Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1886-05-29
YE GR0SSER MAN---HlS STORE.
BUSINESS ENrERPRIsk skrHsr pLtNrS
a GROuERI ar me CoRNIR
res stores at ono Kind In the CITY OF Isncas
tcr-A Mutton Dollars In Moiasscs aud
Mnckcrci, sugar aud salt, spices
aud silver sand.

one of tho lNrELrlGENcEE's many intelli- |
gent reporters stood upon the curbstone OF
cool May morning watching a man struggle |
with a molasses barrel. The man looked |
warm but happy, aud "a the reporter saw
him vanish down the cellar stairs he Won |
dered how many such barrels had so vanish
ell throughout this city in the past year.
Wonder - mental state that reporters are
always anxious To- encourage in themselves
and others: hence this wonderful article.
The steps belonged to u corner grocery
and there are l2S corner groceries in this city,
or one To every 10 inhabitants. These cor
ner groceries do An annual business ~ nh'ut
SptO,oN, and with the lt.g.t .i,Nu iowa
stores included, the grocery business vt
Lancaster does not fall short of n million ot
dollars.
As rule, the business is done tor cash, al.
though i'll some localities it is almost eNclu.
siVely credit business ON short time. Mill
operatives and others, who receive their
wages on regular pay days. like to buy ON
short credit.
About 5000 barrels OF coal oil are used an
uually by the citizens of Lancaster ; 24lh-
"uo pounds OF Hour are sold annually by the
uptown grocers, and tho sales ot tho down
town grocers would probably bring the fig
ures to over 100000 pounds bought anuu-
ally by the citizens of Lancaster from gro,
Gerry stores. The sales of the flour merchants,
OF course, are vastly greater. Between 9 OO0
and lnWO barrels OF sugar are consumed
here annually About 5, TOO barrels of mo-
lasses and s,ooOcases ofclnned goods, toma-
| toes, corn, beans and peas are sold annually
| by the corner groceres.
SURJEC TO ECCESTRfCIrIES.
The grocery trade appears to he subject to
peculiar freaks. "a unaccountahle as those OF
| the weather. In the neighborhood of the
| Prince street mills the sales of canned goods
| are not nearly "a heavy a. last year, and the
| demand for dried fruits, apples and prunes
has become very brisk. Further west, on
| High street and West X ing the sale of canine
| tomatoes, corn, peas, &c, has increased very
| largely. Mr. Housor reports that the people
| of St Joseph street consume vast quantities
| OF molasses, and the customers of MIR. Ochs
| of South Queen street, buy very largely OF
| cheese and mustard. Fen amin MrEroy, Of
| High street. /echer a kendg, of West King,
| Thompson, OF Prince, John OrhS and Daniel
| Sing, Of South Queen, David Long and
| Bltckenderter on the North, aud #. Park
| Guthrie, of East Chestnut, all report the bus.
| mess III most prosperous condition, and
the appearance of their stores confirms What
| they say.
| Groceries appear TO flourish best among the
Germans, and a remark OF German grocer
explains it The Germans work hard, live
WELL are honest and buy everything at the
| grocery"
TRADE AMOSG SEIGHBoRs.
The patrons OF these stores prefer to buy
as near home AS possible, and q corner
grocery il well managed is sure t. draw tn,
custom of its neghborhood tor the MANY
little things that housekeepers find neces
sary. This is doubtless the principal reason
for the great number of these stores bu
another is to be found in the tact that tho
business Is one in which n mans family car
readily assist him, waiting on customers and
in many other little ways. One secret o
success lies in watching tho pennies like
wise the dollars
| The arrangement of a modern grocery
store does not differ greatly from that of III,
stores OF the old Romans several thousand
| years ago. In the ruins of Pompeii many q
the stores where men sold wine, oil and
other merchandise, have been preserved ia
lava and N0lcaDic dust ~ though pick led
| by "A Kind Providence for the express pur
pose OF gratifying the curiosity OF the pres
ent generation. Perhaps warning They
generally consisted OF one large com mpartmenI
on the ground floor, opening towards the
street There were one or two small back
rooms connected by stairs with bed rooms
IN the upper story. Corner stores wer,
open to both streets, and, facing the opening
there stood stone counter having bottles
| let into 1t for liquids, and vacant space in
front Tor customers Cases on the wall were
hlIed with glasses, bottles, and merchandise
SOME NOTABLE DIFFERENCEs.
With the exception of the open front
which is nowadays filled by the shop window
the stores of Pnmpeii did not differ greatly
in plan from the groceries Of Lancaster
bnt there was one point that made u vas
difference in their appearance the old sign,
were mostly hewn in stone, and were with
out the gorgeous chrOmoS, setting forth tn,
virtues oil gloss starch, soap aud many othol