The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-02-15

field. When the company left Topeka
it left behind it two clerks, George w.
Parkhurst and W. H. Davis. Between
them the two young men were able to
show about $500 that they had saved
out of their salaries through several
years of clerking. Each had also con-
siderable experience with the grocery
business of a sort which tended to
make them believe hat they could
profitably invest their savings in a
business of their own. The departure
of their employers gave them an OPP
p~ortunity and they rented a storeroom
on North Kansas avenue
The firm name of Parkhurst & Davis
decorated the front of a very unpreten-
tious grocery store for three years,
There was one move in that period to
accommodate an unexpected increase
in business. With a stock worth $500
the partners made sales amounting to
81, 500 in the first month. The store
Opened in January. During the month
of October the store sold $4,000 worth
of goods and during the next year the
store V A stone building where
the American bank now stands in
North Topeka was leased, and at the
end or the three years of business the
% by 125 feet of floor space afforded
by the second building was not large
enough. But during this three years
the business had been changing some
hat and in a small way carried on
oDbln transactions with smaller gro
GERS In adjoining towns. The jobbing
field was an allurng one and when. at
the beginning of the fourth year. it
was found that larger quarters were
desirable the firm decided to abandon
their retail trade n develop the
wholesaling opportunities at hand. The
wholesale store was opened at the cor
ner of Laurent and Kansas avenue. in
Nortn topeka, in a building so bv 125
1eet foundation n two stories high.
inns was a more -pretentious concern
ana the nfm took on more strength and
! capital by adding the name of Nj. S.
evans. The capital of the r-eorganized
nrm as it entered the wholesale field
was $780, 900. The territory in which it
worked was developing with rapidly.
orders increased in size and number
For he first year the goods sold aggre-
gated value to $500, 600. After two years
another partner was taken in. He was
). A. Ranney, who had previously oper-
ated a retail grocery in North Topeka.
During the following year Frank w.
~Parkhurst, an older brother of @. w.
Parkhurst, who had previously beer
engaged in railroad work with the San
Ia Re, was enlisted. Frank w. Park
hurst has in later years devoted him.
self to the development of the manu-
featuring department, now an import
ant adjunct to the business. He also
directs h great force of travelling rep
resentatives of the firm.
James S. Sproat, a emb of the
firm who died but a few months since,
was one of the most active forces in
n more recent development of the
great company's business. Mr.. Sproat
had proven his business capabilfties nv
building IN the Star grocery into one
OF the greatest retail groceries in Kan
sas. He disposed of his retail business
and entered the firm but four years
ago. The remaining member of the
firm is J. H. Gender, who is now its
secretary. Mr.. Gender joined the hrrr
in 1886 after three years in the retail
: business.
/ In the course of the development O.
/ the Parkhurst-Davis business many
branch houses We're established. r. a
Ranney has purchased the interest O