Transcribed from :
TRIBUNE DEPARTMENT
Charles Rogers, Jr.
1939

      I was born in Perry county, Mo., June 14, 1871. In 1885 when I had reached the age of 14 years my father died. In the fall of 1886 our family came to Illinois and that was the first time I had ever seen a railroad train. We lived on my stepfather's farm about 8 miles from Chester. He had a large farm and there was plenty of work for us all.

      In the spring of 1887 I ventured out on my own. My mother went with me to Steeleville and as she was anxious for me to learn a trade of some kind, I entered into a contract to learn the tinner's trade. An agreement was made for a year with a Mr. Cornelson who was then in the hardware business at Steeleville. As this contract was only a verbal understanding, it was broken after a few weeks and I received no pay for the time served as an apprentice although I had made a fairly good start considering the few weeks I worked. ¹

      I was determined not to give up and go back home so I applied to a Dr. Jacob Keller, a prominent physician of Steeleville of that time, for a job. Dr. Keller, in questioning me, learned who my people were and as they were well known to him gave me a job as gardener and caretaker of the fruit orchard and to do any work at the homestead that might be needed. I liked the work, and as I lived with the family, it seemed home-like to me.

      During that summer Dr. Keller died and sometime in the late summer I was released from the job as the gardening and fruit season had ended.

      My next season was a tough one on a large farm about two miles south of Shiloh Hill in Randolph county. This was a very small village with a country store and a German Lutheran church. I received $10 per month and there was plenty of hard work and I was only 16 years old then.

      I went to Shiloh Hill to church every Sunday, I usually went a little early in the morning so I had time to do a little loafing around the store. In those days country stores were open until noon on Sunday as the farmers, being busy with farm work all week, could do their trading Sunday morning before church service. Mr. Teggemeyer was the owner of the store at that time.

      During those Sunday mornings at the store I watched the store operation with great interest and began to think during the week what easy work that was compared to the farm work which was killing me. I came to realize that if I had a little more education I could take up this kind of work. With this and many other thoughts along that line on my mind all week I became more and more interested each Sunday as I visited the little country store.

      I finally made up my mind to take this up with my mother and I walked home eight miles one Sunday to ask her if she would finance my schooling for the winter. I explained to her my intentions of becoming something else besides a farmer. I knew she had money to advance me and I promised to repay her some day.

      My mother said, "All right, you quit your job and come home, I will go with you to Chester and find a place for you to stay and go to school. I will pay the bill."

      I don't need to mention how I felt about that time. After working one more week on the farm I quit and went to Chester to attend school. This was during the winter of 1887 and the spring of 1888.

      I never associated much with other boys because I knew just why I was going to school. My teachers were good to me and as I was anxious to learn they helped me as much as they could.

      My first teacher was Hattie McKinzee and in the second semester the teacher was Dave Caruthers. As the school term came near to a close, I began to think of some kind of work for the summer. Luckily, one day, I received a letter from Mrs. Keller at Steeleville offering me a job such as I had during the previous summer. I wrote to Mrs. Keller and thanked her for the offer and asked her if she would make a contract for one year that during the summer, she would pay me a certain salary and when school began I expected to still carry on my work about the place. I planned to go to school and expected salary during the school months.

      Mrs. Keller informed me the plan just suited her and at the close of school to come to her house. Mrs. Keller was good to me and advised me along many lines.

      I attended church at the Methodist Church most of the time. Rev. Asa Snell was the pastor at that time. I also went to the Lutheran church some of the time. I surely spent a good, happy year during this period from April 1, 1888 to April 12, 1889.

      My teacher during the Steeleville school term was Chas. Willis, a son of the late Henry Willis of Du Quoin. Mr. Willis knew of my ambition and helped me in many ways. After school hours he gave me bookkeeping instructions and talked to W. P. Montgomery (later of Du Quoin) who had a general merchandise store at Steeleville about securing a job for me there.

      Mr. Montgomery told me, if possible, he would give me a position but that if he couldn't use any more help, he would get me a job somewhere else. He asked me if I would be willing to go to Benton Ill. I said, "sure I'll go anywhere I could get a place in a store."

      I believe that the two school terms helped me enough to make good as an ordinary store clerk.

      At the close of school early in April, Mr. Montgomery, after writing to his brother-in-law, Mr. Naylor, at Benton in regard to me and receiving no reply, suggested I go to Benton and call on Mr. Naylor. He felt sure I could get a place there and also told me I might stop over at Du Quoin which was a larger and better town. He said he was personally acquainted with some of the merchants there to whom he gave me a letter and it might be possible I would not need to go as far as Benton.

