Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1921-09-18

.Albrecht's furniture business amount.
ed to $3.50 cash and the total sales
being less than $500. Not many 1921
merchants in that business, or any
other trade, could hold back from ruin
under those conditions now.
Mr.. Albrecht came to Great Falls
with the earliest pioneers and opened
his store for business September 1,
1856, in the location now occupied by
]. NJ. Charters, 119 Central avenue
The same type of building as he occu-
pied then is not the one that stands
there now. In those days there was not
even plank sidewalk leading to the
places Of business and there were no
improved lighting districts as now, nor
alley and street payements. The struc-
| ture was owned by T. +. Collins and
Louis Peck and was formerly occupied
by the Murphy -Maclay Hardware Co.
which also had a store at Fort Benton.
The present City Treasurer Worden p.
Wren was then general manager of the
Murphy Maclay company.
Bought Out Partner.
Mr.. Albrecht started in the furniture
business with George Knight of Grand
Forks, n. D.. as his partner. Mr..
Knight never came to Great Falls and
later Mr.. Albrecht bought his share in
the business. In those days there was
no need of such a partnership be-
cause the receipts from sales hardly
benefited one. Mr.. Albrecht and Mr..
knight started with stock many times
ahead of the social wants of the town
as the Great Falls furniture men con-
tinue to do now. When he started in
the business, he was salesman, general
manager, bookeeper, office boy, and
everything else that constituted the
work Of the store. And still he had
time. to spare. After period Mr.. AL
brecht's brother, Herman Albrecht, !
came to take position with him in the
store and the smelter was started in
1890. For three years, 1S9O-92, in
elusive, real bonanza business ives en-
ioyed and profits realized. In 1891. |
John Jardine was employed in the store |
and everything went well until 1893 !
when the panic struck Mr.. Albrecht,
Times were hard then as business
was purely speculative in the west as
all merchandising was in those days.
All goods were sent from the factory or
jobbing house to Helena by railroad
and thence to Great Falls by stage or
freighters. To add to difficulties,
freight charges amounted to six cents
1 pound by the time it was laid in the
store room of the merchant. Before
he Great Northern railroad was COM
oleted into Helena, freight came to this
.ity by the way of the Missouri river
Ialesmen were seen at any time of the
ear and orders were installed with the !
OTHERS and factories by mail in the
pring and shipments were received in [
he fau. II
Business Expectant. Il
Business was all expectant Goods
'ere ordered without any prospects of
yer selling them and were sold when
yer the merchants were lucky enough :
0 find q customer. But to sell the
Gods was not to receive payment for
hem. That was something to trust to
lex and to pray to the Lord for. It Ii
as even worse than the joke Of the q
D21 homesteaders bet that he can +
revent starvation long enough to get 4
deed to his land. But fortunately, Mr.. (
lbrecht has been favored with suf- q
Gent life to outlive that business pol {
y and at present time operates by i
ew methods of furniture sales, collec- G
ons, shipments and such features, and {
lis the more varied types Of furniture
wv in demand by the public. It is no I'M
onder that the early settlers of Great II
ais took as little interest in furniture ie,
they did, going with Is few beds as t,
ossible and only scanty supply Of D
her articles. And what they used Il
Is all that was needed and many 81
,uId not afford much In that line.
Today furniture is made according to v
e ideas Of given period, and in the b,
vt five years, great changes have 8,
en- wrought because Of the new me- b,
anical processes and better variety q
materials now in use. Such better hi
cilities in 20 many forms and ways q
rmit the manufacturing of articles Of
higher grade. The first brass beds vi
ire introduced in the west after Mr.. Il