The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-08-07
A GREAT MERCHANT.

There died at New York last week man
OF whom history will have nothing to say,
and yet who in his walk of life cut no
small figure in the economy of the metro
politan city. This was Charles Park, who
for many years was the real head Of the
gr0cely-hOuse OF Park 81 Tilford. Mr..
Park was SO when he died. and had been
over forty years in the business; be had
never been strong; nothing but unremitting
care and skIlfui medical treatment arrested
his death from consumption twenty years
ago. He leaves considerable fortune.
His career is noticeable because he was
a rare example of success in his lne, and
because his career illustrates the tendency
of the grocery business in large cities TO
concentrate itself into a few hands. or into
a single hand. For many years Park &
Tilford have been practically the grocers Of
the city of New York. They used to have
a rival, Aeker, Merrill Il CDndit. and in the
humble residence quarters nearly every
street corner is grocery, whose proprietor
makes a living by supplying the wants of
his neighbors. But Acker. Merrill & Con-
dit long ago fell into the second place, and
the corner groceries rarely extend their
business outside OF their immediate environ
ment. Persons of means, hotels, restau-
rants, steamers, large consumers of all kinds
have fer twenty years bought their gro
ceries OF Park g. 1ilford. The members OF
that firm brought to bear on their business
thorough understanding of their trade,
and coupled with ii firm resolution to
treat their customers fairly, to defraud nc
man. and always to be content with moder-
ate percentage Of profit. 1t used to be said
that Park Il filford never lost customer.
The retail grocery business is one Of the
easiest to learn and the most difficult 10
make meHey in. A bright young man can
acquire n superficial knowledge of every
branch of the business in year. But when
he starts for himself he finds il almost i'm
possible to make both ends meet. In staple
groceries he finds that not only is he com
PEELED 10 sell two leading ariceS-hOur and
sugaT-at cost but lie is out of pocket by
the expense of their distribution. On tea
and coffee he may make a little money if he
is thorough master Of the art of blending
But he must be smart 10 be able to supply
coffee which viii be equal TO Arhuckle's AT
the money. and his profit on Arbuckle's is
not large. He may find that he can supply
q really better article of coffee for 20 cents
and a better article of tea for 80 cents than
his customers are buying at 70 cents, but he
has TO contend againsta taste mat is formed
greengrocery line he generally loses as
much on butter which turns rancid on his
hands as he makes on the table grades.
The only branch on which there is a clear
profit is fancy groceries, preserves, wines,
liquors. fine canned goods, delIcaces, cigars,
etc. These articles are not perishable, and
the usual profit on them is large, 30 per cent
or so. But the market is small: few house
keepers buy large quantities, and the hotels
deal directly with the wholesale houses.
grocer who pays high rent, employs half
dozen clerks and a couple Of delivery
wagons, must sell 4 great many cases of
preserves and Gelicatessen to meet his
expenses. he has further TO struggle
against bad debts. In some cities the sys-
TEN of sales exclusively for cash has been
tried with fair success. But no grocer can
conduct large business without selling
more than half his goods on credit. OF
such goods a regular percentage is never
| paid for. There are in every city confirmed
deadbeats who trade with grocer after
grocer and blk them all. Others who buy
| intending to pay meet with reverSes aud
cannot meet their bills. Some die or fail in
business. and their debit balance must be
wri ten off TO profit and loss on the grocer's
books. The percentage which srocers lose
III Aiito Nd1 VAIN dCEululu. ~ tie cara us
played by statesmen and the character OF
the community, but 1t is always consider
able.
Take the country all round and il viii be
found that the grocery trade has been far
less profitable than the hardware trade or
| the dry goods trade. Mercantile New York
| and Chicago have been built up on dry
| goods; more mercantile fortunes can be
| traced to that sourcs than TO any other
AS mankind needs food quite as urgently
as clothing and bedding it seems curious
| that the purveyor Of the former should lose
money where the purveyor Of the latter
makes 1t; but that appears to be the case.
and where we find a grocery house which
! f1ourshes for half century and maintains
It's fortune. its credit and its good repute.
the fact implies rare qualities in its mana
gers.
SUBSIDIES TO NEwsPAPERs.