The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1884-01-31
KAYSER. Shirley & TAYLOR.

KAYSER. Shirley & TAYLOR.
The average newspaper reporter is bliss
fully ignorant of all that concerns the dry
goods trade, at least so far as regards de-
tails But with all. our lack of knowledge, we
found it incumbent upon us tovisit Kayser,
Shirley & Taylor's establishment the other
day. Wefaithfully tried to acquaint ourself
somewhat with the multifarious attractions
presented by the house, and yet, despite
our earnest efforts, we know that we can It
write report upon the concern that will
/ do it justice. However. with all its i'm
Projections, here follows what we find to
say. Pursuing the methods of a modern
novel writer, we will give time, place, ;"
| and circumstance.
ssTime,'' q bright winter morning last
week.
''Place, :" No. % East Main street.
circumstance Il reporter in search of
stems"
This is the plot of the story-now for its
details.
No. % East Main street. the business
abiding place of Kayser, Shirley s. Taylor,
is recognized by all who know the house as
an establishment wherein are exposed for
sale the countless articles of feminine
adOrnment that come under the generic
term of dry goods. None but lady buyer
can readily learn the attractions offered and
even the most interchangeable shopper"
will find that the house has resources fully
up to the standard prescribed for bright,
progressive city like this.
! Were we asked to enumerate these at
fractions, it would be, as we have confessed,
quite out of our power to do so. All the
same this fact remains the house is recog-
nized as being reliable one no accusation
of false representation or of dOuble-dealing
has ever been made against it; it simply
| stands upon it's known merits, makes no
special parade of it's business, and seems
to be actuated by the desire to do 1.-THE
right thing" This at least is the general
impression regarding the house.
We don't suppose that Kayser. Shirley
& Taylor would, for moment. claim that
they sell better goods at less prices than
any of their competitors here such a
lists and the known character of their fell
low merchants, would he absurd !; they do
claim. however land facts warrant the
claim that no house in this portion of the
| State can or does do better by its patrons
The firm as now constituted is comprised
as follows D. A. Kayser, }. j. Shirley
and E. M. Taylor, jr., and was formed III
January 1882, then succeeding Mr.. Kay
ser, one of the oldest business men of
Staunton. A record of his business life,
if given in detail. would fill Il volume. in
stead of a newspaper paragraph. He is a
native of Allegheny county, but this city
has been his home since childhood. In
1S49 he began trade for himself here upon d
capital of $75, and what he has since accl-
mulated has been by reason of his own
work, forethought and prudence. Nearly
all his life has been passed in active mer-
camille pursuits, and he has also been and
now is connected with other prominent in
terests-he owns and operates five farms
in this vicinity he is vice President of
both the Augusta National Bank and the
Staunton Life Association. and the duties
dwelling upon him in connection with
these organizations, coupled with his re-
sponsibilities and duties as merchant.
| fully occupy his time. After the war Mr..
Kayser was the first of the old time mer-
chants of the city to resume business, the
firm style being Kayser & Dung.
| AaHiS cO-partnerS are much younger men.
Mr.. j. j. Shirley is originally froms Bote-
tourt county, and he came here ten years
ago. He is a nephew of MI. Kayser, and
for eight years was a salesman in the house.
prior to becoming partner. Mr.. E. M.
Taylor. jr.. is also a young man : he is a
native of this place. For some years he
was a salesman with w. III. Weller after
wards entered Mr.. Kayser'S employ, and
not long after, this firm was formed. The
junior partners necessarily are called upon
i to attend to the details of the business !:
| they have proved themselves thorough go.
| ing business men. and the house, in repu-
tation and trade, is the gamer by reason of
their energetic action.
Kayser, Shirley & Taylor report bust
ness for 1888 as having been considerably
greater than for the previous year. This
trade, necessarily comes from all classes,
and the house caters to many and diversi-
/ fled tastes. One very considerable item is
the patronage derived from young ladies
who are pupils in the schools here, and the
house spares no effort to crafty the de-
mand for the thousand and one things that
such chenille calls for, and it is undoubt-
edly a fact that Kayser, Shirley & Taylor
control by far The largest portion of this
| trade.
The firm informs us that the general
range OF prices for articles in the dry
goods lines do not differ materially from
those that ruled one year ago, nor does it
seem possible that they could touch much
lower figures. And this leads us to say
that the firm in question make no claim of
selling simply so-called s'cheap' goods;
their trade is of vastly different charac-
ter, and yet low prices obtain, as any in
quiring purchaser can ascertain. Briefly
summed up, the establishment is one wor-
thy unlimited praise and unlimited conf
dence; its past has been prosperous-its
i future promises to be even more so.