Business of DeWitt: Agricultural Implements & Hardware

From the end of January, 1880, until June, the Clinton County Advertiser ran a section called “Business of DeWitt” in which they tell quite a bit about the local businesses.

There are probably but few interior towns in the west that do as large a trade in agricultureal implements as DeWitt. The reasons are three-fold: The town is in the midst of a farming district which can hardly be excelled; second, the farmers are always on the lookout for new labor-saving improvements, which will enable them to do more and better work with the same help, or substitute horse power for their own muscle, and thirdly, the large stocks and well known high reputation of our dealers. As the visitor approaches the town from the north, east, or west, a conspicuous land-mark is the extensive agricultural implement ware house of

PETER FLANNERY at the south-west corner of the public square.

Mr. F. sold out a stock of groceries which he owned here in the year 1868, and bought his present location, and put up a building 22 by 50 feet, 2 stories high, and started in the agricultural implement and hardware business in the fall of the same year. Since that time, to meet the wants of his growing trade, he has added a room 22 x 32, another 22 x 50, and still another 20 x 35, two stories high. Mr. F. is agent for the following popular machines: Chicago Pitts, and Davis’ Oscillator (Davenport) threshing machines, Ohio Champion reaper and mower, Johnson reaper and mower, the celebrated John Deer Glipin (iron) sulky plow, John Deere plows, cultivators and planters, Emerson Talcott & Co.’s seeders, planters and cultivators, Geo. W. Brown’s stalk cutters and planters, Eagle Manufacturing Co’s plows, cultivators, harrows and stalk cutters.

In addition to the foregoing, Mr. Flannery carries a general stock of hardware, iron and wooden pumps, doors, sash, guns, garden and field seeds, and in fact everything one would expect to find in a well regulated institution of this kind. Mr. F takes pains to please his customers by personally seeing that his machines are correctly set up, so that the best results shall follow. He is a great favorite among our farming community and attracts trade from the extremes of our county. He is anticipating a good spring trade and is amply prepared for it. See advertisement next week.

The old and reliable house of T. F. BUTTERFIELD handles the J. I. Case, Buffalo Pitts and Virator threshing machines, the Barnes and Rock Falls stalk cutters. Moline, Hughes and Skinner sulky plows, Moline, Norwegian, Garden City and Case, Whiting & Co’s walking plows, Gorham, Beaver Dam and Workman seeders, Keystone and Champion planters, Barnes’ wire check mowers. Mr. Butterfield also deals extensively in barbed fence wire of various patterns. The weaker sex can here find the Doty washing machine, or a sewing machine to lighten their household labors. Mr. B. has also a large repair shop, where any implement will be thoroughly repaired at short notice and done to stay. The wood shop is under the superintendence of Jay O. Ferree, and the blacksmith shop of Michael Mattingly, both thorough workmen in their respective lines.

Mr. Butterfield’s headquarters are in the Bairley block, where he keeps a general stock of merchandise. He should advertise his business more.

The house of J. J. VANDERVEER is comparatively new here, having been established at this place in the spring of 1879, in Eggleston’s building near the C & N W depot. He moved here from Low Moor, where he had some nine years’ experience in the sale of farm implements. He has a full line of the best and most popular farm machinery and can suit his customers with whatever they may want. He makes a specialty of the justly celebrated N C Thompson (Rockford, Ill.) machinery which gives universal satisfaction. If you are “constitutionally tired,” just get on one of N. C. Thompson’s sulky plows, or riding cultivators, or the Gorham riding cultivator, and you will almost regret to see night come, so easy is the task. If you want the go-a-foot kind, Vandeveer is the man to suit you. He also sells the Star wagons, which have an enviable reputation hereabouts. Mr. V. has been fortunate in selling to a good class of customers. An advertisement in this paper would benefit him muchly.

An important branch of the business of the FARMERS’ STORE is the sale of agricultural implements, barbed wire, nails, spades, shovels, hay and manure forks, etc. This corporation, we think, was the first to introduce the sulky plow into this market. The handle the Davenport and Hapgood sulky plows, corn planters, hay rakes – in short, nearly everything in the line of farm machinery. This is a reliable house to deal with.

The popular hardware house of W. H. TALBOT was established in 1859, at which time he bought out the small stock of E. T. Vary, on the east side of Jefferson st. In due time Mr. T. removed to his present quarters, north of the Bairley block, which from time to time have been enlarged to meet the growing demands of his trade. In addition to a full line of shelf hardware, including table and pocket cutlery, he deals in garden implements, hay and manure forks, and is agent for the Glidden barbed wire now used extensively by farmers. He has worked up a large trade in this article and reports that it gives general satisfaction. It is manufactured of steel and consequently durable.

Mr. Talbot also carries a large stock of ranges and cook and heating stoves, among which can be found the following improved varieties: Charter Oak ranges, cook and heating stoves for coal or wood, embracing fifty-two different styles; Gold Coin, Delmonico, Bussy, and Meridian ranges, Gold Medal and Gold Coin cook stoves for coal or wood, and an endless variety of heaters, for hard or soft coal or wood, from the beautiful nickle plated down to the most plebean, all of which he sells at prices that induce buyers to come from a distance to make purchases.

Mr. Talbot also deals largely in tin ware, which he manufactures in the 2d story of his store. This department is presided over by W. A. Latham, an experienced workman, with Steve Cumming as first vice president. Roofing is done by his house, and done in the best manner, also all kinds of jobbing which comes in that line of business. Mr. Talbot generally keeps his business before the readers of the ADVERTISER, and finds it for his interest to do so.

The enterprising house of J. F. HOMER & SON, (John F. Homer, Geo. F. Homer) was instituted in 1876, as successor to that of Smith & Homer. The senior partner was one of the earliest settlers of this county, has had a large experience in merchandising and has won a good reputation for honorable and upright dealing. Linked as this is with the push-ahead ativeness of the junior, it is not surprising that they do a large business. In addition to their stock of shelf hardware and polished ware which is altogether too large to enumerate, they keep iron, steel, nails, Haish’s barbed wire, the sales of which are getting to be enormous, and a very full stock of ranges, cook and heating stoves, which as the reader will see by their advertisement, they are selling off at a discount. Among the various patterns of ranges and stoves on sale by this firm, we not the Jewel, (which took the first premium at Philadelphia,) Hoosac, Early Breakfast, Royal Charter, Charter Oak, Lexington, Riverside, Excelsior, Queen and Bronswic ranges, Lucky, Napoleon, Mansard, Franklin, Antelope, Jewel, DeSoto and Windsor cook stoves, Crown Jewel, Splendid, Aladin, Westminster and Gold Corn hard coal heaters; Crown Diamond, a soft coal base burner; Hesperian, Grisilda, Melrose, Derby, Faultless, New Vesta, Globe, Morning Sun, Sparkler, Round Oak, Crown of India, Garland, Starlight and other heaters.

In connection with this establishment is a tin shop under the management of Miles L. Rose, who blossomed out here as a tinner about twenty five years ago. He attends to all professional calls promptly, and does the work scientifically. In the store, Mr. Ed. E. Saxton is assistant, a pleasant and agreeable young man and one who takes pleasure in getting rid of the stock on sale in order to make room for more. This house is well worthy of the large patronage which is bestowed upon it.