Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1903-01-21
THE OLDEST FIRM
IN THE SOUTHWEST
Adolf Seligman Withdraws from the
Business Of Seligman Brothers
Latter Merged Into Cor
poration Named Seligman
Brothers Company.
uninterrupted IN BUSINESS SINCE 1850

Inc mercantlle mouse OIL SelSilldu
Brothers was established at Santa Fe
in 1849 by S. Seligman with Hon.
Charles p. Cleaver, ex-delegate in con-
gress, as partner. Bernard Seligman
arrived in Santa Fe from Germany in
1856, and, after clerking for Spiegelberg
Brothers for some time and doing busi-
ness on his own account for four years,
Joined his older brother, S. Seligman,
in the general merchandising firm of
Seligman Brothers in 1862. S. Seligman
died in 1876 and his place was taken by
Arolf Seligman in 1877.
The house was opened in the Spiegel-
berg block; then it was moved to the
adobe building on the corner of San
Francisco and Shelby streets, where it
remained from 1856 till 1890; then it was
moved back to the original stand in the
Spegelberg building, and there it is To-
Gated today. Prior to the last move, Il
complete line of general merchandise,
including dry goods, groceries, hard
ware and crockery, was always IN
stock, but since the firm moved into
carpets, clothing, hats, shoes and boots
and kindred lines have been carried.
For many years the house carried a
stock ranging from $15OOOO to 100000,
and the sales of the firm during
the past fifty years aggregate
at least s5,0OO,OOO. Before the
advent of the Santa Fe railway system
in 1880, all goods brought into New
Mexico were freighted by wagons
drawn by oxen, mules and horses over
the famous Santa Fe trail from Kan
sas City. Santa Fe was then the busi-
ness center of the territory. This was
the distributing point for the entire re-
gion. Money was plentiful, there were
no banks, and the only depository and
west was the quartermaster Of the mil
itary department of New Mexico. There
were not even safes in which to store
money for safe-keeping, and thousands
of dollars were carried around on the
persons of business men, locked up in
trunks under counters or buried in the
dirt floors of the adobe buildings. Gam
bling and speculation consequently ran
riot. Pool games involving $1,000 on
the side were common, and poker
games with from $4,000 to $4,000 in
gold and silver in sight were ordinary
gold and silver in sight wer ordinary
incidents in the exciting life of those
days. Goods were freighted in once a
year and mails were received from the
east once a month, when the Indians on
the plains permitted and other condi-
tions We're favorable.
An idea of the business transactions
of the pioneer days of Santa Fe can be
formed from the fact that Seligman
Brothers loaded in one day in Kansas
City 80 wagons with an average of 5000
pounds of freight each for their store
in this city, that the firm paid freight
bills to the amount of 100000 on one
train containing s126,OOO worth of goods,
and sold in three weeks at their store
here goods to the amount Of $125,0O0 at
profits aggregating $4,000.
On the 31st day of December last the
firm of Seligman Brothers experienced
a change, by Adolf Seligman, the jun
ior partner, retiring therefrom after a
connection of 80 years with the firm.
On Monday last the firm made another
change by incorporating as the Selig-
man Bros. Company, with the following
stockholders: Frances Seligman, James
l.. Seligman and Arthur Seligman. It
is understood that James L. Seligman
is the president and general manager,
and Arthur Seligman the secretary and
treasurer of the new company. The
business Of the corporation will be con-
tinued in all respects as heretofore,
Bernard Seligman, the senior member
of the firm, remaining in the east as
the eastern buyer.
The firm of Seligman Bros. is the old
est In the southwest. 1t is we'll and ia
vorably known throughout the section,
and has high reputation for fair deal
ing and honesty. The members are
progressive and up-to-date, and there is
no doubt that 1t will command high
percentage Of the favor of the public
and secure large share of business. 1t
has done so for fifty years and indica-
tions are that it will do so for many
years to come.