The Topeka state journal., 1899-04-11
Hub Clothing Company at Outs
With Clerk sUniOn
Because 1t Did Business After
Hours Last Night.
SOLDIERS CAUSED 1T.
The Hub Took Orders Ahead
and Claims That 1t
Simply Delivered Them Last
Night-WiIl Lose Its Card. =

The Retail Clerks union and the Hub
Clothing company are at loggerheads.
The Hub did business last night up to 3
o'clock and a rushing business too, and
the union was pOwerleSS to prevent IT.
The result is that the union will take
away the union card from The Hub and
that establishment will be under the
ban of the labor organizations that are
backing the clerks union.
1t all came about as a result of a
move of Abe Steinberg. the proprietor of
The Hub to corral the trade of the col
ored soldiers on their return from Leav-
enworth, a movement in which he was
evidently successful.
AS soon as Mr.. Steinberg learned that
the Twenty-third Kansas would be
mustered out yesterday, he sent one OF
his clerks over to Fort LeaVenwOrth to
take orders for clothing from the troops,
to be delivered when they were mus
tered out. Lieutenant McAdoo, of COM
pany A, was in the employ of Mr.. Stein
berg before he enlisted to go to Cuba,
and he assisted in taking orders. AS all
of the soldier boys wanted citizens
clothes as soon as they were mustered
out the order man did rushing busl-
ness and came back with large num-
ber of orders, both for suits and other
clothing.
YESTERDAY afternoon Mr.. Steinberg re-
ceived a telegram from Fort Leaven-
worth announcing that special tram
would bring the soldiers over about 4
o'clock last evening and that many OF
them wanted to get their clothing af-
ter they arrived. AS soon as this 1nfor-
nation was given out, the clerks at Inc
Hub who are all members OF the clerks
union went to the officers of the union
and repOrted the state of affairs, and
requested that all stores be allowed TO
remain open. The union officers, now
ever did not think that an order to that
effect ought to be made without giving
longer notice, and they refused to grant
the request. -
The Hub kept open for the soldiers
ANYWAY, and soon after closing hours
at $50 the clerks began to congregate
in front of the store to try to head OF
trade, but it was impossible as the sol
diers had already contracted for their
suits.
I did no more than any merchant
would have done under those circum-
stances" said Mr.. Steinberg today
Other merchants might have sent over
there and contracted to sell suits too,
if they had thought of it, but they
didn't. When the boys telegraphed me
that they wanted their clothes last
them have them. If l hadn't lots OF
them would have got mad and wouIdn' t
have taken them at all L believe in
early closing, but we ought to use Judg-
ment about it. Some of the boys who
are not careful of their money got to
shooting craps last night and lost all
| they had, so that this morning they
haven't anything to buy clothes with.
| Some of those L let have their clothes
last night would be in the same fix il
hadn't done as I did. I didn't let any
| body in but soldiers, anyway. L had
a man stationed at the door with or
ders to let nobody pass but soldiers who
| wanted to get their suits. Half of the
| boys who were allowed to get their
| clothes last night went down to Law
renee on the fast mail to attend a
party, and they had to have the clothes
| for that. 1 think 1 was perfectly justi-
| fed in doing as 1 did. don't intend to
keep open any more.
IF 1 hadn't sent my man over there
and sold these suits ahead Topeka
wouldn't have got any of the trade of
| those soldiers, but they would have
spent all their money in Leavenworth.
L sent out about so suits last night and
| sold 40 more before o'clock this morn
| ing. The other merchants had the same
| chance 1 did and it wasn't my fault if
| they didn't take advantage of it. They
would call me chump if 1 hadn't done
as did. Trade doesn't come every easy