Nuvi;.MisEU 17, 1910. 



The Weekly Florists' Review- 



) 



25 



M. Rice in 1885. 



1(1 l;ill (III XovcrulitT '2'>. ImiI Mr. l-iice 

 has .•! warm sjxit in his heart for the 

 dav <il the wook, the .Monday before 

 Tlianksoiviiif;'. so his anniversary in 

 Iiusiness will lic (•ph>hrato(i on that day. 



The linsiness history of tiieso twenty- 

 live years is full of interest. It shows 

 the jiossibilities within the reach of a 

 man of hi}.jh aims and ambitions who is 

 willing to work. 



M. Kice removed to Philadelphia 

 from Detroit in 187.1, when he was 11 

 years of aye. 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 llower shop of 

 Kugene Weiss, on Kifjlith 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 (Jhristmas 

 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. Kice then be- 

 Hexed. 



A start was made in 1S83, when K. 

 Weiss. A. Jones and M. Eiee. then 21 

 years old, formed a partnership under 

 the name of the Philadelphia Immor- 

 telle Design Co.. with ofiices at Eighth 

 and Arch streets. They went over to 

 New York and bought l.'u,OU(i cape How 

 ers for $25, a large purchase in those 

 days, from F. E. McCallister. With these 

 made up into designs Mr. Kice started 

 on the Monday before Thanksgiving 

 tliat year on his lirst triji. It snowed 

 that day and the whole day was sjient 

 at lla/.elton calling on the undertakers 



there were no florist'- none of whom 

 w.iiited his wares, until linally the last 

 iiian said thost' designs were just what 

 he was looking f oi , and bought .$24 

 worth. Then Mr. Ki<e felt there w.as a 

 I'ntuie in the business. 



Kreeland came next, then Wilkes- 



llarre. where William KMridgc, of liajipy 



memory, jiroved tlio first (lorist custo 



"ler. and ordered milkweed, cape flow- 



"1^ and pampas |iliiiiie>. t ci be of exactly 



lie same sli.ade, then ;in unusual re- 



|iii'>l. Nine orders were the result Of 



lie lir^l week's woik. and on Mr. Kice's 



'■liiiii a ^tarl \\;i> made in a unc-story 



''ilcjin.. :it 7"_''' \yr\[ -Irect to manu- 



facture the designs. It was a struggle 

 at first, but Mr. Kice tells with pride 

 today that every account ever owed by 

 his firm in this country has been dis 

 counted and settled by the lirst day of 

 the following mouth, while every im 

 portation received from abroa(i has 

 been paid t'oi' immetliately upon its re 

 ceipt I'rom 1 lie custom liousc. 



It liccame necessary t'or Mr. .lones to 

 rt'tiic. and then Mr. K'ice fiist learn(>d 

 the importance of the bank, his ac 

 (piaintaiice lia\ing been confined to tiie 

 t<']lers or bookkeepers. I'sliered into 

 the awful presence of the pi'csident, he 

 ex)>lained that money was iieediMl to I'e 

 tire a partnei- and run the business and 

 what little they had was locked up in 

 dried Jlowcrs. To his own surprise, the 

 mone\', .t-'iHd, \\;is t'ort liconiin;^. It was 

 returne(l in t'nil on the day set. and 

 t'r(mi thai lime his credit was I'stalt 

 lislied. lloi-i>ts' --upplie-- in those days 

 were conlined chidly to i inmorT(dlcs, 

 cape llowcr>. ihoila nt he, hcl ichrysum. 

 iM i 1 k\\ ceil, |iampas plumes, and the 

 suialb^' grasses, l.ri/.a media. I'.i'i/.a 

 ma.xima and iither>. S|dinl baskets, 

 trimmed with these gi'asses, soon fol- 

 lowed, then sea moss. There were regu- 

 lar trips on the road taken with in- 

 creasing success. I'ndertakers chiefly, 

 but gradually the florists, became in- 

 terested, and as the business of the lat- 

 ter grew, that of the funeral dii-eetors 

 dwindled. 



While Mr. liice was on one cd' these 

 trips occurred the great fire at Eighth 

 and Arch streets. lie came home, 

 though reassured by wire, and found 

 that the wall of the burned building 

 next door was standing and apparently 

 safe, lie sttirted 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 



<Ielphia Immortelle Design Co. was cov- 

 ered by debris. Much of it was saved 

 liy hard labor, the claim w;is satisfac 

 torily :uljiisle(l, and a fresh start was 

 made in lietter (puirtcrs at !)U4 ]'"ilbert 

 street. Two years later, in 1888, they 

 enlargeil this Juiilding. In 1890 they re- 

 turned to 72.") Ar(di street under an 

 agreement with their Landlord by which 

 they added two stories at their own ex- 

 pense, paying a nier(dy nominiil rental. 

 .Mr. b'ice pur<duised the interest of his 

 partner in 1892 and the Philadelphia 

 Immortelle Design Co. con-^ulidated witii 

 • loseph .Marshutz i: ,Co.. the partners 

 in the new fii'm being .bisepli Marshutz 

 .■ind M. Iiice, the latter having one-third 

 interest, the biisiiu'ss being carried on 

 at 25 Xortli street, th(>n occupied by 

 Marslnit/, \' Co. This was a gie:it step 

 I'orward f'or .Mr. b'ice. wlm had but 

 dreanuMl of siudi good fortune as being 

 taken into a large firm with an estab- 

 Ushed business. 



The S. A. I'', convent inn was held in 

 Washington that year. Mr. Jxice went 

 there and receive<l .i wonderful order. 

 for that time, from K. ('<. Cillett, then 

 buyer for .1. M. ]Mc(,'ullough 's Sons, of 

 I'incinnati. Wheat sheaxcs were orden.'d 

 liy half gross of a size, instead of halt' 

 dozens; the total amounted to over 

 .*5()(). 'J'his encouraging start prompleil 

 a night journey back to Philadelphia to 

 make sure the order was understood be 

 fore st.artini; for the west. lie staited 

 on the roiid with fresh vigor that year; 

 conditions were prospm'ous and a splen- 

 di<l season resulted. The next year, 189.''i, 

 saw the panic, but, despite that ob- 

 sta(de, fair results were secured. 



September 15, 1894, ^fr. Marshutz 

 died. Mr. Kice pur(diased his partner's 

 interest .ind the firm name was changed 

 to M. K'ice (k Co. This was a serious 

 nmtter, readily understood by anyone 



M. Rice. 



