The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-03-20

plant In the South. II not In the coun-
try. The building is 90 by ESQ feet.
four stories high in addition to power
plant. machine shop. etc. 1t is sit
uated on a four-acrc plot which has
been highly developed under the d.
rection OF a landscape architect of
national note, and. surrounded by its
beautiful flower beds. carefully
trimmed lawns, quaint cottages, etc,
it truly presents more the appearance
lNof park or private grounds than a
factory.
IIiEh-Grnde Shoes.
Then. orsabout then, came along the
Smith-Briscoe Shoe Company, and the
head centre of that concern, a man by
that Lynchburg might as we'll ebe the
headquarters of high-grade shoes as Of
general variety and cheaper grade
shoes. and this company went to work to
cater only to the very best Of mems
shoeware. The mith-Briscoe Company
took the bull right by the horns and
announced in the very beginning that
they We're making nothing but mems
Very best shoes. They had nerve. and
they erected right here In this shoe
town o magnificent factory and de-
only for the make Of the best grades
of mems shoes. If they have ever
made shoe that anybody can get for
less than the four to seven dollar price
set upon It, nobody has ever seen It.
Anything that comes out OF the Smith
Briscoe factory naturally retails from
81 to 81. They make nothing under
these figures. and they have only two
brands. known the country over as the
"Steadfast" and the "Biltrite.'' The
"steadfast" retails from SIS to 81, and
the ''Biltrites" go from 81 to S.. It
took a good deal Of nerve on the part
OF these Smith Briscoe people to stick
to and maintain distinct better grade
shoe factory. but they had all kinds
of nerve. and the good work OF the
last three years shows that the afore-
said nerve was not Improperly. utilized.
0, yes. they had the nerve, for before
they could have time to demonstrate
what there was or might be In South
ern loyalty to Southern enterprise and
energy they built in this good town
OF Lynchhurg one.of the best e Il not
the very best, equipped fine shoe fac
tories inthe round. round world. These
people make nothing but strictly fine
shoes for mems wear. and by combining
their attention to this ono line and.
not branching out In other and more
varied lines they have been able to
reach the high mark OF perfection In
this specific line.
Invading the North.
AS a result they are pressed to their
fullest capacity, which IS thousand
pairs OF mems shoes per day to I'LL
their immense orders. Just yesterday
II was in this factory and saw the
men filling a $4,000 order received
from a Philadelphia house. Just think
OF that, will you--a Virginia house
putting vlrEinla-made shoes on the
retail market in Philadelphia, $4,000,
worth at clip! ono OF the men In
the factory told me that Il would
walt 1ust little whilc longer I might
see him filling a $4,000 ordor for New
Orleans just at the other end Of the
compass. so to speak. did not have
time to wait to sea the thing done,
but was told thatFthis slo.0oQtship-
ment was going to New Orleans res.
taller who operates eight retai stores
In the Crescent City, and Just year
ago. after reading q bit In, the ms
ldustrial Section OF The Tlmcs-p ispatch.
no concluded that 1t would be worth
| while anyhow TO inquire about Viz
ginla In general and Lynchburg In
particular, H4s-InQuiry resulted In
Irregular business and the $4,000 order
above referred to-
The Witt Company.
The George L. Witt Shoe Company,
the pioneers in the shoe-making hus!-
ness here, are vet right in the lead,
i was away back yonder in 1878 whom
the firm Of Witt Is tklns was formed
J to so into the shoe johbing business.
Later on they decided to manufacture
shoes. and the George p. Witt Shoe
& Company Of to-day was formed. They
course OF time the business demanded
a second factory and then q distinct
. Wholesale warehouse, and then a dis
tinct rubber goods department., all OF
which We're provided. and to-day there
y not shoe shop In all the world
tRat layH Over tina Witt aQmhiaatlQn