The San Francisco call., 1896-12-31
LEVIN Bros, RETAIL GROCERS,
HAVE FAILED FOR $139,0OO
List of Liabilities and Estimate Of Assets Placed
Before Stormy Meeting of Numerous
Creditors.

the note of Mrs. Levin, mother of the
Levin brothers, for $4,000.
A leading representative of one of the
oldest and wealthiesr firms on Market
street said, yesterday afternoon, that his
house had not sold goods to Levin Bros.
for a year. The manner in which the
Levins conducted business did not invite
his confidence.
The representative of leading house
on Front street said his transactions with
the Levin Brothers were limited. He did
not desire their trade on cash basis even,
because he knew as matter of fact that
they were selling articles such as pickles,
preserves and jellies under wholesale
prices. Complaints had come from hon.
orable merchants in this City and Oak
land that Levin Brothers were selling
groceries for less than the articles cost IN
the wholesale market, and as a result OF
such competition those merchants who
were doing an honest and legitimate busi-
ness lost their customers.
The two houses of the Levin Brothers
in San Francisco are located respectively
at 1924 Market street and 1874 Sixth street.
There are two houses of the firm III Oak
land-one at Tenth and Washington
streets and the other at 1874 Seventh
street. Recently branch store was
established at Dwight Way station,
Berkeley.
Isadore Levin. He began in small way
on Turk street and carried on the business
alone until 1888, when Julius Levin was
admitted. A few years later David Levin
was admitted to partnership. There is
large family of Levins in San Francisco.
The Levins OF the grocery firm and the
Getzs of the firm of Getz Brothers & Co.
are related by marriage.
Two attachments were levied on the firm
yesterday. The Standard Soap Company
attached the Sixth-street store for 500
and W. Rigby laid an attachment on the
Market-street branch for $497.
The meeting of creditors yesterday was
prolonged until late in the afternoon.
Secretary Smith of the Board of Trade
was not in position to state definitely how
serious the failure was and neither could
he give an estimate of the amount of
money that may be realized from the
assets. He thought that each store of the
firm would be placed in the hands of a
representative of the Board of Trade and
then an accurate inventory of the goods
on hand and an examination of the ac-
counts of the firm would be at once made.
1t was incidentally stated at the meeting
of creditors that the dishonesty of clerks
contributed to the embarrassment of the
firm, but no names or amounts were men,
toned.
Some of the creditors have resolved not
to settle for cent less than one hundred
cents Oh the dollar. A Front-street mer-
chant said last evening: IL am suspic-
ious OF these large amounts which the
Levin Brothers represent that they owe
20 certain firms. 1t is easy enough to say
that they owe to certain house $15, 900
when the actual Indebtedness may not
exceed $4,000. Again, Levin said he paid
to creditors between November % and
Decem ber &c, $50 900. He did not produce
vouchers to verify this statement, but said
the checks could be produced. The pro-
duction of these checks may have some
bearing on the final settlement"
After the sion of the Board Of Trade
the creditors went to their respective
places of business. The expressions con-
corning the firm were not friendly, and
determination was expressed to have q
most thorough and searching investiga-
tion made.
The brothers Levin themselves assert
that the com petition put up by the En-
porium, Lebenhaum and Others has de-
moralized the retail grocery business.
In order to meet that competition extra
ordinary efforts to sell goods at the small
est margin OF profit had 20 be employed.
ID. Levin, who is the outside manager of
the market street house Qsadore being the
office and financial many said yesterday
that he did not know what steps the credi-
tors would take.
He EXPIRE ssed confidence in the ability of
the firm to weather the storm, if the cred
itors did rot press too hard. He said the
failure was brought about by by the COM
petition in the grocery business, which
compelled the firm to sell at ruinous
figures. IF we had not advertised extern
sively, put our prices down to the lowest
figure and employed all the enterprise we
possess TO sell goods, we would have been
here idle, while customers were going in
droves to the Emporium"