The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-11-20
Erwin TELLS Of
CAREER IN
BUSINESS
Firm Moves From 1908 Four-
teenth Street TO Down
town Location
By EDWARD J. ERWIN.

When the washington Times first
nsked me to draft q little sketch Of
my business career, thought 1t
would be impossible as that is en-
tireIy out Of my line. II they had
asked me to write business letter,
/ would have felt more at home.
However, after thinking the matter
over. / decided to do my best,
1T was in the year 1901, while
attending the Central High School
that it occurred to me that would
start in business During TIE sum.
mer months had worked in Epleye
drug store and there mad became
acquainted with quite a few Of the
statesmen for the jobbers OF Wash
ington. So after school that dav ]
walked down to Luchs' cigar store
then located on Seventh street.
asked to see Mr.. Wallace Luchs ana
told him was thinking of going III
business. asked him what it would
cost me to stock cigar store. He
gave me some large figures which
were away beyond my reach as
only had $50. / went home and
thought the matter over. The next
day / spoke to friend Of mine at
school and asked him If he .iidn'r
want togo in with me. He seemed
very favorably inclined, but after
talking the matter over with his
folks, decided not to. / then asked
another friend of mine to loan me
$50 which he agreed to do. That
gave me 500 to go in business with.
then started out to look for
a store and found one down on
Fourteenth street between " and
w streets, but after interviewing
the agent found he would not agree
to letting me have the store as I
was not Of age, being only seven
teen years old. The next day on
my way home from school /
stopped in a tailor shop on Four
tenth street and Florida avenue
where was accustomed to hav-
ing my clothes pressed. / told
the tailor what wanted to do
and he said, heA thought he could
get the store next door for
me. / told him could not afford
to pay very much rent and he
said he thought he could get It for
sis. So two days after that as
] was going by he called me and
told me to come down the next
morning and meet the owner.
When went down to meet him
the next morning / found that
knew him. He agreed to let
me have the store, No. 1906 Four
teenth street for SIS Ber month
/ then looked the store over and
found it so large that my stock
would have been lost in it. So I
asked the owner to partition off
the front for me which he did.
then spread the news at school,
which created quite a sensation.
then went about getting my stock.
I divided the 500, allowing SIS for
cigars. $25 for stationery, SIS for
magazines, SIS for rent and the
balance for fixtures. attended
an auction sale and bought cheap
counter for about So, and small
nickel showcase for cigars for IS.
I employed carpenter to put up
some shelving for me, and all paint.
ing and other work did myself.
/ opened up the store April 3,
1901. think every student from
the Central High School was there
for the opening. They all talked
up my business to their relatives.
/ continued in business at 2306
Fourteenth street for six years. I
then found that most of my bust
ness came from Mt. Pleasant-up.
the hill. About that time Mr..
Wardman started breaking ground
for stores on Fourteenth street and
Harvard street. so talked with
the same friend who had loaned
me the $50 before and asked him
to loan me 500 again--that l
wanted to open up a branch store.
This he agreed to do and opened
up the branch store as soon as 1t
was finished, March 8, 1907.
/ soon found that it was very
difficult to operate two stores, 50
Sold my old store at 1906 Fourteenth