The Washington times., 1907-10-13
FIRST In The FIELD
A. Lisner a Busy Pioneer in
Sleepy G Street.
LEFT AVENUE BACK IN 1893.
Reasons Aetuatiag Removal Did Not
Appeal to the Merchants Friends.
He Stood Almost Alone In His De-
ternl4nsttoa-why This thorough
fare Invites Stream Of Trade.

the mctamOrphosis Of G street into a
thriving business thoroughfare may be
chiefly credited 10 A. Lisner. proprietor
Cf the F2lals Royal In his view tie
present development % this street and
the indications Of still more rapid
growth IN the future make = seem quite
logical that @ street must be. geo
graphically and rightfully, one Of the
main arteries from the new Union Sta
ton 70 the uptown district. as It Is
already the short cut between the great
government buildings.
Very different was the opinion when
Mr.. LiSner determined. about ffteen
years ago, to change his place Of busi-
ness from Pennsylvania avenue 20 the
present site. Formerly Mr.. Lisner oc-
cUpied the entire building once used BY
the Pension once. now the site Of the
Raleigh Hotel His best friends told
Mr. Lisner in 1883 that il was suicide
To fOrSake the historic Pennsylvania
avenue for sleepy G street Some OF
them went SO far as to suggest in a
half-indignant manner that he might
as well move out 10 the suburbs and
start a department store where there
was plenty of room
Had Courage to Go Ahead.
But Mr.. Lisner had the courage 70
support his theories with deeds. and
the Palais Royal, at the northeast cor
ne- Of G and Eleventh streets, was tho
outcome. The land and the building
cost within fraction of half a million
dollars. street came 70 life as a bust
ness thorOughfare with the opening OF
the Pslais Royal, October L 1888.
It soon became apparent that the vast
Z number Of residents in the northwest
section OF the District favored the
change in the location, and the new
Palais Royal was a demonstrated sue
cess from the beginning Women en-
saged in the government Offices also
found this q street establishment the
most convenient for them. Sleepy @
street was fully awakened. never 70
sleep again. Today the Palais ROYAL
corner is one Of the busiest in town.
So great Is the traffic at the intersec-
ton Of Eleventh and G streets that 9.
special police officer is permanently sta
tionod to control TIE street traffic and
see to the safety Of pedestrians II is
when the greet offices OF the govern
ment set free their army OF attaches
that G street swarms with humanity.
Il Is then the popularity OF the Palais
Royal Is made conspicuously evident.
That the entrances OF both Eleventh
and G streets are amply large is true.
but it is generally well known thar the
building itself has grown considerably
too small for its vast patronage
Invites Enormous Trade.
stores credit the PaIais Royal with the
f-r- H.
slze-a business greater than in many
larger establishments Of bigger cities
Some idea OF its volume is cleaned from
the investigation OF the Herald reporter
WHO harmed that the sales Of wonlen's
waists, in one day, amounted to Sl.5G0
sold only from a comparatively small
table, occupying a space measuring but
by 10 feet When IL is considered
that the Palais Royal building is 40 by
100 feet. and that every incn OF its I've
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-thoss waists-proves it. We men
VINO have mothers. wives. and sisters
know that the home talk OF late has
been nothing but waists We have all
heard until We are tired. that the
Palals Royul Is havirg a wonderful
sale. and that dreams Of waists are 10
be had for a song II II IS not waists,
II Is this garment OF that which Is q
bargain. so that the Palais Royal be
comes n household word Women know,
and IL their verdict is that this q stree<
establishment is the best and most
economical shopping place. one can be
very certain that il IS really so. 1t can
be taken for granted that @ street tx
the right location, and the Palais Royal
the right store.
The growth u G street since the ad-
vent Of the Iisrer building IS perhaps
the most marked IN the obliteration OF
ST. Patrick'g Orphan Asylum, on the
site OF which now fiourisheS the "Bos-
ten House" It would only need the
erection = another great department
store on the northwest corner to make