Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-10-24
JOS H. BROWNS IL

sdi3 " (Iss Sans- q
sweet and pure as the day they we're put
In, and thereby enabling the trade to OBJ
tain such products In fresher and better
condition than they ever could before.
THE SECOND FLOOR,
or the irst above ground, Is 1874 feet from
hoor to ceiling, and Is supported by
large, handsomely finlshed posts OF long
leaf pine IA inches square, surmounted BY
iron caps on which the girders for the
third floor rest These also are OF long.
leaf pine, l6xlG inches, securely bolted.
This floor Is divided into square by a
partition which separates it from the
offices In front, making II 40 feet square,
Around the whole runs gallery 10 feet
wide, which Is l01 feet from the floor and
9 feet high, for the storage OF wooden
ware and other light articles. Standing
In the center of this floor and beholding
the vast piles OF merchandise reaching
from floor to ceiling, the impression lsnot
unlike that OF an immense opera-hous
bales and boxes and barrels for the me
ment taking the place of people. The
gallery spoken of is served by all the
elevators, and In reality constitutes an
other floor.
THE SECOND AND THIRD STORIES,
which are respectively ls1 and l6 feet In
height, are immense warehouses, with
out partitions OF any kind except pack
ing room l5xl00 feet on the third floor.
Words are scarcely adequate to express
the idea OF vastness that fills the mind of
the visitor when on these floors. They
are supported by pillars Of the same
ponderous proportions as the floors be.
low, and have the same splendid light
and ventilation, there being eighty-fye
windows on the fourth f)or alone.
Spacious stairways run from bottom 10
top, built OF native Texas woods oeau.i-
fully polished.
THE OFFICES.
While all parts OF the mammoth estab-
lishment are Impressive from their size,
the offices are perhaps the most interest
ing to the general observer, for they com
bine both size and splendor. Yet 1t is a
kind of splendor with which the seyerest
critic could find no fault. There is abso-
lutely nothing tawdry, no vain attempt at
display, though the appointments and
finish doubtless cost more money than
those OF any three houses In the
state. From the Main-street en-
trance the visitor passes into
u vestibule 6x20 feet, the floor OF which
is laid with handsome thing, forming
the entrance TO apartments Of almost
regal magni6cence. Two large doors OF
San Domingo mahogany In the partitions
of the same material, hand.caryed with
rare skill, and framing heavy plate glass,
with ground mouldings on each plate
open into a hall 20x60 feet, that extends
to the partition separating the Offices
from the store proper. This
| moor IS also OF thing but of different
design from that in the vestibule.
There Is another hallway twelve feet wide
at right angles TO this and running paral-
lei with the partition spoken OF above.
To the right Of the main hall, and shut in
with mahogany and plate-glass partitions
OF finest finish, IL large apartment for
the general Offices OF the business. The
desks Of each bill clerk, book-keeper and
cashier are OF mahogany, and In front
OF them are wicket openings Of con-
venient size facing into the smaller hall
mentioned above.
On the left OF the main hall is the sales
room, 40x3S feet, finished in the same
superb style and lighted by the Immense
windows looking out on Main street,
Next to this room, on the same side and
between IL and the store, Is the cigar de-
partment, which is 40x25 feet. The whole
front thus divided from the main store
presents an effect of uncommon beauty.
The paneled ceiling is Of Texas curley
pine and stained cypress to match the
mahoga any, with rubbed oil finish. Toe
main partition l40 feet long, separating
the Offices and store is OF the same mate
rial The paneling around the ceiling
is MASSIVE and Is framed about with
cross paneling, forming rectangles,
each panel being complete work OF art
formed around q central piece OF carving
of curly pine framed incypress moulding,
The wainscottlng IL also Of Texas pine
framed In cypress, and shows the same
skilled workmanship and elegant finish Of
the walls and ceiling.
These Offices cannot help but challenge
the highest praise. Ga account Of their
great size, material, finish aud fixtures,
they make fitting entrance to the largest
wholesale grocery establishment In all
the South and West.
FAcuITIEs.
The house was built for specific pur-
pose. In its construction the best skill
that money could command was EN-
ployed, and in furnishing 1t with the best
and most modern appointments, there
was no thought OF expense. The entire
house will be heated with steam supplied
by the boilers previously mentioned, so
that there viii be no fire on any door, and
the risk OF confagration infnitesimally
small.
But the Growing glory of this establish
ment, at least IN a commercial point Of
view, is its complete system OF receiving
aud forwarding merchandise. There are
wide platforms built along Seventeenth
and Rnsk streets, the entire length Of the
store, alongside Of which, on each
street, five cars at time may
stand for loading or unloading. The
cars are on a level with these platforms,
and II Is but the work of an instant TO
take in or roll out goods. The switch on
Rusk street connects the building with
the Missouri Pacific, Texas & Pacific,
TranscontiAental, the Fort Worth & Dem
yer and the Houston & Texas Central
roads, and on Seventeenth street with the
Gulf, Colorado & Santa Re, thus bringing
70 lis very doors the cars OF every road
entering the city.
What an immense saving Of time,
handling and expense This Is an adj
vantage not possessed by any house In
ToYae and In fact by none even of the