The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-03-25
FIVE STORY
WAREHOUSE
Is to be Constructed for john
son-Larimer Dry Goods Co,
SITE OF OLD CITY MILLS
Purchased for Building Com
pany to Erect Structure.
ANINVESTMENT OF $4,000
Required to Purchase Ground
and Build Warehouse.

Yesterday o. P Taylor, president of
the JOhnson-Larimer Dry Goods COM
pany, closed the deal with John Mahan
and is now the owner Of a part of the
old city mill site at the corner of Doug
las avenue and Santa Fe street. The
property purchased has a frontage of
seventy-five feet on Douglas avenue and
40 feet on the alley along the west side
of this property.
Mr.. Taylor purchased the property as a
trustee Of a building company which will
be organized TO construct a five-story
warehouse on this property. This COM
pany is composed of the stockholders OF
the Johnson-Larimer Dry Goods COM
pany and W. +. Jett of the wholesale
grocery firm of Jet & Wood, is also one
Of the principal stockholders.
This company viii build a hve-story
brick warehouse of mill construction as
soon as the pians can be prepared and
the debris of the old min can be torn
away and contracts for this work Will be
let at once in order to have the work
started at the earliest possible date. The
building will be constructed on the most
modern warehouse plans, every feature
for rapid handling Of goods in large
quantities viii be embodied in the plans
Electric elevators ana carriers viii be
installed. The material entering into the
construction of this building viii be of
as nOn-combustible nature as possible as
the immense stock of dry goods carried
by the company makes this feature i'm
perative. The building company is TO
construct this Duiidng and arrangements
have already been made for a longtime
lease. The property just purchased and
the structure which viii be erected repre-
sents an investment of fully fifty thous-
and dollars. No expense viii be spared in
making the building as perfectly equip
ped as Possible and when completed viii
be the most modern warehouse in the
southwest.
For several weeks Mr.. Taylor and Mr.
Mahan have been working on a deal
whereby the Johnson-L arimer company
could secure this site for their warehouse.
For some time it was thought that a
building would be erected by individuals
for. the company. but it was finally de-
cided 70 purchase the ground outright
and form a building company, composed
principally Of stockholders in the dry
goods company and erect a building of
their own
The Johnson-Larimer Dry Goods com
pany was organized in 1885 and for many
years WAS the only wholesale dry goods
house in the state and is at present con
sidered the largest house between the
Missouri river and the PACING coast. In
December, 1901, the company was reorgan-
tied. the stock increased and lie ex-
tended until at the present time the bus
iness Of the company extends through
out Kansas and Oklahoma. parts of Col
orado, New Mexico and Texas. The com
pany as reorganized has just entered its
second year Of existence and during the
first year the business of the company
increased thirty per cent over any for
mer year
Ever since the reorganization of the
company the officers have been trying to
secure larger quarters. This was neces-
sary on account Of the Increased business
and the amount of stock which must be
handled during a year At present the
company is occupying a three-story
building on North Topeka avenue. The
company has been in this building many
years and for some time il has been found
too small for the business of the con-
Germ.
With the new building larger and