Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

TRADE EDITION. THE 'ATHENS MANNER. TRADE EDITION THE STORY OF THE MAGNIFICENT PROGRESS OF THREE GREAT BUSINESS FIRMS IN ATHENS. The Hodgson Cotton Company’s Two Large Plants, Representing the Largest Retail Fertilizer Business in the World. The Grocery Establishment of J. S. King &. Co. That Furnishes Food Supplies to Over Four Thousand Farmers in This Section of the State. Hodgson Brothers, One of the Largest Brokerage Firms in Northeast Georgia. Members of These Three Firms are Strong and Influential Factors in the Development of The Classic City. It.would he like presenting t lie piny r,f Hamlet with Hamlet left out to Ml tlift story of the growth, the progn hh tiiirt the futnre of Athens without devot ing considerable spurn to the H "'gson Cotton Coniptny, J 4. King .V anti llodgsnn lirot, Thom lirms have dnno as ninoh as any other ngciielos for the nphollrllng of the i >y. They Imvo achieved soccess for tlicm-elves in a rental liable degree and their success has t ontrihoted largely to the ailvancement of the city, Tho Hodgson Cotton Company sprang . xtend over thirty miles in length. When one considers that this guano is not soltl to merchants hot to individual farmers, the immense details of the hits loess can he seen and thoroughly com prehended. Thirty Two lit.mill Agencies The immense business of this llrm is handled through thirty two branch agencies in addition to the home Milne in this city The agents at these places are the heat known men in the column nities Btid Iheir work has shown splen did results These branch agencies are UN follow* Appalarh»*\ (iroon^born, ArnohlMvillo, Harmon v < Jrovo, Avalon, Hull, Baldwin, l/xington, Riahop, Madison, Bogart, Maysvil'o, Row man, Now horn, < lari ton, Nicholson, Center. 1 'glee by. Conn r, Koyston, 1 tawny Rose, Slul ham, IvudanolloH, S ophens. Farmington, Tocroa, Fn o Forks, V.irma, (JiUsvilln, Watkinsvillo, ( Josh, Winder. enlor member of the firm, Is a native of I its clientele is largely the same class of | in the junction of liroad and Oconee streets. While tho members of the lirm nre all active, ahln and energetic workers, they they have not only achieved success by their own efforts lint by knowing hnw to gather Into their service several ol the Iicst assistants in the grocery husi ness in the state. Mr. M (J. Nicholson, a son of the ato ent several years since firm selling to several thonsand farmers .lolin W Nicholson, of this city. Is the Athens, and has since his youth been | men one of the most prominent citizens. ; Through tins large grocery store is Aside from tiis ability as a business J famish'd t lie food supplies of thousands man, he has always evidenced a lively I of people ill this section of the state, Interest in educational affairs. He has Mi at, ll nr, grain, hj and the like are served as city aid'mi in with distinction the principal articles handled, though and has for years been one of the most m iny others are carried an an accomo- sllioipiit memlicrs of the Athens Hoard I dation to the patrons of the firm, of K lneali ii He was a mcuilmr of the | The bnsiness is entirely retail, the enilllll Ml e I flat Mlt K II HODGSON, SH. tnt-1 existence eight years ago upon the dissolution of the old Henderson Ware house Company and In those eight years it has nchlevad a phenomenal success. The mnmhers of this llrm are Messrs. ElwardH Hodgson, Hr , Edward It Hodgson, Jr., and Harry Hodgson. The city of Athens is prond of the fact that in this firm she has an establish ment that does the largest retail fortlli- •t. ir business in the world. This la not idle talk. It la a fact, easily proven by exaot figures. The Hodgson Cotton Company began to mannfaotnre fertilizers lire years MK. JAMES S. KINO. ago at the place where the Union Manu- factuiing Company now stands, hut tho business outgrew Its plant and the com pany had to provide much larger and morn convenient i|nartera. The new plant was erected near the Georgia Railroad depot and (quipped with the very best machinery. In a •ho. t while it b>came necessary to add still another plaut, so that at present tin. company owns amt operati s under one roof one of the largest fertilizer plants in the state. One of these plants is run by electricity and the other by •team. They have a combined cxpaeity of 4,<HS) bags of ferlillz-rs per day of I twenti -'our hours. The output of these planlslsst season, ‘ retailed In farm r« in this section, was over li'.'.OiKi hsgi, nr to give the reader 1 even u le-tler Idea, IIii car loads of :!() 000 pouuds each Tills was the outgo i lng movement and represents, of course,, an incoming hupi lynf the sime quail | tity. or a business of ov. r hisi carloads | per annum. If the H.'