COLUMBIA AND MONTOUR COUNTIES o f Assem bly, and continued its progress for a brief period under the name of the Ber wick Store Association, Limited, its original incorporators being W . F . Low ry, C. H . Zchnder, F . H . Eaton. W. H. Woodin, S . P. H anly, S . H . Watts. In December, 1892, this association liqui dated its affairs and in its place a new part nership, the Berwick Store Company, Lim ited, came into existence. In 1896, M r. Long having resigned, he was succeeded by R . H . Davenport, who had had several years o f association with the busi ness. A decided enlargement of the company’s operations took place at this time, it being a period o f rapid growth of the boroughs o f B erw ick and W est Berw ick, as well as tlie neighboring borough o f Nescopeck across the river. T he tran sfer by purchase and sale o f B erw ick ’s foundries and general car m anufac turing business having taken place in 1899, th e boom in business and in consequence die rapid growth in all phases of the community’s life made opportunity fo r the further en largem ent 01 the store company's establish ment. A new addition to the present store building in the rear, making a total depth o f approxim ately 150 feet and a new office and store room alongside of the original building, m ore than doubled the original capacity and enabled the company to add many new de partments. M r. Davcnjiort having resigned to enter oth e r business, the management passed in May, 1905, to W. C. Garrison, who having bad b i^ c experience in department store practice m the W est brought to the expanding business ripe e.x|>erience and ability, and as a result the resystematizing of the business was put into effect with marked expedition and suc cess. In addition, a readjiislment o f (be a c counting system and the rearranging of the store's departments, with further enlaigcmcnt and modifications u f (he buildings, w as accomplishetl in 1905, greatly enhancing the • value of the floor space and otherwise mak ing for economical operation. T he stables and warehouse of the com pany. situ.'itcd on Bowman .'md Third streets within easy access of the main store build ing, and occupying approximately two acres o f ground, were erected under the present management in 1907, and comprise a very nec essary adjunct in the storage o f merchandise; in the selling o f horses, o f which seventy head can be housed at one lim e; and fo r the storage o f all classes o f vehicles, including automo biles. a large and increasing volume o f busi
167
ness being done in the handling o f automo biles. T he meat department docs probably the largest single business o f its kind in this part of the State. The thoroughly equipped mod em abattoir, near O ak and Ninth streets, along the tracks of the Susquehanna, Blooms burg & Berwick Railroad Company, erected in 1907. also form s a part of the company's plant. M r. T . B . Brobst. the m a n a ^ r of this department, buys a carload o f cattle every two weeks, and in season a carload o f hogs a week. Forty steers can be dressed at one time and refrigerated. The main store rooms have a frontage o f ICO feet, laree plate glass windows admit the display ot a great variety o f attractive merchandise, and the interior as well as the window displays are marked features of the store's publicity policy, in charge o f C . J . Gilds, the decorator. The spacious floors encompass the activi ties o f twenty-six departments, and the de partmental arrangement includes the follow ing classification of merchandise: Dress goods and silks, domestics, wash goods, notions, fancy g o ^ s . ladies’ hosiery, corsets and un derwear. men’s funiishings, infants' wear, jew elry, stationery, drugs, groceries, hard ware, house furnishings, furniture, wall paper, tobacco and cigars, candy, meats, flour and feed, green groceries, wagons, horses, automo biles. coal. A complete elevator scivice and a well a r ranged delivery .system augment the conven iences in all the departments. Eight delivery wagons, five meat wagons, ten coal wagons, and six auto trucks are used in the transfer o f goods from counter to customer. The use of the telephone in the attention given to the Store Company’.s large trade is a feature that the Store Company very early bi^an to adopt, and "order by telephone” has grown to be a settled method through which the store gives special accommodation to its customers. Frequent renewals and repairs to the Store Company’s buildings and equipment operate to keep the properties in a well maintained con dition. for the convenience o f customers and the anticipation of their requirements. T he rctrigcrator plant in the main building, with five or six lai^c refrigerators for the storage o f meats, fruits and vegetables, is kept continuously in ojieration. F^or the up keep of the jiroperty, the refrigerating ma chinery. light and heating, etc., an engineer and carpenters arc constantly employed. T h e volume of business done enables the company to buy in large quantities at first
