The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1895-10-04
GRAND OPENING.
The Doors of the Empire Store are
Formally Thrown Open to
the Public.
Description of the Arrangement OF
the Elegant and Complete Stock,
Service, Etc.

The formal opening of Geo. E.
Brett's new and modern Empire dry
goods store occurred today, and from
morning until night the big building
has been thronged with visitors from
the city and country, who have wan
dered from department. to department
until they have sufficiently explored
and admired the immense new stock
of goods of every variety and line u.s.
ually found in metropolitan estab-
lishment of this nature. Mr.. Brett
was everywhere present to welcome
the visitors and customers and to eX-
tend the open-handed hospitality ac-
corded all. The large force of clerks
extended a smiling welcome to
all, and the general good feel
ing exhibited spread sunshine
all around which enhanced the
magnificence of the stock so pro-
fusely displayed on all sides and filling
the broad shelves and cases and
crowding every nook and Granny.
The splendid taste displayed in the
arrangement of the goods, the adorn-
ments and decorations, drew the adj
miration of all as voluntary tribute
to the skill of the artists who had
wrought it so successfully. 1t
was sight long TO be remembered,
and one that in the days to come will
draw hundreds to the city to see. The
Concordia orchestra filled the great
store with soft and enhancing music
selected from the best composers, and
putting the wonderful spell of music
over all the harmony apparent to the
eye on every hand.
A FREE PRESS reporter dropped in
on this scene this afternoon, and was
captivated by this scene at once. The
first thing beheld was table of fresh
cut, sweet scented roses just arrived
from Mays, ST. Paul, one of which
was presented to each lady visitor by
polite lady clerk.
Taking the aisle to the right, first
came filling the entire Jackson street
side the silks, velvets, dress goods. In
the center to the left as one passes
down the aisle are trimmings, laces,
embroideries and ribbons, filling half
the space, while the rear half is de-
voted to the underwear
Should one pass down the left aisle,
the first thing approached to the left
is the kid glove and corset depart
ment. Then follows the art ambroi
derry, infants underwear, table linen,
napkins, towels, fiannels, domestics
and draperies, and finally the uphols-
terry goods. But if one looks to the
right in going down the aisle, the no
tions and small wares will be found,
and the gentlemen's furnishing goods,
and in the rear the ladies and gentle
mems hosiery.
At the rear of the main floor on the
right is the cloak department., which
is unusually complete and filled en-
tirely with new goods, none having
been carried over. Then comes the
cloth and fur garments, shawls, blan-
ketS, etc.
In the balcony at the rear are the Of
fees, cashiers and book-keeper's desks,
and bundle counter. The new cash
and bundle system takes both money
and goods to this balcony, where the
credit is given and the goods wrapped
up and returned to the selling clerk.
There is also in the balcony ladies'
waiting room, writing material, seats,
etc., and under the balcony ladies'
toilet room. Everything is metropoli-
tan, and the convenience of the custo-
mers is everywhere consulted.
The stock is nearly all new, the
trimmings and cloaks being entirely
so, and the dress goods nearly all so.
Very few goods of any kind were car
ried over from the old store. The
sixty feet of new plate glass show
cases extending to the floor show OIL
the goods contained in them adj
mirably. All of the fixtures are new
and of oak, solid and vaneered. We
have purposely not undertaken to de-
scribe the trimmings or arrangement
and elegance of the stock, as no ade-
quate idea of it could be conveyed, and
only visit to the store will give one
any conception of it.
The most excellent force of clerks,
with their departments, is as follows:
Ed. Rausch, silks and velvets.
Will Rausch and John HOeffier, dress
goods. The latter is also trimmer.
Fred Kruse, assisted byJoe Kieffe
and John Koch, clerks, shawls and up
holstery.
Miss Annie Scouten, underwear.