The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-09-25

THE MAN ABOUT-TOWN HAS A
DAMP STROLL,
Nevertheless lie Finds Out Much Of In
tcrcst-The >lowncss of some People,
porting Establishment.


just this. Nou know we have city iha
has a history. 30 fur rs glory. war and al
that sort of thing IS concerned: but what
mean and what | want fo impress upon
You t.. that now Richmond Is coming 60 thl
front; That merchants and manufacture
are becoming interested here. and that IN
the present itself. we viii gain great r.
noWn.
"what ha. been the direct reason Of al
fhi4t'
~Onr natural advantages" was an
sNDri. II talk plainly. We have "a curl.
Gus population 60 deal with. | ann Viz
ciniln and think know our people. and
must say that for people with such warm
hearts. thni the most az them have the thick
est skulls Of any people ! ever knew. The
lauDi. published here have always been
read, o. raise the -- over anything TINT
smackod 0f coh-wchs and ihc ashc. Of the
past. lou can't deny IL, and YOU need not
irown. You know 10 rs true. and VIII tell
Won. that AN this must stop. and We must
look forward for results. The TIMES is the
only paper that ha. ever been onterpIi,ing
enough ~ do what i~ being done hs DO in its
Trade Talk. but want 90 make "a bet with
you."
"Al right. what is IT,
OH bet ,ou that you have come across
men who were foolish enough 90 trent Neur
efforts. % do them and the city good. free of
cost ca,aliprl,. and who absolutely refused
o. furnish information that would have
served both themselves and the public i'm
general Vayt'
THAT is &c." said the TIMES man-aboui-
town. ~lud DO you mot know that some Of
the very people who excused themselves
from ttlkiu4. stated as q reason. that they
did not want the public io know anything
about their business.
The listener laughed outright and said
"Why. how viii they manage Il The public
doc. hot know what they are dOingt'
The a-tufcuc-~ with which such business
j. conducted cnniI-c- thc man whose work
j. seen and read every day of mon.
But. all the same. b. is % fact that in Rich
m0nd great iu DEER resource, and daily
growing greater fhcre are men who would
stint themselves on penny rather than
make pound IL they bad the choice Ten
them. provided the making OF q pound M
VOWED de-crtion from the tumhrl cart of
their fathers and thc selection 0f a Pullman
palace Of the present.
There i. sorrow in d..-olaie places. and il /
il r.al pleasure Gao walk into "a house /
where busy. active men bend Themselves o. |
the daily TASK of making the waste places
of life bloom. and give 0ui 90 the world in- |
di~puiahr evidence Of spirit and activity |
in trade.
There is such place iu Richmond, and it |
j. found 40 davenport a Morris, seven |
tecuth and Dock street.
Let u. look back a little. and for the -nke /
of setting am example for those swho may /
come ufisr recount fhp history of this house /
i'm 70 brief and summary manner.
Nuu viii have % take "a pretty lengthy !
backward step.
s. fm back as 1919 there was 70 firm /
known as Davenport a Allen. which did |
business ou tho same spot that lis now occu- |
pied hy Davenport a Morris. The firm wa.
Mr. Isaac Davenport. long since dead. and !
John Allen. well remembered hN many al !
our older cit'IUns.
Thi. firm continued in business under the
-fSlr above referred GO until $50 WHOM the
nam. was CHANGED 90 Davenport. Allen a |
Co.. Nh. e.. y. Davenport having been ad- /
miiicd a- q member of lhe firm. In 1914 the /
curlrfntr-hin WAS dissolved hN the death oi |
Mr.. John Allen. and afterwards the i1n /
was known a- !. * e.. Davenport. and under
This ~iNlc the business was maintained |
until th. war hroh. out.
While the great struggle between tho
State. wa- going on. MIR. !. davenport.
while attending fire. was accidentally
Killed %, The falling of % wall.
