Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1908-12-31
MANY NEW FACES
The Year 1908 Has Witnessed Many
Business Changes In Alma.
PROSPEROUS YEAR FOR ALL.
Alma Business Houses All Report Big Busi-
ness Done In Past Year.

The year 1908. which just closed,
has witnessed many changes in Alma.
Many familiar faces have gone with
in the last IL short months and 9TH
ers have come to take their places. On
the whole, it has been prosperous
year for ALL This is doubly satisfac-
tory when one considers that 1T
was attained in the face of a bust
ness depression in 1907 that for awhile
stagnated everything, and from which
the country, at large, has not yet
wholly recovered. Then another fact
the quarantine on hay and cattle,
must be considered. Perhaps this
was not felt so much locally as else
where, but it did have its effect here.
The removal, which came last week,
comes too late to help the December
business to any extent.
Looking back over the year, howev-
er, the record shows an advance has
been made all along the line. Money
rs freer. Work has been more plenty.
Building in particular has been stim-
ulated to an unusual degree. Rents
are actually little lower and the
cost of living has not increased to
any great extent.
Business changes have come rap
idly. Local option was the fact re-
sponsible for this Following the ad-
option of local option several build
ings occupied by saloons were left
vacant. These have been occupied
by one business or another, and
when one looks over these different
businesses. it is quite apparent local
option has been far more beneficial
than detrimental to the city. Mer
chants, who give credit, are well
pleased with local option.
The one big business failure of the
year was that of the Lee Mercantile
company This failure did not come
as surprise to those familiar with
the facts of the case. Trustee j. w.
Robinson, in whose hands the com
pany's affairs are now held, will be
able to return the creditors of the
concern a good big slice of their mon
ey.
The failure of the American Mastic
Asphalt company, announced a few
weeks ago, will not have any mater
ial effect on Alma, as most of the
creditors are outside concerns. Be
sides, 1t is expected the company will
soon be on its feet again and the fac
tory running.
Most of the changes that have Ia
ken place are among the retail firms.
Simon Messenger, one of Almas vet
eran business men, has sold out and
will soon retire from business. Con-
Wis and Convis, the leading furniture
dealers of the city, recently sold their
business to Messrs. Scott and Gran
dali who take possession Jan. i. John
w. Glass of the old firm of Smith
and Glass is gone. His place is being
well filled by c. r. Carr, an active
young hustler, we'll known to Alma
people The Caple-Soule Hardware Co
is no more Early last spring it be-
came the Caple Hardware company,
with Walter Caple as manager
Earl Stanard succeeded his father
as proprietor of the Central Drug
Store after the latters death, a few
months ago. There are now two pro-
prietors at the Variety Store. Charles
Karr buying, late this summer, half
interest in the firm. Our old friend
j. r. Miller is back in business again
with an up-to-date shoe store. What
used to be Locks meat market is
now owned by G. r. Brewer, a hust-
Another former st. Louis boy, who is
making a success here, is Will Chad
lester. proprietor of the West End
grocery store.
Hynes and Murtaugh, opposite the
postoffice. are building up a desirable
. line OF trade as grocers. They went
into business early this fall John
Swarthout is making a success of the
East Side grocery which he opened
last spring. Sam Gallagher. in his
new notion store. is furnishing Alma
with another live. up-to-date bazaar.
shop, are doing lot of business. One
cannot overlook Floyd White. Early
i'm the summer he bought Frank Ben
nett's bakery and combined it with
his lunch room business, moving into
the store building he now occupies.
White has built UP good trade in
the six months since and IL is still
growing. &C. H. Morgan, the new liv-
eryman. is doing finely at the Arcadia
livery barn.
Bonsill and Swigart, the real es-
tate men. combined their businesses
this fall and are doing better than
ever. Fred Church, who sold his dray
line. is making good as the proprietor
of first class barber shop. Mrs. Bart
Miller, formerly in charge of the
ready-made department at the Lee
Mercantile store, is now in business
for herself at the Elite cloak store.
and has substantial trade estab-
lished. Ben Mccullough has sue
ceeded his father, the late ". J. McCul
Tough, in the shoe and clothing bus
mess. And then III. p. Fuller has
just succeeded j. #. Schwartz In the
machine and foundry business.