St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1890-11-27
A NEW DRY GOODS STORE.
Brief Description of the Store of f. Dc IT,
Fairbanks d. Co.

Fairbanks de Co.
The Caledonian presents its read
ers TINS week With a picture of Fair
banks dry goods store, engraved
from a photograph taken by c. E.
early next month and all our readers
will be interested in a description OF
the building.
The store is a three-story brick
structure trimmed with brown stone.
1t is built from plans designed by
Architect Packard and the store was
built in the remarkabl short time OF
four months. The front is as hand
some as any building in the state
and the designing in brick is very
bold and effective as well. The plate
glass windows give an excellent op-
portunity to display goods while an
arc light outside the door will illu-
mine the show windows at night.
The building is 115 feet deep and so
feet wide, heated by the Spence hot
water system and lighted by gas and
arc lights, electricity being used on
the first floor only.
Entering the store one finds cOun-
ters backed by shelves on each side
of the building with a row of shelves
and counters extending half way
down the center The finish is ma
hogany, the counters ash with birch
tops and the ceiling is shea thed, with
mahogany panelling. On the north
side of the first floor will be the
gents furnishing goods, boots and
ch tS "a r-e
of the store will be given up to small
wares. On the south side will be
the finest dress goods with woolens
and dOmeSticS farther down In the
northwest corner is a reception room
for ladies, room which has become
an important adjunct to a large
store. Manager Ritchie's office is on
the north side of the store and
directly adjoining it is the room for
the book-keepers which is fitted up
with many cOnvenlences for keeping
the cash slips, ledgers, journals and
other account books.
The second floor is reached by a
broad stairway handsomely lit up
by windows of colored glass. The
front of the second floor will be given
up ~ Cal PSlS, Pe'PSi Le'h Nhi
tains and draperies and i'll a room
25 by rs feet there will be an excel
lent chance to display carpets and
wall papers. On the north side OF
this floor, at the head OF the stairs
will be the ladies garments. At the
rear of the second floor is a large
room filled with tables and shelves
for the display of crockery while the
silverware will be kept in cases at
the head Of the stairs.
The most attractive room of the
entire building, however, is an art
room on the second floor finished in
place. The room is richly decorated
and will be used for the display of
china, cut glass and crockery. The
room will be lighted artifcially, sun
light being excluded by rich draper
les 1t will be a room everybody
will want to see and will contain a
class of goods that have never been
sold in town before.
On the third floor will be large
room for making carpets while the
basement contains ample room for
unpacking all the goods to be hoisted
by an elevator to any floor. The
first floor has the Lamson cash car
rier system while a pneumatic tube
runs from the second floor to the
bookkeepers' desk.
This comprises brief description
of what is regarded as the finest and
best equipped dry goods store in
Vermont, built by the pioneer firm in
the mercantile as we'll as the manu-
featuring business.