The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-01-25
Seventeen Years of Reg
ular Growth Record Of
Retail Drug Store.
HEALTH SEARCH
MADE BIG BUSINESS
Small Beginning Seventeen Years
Ago-Great Establishment To-
Day-Strictly Cash Business
at Both Ends-What Is
Department Drug Store?
Question Answered.


with intelligence. energy and hustle
behind 1t. will succeed in Rich
mond and succeed we'll, because the
people of Richmond and of the sur
rounding section just dote on a right
minded. courteous, energetic, pushing
hustler, no matter what may be the
line Of legitimate business he may be
engaged in. That is Richmond's and
Virginia's way,
a little moro than seventeen years
ago young man, broken In health,
came to this city to get the advan-
tase of the salubrious climate in the
hope Of repairing his shattered consti-
tuition. The climate and the surround
ings proved better than all the medi-
cines he had taken in another and less
salubrious climate, and in q conlparl-
lively short time his health was re-
stored.
This young man-and his name WAS
I. Elwood TraSle-naturally fell in
love with Richmond, and now that his
health was restored, he decided to go
in business here and make Richmond
his permanent home. He had gotten
rid of about all of his capital invest
Ing" in renewed health, but that did
not daunt him. He borrowed some
money, and seventeen years ago to-day
he opened little retail drug store
I'm the very small building, No. S11
East Broad Street, and 1t was tho
smallest business building on the
south side of Broad being only about
nine feet wide in the rear and seven
feet In tho front, Il hallway In front
cutting of two feet and it was Just
forty feet deep. The fixtures put in,
including tho shelving, cost only s3S.
The proprietor and small boy COM
posed the entire force with which tho
establishment was manned.
The TrnSie System.
hn
tail drug store to hang out a single
In Richmond. and almost immediately
II became popular with a good line
OF patrons and the people generally
Another feature about the business
was that it was the first strictly cash
drug store to be opened up in all the
South, and is perhaps the only one
that now adheres strictly to that way
OF doing business The proprietor in
the very outset laid down a law for
his guidance and that law and the
business system growing out OF it has
become known far and near as THE
Tragic System"
The Tragic system is simplicity it
self. In tho first place. ii calls for
a cash business both ways that ia
to say, buying for cash direct from
tho largest and most noted manufao-
turers mainly and selling strictly for
cash right in hand at what have be-
come known as Tragic prices" This
feature OF the business being adver-
tised. tho name Tragic and fragile
prices" in time became by-words all
over the city and in the nearby sur
rounding country, and the meaning of
the by-words came to BIO the lowest
cut prices.
Tho Tragic system took in what
may be termed a department drug
store. and departments have been
added from time TO time until now
they are about as follows: a kodail de-
partment. stationery. souvenir ana gift
goods. candy. leather goods. toys, brass
and china goods. toilet goods jewelrS.
trussos, drug surdrics, medicines and a
very largo prescription department..
Tho system" also called for annivcrs-
AIRY, spring and autumn special sales,
when during each year there would be
for "A period extending from Two to
four weeks special cut rate offerings
in all OF tho departments, and in these
seasons there is always a cutting of
the cut rates or moro properly speak
ing, the Tragic prices" and every
thinE III the house. from cellar to gar
ret is marL.d down to the very clos
est kind of a cut rate. These special
sales being duly advertised have all
ways attracted buyers from all over
Richmond. and It may be said from
pretty much all over the State, and
thus they have made Tragle's one oc
the best known houses in Virginia.
steady Growth and Enlargement.
Under the original system adopted by
the proprietor and lived up to, tho
store grew in popularity and the busi-
ness increased rapidly. and after tho
first year there had to be an enlarge
ncnt OF store space and OF force. These
ENGAGEMENTS had TO be continued from
year to year, and seven years ago it
was found that the small building at
Sll East Broad could not be stretched
any more. and Mr.. Tragic sought moro
ground upon which to build. lie Sc
cured Nos. SIT and SO East Broad
street and there built a modern drug
store. according to his own notions
OF what building for that business
ought TO be. Before proceeding with
the work, Mr.. Tragic made an cxten-
StVe tourr covering pretty much all
OF the country. to examine and invss-
tlsatc buildings erected especially for
the business and to consult architects
ana builders. In this way he OBJ
tanned his ideas Of the kind OF building
he needed. and then he came homie and
haa erected the modern house he nov,
occupies and which has become known
all over the state as 'Tragles." ES.-
pcrts who have visited Richmond, and
some who live here. declare the build
ing is one or the best adapted for the
business to be found IN any city of
the country. The building Is thirty
four feet by 1877, and is constructed
OF the best OF material. 1t has two
large entrances and three show win
dows on BROAD street.
Many. Attractive Departments,
On entering one of The large doora
one is struck with the immense DIG 81
play in the various departments. In
the very front is the cashiers Offices
and n subYtation OF the Richmond tr,.,sf :. "
Office. which. by the way, does the iarE s.
est business of any substation In tii9
city. on the right as one enters is tho