Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1916-04-19
DECORAHS SQUARE DEALING CLOTHIER HAS REACHED
HIS FORTIETH MILESTONE AS A DEBORAH
MERCHANT AND PROGRESSIVE CITIZEN
Receiving the Congratulations of Many Friends Good
Wishes for Future Health and Prosperity

Today, Wednesday, April 10, 1916
marks the fortieth business anniver-
sary of one of Decorahs prominent
merchants. We refer to Mr. Ben
Bear, this city's and Northeastern
Iowa's premier clothing merchant,
who opened up a store for business
here on the above date, and has been
actively and successfully at the head
of the business for the past forty
years.
Mr.. Bear is a native Of Germany
having been born in Hohebach, Wur-
temberg in the year 1853. Twenty
one years later found him a citizel
of DEBORAH. He left the home of his
birth and greeted the statue of liber-
ty at New York when a boy of twelve
years. He made the trip on the
steamship Hermann of the North
Germann Lloyd, the journey consum-
ing four weeks He arrived on a Sal
urday afternoon and Monday NOR
ming found him Installed as an err
rand boy in the general store OF Ro-
seminal & SulZberger, with a grim
determination to become one of
successful business men
and citizens. For nine years he re-
manned with this firm, rising from the
of hn h,
came the general manager, and that
at the age Of tWenty-one. II was Their
that he determined to become a mas
ter of a store of his own. Having
heard Of DEBORAH he made up his
mind to come here. SO one March
day in the year 1876 he arrived
His ambition when he came was
just as strong as when he first arriv-
ed in New York, and no tlme was
lost before he vas entering on
business career for himeslf, as the
next morning after arriving he hal
rented from Cyrus Adams the wooden
structure (and by the way one of the
best buildings in DEBORAH at thai
-ime) on the ground where his pres
ent fine building now stands. The
Centennial Clothing Store, a picture
Of which appears in Mr.. Bears page
Advertisement in this issue, was
opened on April 10, 1876. under the
firm name of Bear & Rose. the latter
gentleman being Mr.. Bears partner
or about two years, when ne sold his
interests to the latter The follow
ng year after the store was opened
I was destroyed by fire. The fire oc-
;urred on night when the Hook e
ladder Co. was holding a dance. Mr.
Bear was treasurer of the company
md was at the dance and had charge
If the money. In the excitement due
% the fire alarm and the announce
nent that mis- store was burning, he
ost about half of the receipts of the
lance On the way to the fire.
While the fire was a severe blow to
Mr.. Bear he kept his courage, and
Immediately rented the Assem- build
ng, now occupied by the l.. r. Morri-
son furniture store, and opened up
store there. Mr.. Adams re-
built the store shortly after and Mr.
Bear moved back to his OLD location,
which has been the home of the
Square Dealing Clothier ever since.
About two years later he purchas-
ed the property and as his business
grew he bought additional lots and
the building, and today he
has one OF the finest business estab-
lishments of the kind in the state.
During the forty years Mr.. Bear
has been identified with the business
life of DEBORAH, he has been a booster
for everything which pertained for
he success and good of the commu-
nifty, and practically every public en-