Evening star., 1927-10-09
'NTH YEAR SALE
AT PALA|S ROYAL
Goods From World Over to
Be Offered at Anniversary
Planned During Year.

In celebration of the fiftieth ami
: ver1ary of its founding in October
1877. the Palais Royal Department
Store. Eleventh and G. streets, viii
open its doors at 9:I5 O'Clock tumor-
row morning on an all-departm nj
sale for which the stores staff has
been planning more than n year.
Its buyers dispatched to the markets
months ago, the PalaiS Royals count
ers, showcases and stock shelves are
laden with merchandise. brought to
the Capital by ships, trains and motor
trucks, for disposal during the com.
Ing days. .,
Struggled for Is Years.
For Is years after its founding at
Twelfth street and Pennsylvania ave.
nue. by A. Lisner. the Palais Royal
struggled to climb the grade to
Eleventh and G. streets. and once atop
the hill, the store found itself in pre-
tentious quarters, but--in view of its
competitors of the times-'aWay out
of the business section"
And times change.
During this week the Palais Royal
celebrates with its sale half a century
of steady growth, and four definite
building expansions bear active tesu-
mony to the wisdom Of Mr.. Lisners S
foolish move" from Pennsylvania
avenue to G street.
Opened as a Eranch.
On October 16. 1877. the Palais
Royal was opened for business by Mr.
Lisner in small store on the site OF
the present Raleigh Hotel as a Wash
ington branch of his hro:her's New
York store. In its early struggle as
a business institution of the Capltal,
the store somehow lost the favor of
the elder Lisner brother, and Abram
the new stores founder, took over the
full management and responsibility
of the enterprise. The Evening Star,
% years old when the Palais Royal
was opened, for many years was
neighbor of the store, and the two
concerns basked together in the favor
of business success.
When the Palais Royal outgrew the
available space for it's business pur-
poses, the move to its present location
was essayed. A large brick building
was erected expressly for its purpose,
displacing several of the citys fine
residences on the corner of Eleventh
and G streets.
Pennsylvania avenue was the buSi-
ness center at that SS3-and +
street shared that commercial activity,
but G. street was considered out OF the
trading zone. Consequently, Mr..
Lisner's move was looked upon with
apprehension. Washington's buSi-
ness section, however, expanded to
tinclude the new Palais Royal and
blocks beyond. In time the new store,
regarded when completed as 1.-The last
word in store architecture, outgrew
its building and at different periods
additional floors were added to the
original unit and two siX-Story addl-
tions were erected to flank the build
ing on the east and on the north.
First to Have Tube SYSTEM
The store was the first in the city
to have q pneumatic tube system in
stalled for the transfer of cash from
the counters 10 the offices and the first
to have its own electrical power plant.
The institutions growth in its so years
is testified to by the increase in tele-
phone facilities from a. single instru-
ment to, an exchange requiring three
operators at all times. It's original
employet roll of 100 has been increased
to more than / 900 in all departments,
many of whom have been with the
store for 35 years.
In 1924, after managing the store
alone since its founding, Mr.. LiSner
retired, selling his holdings to the
Kresge Department Stores Corpora
ton, operators Of several Of the coun-
try's largest merchandise stores. AL
though no longer actively engaged in
the business, Mr. Lisner visits the
Palais Royal frequently.