The Washington times., 1922-12-15
FIRM
COMPLETES
80 YEARS
Business Begun In 1872 on
Outskirts Of Town Grows
to Permanence.

A romance In business which had
its inception when sheep. cattle
geese and goats grazed on the Dor.
ders of Pennsylvania avenue ana
residents. who to avoid the mire'
had to cross this thoroughfare on
tall stepping stones is being related
in connection with the celebration
tomorrow of the fiftieth birthday
o the A. Loffler Provision Company
inc, of Benning, ID. c.
Tomorrow the Loffler Company
workers will pause and reflect over
it's creditable half century business
career in Washington, during which
time II has acted as hosts TO men,
women and children who partook OF
almost eleven billion meals. reckon
ing the population as 100000.
Young Andreas Loffler. the story
runs, came across the sea to wash
ington In the late sixties, after a
careful training in the caterers art
of meat glazing, as we'll as in the
standard preparation Of meats Tor
the table. A. few years later,
young woman arrived in this coun-
try from abroad to visit her aunt,
who conducted a Ninth street res
taurant that happened to be next
door to the provision establishment
where Andreas was employed.
Through Flood and Mire.
The young woman, Catherine. had
passed a dramatically eventful voy-
age. The vessel was captured by
an enemy and escorted to one OF
their naval stations. For almost a
month Catherine was held prisoner.
rVNl
out in her hold and had to be fought
all the way to New York, and for
the greater part Of the voyage there
was a scarcity of drinking water.
Washington. when Catherine
reached 1t, was little more than a
provincial city with a. number of
rural features. Pennsylvania avenue
was either a dirt rialto or in places
shallow lake. To avoid the mire,
people often had to cross on tall
stepping stones Sheep, cattle. geese
and goats wandered or grazed along
it's future avenues.
On the day after his marriage to
Catherine. the young man began a
provision business Of his own at
the extreme end Of South Washing
ton. near the Potomac river. Fifty
years ago. in 1872. all meat was
handcut. From the time he got up
at o'clock in the morning, and
carried his meats to market in a
basket. Mrs. Loffler aided Andreas
with her own. hands. SO busy was
the good housewife that II was six
teen years before she attended a
Washington theater.
Made Sausage q C0nfectiOn.
As soon as Mr.. Loffler took over
the Ninth street establishment OF
his wife's aunt, Mrs. Ebel, he began
| to specialize in sausage emaking. In
the old country he had been acquain.-
ed with the processes Of making 400
| varieties Of sausage In one city. A
few years ago, in Switzerland 1,7S5
varieties were on view. A young
genius invented a sausage composed
Of pork veal. olives, pepper, fennel,
old wine. cheese. apples. cinnamon,
and herrings' roes. The popular
ity Of the Loffler sausages enabled
the firm to purchase a place on
Georgia avenue, then known as
Brightwood avenue, just above the
old toll gate. 1t was two years aft.
er they moved to Georgia avenue
when horsecars began to run out in
that direction. Passengers were so
few that. the car would obligingiy
wait for a distant conner to catch
up.
In 1915 the plant was moved to
Benning. The present management
is in the hands of Andrew Loffler
and Charles A. M. Loffler. The for
mer manages the plant and the lat
ter has direction Of the Center
Market. The funeral Of Andreas
Loffler, founder of the firm, in 1905
was the largest civilian funeral ever
held in Washington.
Mrs. Catherine Loffler today Is
active in many philanthropic organi'
, zations, and president of two.