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About The morning Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1899-1930 | View Entire Issue (June 7, 1908)
SUNDAY, JUNE 7, 1008 'THE MORNING ASTOIIIAN, ASTORIA, OREGON, FORTUNES W EL A 3VR NB GAS Right at the Mouth of the Columbia River iich i fa ill That OIL and natural GAS have been discovered in paying quantities across the Columbia River from Astoria at Onieda, Washington, has been important enough to a number of well-known reliable parties to cause the organization of the Pacific Coast Gas & Oil Co., with a capital stock of $300,000. This company has just placed a number of shares of stock on the market at the low price of $50.00 per share. READ ON-- What the Company Is The I'acilic Coast Can & Oil Co, it compiled of reliable business men of Oregon and Washington whose only purpose is to develop the property to the beM of iu ability and produce a paying mine of oil and gas that all who have purchased Hock may share in iti profits. The officer serve with out salary and include among them nine of the most reputable citizens of the State. To make the company strong on account of its brilliant fu ture it has secured lease on over 6000 acres of laud. It has obtained the highest expert authority on the geological formation of the land, employed the strongest expert work men to operate the drilling apparatus and given such other evidence of good faith to warrant any man making an investment with them. Alex Swcek, president, Portland. Clayton S. Barber, sec, and trea. R, A. Wade, vice-president. Directors John Nelson, Oneida, Wash.; Geo. I Hutchins. Portland; Wm, Anderson, Deep River, Wash. THIS famous oil property is located on the north bank of the Columbia River directly opposite Astoria, and right at the mouth of Deep River, at Onieda, Washington. The derrick, machinery and drilling apparatus is on the ground at work daily, and open to the inspection of the public. Mr. John D. Magner and Fred E. Carl, two of the most competent oil and gas drillers in the country are in charge of the work. Go and see them drill in the ground. The location of the plant is right on John Nelson's place at Onieda, where he has farmed for the past 26 years. He has been using this gas for the past 6 years that this company is now digging down for a plentiful supply. The gas is there because it has been put to practi cal heating and illuminating tests without a break. We want you to see the plant in operation. Look over the exceptional facilities for handling the product, and then form your opinion of those who own stock rn the company. Take the steamer Julia B. or the Gen'l Washington any morning from Astoria and spend an hour at the plant and see it work. You can return in the morning or afternoon of the same day. This visit will prove a revelation. There is nothing like it in the northwest. This drilling outfit is the biggest and most up to date ever operated on the Pacific coast. IP 4 StocK for Sale For Development Purposes The per value of the stock is $100 per share, but is now offered at one half ($50) and it is worth it The company has already sold a limited amount of stock, equipped the prop erty with the best working machinery in the world and it has plans for a great future. The money secured from the sale of stock will be to push the work. Every dolar will be used to prepare for the best interest of the company. As the drill goes down the stock will surely rise. The price it is now offered at will only be a short time. A good rule is to let oppor tunity in when it knocks at the door. For an investment there is nothing more tangible, brighter or more surer dvidend paying than this stock, par ticularly at $50 per share. Don't wait until it goes to par, but buy now. It is really a chance that comes seldom. Further particulars at the addresses given below. u U b ET3I 1 1 nn M f H IU r 402 Commercial Block, Portland, Oregon. Higgins& Warren, Savings Bank Building, Astoria, Oregon; FINE BUSINESS TALK Practical Advice on System in the Ordinary Store 00DF0R EVERY MERCHANT Mr. Woodford, of Chattanooga, Tells the National Grocers' Asso ciation Some Smart and Valuable Things. The only thing that keeps many a retail merchant from being a merch ant prince is his lack of system, or his inability to apply system. The only thing that keeps many retailers out of the bankruptcy courts is the indul gence of the wholesale jobber. Many a retailer who stays with his business from early morn until late at night, and who ma" know of every transaction that has taken place dur ing the day, may yet know but little about his business, Ask him, for in stance, what is his percentage of ex pense to sales. He will likely name a figure; but how docs he know? In the majority of cases he has guessed" at it. This guessing has been a large factor in putting 95 per cent of groc ers out of business. They guess that they are making money and are hap py. Perhaps where ignorance is bliss 'tis better not to know. Merchandising is a scientific game with many players, those who pay the e most scientifially winthe 5 per , While I mention these much- quoted percentages of successes and ures, my personal observation tells me that they are wrong." I do not believe that 95 per cent, of the grocers fail of success, yet I know that many do, and why? Mostly because they do not know what they are doing they guess. The most successful merchants are those who know. They can tell you at all times how they Vent fail stand, but it often takes the sheriff to find out how the other, fellow stands, The secret of success is system and the ability to use it. System and An drew Carnegie made the steel trust System, railroad rebates and Mr, Rockefeller made the oil trust. Sys tern and ability made the great de partmcnt stores, chain stores and cat alog houses. The trade press has talked so much about the "Cat houses," as they call them, you may be thinking they are monsters having horns, and so they have, two of them, and they are gor ing you deeper every day. These horns may be called by other names, "system" and "purchasing power." Isn't it about time we were growing some horns? By co-operation we can have