ROBERTS AND MELVIN
Their Business and Business Men.
Progress and Prospects
A Pleasant day Pleasantly Passed Peregrinating among the People.
Their Business and Business Men.
Progress and Prospects
A Pleasant day Pleasantly Passed Peregrinating among the People.
On Friday last we paid a flying visit to Roberts and Melvin, taking Loda in our route. We started at an early hour with our streets reeking in mud, but had scarcely passed out of the city limits before striking roads dry and dusty, showing that the heavy rain we had on Thursday extended its blessing but a short distance north. At Loda we learned that both east and west of that place, within a mile, heavy showers had fallen the day before, leaving that place in a sweeping bend, dry as a powder post. No further signs of recent rain were visible until within a few rods of Roberts where the dust had been laid by a slight "skit." On our route we took pains to ascertain the crop prospects, and learned that winter wheat was badly winter killed, many pieces having been plowed up and put in corn, most spring wheat and a good share of the oats had suffered badly from the chinch bug, which was badly injuring a good share of the corn. Flax will yield probably an average of 5 to 6 bushels of seed to the acre, while grass is light, turning off an average of little if any more than a ton to the acre. A mile south of Roberts we found a neat and substantial church edifice erected since our last visit by the German Evangelical Lutheran society, making a pleasant landmark in what a few years since was an unbroken prairie county.
Arriving at Roberts we were both pleased and surprised at the evident briskness of business as manifested by the number of teams in the streets and of buyers in the business establishments.
As our object was business, we visited the business men and found them cheerful in view of present and prospective trade.
W. C. Thompson & Co., who supply the sick with the means of restoring health, the school children with the sources of knowledge, and the people with the wherewith to decorate their homes, in other words dealers in drugs, medicines, paints and oils, school books and stationery, wall paper, &c., and who also supervise Uncle Sam's only office, was our first calling place, where we found Will with his accustomed smiling countenance and Dr. Cassingham with his rubicund visage.
O. M. Crow, whose acquaintance we made long before Roberts existed, we found dispensing cooling drinks and groceries next door north.
In the south Lyman & Thompson's well stocked hardware store exhibited the result of indomitable pluck under adverse circumstances. About eighteen months ago since this firm, as well as all the business men in that vicinity, lost everything by fire, but plucked up courage and pushed ahead and are now as good as ever, possessing the unlimited confidence of citizens at home and in the wholesale markets. They deserve whatever of prosperity may fall to their lot.
The firm of Pettit & Co., composed of F. E. Pettit, formerly of Melvin, and G. R. Ashman, dealer in furniture is a new house, opened since our last visit. They carry a large stock and are well spoke of by those who deal with them. Mr. Pettit, we learned, is contemplating a departure for Kansas soon when Mr. Ashman will probably "play a lone hand."
We found J. B. Meserve & Co. just getting settled in a neat office on Main street, where they engaged in the banking business under the style of the "Roberts Exchange Bank." In connection with the banking business they represent, the Home, Aetna and Underwriter's Insurance companies. Their room is a very pleasant one and reflects credit upon A. J. Oharra, carpenter, and S. F. Wilson, painter, to whose skill is due its elegant finish. This firm is also engaged largely in the grain trade and have bought and shipped in the past year 490 cars of corn and other cereals, and at Melvin 250 cars, being a total 286,000 bushels. The capacity of their elevator, which is one of the finest on the line of G., C. & S. road, is 83,000 bushels, and it is fitted with every modern convenience, making it an object of pride to every citizen.
Next door to them we find the firm of Flora, Newman & Co., who are carrying a fine stock of dry goods, boots and shoes and general merchandise, and, if we may judge from the stock they carry, are doing a good business. The members of the firm. Flora, Newman and Sackett are all old settlers of the town and county and stand high in the estimation of the public.
McNeish, shoe dealer, and Bushor, harness maker, occupy a fine building near by, the property of the former. Mr. McNeish carries a good stock for a place of the size of Roberts, and manufactures to order being an accomplished knight of the last and awl. Mr. Bushor was one of the sufferers by the fire before alluded to, but Phoenix-like, has arisen from the ashes and is again firmly on his feet.
H. Tinklepaugh, and S. J. Tapp wagon makers and blacksmiths occupy shops adjoining the "cross lift" with each other in the manufacture of wagons and carriages, and faithfully serve the public in all demands upon their time and energies "at the lowest living figures."
Montelius & Co. are engaged in general merchandising and grain buying, and may be set down as among the leading houses in the village, carrying a heavy stock in all the lines of their trade, and handling large quantities of grain. We found our old friend Riggs at the desk, and that canny Scotchman, Anderson, who is always ready for a controversy, a bargain or an argument, behind the counter.
Gose and Pfaat is the style of the other general merchandising firm, composed of our old friends P. S. Gose and Peter Pfaat. The are among the "old originals" of Roberts, and not only from a priority of residence, but because they deal fairly and squarely and carry a well-selected stock, are doing their share of trade.
The hotel kept by Mr. Newman, formerly of Buckley, is prospering finely, a large addition having been necessitated by its increasing business. A good hotel is the best kind of an advertisement for a town, and we are assured that of such is the hotel du Roberts.
