Norwich bulletin., 1913-03-29
FORTY YEARS IN BUSINESS HERE
Porteous & Mitchell Company Celebrating Anniversary This Week-From Small Beginning Grown to Be One of the Largest Stores in Connecticut-Sketch of Growth and Development

almost be termed revolution i'll local retail business methods. Their policy was liberal one. treating the GUS 1 toner fairly and generously and thus 1 gaining his confidence.
 Growing from Small Beginning. The first year was necessarily some
 what discouraging. courage and down ! right hard work being required. But
 these two men had that sturdy char 1 acter and indomitable will of their nationality and being favored with l good health they never lost courage. | Their invariable fair mindedneSS in l dealing with the public found a cor l dial return in the patronage which 1 they began to gain. This increase was | so rapid that within a few years their
 business outgrew their quarters and additional room was necessary. This was gained by taking a room in the Bulletin building which was devoted to the dress fabric department. But few years later further extension was made by taking in the store in the Rockwell building. formerly occu-s was an important step as it not. only
 gave the firm a material increase in
 store area but added a large front
 age on Main street of great value for
 display purposes. The firms business increased even more rapidly with the additions mentioned and demanded further extension of store space
 Big Main Street Store.
 The two Main street stores of the Bulletin building before occupied by the post office and the stationery store of Charles A. Burnham were added and a little later the quarters in the Richards building where had been the First National bank. This gave the street of 150 feet. Again in 1906 the firm made another enlargement, one of the most important additions of it's mercantile career. It leased the en- Srv4 lr 1f4 I,@ !. and proceeded to fit up the additional room in the most up-to-date way. \ modern elevator was installed, new departments were added and practi- ca1y every department in the store was enlarged.
 Retail and Wholesale
 This last change gave the people of Norwich department store which in stock and equipment is unsurpassed by any store in eastern Connecticut. In the meantime while they were devel- ] op1ng the retail end of their business, a 1 wholesale department had been added. ! occupying quarters in the Richards and i Bulletin buildings, on Water street I which was gradually built upon on a ! corresponding scale with the retail de- [ partment. It now occupies four large stores in the two buildings named and 1 the stock carried is a very large and : varied one. While naturally not so i fa1ni1ior to the regular patrons as the i retail branch. it supplies many small ] dealers in this city and vicinity with l their entire stock of goods.
 Three Other Stores
 The progressive and expansive pol icy of this firm led them to venture into foreign fields where their sue cess has been equal to that achieved here. The hberality of management, Which gained at once public favor here, proved potent in the other unde-talS- lngs, so that Messrs. Porteous & Mitch the other three being located respect ! lively in Grand Rapids, Mich, Fort Wayne, Ind, and Portland Maine The store at Grand Rapids is in charge of Charles Trankla, native of this city ]. and man who gained his training in | the local store of the company. He was given charge of the Michigan store upon it's establishmen in 1885, and has conducted it under the firm name of Charles Trank1a & Go. with signal rected by Henry Beadell, who has shown much skill In it's management. The Portland store, which is known a. -.'he Porteotls & Mitchell & Braun -., ig under the mana cement of Rob eft Braun and John B. Forteous, both of whom arc natives of Norwich and gained their knowledge of the business with the parent house in this city.
 Foreign Connections.
 It is not only by these several branch stores that The Porteous 6 Mitchell Go. has increased it's buying capacity; they are one of the founders 0f and hold q membership in the Dry Goods Union of New York city, one 1f the largest organizations of it's kind n America with 8 purchasing power 3f more than twelve millions of dol ars annually. They have an office in Paris with resident representative and an office in Chemnitz, Germany, also with resident representative. They are therefore ably represented in he three leading mercantile centers of he world-New \ ora, Paris and Chem litz. These important connections en- ibIe them to give their patrons a. ser rice which from a standpoint of new