Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1922-03-08
IN BUSINESS HERE
FORTY'N|NE YEARS
X. l. Haugen, Proprietor of Big
Daylight Store Celebrating
Forty Fifth Business
Birthday.
HERE IN
THE YEAR 1870
Has Been One of the Successful and
Prominent Merchants of North
eastern Iowa All These
Years.

Today, Wednesday, March 8, marks
the forty-ffth business anniversary
of one of Decorah's and North
eastern lowa's most progressive and
well known merchants, Mr.. X. /.
Haugen, who has rounded out forty |
five years as a merchant Of DEBORAH.
Today the event is being celebrated
by this popular merchant and he is
going to give his customers a ten
per cent discount from the regular
price on dry goods and shoes and
five per cent on groceries. Mr..
Haugen doesn't put this sale on
with a profit making desire, but just
simply to show his appreciation of
the valued trade accorded him during !
his forty five years in the business
circles of DEBORAH.
Mr.. Haugen's birthplace was Nor
way, and he came to the United
States in the year 1867 and settled
at Spring Grove, MINI. His first
money earned in this country was on
farm, and with this money he &C
quired an education and a start in
life, his early schooling being pro-
cured in Spring Grove. In 1870 Mr..
Haugen came to DEBORAH and opened
his long and honorable business
career. His first occupation here was
the position of clerk in the store of
Christopher Severson, who operated
grocery store on the West Side
of The present site of the Bly, Day
light Store Mr.. Haugen remained
in this store for seven years, when
he with a partner, Gunder Rierson,
of Dalton, Mimi, purchased the store
and conducted it for four years. The
firm opened for business March 8,
1877, which was the year of the
wheat failure, and for four years
after that the wheat failed annually.
At that the firm did everything they
could to assist the farmers.
But times were hard, and this
firm lost more money during those
four years than they had when they
started in business. The end of
those four years brought a dissolu-
ton of the business, Mr.. Haugen
purchasing his partners interest in
1881.
Mr.. Haugen's first business place
was a small frame structure 20X60,
which he later tore down, building up
nice single brick building, which
was replaced later by the present
elegant double store which is 44Xll0,
two stories high, and it is one of
the most modern business houses in
the city. 1t has been named the
Big Daylight Store, because it is
large, commodious and most con-
veniently arranged, exceptionally
we'll lighted and a most delightful
place for the scores of customers
who visit this popular store daily,
and are waited on by a corps of
most ob!iging clerks.
Mr.. Haugen holds the record Of
being the second oldest merchant in
DEBORAH, succeeded by only one other,
Mr.. Ben Bear Of the Ben Bear
Clothing Co. The business and home
life of Mr.. Haugen has been one
of exceptional high standing. Dur
ing his forty five years business
career here he has merited the es-
TEEN and good will, not only of the
citizens of DEBORAH, but hundreds of
others for miles around. He has
been a square merchant and has
practiced the golden rule-to live
and let live. Mr.. Haugen's word
was as good as his bond and when
he gave it it could be relied upon.
He has not only been a good, square,
successful business man, but he has
also contributed to the high citizen
ship of DEBORAH, as he is a man of
admirable qualities of character
which has made him one of the
valuable assets to the business and
social branches of the city.
Today, Mr. Haugen will be pleased
to greet the many old friends who
have helped to make his forty-fve
years of business life here so sue
cessful, and it goes without saying
that their will be hundreds who will
call and extend the hand of good
fellowship to this worthy merchant
and citizen of nearly half a century
Public Opinion joins most heartily
with the scores of friends of this
grand old merchant, who has braved
the storms and sunshines of so many
years i'm the merchantile field here
and extends to him most heartily
congratulations and sincere good
wishes on the rounding out of his
forty-fve years as one of our sue
cessful and leading merchants and
excellent citizens, and hope that hi