Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-09-17
MEEKEN's MOVE.
Their Elegant Down Town Palace
Fully Occupied.
A stately Block Rarely Finished
and Furnished.
One Of the Finest stores In the
world.

1AohASA INV ohoAC mao NCOu Nuc
talk Of the town aud country for
months, The work Of Transforming
the jackson Block into q dry goods
store with all modern improvements
and conveniences, has progressed rap
idly from the start, and last week the
transfer from the well known old stand
opposite Court Square to the new
place corner Main and Gayoso streets,
four squares down town, was complet-
ed almost before the public knew il.
The work inside is finished, some out
side touches remain to be added. The
people seemed to realize this morning
that something unusual had happened.
They saw that the colossal structure
was occupied from top to bottom, and
a large crowd assembled before eight
o'clock on the opposite side of the
street to view and discuss the situa
ton, among them several leading mer-
chants who we're expressing their
admiration in no qualified terms.
Hon. William r. Moore came along
and expressed himself SO enthusiast
tically that a LEDGER reporter walked
into his store, near by, a few minutes
later to hear him out. A few cues
tons brought him out substantially as
follows; II have been nearly all wei
Europe and America, and l consider
this n of the finest dry goods stores
in the world This is saying a great
deal, but l mean it. There are not a
dozen finer stores on earth. A. 7.
Stewards is the only one in New York
Others have cost mere. Shillito, in
Cincinnati, has more goods, but it is
no haudsomer inside and very little
larger. Bars store, the finest in st.
Louis, is not SO large or as handsome
as Menken's. Mays, in New York,
covers more ground, but is a success
sion Of old houses that were formerly
residences, and it is not to be com
pared to Merken's. There is no retail
store ia Chicago as handsome. Far
wells is larger, but it is a plain brick
structure aud is exclusively wholesale.
No store in New Orleans, or any other
place in the Southern States, will at all
compare With this one in size aud
beauty and ~perfectness of detail. The
people do not yet realize what an
establishment this is. London, with
a population Of 1900, 900, has not
such a dry goods store as this. l have
just returned from a tour all we the
Northwest and was on the Pacific
coast. San Francisco, with its 3OO,-
600 Inhabitants and its wealth and
beauty, has nothing that approaches
this in beauty and symmetry and com
pleteness. Wannamaker's, Of Phila
delphia, covers much more ground,
but it is only n story high, and ii
was originally a RAILROAD depot. l
take as much pride in Menken's store
as they do themselves. They show
their faith in Memphis and the sur,
rounding country by building such a
store and filling it with fine goods. II
is something to be proud of when you
compare a store here in a backwoods
place of $4,000 inhabitants with
the leading dry goods houses
in the world. After all my travels
have settled down on the conclusion
that Kansas City aud Memphis are
the coming and growing places on the
continent for live, enterprising meu
to make money" This and much
more in the same vein the geniaI
ex- Congressman said, and was going
on TO say, when the genial reporter
announced that if any Of thi.
got into the LAaER be would have
to move on.
Next in order was a look through
the Menken palace, for that is what il
is. The place was thronged with Wis.
itors who expressed universal surprise
and delight. No description do would
justice. On entering at first one il
rather dazzled at the vast proportions
the perfection Of details and the Gle,
gance Of the place. Those who havI
been at A. 7. Stewards will b
struck with the resemblance ant
feel that our store has the ad
vantage in general and artistic effect
The house has a front Of III feet anC
& depth Of $50 The entire front /
Of heavy French plate glass. TIL
main entrance is % feet wide, an,
this opens into a widening vestibule
The doorway is an imposing feature
some 30 feet high, including the dome
There is a grand aisle running dow
through the center Of the lower floor
and the various departments are di
vided of on either side. There is
passenger elevator and a grand stair
way on the north side; a grand stair
way and a freight elevator on the CD
posite side. The stairWays and furni
ture are Of m~abogony; the finishing o
shelves, etc., Of ash. On this floor
devoted to retail business, will b
found superb stocks Of fancy goods
%laces, gloves, silks and dress goods
cloaks. suits, shoes, millinery goods
children's goods, underwear, cloths
fAnnels, blankets, willow ware, etc
also a book department, which is
new feature; bisque goods, and, il
fact, everything that goes to make u
q complete stock.
There are ten superb chandeliers @
six burners each to each Of the 6v
%aisles. There are two newell posts o
oxydized silver and hammered bras
to each stairway, with fine colore,
globes to each. A magnificent sky
light, 25x6O feet, lets in a food Of sof
light. The whole building is remark
ably we'll lighted and ventilated. l
the day time there is not a dark cor
Ger in it, from top to bottom, aud a