The Indianapolis journal., 1884-07-03
Formal Reopening of the Mag
nifcent Chicago Shoe House
This Evening.
The Handsomest Interior Of Any Busi-
ness Apartments in
the State.
A Brief Sketch of Mr.. G. Il. W. Mack,
the Merchant Shoe Prince Of
the West.

This evening is arranged for the formal re-
opening Of the Chicago Shoe House, and
promises to be an event of more than ordinary
interest in the business community. Aside
from the striking beauty of the rooms, music
birds and exotics will add interest to the oc
casion. Indianapolis has the reputation Of being
one Of the hAndsomest cities in the United
States, and in addition to this deserved repute
her note as a great railroad center is sur
passed by but a single inland city in the world
While in these features her citizens have taken
considerable pride, there are other things CON
nected with the capital which have not swollen
the bosom of the average public spirited deniaen
with anylarge amount Of pride, notably among
which is the general appearance of many Of the
retail stores In this respect the city has seemed
little more than an overgrown village. With,
however, the advent of number of new and
enterprising spirits within the past few years,
there is an oyerturnlng of the old fogy methods,
and here and there is to be. observed the
progressive spirit of enterprise in the
remodeling Of dingy stores into palatial
appearing structures And this brings us to the
subject of our sketch, whose portrait llumines
this page Of to-day's journal.
MR.. G. W. L. MACK
is but thirty two years of age, and yet his busi
ness capacity would lead one to believe him of
more mature years. Many of the readers of the
journal will remember his advent to the city four
years ago. locating his store on North Illinois
street Without any pretentious display, but
by vim and push which never fail of their re-
ward, within a year Mr. Mack was obliged to
seek more convenient and prominent location,
at No. "a West Washington street. The history
of the progress of the business in his present To-
cation is familiar to all A liberal and
judicious use Of printers ink. stock Of
the public, combined with the fact
that the prices offered were always less than
others presented-these were the magnet that
attracted to this establishment the largest shoe \
trade enjoyed by any house in Indiana
& 4fsit ENTERPRISE
Has accomplished in this brief period what a de-
cade eof old fogyism could not begin to secure.
It is palpable fact, yet one which may not
prove palatable to some competitors, that the
Chicago Shoe House is better and more widely
known than some establishments which have
been located in the city for many years 1t is a
mistaken idea that business man can sit down
in the quiet Of his business house and expect the
public to hunt him up, no matter how courteous
he may be or what may be the excellent charac-
ter Of his goods. It is the wide
awake, pushing, indefatigable merchant
the public daily to his store, and who when
they answer his invitation gives them honest
goods and honorable treatment that wins the
exalted place in business circles and throughout
the community of consumers takes highest rank
Mr.. Macks success lies largely in the extent of
his business the magnitude of which can be
appreciated when it is mentioned that he is i
operating at this time twenty of the largest shoe
houses located in theleading cities of the West
Owing TO the enormity of his business he is
enabled to purchase his stock at much less \
figures than can other and smaller dealers Be- /
sides this, he has an eye open always for bank
rupt Stocks which, when sold In bulk, usually
bring about one-half what they are worth This /
peculiar method of purchasing is also the means
Of enabling him to undersell all competition 4
While upon every side the howl of ''shoddyu
goes up from competitors, it Is wagered that
there is not house in the State which carries
a finer line of shoes than that now on display at
No "a West Washington street Just here it
may not be inappropriate to mention that the
Chicago Shoe House Is sole agent in this city for
the celebrated e. G. Burt shoes, the best in the
Market also, the well known and popular Cox
manufacture, and other well-known goods.
There will be formal opening Of the newly fitted
up
SHOE EMPORIUM
evening, VI present.
edon this page. The store-room is about l25 feet
deep, and to say that it is a business palace, or
princeIy commercial establishment is not in the
least exaggerating. Everything thatmechanical
skin and ingenuity could conceive has been
brought into requisition to produce a business
room which would be constant source of pleas
ure to those doing business therein. and most
inviting place to patrons and visitors. With
this aim in view the Chicago Shoe Company's
room is indeed a convenient and, in the fullest
sense, a perfectly finished business parlor
Twelve feet from tho floor is a balcony running
entirely around the room. upon which viii DO
kept a mammoth stock of shoes in handsome car
toons The distance from the balcony to tho
ceiling is about twelve feet thus making the en-
tire height from the floor below to tho ceiling
above the grand total of twenty four feet Start
ing at the foot Of the wood oak stairway, in the
isbsd igas b,ass tnv rails which ootnua POI
and entirely around the balcony above, o dis
tance of nearly three hundred feet IL all This
rail is highly FURNISHED, and viii CLEAN under
the silver sheen OF the electric lights like prisns