The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-02-01
GREATNESS FROM
SMALL BEGINNING
Miller & Rhoads's Big
Store Shows How the
Thing Is Done.
PUSHING MEN AND
RICHMOND HUSTLE
Square Dealing and Hard Work
Build Up Establishment That
All Virginia Is Proud OF.
Quarter of Century Growth
Described, and Rca-
sons for It.

month"; added as a part Of the twenty
ninth year. go TO make UP 4 right long
time Of continuous business, but con-
tinuous business ana keeping hard at
IL. rs the thing that tells In the end.
Keeping hard at IT Is tho Richmond
way and all things In Richmond that
are great. and there are many thinss
Of business kind In this good old
town that are great, grew that way
from small beginnings and by keeping
eternally 1T ". OF course there have
been some enterprises In the good old
: town that started out with an idea OF
Keeping eternaily at 1t that fell by the
wayside, but in every such case the
falling due 20 the fact that the
fallen ones did not really keep eter-
rally at IL on the right principle and
with the right IDEAS To what is due
10 the other fellow. Going at a thing
right and with tho right idea as to the
dues OF the other fellow means sue
cess In the very beginning.
4 Case I'm Point.
y little over twenty-eight years ago
TWO young men came TO Richmond
looking for business. and they brought
With them little money and whole
lot Of energy and push and several
boxes and trunks. !f I may measure II
that way. filled with honesty and hon
est mems ideas OF fair dealing and
business integrity They opened UP
"A l!ttle store at III East Broad Street
store-roonI that measured only
;wcnty two feet in width and ran back
less than a hundred feet This store
Was opened one Saturday morning, Oc-
tober H. 1883 and the little painted
sign stuck out on the front was mark
cd Miller 6: Rhoads. Those who were
curious enough to make inquiry. learn
ed that the two young men who had
thus ventured in business IN the face
Of large opposition were l. O. Miller
and w. :. Rhoads, young fellows who
mad come here from another State be-
cause they thought Richmond opened
ur opportunities 20 active, vigorous
Young men Of the type that they be-
liesed in their souls they were.
They made no mistake In their
lection OF a location. and the results
Of moro than a quarter OF century
prove that Richmond made no mig
Ing these two young men.
Origin of One Price Idcn.
The stock they opened up and put on
exhibition in the little store on that
c!al dry goods and notions and every
thing was marked In plain figures and
sold at 'onc price only" This was
something new in Richmond a, that
tine. the general custom had been
10 mark goods in characters and sell
them at whatever could be gotten for
them.
Many predicted failure for the one
brice' system, but 81 the end OF the
first YEAR the Miller X Rhoads store
had 10 double its space in order to
care for the growing trade. and the
neorle had placed their stamp OF APP
proval upon the plan OF marking the
price Of every article IN plain hgures.
In three years time new ana much
larger quarters had 10 be secured. and
the building. 500 ana Sill East Broad
street, was completed for them. This
building forms a part OF the extreme
western portion OF the store as II is
ipday. When they moved into i'll with
It's three floors and basement. they
thought they had arranged for space
enough for all future time. but the pco-
pie had willed It differently. and in
A short time the size was doubled
again, taking the buildings BIB and
5l5 East Broad Street.
And still They Grew.
The matter of efficient service plays
an important part in the progress OF a
store, and the Miller 6 Rhoads store
wac giving that sort OF service to an
increasing patronage until the crowds
OF shoppers made more room necessary.
At this point the store was wedged
OH both sides. and the only outlet was
10 add on the east side OF the rear
portion; so the building. PIG and Pts
North Sixth street, was completed for
them in 1909 again doubling the size
OF the store.
pie want and selling them at the low
est prices, coupled with courteous at
tention by salespeople, and COM
Portable, homelike store to shop in.
will naturally please and attract more
customers, so the store that had al
ready been doubled in size four times
in eighteen years, must enlarge again.
In 1907 more space was added than
had ever been added before 1T any
time when three building (Nos 523,
ct
completed and occupied by new and
enlarged departments.
Tho store had grown steadily east
ward until there only remained one
more building OH the corner TO be add
cd in order to give continuous stretch
81 show windows an eighth of a mile
long.
Progressive business methods, in
creased delivery service, improved store
fixtures, better lighting and more cf-
ticicnt service in all departments made
this last move into the corner building
in 1910 AN absolute necessity. so the
last touch of the workmen finished the
full corner in the fall of 1910. and the
building, as it stands to-day, was
thrown open to the throngs OF Gus
toners who do their shopping daily in
store that satisfies them through q
most efficient service.
Going to Grace Street,
This last addition was made but a
1 little more tnan TWO years ago, and
already the proprietors of this great
store have discovered that they must
have more room. They discovered il
some months ago, and Immediately pro-
ceeded to buy the properly on Sixth
Street. running back to Grace Street,
piece OF property 65x170 feot, which,
with their present holdings, gives Mil
Ter & Rhoads tho entire block on Sixth
4 street, They will get possession Of
the newly acquired property on tho
first Gay of September next, and on
~. - IConfinilad On Sixth n I,aea n q go.