A merica larislt Periodical Cotter CLIFTON AUNUI • cmcnoun so, moo PAGE SEVEN' lit b VI.TKOIVEn 011/D7.(iCLE wiltob••••~4fro-egeftwegfrib-oltoi--41M-11,0•6-41•-i-V ■ -n America' s Furniture Metropolis 4 RAMO RAPIDS F. WA T ER M AN ads, not no- Inge mow fa 1th roe- thir non- le • . 'scrip- :. On preta- e fur- ogium to be ig and a who such it of a mg to pave- s that royed, les the diately collec- "s unit an ex hole is •• ids for tement llective di cont. ie MO ig wi that to wit Jewis tKS In the first place, let me mention that C,.:ind Rapids is the second largest city in the state, and of late it has been growing rapidly. The Jew- ish community has been advancing Rh it, as may be understood from a facts that the membership of ample Emanuel has approximately doubled, the religious school enroll- ent bas been more than quadrupled d oqr average temple attendance ykreased many hundred percent. By LEE H. BIERCE, Secretary Chamber of Commerce. Over a period of three weeks, which pulleys, folding, paper boxes ,metal began on Jan. 1 and is to last until belt lacers, sticky tly paper, excelsior, Jan. 19, Grand Rapids gave evidence chessmen and checkers . The largest factory in the United of its leadership in the American fur- niture market. The factory show- States producing opera chairs, church pews and schools seats is located at rooms and the Exhibition Building space, which were filled to capacity Grand Rapids. The principal manufactured pro- with interesting displays of an unus- ual value and merit, gave evidence of ducts outside of furniture are grist a great community which ranks mill products, machinery and print- among the leaders in American indus- ing. The largest individual factory 1 t nal centers. Spiritual Activity. Grand Rapids is the forty-seventh makes auto bodies, the next school Rapids is what I like to call G seats, church pews and opera chairs, .oing city. This need not argest city in the United States and and the next furniture. liment. There are many ,! the second largest in Michigan, ac- Among the other products made in and intellectual creatures cording to the Federal Census of Grand Itapids are knit underwear, 1920. Last September, the popula- k o spurn the lecture-going habit, h ion was estimated at 150,000. brass findings, cigars, etc. t and perhaps despise it. On the other The value of the annual manufac- Organized as a village in 1037 and hand, when a whole group of people as a city in 1050, the growth of Grand tured output is about $110,000,000. manifest such an interest, the soil is Rapids has been steady and consis- The city dues an annual wholesale ripe for the seeds for some spiritual tent, the stagnation or mushroom per- business of about $65,000,000. activity. If a man's sole interests iods of development being unknown The city has a park and playground are the >ale of belts and the fame of in Grand Rapids history. within one-half mile of the home of golf ,you have small chance of in- 1 Grand Rapids is in the southwest- every child. acing him to concern himself in any ern section of Michigan, about 100 The city has the purest water for tal way with religion also. In the mlies north of the Inidiana line and general consumption it is possible to me way, if the people who give the 30 miles east of Lake Michigan, on produce. ne to a city are given to derisive the banks of the Grand River, which No state supervised bank has ever 'ckering when anything cultural is flowa through the heart of the city. failed in Grand Rapids. nest. the rabbi's problem is at Originally there was a fall of 17 feet The infantile death rate is the low- extremely difficult. It so hap-1 in the river in one mile at Grand Rap- est of any city of 100,000 population Lf ne'that Grand Rapids is an intel- 1 ids and it was front these that the or over in the United States. ctual community, and one which has I city derived its name. The city is The death rate from tuberculosis ItiOated the taste of listening to built up on tooth sides of the river, the is among the lowest of the large cities oken discourse. business district being in the valley. of this country. The city has no slum district and on Rabbis have asked me if I find any The city is therefore frequently call- account of its housing and building rutty in avoiding the danger of ed the "Valley City." Originally founded by the Dutch, codes none can develop. king over the heads of my peo- The Federal Bureau of Ilealth says I have assured them by way of the city now has 25 per cent of the cower that