ANoVJe0mbe?,hi™*}    National  Wholesale  Druggists  Association,  521 
to  be  put  upon  prices,  misrepresentation  and  intrigue.  Leading 
proprietary  goods,  consisting  of  one-third  to  one-half  of  the  jobber's 
sales,  were  alluring  ' baits,'  and  went  in  with  the  general  order,, 
oftentimes  at  less  than  the  actual  cost  delivered  at  warehouse,  not 
to  take  into  calculation  the  cost  of  doing  business.  The  reports  of 
the  travellers  to  the  principals  were  often  misrepresentations  of  the 
methods  of  business  of  their  competitors,  until  a  spirit  of  jealousy 
and  ill-will  had  been  inaugurated  which  was  alike  unmercantile  and 
unchristian. 
"  It  was  during  this  condition  of  affairs  that  the  first  effort  was 
made  to  check  the  spread  of  business  outlawry  in  the  section  of  the 
country  named ;  and  to  Mr.  A.  Kiefer,  of  Indianapolis,  belongs  the 
credit  of  taking  the  initiatory  steps  looking  to  the  suppression  of 
the  prevailing  evils.  Mr.  Kiefer  addressed  a  communication  to  Mr. 
James  S.  Burdsal,  of  the  wholesale  drug  firm  of  J.  S.  Burdsal  &  Co.r 
of  Cincinnati,  calling  attention  to  the  demoralized  condition  of  the 
trade,  and  afterwards  following  the  letter  in  a  personal  visit  of  con- 
sultation with  the  leading  drug  firms  of  that  city.  While  the  credit 
of  the  advance  movement  in  the  proposed  reforms  has  been  given 
to  the  wholesale  druggists  of  Cincinnati  (and  justly  so),  it  was  part 
of  the  plan  of  Mr.  Kiefer  that  the  commanding  position  of  that  city 
would  be  more  effective  if  the  movement  was  started  there,  instead 
of  in  his  own  city  of  Indianapolis.  This  statement  of  facts  by  one 
familiar  with  the  events  at  the  time  is  due  to  Mr.  Kiefer,  for  no 
'  pre-emption  claim  '  of  his  has  ever  been  filed  for  the  conception  of 
one  of  the  most  successful  organizations  of  the  present  generation. 
"Early  in  the  month  of  February,  1876,  Mr.  Burdsal  addressed 
a  letter  to  each  of  the  wholesale  drug  firms  of  Cincinnati  to  meet  in 
the  room  of  the  Board  of  Trade.  Every  firm  was  represented,  and 
the  meeting  was  organized  by  the  election  of  Mr.  J.  S.  Burdsal, 
Chairman,  and  Mr.  A.  B.  Merriam,  Secretary.  The  object  of  the 
call  was  presented  by  Mr.  Burdsal,  and  the  views  of  all  present  were 
fully  expressed  as  to  the  proper  steps  to  be  taken.  A  resolution 
was  adopted  calling  a  convention  of  all  the  wholesale  druggists  of 
the  West  and  Northwest  at  such  time  and  place  as  the  majority 
should  favor.  The  Secretary  was  instructed  to  issue  a  circular  letter 
to  the  trade,  reporting  the  preliminary  action  of  the  druggists  of 
Cincinnati,  and  the  necessity  for  a  general  consultation  on  the  dis- 
turbed condition  of  the  trade  then  prevailing.    The  replies  were 
