The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-10-26
REAL PROGRESS
BROUGHT ABOUT
by ASSOCIATION
Merchants in Forefront of
Every Move to Better
Their Section.


own district as has the East Wash
ington Street Merchants Associ-
Nation, whose harvest festival be-
gins Saturday.
Its history is entwined with that
OF the progress and improvement
OF East Washington street.
The organization sprang into ex-
1Stence in answer to a popular need
and since then has led in civic en-
terprise.
In 1903, while the rest of the main
SECTION Of the city was being illu-
minated with boulevard lights and
elabol ate candelabra, East Wash
1ngton street was illuminated by old
fixtures and gas lights.
Repeated attempts to have the
| city improve the lighting were of no
avail.
Start Campaign for Lights
Animated by the spirit that the
lighting must be improved, Andrew
Stetfen, cigar manufacturer, and
Charles Rosenberg and Morris Sha-
lansky, merchants of that section,
visited all merchants in the area
' and prevailed upon them to aid in
paying for the lighting fixtures.
The city was willing to permit
the merchants to pay for new can
delabra, and for years the East
Washington street dealers were the
real owners of the lighting fixtures.
Out of this movement came the
Merchants Association.
Among the original members were
@Sol S. Kiser, banker; Franklin Won
negut OF the Vonnegut Hardware
Company; Charles L. Hartman, fur
niture merchant; Harry Krause, Al
bert S. Goldstein, and a score of
others.
The organization flourished until
1910, when the need for such a body
was not imperative, and it became
defunct.
Movement Is Revived
In 1917 conditions about the
courthouse became bad.
j.. sanitation in the market was poor,
the courthouse was becoming an
eyesore; street hawkers held forth
about the courthouse, the streets
were full of distractions, and the
Lighting was again poor.
A meeting of the merchants was
called in the Hartman furniture
store and Samuel Mueller of the
Great Western Furniture Company,
was elected president.
j.. The association, then of twenty
five merchants, dedicated itself anew
to purge the district of the mount
ing evils.
Organized pressure was brought Co
bear upon the city and street was
Smoothed, new lighting equipment
was installed, the market was rem
dered sanitary, the interior of the
courthouse was cleaned, tracks were
elevated, and the general condition
was toned up.
Determined to Continue
It was then determined that to
continue such excellent conditions
that association should be per-
petuated.
The association began and today
maintains a policy Of truth In adj
<Vertising and high business stand
ards, and has embarked upon a pc
xiod of constructive activity.
Not only does it to all it can to
aid the East Washington street Sec
ton, but as an integral part Of the
city of Indianapolis the association
participates in all worthwhile civic
enterprises.
Presidents Of the association have
been Andrew Steffen, Albert S.
Goldstein, Samuel Mueller, Elmer
Steffen, Frank Krause, Clarence L
Baker, Harry o. Linstead and to-
: day E. M. Ragland.
President officers are Ragland
president; Ralph c. vonnegut, first
vice president; Charles M. Mode
second vice-president; Raymond
KiSer, secretary, and A. o. Lin
stead, treasurer.
Directors, besides the officers, are
Harry w. Krause, Julius Goldsmith
Irwin Vonnegut, Frank Carlin, Sam
uel Mueller, Julian Schaub, and
Harry LindStaedt.
Asks PIumage Bar
LONDON, Oct. 26.-The Duchess
\ Of Portland has written to 300