The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-04-12
Sydnol' & Hundley Grew
From Small Beginning
toLarge Proportions.
IN HEART OF CITY:
GREAT FLOOR SPACE
Leader of the South-Built by
the Same Kind of Energy and
Hustle That Secured Re-
gional Bank-Greater Rich
nond Is Proud OF It-A
Lesson to Others.

Twenty five years. a quarter of
century, long time TO some men and
d rather short span to others-it all
depends on how the quarter OF CEN
fury IS spent. Some men can DO won
derful things and accomplish vast
deal OF good in twenty-five Years.
Richmond Is full OF men who arc in
this class, and that Is why Richmond
has outstripped and outclasscd several
cities CT like size and not Il few OF
much greater size. That is really why
Richmond put II over on some larger
cities In the contest FOR tho regional
reserve bank, ana that Is why she Is
putting other things over on them.
The Richmond hustiers who in tho
short space OF twenty-five years have
grown in 4 commercial way from small
beginnings 20 very great things, have
done all OF this good work, for 1t was
their good wori, that made the fine
showingA that In turn made things un-
dreamed Of by competing cities pos
sibie. But | ain not thcorizing now.
l started out 70 record just 4 bit OF
local history.
story of Quarter Century.
twenty-five years ago. that is to
say, on the Sth OF April, 1852, the con-
, Germ now know! rs Sydnor x uuudloy,
lEC commenced the retail furniture
business in a small way, and in 4
small store No. 709 East BROAD Street.
The store was only seventeen feet
front and ran back 12o feet. and tho
young concern had the privilege of
tw" floors ana IN attic. They did not
have much room, and they didn't have
much money. but they had good Nsiit
and a world OF energy and push, and
they had also some .irst-class business
ideas and business principles, one be-
ing TO always give greatest value for
/ ire last money and to handle only
! real furniture, ignoring Gaudy cord
/ wood and flashy display stun. Tho
! original motto of the house. 4 motto
! that stands TO this day, was quo
nothing on sale that Is lacking in
merit" With these ideas and with
| energy and u slight OF II, they pushed
! the business. and soon became a very
! popular concern. attracting the best
class of customers.
Grew From the Start.
1t was not y very great while before
I the growing business called for moro
room. and in 1893 the adjoining store
was secured, and again In 1902 tho
third store had to be taken in, and
! az that time another story was added
/ TO all three. In 1905 the business was
| Incorporated. and continued to grow
until the old stand, which consisted
/ at that time OF the three stores, 7o9.
/ III and 1l3 East BROAD, with five ioors
! each. began to prove inadequate, and
/ lhe huetlers had TO look out for larger
( quarters.
The story OF the building of that
| mammoth hve-story storehouse at
! Seventh and Grace Streets has been
/ tod IN this paper more than once.
/ When 1T WAS started, few people knew
mat 1t was bein; bull. especially for
! the house OF Sydnor & iiundley. but
! In
their Immediate supervision, and es-
pec!aiiy designed for a great furniture
business. To set il crested and have
II designed and arranged especially
and particularly for their business, tho
company had 10 sign up twen,y-year
lease and this they were perfectly
| willing TO do
Reputation of the Lenders.
Inc Iact is. Sydnor &c Hundley had
become the leading retail furniture
! house of the whole Sonlh, and they
had To live up TO the reputation NAV
had acquired in g:aduaI way
uencc, this move. The move also made
,hem the pioneers in making Grace
o''cel, In that region a business street.
| th'Hg that the ultra ,onservattycs
s,,iu could not be Gone. ana there wero
those who predicted that the nova
would prove the undoing or this dar.
! ING lrni, and the throwing away OF
went three years of business build
ING. bur the husllcrs thought otber-
Wise ana went right ahead
! "''S ia october. 1871. that Sydnor
| Il Hunu!cy moveu into the rnamn,ofh
store al seventh ana Grace Streets.
"h!Ih .hey now occupy and have ami
heep hlieu from the cellar 10 lne gar
| ret or the nth door with the laraas,
display OF furniture to be found j.,
any mouse In all of the Southland
hose who thought they saw ruin ~,
J lile Grace Street
less thef error, for from time TO tlmo
/ they have been teauing in tbs paper
ABOUT othcr great Broad street houses
I III o,hcr lines securing propertv
! IN oneh To Grace ana preparing to
buiid thereon, ana extend their houses
10 TINS thorous htare.
The Figures That Talk
Thus it may be seen that tho won
derful success OF tils concern OF Sydnor
| X iiund.ey has not been SO wonderful.
after All. for there was no Aladdin
lamp doinss about it. on the contrary,
The growth 10 the present mammoth
proloi tons has been gradual from
scar 70 ear. 40 one year showing any
sensational results. or course, they
nave had their ups and downs, to some
@Atent. anoush OF the latter TO teach
Chem. rs they went along. the neces.
s'ty OF studying well the conditions
as the same came up. anu 20 enabls
them TO hold the confidence OF thu
public; and = suIticiency OF the ups"
TO encourage them TO venture into the
largest retail furniture establishment
in Tic South. Yes, the largest In the
South, claim that is made by some
other hou3cs III DixlalanC, but mere
are some figures to prove tie claim OF
Sydnor 4 hund.ey. To start with. let
1t tie understood that every foot OF
room in the basement and the fisa
stories above cf this giant nouso II
hlied with up-to-date goods IN thetrs
limo and kept FULL. tor shipments III
car load lots are coming in as fast as