Los Angeles Herald, Volume 44, Number 87, 7 July 1895 — JACOBY BROS. [ARTICLE]

JACOBY BROS.

A Short History of Who They Are, Where They Are and What They Are.

Their New York Office and Their Eastern Buyers—How the Goods Arrive.

How Tbey Are Handled—Tbe Corps of Employees Wbo Wait Upon tbe Army of Customers. LOS ANGELES (Cal.,) Sunday, July 7.—(Special Correspondence.) Your many readers have, for the last dozen years, read many pages in this paper which have referred to one of the largest commercial houses in California. They have been in business under the same banner. JACOBY BROS., for the past twenty-nine years, and their name has become a household word; on every hand you hear it,/on many signs you read it, and in every way it is connected with the city's advancement. It was my pleasure to go though their mammoth establishment the other day, and receive an introduction to every member of the resident fjrm, except the New York buyer, MU. CHARLES JACOBY. who is now In the East, and MR. A. JACOBY. who has retired from the linn. I have had the pleasure of meeting MR. I. N. JACOBY. who looks after the San Francisco office, and so felt quite at home. The llrm of JACOBY BROS, have offices and warerooms at No. 11l and 113 BleeUer siroet. New York city, where the resident partner and buyer, MR. CHARLES JACOBY, has his headquarters. Ho is assisted by department buyers, who scour the markets to find the best values for their

Los Angeles store; all goods purchased in the East are sent to tho New York office, and, in turn, shipped to Southern California, via various routes, and one season's shipments will represent many carloads of merchandise. The San Francisco office is located at No. 39 Second street, and here a great many of the home products are manufactured. The store proper is located at Nos. 128. 130, 132 and 134 North Spring street, the shoe department running through to No. 123 North Main street. The Spring-street frontage occupies two entire floors, which are given over to their stock of goods, which Is by long odds the largest in Southern California.

Knowing that so large a firm must be a large employer of salespeople, cashiers, book-keepers and assistants; I asked, and was granted permission, to interviejv eacli and every one. By a member of the firm I was Introduced to MR. A. M. GREEN, captain, everyone calls him, and, after a few moments conversation, I found I had been shown the right man. CAPT. GREEN is undoubtedly known to every resident of Los Angeles. He is general suiierintendent of the big store and has been in the employ of JACOBY BROS, for fifteen years. He was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, thirty-seven yenrs ago and came to Los Angeles In 1869. He is prominent In labor circles, being past president of the Los Angeles Council of Labor, and at present occupies the office of president of the Retall Clerks' Association, having been re-elected four times. He is a jolly, genial gentleman, and gave me many points about this store of stores, Capt. Green, being then called away, I started out, on my own hook, and "chinned" every employee in the house. The lnrge man who meets you at tbe door with a smile, and directs your footsteps "bargain-ward," I found to be a' man with a history. He is COL. FRANK E. BEAHN. and comes from staid old Boston. Ho owns up to 50 years of age, thirty of which have been passed in the clothing business. He arrived in IiO» Angeles about four months ago. and at once entered the employ of the firm. Here is Ills war record; Ho enlisted in tho Corps of United States Engineers in 1801, and served until 18(15. He has held many important offices in the G.A.R.. the last being aide on GEN. WEIZERTS staff: was adjutant-general of the Regular

Army and Navy Union In 1890, and commander of GEN. MACKENZIE'S garrison in 1893. Is a member of Stanton Post No. 35, by transfer, and is assistant inspector-general of tho Regular Army and Navy Union for Southern California. Said COL. BEAHN, "Allow me to introduce MR. JAMES E. CHRISTIE, who, next to CAPT. qpEEN, is one of the oldest clothing salesmen in the store;" age of service, but not of years was meant, and I found that MR. CHRISTIE had been with the house for seven years. He was born in Springfield, 111., on July 27, 18(53, and, while lie has a faint recollection of Abraham Lincoln, still, he owns up to no intimate acquaintance. He came to Los Angeles in 188(1, and finding this section adapted to his constitution, he settled here, and soon after entered the service of this, the largest clothing house in Southern California. Who'is that gentleman with the black mustache? said I. "That," says MR. CHRISTIE, "is FRED S. MESSMORE." Upon introduction I found MR. MESSMORE busy waiting upon a customer, and upon bowing him out, (apparently well-pleased,) he said he had been with the firm four years, or ever since his arrival in the city. He wouldn't tell me his age, but I guessed that he was born in Stillman, 111., some thirty-two years ago, and like all others he came West, and today is selling clothing for this great firm. P. E. GREY was next introduced by myself, and in him I found an old friend. He was formerly of PITCHER & GREY of this city, who were for a number of years in business on Main street. MR. GREY had not changed in tbe least. He has been in the clothing business for nearly twenty years. He owns up to thirty-five winters and an equal number of summers, and has been in JACOBY BROS.' employ for the past eighteen months. He came to Los Angeles thirteen years ago, and was born in Belfast. Me. He is an expert judge of worsteds, and has charge of the dress-suit department. MR. GREY can always be found in the main clothing, floor and will be pleased to meet all his old friends and customers.