      I did just as I had been told and on the morning of April 12, 1889, I came to Du Quoin, arriving here at 10:45 a. m. on the Cairo Short Line. I went to the City Hotel on Division street, a frame building located where the New Merchants Hotel now stands. I paid the hotel man for two days in advance, I think his name was Douglas.

      After eating a good dinner I looked the town over some. I had asked the hotel porter a number of questions about the merchants. I had a letter of introduction from Mr. Montgomery to J. M. Browning and to Henry Horn & Son. I went to see Mr. Browning first and found him out. The next man I talked to about a job was John B. Ward at the Ward Shoe Store. Mr. Ward was very nice to me but could offer me no position. I saw Joe Solomon next and he, like Mr. Ward, was very nice to me but could not help me out any at the time.

      I went back to J. M. Browning and he was there, a fine looking man. He surely looked good to me and he talked so nice, but that was all as he had no opening for me.

      Later in the afternoon I went over to the West Side to Henry Horn's Store. I asked for Mr. Horn and was told he was not in. That finished the day and nothing done. I surely felt pretty bad and discouraged and soon after supper went to my room. A gloom came over me and I felt terribly. I will never forget how I prayed that night, it came right from the heart.

      After a night of sleep, I felt much better the next day which was a fine, bright day as I remember. I first went over to see Henry Horn again and the clerk again told me he was not in but said his son, Frank, was there. I told him I would see the son. Frank came up to see what I wanted and I gave him the letter I had. He told me a telegram addressed to me had come the day before, in care of the store, and suggested I go to the telegraph office and get the message, and call back later.

      I soon had the telegram which came from Mr. Montgomery at Steeleville, advising me that his relative, Mr. Naylor, wanted me to come over to Benton to go to work at once. Was I happy, Believe me, I was. I first went to the hotel to see the proprietor in the hope I could get a refund as I was going to leave on the next train for Benton.

      I was about to cross the street from the Browning store corner when J. M. Browning who was standing in front of his store called me and asked me where I was going. I showed him the telegram I had received and tried to tell him that I was going to Benton. Mr. Browning said that he had talked to a friend of his about me the evening before and that this man had a good store and that I would do better by staying in Du Quoin.

      This man, he said, wanted a boy and was willing to teach me the business. He said I had plenty of time to catch the noon train for Benton and asked me to walk up the street with him to the W. E. Brookings store. Mr. Browning stood in the doorway outside and soon Mr. Brookings came out. After Mr. Browning told him I was the boy he had been talking to him about, Mr. Brookings asked me a few questions and soon made me an offer to get me to stay with him.

      I was to receive $8 per month, my board and room furnished. Mr. Brookings said he would teach me the business and my salary would increase as rapidly as my services justified. After I hesitated a few seconds he asked me what I wanted to do. I told him his proposition suited me and I would stay. He said, "All right, come in." The first thing he did was to call "Willie," meaning Will Hooey. He told him I was going to work with him. I next met Miss Flora Massmore who was a clerk at the store at that time.

      He told Will to take me upstairs in the little brick store next door south of the Brookings store and show me my room. It looked good to me and it all seemed like a dream. Mr. Brookings had Willie show me around the store for a while and soon Mr. Brookings told me it was time for dinner. The Brookings family than lived in the old Brookings homestead in South Division street.

      That residence is an old landmark today. It was, at that time, a fine home, elaborately furnished. The fine personality of Mrs. Brookings gave another inward thrill and soon after dinner was served, as we sat at the table with such a fine meal before us, I began to think of all that happened the day before. How I felt the evening before, retiring at the hotel. I could hardly control myself, big tears ran down both cheeks as I sat thinking how things changed for me. Surely, I thought, my prayers had been answered and they certainly were.

      I remember quite well that Mr. Brookings, on the first Sunday after I began working for him, accompanied me to the Evangelical church on South Hickory, the church I attended as a boy.

      Will Hooey and I worked together fine and soon became pals. I never asked for an advance in salary. These came right along. I often thought of the lucky break I got through Marshall Browning and Mr. Montgomery.

      I worked at the Brookings store six years under very satisfactory conditions. Mr. Brookings made many efforts to tell and teach me all he could. Several clerks worked with us at different times. I think I can name them all. They were Ed Pierce, Lawrence Martin, Frank Harriss, Dan Ward, R. P. Hearne and Miss Messmore. Mr. Hearne and Miss Messmore are the only two of that number living today. Mr. Hearne resides in Los Angeles, Cal., and Miss Messmore is living in our city on East Main, conducting a thriving insurance business.

      On January 1, 1895, my services were discontinued at the Brookings store. I was succeeded there by Dave Morris who this day is still operating at the old stand. Later in the same month I made a trip to Mexico, Mo., with a view of opening a shoe store there but for several reasons I returned home; conditions I found there changed my mind.

