The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-03-07
'bLACHS' PLAN NEW STORE TC COST MILLION
Firm Buys Dangaix Corner Opposite City>Hah for S35O,O ,OOO as'Site for Fu- ture Home of Mer-
 CantiIe Business

J. Blach and Sons are the owners of the Dangaix property at northeast corper of Nineteenth street and Fourth avenue. They will erect on it a modern mercantile building, which with price paid for the lot. is to rep resent an investment of more than $1,000.000.
 It develops that the Argo Invest ment company, which recently ac- quired this property, represented J. Blach and Sons In that action. The name of the Argo company will now be changed to BiAch Realty com pany. The price of the Dangaix property was s350,000 and it Is fur ther understood that much more cash than is usual in such large deals passed hands.
 Blach and Sons will continue to occupy their present store until they are prepared to move into the new one. Their lease is of such an elas- tic nature that they can move ort at any time they desire, subletting present quarters if desired. When they do move it will be into the new store on the Dangaix corner.
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 Keeping the Pace.
 Our purchase of the Dangaix cor ner is not a tribute to the success of J. Blach and Sons so much as it marks our confidence in Birming- ham the Blach brothers agreed yes terday in speaking of the, deal. "y-e feel that, much as Birmingham has grown since we came here, it is just beginning. We propose to keep go- ing with our city and match it's step so far as we can with absolute certainty that no one interest c. | outstrip the city, no matter how fast 1t grows
 The firm of J. Blach and Son dates back to April 2S, 1857, in the little town of Vevay. Ind, 50 miles below Cincinnati. It was here in that year that Julius Blach, father of the pres ent members of the firm, opened a store. MT. Blach came to this coun- try in 1S4S and settled at Charlotte, N. C., beginning at the stately sal- ary of $50 per annum. Later he moved to New York and thence to Vevay, Ind.
 o o O
 Liked the Smoke.
 In 1885 he had retired from busi- ness, but, having the four boys on
 
 for place for them to do business In. He came south and was im- pressed with Chattanooga, but in Bir- mingham the smoke from the fur naces and the rolling mill caught his eye. This sis the place" he said, his grasp of the future of Birming- ham as steel and iron producer making this his choice.
 So the Blach boys came here and opened store at 1906 First avenue, space 25 by 90 feet. going later to where Collins Shoe store Is located, space 25 by 40 feet. One other move to large quarters was made and finally in 1905 they moved into the present store at Third avenue and Nineteenth street. These quarters are to be expanded this fall pending construction and moving into the new building.
 Tenants in the Dangaix corner have leases for only one year.
 O O O
 Modest Beginning.
 The Blach brothers have the lit- tie old day book which their father Kept as precious heirloom. It shows a business in 1863 of S6.6OS and in 1864 one of s10,257, whie in 1866. due to the times brought on by the war. the business went back to $6,43S. It is from this beginning that the new s1,0O0 900 home of I Blach and Sons will have grown