The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-09-04
SAVANNAH GROCERY co MPANY.
One Of the Most Extensive Factors in
tho CltV'H Commerce.

one or the Most Extensive Factors In
the City's Commerce.
One of the most imposing of the many
business houses on the Bay is the large six
story brick building occupied by the Savan-
nah Grocery Company, and erected for it
nearly two years ago.
To the stranger viewing it from Bay street
il would appear to be only a large three~
story structure, but IL he would enter tho
building from the street, and go to the rear.
a glance down from the balcony overlook
ing the harbor would show him that he was
ON the fourth floor, while below him he
would see the double railway tracks that
run through the building which spans
them he would see their wharf front of $50
feet where the great grocery house
receives its shiploads OF stock
from home and foreign markets, and then,
after being shown through the mammoth
building, facilitated in the passage from one
capacious floor to another by the large ele-
vator, moving noiselessly by the power OF
the ponderous gas engine, and after inspect
heavy volume of trade that flows into this
house from Georgia, Florida. Alabama aud
the Carolinas.
Such advantages for receiving and ship
ping goods are possessed by few houses in
the south, and, as result OF this, there is a
great saving in drayage and handling.
which Is an important factor to the trade
as the interior merchant gets the benefit of
il. This is especially true where carload
lots are sent out Goods are lowered by
elevators to the very car doors, and loaded,
sealed and promptly dispatched An in
stance is recalled by the writer where fiji
tesn carloads for Alabama were sent off in
| one day, a special engine taking the goods
to Waycross, "localn conveying them TO
u - u
taken over the Alabama Midland to their
destination. The minimum cost of handling
goods has done much toward building up
the extensive trade which the company en-
joys.
rhe system, visible on every hand, strikes
the visitor at u glance. On the fourth, or
| principal floor, is q general assortment from
which small and even large orders can be
| filed rapidly where unusual haste is neces-
sary, and the other floors are stored with
heavy stocks, in departments TO themselves.
| On this floor is drug department, and it
| goes without saying that it is complete, as
Mr.. Jonas Mendsl, one of the principal off,
GERS of the company and the buyer for the
house, is an educated pharmacist. On
this floor there is. a large and elegant sam
pie room-a grocery in itself-where sam
pies of everything in the line of fancy gro>
ceries, canned goods, coffees. teas, rice,
! liquors and wines and cigars and tobacco
| are displayed TO advantage, and the mer-
| chant from the interior, who comes to the
| city to do his buying, finds this sample room
| a wonder In itself. He sees what he wants
| TO buy at glance and if inclined to be for
| getful everything in his line is in plain view
to refresh his memory.
Beginning at the top Of the building, we
find on the sixth floor. walls. rafters and
floor packed and hung with goods Here
are the wooden, willow and tinware stocks
well buckets, paper bags and wrapping
paper and q stock of miscellaneous goods, or
what may be designated odds and ends that
must be added to stock a general grocery
store.
On the fifth floor there are departments
in the front for cigars, cheroots and cigar
cites, for tobaocoes and snuff andfor station
cry. In the rear Is the canned goods de-
partmeut, aud it is no unusual thing to see
10000 cases arriving by a single vesssl.
On the fourth floor, as we ha We seen, a
general assortment is carried, and here the
drug department is located. a large stock
of -four, rice, grits coffee, sugar and crack
ers are kept on this floor, duplicates Of
which are stored In well ventilated ware
houses. The front portion of this story is
used by the shippers. Suites OF offices are
in the rear for tue bookkeepers, correspond
ents and officers Of the company.
The extensive liquor department is on the
third floor, with a special department for
carrying broken packages, or barrels on tap,
for what is known as the out-of-town jug
trade" Tie stock Of liquors carried is very
large, and embraces all grades of rye aud
corn whistles. brendies and wines, inn
ported and domestic. A very large assort-
ment OF popular brands Of bottled beer,
ales and porter, IN casks, are stored on this