Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1896-1899, 1897-05-15

B whs beIteres that high rents ans
: oFerrru-5ed cities are q TAD thinl
f5r tbe commo1 psgpie, must be De
lighted % note the prugressiTe haEo'
that Is bling made in real estate
values b. the departDent stores Q.
+ 5Chi1zr0 and NeuY6rk. A department
store j. - much of an Improvement
over the comm0n store as . freight
train q over an DK-tezm, but Cbicagy
Is % in arms against il. W5eD left
ths-e one hundred thousand business
men decided 10 ciose their stores for q
whole dzT and unite in q mOoster pro
test against the expected defeat oi
tie anfi-departnent store bill. then
Z pending before theIlIinois legislature.
Z ln fact. the election q Harrison a.
mayor vas large , d1e 70 his hostility
70 the department stores. which il il
claimed. pyrte0d universal ruin 70
all single line establishments
a Chicago business man told me
that he Is opposed 70 department
stores for the reason that they are
driving 70 the wall ali % the retail
and wholesale houses, yacatiDg store
buildings. depreciating all real estate
values aud placirg the business Of the
city ia the hands Of a few firms.
But, said be, / patrOnize the Depart
ment stores instead Of dealing With
the smaller merchants
The department stores are all COL
dacted On the same principle There
j. one board, general manager, Who
superVises the entire business and
under him are the heads Of the diff
feFent departments, each line Of goods
being handled as a separate business.
/ presume that Seigel & COOpef's
store in this city employs nearly 90
clerks and fully 300 cash girls. 1t Oc-
cupies a full half block and is seYen n
stories 10 height. This does not in
elude the basement where hardware
is kept, nor a sub basement in which
goods are packed. 1t IL possible here
TO purchase any and all things known
70 modern life, from box Of matches.
for cent to one Of DOre's master
pieces for 100000. II you want
stationery and books, diamonds and
cut glass ware, bedroom sets. steam
engines, groceries, musical lnstru-
ments. guns and ammunition, your
picture taken, your teeth pulled or
filled, Seigel & COoper's is the place
togo.
If you are 10 doubt as to the kind Of
tea, or the flavor OF certain blended
cUtfees, a young lady provides you
with an easy chair, a table, and the
latest paper and ia few minutes
with cup Of that tea or coffee. You
may want but ten cents worth, the
treatment is the same as though you
wanted years supply. Do you hesi.
tate about the flYOr Of sOupe? 4 plate
of sOupe with that flavor is given yOu.
II yOl want to try the jelly, the finest
bread and the best Of butter is pro-
yided.
On one floor you can purchase oil
paintings, cut flowers and pOtted
plants; on the next groceries, provis-
ions Of all kinds, fresh fish and the fin
est Of steaks, and so on ad infinitum.
The individual trader can't compete
with such store as this. 1t pur-
chases such immense quantities OF
goods that it can purchase cheapest
and sell nothing on credit. You can
get better bargains here than at other
stores and who is going 10 put in a day
shopping among many stores for many
things? When here you can buy all
things OF any goods in one building.
There are IS elevators to carry you to
any part OF the building; there are
great fountains, tine music, lovely
flowers and swarm of canary birds
70 make your visit pleasant. IL is a
fairy tale, but it pays.
A logical result OF the department
stores is the closing up OF smaller
stores, the yacating OF store buildings
and residences and throwing out Of
Of many people. When
demand for store buildings cease, rents
will come down, and when rents co me
down real estate values fall. The
people may fight this new mercantile
octopus, but he will live. Here is an
evolution in business that does more
good than harm. But wait until the
department stores wipe out all compe-
titiOn, (which they soon will dol un-
til department store will stand in bus
mess array against department store
and then will come the department
store trust in the city OF New York.
And il is illogical 10 suppose that the
trust Of this city will not finally en-
brace the department stores in all
cities? And il the department store
trust sells all the goods, why not man
ufacture the goods they sell? and by
ia their scope the factories |