Some one called: "MR. TAFT, forward, please," and sure enough It was ALFRED 55. TAFT, who, for a number of years, was the junior member of the firm of ABERNATHY & TAFT on South Spring street. MR. TAFT is

a Native .Sen. and is now selling clothing on native soil. He was born iv Los Angeles. September 3, 18tM, and lias been raised right lioro in the Angel City. 110 is prominent in church,, work nnd his friends are legion. He has been with I he* linn for nearly two years and thoroughly understands his business, that of disposing Of the bargains JACOB'S BROS, back up their salesmen with. .

Space will prevent my giving the past history, present statins and future prospects of every one employed by tills great firm, but, in crossing to the shoe department, I found several of tlie city's noted shoo salesmen, first among them being MB, M. JACOBY, who is also the buyer for this important department. Jilt. MORRIS JACOBY li known to every wearer of shoes in Lot Angeles county, and many a pair are there that lie lias fitted to the feet of his customers. He is backed by a large stock and a force of slice-sellers that aire hard to down, among them HARVEY H. COX. Everybody knows HARVEY. He has spent iiftoen years In the sjhoe business, and four of them have been lv the interest! of this firm. He reads shoes like you do a book, and he was born twenty-nine years ago in Lafayette, Ind.; came to Los Angeles twelve yean? ago and is proud of it. Wherever you hear the subject of shoos you Will find MR. J. F. HUGHES. JOHNNY HUGHES came to this city in ISS3. He was born away back in the "Badger State" (old Wisconsin,) I don't think it was in a shoe factory, but you would think so if you heard him talk shoes, and saw the way he handled them. He has been with this firm for two years, or ever since he sold out his own l>u»ines In San Bernardino. And JOHNNY HUGHES is still on deck.

C. S. GOODRICH crossed my path; he was very busy; but, between customers. I learned that lie had been with this firm for eight years, and is head salesman in the Spring-street men's shoe department. lie came to this city nine years ago; was born fn Marshalltown, lowa, and twenty-six years have passed over his head, the most of which he has spent in fitting feet. Among the shoe salesmen in tills department I met MR. E. C. DIETER. He is a native of Minnesota, an old Indian-fighter, who can dangle scalps at his belt, and who counts his customers by the score. Ho is 20 years of age, and came to Los Angeles in 18911; has been with the firm for tho past eight months. His shoe-training commenced at an early age, his mother's slipper being his lirst experience. Possibly the two oldest shoe men in the city draw salary from this big firm. I .rfer to MR. N. M. KILO ARE and MR. A. S. McDONALD. Both have been in the business for years. MR. KILGARE was formerly proprietor of the King Shoe Store on Main street. He came to Los Angeles thirteen years ago, and all but eleven of them have been spent inside the economy shoe department of JACOBY BROS. MR. MCDONALD was in business on Spring street, and the firm of McDONALD & FISHER was well-known. He has had twenty-eight years' experience in shoes, and one-twenty-eighth part of that time has been given to selling shoes for this well-known and popular house. Shoes and McDONALD. or McDONALD and shoes, it makes no difference. Among the other shoe salesmen in this department I met MR. M. STREICHER, who halls from Toledo, 0., He has been witb the house for two years.

MR. LEO JACOBY, son of MORRIS JACOBY, is on the floor of the economy department, and he tells me that his earliest business recollections were and are connected with this house. He is a native son and a natural salesman and a "ohlp of the old block," as it were. One of the three-year men is MR. I. LOWENSTEIN, who sells shoes from morning until night. He being of an economic nature is found in the economy department. From Tucson, Ariz., comes MR. A. GOLDBERG, who has been with the house since last September. J. COCHRAN of Downey, Cal., has been with JACOBY BROS, two years or more, and the Downey trade know that a native could only be found where low prices make their home. MR. E. B. ARNOLD, who claims the whole East Side as his abiding place, is now assisting the firm through their gigantic dissolution sale, and he had hardly time to tell me about himself.

