Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1905-02-03
TOBEA CITYOF ZIG STORES
Grants Pass Leads All Southern
Oregon as a Trade Center.


in Southern Oregon, as is proven by
comparison Of the mercantile estab.
li-bments Of this city with those Of
the other cities Of this section of the
state. In size of stocks. quality OF
goods aud up-to.date appearance OF
the stores. Grants Pass is far ahead
Of Ashland, Medford or Roseburg
That this is so is due TO two causes,
one that it is one of the youngest
towns in Southern Oregon and conse-
quently is largely made up Of a new,
progressive element, and the other
that it has by far the largest and best
trade district Of any Of its neiRhbors
These advantages are telling in
Grants Pass favor and are factors
that are surely to make it the big city
Of Southern Oregon.
Progression bong the watch word
Of the merchants Of Grants Pass most
Of them are preparing to enlarge their
stocks OF goods this spring. Some
will retain their present quarters. !
but will crowd their shelving to the
utmost capacity, while others will
enlarge their floor space. With next
week, Thomas & O'NeIll will move
from the Harmon block on South
Sixth street TO the new brick block
erected last fall on East Front street
by Williams Eros. This block was
erected especially for their require
ments and they will occupy. both the
lower and upper floors, giving them
an even 10, 900 feet of floor space, Il
largest Of any other store building in
Southern Oregon. An innovation
that is in keeping with the many
new ideas carried out in the arrange
ment of this to be model store, Is
that there will be no shelving ON the
lower floor, the walls to be only as
background to the proper display of
the furniture and other house fur
nishing goods But there will be no
blank, bare walls for they will be
made attractive with display of
front is OF plate glass, Of the largest
size, and will make perfect dis
play position for goods, which will
be- arranged on broad platform ar.
ranged with special reference to
atfording a fine showing yet not
obscuring the view of the entire store
from the street Both broad, easy
flight OF stairs and an elevator will
afford access TO the second floor where
will be carried tue carpets, mattings,
wall papers, willow ware ana much
other stock. On this floor will
lu the undertaking parlors that will
be model IN their line ana have all
the latest Eastern ideas. A first
GLASS undertaken and funeral di-
rector who Is up-to.date in work of
Eis vocation, viii be III charge.
OF the personnel OF the firm, K.
Thomas came to Grants Pass five
years ago from New York City aud
opened a housefurnishing store. So
rapidly did his business Increase that
it became larger than he could we'll
care for. A year and half ago he took in
as full partner X. II. O'Neill, also from
New York City. With their com
bined capital, they made their store
the largest in house furnishings of
any place in southern Oregon. In
their new store they will still further
enlarge their stocR making 1t the
largest on the line OF the Southern
Pacific b.tween Portland and Sacra-
uentu. so complpt, will be their
lue OF housytuInishings that every
Hiuplg eau bee supplied for the lar-
lOr, the chamber, the dining room
and the kitchen from the humble
four room cottage to the l6 room man
sion. In quality they will have goods
,hat would be- we'll in Llace in the
great furnishing houses of the big
cities and be far ahead Of anything
ever previously offered for sale in
this clty. Both Mr. Thomas and Mr..
| 10 'Noiil have had years Of experience
iu tho mercantile business in the
East and both previous to coming
20 Grants Pass were heads of the
huuseturuishing departments of two
OF the largest department stores IN
| New York Gty.
The second business change IN Grants
/ Pass is that of Calvin Welch, who
will move his clothing store to the
room vacated by Thomas x O'NeilL
MIR. Wulch viii make no large in
crease IN his stock, which now EN-.
braces very complete line Of gents
furnishings, clothing and shoes. But
Ice has enlarged his business by put
Ting In branch store at Gold Hill
in partnership with Harry Grant,
VINO has been his head clerk. Mr.
Welch has been OCCUPYING one of
the store rooms IN the Opera House
Block and his removal was largely
to give up the room to Kinney Il
rruoX, who own the building aud
occupy part OF it with the Sugar
Pine store.
The third change IN the business
irms of Gnuts Pass will be that of
h. c. kinney and II. L, Truax, who
wall enlarge the Sugar Pine store OF
which they are the owners, and make
% the second largest store in Grants
Pass and having $500 feet OF door
space. They will practically occupy
thue of the four big storerooms of
H,ig blocA, tor they have all of the
auog space OF The corner room now
occupied by them and OF the adjoin.
ius guvW now occupied Jointly by
themselves aud the W,,ls Fargo ex.
p.U>, uu,u, lug express office will
ut moved by Manager &. C. Presley