The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1898-04-02
STARTED WITH STATIONARY

An Interesting Bit of Titranys HIS
tory-C. l.. Tiffany's Early struggles
Packed and Delivered His own
Sales-Raising Three Hundred Dol
lars Under Difficulties.
There was an interesting statement
in one of Tiffany g. Cos. ADVERTISE
ments the other day. 1t was in refer
ence to their wedding stationary, and
mentioned the fact that the stationary
department formed prominent fea-
ture of their business when the house
was established in 1887. Doubtless
most of Tiffany's patrons of the pres
ent generation are under the impress
ion that stationary was an after
thought with this great house, and
that copperplate engraving is only
natural expansion of their silver en-
craving department.
This is far from the fact" said Mr..
G. L. Tiffany, who has just passed his
eighty-sixth birthday. when
started in business sixty years ago
down at 259 Broadway, my stock con-
sisted of choice and novel objects in
bric-a- brac; Chinese goods, which
We're then very popular; fine station
airy, cabinets, and fancy articles gen.
SNcSAN
interested me more than the station
ary." And then, pulling open a drawer
of his desk, he dug out from under a.
pile of old documents large sheet of
writing paper. 1t was of fine texture,
and, although yellow with age, the sew
eral creases where it was folded show
ed no sign of breaking.
This" said Mr.. Tiffany, holding up
the parchment-like paper, sis sample
sheet from the first stock that
bought; it is the nucleus Of one Of the
most successful departments of this
house. My first stationary stock con-
sisted chiefly of fine note-papers and
| the many little accessories of the writ
| ing desk, inkstands which in those
days were always accompanied by the
little cups of fine sand, universally
used to absorb the ink before blotting
| paper was invented.
IT remember as though it was yes
| terday the first inkstand we sold. 1t
was a bronze inkstand, imported, as
most Of those things were. sold it to
| a fashionable society women, who re-
sided down in Cliff street, which at
| that time was an aristocratic part of
| the city. Our entire force in those
days consisted Of my partner, an err
rand boy, and myself. The boy had
| gone for the day, So when we closed
up the shop, l wrapped up the ink
stand and carried it down to Cliff
street myself.
| IT shall never forget one of my first
| big purchases, two or three years later.
| Word reached the city that consign-
ment of fine Japanese goods had ar
| rived in Boston. 1t occurred to me
that this was a fine opportunity TO get
some things for our stock; but we had
no ready cash and practically no finan-
cial standing. How to raise the money
was a problem went down to Killing
ly, my old Connecticut home, and tried
to get one of my old associates, who
was considered a pretty well-to-do
farmer in those parts to endorse a
note for $500 for me. He would do al
most anything for me, with this ex-
ception. This rebuff, however, made
me only more determined, and finally
found some one with enough conf
dence in me to endorse the note, which
| quickly discounted, and with the
money started off to Boston / invest
ed half of the entire amount in two
articles-a marvellously beautiful Jap
anesa writing desk and an ornamental
+ahle. thew each cost STE. and both
nieces attracted 50 much attention and
so1d ca ou,cl.Iv that T was sorry there
wera not more az them.
"After we had removed to 271 Broad
WOW about ten vears later. our station
o,,v denartment had 90 developed that
v-o tool ordere for STAINING paper and
an,,alo,as. and &C Mr. cook the vice
nres,dent of the comnanv well remem-
~, o,,r 20 oiIitias were for long time
in,itod r. q little band-nress with a set
80 h1oo,, Iat+ars THE whole outfit very
r,uoh resap,h1ad the modern TOW print-
,ner ,,rassas To.dav this branch of the
h,,sirass is almost az we'll known
thro,,e,bou+ the world az our dealings
T., t1ian,onds ard other precious stones.
D., 80, ~ i,Ius+ra+ion T NAV mention
+ho+ orr foreion mail this morning
hrorah+ nc ordars for two thousand
drafts from other foreign points fol-