We left feeling that the three hours spent with the business men of Roberts had been profitable as well as pleasant, and betook ourselves to Melvin.
--Paxton Record. 16 July 1874.
1874
W. C. Thompson & Co.
Dr. Cassingham
O. M. Crow
Lyman & Thompson
Pettit & Co.
J. B. Meserve & Co.
Roberts Exchange Bank
Flora, Newman & Co.
McNeish Shoe Dealer
Bushor Harness Maker
Tinklepaugh
S. J. Tapp
Montelius & Co.
Gose & Pfaat
Roberts Hotel
Arriving at Roberts we were both pleased and surprised at the evident briskness of business as manifested by the number of teams in the streets and of buyers in the business establishments.
As our object was business, we visited the business men and found them cheerful in view of present and prospective trade.
W. C. Thompson & Co., who supply the sick with the means of restoring health, the school children with the sources of knowledge, and the people with the wherewith to decorate their homes, in other words dealers in drugs, medicines, paints and oils, school books and stationery, wall paper, &c., and who also supervise Uncle Sam's only office, was our first calling place, where we found Will with his accustomed smiling countenance and Dr. Cassingham with his rubicund visage.
O. M. Crow, whose acquaintance we made long before Roberts existed, we found dispensing cooling drinks and groceries next door north.
In the south Lyman & Thompson's well stocked hardware store exhibited the result of indomitable pluck under adverse circumstances. About eighteen months ago since this firm, as well as all the business men in that vicinity, lost everything by fire, but plucked up courage and pushed ahead and are now as good as ever, possessing the unlimited confidence of citizens at home and in the wholesale markets. They deserve whatever of prosperity may fall to their lot.
The firm of Pettit & Co., composed of F. E. Pettit, formerly of Melvin, and G. R. Ashman, dealer in furniture is a new house, opened since our last visit. They carry a large stock and are well spoke of by those who deal with them. Mr. Pettit, we learned, is contemplating a departure for Kansas soon when Mr. Ashman will probably "play a lone hand."
We found J. B. Meserve & Co. just getting settled in a neat office on Main street, where they engaged in the banking business under the style of the "Roberts Exchange Bank." In connection with the banking business they represent, the Home, Aetna and Underwriter's Insurance companies. Their room is a very pleasant one and reflects credit upon A. J. Oharra, carpenter, and S. F. Wilson, painter, to whose skill is due its elegant finish. This firm is also engaged largely in the grain trade and have bought and shipped in the past year 490 cars of corn and other cereals, and at Melvin 250 cars, being a total 286,000 bushels. The capacity of their elevator, which is one of the finest on the line of G., C. & S. road, is 83,000 bushels, and it is fitted with every modern convenience, making it an object of pride to every citizen.
Next door to them we find the firm of Flora, Newman & Co., who are carrying a fine stock of dry goods, boots and shoes and general merchandise, and, if we may judge from the stock they carry, are doing a good business. The members of the firm. Flora, Newman and Sackett are all old settlers of the town and county and stand high in the estimation of the public.
McNeish, shoe dealer, and Bushor, harness maker, occupy a fine building near by, the property of the former. Mr. McNeish carries a good stock for a place of the size of Roberts, and manufactures to order being an accomplished knight of the last and awl. Mr. Bushor was one of the sufferers by the fire before alluded to, but Phoenix-like, has arisen from the ashes and is again firmly on his feet.
H. Tinklepaugh, and S. J. Tapp wagon makers and blacksmiths occupy shops adjoining the "cross lift" with each other in the manufacture of wagons and carriages, and faithfully serve the public in all demands upon their time and energies "at the lowest living figures."
Montelius & Co. are engaged in general merchandising and grain buying, and may be set down as among the leading houses in the village, carrying a heavy stock in all the lines of their trade, and handling large quantities of grain. We found our old friend Riggs at the desk, and that canny Scotchman, Anderson, who is always ready for a controversy, a bargain or an argument, behind the counter.
Gose and Pfaat is the style of the other general merchandising firm, composed of our old friends P. S. Gose and Peter Pfaat. The are among the "old originals" of Roberts, and not only from a priority of residence, but because they deal fairly and squarely and carry a well-selected stock, are doing their share of trade.
The hotel kept by Mr. Newman, formerly of Buckley, is prospering finely, a large addition having been necessitated by its increasing business. A good hotel is the best kind of an advertisement for a town, and we are assured that of such is the hotel du Roberts.
We left feeling that the three hours spent with the business men of Roberts had been profitable as well as pleasant, and betook ourselves to Melvin.
--Paxton Record. 16 July 1874.
1874
W. C. Thompson & Co.
Dr. Cassingham
O. M. Crow
Lyman & Thompson
Pettit & Co.
J. B. Meserve & Co.
Roberts Exchange Bank
Flora, Newman & Co.
McNeish Shoe Dealer
Bushor Harness Maker
Tinklepaugh
S. J. Tapp
Montelius & Co.
Gose & Pfaat
Roberts Hotel
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