The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1903-05-28
CAPTAINS OF TRADE.
Some of the Captains of Princeton
Trade and Brief Reference
To Them.
Merchants Who Have Located Here
and Climbed up the Ladder
of Success.


who know how to ''sale" mercantile
craft over the pillows of trade to the
harbors of patronage. Princeton is
known as one of the best towns for
trade in the State and the volume of
business done here far exceeds that of
many places much larger than Prince
ton. The name Princeton is a synonym
for enterprise and success. The extern
sive trade of Princeton is the result of
two things-a wide and we'll developed
territory and progressive and wide
awake class of business men who are
trade developers and who know how to
keep trade when they get it. The mer
chant and the farmer go hand in hand
through the gateway of success or fail
ure as the case may be. If the farmer
prospers the merchant prospers and if
the farmer does not prosper the mer-
chants trade suffers. The farmers
tributary to Princeton have prospered
because they live in a section where
crop failures are seldom known and
where market conditions are the best.
If Princeton merchants are successful
it is because the farmer is successful.
But the farmers success is not the only
essential to the business mans success.
The merchant in order to succeed must
be able TO take advantage of conditions
and his success in a large measure de-
ponds on his ability to master natural
trade conditions and harness to them
his mercantile talent and ability. This
is what Princeton merchants have been
able to do and this is largely the secret
of their success.
One of the pioneer captains Of indus
try in Princeton is N. E. Jesmer, who
when a young man began to rig up
mercantile craft in Princeton. It was
in 1867 that he came to this place and
two years later he was clerking in the
store Of H. 3. Cowles who was at that
time one of the very few merchants in
Princeton. Mr.. Jesmer remained with
Mr.. Cowles until 1874 and in March Of
that year he opened small store in the
building that is now used by Paul Jani-
kula as a saloon. At that time the old
frame building stood on the corner
where the Citizens State bank is now
located. When Mr.. Jesmer started in
business his stock consisted of such
goods as his means at that time and
the trade conditions would warrant
and what he had in stock at that time
he could tuck away in corner Of his
present large department store and the
stock of goods would be hardly noticed.
From the bank corner he moved later
to frame building that was located
where Smith e HOlm's saloon is located
at the present time and while here he
bought the property on which his pres
ent store is located and began the erec-
ton of brick veneer building 24xSO
feet. and later he increased the width
of the store to forty-eight feet and in
the rear built on lSx4S feet. 1t was
fourteen years ago that he moved into
his own building and he continued to
do business there and grow and prosper
in a small way with the rest of the
business men of that day until the fire
of 1894 wiped out most of the business
on that side Of the street. Then it was
that he decided to rebuild bigger and
better than ever He had faith in
Princeton and the future of the place
and when he rebuild the old store that
was destroyed was replaced with a
large brick building 66XS0 feet and
in which he opened up a large depart
ment store. the first and the only de-
partment store in Princeton. and one
of the largest and best to be found in
any Of the country towns in the State
1t is not necessary to go into detail and
describe this store as there is not a
person in Princeton or in the country
who trades in Princeton but is familiar
with the arrangement Of the store and
character Of the large stock in the
same. When Mr.. Jesmer rebuilt he
decided to provide for an opera house
for Princeton that had always been in
need of some public place for amuse-
ments and public meetings and he de-
cided to make an opera house out of
the second story of his new building
and to his enterprise the people of
Princeton are indebted for the well
equipped opera house that they have
1t is seldom that places the size Of
Princeton can boast Of suitable place
for public meetings and entertain
ments and Princeton is most fortunate
in having the opera house that it has.
Mr.. Jesmer has during his long
record as business man of Princeton
always stood faithfully by his town and
been ever loyal to every project that
was for the betterment of the place.
He is public spirited and has always