Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1899-01-28

WA-KEENEY, KAN, JANUARY 90. $780,
h. D. LEE MERCANTILE co.
A Brief Sketch Of this Mammoth Wholesale
Firm Written by Tregoite For
World"
SALINA, Kan, Jan. 16, 1899.

OALlNA. hdu Jdu 10. 1922
People are in the habit of asking
their grocer for a box when their pur-
chases amount to very much, we refer
to the country trade and nearly every
one has noticed that large share of
these boxes have borne the name:
s'H. d. Lee Mercantile Co., Salina." !"
This firm enjoy very large trade in
the western half of the state and IL
might not prove uninteresting to give
brief description of a recent visit
to their mammoth establishment h at
this place
We were taken in charge by Chas.
Lee, a nephew of the head of the firm,
and it is through his courtesy and
kindness that we were enabled to see
more of the inside of the business
than is usually accorded Il casual yisi-
tor.
The office force consists of about "A
dozen people, and the Office itself is IA
model of elegance. A snort distance
back of the office is the room Tor the
drummers where they Tx up any nusi-
ness that may require finishing
touch OH their arrival uere from a
trip.
The building is 250 teeL Tong, and
on one side is "A side track from Nnicis
cars may be either loaded or unioaded
while on the opposite size there ex-
tends Il wide piazza itie eiitire ieugtil
from which their ilai. dozen Teams are
constantly hauling goods 10 Che d fer
ent depOtS for transported Jion 10 the
retailers. On this floor we saw the
coffee roaSter. 1t takes about ~ min
uteS to roast IL batch Oi 2U0 pounds.
This receptacle is kept constantly re-
volving aud before going into it the
coffee is thoroughly cIednSed. There
are two of these roasLers lii operation
at the same time-the capacity being
the same of each. 1t is then taken
out in a large iron box arranged on
wheels, an iron mood lowered over it,
and a blast of cold air ulown through
it to prevent it becoming any more
brown. Then it is drawn up into a
hopper by air, and from that run into
boxes containing so pounds or more as
they wish.
We were taken into the basement
W
heavy goods. Barrels upon barrels of
sugar and syrups, rope, ETC., uesides
the furnace and engines. Also in the
basement is the banana room. Row
after row of punches of this fruit
hang from the ceiling in different
stages of ripeness. This rcom is kept
at high temperature and the firm
receives a car load of bananas at a
time.
We then ascended to the fourth
story where is kept the tin and gran
ite ware which is also packed there.
We were taken out on the roof where
a most excellent view of the city is
presented. Here there is a flag staff
from which is displayed the flags of
the weather bureau.
A Western Union wire runs through
the Offices and one of the bill clerks is
a telegrapher and the firm receives
their own messages and weather SER
vice.
The third floor is the stock of over
alls, shirts, socks, jackets. ETC. The
east end of the floor is canned goods.
The second floor is where the gro
ceries are packed. This is also the
tea department. This firm import
their own teas and coffees and have
an expert, Mr.. Potter, TO test all sam
Piles that may be submitted and
grades the teas to within a half cent
a pound. Also the cigar samples are
in this room which were kindly offer
ed to US to sample.
Next to this is the candy room and
the pals and boxes of candy here
would make Santa Claus envious.
The cigar storeroom was an inter
eSting place. This room is lined with
zinc with a brick floor which permits
them to wet it in the hot, dry days of
summer to keep the stock damp On