People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1896-03-12
DEPARTMENT STORE.
An Institution Which Marks an
Epoch in the History of Wei
lingtOn.

uuHtOhs
In the larger cities department
stores have fourished fOrimany years
but it is only in recent years that the
innovation has been carried to the
smaller cities and county seat towns.
Wellington is peculiarly fortunate
just at this time in securing a de-
partment store. 1t would be more 10
line with expectations to see enter
priSes that we have departing from
US rather than new ones coming to
us, but thanks to the business sagac-
ity and commercial courage of sound
business men the tide has commenced
flowing in instead Of out.
1t is not a difficult thing for shrewd
business men to see that Wellington's
location in the cente: Of the great
corn and wheat belt oiSumner county
will bring her great prosperity when
her broad acres are favored with a fair
SeaSOn-which seems now to be GER
tainly imminent. Fortune favors the
brave and this applies to the trades
man as well as the farmer.
Some of our readers may not have
clear conception Of just what is
meant by Department Store" To
such we would say that it means
pretty nearly what its name indicates
"a store with many departments-One
for dry goods-One for nOtiOns-one
for grOcerieS-One for boots and shoes
one for clOthing-one for hardware
one for books and stationery, and so
on through the various lines.
In other words it is many stores in
one. In the large cities they occupy
immense buildings many stories high.
In the smaller cities they are usually
spread out in 'several different cities
under the same central management,
thus affOrding buying advantages not
enjoyed by the single handed institu-
tions.
The large city stores print and mail
their vOluminous catalogues to thous-
ands Of customers and do an extensive
mail order business. They have in
some respects become great mo-
nOpolies.
The department stores Of the small
er cities are on the same plan though
not so extensive.
They buy goods in large quantities,
dividing them out among stores In a
half dozen or more different cities.
They sell on an extremely close
margin-in reality at wholesale prices.
For instance, they sell one bar Of
soap or one can of corn at the same
rate that they would sell a whole case,
Quantity cuts no figure. The pool
man with 10 cents can 60 into the
department stole and buy the same
value as the rich man who buys his
goods by the case. In other words II
gives the poor man the same advant-
age Of economic buying as the rich
man.
In every case they sell for cash
They make no accounts, keep no books
nor tickets Of any kind. The goods
do not leave the house until the money
has gone to the cashier.
The parties directly interested IL
this store are A. Hanlon, Of Newton
and G. A. Gambrill. Of this city, unde
the firm name OF HanlOn & Gambrill
Mr.. Gambrill will be the residen
manager. This store is one Of a cir
cult OF several Of the same kind II
other cities.
The department store will be opel
for business perhaps by the time thi
goes into print. The location is Oh
North Washington Avenue in tn
large room at Mlexsell's old stand
The room has been artisticall.
fitted and shelved. Everybody VIII
comes to town will visit the neJ
emporium and see the array Of ne7
goods and low prices.
The force Of clerks is as follows
Misses Lizzie Staub, Nellie Aldrich
Fannie WOrden. Mrs. Fuller, RO
ShinIiver, Samuel Scott and Georg
Pfeifer Miss Fannie Worden viii
act as cashier.
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