The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-07-24
OLD FIRM TO RETIRE
AFTER 50 YEARS J. KOHN AND SON
 WILL CLOSE.
Successful Shoe Establishment of Montgomery Pounded By a Vet- eran Ciuxen-SOme InteTest-
 ing Relics of Other Days.

whose shoe business in point of years has been the longest of any mercan- tile establishment in Montgomery and the oldest shoe house in the Southern States, has concluded after success full and unbroken record of nearly the surviving member, Mir. A. A. Kohn having decided to locate perma- nently in New York city.
 This well known establishment was founded in 1S4y by the late Mir. Jacob kohn who died in this city in May. 1897. Mir. Kohn. a native of Neider- hochstadt, Bavaria, came here from Germany when IS years old and com menced business under the Exchange Hotel in January, 1S49, manufacturing fine shoes. He carried on his trade in that location for twenty years.
 About twenty years after the estab- lishment of this business under the Exchange Hotel the firm moved to 14 Dexter Avenue, where they remained a few years and moved to their present location. Dexter Avenue, where they have been for nearly thirty years. Thus 1t will be seen that in its fifty-six years of business the establishment has occupied but three houses.
 There is still in the possession of this historic shoe house several very
 
 cences connected with the old firm. They include the passport of~Mr. Jacob Kohn, who left his home in Germany in 1S4S, and the original lease of their first business location under the Ex- change Hotel which tells in a peculiar way how contracts were made fn those days. There is also part of the senior MT. Kohn's first kit of shoemaker's tools, among which Is pair of an tique pattern shears, made of German steel still in perfect condition and cut as smoothly as ever.
 Mir. Kohn has also some of the old books of the firm which have come down through more than hIty years. Among them Is one especially interest ing. It is an old day book which con- tains entries against Jefferson Davis, who was q customer of the firm when he lived here as President of the Con- federacy. Among other names in this old book are those of William l.. Yam cey, Howell Cobb, Governor Moore and other distinguished men who were patrons.
 The first lease made by the senior Mir. Kohn is preserved and the hand writing is distinct and clear. This lease is in golden frame and is one of the dearest possessions of the Kohn family. It was dated October l, 1S49. and leases to Jacob Kohn the room un- der the Exchange Hotel next adjoin- ing the watchmakers shop of l.. w. Ives" for S150 per annum to be paid in monthly installments. The lease is signed and is Tn the handwriting of Charles l.. Crommelin, as Secretary of the Planters Hotel Company. Mir Crommelin was the father of Hon. John c. Crommelin. The receipts for each monthly payment were signed by MT Crommelin on the reverse side of the lease which seems to have been the custom of that period.
 The passport of MT. Kohn senior was written in French and is dated Mo- vember 10, 1S4S, and shows that he sailed for New Orleans on the steamer Cashalot.
 November 24. 1855, Mir. Kohn senior secured his naturalization paper. which is also preserved. It is signed by s D. Hubbard as Clerk of the Circuit Court of Montgomery County. Mir. Hubbard was the father of w. H. Hub bard. Cashier of the Fourth National Bank of Montgomery.
 About fifteen years ago Mir. Alfred A. Kohn. who is the surviving owner of the business was admitted as a partner with his father MT. J. Kohn, and the firm became J Kohn & Son.
 MT. Alfred Kohn started as errand boy and at the same time went to work learning shoemaking. He has been as- sociated with this business for twenty five years. His early training and natural tastes brought about the de- Velopment of several original and ar tistic creations in footwear. few years ago Mir. Kohn invented the seamless shoe which brought to him no little renown In shoe manufacturing circles. ME- Kohn has been exploit ing this shoe over the greater portion of this country. and has patents pro- tecting his invention in ten foreign countries.
 For the last five years he has had an office in New York City where he has made his headquarters.
 MT. Kohn expresses himself with the deepest feelings of sentiment in re- tiring from among his old customers and friends of his childhood, but to promulgate his business ambitions he says he feels it a duty to himself to withdraw to that unlimited field of nnSgihi1ifiaG-N