New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-09-29
BIG G|MBEL STORE READY
New Thirteen Story Building To
Be Opened to Public To-day.
OWNERS GIVE LUNCHEON
Thomas A. Edison, George b
Cortelyou and Five Hundred
Others Attend.

AZ Thomas A Edison sat at the rizht
hand of Jacob Ginbel yesterday II was al
most a subccnscious instinct TO realize Viia'
d, silent part the wizard Of MEMO Park has
plaved in the erection Of the new Glrnoei
store. termed By It's senior partner one o.
New Yorks public utilities
II "a true that Mr.. E6tson IS not rsspon@
sibIe for the $4,000 tricks that would
reach end to end from this city 70 De-
troit, or for the twenty-five miles OF sIeaIn
pipe. or even for the 2,4e5 colunlns tH4l'
placed one on the other, would tower sAy-
ward more than six miles. but think OF thS
Il 600 telephone stations the 24,ei0 mean
descent lamps that equal the light OF 81
$40 candles. the $4,000 feet Of copper Wirlhs
that would wind about a city block Two
hundred times. These are his And ths
purring dynamos that feed the ten freignc
elevators. the thirty-six passenger eleVa1
tors. the seventeen miles Of pneumatic
tubes. and without which the store coulo
scarcely exist. are his children also Even
in the use Of the concrete roof filing that
would cover five miles Of Broadway two
inches deep, and the 22i,400 cubic feet OF
concrete in the foundations he has had an
unconscious hand
Surely no one had better right 70 speak
at the luncheon than Nh Edison nu1
though introduced with wealth OF verbal
bouquets by William H McElroy. the toast
master. he only arose and bowed, and then
sat down under fire Of applause
About five hundred merchants OF ths
ci+y MANY public officials and other guests
attended the reception and luncheon yes
terdav. The store was thrown entirely
open 70 them and they could wander az
will and look at the ryriads OF Things
brought from all corners Of the gloDe 10
meet the shoppers demand
The merchants approached the store IN
kindliest spirit, the same feeling that tins
proprietors have endeavored to instil aver
since they made known their intention OF
building the thirteen story store that faces
on Greeley Square. Good fellowship worked
it's way from guest 70 guest, and every one
sat down to luncheon happy and contented-
This luncheon was served in the tea room.
a hall on the eighth floor seating five hum
bred persons.
The Gimbe1 brothers. Jacob, Ellis, isaac
Charles, Daniel. Louis S and Bernard -
were at the speakers table, but Jacob Gin-
bel. the senior of the firm. was the only ono
who spoke. He said:
There Is a finer sense Of right abroad in
This is shown in an awakened desire to
recognition Of the fact that the world does
not belong 10 the prosperous alone, nor 10
the strong, in the growing practice or en-
plOyers TO make more hygiene ana less
ugly the envirOns Of their workers; IN me
almost ObliteratiOn Of dickerlng IN retail
trade-ir a bigger and widening acKnoWl-
edgment Of the real brotherhood OF man
With this in mind it is not too much 70
say that this Gimbel store is ded1catsd NOT
merely to the acquisition of wealth. but 10
the furtherance of ideals in business.
Do not mistake this for Gomnerctal1zed5
innate seltishness. It must take foTn1-proVs
itseIf-in the stores treatment OF the pup
lie, its reliability and dependabili[y; and IN
its thought for the we'll being and develop
ment of it's employ eS- The store smart
best through being careful; II shan enCou-
age manufacturers TO produce thelr PEST
as opposed to mere cheapness that sacrt-
fees worth-fOT cheapenIns IN lis IaSs
ANALYSIS means a withered output
little further on Mr. GinbeI ernpha-
sized an ardent desire to care for and
stimulate the employee policy that the
store will carry out TO its fullest extent.
There will be a welfare secretary, who viii
have IN hand not only the activities and
pleasures Of the employees, so far IS ths
store is concerned. but their physical and
even their mental comfort We want them
to be interested in the store. to call II our
store" said Mr.. Gimbel
With the attitude Of the store toward fts
empIoye as a text. George r. CorteIyOu
said.
As sure as the sun comes ND and goe5
down the larger right of the employee must
be recognized It will not be on the bass
Of charity for it $ the employees right to
obtain that income that will enable him to
live in decency and with simple comfort Z
am sure the Gimbel Brothers do not feel
that they are for the first time bringing
this principle into New York. for We havs
merchants here who believe in the theory.
Rut I feel that no matter what others
NAV do. the GimbeIs mean TO stick 20 this
doctrine"
Another speaker was Miss Florence Ksl-
ley, Of the National Consumers League
Miss Kelley made some pertinent state
ments regarding 'sweatshop'' work She
said she was glad to note that GinbeI
Brothers proposed to sell no goods made in
this way. but added that there were now
twelve thousand tenement houses in tbs
city where such work is being done. and
that other merchants could as easily find
out this condition
When the luncheon was over the visitors
were set free TO roam at viii through tbs
twenty-six acres Of floor space. with their
wall cases and counters. The store. which
has been deliberately decorated inside and
out with the greens and flaming coIors Of
autumn, viii be open to tbs public to-day
for the first time II was designed BY D :.
Burnham & Co and constructed by the
Company, which handed
IT over 1o9 days before the contract called
for IL
Among those present were z I C,reanh,,+.
Henry Seigel. Thomas J. NcInnerney, J. &.
Pinkham, NJ W Gillian. Miss + KERN,
Mrs. w Hale Patrick, P. r Morse. Owen
Lovejoy. John 2. Dwyer, Herbert Ashcroft.
". r. Fairfield. Charles Yates. Hugh
ODonnen. W. T. FclweII. Louis Wiley,
Bradford Merrill. 2 S. EdmOnson. James
Potter. a II Gouting. Ralph Blum. - J..
Sideman, Max Pynn. y 3. Kcshler, Jules
Enrich, Samuel n. Lit, Annie Nathan
Meyer and Helen Trueman.