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

parts Of the South are gathering in
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
ly 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 Of
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
viii 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 T. Moore, of
the Atlanta Freight Bureau and the
Merchants and Manufacturers Asso-
citation, who il 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 jobbers 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 . q sort of
advance guard, have registered at the
offices in the Piedmont Hotel At
least 1000 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 S no inflated estimate "
the attendan e AT the fourth seasonal
buying week given by the Merchants.
and ManufaC turers' Association In At
lanta.
Trips Advertise City
1T 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 big one. But
these retailers and buyers come here
from all ever 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 10
have the inside track over his com
petitor from Nashville. or Brmng
ham, or Montgomery or wherever L
is"
The gathering will be a convention
and yet not convention. There Will
be no stated meetings of delegates.
no routine business to hustle through
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
the Southern merchant II will be
the opportunity of a lifetime for the
small merchant to see with his own
eyes that there is no necessity for
going North or West to buy goods;
they can find everything in Atlanta
that they need.
Good Value" Is Attraction.
The local association has set its
most powerful magnet-Good Value
as the attraction that will bring
hundreds of Southern merchants here
regularly and make them glad they
came The recreation and entertain
ment planned is in the nature OF a
/ "sidelight,' designed to show the WISH
tors a good time and not with view
Of impressing them-the goods will do
that
No entertainment Of a general
character is planned for Monday or
Tuesday, the executive committee
/ having decided that these two days
should be left open for the visitors
| to do as they please. Tuesday night,
however, the local association has
engaged the Forsyth Theatcr from
gallery to orchestra. and the visiting
merchants will he guests The bill
this week, according to critics. is one
Of the best OF the year
Friday Biggest Niaht
Wednesday and Thursday, also,
there will be nothing of a general
nature to distract the visitors. al
though several OF the local business
houses have planned automobile tours
about the city for some of their pa
irons, These are the days when the
visiting merchants viii partake of the
delights of the local mercantile
houses. when accommodating sales
men win be on hand. and the volume
Of business is expected to exceed that
of any former week.
Friday night will be the big night
of the week. 4 banquet will he
served at p m at the Auditorium.
at which at least 1900 visiting and
local merchants and statesmen are eX-
peCted to partake of one of the great
est feasts ever spread in Atlanta 1t
will be served by !. Lee Barnes
whose fame as a caterer is State
wide
Prior to the dinner there will be
a reception at which the Fifth Regi-
meut Band. one of the best musical
organizations in the South. will fur
uish the music