The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-08-14
One Grocer to Every $50
inhabitants of City of
Washington.
VETERAN TALKS SHOP"
Tells Some of the Secrets
and Curiosities of the
Business.

L Il ton? And how many citizens
trade does it take TO enable a
man TO keep a grocery store here and
stay in the business long enough to get
mis- name in the directory? According to
statistics. there are about 1850 grocers
in Washington, or one 10 some 80 in
habitan;s, the inhabitants. of course. in
Guiding children. In the light of these
facts. it seems less odd that there should
be a grocery store on nearly every cor
ner, but more odd that all Of them some
now &c 10 live anG do business. OF
course, a few of the groceries, being
wholesale houses, sell to the rest, but
for the most part each has its own eli
entele.
From the corner grocery Of the small
est type, which is simply slightly mod
ihed country stare, selling everything
from live chickens to Christmas doings
and fireworks in season, and laundry
soap, kerosene, and clothespins at all
seasons, to the big wholesale houses,
dealing In foods by the cask, the hogs
head, and the hundredweight, is con-
siderable distance. but there are men in
Washington who have gone more than
half that way.
Must Start Small.
This business is one in which man is
more than likely to start small and work
his way up to affiuence and consequent =.
One of the corner grocers is q Russian
Jew from Odessa, who, with his wife
and two small children, arrived in this
country ten or fifteen years ago with 1T
! tie besides the clothing Of the family.
The father of the family worked az
whatever he could find to do until he
| had accumulated a little capital, and
then started his store. which his wife
conducted. The business grew. and SO
| did the small sons, and presently an
/ other store was started, in which a man
was installed to do the heavy work
while the eldest son looked after the
| cash drawer. At present the main stor,
and two branches and stall In the
market are in prosperous condition, but
the head Of the family runs an outside
business. his wife attends 10 the money
end OF the main store and the two
1 elder boys act as cashiers In the smallei
places.
In the corner grocery Of the smallest
| type the wife OF the proprietor is gen
orally to be found as head clerk; in fact
/ ABOUT lut OAle way IA HAANl II tdl "
made 20 pay I'm the beginning IS TO make
it as much a family affair as a farm
used to be. That is the business training
which some OF the children Of our for
| eign immigrants are getting, and Il
rivals that OF a commercial college wheI
results are considered. There is money
in the grocery business, but II cannot b,
made to pay without brains. any more
| than any other business.
Made II a Study.
i've been studying groceries fOl
thirty-six years" laughed the head Of
one of the best and most attractive
houses in this line to be found In Wash
| ingtOn land every year I find there !,
| something 1 don't know about them
Conditions change so. The business Il
no more like what Il was ten OF flfteer
years ago than IT is like some othel
business. In those days oranges anC
bananas and raisins. and. in fact, mos
of our iuxuries came from abroad. ant
they were Injuries. too. Bananas still
come from tropical countries, of course
though by modern methods they ar,
transported much more cheaply thar
they used 10 be: but We are gettin,
| oranges anu iNAllDtlo anu AHdtlg OAIt
fruits from California. The California
fruit trade has grown enormously within
very few years
Most OF the canned fruit comes from
California, doesn't it?"
Well, yes; some Of it comes from cen
trail New York, but the bulk is Call
fornian."
What the average customer wants
evidently. is size rather than favor. AM
the California peaches. pears. and cher
ries have won their way over the NOR
delicate and smaller fruits OF the East
because OF their size, and also becaus
|, of the enormous quantities placed on tn
market.
The European Goods.
p Are the European goods superior L
ours as a general thing?"
Some OF them are. The best raisin
= come from Spain. don't know whethe
il is something I'm the soil or in tn
? way they are put up, but We can't re
the very finest flavor OF table raisIns i
; this country. though very good ones-a
T good as anybody need want-are CON
: ing now from California The sardin
= is another article which we can't dupI
cate. The French sardine may not b
= n better FISH, but it's better than any
= thing made in this country as yet w
S get good sardlnes-so calIed-from tn
l Maine and California factories but
course, they are merely small fish; n
: real sardine comes only from the sout
of France. And let me tell you som,
thing: that Is one OF the articles whic
improves with keeping. After havin
been in the tin a year the fish seems
be saturated with the oil and fiavore
, more finely than when first put up"
. That's news. I should suppo.
canned goods were better fresh"
e Improves With Age.
Not always. For instance, take thu
n shelf of asparagus there. If you shou
o ask me II that was this years aspar,
4 gus 1 might be tempted 20 tell you
was. but IL isn't. and it's better tina
o this years growth. It's the same We
! with Smithfield hams. lady wantt
one Of those awhile ago, and she askt
d me how old IL was. / said We
r madam. that pig was alive not le
: than two years and a half ago 81
was very I0asah surprised. Of course b