Show city mercantile oldest business under one raji afar the modern store of the city mercantile on main street in monticello is a far cry from froin tha oriz ori enal inal 12 x 20 foot space originally occupied by hans jensen when he started selling meat in 1920 and the business has had its share of the difficulties that go into th growth of any kind of business at the outset meat was the only commodity for sale at the city meat market and it was kept cool by ice which was stored during the winter in an old fashioned ice house packed with sawdust the original meat block was a section of long leaf pine which hans had brought from the mountain customers had to hurry home with their meat purchases before the moisture from the meat rot ted down the paper used for wrapping in retrospect these facts are good for a laugh but at that time the close margin between makin making a business or making a failure left no room for much else but hard work and making the best of what was at hand like many other pioneers in the field hans was condemned to failure by some of the leading business men of odthe the county it was said that people would not be able to afford to pay for the meat they ate which reflects the ease with which the early settlers came by the viands which graced their tables despite dire predictions the small market grew gradually taking on groceries and other lines of merchandise in meat groceries and dry goods they occupy 2000 feet of floor space and employ four full time and one part time sales clerk city mercantile is the oldest business in the town to be operated under the same management |