The Marietta journal. (Marietta, Ga.) 1918-1944, 1920-03-26
FORMER COBB COUNTY BOY
BIG MERCHANT IN CAROLINA

Almost like fairy tale is the in
SEPARATION that youth gets from the
story Of the success of former boy
Eof this county who has made good
IN the business circles of a neighbor
ing state. Aand it was not because
ne went away from the old home that
this boy succeeded for we are told
that even as boy in old Cobb ha was
the champion ''cotton picker" of the
time. 1t is not so much where your
Eplace is, or what your work is. that
brings success but rather the manner
IN which you perform that work.
Read below the story from theCol-
umbia (S.C.) Record.
Jaes L. Tapp, one of Columbia's
progressive department store opera
tors, is this week celebrating the sew
lenteenth anniversary of the opening
OF his Columbia business. The cele-
[bration takes the form of an offering
to the people of Columbia and of the
state, every article in the store being
marked at a reduced price for the
Especial anniversary week.
Mr.. Tapp entered the retail mercan
tile business in Columbia on St. Pat
rick's Day, March 1th, 1908. He
came to Columbia from Charlotte,
where he had been for three years in
the dry goods business. The seven
teen years have seen his business de-
velop, until it is today many times
fthe sic it wos in 1903 and the COM
pany has bought and paid for the
large building it occupies at the cor
ner of Main and Blanding streets.
Mr.. Tapp is a native of Georgia.
He was rased on a farm near Ac-
worth, Ga, and the plantation on
which he learned to work was at a
railroad stop known as "Tapp's Cros-
sing" At one time Mr.. Tapp held
the worlds record for cotton picking.
Today Mr.. Tapp is one of Column
bias leading business men and most
progressive citizens. He a leader in
all commercial and social activities
for the betterment of the community
and his concern, the James L. Tapp
Company, is one of the strong bust
ness housese Of the city. 1t is a store
where quality and value go hand in
hand and the people of Columbia
have great confidence in the output
of the Tapp store.
The Tapp store has grown in sew
enteen years. When the business was
taken over by Mr.. Tapp it occupied
two-front building, on only the
ground floor. A hardware store next
door was bought out and the divid-
ing wall removed. The second floor
was fitted up, and today the large de-
partment store is complete in every
detail
Last year the entire building was
refnished inside, and new metal
ceiling was installed. Within the last
few months the ladies ready-to-wear
department on the second floor was
entirely remodeled. 1t is now one Of
the handsomest ladies stores of the
state. This department is in charge
of L. B. Simons. The large millinery
department has also proven one of
the important departments. This is
managed by Robert Wambaugh. 1t is
doing twelve times the business today
that it did in 1903.
One of the recent ventures of the
Tapp company is a branch store in
Lexington, opened on January /, and
rapidly becoming one of the chief
business houses of the neighboring
county.
The Tapp Company is carrying
twelve solid pages of local advertising
in The Sunday Record, telling of the
unusual prices effective for its entire
Anniversary Week"