the won.
ders of America.
New York may well he envious n
the great fame which has been achevi
ed by the well-known firm OF
WASAMAKtR & BRowN,
whose famous establishment in Phil
adeiphia, called Oak Hall, has per
haps the widest reputation of any
clothing house in America: The
success of this house has been due
in very great degree to the per
severance and untiring industry of
Mr.. Wanamaker the senior member
of the firm, and it is especially re-
markable from the unprecedentedly
short time in which that success has
been attained. When he determined
to embark in this business old mer-
chants shook their heads and even
the most venturesome felt doubt as
to the expediency of entering upon
new projects The rebellion was
Just on tho eve ofits commencement,
and the whole future of the country
seems enveloped in doubt and danger.
But Mr.. Wanamaker had too sure an
instinct to feel any doubts az to the
final triumph of the right, and having
associated with himself the late Mr..
Nathan S. Brown, he leased three
rooms in an old and unsightly build
ing on the site of their present i'm
mcnse establishment. Mr.. Browns
interest in the business expired with
his death five years ago.
In the short space Of two years
the business increased to such a de
gree, that the firm were obliged to
add to their premises the rest of the
building on the corner of Sixth and
Market streets. Before the eypira-
ton of the term Give years., for which
the original lease had been given. m
eXtenaion of the same was obtained
with the privilege of purchasing, TO
gether with the right to expend S40,-
600 in improvements upon the pro
perty. A rather doubtful privilege
and n large sum for 30 young firm.
The next step was TO purchase the
| adjoining property on Sixth street
extending to Minor street aud short
ly after that on Market street WAS
added, Tho whole buildings were
then remodeled into a large and i'm
posing Structure 33 feet front and
rear on Market and Minor streets.
and $50 feet deep on Sixth street and
six stories in height. Large as were
these premises they were but one
half the size Of the present Oak Hall.
Another building of equal size was
added and the whole connected and
thrown into one vast establishment.
We have as yet spoken nothing OF
the details of the enormous business
transacted by this house. system is
the soul of everything, and is one of
the primary elements which have
conducted to its wonderful success.
This business IL divided into twenty
distinct departments in which are
employed over two thousand hands
Every branch of the trade is carried
pn within tho buillinu ami nn1a,