The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1897-07-21
BACK HOME AGAIN
THE IMMENSE SUPPLY HOUSE OF T.
NJ. ROBERTS MOVE INTO THEIR
OLD QUARTERS AFTER BEING
BURNED OUT LAST SPRING.
The Remodeled Building Is Now
Seven Stories High and Large
Addition Has Been Built on the
Rear-Has Every Facility for
Handling the Huge Retail Busi
ness of the Firm.

1--WE have built on two more stories and
extended the building several feet In the
rear and seven stories up to give US space
for our increasing business. In spite of
fires, hard times, etc, we are bound 70
grow because Minneapolis is now and will
be the greatest retail trading place in the
West" said 7. NJ. Roberts, he was show
ing THE TRIBUNE representative
through the various departments, which
filled the seven large floors Of the building.
There were clerks busy shipping goods out
Of the furniture, grocery, hardware, sad
dlery, musical, books, bicycle and many
other departments There was no con-
fusion. Certain clerks fill ofders from each
departing Mt, then The goods all go to one
immense shipping room, other clerks
check and bill the goods as orders are
filled. There three great elevators in
the building to facilitate the transferring
of the goods from floor to floor, and
numerous drays to carry the boxes to the
different depot5. When an order is filled
Which is to go to some one who resides on
the 500. the box is placed in a compart-
ment labeled The $780,, and remains there
until the arrival of the dray which handles
the freight for that line. And SO it is with
the others. There is no delay, and so
perfect is the system that mistakes are all
but impossible.
The institution is the second largest of
it's kind in the world and has probably
done more to divert country trade to this
city than half a dozen retail stores put
together. The business is carried on al
most entirely by mail and goods are sold
only for cash.
Each year the house issues a great cata-
lOgue, copies Of which are scattered broad
cast throughout the country districts, and
it is from this ttat the purchaser makes
his selections This years catalogue con-
-)n f,,l1v 1l,YC-
trated and contains prices of everything
| likely to be in demand. Goods sold
direct to the consumer thus avoiding the
profit Of the middleman.
The house has not single travelling
man the road but relies fer its success
| entirely upon newspaper advertising and
the results would seem to prove beyond
! shadow Of doubt the wisdom of the ex
pertinent. Their enormous mail is received
| by the bushel basketfu, and so nu-
merous are the orders that carloads of
| goods sent out each day. There is IN
/, army of something like 200 employees, and
everything has been reduced to system
| which runs without hitch. There are
men who do nothing all day bat pack or
| ders for shipment others who bill the
| goods shipped and on through the whole
| establishment.
| 1t has been said Of supply-houses that
| they are nothing more or less than de-
!
| this is true; but establishment ike
| the Roberts house does a great deal OF
| good to the city at large. 1t gets people
| into the habit of doing their trading In
| Minneapolis. They find that they can buy
! goods here as cheap or cheaper than they
| can elsewhere, and soon they forget to
! think of going any place else but come
! or send here as matter of course. 1t
| Is country trade which goes to make up
| a city's prosperity: and business which
! has a tendency to increase that trade is TO
! a certain extent a plblic benefactor.
| Mr. Roberts has received many compli-
! ments for his novel and unique sign, paint
| ed on the side of the building. 1t repre-
| seuts a huge giraffe. and would make for
| tune for a circus, if alive, as it is a cute
| little animal about 100 feet high. Its feet
| are level with the sidewalk, and it's head
| reaches UP to the caves, seven stories ABOVE.
! It certainly is a monster sign, and attracts
| considerable attention.