MR. P. PALMATEER is another who takes pleasure in wrapping up shoes and in showing sure-to-buy customers. The firm gives employment to many more shoe-sellers on Saturdays and extra heavy trade days. Shoes are cutting an important item among the sales of this giant firm.

' Among tho hots, where I stopped for quite a while, I met MR. JAMES TRAVIS. Now, all I required to inform me of his ability was the place of his birth and the scene of his early training. Orange, N. J. He is a descendent of hat manufacturers. He was born in 185G, lived in Orange county from 1858 to IS6B. where his father and brothers had a hat factory; from 1572 to 1881 was with his brothers in Philadelphia, still with the hats, and from ISBI to 18S8, when he came to Los Angeles, he sold more hats. For the past year he has been selling hats to Jacoby Bros.' many customers. He is ably assisted by MR. CHAS. KLINE, a native son of Kansas, who cannot get over recommending hats with a cable attached—strong

winds, cyclones, etc. Between them they turn out many dozen hats, and if yours don't fit you right, just hand it to MR. TRAVIS and he will remodel it for you. Heads fitted with neatness and dispatch. Over on tho furnishing goods side, where I suppose more people are waited on and in less time than at any other counter in the city, I found MR. P. S. JACOBY. I had to wait several minutes for my turn and, during a breathing spell, I caught Phil's attention. He told me he was born right here In town and had been with the firm for ten ycar3, and I guess he has, for if any one wants to find the stock they ask Phil, and if there is a garment in the stock that he can't lay his bands on I'll buy it, sure. MR, JAMES MAGIVNY, an old-time furnishing goods man, greeted me in his easy way, and when plied with questions about, himself seemed to prefer talking shop, but he told me that Saratoga Springs, N. V., was the place of his birth, and that ho didn't want to tell his age, as he was unmarried, and he came to California to find a fortune, hut he had been fortunate instead, and found a position in what he called the best and cheapest stock of furnishing goods in the city. C. W. FOSTER, who is also in this department, was too busy to talk other than to a customer. He Is helping during the rush, and seems to be at home. I heard him say something about Dcs Moines, lowa, and two years out here, but the rush .hist then wan so great that five men could not wait on the trade. Furnishing goods are leaders here, sure enough, and I never saw prices so low for such good goods. Being now close to tho elevator. I was invited by MR. F. A. HUTCHINSON to step in nnd go higher. On the way up he informed me that he had carried as high as 160 ft people in his "booster" in one day, and "they came * .v. . ■ ■

down with bundles, too." Upon entering the second floor I was surprised. I thought I had seen clothing on the floor below, but here was a stock. I was cordially greeted by MR. N. H. JACOBY, who is manager of the second floor. He inquired after my wants, and, when told that I wanted him, escorted me through the various departments, and in reply to my many questions answered me by saying that trade was "out of sight;" that he had a full force of salesmen and salesladies, and they could hardly keep up with the trade; that he was a native son and glad of it. He had been In the house nine years and was glad of that. Among the boys' clothing salesmen I found FRED WILSON, who for three years had been In that self-same department. I have known Fred for quite a while, but only then found out that he was born In Cleveland, 0., and that he came to Los Angeles in 1887. Fred has that persuasive way with him that takes, and among his many customers are personal friends. MR. FRED JONES, who, for the past thirty years, has been mixed up in clothing;, was born in Delaware, Wis. He came to Los Angeles in 1885, and for the past three months has been kept busy doling out bargains for all who came in his department. Another man from Boston, the Hub city; his name is G. W. MITCHELL. For nearly eight years he has been found by the counter of Jacoby Bros. He is partial to the second floor, and among the many bargains, he can pick you one that will bring you back. Long life to him. He is engaged in a good work. In the pant department I found F. S. THOMPSON, a native son, a San Francisco boy. He has been in Southern California for eighteen months, and for a year and a half of that time he has put a tape-line around the customers of this great house. Fits are his hobby, and he declares that a customer can take a fit in any of the pants that are here displayed. W. F. TALBOT, an old clothing salesman and globe-trotter, a commercial traveler for years, is now "filling a call" for Jacoby Bros. He was born in Richmond, Va., and came to Los Angeles two weeks ago, and previous to this house he was formerly with some of the leading wholesale houses in the East and San Francisco. O. F. SCHNELL, head salesman in boys' fur-nishing-goods department, was born in St Paul, Minn. In 1871 he came to San Diego, where he resided for three years prior to his removal to the Angel City, some eighteen months ago. Since then he has been guilty of selling big . values in boys' waists, etc. You couldn't chase him to San Diego. In the same department can be found MR. GEORGE TUCKER, native of

