The Ottawa free trader., 1875-03-20
A Mos L CLOTHING STORE.
A Firm of EntGrprising Men, and What They
Have Accomplished.


On Wednesday the new clothing firm o
EIske & BEEN opened their new and spaciou
rooms. The display of goods as well as the fix
lures, furniture etc., were all that the most san
guinc could have expected.
The following from Thursdays HpuJlaan 81
completely expresses our views as to the mag
ntcence and completeness of the establishment
that we copy it entire:
Pursuant to notice given last week, Mcssrs
Fiske IL BEEN yesterday threw open to the pun
lie. for inspection and patronage, their larg
clothing emporium on Madison street.-the lar
gest, best finished and furnished, best arranged
and most complete in all respects in This Con
gressional District. In order that its man.
readers who have no opportunity to examine II
or who hesitate to make sach inquiries as vii
satisfy them, may know that the statement is no
far-fetched, the Republican publishes some
what lengthy description of this model store
and requests, as favor, that, when through
with them, they hand their copies to their neigh
bors or send them to friends abroad and in thai
way distribute the knowledge impaired among
as many people as possible.
As proper introduction TO the article it will
not be out OF place to say that the senior of the
firm (Mr. F. L, Fiske) located in Ottawa in the
year 1856 and Immediately engaged in the cloth
ing trade, which he has ever since pursued with
marked success, in the east store of what was
then known as Stone Il Ees Block, the firm
name and title being Fiske and Taylor. Mr.
Fiske is OF Eastern nativity. Before coming to
Ottawa he sold goods in Aurora for period OF
Elk months. Fiske & Taylor remained in Stone
& Eels Block until the spring Of 1857 when, the
owners refusing to make such Improvements as
we're desired, they put up frame building on
Madison street, which was occupied ultil its
destruction by fire on the 18th of October, 1864,
previous to which time, however, Mr.. Fiskc (in
1852 purchased his partners Interest. The stock
saved vas renewed to the court house where
sGles were made until the meeting OF the Cir
cult Court in November following. when the
remnant was removed to j. Woods Hall lover
Smith, Rising Cos store) which was used as
q sales.room until the month Of June, 1865, when
the brick block lately occupied by the present
firm was finished. The next year Mr.. Fiske
formed q CO partnership with Messrs Stricklan
4 Wing, under the name of Fiske, Strickland Il
Wing, which continued in business un.il 1870
when the firm was dissolved and the present
one organized.
Mr. N. Beem the junior partner, took his
first lessons as tailor's apprentice in Columbus
OHIO, at the early age OF thirteen, where, after
number Of years spent at his trade, at farming
and as a groceryman in Illinois, he was subse.
quently in partnership with his employer and
did thriving business until the cetton fever it-
1ncnu him In bic In, th.,
whittier he went in 1866, remained one year and
returned to the North dead broke settling in
Ottawa In 1867. Here he organized and became
q silent partner in the merchant tailoring de-
partment of Messrs Fiske, Strickland Il Wing
which, under his management rapidly grew un
Ill it became one of the leading manufacturing
industries Of the city.
The firm was the first IN the state, or else
where, so far as known, to put into the field q
travelling agent to take orders for suits to be
manufactured from samples The strongest cv.
idence of its success in that direction that can
be cited is the fact that the packages sent dur.
ing the year 1874 by the firm by express to all
parts Of this and other Western States, and even
TO the Rocky Mountains, aggregated between
seven and eight hundred. Mr.. BEEN did the
cutting for the firm until about three years ago
when Mr. A. b. Cherrier, of Columbus, Ohio, was
engaged,w who makes it specially and is assisted
by Mr.. BEEN and another cutter.
The new emporium was formed by the con.
version of the stores lately occupied by Messrs
Hull Il Bartels and Woodward IL Co. into one
capaciOus rooA, through the centre of which and
supporting the ceiling, is row of ten iron col.
umns, painted black and trimmed with gold leaf.
The ceiling is an imitation of corrugated iron.
The walls are nicely frescoed. This large room
is divided, 65 feet from the front, by partition
Of alternate strips ef black walnut and butter.
nut, seven feet high, into saes-room and
the cutting and sample room Of the merchant
tailoring department.
Before entering the store the most noticeable
objects are the three French plate window glass
5by IL feet, with oval top-the largest in the
visitor will observe at his right near the window
large mirror, by II feet, in gothic frame OF
black walnut. This mirror is the largest west OF
Chicago, and cost $3.50 Along the east wall is a
case of ten large drawers for fine goods. Above
and extending to the partition is an elevated
platform for trunks.
The shelving on the west side OF the room is
feet high and extends distance of 81 feet. Its
base is pa feet wide and the same in height
The shelving is divided into compartments of !
feet inches each with crowned recess in cen.
Ter for plate mirror, below which is the mono.
gra;h F. Il B. In front Of the shelving are
four tables, black walnut trimmed with butter.
nut, on which rest three show cases-two 10 feet
plate glass, in ebony frames, with silver corners
a novelty in Ottawa,
Near the front is a show ease for fancy furn.
ishng goods, G feet long and ~ in height, the
front glass of which is 4 by feet and the side
glasses feet ? inches ny p feet. The frame is
of solid rosewood.
In the center Of the room are nine tables, each
thirteen feet long, Of black walnut trimmed with