The Republican journal., 1915-03-25
A Personal 1 etter,
Which Tells Of Some Of Our Former Bel
fast People In the West.

Which Tells Of Some Of Our Former Bel
fast People In the West.
FRIEND P1LsBURY. Mr.. and Mrs. Wal
ter B. Kelley extended to me very cor
dial and urgent invitation to visit them
at their beautiful home at st. Anthony
Park before went East. This, coupled
with very urgent invitation from w.
K Morrison to be in Minneapolis, Satur-
day, March 9th, at the grand opening of
his new hardware store, and to dine with
him Sunday at his beautiful home on
Harmon avenue, decided me to 90 at this
time, so started on the Northwestern
train that left Friday evening. March
9th. at As p. ru., and ! arrived in Saint
Paul Saturday morning. l was met at
the train by Mr.. and Mrs. Kelley's son
William and was soon in their home. The
day was not very propitious for the OPEN
ing as it rained and showed and was just
such day as we sometimes have at home
in March and April, but for all that it did
not prevent the opening of Mr.. Morison's
new store being great success if one
can judge by the stream of people that
visited the store during the day. The
store is 100 feet deep and 46 feet wide,
which does not include all of the prop
erty covered by his ground lease. He
owns the store, but it is very difficult to
buy ground on which store property is
built, and part of his store was under
lease when he bought it. The lease will
expire this year and then he will have
frontage on 9TH street of nearly 100
feet. The store is very conveniently ar
ranged for his business, with ample shelf
room, counters, show cases and beau
| tiful sample room for his fancy hardware
and cutlery. He has beautiful office
on the deck above that does not take
room from the store and which is so ar
ranged that he has a full view of his
store and nothing can escape his notice.
Knowing Mr.. Morrison as we'll as we do,
should judge that nothing does escape
his notice.
Mr.. Morrison has long felt that the
trade was working up town, and when
the lease of his Nicolette avenue store
expired the first of January, he was
ready to move out. This change in loca-
ton has been in his mind for some time,
and he did not wait until the expiration
of his lease before looking for another
location. but with a foresight which is
characteristic of his keen business abil-
ity had his place ready on the LIST day of
February and there was no interruption
to his sales. He has large force of
statesmen, many of whom have been with
him for many years. His manager, Alton
jackson, is his nephew and is a man of
great business ability and one to whom
Mr.. Morrison can entrust his business
during his absence and know that every
department will have the same careful
attention that he would give it,
His new store is located on 7th street,
between Hennepin and Nicolette aven-
ues, near the new Radison Hotel and the
very large department store of the Dom
aldson Brothers, and when the new cleo
trio line is established that will run to
Anoka and towns above it will 60 by his
store. W. K. Morrison & Co. are by far
the largest retail hardware concern in
Minneapolis and they make speciality
of contracting with building contractors
TO furnish all the hardware that enters
into the construction of buildings and
many of the largest and finest blocks in
the city have their hardware.
Minneapolis is now city of $50, 900
people and keeps on growing. 1t has
more than doubled in population since Mr..
Morrison started here in 1888, and as the
city increases in population so will Mr..
Morrison increase in his business. We
are always sorry to have our young men
go away from Belfast, but are pleased to
have them successful in their new loca-
tioIss.
In the first part of this letter men
toned being invited to Mr.. Morison's
for dinner Sunday. There were present
at that dinner Mrs. Walter B. Kelley,
Miss Elizabeth Kelley, Mr.. A. Cutter
Sibley, Mr.. Alton Jackson and myself.
Walter Kelley was away. We had fine
dinner, which Mr. Morrison knows so we'll
how to provide, and the afternoon was
spent in pleasant conversation, and when
we parted from our genial host we wish
ed him increased success in his new
store.
l returned to Chicago Saturday after a
very pleasant visit with my friends in
Minneapolis, St. Paul and Anoka.
Truly yours,
EDWARD SIBLEY.
THIS Is CERTAIN