The Oskaloosa herald., 1902-06-19
HUBER & KALBACH.
Notable improvements Made by
Well Known Firm.


pletion and the changes that, have
been brought about in the conven-
fence and the general Appearance of
the store room are worthy of special
note. All work of placing new fur
niture and fixtures has been com
pleted with the exception of the
spreading of fresh color upon ceiling
and sustaining posts. The improve
ments made have value Of about
$500 90 as cash outlay and the
value to the store in the way of ad-
ditional convenience, the securing of
more shelf room etc., etc., is not to
be estimated.
All of the shelving that was in the
former equipment of the place has
been removed and in it's place has
been substituted the'' Warren patent
interchangeable hardware shelving,
wall cases and counters. This shelv-
ing is made in cases of exact and
definite dimensions excepting where
cases are made to special order and
to fit stated place. The cases, in
addition to being placed on shelving
of the ordinary kind, are made to fit
a certain dimension. These cases in
themselves contain drawers and COM
partments that are placed behind
glass covered front receptacle in
which is displayed the particular ar.
ticle or articles contained in the
drawers or apartments of the case.
All cases being made to definite
measure it is possible to change them
about at will and fill their places
with other cases having like dimen-
sions. The advantages of this system
of shelving are scar, ely to be enum-
Grated. In the first place the facili-
ties for showing the samples of goods
on sale could not be improved upon;
then small space is required for
keeping large stock and seasonable
goods are always at hand where
most desired. The drawers below
the shelving are also of the inter-
changeable sort and have the same
advantages as the shelf cases, An
entire set of this shelving, drawers
and wall cases occupy the west side
Of the long store room. This is plac-
ed at distance of six or eight feet
from the west wall of the building
and is two faced inasmuch as this
arrangement makes it possible for
goods to be placed In series of re-
ceptacles that stand back to back.
The west wall also gives place to an
other two storied series of shelving.
Thus, on the west side of the.room
alone are more goods than are car
ried in an ordinary stock. The saw
case" and the clock and door hard
ware cases"are specially made to the
order of the Huber & Kalbach store.
Aside from being handsome pieces
of workmanship in the line of cabinet
making, they are after original ideas
of the proprietors. The lock case
shows the hardware as it actually APP
pears on the door. The little doors
used for the purpose are of various
kinds of finished woods and are very
handsome. All large cases are fitted
with sliding doors
The east side of the room, except
ing the north end, is occupied by the
wall! cases for guns and other hard
ware that can not be shown to ad-
vantage in the smaller ones. The
counters have specially constructed
bases and are made for the storing
of goods of all kinds and even the
nail bins are of special kind com.
bining beauty and hardness
A handsome mirrored show case
occupies the center of the room and
here several lines of hardware and
fancy articles are shown to advan-
tage.
The front of the building was al
tered by the owner and in place of
the two entrances that we're formerly
used, there are couple OF large
show windows and center entrance.
The windows have been lowered
from their former height and the ex.
terror appearance of the building has
been considerably improved.
The store thus made over is one of
the most slightly and convenient to
be found in the state of Iowa or in
the entire west for that matter. The
Office part, in which was cared for
the wholesale business of the firm,
was removed from the center of the
building to the northeast corner of
the room where better light and ac-
commodations can be secured. No
thing has been forgotten or omitted
looking to perfect store building.
The present firm of Huber & Kali
bach, one of the oldest and largest
in the city, is the outgrowth of a
small hardware business that was
started about twenty five years ago
by Chas. Huber in the corner store
that is now occupied by the Hubbard
Hardware Co. The present firm has
been in existence for the past sixteen
years, and fifteen years of that time
has been spent In the present build
ing, which was erected by the Iowa
Masons' Benevolent Society. In ad-
dition to occupying two floors and
the basement of this three story
building the firm erected lust north