The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1906-02-23
WHOLESALE
HOUSES
BOUGHT

The General Distributing Com
pany has sold four Of its nine whole
] sale houses to men interested in the
Distributing company. The West
Virginia Grocery& Candy company
at Fairmont and the Pugh s Beav-
ers wholesale house at Morgantown,
have been sold to L. G. Race, H. L.
Smith. John A. Clark and James
Linn. a Fairnont banker, who will
continue the business at those two
places under the firm name, The
Race & Smith Grocery company,
which is now organizing. The
Grafton Grocery company and the
Terra Alta Grocery company have
been sold to Messrs. Pugh and Beav-
ers, who will continue the business
at iteration and Terra alta.
The General Distributing com
pany will continue to operate the
other FIVE houses at Elkins, Buck
hannon, Sutton, Weston and Clarks-
burg in the same firm names they
have been operating in the past two
years.
The deal has been ON several days
and is practically consummated
now, although it was not supposed
to be given to the public until the
invoices were completed. This work
is now about finished.
A premature and unauthorized
publication by the Fairmont West
virginian has caused the matter to
become public before the invoices
we're quite completed.
The West Virginian appears TO
have made some unfair and wholly
mwarranted statements in connec-
ton with the General Distributing
company, which it refers to as the
West Virginia Distributing COM
pany. These statements are in the
nature of attacks upon the financial
condition of the concern and per-
sonal attack on Frank Armstrong,
former president of the General Dis
tributing company.
Concerning the statements made
by the West yirginian, President
John L. Ruhl, Of the General Dis
tributing company, makes the fol-
lowing statement:
Il am surprised to hear of the at
tack, and cannot tell why it was
made. The financial condition OF
the General Distributing company
is absolutely good as can be seen by
our books. We are absolutely sol
vent and every bill is being paid
within the time of discount. Moth
ing is overdue, we have plenty OF
funds and are meeting everything
promptly.
eve decided to sell the places OF
business at Morgantown and Fair
mont to Messrs. Race, Smith and
their associates They made up a
proposition which /, as president,
thought was good and we arranged
to sell. The same thing was true OF
Grafton and Terra Alta and we sold
to Messrs. Pugh and Beavers. While
this is true, it is purely a matter Of
business and we will continue to OPP
crate the remaining five houses. We
believe they can be operated to adj
vantage. The company is in good
shape financially and | am surprised
that such statements were printed
when the facts could easily have
been ascertained.
'sThe attack on Mr.. Armstrong is
wholly unwarranted-the whole
thing is absolutely wrong"
Mr.. i. G. Race will quit the Cen
eral Distributing company and as
sumo the general managementof the
Eairmont and Morgantown houses.
Mr.. Roy Tough, manager Of Arms
strong, Crislip, Day & Company,
will go to Morgantown and become
manager of hehouse there.
In this connection President
RuhI, when seen about the article
published by the West Virginian
concerning the deal, showed consid-
erable indignation over it, and
strongly intimated that Immediate
steps would be taken against that
paper. The opinion prevails that he
and others interested mean to insti-
tute a heavy damage suit for in
jury done the General Distributing
company. 1t is understood, how
ever, the West Virginian will make
some statement regarding the mat
ter, in which twill retract the pub
'ication.
H-,- epan