The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1925-11-06
The Origin and Oper-
alton OF Skaggs
Stores

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blk business Institutions frequently
proves. when all OF the facts are
known, 90 be quite different from the
actual manner OF their founding. In
general. We are promo 10 regard bust.
meas as a cold'blooded proposition. dc.
void Of sentiment or Ideals. and 10
think of large concerns As existing
and having always existed for the
solo purpose OF making profits. II 10
difficult 10 picture vast organiza-
ton an having once been a tiny. one
man business, IL "a even more diff
ficult 20 imagine u as having been
foundod-through rigid self-deniai
and bitter Hneriflce-and with zeal
for public service.
Many people easily attribute Altru.
iHtlc motives and high ideals 10 men
ia other walks OF life but for some
reason, the soul Of the mcfchant-lf.
indeed. he be credited with having "A
SOULS supposed 20 be Hhfiyeied and
dried up by tho flames OF his pas.
hionhte desire for gain. Probably.
merchants thsmaclyes-or rather. tho
system under which merchandising
has been done IN flie paat-chn be
held largely accountable for this at.
ttude on the part OF al least por.
ton OF the public. Nevertheless.
I many Of our largest and most sue
5cssful merchandising institutions
! nave been founded with sincere de-
. sire 10 render the public n better
l service than II has been getting and
! only those men and organizations
|. that have kept tho faith and kept
alive deep sense Of obligation 10
their associates and tho public have
succeeded TO any marked degree.
Sknggs Stores originated from the
efforts OF ono man. who. with n
donso of'publie duty. sought 10 find
the means for relieving a situation
which was working a severe hard
ship on Il large section OF the coun-
try and incidentally discovered how
| flchiy the public rewards It's real ser.
wants This man was \. ST. SkaggA
father Of the present executive heads
OF Skngga Storcs-a minister OF the
gospel By choice and vocntion--but
al that time a struggling homestead.
or among n lot Of other equally hard.
pressed homestcaders near American
Falls Idaho.
Some two yeara prior 10 the open.
ing OF tho first Skaggs Store at
American Fails. Idaho. In 1915. Rev
ercnd skagRa came west in search OF
health. The section In and around
American Falls appealed 10 him from
the health standpoint, 30 he filed on
"a homestead and settled there. As ls
usual with most preachers, he had
very little money and what little he
did have was soon expended In the
erection Of homehteader'H 'shRn,y"
and tho purchase OF team. tools and
such equipment as he necessarily
must have. He and his family ek.d
out an existence as best they could
and. by reason OF his calling and a
natural talent for leadership. he soon
became somewhat Of n leader among
his fellow homestenders.
Prices on all commodities In Amer
lean Falls were high--to =. 81.
Skaggs. seemingly much higher than
conditions justified ~ and frequent
discussion with ncighbors established
n concurrent opinion. but how and
what Atsps TO take to correct or over
come this condition was tho problem.
Eventually Mr.. Sknggs evolved n
plan whereby he thought he could
operate successfully. plan which
among other things included pro-
gram OF physical effort for himself
which today would be considered 1T
tie short OF bondage. This store could
not DO an ordinary store nor could II
be operated In any ordinary manner.
Tho strictest economy In its installa-
ton and operation WAS necessary. else
IL would fall in It's nvowed purpose,
which was 10 reduce prices. To re.
duco prices. he was practical enough
TO know that ono must reduce oper-
ating coat and waste. Therefore. with
a. H.. A.NaN "A
great IDEAL. no formulated a scheme
OF operation us practical as II was
simple.
s. ~. skaggs had no money and
nothing on which he could secure
money except his character. and To
u. W. Davis, then president OF tho
First National Bank OF American
Falls and later Governor OF the state
OF Idaho. he presented his problem
and plans. securing $1,000.
on a rented lot on side street he
erected with his own hands frame
building OF dimensions isx32 feet and
In this little building In the summer
OF 1915 was opened the first SkaRgs
store OF tho West. In that store 3.
NJ. SkaEgs toiled diligently, frequent
ly for weeks Mt time, walking two
and a half miles daily from his home
stead TO work and back In tho eve
ming so that all possible horsepower
could DO used on the farm.
This store was tho first unit In a
chain, which in little moro than ten
years blankets tho Pacific Coast and
extending MS far east as Colorado and
Nebraska. comprises moro than three
hundred OF the finest food stores.
s.M. Skaggs. some four years after
tho opening OF the first store. with
his health rcgained. returned to the
geographical location OF his choice
and the occupation dictated by his
moral conviction--that OF preaching
tho Gospel as he understands it--but
many OF tho methods employed by
him, the founder, arc stu used, used
with tho knowledge that He who
serves best profits most" and much
OF the spirit imbued into tho lives OF
the older personnel thru their asso.
citation with him still lives and finds
expression.
Next week. "The Opening OF tho
Second Skd0ps Store"