20
THE DALLES TIMES-MOUNTAINEER.
PEASE & MAYS.
The foundation of this firm was laid in 18G2, when D. M.,
J. W. and J. M. French became associated with G. B. Gil
man, and as French & Gilman opened a store on Main
street, near Court. The year following they removed to
the stone building, northeast corner of Second and Wash
ington streets.
At this time The Dalles was the commercial center of a
vast scope of country, Western, Montana, Idaho, Eastern
Washington, parts of British Columbia, all of Eastern Ore
gon, were tributary and The Dalles supplied the goods for
this Inland Empire. The business of this firm grew rap
idly, and in 18G8 exceeded half a million dollars.
D. M. and J. W. French, in 1868, bought the interests of
the others and this marks the commencement of the well
known firm of French & Co. This firm, perhaps as well
known as any in the Pacific northwest, enjoyed trade ex
tending over what is no wseveral states. In. business be
fore the .advent of the railroad, the merchandise sold for
these distant points was distributed wholly by pack trains.
They conducted a general merchandise business until
1875, when they sold their stock to E. B. McFarland, who
had been in their employ for several years, and S. L.
Brooks, and have since confined themselves to banking.
Mr. Smith French purchased in 1877 the interest of S. L.
Brooks, and the firm of McFarland & French succeeded.
The business situation was now different. The Dalles
was no longer the snipping point for the northwest. Rail
roads were in successful operation; and other distribut
ing points further east had been built up and trade had
been very much curtailed.
This made several changes imperative. The firm was
compelled to pay more attention to the retail trade; this
necessitated more floor space, and in 1883 Robt. Mays erec
ted for them the store northwest corner of Second and
Federal streets. Edward C. Pease joined this firm as sales
man in the spring of 1884, and was admitted as a partner
in 1888.
Robt. Mays and Edward C. Pease, in 1892, bought the
interests of E. B. McFarland and Smith French and formed
the firm of Pease & Mays.
You will observe that in all the changes some one con
nected with retiring firm has been an active partner in the
new concern; that each new firm has had some one mem-.
ber who for several years had been under the tuition of the
senior members of the older concern, and that everyone of
these firms have had a very successful business career, per
haps the most successful in the histrory of The Dalles.
18G2-1898 forms quite a span in the -history of The Dalles,
ana we think she can well be proud of a concern that under
different firm names, it is true, but still having some part
ner in the new that was in the old firm, thus knitting them
together, has withstood all the vicissitudes of mercantile
lite for over a third of a century, and is to-day recognized
as the leading mercantile concern of Oregon east of Port
land. The last few years have been trying ones for all
who have been engaged in commercial pursuits. Panics,
short crops, and the extremely low prices prevailing for
all products have taxed the business ability of the country
to its utmost. Still in spite of these most unfavorable cir
cumstances, this firm has pushed itself to the front and
stands to-day head and shoulders above the general mer
chandise concerns of Eastern Oregon. When they com
menced business, owing to the fact that McFarland &
French had contemplated retiring for some little time, bus
iness had oeen curtailed, and the force of the new firm con
sisted of but six. To-day, in spite of the unfavorable con
ditions existing during the past five years, and which we
have heard some of the acutest business men of the coun
try state have been the hardest in which to successfully
conduct business that haye existed in the last half of this
century, it requires the services of nearly double the num
ber oi people employed in any other Dalles store to meet
the requirements of their trade.
For this unusual growth there must be reasons. If this
had taken place under favorable circumstances it would
perhaps cause no great comment; but under the existing
conditions it seems remarkable.
When Pease & Mays opened their doors it was with the
distinct idea that volume meant success; that they could
no longer figure upon profits that existed in the past. The
country had settled up, and business would be conducted
more upon Eastern principles. Profits must necessarily be
greatly reduced, and the firm would have to look to a gra
dual increasing business for adequate returns upon capital
invested.
With this idea in view they have ever been alive to the
proposition of selling goods at figures that would enable
them to handle more merchandise until, today they are
recognized as being the heaviest buyers in Oregon outside
of Portland.
They resolved to have a modern store, conducted as far
as practical upon the same general basis as the department
stores in the larger cities. The store was divided into five
departments each, having a responsible head, thus securing
the same attention to each department as if it were a dis
tinct store under different ownership with this difference
in favor of Pease & Mays-their clientage of customers is
larger and expense of doing business less.
Experience gained by many years in business, taught
them the importance of having all goods designed to be
hauled into the interior by wagon, most carefully packed.
They have a packing room where all goods are first care
fully re-checked to avoid errors, and then packed by an ex
perienced packer.
As transient trade forms but a small part of their volume
of business they saw from the first that unusual care must
be exercised in the selection of goods in filling orders, until
now their reputation is such that many customers, to avoid
delay, after reaching Tne Dalles, mail orders in advance,
requesting that the articles may be selected, packed and
boxed awaiting their arrival.
Believing that what is worth doing at all is worth doing
well, while there have been many temptations to increase
the number of lines carried, they have never done so until
they could handle the new line "right." It is their am
bition to buy at first hands as much as possible that means
quantity, which implies storage capacity and capital.
Business steadily increasing each year has compelled them
to provide more room. In addition to the warehouse at the
corner of Main and Federal streets, they have erected two
others, one on Main street between Federal and Laughlin,
the other between Second and Laughlin streets.
Finding the salesroom inadequate, and particularly
cramping the grocery department, they secured the adjoin
ing store, and made it the finest retail grocery salesroom in
the city.
They completely renovated the corner salesroom so that
would hardly recognize in the strictly modern interior the
old score of McFarland & French.
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