St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-07-08
AUERBACH, FINCH s. VAN SLICK.
Dry Goods, Notions, Etc.

| CORNER SHELLEY AND FOURTH STREETS.
To pretend to undertake to write bushes:
| editorials of the leading mercantile houses OF
st. Paul and omit the gigantic wholesale dry
goods establishment of Auerbach, Finch &
| Van Slyck, would be as absurd as to try tx
make bread without -four, or fire without
| heat. 1t may be said to be the father of them
| all, the pioneer in the line, almost back to
| the first retail store. In the wholesale bust
ness the house dates back to 1868, and two Of
! the present partners. Messrs. M. Auerbach
and George R. Finch, were associates in the
| firm as long ago as 1864. Both of these gen
tlemen are now in the prime of life, active
| and full of energy, and Mr.. Finch, the presi-
dent of the St. Paul Jobbers' union is SO
| overlooking with animal spirits and so hearty
| in his social companionship, that one might
mistake him for jolly drummer, just break
| ing into the joys of the road.
The trade of the great northwest need nc
reminder of the strength and capacity of this
great house, they know that its resources are
unlimited, its popularity boundless, its name
and fame ubiquitous, and its in
tegri.y ,unimpeachabe. Residents of much
larger cities than st. Paul now is, but
not larger than it will soon be, gaze
unconcealed admiration and envy upon the
| magnificent proportions of the noble building
which occupies the entire western side of the
block extending on Sibley street from Fourth
to Fifth streets, for it has few peers among
the dry goods palaces of the land. With a
length of 300 feet on Sbley and width of
seventy-fve feet, an opportunity is presented
tor the effective display Of architectural
effects, and admirably has the architect
availed himself of it, for in design and finish
it is splendidly attractive.
But if the exterior is surprise and delight
to strangers, how much greater must be their
wonder and establishment when they inspect
the vast expanse of the interior, its five
stories and basement containing 1875, 900
square feet of space, and all filled with the
countless varieties of goods pertaining to a
complete dry goods stock. tits indeed a vast
emporium, mammoth depository of mer-
chandise. There are one bundled and ten
men employed in the house, and each depart
ment is superintendent by gentlemen edu-
Gated here and thoroughly conversant with
the requirements Of the broad territory they
supply.
The officers and finances are under the ex-
perienced supervision of that veteran financier
Mr.. Auerbach, the senior partner, with Mr..
A. II. Winslow as his first lieutenant. The
general workings of the business outside of
the accounts are presided over by George r.
Finch, and Mr.. w. II. Van Slyck resides in
New York and devotes his attention wholly
to buying. CD McConville is in charge of the
department of domestics, blankets, etc. Sher-
man Finch and J. F. Simpson Of dress goods,
woolens and fannels; E. A. Young of white
goods, linens, hosiery, underwear, knit
goods, gloves, furnishing goods clothing,
etc E. L. jenkins of the notion department,
and j. NJ Rosselle of the bag factory. One
of these immense floors, the fourth, is de-
voted to the manufacture of mems goods,
Maclzinaw suits, jackets, shirts, jumpers,
overaIls, etc., and more than 300 girls are
employed in their production. Still is the
trade of this great house growing, and it will
continue to grow indefinitely.
At Nos 10 and 81, West Third street,
Auerbach, Finch & Van Slyck have large
carpet, window shade, wall paper and deco
ration establishment, where forty people are
employed. From this house $500, 900 worth
of carpets are jobbed annually.