there are people in my po pulation foreign born, half of these Grand Rapids is the healthiest city in the United States. the people of Holland, who are mgregation every Sunday morning being The experts of the Chicago Univer- ho,ran talk over my head with no prominent in business, politics and th e sity say the educational system of professions. Originally a lumbering ouble. Not everybody in the city otholar, but the tone of the corn- center, Grand Rapids has become a Grand Rapids is among the best in the country. great furniture manufacturing dis- unity is intellectual and spiritual, Association of Commerce. nd hence the problem of buttressing trict. Notwithstanding the fact that The Grand Rapists Association of udaism here resolves itself into that furniture is now made from foreign Commerce is an organization of busi- woods, largely walnut, mahogany and f adopting, so far as is possible, a oak, shipped from foreign countries, ness and professional men and women piritual and intellectual approach. this industry has prospered until to- similar to the Merchants' Association City's Organisations. day there are about 75 furniture fac- of New York City, the Association of The Jewish community of Grand tories in Grand Rapids. Commerce of Chicago, the Board of 0 "Five Edges to Serve You" lipids maintains several organize- Grand Rapids is the greatest fur- Commerce of Detroit and the Chamber ions. There are three congregations, niture manufacturing market in the of Commerce of Cleveland, and simi- lar organizations in all important cit- Talmud Torah, a religious school in world and has the reputation for mak- onnection with Temple Emanuel, an ing the best the furniture market af- ies of the United States and Canada. The headquarters of the organiza- tive and thoroughly efficient char- fords. While Chicago produces the ble organization, known as the most furniture, with New York sec- tion are in the Grand Rapids Asso- oiled Jewish Welfare Society, a ond and Grand Rapids third, the ciation of Commerce building at 35-37 Better Lumber Than Our dies' Auxiliary Society of Temple Grand Rapids furniture ranks among Pearl street, N. W., on the fourth and fifth floors, where offices, parlors and 0 Lumber Never Grew. minuet, an active lodge of B'nai the best produced. 'nth and other similar groups. The The largest factories in the world dining rooms are maintained. The Grand Rapids anti-Tuberculo- lision of responsibility is being han- for producing the following articles al Mill in Connection. d, and there is a minimum of are located in Grand Rapids: Re- sis Society, the Social Welfare Asso- lication of effort. Our problem, frigerators, carpet sweepers, show- ciation, the Infant Feeding Clinic and the Grand Rapids Welfare Union are oelieve, is not to form more organ- cases, gypsum products, window sash foils, but rather to permit those c have to function unimpeded, so at they might work for the beat crests of the community and of deism. 1 Taylor and G. T. It R. From people who have lived in this ty for many years, I have gleaned i GRAND RAPIDS a information that conditions in our al Jewish organizations were not =0=t0=01:=00 Is as bright as they are today. is fair to add, however, that I "4lso gleaned that the progress teen fairly steady, and that the arch has been so far a more or less tinuous advance. At any rate, it clear, and he who runs may read, I t we have finished our foundations Grand Rapids, and it is the super- ructure that is being builded. ue a ,B. F. EDGE LUMBER g alld Johnson, Handley, Johnson Makers of Bedroom, Dining Room, Living Room Library and Hall Furniture Michigan Grand Rapids t7, 11111111111111111 11111111111111111 11111111111111111 1111111111111111 11111111111111111 1111111111111111 11111111111111111 1111111111111111 11111111111111111 1111111111111111 11111111111111111 11111111111111111 11111111111111 Spade's Bell Main 2604 "Deskitis" 96 Vulcanizing Shop The Insidious Enemy of Desk Workers A Preventative and a Cure Imionsark Why does the Arctic Explorer often suffer from Snow Blind- ness? Why doe, a day on the water in bright sunshine frequently induce headache? And why do desk workers find themselves victims of "DESKITIS?" eCitPice of the discriminating CYtosiess Science tells us that it is because nature has provided no protection to the eyes against light reflected from below the level of vision. The brows, lashes and upper lids automati- cally adjust themselves to light from other directions. But glaring reflections from snow, water