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Show Ifhiue news HIMJSllTTEIi Eastern Journal Publishes Story of Rise of H. Dinwoodey Din-woodey Furniture Co. PLANT BEGAN IN 1857 Business Constantly Increased In-creased Until 18S0, When Fire Destroyed Factory. A history of the H. Dinvroodoy J-hirni-tnre company is incorporated in an nr-ticlo nr-ticlo -whiclr appeared in a recent issue of Tho Furniture Journal. The story tells of tho inception of tho business in IS57 and carries it up to and through tho recent improvements the' company has mado at 37 West First South street, The article which appeared undor tho caption "A Veteran Among Furniture Stores," is as follows: "Despise not the day of small tMngs," rmlit well be the motto of the establishment which Is pictured with this story, for It demonstrates from what a email beginning a busl-neaa busl-neaa has grown and expanded until It Is now one of tho lancest In the country. Its history Ik of absorbing Interest, for It dates back to a modest mod-est start which was made In the first half of the nineteenth century, out In Salt Lake City. Modern Evolution. The furniture business as It is carried car-ried on today Is of very recent development. de-velopment. It is of so modern an evolution that even the young man can recall tho time when thorc wcru no great factories, and when the neighborhood cabinet maker fashioned bv hand all the pieces which were sold In the community in which his shop was located. It was back In those days when the skilled artisan fabricated his own wares that Henry Dinwoodey was born In Warrington, England. In 1S25. Hore his first tw6nty-four years were spent, having hav-ing been early apprenticed to a. pat-torn pat-torn and cabinetmaker, under whoso guidance he became a master work- man and a craftsman of the lilgh- est skill. In 1S40 Henry Dinwoodey rct sail for America and landed in New Orleans Or-leans with no possessions or capital save Ills trade, his character, bis bounding vlpor of early manhood and an abiding love for the trade which he had mastered. Tradition says that employment was obtained the day of his arrival. Walking up Canal street from tho levee, lie observed a working-man engaged In fitting together to-gether tho staves of one of those large cypress tanlts which aro used in New Orleans to this day for storing stor-ing rain water. Young Dinwoodey know a better mothod of Joining the staves than ho saw viia tho Now Orleans practice, and he promptly offered of-fered to explain tho details. His offer was Immediately accepted and led to profitable employment, which lasted through tho winter of IS-J'J and tho spring of ISiiO, when he embarked on a river steamer for St, Louis. Stayed Three Years. In tho Missouri city ho tarried for throe years, until by economy and self-denial ho had accumulated sufficient suf-ficient mean3 to purchase an outfit of two yoke of cattle and two wagons, wag-ons, laden with tools, supplies and a large variety of seed. With Salt Iako as his destination he started forth In tho spring of 1S53 for the far west, going by way of tho Missouri river up to Florence, which was located lo-cated south of where Council Bluffs now stands, ultimately arriving at his journey's end In Octobor of that year. During tho first year of TTenrv Dln-woodey's Dln-woodey's Hfo in Salt Lako City he was occupied in building and contracting, con-tracting, and in 1857 began to mako furniture In a small shop, T3vory pleco wafl made by handi from thoso native cablnot woods secured In the neighborhood pi no, spruce, cotton-wood cotton-wood and qunklngasp. Currency wau scarce In those early days, trade bolng exploited with actual ac-tual commodities as tho principal medium me-dium of exchange, but in five years' time enough money was accumulated to provido tho means for a Journey back cast and tho purchaso of a planer, latho and band saw. With this equipment Henry Dinwoodey returned re-turned to Salt Lake, purchased a site on West First South street and , erected a three-story brick structure, struc-ture, from the roof of which was Bounded the first steam whistle in tho valley. About this time he manufactured manu-factured coffins, being tbe first to carry stock sizes, but this industry ho discontinued some years lator. Loss by Fire. In this building a constantly Increasing In-creasing business was dono until everything ev-erything wau destroyed by fire In 1890, sustaining a heavy loss. When this occurred Dinwoodey was on his way to visit his natlvo land, having reached Chicago. A friend broke tho news to him. Ills first words wore, "The Lord gaveth and tho Lord hath taken away; blessed be tho name of tho Lord." Ho roturned immediately immediate-ly and commenced to build tho six-story six-story structuro which stands today. Upon Its completion a friend said to him, "Dinwoodey, what are you build- lnp such a tall building: for?" (This liuildlnK was the tallest in Salt Irakis at that time.) "Oh. I thought I would build so aa to bo ten years ahead of time. Wo'II need It." Henry Dinwoodey lived to he an octogenarian, passing away In 1905 In the maturity of years and good deeds, Ho left two sons to carry on his work, and amply have they proved capablo of tho Inheritance which came to them. At different times they erected various warehouses ware-houses for tho storago of reserve stocks, so that now the entire establishment es-tablishment Is a display room devoted entirely to tho exhibition of samples. sam-ples. Interior Remodeled. Tho Dinwoodey store In Salt JLako City Is one which can be compared only to tho foremost establishments In Chicago and Now York, During tho past year $20,000 has been expended ex-pended upon remodeling the Interior and In constructing a modern entrance en-trance and show windows. Tho ground floor, represented In one of the illustrations, Is partly surrounded by a mezzanine balcony and Is architecturally archi-tecturally a noble room, the decorations decora-tions being In a scheme of old Ivory and Sumatra brown. It is richly ornamented with bron2e metal work and Santo Domingo mahogany. The celling, In plastic rollet', has Indirect lighting fixtures and the Jfloor Is covered with Wilton carpet. This floor contains living-room furniture; tho second floor Is devoted to carpels, draperies and wall paper; third floor, to dining-room suites; fourth floor, to bedroom furniture, fifth floor, to parlor suites, sixth floor, to offlco furniture and equipment. The front Is modern In every respect, re-spect, an elaborate bronze marquise projecting and guarding the entrance, much ornamental grill work of bronzo bolng used In tho door and transom panels. The windows, with unbroken sheets of plate 'glas3, are carried down nearly to a level with the sidewalk and Austrian shades of ecru silk add a finishing touch of elegance ele-gance to tho displays. It !b fitting In this brief resume of an eventful store Wstory to eay that there can be few rotall furniture stores In America with so long a career ca-reer of unbrokon success, Thero Ib certainly none which sprung from a smaller seed and none which rests on a firmer foundation or which has a larger outlet In its own city as well as In the whole stato and surrounding territory; the fame of tho Dinwoodey store Is a housohold word in Utah and tho country of tho great, divide. The Dinwoodey Brothers, who carry on In still greater development tho vast business fostorod and built up by their father, aro Justly entitled to praise and congratulations in this place. It Is given in fullest measure with tho prophecy of many years of greater prosperity. |