The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1888-04-12
Cochran Il Lewis.

PS'>
ton from time to time of the leading bus
mess houses of our city, and their faclll-
ties for furnishing the retail and Jobbing
trade of the surrounding country, we call
attention to the hardware house OF Coch-
ran & Lewis. Mr.. j. A. Cochran, the
head of this house, IS well known 10 our
people as a thoroughly competent sale.
and successful business man. For num-
Der of Years he was engaged in the grocery
business, and afterwards in the produce
trade. At present he gives his personal
attention to the management OF the Valley
Mutual Life Association, which he is
managing with great skill and success
The hardware house has however, the
benefit of his counsel, and the gathered
wisdom of his large experience, while In
the active business of the house be is rep
resented by Charlie Gibbs. for many years
with the house of F. Alexander Il Co., in
the same line of business. Charlie is well
known to the trade. he is active, full OF
energy, pleasant to deal with, and con-
stantly Oh the look out for the interests OF
his firm.
Mr.. Lowry Lewis was for many yeas
connected with the wholesale house OF
Burke & Bradley, and afterwards formed
a co partnership with Mr.. VIM. 5. Burke,
under the firm style of Burke a Lewis,
purchasing the hardware stock of Andrew
C. Woods. Mr.. Burke has late y retired
from the firm. and as above stated, the
style of the firm is Cochran & Lewis.
The house carries a full and complete
line of goods, and is prepared to FURNISH
ANYTHING in their line. Buying by the car
load, at net manufacturers prices, and
selling to iobbers on a small margin, they
are ready to offer bargains to cash buyers.
In addition to their large stock OF retail
goods, they deal largely in windows, doors,
sash. and blinds, and all kinds of house
furnishing goods. They are the sole
agents for the Lyle Hugh F. q Coz
and Chattanooga plows, the Mast
force pumps, the hand force pumps for
gardens and flowers, and the Myers force
and lift pump. The Myers pump deserves
special mention, 1t has proven hlghl y
satisfactory to all purchasers; has special
improvements and patents not possessed
by other pumps, rendering it durable, easy
of action, and giving by the peculiar con-
struction of It's valves, together with The
material used in making them. constant
and steady stream, by the application of
the least possible power, rendering it val.
liable in case of fire, by the application Of
the hose ATTACHMENT, furnished with each
pump. They handle also the Belle City
hay and feed cutter, manufactured in Ra-
cine, Wis, which seems to have advan-
tages over any cutter we have ever seen.
The three floors of this house are filled
with goods for the retail and jobbing trade
and as we looked at this large and varied
stock, every dollar of which was purchased
North, we could but regret that at least
part of the capital, energy, and enter
| prise Of our citizens. was not invested in
the manufacture of just such articles. We
| have at our very doors abundant supplies
of all the materials used in their manufac-
tuIC, VIC nave HCCudulCS WIN Gall
| do the work, and ample means of transpor.
tation to distribute everything that might
be manufactured to the most desirable
points. And yet we quietly rest in utter
| Indifference to the fact that every day in
the year the raw material, which is not
more than 10 per cent. of the cost of the
manufactured article, goes by our town to
Northern and Eastern manufacturing
towns, to be returned to us in the finished
state, while the purchaser here pays for
| the entire cost of labor expended in the
manufacture 1t is high time that our
people were waking up to the Importance
of giving employment to our idle mechan-
les, and keeping at home the tremendous
amounts annually paid out by US. which
go to build up other places, and give en-
ployment and support to those who return
no compensation.
IN conversation with one of our leading
citizens. lately, he mentioned one industry
which scarcely attracts any attention, that
is paying handsomely on the capital in
vested, giving employment to worthy and
skilled mechanics. and supporting in our
midst, good and useful citizens. This is
the direction in which we must look for
growth and increase in our town, and from
which We can alone hope for continuance
of the growth and prosperity of our city.