and desk tops or other surfaces enter the eye and cause headache, nerve strain and fatigue. Desk workers need no longer suffer from this destroyer of comfort and efficiency, which we term "Deskitis." Efficiency is at once increased when Gunn Linos are in- stalled. The eyes and nerves immediately respond to better treatment. Lino Tops wear like iron, yet feel like kid—are impervious to stains and distinctively beautiful in appearance. Made in Grand Rapids and conceded to be the greatest advance yet made in Office Equipment. All Gunn Lino Desks have Lino Tops. We also supply Lino Tops for Desks in use, Lino Fabric in rolls, or by the yard, and a full line of Cafeteria Tables and Tops, Counter Tops and Teacher's Desks. Catalog and sample of Top mailed on request. "IT ISN'T A LINO UNLESS IT'S A GUNN" manDiscuit Co. Red Arrow gasoline One trial will convince a You of the merit of this high grade product. At the Following Stations: Fulton and Front Second and Stockin g Lincol n and Walker Monroe and Ann 115 Hall Burton and Palace cud and Road of Remens• branc• and Johnson Furniture Co. Mil i il ili i i i l i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i i il i i i i i i i i i i i i ili i i i i i i i i i i i i i li i i i i i i i i IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIITIIIIIIIIIIMINIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII1111111111111111111111111 1 1 111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111 Grand Rapids, Mich. reed :A11 GREENHOE-HATCH FUNERAL DIRECTORS AND LICENSED EMBALMERS lemirommewoommommo. 1 1 • Cit.. Phone 66-872 all East GOOD li R g UMBER LUMBE I 7 Fulton St. W. 22 64-400 Bell Phone M. 49 207 Fulton St. 6 ( • Cite. Phone Offices and Chapel 0==.0.000=0 p . 1.377 ssffsprings of the Association of Com- merce. The activities along these lines of endeavor became BO heavy it Was found necessary to organize the work separately. The Michigan Tourist & Resort As- sociation, which organization is direct- ly responsibly for advertising West- ern Michigan as a tourist and resort region and bringing thousands of tourists to this territory annually, was organized by the Grand Rapids Association of Commerce and the Western Michigan Development Bur- eau. The population of Grand Rapids in- creased from 1910 to 1920 from 112,- 471 to 137,634, and increase of 25,063. New industries brought to Grand Rap- ids directly or indirectly, through the influence of the Grand Rapids Asso- ciation of Commerce in the same ten year period, would support a commun- ity of 27,000 population. According to the Federal census of 1910, Grand Rapists ranked second of all the cities of 100,000 population or over as to the percentage of home ownership—Spokane, Wash., ranking first. In that year 51.3 per cent of the homes in Spokane were owned by the people who occupied them, and 47.9 similarity owned in Grand Rap- ids. All the other cities near the top of the list were western cities, such as Oakland, Cal.; Portland, Ore., and Seattle, Washington. According to the Federal census of 1920, Grand Itapids again occupies second position, this time being passed by DesMoines, Iowa, in which city 51.1 percent of the homes are owned by the people who occupy them, while in Grand Rapids the percentage is 50.2 per cent. Not only did we main- tain our relative position during the past decade but our percentage in- creased by 2.3 per cent. Furthermore, there is only one "western" city in the first ten in 1020, this city being Seattle, Wash., which is ninth. The others among the first ten being To- ledo and Youngstown, Ohio; Omaha, Nebr.; Kansas City, Kan.; Reading, Pa.; Baltimore, Md.; and St. Paul, Minn. runes & Madigan Service Is • Pleasure" Grand QaDids.Mich. The Spencer - Duf Company, Inc. Designers and Manufacturers of Fine Upholstered Furniture GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. Factory and General Offices: Grandville Ave. at P. M. R. R. Tracks Ssissroom: Blodgett Building, Sixth Floor 1 THE GUNN FURNITURE COMPANY General Offices and Factory—GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN kart Wine and hies Near 55W YORK LOS AlIGILL3 vs PLUTON FURNITUU Co.. Prim.., 111111111M1111111111111111111111111111111111111111 1111.111111011111111111 11111113111111111111 111111111111111111111111111 1111111111111111111111111111111 1111111111111111111111111 11111111111111111111111111111111 111111111111111111111 11111111111111111 ( !IL' GRAND RAPIDS; THE CAPITAL OF FURNITURE IN AMERICA AMERICA'S FINEST AMBULANCE