Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1922-07-03
BIG WHOLESALE
BUSINESS HERE
Chas. King and Son do An
nual Business Over
Million.
Largest House of It's Kind in Virginia
Established in 1S77-Has Had
Wonderful Growth

Great oaks from little acorns grow,
and in a like manner businesses grow
if the proper degree of business sense
and foresight is injected into their
operation. So it is with the firm of
Chas. King Son, Co., Inc. From an
humble beginning as a little retail
store less than half a century ago it
has increased the volume of its bust
ness. its scope and its territory an
hually until now it is the largest
wholesale house of its kind in the
State, doing a business which yearly
mounts we'll up into seven figures.
The warerooms and offices here and
the warerooms and Office in Charlottes-
vile speak for the foresight of Chas.
King, father and grandfather Of the
present members of the firm who
founded the business in 1877. After
running for while his little retail
store in Cameron street, ne saw an
opportunity waiting for someone to
grasp. He took the opportunity and
began erlarging his business and grad
TALLY drifting from the retailer TO the
wholesaler, gained many friends
among his customers. The business
began to INCREASE by leans and bounds
and very soon he found his cramped
quarters too small for the ever-increas-
ing business. and moved to more con-
modious quarters. The first n1ovo wo =
to the stand now occupied by F.. F..
Lawler. Here he started the business
as it is today: 4 business which caters
to the needs Of the retail stores
everywhere. He began to add dcpart-
ment after DEPARTMENT until he had
ACQUIRED a stock from which any store
could fiji It's shelves. The country
merchants learned to connect the
word "ChaS King. with thor everv
need. and without more ado the bust
ness grew and prospered. Tn the
course of time the now stand became
too limited in capacity to keep pace
with the business so the firm moved
into its present quarters on North
Lee street.
The name Of Chas. King was planted
Uppermost in the heart Of every cen
eral merchandise dealer in Northern
VIRGINIA and Southern Maryland. and
has been kent there ever since. Frank
T. King. son of the founder, is prnsi-
don't Of the present firm. Marshall
King. vice-nreSidert: Cherries "
King, treasurer: Arthur NJ KING. man
aoer of the Alexandria branch and
Charles w Hulfish, manager ot the
Charlottesville branch. From the two
stores eiohteer live-wire statesmen
canvass everv hamlet and villaoe in
Northern Virginia and Southern
Narvland. These Salesmen. saws Mr..
Kinp. a~e overv ono makirg GOOD no
cause the honesty Of the firm and tho
excellence of its rroducts IS alrnadv
ca VOL know" 70 the merchants that
all the mon have to do is 10 take
the orders
Now back to the store-house: When
the order arrives at the office it is
checked and sent to the packing de-
partment from which department II
is filled. A truck is fitted up and
taken from floor to floor and the order
IS assembled. After this. the truck
is again hrOught ~ the hacking room
whore il is checked for the second time
and packed for shipment. which IS bv
mail. truck. boat or full carload at the
companies privotc Sidinr. or sent to
the station as the quantity and desti-
nation determines
On all Of the five f0ors the total
floor space is upward Of 10000 square
feet. or more than throo acres. and
Goods orc ARRANGED in tho host nosSi-
HE rNarnU to 'nSUro eXpeditiouS hand
ling. HUGE elevators carry the Goods
from one to another of these floors.
Another feature in the arrangement
of this buildinc Is that the floors are
IN no nIacns more than seven foot HIGH
thus ELIMINATING the use OF ladders in
reaching the stock.
It has been generally understood
tbot tho name "Chas. King" meant
"Crocer;as". ont mon investigation
and q trim through the Sarple room
there viii he revealed the fallacy Of
this conclusion. There are depart-
vents o,oIore. stocked with the best
.ha rnarketS afford There NAV he
found the hosiery denaTtment. niore
Goods. underwear. notions. TOYS, china
Ware. hardware. stationery. drugs,
natent medicines. canned goods. har-
"oSS and in fact. ANYTHING and every
tmne that the retail merchant
might desire.