Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1892-01-19
TREND OF RETAIL TRADE.
Southwark Movement Illustrated by
Pray n Co.'s Change Of Location.
from the Boston Herald |

SouthTsrd the curse of business take.
its way 10 this city.
A generation ogo the retail dry goods
trade centred in Hanover street. Slowly
but stegdilT. however. it has moved upor
its way .ou i,srly, hsltins q: intervals. bu
never for more thsn few years. Piob'
ably 1t comes ne,rer to being anchored
today than sc any time during the past hsli
century.
As with dry goods so with other leading
lines OF retail business. The carpet house
of Johu Il. Pray, Sons G. Co offers con-
spicuous ex smple Of this At the time II
WAS founded, in 1917. Mr.. Prsy's modest
shop was in Washington street near Corn
bill. As the years have passed, however,
they have seen ihs firm excessively out
crow one store sf'e, another, changing Ia
location gradually southwark, aud, 20 adop'
Goldsmith to the occasion, dragging at each
remove" lepgthening chein--6f cas'o.
mere.
In 1854 The firm was at M. 81; bu. th'
great fire of 1872 found 1t opposite the old
Marlboro Hotel, whore it had been for a
Gozsn years or so. i liidog and contents
yielded to the terrible Onslaught; of flame,
aud when again the fsmiiisr sign vas dis-
pisyed to Bossoniaus it hung above The
large block Nos, $50 and $50.
O1ce mere. however, the firms quarters,
h sugh very extensive, have proved made
qus.e TO satisfg the demands Of a growing
bus ness, and il 10 nov to be found il nav
establishment, which it owns ard entirely
occupies at Nls. 6i6 to 65s Wssbiu gson
street, nearly oppo.ite Boylston stree.
The new store is on historic ground.
Across the srssI ttood for many years
Boylston market, long familiar landmark.
When the latter sruciure was built, in 1869,
il was considered 10 be the outer margin
Of the ,ovn. The lad cost but IS cents q
| foot, ard it Was "coTner To-" too. Times
have indeed changed Vhen large retail
establishment goes into Whit we're tee
| lou skirts" 50 years tg,, n order TO secure
q central location.
Almost NIX toor 10 the rev Pray estsb.
| lshment once stood the LIb=rty Tree" a
large and sesutifu elm, under which the
Sons Of Libery" were organized in 1865,
aud beneath whose bougbs and in The square
about It the great Liberty mseiags" were
! held. Here he effig.es Of the men who
opposed the stamp act were expos d and
here mameD tous moveneats hsi;heif b.rih.
The tree q lurished for ll9 yesrs Il was
cut down during the siege of Bo,t3n, By q
party Of mel paid for lheir work By the
TORIES and the British soldiers, to the great
grief OF the pssri1sic people OF the tora
The rev Pray e.sblishneps ex'ends
through from GAG 10 Gj9 Washington street.
to II arrison svenue. Z he building is six
stores high above the basement, aud stsads
upoa los OF land eon,siring q 600 tqIsre
feet, CT rather more than hBlt 81 acre.
The total cost { f the edifics AID its .its has
been $3.50 Goo
The structure, t is hs,d;y necessary to
| state, is fttsd with every uoiern eonvsn-
| fence for the lrlasi cso1 OF inc dfm's bust
nsss aud the couf3rt of its occupants,
albeit there has been no sttsmp. At os.sn:s-
,ious display, the filings beiag in accord
with the solid and srhstsn.ial chsrac .eris
| tics Of this typical Boston house.
There are four e.e!stoTs, t~o OF which
are for freight purposes solely. and il the
| spacious basement is q p5we;ful electric
| light ylrt There Is slsI an suicma c
| Are sIssm syitem ,csv ring the entirs bui3d-
| ipg, 10 cornec i1r viii h=ca is sci. c..
| ing spiinklis sppsissus which Is COT s.d-
cred sufficient to hsli in eh,ck, it net 10
| txtiugush any il cip.ens biize.
| II sill be ilterettiCg 30 eo.eivs the man
ner in which the sou.hwsrd II, nj q retail
| business in Bosfen will Q. X manifest T.
self Msy /. nos yes re tia; some Of the
large est lbiissU,e,'s =: p-essn. located n-rsa
| of B3yIst9n AID r ser streets will fiaf II
| a eas.afy 10 mere, in order 70 svoit being
| con.ideted ''saO far down town.