Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-05-08
In NEW QUARTERS.
THE GREAT HOUSE OF INDEXES
WARNER & SCHURMEIER.
An Immense Trade Built Up In Less Than
Three Years---Removal to the Splendid
New Building, Corner of Fourth aud
sibley Streets---Location of the Several
Departments of the Business--Six Floors,
Each 1oOx1as, Wholly Occupied.

Within few years past the increase of tn
wholesale trade of st. Paul has established be
yond rivalry or question the position of ST.
Paul as the commercial capital of the New
Northwest. In some lines of trade those who
would measure this increase might have to re
call their position and representations of five
or six years ago, with facts which have
already been half buried in the numerou:
changes which have since taken place. But il
the dry goods and notion trade thought oil
the development of other firms has only to be
supplemented by the patent fact of the almost
unprecedented success OF the Messrs.
LINDEKEs, WARNER sCHURMEIER,
to convince even skeptieal mind of the fixed
ness of the position Of this city in its com
mercial relations with the vast new country,
which the GLOBE has designated as the New
Northwest. In speaking of the success of this
firm as almost unprecedented, another instance
is not recalled of such rapid building up of q
business of such proportions as this firm now
maintains, and it is believed like instance has
not occurred elsewhere, as here, in the ordi-
nary progress of city towards keeping pace
with the country tributary to it, It was some
thing less than three years ago that this firm
was organized, and began wholly new whole
sale house. At this time its sales
are at the rate of about two millions
year and, with the steady extension and per
fiction of the railway system forming with
st. Paul its centre, and the sure progress of
the country Immediately tributary to the city
toward its possibility of maintaining in gen
eral prosperity population of not less than
ten million souls, (where now there is scarcely
s million), gives reasonable assurance that
within few years this very successful firm
may rank in the volume of its trade with the
very first of the largest and Oldest houses of
the United States.
Time and circumstances have evidently been
favorable to the building up of this large bust
ness. When the firm was organized and en-
tered into trade, the commercial interests of
this part of the United States were but just
beginning to turn from their lowest ebb, fol.
lowing the high tide which had its cufInina-
tion in the breakers of1S73 IA. The panic OF '73
and the following years of business depression
had brought no great disaster to the whole
sale trade of st. Paul. But in TITS when
the signs of reviving prosperity were observ
able in all parts of the new Northwest, st.
Paul had fallen considerably behind its tribu-
tary country, which had largely gained in
population and products and was now devel-
oping fast its ability to buy and its need of
called for. But favorable as were time and
circumstance, much depended upon and much
is to be attributed to the
MEMBERSHIP or THE FIRM.
I. is composed of Messrs. William and Al
bert H. Lindeke, Reuben Warner and Theo-
dorc L. Schurmeier and brought to the bust
ness upon which it entered rarely strong
combination of ripe judgment in business af
fairs, practical knowledge of the line of trade,
extensive acquaintance IN mercantile circles
and ample capital and credit. The necessary
division of the labors and responsibilities
of managing the rapidly growing
bus mess found each member well qualified for
his place. The immediate direction of buying,
manufacturing and selling fell to Mr.. A. FL.
Lindeke and Mr.. Warner, and the charge of
accounts and finance to Mr.. Schurmeier, while
the senior of the firm, Mr.. William Lindeke,
has his place and work rs counsellor and par
ticipant in all important transactions.
The double Third street building in which
the new firm began their business would few
years before have been regarded as of mere than
sufficient capacity for accommodation of any
wholesale house in the city. At that time it
would certainly have been thought extrava
giant and imprudent for new ST. Paul firm,
especially in the line of dry goods and notions,
to have undertaken TO occupy any more space.
But over year ago it became ap-
parent to the members Of the firm that the
trade they had built up would very soon re-
quire larger accommodations. Accordingly,
other preliminary arrangements having been
attended to, Mr.. William Lindeke visited the
principal commercial cities to inspect buildings
erected especially for such trade as his firm is
engaged in and submitted his observations to
Mrs. E. P. Bassfori, architect, of this city,
who had been selected to furnish designs and
perfec the plans for the building. The found
aGons and most of the walls were LAID last fall,
the construction was energetically carried for
ward throughout the winter and first spring
months, whenever men could work at it, and
within the last ten days the stock and business
of the firm has been removed into the
CoMPLETBD NEW BUILDING,
This having been quite fully described in the
GLOBE last fall, may be briefly referred to
here, although it is not excelled in beauty or
in adaptation to its uses by any business
block in the West. 1t occupies ground
space of 101x130 feet and stands 112 feet above
the sidewalk The walls of the foundations
and basement stories are Of st. Paul blue
stone, the water table is Minnesota granite
and the main walls are faced with st. Louis
pressed brick and literally ornamented with
Kasota stone. Its position at the corner of
Fourth and Sibley streets, with wide alley
at the rear, and the ground sloping from
Fourth street down, gave the op-
poltunty of fully lighting sit from three
sides, which has been so improved with large
plate glass windows for each floor that
there is NO part or corner of the building
which is not amply lit. The interior finish
of the building is admirable in details and
in general effect. The entrances
to the Office floor are at the corner of Sibley
street and the alley and from Fourth street
next to the Sibley street corner. The former
entrance is by stone and iron stairway
through wide corridor. Entering here, near
at hand is the passenger and general goods
elevator, another elevator further along being
exclusively devoted to the packing and ship
ping department. The right and easy way to
VIEW THE EsTABLIsYMENT
is to take to the elevator, on which twenty
two persons may ride at once, and begin on
the upper or sixth floor, occupied by the
manufacturing department, Here are manu-
factured overalls, with the patented continu-
GUS fly, an important Improvement, especial
ly for heavy duck overalls,) jeans and cotton
made pants, cotton flannel and wooden under
wear, blanket goods, tents, wagon covers, etc.
A hundred and twenty sewing machines are
employed, runsby steam, and the floor is being
fitted not only for the work carried on
but for the comfort and accommodation of
the persons employed, most of whom are
Young women. The foreman of the manufac-
turing department is Mr.. John F. Frombach.