The Washington herald., 1907-09-01
FIRST IN The FIELD
A. LiSner a Business Pioneer
in SLEEPY 6 Street"
LEFT AVENUE BACK IN 1893
Reasons ActuatIng Removal Did Not
Appeal to the Merchants Friends.
terminRtion-Why This Thorough
fare Invites a stream Of Trade.

The metamorphosls Of G street into a
thriving business thoroughfare may be
chiefly credited to A Lisner. proprietor
Of the Palais Royal In his view the
present development Of this street and
the indications Of still more rapid growth
in the future make II seem quite logical
that C street must be, geographically
and rightfully, one Of the main arteries
from the new Union Station to the up
town district, as it Is already the short
cut between the great government build
ings.
Very different was the opinion when
Mr.. Lisner determined about fifteen
years ago, to change his place Of bust
ness from Pennsylvania avenue to the
present site. Formerly Mr.. Lisner occu-
pied the entire building once used by the
Pension Once, now the site OF the Ra-
leigh Hotel His best friends told Mr..
Lisner in 1898 that it was suicide" to
forsake the historic Pennsylvania avenue
for sleepy G street. Some Of them went
so far as to suggest in a haIf-indignant
manner that he might as well move out
to the suburbs and start a department
store where there was plenty Of room.
Had Courage TO Go Ahead.
But Mr.. Lsner had the courage to sup
port his theories with deeds. and the
Palais Royal, at the northeast corner Of
9 and Eleventh streets. was the outcome.
The land and the building cost within a
fraction of half a million dollars. G
street came to life as a business thor
oughfare with the opening Of the Palais
Royal. October 1, 1888.
It soon became apparent that the vast
number of residents in the northwest
section OF the district favored the change
| In the location. and the new Palais Royal
was a demonstrated success from the
| beginning. Women engaged in the gov
eminent offices also found this G street
| establishment the most convenient for
them. Sleepy G. street was fully awak-
ened never to sleep again. To-day the
/ Palais Royal corner is one Of the busiest
in town.
| So great is the traffic at the intersec-
/ special police officer is permanently sta
toned to control the street traffic and see
to the safety of pedestrians. 1t is when
the great Offices of the government set
/ free their army Of attaches that G street
swarms with humanity. It is then the
| popularity of the Palais Royal Is made
conspicuously evident. That the en-
| frances of both Eleventh and G streets
are amply large is true. but it is gen.
orally well known that the building it
| self has grown considerably too small for
/ its vast patronage.
Invites Enormous Trade.
Those eonverssnt with department,
stores credit the Palais Royal with the
largest business in proportion to its size
a business greater than in many larger
/ establishments of bigger cities. Some
idea of its volume is CLEANED from the
who learned that the sales Of wOmen's
waists. in one day, amounted TO $3.50.
sold only from a comparatively small
table, occupying a space measuring but
| s by 10 feet When IT Is considered that
the Palais Royal Building is 40 by 10l
! feet, and that every inch of its five floors
is utilized, some idea is realized OF the
vast business concentrated there.
Mr. Lisner's Success did not begin and
end with the selection of a location that
has developed so marvelously. One little
straw-those waists-Rroves il. We men
who have mothers, wives. and sisters
know that the home talk OF late has been
! nothing bat waists! We have all heard,
until we are tired, that the Palais Royal
| is having a wonderful sale, and that
dreams of waists are to be had for a
song. II it is not waists, il is this gar
ment or that which is a bargain, so that
the Palais Royal becomes a household
word. Women know, and If their verdict
is that this G street establishment is the
best and most economical shopping place.
one can be very certain that it is really
so. It can be taken for granted that G
street is the right location, and the
Palais Royal the right store
The growth of G street since the ad-
vent Of the Lisner Building is perhaps
the most marked in the obliteration of
st. Patricks Orphan Asylum, on the site
of which now 1ourishes the Boston
House." 1t would only need the erection
Of another great department store on the
northwest corner to make G street a
shopping center unequaled In many much
greater cities.