Of People and Things
Large Hats, Large Shoes and the People Who Wear Them
The Veteran Salesmen of Kokomo -
Who They Are and Where They Are Employed
The facts for the following were gathered by a Tribune
representative while on his rounds to-day. He is under obligations to
the businessmen of the city for the information provided.
The largest hat sold in Kokomo and it is carried, in a
limited quantity of course, by nearly all the dealers, is a 7 7/8. The
best known customers for this remarkably large sized hat are Rev.
Francis LORDEMAN and Dr. Corydon RICHMOND.There are a number of people
in the city who wear a 7 3/4 hat. which is considered very large. Among
them are John BAGWELL, Samuel FINLEY, Charles ELSON, Godlove MILLER and
Harland HOLLOWELL.
The largest shoe sold in Kokomo is a No. 14 and so far
as could be learned, but one establishment carries it, and has but one
customer for the size. The gentleman who buys this extraordinary piece
of foot-gear is Charles MCREYNOLDS, the well known Alto blacksmith. Mr.
MCREYNOLDS is cast in heroic mold, is a veritable Hercules in all of
his proportions and his feet are entirely in harmony with the rest of
his body. There are but a few of the shoe concerns that carry a No. 13
in men's shoes, customers for even that size being extremely scarce.
About the only persons known to buy them are Alex MCMILLEN (Big Alex)
and Titus BALLENGER.
The man in the city for whom the largest number of yards
of goods are required to make a suit of clothes is Captain A.T. KINNEY.
The captain's size is 50.The late J.S. RICKETTS required a 52. There
are a number of gentlemen in the county who are nearly as stout as Mr.
KINNEY.Among them are Robert ETHERINGTON, of Harrison Twp., Hamp BROWN
of Liberty Twp., and Tatman GRIFFITH of Ervin Twp.It is likely that the
late 'Squire FARLEY showed the largest measurements under the tailor's
tape of any man who every resided in the county.His waist measurement
was exactly sixty inches.
The man who has sold more suits of clothes and more hats
than any other man in the county is Lucien W. COFFMAN. His career as a
salesman in this city reaches back over a period of about thirty-five
years. He probably has the widest acquaintance of any man in the county
who has not been a candidate for public office. He boasts that he looks
as young and feels as well as he did thirty-eight years ago when he
first struck the town.He has for several years been connected with the
Kennedy & Williams establishment and has charge of the hat
department of that concern. Next to Mr. COFFMAN, the oldest clothing
salesmen are Ras SAILORS and Sol A. PENNINGTON, both now employed at
Strickland & Co's.
The veteran shoe salesman of this city is a
comparatively young man, W.L. LAUGHLIN, who has charge of the boot and
shoe department at the Kennedy & Williams store. He has been
constantly engaged as a shoe salesman in this city for nearly
twenty-two years. The hardware salesman longest employed in Kokomo is
William EASTER of the Armstrong & Langdon establishment. He has
been connected with the concern for twenty-five years. The gentleman
who can lay claim to being longest in the employ of one firm is John
MACY, Armstrong & Langdon's tinner. He has been in the service
of this house for over twenty-seven years.
The "old timers" at the local dry goods counters are
Eldon S. LONG and John SULLIVAN, both of the H.C. Davis store.Both
began bouncing counters in Kokomo a quarter of a century ago.The lady
clerk who has a record of the longest employment is Miss Lucy WEBB, of
the Thalman and Levi department store.
-- Kokomo Daily Tribune, 8 Dec 1898, p 5 col 3
|
