Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-12-27
J. K. BOWMAN so
YEARS MERCHANT
CONTINUED From First Pagc1


one of the largest department stores
in Central Pennsylvania.
Business to-day is conducted on
plans away above my expectations
when l started as a clerk" said Mr..
Bowman at his home, sos North Sec
ond street. Some years after | be-
! came dry goods merchant someone
told me that l would someday have a
store that would cover a large part of
Harrisburg business block. That was
rather large thing to look forward
to, but when you consider that when
started in business dry goods stores
carried only dress goods, notions, car
pets. oilcloths.
When l was young man, doing
business of from $4,000 to S25, 900
year. Now q years business runs
more than $1,000,000. In the early
days you opened a store at o'clock
on market days and closed at 10
o'clock. Sometimes we never closed
until the streets were deserted. AS long
as there were prospective buyers we
Kept open. 1t has been an interesting
part of my life to watch the growth of
business in fifty years. If it continues
to grow at the same rate during the
next fifty years, what a wonderful city
harrisburg will be. Fifty years ago
one floor was sufficient to take care of
the business, and it was not a large
floor space at that. Now you find de-
partment stores with skyscraper build
ings and more business is transacted
on any one floor than was conducted
by dry goods store at the time of
my introduction to the dry goods busi-
ness.
The Whcclbarrow Delivery
"A feature of the early business was
the lack of delivery wagons and auto
trucks. boy with a wheelbarrow
delivered purchases to all parts of the
city. He had no paved streets to travel
over at that time and was obliged to
work during all sorts of weather. OF
course purchase had to be very large
in those days to ask for delivery Now
the smallest purchase is delivered
The rapid growth of the dry goods
| business of department stores has fur
nished an interesting bit of history.
The advancement has kept up with
the growth of the city. Now there
are few exclusive dry goods stores in
this city. You must keep up with the
| times"
When Mr.. Bowman came here fifty
| years ago he was 19 years of age, He
remained several years with c. L. Bow
man and then went into business for
himself at S31 Market street. In 1871
he became associated with c. L. Bow
man nuder the firm name of c. l..
Bowman & Co., which later became
known as Bowman & Co. Business
was carried on at 223 Market street,
where the Victoria Theater is now To-
Gated. The next move was to the old
market house located at Market Square
and Strawberry streets, the site of the
Russ building. Some years later Bow
man d. Co. occupied the building
owned by Williamson & Foster. now
occupied by the Kresge five and ten
cent store. Later the Segelbaum build
ing. Market and Court streets, was oc-
cupied by Bowman & Co. Business
increased so rapidly that the firm was
Obliged to move to it's present location.
The firm at present includes the
| iather, John *, and his sons, ]. Will
liam and Harry II. The senior mem-
Der is at the store daily, but the active
work is now hooked aftnr hM tl,o so....