NOTEMBBB 17, 1010. 



ThcWiefcly Florists' Review. 



"' rf'j' .^'T-ST-r^'^ 



25 



,to fall on November 25, but Mr. Eice 

 has a warm spot in his heart for the 

 ■day of the week, the Monday before 

 Thanksgiving, so his anniversary in 

 business will be celebrated on that day. 



The business history of these twenty- 

 five years is full of interest. It shows 

 the possibilities within the reach of a 

 main of high aims and ambitions who is 

 willing to work. 



M. Rice removed to Philadelphia 

 from Detroit in 1875, when he was 11 

 years of age. The next ten years were 

 •spent in a little time at school, but 

 mainly at work. Much of his spare 

 time was passed at the flower shop of 

 Eugene Weiss, on Eighth street below 

 Arch, where he learned to love the busi- 

 ness, which at that time was largely in 

 ■designs. Mr. Rice delights to tell of 

 how he sold a dried immortelle design 

 •of faith, hope and charity on Christmas 

 afternoon to a young man to send his 

 best girl on Spruce street. That there 

 was a future for florists' supplies all 

 over the country Mr. Rice then be- 

 lieved. 



A start was made in 1885, when E. 

 Weiss, A. Jones and M. Eice, then 21 

 years old, formed a partnership under 

 the name of the Philadelphia Immor- 

 telle Design Co., with offices at Eighth 

 and Arch streets. They went over to 

 New York and bought 25,000 cape flow- 

 ers for $25, a large purchase in those 

 ■days, from F. E. McCallister. With these 

 made up into designs Mr. Rice started 

 ■on the Monday before Thanksgiving 

 tfiat year on his first trip. It snowed 

 that day and the whole day was spent 

 at Hazelton calling on the undertakers 

 — there were no florists — none of whom 

 wanted his wares, until finally the last 

 man said those designs were just what 

 he was looking for, and bought $24 

 worth. Then Mr. Rice felt there was a 

 future in the business. 



Freeland came next, then Wilkes- 

 Barre, where William Eldridge, of happy 

 memory, proved the first florist custo- 

 mer, and ordered milkweed, cape flow- 

 ers and pampas plumes, to be of exactly 

 the same shade, then an unusual re- 

 quest. Nine oraers were the result of 

 the first week's work, and on Mr. Rice's 

 return a start was made in a one-story 

 building at 725 ^rch street to manU' 



factui^ the designs. It was a struggle 

 at first, but Mr. Eice tells with pride 

 today that every account ever owed by 

 his fiym in this country has be«n dis- 

 counted and settled by the first day of 

 the following month, while every im- 

 portation received from abroad has 

 been paid for immediately upon its re- 

 ceipt from the custom-house. 



It became necessary for Mr. Jones to 

 retire, and then Mr. Eice first learned 

 the importance of the bank, his ac- 

 quaintance having been confined to the 

 tellers or bookkeepers. Ushered into 

 the awful presence of the president, he 

 explained that money was needed to re- 

 tire a partner and run the business and 

 what little they had was locked up in 

 dried flowers. To. his own surprise, the 

 money, $500, was forthcoming. It was 

 returned in full on the day set, and 

 from that time his credit was estab- 

 lished. Florists' supplies in those days 

 were confined chiefly to immortelles, 

 cape flowers, rhodanthe, helichrysum, 

 milkweed, pampas plumes, and the 

 smaller grasses, B'riza media, Briza 

 maxima and others. Splint baskets, 

 trimmed with these grasses, soon fol- 

 lowed, then sea moss. There were regu- 

 lar trips on the road taken with in- 

 creasing success. Undertakers chiefly, 

 but gradually the florists, became in- 

 terested, and as the business of the lat- 

 ter grew, that of the funeral directors 

 dwindled. 



While Mr. Rice was on one of these 

 trips occurred the great fire at Eighth 

 and Arch streets. He came home, 

 though reassured by wire, and found 

 that the wall of the burned building 

 next door was standing and apparently 

 safe. He started out again, but two 

 days later was recalled by the wire, 

 "The wall has fallen." This was a 

 serious blow; all the stock of the Phila- 



delphia Immortelle Design Co. was cov- 

 ered by debris. Much of it was saved 

 by hard labor, the claim was satisfac- 

 torily adjusted, and a fresh start was 

 made in better quarters at 904 Filbert 

 street. Two years later, in 1888, they 

 enlarged this building. In 1890 they re- 

 turned to 725 Arch street under an 

 agreement with their landlord by which 

 they added two stories at^their own ex- 

 pense, paying a merely nominal rental. 

 Mr. Rice purchased the interest of his 

 partner in 1892 and the Philadelphia 

 Immortelle Design Co. consolidated with 

 Joseph Marshutz & Co., the partners 

 in the new firm being Joseph Marshutz 

 and M. Rice, the latter having one-third 

 interest, the business being carried on 

 at 25 North street, then occupied by 

 Marshutz & Co. This was a great step 

 forward for Mr. Rice, who had but 

 dreamed of such good fortune as being 

 taken into a large firm with an estab- 

 lished business. 



The S. A. F. convention was held in 

 Washington that year. Mr. Rice went 

 there and received a wonderful order, 

 for that time, from E. G. Gillett, then 

 buyer for J. M. McCuUough's Sons, of 

 Cincinnati. Wheat sheaves were ordered 

 by half gross of a size, instead of half 

 dozens; the total amounted to over 

 $500. This encouraging start prompted 

 a night journey back to Philadelphia to 

 make sure the order was understood be- 

 fore starting for the west. He started 

 on the road with fresh vigor that year; 

 conditions were prosperous and a splen- 

 did season resulted. The next year, 1893, 

 saw the panic, but, despite that ob- 

 stacle, fair results were secured. 



September 15, 1894, Mr. Marshutz 

 died. Mr. Rice purchased his partner's 

 interest and the firm name was changed 

 to M. Rice & Co. This was a serious 

 matter, readily understood by anyone 





M. Rice. 