Texas. Ho has been here eight years and in the house seven months. He's all right, if he did come from Texas. MRS. RICHARDS and MISS EFFIE REYNOLDS are salesladies in this department, and take great delight in showing the novelties for the little people, who daily crowd the juvenile department.' MR. R. BELCHER has charge of the boys' hat department and is another native son. Santa Barbara claimed him in 1876, Los Angeles in 1880, and the firm for the past two years. HERMAN RAISS keeps the stock in one department on this floor, and as high as ten extra salespeople are at times employed on this floor alone. Back in the merchant tailoring department, in the rear of this second floor, I found a busy scene; tailors at work upon artistic-looking garments that were as yet upon the ways. An artistic cutter and tailor is at the head of this deparment and was the first one yet, who had crossed the broad Atlantic to come to Los Angeles. He was formerly with Sanders & Johnson, and late with Bullock & Jones of San Francisco; came to Los Angeles in March last and took his present position. I. M. JACOBY is the head salesman In this department, and, after selling a customei he had been waiting upon, and turning him over to the tender mercies of the cutter, he granted me a few moments. Said he: "The tailoring department, ] while yet in its infancy, is very satisfactory. We average about eight measures a day and give employment tc about thirty people, a portion of them being in the house." I told him my real object was to learn something of him, and he kicked, thought it was none • of my business, and that I was an impertinent young man. When told that • it was for the public good that he answer my questions, he seemed resigned to the matter and named Bakersfield, Cal., as his birthplace, had graduated at Los Angeles Business College in 1891, and for the past six years had been connected with this popular store; was ' a past officer In the N.S.G.W. and was a member of Los Angeles parlor at present; that he was glad to meet me and if he could show me through the ' cloth department he would be glad to do so and sell me a suit of clothes. Among the coat-makers I found MR. F. BANERS, recently arrived from New York city, where he had worked in the finest shops. He told me the work here was equal to that in the East, and that prices for work were higher; but he said the prices for the suits were much less. MR. A. GRANNIS occupied a bench in this department, but he was so busy lat work I did not stop him. There ' were at least a dozen others, whose

names I did not catch, for the hum of the machines, the click of shears and the noise of the pressing-irons were confusing. MISS LJX.LIE DAVIS is the seamstress in this department. In another room I fouud more tailors connected with the ready-made department. Every suit; that leaves thiH store is fitted to the form or pressed, so that the wording of "custom-made" can be applied to all suits that dally pass out of this great store. At the head of this shop I found m y long-lost friend, GEN. ROTH. He ju.st had time to tell me that he was too busy to bother with me; that he had lots of work and knew how to do it. GEORGE W. LORING. G. LEBOSSA, O. C. WINGER and A. SWITZER are employed in this department and dai ly handle from fifty to one hundred suits. MR. JOE JIDECK, is head pressma.n and swings on iron from morning unt',1 night. Knowing that my time was limited, for it was now growing late in the day, I entered tho general offices, the heart of the houso. Everything moved like clockwork s.nd the many clerks and book-keepers i were busy at work clearing up the business of the day. MR I GEORGE N. BLACK is officer in chief and head book-keeper. He is ably assisted by a corps of well-drilled clerks |MISS A. M. YOUNG, a native daughter, is the stenographer and private .secretary of MR. JACOBY. MISS PAUILINE BUNKERS is assistant bookkeeper and time clerk, and MISS M. |MYERS is sales clerk and assistant icashier. Miss M. RUTLEY Is chief cashier at the main ilesk in the big store. MISS PAULINE KELLNER handles the cash in the Juvenile department. MISS A. CONKLIN presides over the money department in the Spring-street shoe store, and Miss J. KIGER occupies a similar position In the economy department. At the main desk MR. PHIL MARKS ("Little Phil " as he was Introduced) presides, and is custodian of the customer after leaving the salesman's hands. Here the perfect system of: the firm comes into play, and with : 3 o careful a man as PHIL MARKS at the helm, mistakes are rare. He hais been with the house for six and a halif years and came from New York city in 1S87. He is assisted by a well-trained corps of assistants and I am told that they handle as high as 1600 bundles in the course of a day's work. This number only includes the parcels wrapped at the main desk There are three other wrapping counters. DON SMITH, W. T. M'NEELY JOE BOTILLER. ED BUNKERS and O. SLOTOWSXY form the neet-footed crew who compose the special delivery force and are assistants to the main office. TiMmiBiiM»»»»w E ' BESTER -