Virginia gazette. [volume] (Williamsburg, Va.) 1893-192?, 1907-12-21
TO ANY ONE WHO HAS NOT
VISITED RICHMOND FOR
SEVERAL YEARS THE
GROWTH OF THE CITY
is PERFECTLY MAR
Vicious.
In No Respect Is This Growth
More Apparent Than in the
Size of Its Retail Dry
Goods Stores.

A correspondent OF this paper was
IN Richmond last week and in stroll
ling through the retail section or the
city his footsteps brought him In front
Of the Miller x Rhoads store on Broad
Street
Astonishment at its unusual size ana
contents gave way 10 curiosity. after
he had walked for an hour or so up
and down the broad aisles OF this won
derful store.
Curiosity caused the writer TO ask
questions. and the answers 10 the ques-
ions provoked more establishment
The Miller * Rhoads store is said
20 be the largest department store IN
the South.
That is something FOR Richmond to
be proud Of
( IL Is also said by people IN tho city
who claim 10 know that there is not
"a store south OF the Potomac River
which exccls the Miller & Rhoads
house in tho high-class service rem
dered IT'S customers. both in person
and by mail
By the way. the mail order depart
mcnt OF this store is wonderful
place The firm has a corps OF en-
ployes whose sole duty Il Is 20 attend
20 the mail orders and business from
given the same attention as IL ac-
corded 10 city customers
ture. with two frontaEes on Broad
street. amounting 10 l45 feet In all.
running back = depth OF l2s feet, with
a width In The rear OF zoo feet. Tiers
are two entrances on Broad street.
which IS no feet wide. and the prin-
rsnee IS on 81 ,h se south s9Gh Street
front OF the store. where the building
has a frontage OF - feet
NnDTU base
. mont. with total floor space OF one
, hundred and seven thousand (iOfO0Ol
. FOR Richmond.
= The store IS divided OF into depart
more stores touching elbows with each
other IN that immense structure. each
under separate head or manager.
but all working together like machin-
$ The writer. amazed at the space
p given these various departments, won't
: 10 some littio trouble TO ascertain the
exact size OF some OF them The dress
< pie. on the main noOr. occupies space
9eNS0 feet. devoted exclusively 20 the
sale of wooden dress goods, silks. laces
and trimmings. This department alons
IS larger than the average store In
= its entirety.
!. The department devoted 20 ready
o made suits. coats, skirts and waists
/. 67xi2G feet. noted for the style ant
- excellence OF its garments, r. presided
2 over by au expert man tailor. who
e / with corps OF seamsfrcsses maket
- all necessary alterations. always In
- surfing customers practically tailor
4 The KILLER & Rhoads carpet. rug and
q crapery department. with few equals
entire third door, las feet front, l2t
feet deep. and nearly eco feet wide e
the rear The contents OF this depart
~ mcnt must Dc seen 10 De appreciated
j. Rugs are here from Persia and ths
q East. and carpets and drusgets from
Il the leading mills Of the world
a The Women's underwear. coreets and
Infants furnishings departments occu-
pies space s6NSo feet. on the second
J. and the shoe store are also on thi'
= The shoe store for women and chill.
.S dreu ls "a new departure for this house
L. but they nave the largest shoe store
n ia the city, and the only one devoted
J. exclusively 20 the sale OF womens anc
3, children's shoes
- Miller & Rhoads are the leading
. linen importers OF the South II Is d
ie feast FOR the eyes 20 look az the Mo.
IN ravian. Belgian. Scotch and Irish linenl
n IN this department
In the small wares. such as neck
wear. yelling. ribbons and all the 40
cessor!es OF a wom2n's toilet the hous'
IS said 10 be without q rival.
n The glove department is fameS
s. throughout the country for its high
: Not the least attractive place in tn,
IN store is the wonderful basement Man,
- people think II is the best part Of tn
r store. During the Christmas days {
y. certainly IS a place OF beauty. with II
myriads OF incandescont lights throw
glass and siiverwSre. These depart
X ments occupy a space 7exlzs feet Tn
Il, Il, nTm Is Justly proud OF shsir china ds
as anything 20 surpass IL even In tn
or large cities OF the North.
8 The Miller & Rhoads store Is no
- the usual book adjunct OF a depart
ment store. II Is store in Itself
and as one woman said In the hear
seen anything better in New York"
A few months ago the nrm establish
g ed sod. fSSTsHdn II the eSsem men
ST class. In connection with the foun
IL in&uguratsd. which has proven u boo
Is TO shoppers IN the store.
u Rest rooms are scattered throughor
IL the building. Tor the free use Of Gu:
~ The upper floor OF the building Is d.
y. sSS ma the stSrlns r o ~ sxtra supplies q
a. sssllshsS rest and EssSinE reems {:
,n' an emrloyes' restaurant on this zoe
e where the best OF service is given
re There are about ave hundred en-
lys ployes OK the Miller Rhos1s stor
h~ any community and pick cut Eve hal
"a cred mere intelligent OF courteous pc
pie than SS.priss ~. ,"Ss ts., st,
class OF help they employed
90 liability and s;ick-at-ive-nsss win
In business
.at Twsnty.two years ago ,ns nfm
Tor Of the smallest stores now On Bro
ten street The growth ~ the store =
ere Il Is IN eve every resp = lie soSth's Grss
~, NE virsinia people should b. zrsua