Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1877-06-02
In orr Grandf,thsr,a nnva


It twas customary O have the cl1iaine OF the fam
ily made at home, or IN eases where means won't,
permit orders were sent % Europe; but n0 sucl
facilities ss are offered TIE public TO da- for hav
ing garments made 10 measure were ever dream
f Ell OF by our fathers fathers.
IN the last generation q great advance was
made in the facilities f5I ordering clothing, hut il
has re,naiacI for tie present day, aud FOR the
propr,etors Of Oak Hall, Boston, 70 show Tie
practicability OF combining perfection or work.
manship and style with c&ucme moderation in
price, and Tapifi'y OF construction.
The elder portion OF our community win recall
with pleasant memories the names Of Kilham &
Mears, Goodrich Dyer and l.. 4. Huntingdon
men long since dead, who, when living, took
pride in their profession, and were widely known
for their skill and respected for their honesty.
This was before the days OfGny Kind ofmechan-
ical aid in the way Of sewing machines or button
hole attachments. II was the time when gar
ments were made to last for many years, without
regard to price or change OF style,
After these came the modern class Of clothers,
who, with the advantage of every mechanical
continuance, stll maintained the high prices and
followed in the footsteps of their predecessors.
The new system introduced ut Oak Hall breaks
away from all trammclt and marks out an indie
pendent line.
Only few months since, after careful compu-
!ation OF cost Mcssrs. SIMMONS s SON resolved
to experiment in regard to what NIGH. be called
a 1cb0icsaie custom business - that is, they con
ceived the possibility Of taking hundred orders
where one had been taken before 49, and to accom-
plsh this end they brought to bear all the re-
sources at their command.
Increase Of stock, space and working force
were the preliminary steps leading to the com.
plete revolution of many existing ideas long as
ISOLATED with custom work.
The times were particularly adapted to the sue
cess of such an enterprise. All classes of goods
could be bought at low prices; labor was plenu.
full; everybody felt the necessity for economy,
and judicious advertising soon brought to Oak
Hall rich and abundant harvest of trade. Adj
dtions and engagements to space and force fol
lowed in such rapid succession, that to-day
larger space is devoted to the custom work, and
a larger force of cutters is employed at Oak Hall
than at any other place we know Of in the coun-
| try.
Many mistakes were made in the early stage Of
this enterprise, Notwithstanding the most watch
ful care and constant viligence the part of the
chiefs Of the departments. The truth is that for
! a time the business was literally overwhelming,
and it has only been since the completion Of the
new rooms, and increase of helm in every mart
1.t to ,vorl has hoo hro,,o,f M, f. t,,o rasont
''i' t'ie WON mas peo'' io"sl' up " 'ie present
standard of perfection. well regulated machine
never makes mistake; so we may truly say
| shat mistakes are almost impossibilitics to-day
in the custom department at Oak Hail, as the
whole process (from the moment the customer
,,,t,,., a., 80, g., L., ~ ,,,,, a., a., &c.,
Io loo'ii " iI|, ms J." VIC ".Ie
mechanical nicely; one class Of assistants show
tto ,,oo7s o,ot,,.r t,l.os ,l,, ,,,oo,,,,. ,,t, -,
wy '' ~
detail Of the work enough cred tape" is employed
to st.rt y,or,. ros,,oc4aI,o rico
10Y >0'''"'o W o'''''''s "'''" @''
But the customer EAO"5 nothing 81 any details
of the work, except as he sees the result in the
prom,,tl ioiio, ~ ~, @ dn 'o" u
MA Iast nridanrn Of fha gr"Sass r ibis ,,,
donnTt,nnIt l. o r In )i mn onI 500 t, nm
Tas 81 IN b WI it ,iIC "" se niSg7t
ia secnre the economica} benefits Of fhc now sVs.
ren1 ~ n,el, of hunrIa n,a9ns Nassrs ST,T,5ii,y,