.iss) tiags of fertil.z rs thus •old in one season by this enterprising ! firm were laid end to end they would ' The Company's Splendid System. One of the strongest features iu this company's business is the magnificent system under which it is conducted. Reports come in two nr three times a week from I lies" agencies, showing every transaction. Every record is kept in triplicate, so that the home otlice in Athens lias tho identical copy of the transaction nt each depot and the local i.gene and the customer each have a copy. Over 1,00(1 individuals trade directly with this lirm. Such a business cannnt he handled in a successful manner without perfi ct organization, the most modern system of bookkeeping and am ple capitnl. The combination of these three n qnlsites has made a marvelous uccras of the business of the Hodgson' Cotton Company. The simplicity with ) w Inch the business is handled Is nne of the sinking features limt appears to, anybody who is privileged to examine! their methods. The Qualify ol the Product. It Is not only the quantity sold lint the ' loality of the fertilizers that makes this a great business. Eroui an output of Mil rntis in INilfi to an output of (i.flH'.l tons in I'.HW is a long jump, but it was made purely because of the merits of "Gem of Athens," "Red Star, ' "Tap llmt" and other fertilizers man n fact - j nred by Ibis lirm. The farmers of North j east Georgia have tried them and know ' their worth. They have won for Iheir | users prizes ill agricultural contests nnd have brought money into their pockets nnd plenty into their hotnrs. This llrm has done Northeast Georgia a great service by the offering of prizes from year to year, such as Jersey helf era, Durham breeding cattle, and during the coming year thoroughbred Herk shire pigs. These prizes have had the etfect of stimulating an interest in lines nf work thnt will he of great benefit to the farmers nf this section Personnel of the Tlrm Mr. Edward It Hodgson, Hr, tin PLANT OF THE HODGSON COTTON COMPANY. to Hoston, Hoboken, and the t>clinical and ^nt to country nic^/huntM. Athens schools ol the east to study the work- ' has a number nf large wholesale grocery ings nf those institutions and form plans houses, hilt this establishment is her lar upon which the Georgia Hohnol nf Tech- gust retail store. There is not a retail nnlngy was to he established, lie took grocery establishment in this section an active hand in the formation of those that enjoys the immense pntronage of plans, nnd has since the founding of this store, in fact it is very doubtful if that institution been one of its trustees. J there is a retail grocery store in Atlanta Messrs. E. K. Hodgson, Jr., and I fiat can compare in amount of sales Harry Hodgson, the jnnior members of with this splendid business. This tlrm has an unique plan of man agement, prculiarly its own, the effect iveness of which has been fully demon slrated. The plan has been evolved from the study made nf the conditions of the fanners ami their requirements and it has worked out to the emiuent satisfaction of all parlh h. Ilrnriqinirtrrs for farmers I luring the fall season (he store of J. H KmgiV Co. is Die busiest place in Alliens and one of Die busiest pi ices in tile state of Georgia From their office payment is nude for at least 7.000 hales of cotton per annum, | and a. n is in ihn very henrt of the not- I ton district, during the cotton season hundreds of farmers v.eit there daily | I: lias become a eomuion tiling for pen pie desiring to see any given farmer who miy lie in Athens to head str- ight way for J. H King Ar fins' store witli the llrm, are among the most active and • the full expectation of finding the per progressive young luisiiiesN men of 1 son there for whom search Is lining Athens. They, ton, like their father, made. ' fficinnl bookkeeper and there is none better in the stale Those in charge of the salrH departments are Mr. J. A. Pit- tier, tlin popular treasurer of Clarke county; Mr J. L Burch, Mr. Henry Comer, Mr. Tom Comer, Mr. E. F Hol- leman, Mr. Joe Hnrch, Jr , Mr. W. O. Turner. These gentlemen have an ac quaintance covering the entire north east section nf the state, they know their business thoroughly and the consequence is lhey keep the firm constantly before llie people with the n suiting iffeet nf are very much interested in educational Wurk and have rendered anil are mill rendering valuable service ton number of edocxtional movements. Mr E It. Hnlgsnn, Jr . is nt tli This firm was organized fifteen years ago and for several years did business in the building on tho corner of Hroarl and Thomas streets This hnllding lie- Mr A. II HODGSON an ever increasing business. Personnel of the r lrm. The two leading members of the