The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-10-06
AN ELABORATE EVENT
Was the Jobbers' Association
Reception Last Night
IN COMMERCIAL CLUB
Seven Hundred Out of Town
Guests in Attendance.
COMMERCIAL CLUB

Merchants in attendance at the carniva
from surrounding towns have been roy
ally entertained at the Commercial cub
rooms this week by wichita's wholesale
merchants The feature Of the carnival
is something that has been entirely over.
! looked by other cities. Visiting mer-
chants at Kansas City or other johbins
towns during fall festivals do not receive
any demonstrations like the Wichita
commercial men have given their visiting
patrons. But then Wichita leads the
west in fall festivals because her citizens
know how to entertain guests.
Possibly no feature of the fall festivi-
ties will be Of more benefit to CONNER
cfial interests of this city than the receo-
ton rendered merchants here from other
towns. In the first place the job5ars OF
the city realized how closely Wichita S
interests are allied with the mercantile
business OF southern Kansas and Okla
hOma and they made up their minds 70
form a more intimate acquaintance With
their patrons. In what more fitting way
could this be done than by meeting with
them and having a good social time. Ac-
cordingly invitations were gotten up in
neat form and sent TO all merchants who
have been patronizing the wholesale
houses here, and of course that meant
every retail merchant in the surrounding
country.
These invitations have brought many
.y,a
have otherwise come. When they found
they were to be entertained in this way
they had desire to come because 1t was
a real manifestation Of sociability. Thus
the idea Wichita wanted them that
Wichita wanted them here for their
money was disproved. The men giving
the reception have not expected to sell
the merchants any more goods than they
would have otherwise done. The reception
has not been given for that purpose.
The Jobbers' association, of which Mr..
W. w. Johnson, Jr.. is president and Mr.
Jro L. Powell is secretary, mas received
on two afternoons, Wednesday and Fri
day. On Wednesday afternoon the club
rooms were jammed full from to :
o'clock Fully 500 guests were present.
The association thought they had receiv-
ed to their fullest capacity, but at least
200 ate luncheon there yesterday after
noon. The guests We're coming and going
all the time and still every room was
filled, the halls were crowded and the
yard was occupied.
The greater part Of the visiting ner-
chants were accompanied by their ladies'
Those who were not were entertained in
the upstair apartments, where every
thing was provided for their comfort and
pleasure. The reception and dining rooms
are downstairs. Here, as well as up
stairs, every one was served with sand
witches, coffee, ice cream and assorted
cakes
Judging from the expressions made by
visiting merchants, nothing of the whole
week has given them more pleasure than
these receptions. Warm friends have
been made of them by the wholesale
dealers. In the future this viii be felt.
However, the receptions were given for
the cultivation Of sociability entirely The
tobhers here did not entertain to get
customers they already have But they
did wish to treat their customers in a
hospItable manner and they certainly did
Everybody in the mercantile business
has become acquainted with everybody
else. Nothing can forward the commercial
interests of Kansas and Oklahoma more
than the social mingling together OF both
retail and wholesale dealers. They IN
this way become closely connected. and
after this the retail merchants viii have
a warmer feeling for Wichita's jobbers.