The western sentinel., 1900-07-26
IN TRADE SINCE 1865.
The Sentinel Makes an au-
thentic Sketch of

PFoHL AND sTocKToN's BUSINESS
CAREER.
There is nothing peculiarly patri-
archal in the appearance of the MEM
bers of the above named firm, and yet
the fact remains that there are very
few merchants in Winston who have
longer been identified with its business
interests than they. Their house is
the lineal descendant of the business
established by T. G. Pfohl in Salem in
the year 1884. He was succeeded by
Pfohl Bros, and they by Pfohl &
Stockton in September, 1865.
Mr.. E. A. Pfohl is native of Salem,
and most of his life has been passed in
mercantile pursuits Mr.. J. II. Stock
ton is native of Rockingham county,
but he has lived in Forsyth since in
fancy
Messrs. Pfohl & Stockton continued
to transact business in Salem from
1865 until 1875, In the meantime,
fn 1869, they onsued IT, r Winston
house, and in 1875 they closed out
their Salem store. In 1876 they built
the premises they now occupy, three
story and basement brick block,
25x100 feet, which stands at the South
east corner of Main and Third streets.
To the rear, upon Third street, is q
warehouse and platform 100x40 feet,
for the produce and grain department.
Of the store building proper the first
floor is almost wholly given up to the
retail trade of the house; the second
and third floors and basement consti-
tute the jobbing department,
Pfohl q Stockton's trade is best de-
scribed by the term general merch-
andise," and in this case at least the
term is very comprehensive one. It
means a dozen or more different lines );
it Is, in fact, just such a comprehen-
sive stock as our farmer friends and
Country merchants like to make their
selections from, while the citizens of
town none the less find the house a
desirable place at which to trade
At least three-fourths of the entire
business done by the firm is at whole
.ale, and this trade comes from For
syth, Rockingham, Guilford, David
son, Davie, Yadkin, Iredell, Surry,
Stokes and Wilkes counties, North
Carolina, and from Henry, Patrick,
Carroll and Grayson counties, Vir-
ginia. The retail trade also is attrac-
ted from great distances, much of it
coming from as far as fifty miles to
the north and west,
In addition to the large trade which
the house holds in general merchan-
disc its fruit operations are of magni-
tude. OF sun dried fruits, apples,
berries, peaches, etc, Pfohl q Stock
ton have handled as high as two mill
lion pounds in single year. Right
here we may say that we doubt if any
other man of his age in the State has
bought and sold SO much fruit as has
Mr.. Stockton, and he has been
thoroughly conversant with the bust
ness ever since he was q lad tep years
old.
The firm have also been extensive
dealers ia horses, and we do not think
we exaggerate when we assert that
they have bought upwards of fifteen
hundred head of horses since their
partnership was formed. Another
point that comes to our mind in con-
nection with their mercantile opera
tions is the fact that the house holds
so large a per cent. of its old time Gus
toners. There are many patrons who
haye been dealing with it regularly
for upwards Of a quarter Of century,
and scores of those old customers
wouldn't feel at home anywhere else
when buying goods. They have
learned by long experience that the
house is reliable, that it will do to tie
to, and this is one of the apparent eff
fects or results of an honorable busi-
ness career.
Another thing we note is the length
of time which the various clerks have
served with them; in these days OF
sudden changes it is really rema1 kable.
E. c. Clinard has been with the house
IA years, F. M. Bohannon II years
H. W. Foltz 10 years, E. L. Hege s
years, John Sprinkle 3 years. Frank
Spencer 3 years, w. c. Winkler 2
years, w. F. Perkins l year, and these
figures are the more notable from the
fact thst during the past dozen years
twenty three other clerks have come
to and gone from the service of the
house. And this leads us to say thai
no firm in Winston has been more