The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-05-10
From a Little Acorn A Great Tree Has Grown
Twenty-one Years Brings an Institu- ton of Which Birmingham Is Proud and to Which Much Loyalty
 Is Given.

Mark Twain said:
 "I like the rooster for two reasons; first. I like him for the crow that's in him and. secondly, for the spurs he has to back up the crow"
 And this philosopher who has made mill lions laugh was in earnest when he said this. For once (and, of course. many other times) he referred to sincerity, that thing which we sometimes think is as rare jewel as consistency.
 Birmingham takes pride in all its great est things. And Birmingham backs up it's pride with it's loyalty-another gem of the consistency brilliancy.
 Birmingham and all of Alabama refers to Loveman Joseph &S Loeb as "The Largest Store South of the Ohio,' and Birmingham takes pride in Loveman, Joseph & Loeb-and Birmingham backs up its pride with it's loyalty to Loveman, Joseph & Loeb. As well as being "The Largest Store South of the Ohio," Love- man, Joseph & Loeb does volume of business in keeping with its size, said to be equal to or greater than any other department store in the south.
 And this in 21 years!
 Loveman, Joseph & Loeb are now cele- brating their twenty-first anniversary in business in Birmingham. And Birming ham loyalty was never more plainly dis played than in the way the crowds surge in and out of the great building at the block bounded by Third avenue and Nine teenth street, some buying, some visiting as it were, some bidding the members and the older associates of the firm many happy returns of the occasion.
 One day the past week one of the old guard in fact the oldest in service of the firm, MT. B. F. Ezekiel, was standing near the front of the store, first floor, Lowing right and left to the scores of friends" of the store, as he has learned them to be- Che is credit man), and he said: 'This doesn't look like the Love- man, Joseph & Loeb of 20 years ago. Then growing little reminiscent, he con- tinued: =
 Many of our patrons who know Love- man, Joseph & Loeb as The Largest Store South of the Ohio never have any thought but that the store has always been the great and modern institution that it is today" Then he told most interesting story of the stores rapid strides since it's foundation 21 years ago.
 He said: This establishment now in the celebration of its twenty-first birth day, or it's arrival at majority, was found ed in 1887 by MT. A. B. Loveman who was a prosperous merchant in the town of Greensboro, Ala. He came on a visit to Birmingham and was so impressed with the Magic City of the south that he was sure his energy and aggressiveness would find better returns here than in his little home town of Greensboro. He went into No. 1913 Second avenue and met the proprietor of the little store, (Balti- more Smith), and he soon afterwards purchased MT. Smiths business-stock of goods, good will, lock, stock and barrel.
 'The store was 25x14O feet in dimensions. MT. Loveman hadn't been in business here 90 days before he was very enthus- astic over prospects and in his minds eye he could see his business growing by leaps and bounds. About 50 days later MT. M. V. Joseph, who was young travelling salesman with headquarters in Selma, Ala, was taken in as a partner and his name was written up by MT. Loveman thus: Loveman & Joseph
 "A little more than year later the young. firm had grown so wonderfully busy that one of the partners had to stay in New York great deal in order to keep in touch with the markets, and in conse- uuence more service to their trade.
 This was most inconvenient and after mature consideration and much planning they secured resident, (New York) as sociate and buyer, MT. Emil Loeb of New York city Then 1t was on January l. 1889, Loveman Joseph & Loeb.
 'eThe addition of the new member to the