firm are Mersri-. James H King and Joseph M HudgiiOn. Mr J. H King has been a citizen o' Alliens for many years and has seen the head of the work exme inadiqnate for lh. ir constantly I c | ly „ row f rom , H iiiall town lllto of providing buildings am growing business and new quarters hail j H pb-ndid proportions of |today. He has for the East Athens Night S tio.,1 and t. In secured. The business was then j ln , hH m , r( ,, Dtiln bu , lDBfl a long Mr Harry Hodgson is chairman nf tho j transferred to the building now occupied \ xim „ h „ P ,pertenoennd ability com- executive committee of (he University I things agricultural he takes a keen in terest. Mr Joseph M Hodgson is one of the acknowledged leaders in the hnsmess world of AiIihiih His record has been one r.f strictly htisim ss pursuits. He is in lie found dully in Ins office anil through his hands pass nearly all the business transactions of the large firm of which he is a member. Fur sound business judgment he is not In lie ex celled. He h is in v< r aspired to puli lie office, hut a few years since lie was chosen ns arneiiibir of the Hoaid nf co inly coiiiiiiissionerH fur Clarke enmity which position Ini filled with great credit. During his t -rill cf t ffi -e sen rnl splendid iinproveui-nts were made through'.hi the riiunt v and hi llie sane time the lax rate w»* man ually re- duoi d. Tlrm of Hodgson Bros. Another j-rniiiiiii el tlrm in me busi ness world • I \iliens i- ilmr of Hnlgsnn | Hros. The liiokirrge Immuras ron- duotid Ii? this linn is rue* nf Die largest in Nm I Iii-khI Georgia, and is im-ri using every day. This film sells in earln.nl lots mainly to the norcliaiits of Athens, and Iminlles its full share nf the business nf this growing i i y. Athi ns is one nf the largest distrihnt- ! ing p dll's and wholesale centers in the slide and her grocery interests are es pecially large. There are quite a i um ber of brokers in the field, striving to handle the immense business of this city, but there are none more successful than this firm. The firm of Hodgson Hros. has linen in existence ten years, during whiob time Us bnsiness has steadily increased nntil it now ranks nt the top. Personnel of The Firm. Mr. Asbnry H. Hodgson, the senior memberof this firm ranks among the leading citizens of Athens, both as a bus iness and public man. His business reputation is well-known both in the line in which he is engaged as well as iu the manufacturing lute. \ Ha was president of the Alliens Man ufacturing Ouiiqiauy for a season, dur ing which time that company made a distinct advanoe. He lias servnl as di rector III the old Northeastern Kailrnad Uo . the Healinird Air Line Hallway Co., and is now a director in the new railroad company that is In build a road from Charleston to (Ihailunwiga K-manlly he Inis been engag'-d in the j w °fl< of directing tile improvements at I Tallassee Hiirmla where I lie new electric power plant has just been completed. Thrre is no man in Alliens whose im print is left upon more snieesslul enter prises that Ashury ii Hodgson Mr Hodgson has serveil several terms jas alderman ill Hits city and also two terms as mayor He is now alderman i from the fourth ward. His public record has been one of apb-mlid achievements. Mr. K P Hodgson, the junior lum ber of the firm is a son of Mr. A II. Hodgson, and is following in the foot- steps of his father as a business man. He has already achieved n distinct sun 0“is and gives promise of still greatir achievements in the future mk E it. Hodgson, jit. of Georgia Auxiliary. J S hinjt h Co Th Ii in nf .1 S King A-Co is mm- posed of M' -nr. .lames S King, Joseph M. Hrelgeti . E It Hodgson, Sr , and A-liur) II Hodgson I Ir would lie a difficult matter to gather I together ill Athens four men with more ; thorough business qua ideations than ! these gentlemen w ho make up tin, |i rn j Toe record r.f the tlrm Mars out tins statement nine! fully The establishment of .1 S King a Co i« primarily a farmers' supply boas,, its offices are in conjunction with those J of the Hodgson Uotton Company aud MR. HARRY HODGSON. blued make him ail admirable man for the place he occupies. He was formerly with the firm of Sanfoid. Nicholson A Cn., general mer chandise, m this city, amt when thst j firm dissolved, he hecamn a pail e r In I the firm of J. S King A- Cn. His enrr- gies have been untiring and to them in a large degree may lie attributed the phenomenal success of this tlrm. In addition to his interest in tie grocery business, Mr. King takes spec- j lal interest in farming. He owns sev- j eral farms aud under his direction they , have been made pn litable and aatisfao- i tnry investments. Tbis work is a pleas- | ure to bun, as well as prolit, and in all MR. R. P. HODGSON.