Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-02-09
ATLANTANS HAIL
MERCHANTS IN
CONVENTION
Hundreds of Visitors Here for
Week to Inspect Wares of Job
bers-Functions Planned.


Atlanta Monday for the annual
Merchants Week" Of the Atlanta
| Merchants and Manufacturers Asso-
citation. Hundreds had registered at
the downtown hotels Sunday after
noon and Sunday night, and the ear
/ ~ morning trains brought in many
more. 1t Is estimated that there viii
be 500 visiting merchants in the city
! before nightfall although no definite
idea of the number can be obtained
! until Tuesday when the figures 81
( the registration bureau that will be
opened at the Piedmont Hotel will
| be available.
The week promises to be one of the
most successful in the history of
merchants meetings. Neither time
nor money has been spared by the
local association in its efforts to prop
erly entertain the visitors, and enter
tainments have been planned that
| will send them away with pleasant
memories OF the progressive spirit Of
manufacturers and wholesalers here.
Great Week Ahead.
Everything points to one of the
greatest weeks Atlanta has ever
! known" declared Harry r. Moore, Of
the Atlanta Freight Bureau and the
Merchants and Manufacturers Asso-
citation, who is in active charge of
the plans for the week. We expect
to have a greater crowd than ever
before; the weather promises to be
fine. and our manufacturers, whole
salers and iobbers have the finest line
of goods in their history to attract the
visitors. The arrangements for bust
ness and pleasure have been so di-
vided that neither will take up all
the time OF the visitors, and will leave
them with plenty of time to do what
ever they wish"
They are here in force" Mr.. Moore
repeated. More than 400, as a sort of
advance guard, have registered at the
offices in the Piedmont Hotel. AT
least 900 will be officially received
Monday and Tuesday, and the next
two days will see that many more. in
all, we are certain of 5000 business
guests"
And that IS no inflated estimate If
the attendan e at the fourth seasonal
buying week given by the Merchants
and Manufacturers Association in At
lanta.
Trips Advertise City.
ut isn't by any means the goods
they order and buy while in the city
Mr.. Moore explained That's one
feature, of course-and a big one. But
these retailers and buyers come here
from all over the South, and they have
a royal good time, and they see not
only the goods Atlanta has for sale,
but also they see the kind Of city At
lanta is.
And then when Mr.. So-and-So.
representing such and-such a firm in
Atlanta, calls later in the season upon
Mr.. Smith who was in Atlanta this
week-why, Mr.. So-and SO is going to
have the inside track over his COM
: petitor from Nashville, or Birming-
ham, or Montgomery, or wherever t
is"
The gathering will be a convention
and yet not a convention. There VIII
be no stated meetings of delegates,
no routine business to hustle through
Z and no weighty business to transact.
. 1t is to be a joint meeting of the
Southern merchant who needs Allan
; ia and the Atlanta dealers who need
I the Southern merchant 1t will be
$ the opportunity of a lifetime for the
small merchant to see with his own
eyes that there is no necessity fol-
Z going North or West to buy goods;
II that they need
. Good Value" Is Attraction.
The local association has set its
d AS the attraction that will bring
hundreds of Southern merchants here
regularly and make them glad they
II came. The recreation and entertain
ment planned is in the nature OF {
n "sidelight" designed to show the visi-
- tors a good time and not with a view
- of impressing them-the goods will de
- that.
" No entertainment OF a genera
OH on Set ttlo ~
Tuesday the executive committee
= having decided that these two day!
= should be left open for the visitor:
,e to do as they please. Tuesday night
# however, the local association has
,e engaged the Forsyth Theater from
gallery to orchestra, and the visiting
le merchants will be guests The bill
ia this week, according to critics, is on'
lie of the best Of the year.
lie Friday Biggest Night.
Wednesday and Thursday also
l. there will be nothing Of a genera
lo nature to distract the visitors al
IL houses have planned automobile tour,
'e about the city for some OF their pa.
lie irons. These are the days when thu
visiting merchants will partake of tn,
III delights of the local mercantil,
houses, when accommodating sales
- men Will be on hand, ana the volume
:; of business Is expected 10 exceed tina
Of any former week.
81 Friday night will he the big nigh
l. of the week \ banquet will b,
= served at p. m. at the Auditorium
u at which at least 1900 visiting ant
d. local merchants and statesmen are eX
= pected TO partake of one of the great.
: i est feasts ever spread in Atlanta
! will be served by J. Lee Barnes
whose fame as caterer is State
. wide.
> Prior to the dinner there will bt
e reception at which the Fifth Regi-
J. meut Band. one of the best musiCa
'' organizations in the South, will fur.