Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-10-09
CENTURY AND A
HALF WITH HATS
Charles e. Dubell Leads the
Ccuntry's Three Oldest in
Business.

Charles T.. Dubell. q well-known
Wilmington merchant, according to
The American Halter, is ono of three
American hatters who have been IN
the business combining the period OF
each-for a century and halt Mr.
Dubell has been occupying the same
store for 81 years; while il. j. klev-
orn of Grand Rapids, Mich. has been
in the business for % years and l.y-
man w, Nelson OF Urbana, ILL.,, 43
years. Concerning Mr.. Dubell The
American Halter says:
Fifty four years experience in one
line of business is something to be
proud OF. but fifty-four years In bust
ness on = the same spot is an even
rarer accomplishment, yet that Is the
record Of Charles Il. Dubell Of VIII
mington. Delaware.
When Mr.. Duhell first decided to
open up n hat store, he went to G. n.
Garden & Co. OF coo Market street.
Philadelphia, then the largest jobbing
house In the city. lie had decided to
! snend 1--WE hundred dollars on his FIRST
bill of goods, but after making his Sc
/ lections. he found that his purchases
had run over that amount. Mr.. Dubell
wished to cut the amount down 10 HE
original appropr lati6n, but Mr.. Garden
advised him to keep the goods he had
picked out. saying that he would
neel that amount 10 start with. and
: suggested that they arrange the mat
ter with Mr. Donovan, the firm
credit man.
IA they reached the door or Mr..
4 Donovans office. another retail hat
ter from Wilmington. who was also
a state senator, met them. He greeted
Mr.. Duheu and upon learning that he
was about to go into the no ting bust
ness. accompanied him into the credit
mans office and said to that official
Mr.. Donovan, this Is Mr.. Dubell, from
Wilmington. He is going to start IN
the hat business in opposition to me
and I Just wanted to say that You car
sell him all the goods he wants and
| will go his security" This little IN.
cident gives a aldelght on Mr., puhelit
character and the reputation he ha'
achieved for squareness and honesty
even at that early date.
Mr. Duhell opened his store IN April
1858. At East Third street, Whining
ton, and has had continuously sue
I ceSsfUl business career a the Sam
| spot ever since. He is now so yean
| OF axe and the oldest active bushes
| man in Wilmington Before goini
| into business for himself he had fou
| years hating training with g. 4. Stol
| and Brother, an old-;ime Wilmington
| hat and shoe concern.
| 1t was natural that after renting
J his store for number OF years. Nj
;. Dubel should eventually purchas
the place, and now he owns the entir
corner and rents out two other store
on the property. His business success
| is attributed 10 fair dealing.
| Some of the firms from whom Nj
| DUbeu purchased goods fifty years as
are {. II. Garden. coo Market stree
| Philadelphia. Pa: Bartlett & Blyn,
= on Market street between Fifth an
| Sixth. jobhers. Preston Bishop, mar
ufacturer OF stiff hats, on Race street
| Miller & Lang. manufacturers Of stt
hats. on Arch street: Barnes Bros.
| Herring, johbers. on Fourth street:
| ltSfst " son, lobblnE mouse, on + ourl
street: Eli Keens Sons, on Secor
J street; William Callahan. manufa
turer of stin hats, Second and Arc
streets; J, II. Fenton. manufacture
Of silk hats, - North Second stree
McCardle & James. SSl Market stree
jobbing house. and Globe Il Held, ma
ufaCtuTcrs Of cloth hats.
in the early days OF Mr.. Dubel
experience, silk hats were the leader
Stiff hats were also worn. many
them being made ~ wool, There we
I very few cap factories, and most
the old retail hatters blocked and trii
med their hats themselves.
Mr.. Dubell has always confined hin
self closely TO business, with the {
ception of the month of August, viii
for the past few years he has spc
at Cape May. New Jersey.
. His brother. Albert l.. Dubell. W
has been with him for thirty yea
! and George II. Lackey, for fftt