Il Will seem curious Go look back and -ce
from what 70 small beginning this house.
now s0 widely known. -urme. 10 may also
serve 90 stimulate the adfcniurer OF to-day
IA start forward. with the NdpoleOnic idea
that d. is better GO the founder ol dynasty
than the tail of one.
When the house of Davenport a Allen
started business they little dreamed that DO
th, wears 10 come There would Boz H house
continuing fhe business. with great capital
and resources increased au hundred iold.
Yet such is the fact.
In the old times the business was COM
pleiely different from what it is to-day.
a b..
auction sales. attended by wealthy planters
from the rural districts adjoining th" city
men with uhlvfhuric pochDf-hnok,, who came
4 town to las in supplies 81 -ruccrle- 81 AN
SORTS. blankets fnr slaves. ln7cN Wpvi7cl
goods. SUGAR. coffee. shoes. and such things.
Tho planters were mot The only ones who
attended These snic-. Tor hl'hinuhd
merchant. knew that Davenport ~ Allen
Wtra men who had deep insight un
furri.n traffic. md that the Vessels
That came to their dock generally brought
bargains; and ihet were quick cnou-h lo
await thDm-ei,c- 0l the opportunity 20 eD-
cure them. a.. far back as the tWcniies the
old firm knew thc value of advertising. and
The pages of the paper. of that time have
curious announcements Of what Was re-
ceiNcd and sold Dog davenport a Allen.
Thi. character oi me business continued
until the 1ouicdcwcN Was born ana lht
civil war commenced. when. for a. short
time. business was suspended. ana u WAS
not until 1888 TINT the house was rcoi-
canixed. and thc style NOW known 10 lhc
hnsine-. world a- Davenport Morris. was
launched ou 'hc sea- of mercantile cNpecia-
iion.
This firm at once recognized The mpof-
taucc of going into the importation OF coli
fees from Brazil molos.p- and SUGAR nom
cuba. salt and other products from Liver
N.l. y
France licoricc paste. Acc nom SPAN ana
sherry wines from 'udil.
fn acknowledging the Independently al
these imports the firm felt th1i % must c@-
tnhli-h reputation. To do thir lhc nt7i az
ti,le- must Dee handled. They bid for them
aud secured them. and. as matter Vi
Vour-e, success followed.
American product. 300 the mean time
wcr, mot overlooked. and ae hli of trade
information ID may bee added here that Two
thirI. of nll the North Carolina behring's
sold i'm this market are handled Toy p'Nen-
port a Norris that D. l' say, tWn-lh liN1 OH
those packed hN North Carolina fishermen
Mood- n tupchart PAGE A sheppard. HOLY {
ana Others slim direct tp Davenport A Nor 4
ri.. and parties in search at best brands
naturally cotu Davenport \ Morris.
In coffee. there i~ separate department ]
in the house. where buyers can readily q
make practical oh-yr, alton, not ohiN OF
what they arr about 90 buy, but can Dee con !
WINGED Of the great trade controlled IN TINS
article hN the house.
In old time. the ships used 10 come 10 the j
dock direct from Brazil. and the coiice Was ,
sold hN auction before the cargo was dis /
charged. hut now the custom ha. changed ,
and capaciou> Warciooms receive ihc car j
,so,.. nom foreign ports. and in them the !
conoc'i, kept for orlcr.. Large sales are I
made 20 merchant. boz New York, fhiladcl- ,
phia. baltimore. a. Louis. Louisville ANA i
many other points oui OF this state. u
we have shown Tive world what klch- s
mond can do" said Mr. Morris yesterday, ID
and hc ceuainl, spoke truly. %
In foreign and domestic liquors the house 4
conduct. an extensive traffic. They import
f.um the best manufacturers in England,
France aud Italy, aud are also disiillcrs n
agents for the best brands Of Kentucky, -
i..,.., f.u,.I, ir.fit.I, aud NJ t-f AIrlIria