Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1912-11-15
SPRINGFIELD AVE.
SHOPPERS MECCA
Busy ThOrOughfare Vital Ele-
ment in Commercial Lie
of City.
VARIETY OF ENTERPRISES
STREETS ~CHARACTERlSTl
More Than Mile of Stores on
Both Sides of High
way.

- II -
ef business enterprises.
During the past five years the
<rowth OF business on the street a
bean nothing short of marvellous.
Stores of all kinds nave sprung up
IKE mushrooms, but it was no ush
room life they had, for scarcely q
business man with suf1clent Iore-
sight to start any commercial estao-
ushment on the avenue has not pros
pered.
MANY of the larger merchants
started in a small way. having grown
M with the street, and as Sprlnglelo
avenue wendell its way west from the
Court o saw their tiny concerns
nrosper and grow great in compare
son. Now some of these then small
shopkeepers are the leading spirits
not only in Springfield avenues DIG
business. but in commercial concerns
In the lawer city.
Scores of men who have made their
mark in Newark's business and IN
dustrial world got their start in the
little shops of the Springfield avenue
of thirty veal ago. Thrift, industry
n diligence enabled them to build
nm large businesses and continue
their careers in larger fields. And the
same attributes that made the sue
cess of the merchants who started on
the avenue years ago are still noticed
In their successors.
The Springfield avenue merchant OF
today is en~terprising, progressive and
businesslike. That is why the street
has something more than the merely
sectional prosperity that comes to the
n~eighborhood commercial centres of a
great city. Springfield avenu is not
known as a great business street
merely in the section that it is sup
posed to serve, but is a vital element
In the commercial life of the whole
city. There is not a single business
activity fourishing on Broad street
or Market street hat cannot be found
on the ven These may be on q
smaller scale, 1t is true, but they are
there, nevertheless, and prospecting.
All Kinds of Stores.
Department stores, large furniture
houses, millinery establishments.
clothing stores, apothecaries, jewelry
stores, butcher shops, grocery stores,
music stores, piano salesrooms, hard
ware shops, shoe stores, toy stores.
hook stores-these are only a few of
the numerous places that make
Springfield avenue what it is. Besides
these. the thoroughfare has its own
share of professional men, Ply
sicians. dentists and lawyers find q
fertile field wherein to practise their
professions.
There are numerous real estate
offices and three large banks, and
about a half dozen smaller banking
establishments cater to the wants OF
the thrifty people Of the section.
There are many agencies where
steamship and railroad tickets are
sold. The avenue supports several
frst-class restaurants, and there are
a number of theatres and other places
of amusement.
At present most of the business of
Springfield avenue is carried on at
night. Most of the people of the Sec
ton labor during the day and have
little time to make even necessary
purchases until after nightfal1. This
is the streets greatest handicap, par
ticularly so since it is poorly lighted
Most of the Illumination does not come
from the street lamps, but from the
unusually well-lighted store windows.
THE merchants declare that he
civ has not done it's share; that
the ordinary arc lights which cast
only faint rays over a very small
area. and are useful only at the
street corners, should be replaced
by flaming arcs or some other mod
ern means of illumination. This,
the merchants say, they deserve,
because lack of illumination is linn
iting the growth of the street. When
adequate lighting facilities r in
stalled the tradesmen see nc reason
why their street should not become
the principal street of Newark.
The pavement on the avenue is
another great bar to its develop
ment. Ordinary cobblestones, of the
type now almost obsolete, Is the
pavement for the streets entire
length, and this is in bad repair.
It is probable. however, that this
VIII soon pc reTleOleua TOT Ant 2pIAhB-
field Avenue improvement Assoeia-
ton, a newly formed organization.
whose purpose it is to bring better
general conditions along the avenue
is working hard to induce the Boarc
of Works to take some action in the
matter.
Inprovers Getting Busy.
This Improvement association. al
though it was organized only three
months ago, is already thriving and
influential. The membership is nov
200, but after the next meeting
which win be held in Krueger's Au
ditorium, It is believed that the mem
bership viii be doubled. The mex
meeting Will take the form Of a com
mercial rally, at which every bust
ness man on tn. avenue will be pres
ent. Several speakers who hav
studied Springfield venue condition
will address the merchants and out
line the purposes of the organiza
ton.
These are briefly: The improvement
Of trolley. transit. lighting and pave
~.rf facffiffee In short the ageo