a longer purchasing horn than they. Think of tthe purchasing pow er of 20,000 grocers. By co-operation we can purchase as good systems as can be devised. A 10,000,000 company has provided us with cash register system, and others have provided credit register systems. These systems are usually good so far as they go, but they don't go far enough. What we want, what we need, is a system that begins where these leaves off, a system that will talk, that will give you your assets, liabilities, expenses and revenues properly classified both in dollars and percentage. Now this does not apply to you gen tlemen who are enterprising enough to attend conventions. Vou left your stores running like clockwork, but I'm talking for the fellow back home, in your city, in my city, and in any other fellow's city. Why, many of them couldn't come because if they had all information pertaining to the business would have come with them. They keep it in their heads and not in their safes. At the business won't run without this information - they have to stay at home. I canvassed the members present at a meeting of our local association and found some using the old-fashioned counter scratch books and other antiquated methods. One prominent merchant was actually journalizing separately every invoice that came in to his store. We haven't kept pace with the large concerns in the matter of ac counting. The manufacturers have installed "cost systems," that give them the factory and selling cost to the minutest fraction. We ha've only the selling cost to compute We know definitely the cost of goods purchased. If not practical to know the cost of selling each article, we can know the percentage of expense of sales, and by items, such as gen eral, sales delivery, etc. Compare this month by month and you have a barometer of your ex penses. As I am limited to 10 minu tes, I will not go into details. Have I made it plain that there is room for methods? Well, how are we going to improve them? I want this associa tion to work out a plan. They did a commendable thinar last vear when they attempted to do something for us by way of a cost and inventory Dook. A howl went up. "There is graft iti it." I didn't see anything in it but advertisements. I don t think the association got much out of it. I know these officers didn t get anvthine out of it, and I want to ask you merchants who secured a copy, did you get any thing out of it? If the advertisers were here I, would like to ask them the same question. I say that it was commendable ef fort because it showed a disDosition on the part of the officers to help the members. However, the officers took hold of this book, not because there was a demand for it, but because it was offered them. Now this is your association, and you contribute to its sunoort. I be- leve in association by the members and for the members. If there is any thing you want, ask for it. I will do my part of the asking while I have the floor. I want this association to establish a bureau of "systems," or arrange with some expert accountant to de vise modern accounting, systems for us at a nominal cost. What about a national purchasing' bureau? Staple goods can be bought in large lots and still be distributed to the jobber. In olden times the jobber bought Grand Prize, Reo Automobile, See page 11 for Special Offer to be Given Away by MORNING ASTORIAN in Popular Contest Next Week. t sells the goods to the retailer, bills thru the jobber, and the retailer car ries the stock, and the jobber carries the account. As I said before, you contribute to the expense of this association, and you may be looking for some return on your investment. How are these 25 cent pieces used? Everythinir that has been accomplished has helped the non-member merchant as well as the member. For instance, when this as sociation induced the cracker comp anies to absorb the cost of cardboard, all merchants handling cakes and crackers reaped the benefit whether they helped the association or not. A part of the money goes for mis sionary work. If you make the as sociation of service to the indivirual member, you won't have to hunt for members they will hunt the associa tion. There is one danger to this associa tion in giving us modern accounting systems, we may all become depart- effect, I believe there will alwavs be plenty coming in at the bottom as we go out at the top. the poods, carried the stock, mid sold ment stores, rhni - - - tiiui .jf v vataiv the retailer what he needed. Now the houses, and become ineligible to the Manufacturers' "specialty man" membership; however, if it has this WONDERS OF NEW YORK CITY Over 250,000 people work at night Coney Island is sometimes visited by 500,000 people a day. There are 132 department stores, employing over 10,000 people. The population is now 4,800,000. London's population is 500,000 more. but New York is growing seven times as fast as the British metropolis, and should become the lamest citv in the world inside of ten years. The popu lation increases at the , ratio of five to one, compared with the increase of the rest of the country. There are 112 theaters and two grand opera houses, seating about 110,000 people. About 45,000 marriages are solem nized every year. One in every elev en minutes. In 1885 New York had only twentv- eight millionaires now it has over 2,- 000. Over 476,000,000 gallons of water are used every day in the greater city. A child is born every four minutes, and a death occurs every seven min utes. The city contains 8,000 lawyers, 5,- 000 actors, 3,000 actresses, 6,000 art ists, 10,000 musicians, 15,000 stenogra phers, 6,900 salesmen and saleswomen. 1,900 farmers, 1,600 undertakers and 852 female barbers. No. I Wall street is considered the highest priced property in the United States. Several years ago it sold for $700 a square foot and is assessed by the city at a little over $4 per square inch. The transient hotel nnmilatinn ia figured at 250,000 people a day. The hotel properties are valued at rvr $80,000,000. Success Magazine. Kemp't Balsam will ston that can be stopped by "air? mMct and cure couch that cannot h m,.i by any otter medloine. It ia always sua rose cougo cure.
