Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1897-10-31
|TRE MARCH OF ENTERPRISE
Finds Wheeling Abreast With Sister
Cities in the Procession.
No Community of Approximate
Size Has Larger or Better Equip
ped Jobbing and Retail Houses.
Some of the Up-to-Date Stores.
A Model Home Furnishing House
Conducted on an Elaborate Scale.

A Model Home Furnishing House
The man who feels the pulse of
community, finds up-to-date CONNER
cial establishments healthy indica-
ton. The railroads are the great veins
Of commerce, and when there is a
steady traffic to and from city, it is
an indication of unimpaired vitality.
All these conditions obtain in Wheel
ing. This is essentially an industrial
and commercial community. It is
one of the best points on any of the
railways touching the city, and its ship
ping interests are greater than in al
most any city in the United States of
approximate size.
Wheeling is the metropolis of this
section of the Ohio Valley, with a pop
ulation tributary to it which multiplies
the resident population several times.
This fact, coupled with the character
istic energy and enterprise of Wheeling
merchants has led to the building Up
Of institutions of considerable magni-
tude, doing volume of business an
nually which would surprise those who
are not conversant with the matter, or
who manifest no interest in it. "Up-to-
date" is an expression which is becom-
ing trite, but it is peculiarly applicable
to many of the big jobbing and retail
houses of Wheeling, which would be
credit to cities many times as large.
Such concerns as are engaged in the
wholesale grocery business, the dry
goods and the boot and shoe trades-it
is unnecessary to enumerate them
are seldom or never duplicated in cities
of 10000 population.
While the jobbing houses have taken
great strides forward in the last decade,
the growth of some of the retail estab-
lishments has been even more remark
able. The best example in the city, of
the latter class, is the big store OF
House & Hermann, at Fourteenth and
Market streets, the largest exclusive
home furnishing house in the State,
and an institution to which any com
munity might point with pardonable
pride.
The growth of House & Herrmann's
business has been phenomenal Not
many years ago the members of the
firm started modest atore in Wash
ington, D. c., on a principle of credit
which was then in its infancy, and
which this firm has assisted more than
any other in making popular. Imita-
ton is the sincerest flattery, and their
success has led many others to follow
in their footsteps. The idea of furn-
ishing homes on easy payments was
unknown few years ago, and persons
OF modest means were quick to take ad-
vantage of the opportunity afforded by
House & Hermann, with the result
that the firm has not only prospered,
but thousands of it's patrons are estab-
lished in comfortable homes.
House Herrmann's plan of credit
is system of savings, possessing this
very commendable feature-tnat the
savings are represented by articles of
household necessity and the customer
secures the benefit of his savings from
the moment the first money is laid
away. Your credit is good" the firm
advertises, and this is supplemented
by another motto-"You furnish the
wife and we furnish the home" If
House & Hermann have not caused a
boom in the matrimonial market they
have at least removed very stubborn
obstacle from the path of the young
man OF limited means who hesitated in
taking this important step.
Seven years ago House & Herman
established branch house at No. 1900
Main street. 1t was not long until the
establishment was found too mail for
the business transacted. Then the
Wheeling Installment Company was
merged into the older and larger con-
Germ, and it became imparatively nee
essary to find house to combine I'M
der one roof the various parts of the
business which then was carried on in
several rooms in the wholesale dis
trict.
The big building at Fourteenth and
Market streets was erected for the
firm. There are five floors, and about
10000 square feet of floor space. This
is mamoth concern, unquestionabIy
the biggest retail store in the State, yet
it is crowded, and the firm has secured
other room for storage purposes, ex-
hibiting samples only in many depart
ments. That the trade CT House &
Herman has shown such growth in
time OF industrial depression is truly
remarkable.
House q Hermann are making great
preparations Tor the fall trade in antic-
ipation of the biggest winter in the
history of the firm. Eight car loads of
home furnishings have arrived within
the past two weeks, including the first
car of folding beds ever hauled into the
city
1t is not hard to discover why House
& Hermann undersell all their Compel
itors. The Wheeling store is but one
of three big establishments, the other
two being located in Washington, D. c..
and Cleveland. O., besides smaller
branches elsewhere. When the amount
of goods handled by these stores is
taken into. consideration, together with
the fact that the firm is frequently as
ISOLATED in its dealings with manurac-
turers with number of the heaviest
buyers in the country, it viii be seen
that the firms facilities for buying
cheap are unequalled, and they are
therefore enabled to offer goods at
prices which other houses cannot meet
Solid Sterling Silver ThfmbIes 10c
each at Shelf Bros, corner Main and
Eleventh streets.
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