The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1875-02-05
A Rambls among the Merchant Princes
Of Cheyenne.

" A@~A VI PANAAGAAlk IA tkGEN
change OF the moon for i've years
past the sudden collapse Of Cheyenne
and that its glory was about TO depart,
we thought it meet to interview some
Of our leading merchants on the pres
ent prosperity and future prospects OF
the place. To this end we casually
dropped into the stores Of
CONVERSE & WARRES.
on Sixteenth Street. and found both
members Of The firm busy, attending
to the calls Of customers. Having
waited OH them and exchanged some
Of their commodities for currency, we
made a remark about the unsettled
condition Of the weather. The senior
member deliberately said, " Yes"
How is business ?"
Pretty fair" said the senior. Il
wish it was a good deal livelier," said
the junior.
"If 1t is q fair question and you have
no objection to answering it, would
like to know about what your sales
amounted to in 1874"
Don't care about advertising our
business in that way" said the senior,
but have no objection to answering
the question. Our sales in round
numbers last year, amounted to about
SO,
About what was the average value
Of the stock carried by you during the
year,"
The cost Of the stock carried by us
during the year would average S25,-
600, - replied the junior.
What has been the direction of
your tradc?7
We'll, along the line of the Union
Pacific railroad as far west as Ogden,
and rs far east as Sidney. South, in
Colorado as far as Central; north,
among the ranchmeu, to the North
Platte River, and with the military at
all the posts rs far rs Camp Robinson
aud Camp Sheridan. Our trade with
Ogden has fallen of some during the
past year. and increased in the coun-
try north Of Cheyenne"
(which is the most important sec
ton for your trade, outside of Chcy-
cnnc?"
North OF here" said the senior.
"uow long have you been in bust
ness hcrc?"
About sever years"
What are the prospects for trade in
your line durirg the present year?"
Il think they are good" said Mr..
Converse. "All of the ranches need
more or less of our goods. and as
fast as they improve and make
money they require and obtain better
articles OF furniture. Some of the
ranChmcn have already bought of us
tolerahly large bills OF goods to fit up
their places with. The number of
ranches between here and the North
Platte has been steadily increasing,
and this year promises to be better in
this respect than any previous one:
Cheyenne is improving too, and | sec
no reason why our trade should not be
better and larger than it was last year"
Will times generally be as good
here this year as the past"
81 think they will be better. So
far rs l can judge, the indications
promise better times in Cheyenne this
year, than they have at any time du-
ring the past five years. Still, this is
but my opinion"
Converse & Warren have two stores
well stocked with all manner of glass
ware, ~earthenware, crockery, cutlery,
plated silver ware, carpetings, furni-
ture-both plain and costly, wall
paper, mattresses, pillows, comforters,
writing desks, book cases, &c. The
store occupied by the furniture and
carpet department is a fire proof brick,
two stories high, 22x12O feet, with a
basement cellar of the same width and
length. The basement is connected
with the first and second floors by one
of RCedy's patent elevators. The
windows in front consist of a single
plate Of French glass. The cost of
this building was about So, 900, and
vas erected in 1878. These gentle
men, the anne year, erected a fire
proof brick building adjoining this
store on the west, 22XS0 feet, two
stories high, with a cellar tile full
length, at Il cost of $4,000. The lower
story is now occupied by the First
National Bank of Cheyenne, and the
upper story by the Masons as their
lodge room. They contemplate erect
ing a brick store, 22xl2O feet, two
stories high, in place of their frame
buildings now occupied by crockery
and glassware, soon, and making ad-
ditions to their stock of goods, which
they cannot now do for lack of
room.
The clothing house of