The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1921-06-09

wooden "Indian Queen" that trade
mark of the old tobacco store frater.
nifty, was erected in front Of his
place of business.
Speaking of this "Indian Queen,
Mr.. Dahlem said recently that ex-
press on this bit of furniture from
New York, cost him $50. His first
stock of goods was shipped by ex,
press from New York at a cost OF
Slit.
Recollecting the advent of Mr.
Dahlem in Sank Centre, ex-congress-
man Frank Eddy this week addressed
the following letter to Mr.. Dahlem
"I recall the fact that Monday
June the sixth will be your fifty-third
annual anniversary of the Inaugural
ton of your business in Sank Centre.
"Fifty-three years is long time.
Few men can boast of continuing
fifty-three years in the same line at
the same stand.
ened the old New York Cigar Store
on Third street and I experienced the
thrill that comes only once in a life
time,' when I assisted, or thought l
assisted, in unpacking the Indian
! Queen that you set up as sign IN
front of your store.
"Since that long ago time I have
gazed upon some of the most beauti-
full statuary in both the old and the
new world, but never have I gazed
upon a work of sculpture that appear
81 HnIF I@1SF r1l oT16
beautiful as did that wonderful "In-
dian Queen of my boyhood days.
"The world has changed tremen-
dously since the days of 1868, and
the changes that have been wrought
stagger the Imagination, but the
'Dahlem Store has kept pace with
the times and developed with the de-
velopment.
"You have a right to be proud of
YOUR business career and l trust you
will be spared to celebrate many
more anniversaries of the same"
In addition to being a tobacco and
cigar store, the New York Cigar
store was also news depot, and all
of the national magazines, st. Paul,
Minneapolis and New Nork news
papers were handled at this store.
These were shipped by express to st.
Cloud, and thence by stage coach to
Sank Centre. They were often late
in arriving here, but their coming
kept the settlers versed in general
in the news and happenings of the big
world outside.
The first bill of goods received by
Mr.. Dahiern came here in stage coach
from st. Cloud, the "cargo" requir-
ing four stage coaches to handle.
ut was not so much a case of dis
posing of goods in those days." said
Mr.. Dahlem, "as it was to get them
on the ground"
Often delays were long in delivery
from st. Cloud, and Mr.. Dahlem
cites one instance where it required
16 days to receive a bill of goods
from the county seat. 81 had given
a teamster a 500 bill with which to
pay express charges on a bill of
stock at st. Cloud and deliver to me
at Sank Centre The trip usually re
quired four or five days, but, in this
instance, it was eight days before I |
heard from my driver. On the 9Th |
day his boss. walked into the store
and said that the teamster had spent |
my twenty dollars on spree in St.
Cloud, but that he had sobered up
and would deliver the goods-he did,
but was sixteen days in completing
the transaction"
AS business in the community de- !
mandel it, Mr.. Dahlem branched out |;
in trade and gradually took on the |
handling of groceries and dry-goods. |
In 1884 he erected a fine new brick
building, added groceries and an as
sortment of drygoods. In 1895 he
again found it necessary to enlarge
his store and erected a building at
the corner of Oak and Third streets
where he continued until 1914 when
he built the fine new department
store he now occupies on the site of |
his first store building.
Mr.. Dahlem has had associated |
with him in his enterprise, his sons
and daughter, who with him, have
helped to give Sank Centre one of its |
finest business establishments.
Mr.. Dahlem was married on March |
10, 1868 to Miss Caroline Rien, and |
to this union were born six children,
three of whom are living.