, 1880-04-04
JOHN M. SMYTH.


Madison Street.
Old citizens remark that there is nothing in
the somewhat dramatic commercial history
Of Chicago to completely parallel the growth
OF the furniture trade Of West Madison
street, that little river Of trade that floats the
commerce Of the great West Side. These
"old timers" who remember that along
shortly after the War time there was but one
general dealer in carpets and furniture to
supply chat large residence district; liken the
nutiber of hotises that now line the street to
nothing but the 'innumerable hosts" Of
Scripture. No other Interest of the street
has developed with such continuous rapidity,
Vest Madison street being to-day regarded
as the base line OF furniture supplies for the
entire western half Of the city. They account
for it in the way the business got start, by
the splendid method Of its inauguration, the;
of . magnificent early, prestige: John
II: Smyth, >; founder Of the. business
ihg thy ;; ;:;eaIiy tefiod .fe1eted to,-;
and lonk ,, il q position that MADE tilq largely
happened to be '.strong msn,"-in the
commercial sense, THAT Is to sy, lie appears
to have been ain excellent hnpersonation
oI commercial genius, addilg to = clear
spirit Of ihviolable commercial honor and
~ 9t4CA6 E4C4lC1LS u pElSp1Ih4 tNPUIN1At$3
that Large and Comprehensive theory OF 1ner-
camille success which insists upon legiti-
mate, consecutive, and permanent growth as
essential to any correct measurement OF pros
perity: He not only founded the trade,-he
natural soltcitude of paternity, looking to its
future, studying the tendencies, the remote
directions OF Fortune, aid looking to the Gu
pac1ty OF years rather than OF. passing days.
He was NOT long IN getting, up a.. boom,"'--
trade:'' But this. was not Prestige" It
wasn't the transient hang OF "big run Of
custom" that enabled him to compass
remote ends. It was IN his method Of MAX
ing popularity permanent that lie revealed
secured the attendance Of a large local popula-
hon: But the attendance Mt first was all at
tendance OF curiosity, of inquiry, Of expert
nlent The advertiser, however, had not
reekoned without his host. he had studied
pfoSislon for redeelmae ali W pubic bic promises:
Mt: Smyth proposed TO establish d trade that
would grow.-an "lnterest, t,''2in which the
public would be silent partner. 4 period
Of large transient profits, succeeded BY the !
LIE 4sa n Of all r,organized cnstonn vas
3nly spring time,;-aa slow seed .time,-not a
hurried harvest day. And only by gradual !
organization Of prosperity, By making his |
3Wn interests harmonize with the interests !
u Tue PUBIC; ny IraQlnE IN no goods Dut the |
best, making his carpet stock, for instance,
IN absolute representative selection Of only |
he best, most warrantnble, and most reputa- |
DE in the world; never placing his mercan- |
lie character IN peril BY any species of mis-
treating the trade lie as the
'hn,ne r 9, g, Of commerce; taking FROM, the
ne profits and transactions to the
soyereignty.of Name,-in this way it was
hat he developed commercial and personal
equation that in the course of year or two
made the pioneer furniture store Of West |
Madison street the centre OF the trade for
he entire West Side. Later, AIr. Slnyth BE-
ian manufacturing, and Introduced line of |
'ustofn-made fancy furniture and uphol-
tered goods TOR which there is to-day a
arger popular demand than for any other
,rand In the market. Still Iater he fnaugt1=
ated the John Al. Smyth time-paylnent sys-
EN-, since so atrocious[y perverted BY ilni-
ntors. This was not only most creditabie
chelne of public accommodation. It was i'll
trade slccess,--a boon to many
thousands Of families. Sales increased BY
compound multiplication. and the house is
0-day the centre Of the retail traffic Of the |
ity, The old salesroon, 134 West Madison,
3 now but an ante~r0om to group OF acces-
ory St0re~hOuses or factory. 1epots,-AIr,
myth being at present the largest manufnc- |
urer Of fine furniture for retail trade in the |
Northwest. On the whole, it may be said
hat such instances as the foregoing, such
Illustrations Of the power Of character and of |
Individual foresight to influence and deter
nine the future Of great trade interest on
tloroughfare like West Madison street, are
cry rare in commercial history.