Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-12-18

cause It q intricate or covers large sur
faces. but because or lis exquisite
neatness and especial richness IA
eiasse effects. Secretary j. {. kiexen-
baughs nearly 50, A native OF Onio, IL
All accomplished buslness man, excel
lag IN accounts and finance. lie was
with the old concern three years pre-
yiOus 10 reorganization, and CONDUCTS
the general business OF the concsfn
with rare ability. The Royal furnl-
ture company, still IN It's infancy, Is
already i'lsty giant, controls a market
that comprises All the northern states,
aud has magnificent future before IL.
Valley City Rattan Company.
A. Dodis, president; A. Fslkel, vice.
president and manager; j. A. Gibbs,
secretary and treasurer. Manufacturers
OF rattan furniture. corner Third and ID
streets.
Mr.. Fslkel began the manufacture OF
rattan furniture IN this ely eight years
sgo, and. having demonstrated that the
work could be done here as well and
probably as elsewhere, the Valley City
Rattan company was organized and IN
corporated IN 1890; capital stock. $780,
600; j. I'll. WonderIy, president; A. Fall
KEEL, vice president aud manager; {. w.
Shepard. secretary and treasurer. Oae
year later Dir. J. A. Gibbs purchased
MIR. Shepard's interest, succeeding TO
the ottice OF secretary anu treasurer.
The factory. situated AZ Third aud ID
streets. on the west side, is u handsome
L.shaped three-story frame building
with basement and contains 5000
zsft Ina fr no n D. M Y
throughout Is of SPECIAL construction
and Is driven by thlrsy-tive horse
power steam engine. Tne employees
number seventy-lnree.
Nj. Falkel IS Il CHAIR maker by trade,
and formerly wrought IL Canadian
factory where rattan work was done.
Seven or eight years ago, after his re-
iaOval to Grand Rapids, having secured
quantity OF necessary materla', he
-; to work upon the problem
home. mis- brave aud devoted wife
supporting tha family BIZ ncr labor as
=. Is,IiOre-s, while the husband stud ed,
sxrerimented, wOve, unrsveied and re-
WOW and almost lost his wits amid the
rseshes OF elusive reeds. lie prrse-
ycret. however, and al last triumphed.
Having mastered the details OF the
trade, be soon found Il profitable mar
ket I 7 the product os his hands and
then began teaching Others, who en-.
tered his employ. the output thus grad
ually aggmenting IN volume. Finally
II became necessary, III order 10 supply
the demand, To- enlist larger capital,
aud the presea. company Is the result.
y A detailed description of the rattan
industry would only weary the reader
To no purpose. 1t may be said, how
ever. that hlgh grade of reeds come
from Germany, the cheapest from
China auI the medium raw material
fron Bombay, India. The outer COW
ering, removed by machinery. IS used
Tor seating chairs and for winding pur-
poses, while the interior or woody p1r-
ton, after bleaching In 4 solution OF
chl0rlde OF lime, Is utilized by the ra;-
tan worker IL the manufacture OF
chairs and other articles of furniture,
which are then tinted by speca. pro-
cesses, vanished, packed and stored
or shipped 20 the trade-the neatest,
easiest and most comfortable reccpta-
Giles for the tired or the lazy.
Previous - the organization OF the
Valley City Rattan company there ex-
Isted a combination which had a mo-
nopoly OF the rattan supply-or cup
posed 1t had-and only those con-
nectei Herewith could procure tine
material save at exorbltant prices. A
careful ransackIng Of the European
ports, however, revealed the fact that
there still remained one market where
rattan could be procured under ordi-
nary trade conditions. and TO that they
resorted with the result that the ring
went TO pieces, and, save the tariff tand
that is moderately, there is no restriction
upon lmportations or purchases In this
country.