Los Angeles herald., 1890-05-29
M. LEVY & co.
ONE OF THE LEADING FIRMS OF Los
ANGELES.
It Has Taken Possession of It's New Prem
ises on North Los Angeles Street, Where
Ample Accommodations are Secured.

''The History OF Los Angeles County,"
an elegant work recently published by
the Lewis Publishing Company, of Chi
cago, has this to say of one of the busi-
ness men OF this city, who has been here
as long almost as any:
sMichel Levy, of the firm of M. Levy
& Co., wholesale dealers in imported
and domestic wines and liquors, Los An
geles, was born in France, February IS,
1884. He emigrated to this country in
1851 came to California the same year
and located in San Francisco. After
ward he went to Benicia and
Placerville, and was engaged in busi-
ness there and at Diamond Springs
five years. Going next to Sonoma
county, he was engaged in business in
Cloverdale five years, and then went to
Nevada, Humboldt county ,and remained
five years, until 1868, when he came to
Los Angeles, and established his present
business in Downey block, on Main
street, the firm being Levy & Coblentz.
They carried on the business together for
eleven years, when Mr. Coblentz re-
tired and Mr.. Levy became the sole
proprietor and carried on the business
alone for several years. Then Louis
Levin was admitted to partnership in
the business, and later Lesser Hirsh-
field also became a partner, and since
then the firm has retained the
present name, of M. Levy & Co. They
started the Los Angeles Vintage Com
pany, and now both are conducted under
the same name. This firm transacts large
business in all kinds of imported and
domestic liquors, wines, etc. 1t is the
Oldest house in this line in Los Angeles,
and has large established trade, and
and liquors in the city. He enjoys a
high reputation for integrity in CONNER
cial and business circles. Mr.. Levy was
married April II, 1870, to Miss Rebecca
levin. native of Germany. They have
three hildren-Hortense, Therese and
Isaac Oury."
With the development of the country
and the growth OF the business of the
firm, the premises in the Downey block
became too narrow for the uses of the
firm. All three gentlemen in the
frm-Michael Levy, Louis Levin
and Lesser Hirschfeld are pop
ular merchants, and secure a
very large amount of all the business in
their lines. This includes all the best
standard brands of liquors, wines, cigars,
beers and mineral waters, imported and
domestic. They have a very large
family trade in this city, and also an i'm
mense jobbing and wholesale business
with the whole country east and west.
The fact that the old premises were too
contracted for the business of the firm
caused them to look out for more COM
rooIio,,o ~ fol1
suits: The new building recently
erected by Mr.. Mclaughlin, of San Jose,
on Los Angeles street, between Also
and Commercial streets, being numbers
312 and 314 North Los An
geles, has been leased by M.
Levy & Co. for term of years,
and the company has removed its bust
ness in these premises. The lease was
made before the cellar of the new build
ing was made, and every detail of the
concern has been completed with direct
reference to the business of the firm.
The Building.
The building has frontage of SO feet
on Los Angeles street and ls 156 feet
deep. 1t is three stories high and con-
tains floor area of "a $40 square feet. 1t
is solid brick structure as fine as any
in the city.
On the ground floor is complete sys-
tenn of offices, 14x60 feet area. This is
subdivided into salesroom for GUS
toners, private Office for members of
the firm, and book-keeper's office for
the transaction of the general bust
ness OF the company. An ell
evator OF the most approved
make connects this main floor with the
cellar and with both floors above stairs.
This floor is also supplied with a new
patent hosting apparatus running on a
track above with wheels so that the
grapplers may be lun in moment from
the entrance door to the rear of the
store. This main floor is for the gen
eral business of the firm. The cellars
are all with solid cement floors, with
connections with one of the main sewers
OF the city, with a trench the whole
length of the main cellar to convey all
overfiows into the sewer, so that there
will be no souring of any waste in
the cellar. The floor inclines toward this
trench, so that everything runs directly
off. The main cellar is provided with
eleven immense tanks, into which wines
are run from the floor above by a system
OF pipes and pumps. Each tank has
capacity of $500 gallons. Here are also
400 puncheons for containing the wines of
the firm. An area in the rear admits
light to the cellar from that quarter,
light being also obtained from the front
of the building. This area also COM
municates with a second cellar, and this
has an entrance on Commercial street,
forming an L with the main cellar. In
the area is apparatus for heating water
for cleansing casks, bottles, etc., all on
the very best plan.
The second floor is to be used for aging
the noble wines handled by the COM
pany. There are facilities for storing an
immense quantity of these. Case goods
are also handled on this floor, as is also
the bottling department of the firm. A
supply will be kept on the many rods of
shelving on this floor to fill the largest
orders at moments notice.
The third floor is used for a coopers'
shop for the concern, the material for
barrels and cases being imported in
quantity and got up here. Empty bot
ties will also be stored here, there being
on this floor, too, perfect appli-
ances for washing bottles and corks.
All the premises from the remotest