      I was without employment for a few months after giving up the shoe store idea.

      One day in March a young man called at my house, I asked him in and he told me he represented the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company and was selling industrial insurance. I asked him many questions in regard to industrial insurance which was just then being introduced here. I began to think it might not be such a bad business during my idle time. In the afternoon of the same day I went to town and looked up the office which was upstairs over where Friedman's store now is. I found the assistant superintendent, F. M. Shipley, in and spoke to him in regard to a position. It was this same day, March 23, 1895, that I signed a contract to go to work and the next morning I was out ringing doorbells, trying to sell industrial insurance.

      With effort and systematic canvassing I sold my share of insurance. The agents working for the Metropolitan here at that time were a Mr. Gardner from Paducah, Harry Kelly, Corydon McElvain and myself. I earned more money selling insurance that I ever earned at any salary in store work.

      In the fall of 1895, on completion of P. D. Mifflin and Sons' new store building on East Main, Mr. Mifflin offered me a position in their new store. I liked to work for the Mifflins and remained with them until the spring of 1896 when a smallpox epidemic paralyzed business for the time.

      I was out of employment only a few days when Warren E. Kingsbury offered me a position to succeed Charley Webb who was going out west. This store was located in the room now occupied by the Sanitary Market.

      In 1898 Harry Miller induced me to come over to work for him at the Henry Horn store. When Mr. Miller resigned the management of this store to engage in the hardware business in the present location of Kimmel Hardware. I became manager of the Henry Horn store and got real store experience. This was a typical company store of those days and did a big business.

      The work at Horn's store was heavy and the hours long. The mental strain began to show on me and I became dissatisfied. Thomas Horn, at that time, operated a store in the room where L. Croessmann & Sons are now located. He offered me a position in his store which I accepted in 1900.

      In February 1901 the hardware store of Harry Miller and the entire block to the west burned. In addition to the Miller store, other firms doing business in that block at that time were Don Palmer, grocer, R. E. Brown, clothing and Arthur Angel, drug store.

      Arrangements for rebuilding the block were under way very shortly and during the summer of 1901 the block was rebuilt. In October of that year I contacted my good friend, Harry Miller, in regard to renting the store room adjoining his hardware store. I had no difficulty in arranging for a five-year lease on this location for a store of my own. Harry gave me much encouragement in my new venture.

      I tendered my resignation at the Thomas Horn store at once. This ended my clerking experience.

      In all my experience as clerk during the 12 years, I enjoyed my work and co-operation at all times was very agreeable. All of my former employers, with the exception of Thomas Horn, who is engaged in the coal business at West Frankfort, have passed on.

      I want to say here now that Thomas Horn was "prince" to work for, I enjoyed my connection in his employ the most of any man I worked for. And much credit also goes to the then able manager, Frank Wells. I have never forgotten my pleasant, agreeable association with Mr. Horn and Mr. Wells.

      The general salesmen in Illinois for Ely & Walker at that time was Lawrence Browning and Cave Crockett was the road salesman. Since then I had done business with the following general salesmen who have come and gone: Lon Morris, A.C. Lukeing, Chas. E. English, Frank Sims, Bill Fischer and the present general salesman, L. W. Proctor. C.J. Crockett and W. M. Sawyer were the only two men to represent this splendid firm as road salesmen and these two men, especially, were my best friends, in and out of business. Both have gone to their reward and it was due to my high regard for these gentlemen that I bought not only my opening stock from Ely & Walker but remained a loyal customer of theirs, buying about 90 per cent of my dry goods needs from this firm during the 29 years I continued in business.

      On November 24, 1901, I had my opening day. I had purchased a new, clean stock from the Ely & Walker Dry Goods Company and my shoe stock was bought from the Hamilton Brown Shoe Co., both of St. Louis.

      In the Thomas Horn store I was associated with Charles G. Croessmann, Horace Sims, Theodore Gill and Chas. McCollum. All are well known and with the exception of Frank Wells are still living in Du Quoin.

      My first customer was Chas. H. Huelsenkamp, the second one was T. J. Howells. The opening of my store was the result of hard work and much ambition. It was the fulfillment of the dream I had yonder on the farm many years before.

      My employment in the several stores during the twelve preceding years during which I met and served many people was a big advantage to me. My new business opened very satisfactorily although the period between 1902 and 1905 were considered depression years.

      In about 1904 or 1905 the Weaver Coal and Coke Co. came to this section, taking over several mines and opening several new shafts. This gave general business conditions a substantial boost. Sales began to step up, a most welcome change to every business concern in Du Quoin.

      Later the World War started and during that time for a number of years following up to 1930 prosperity was with us in all lines of business.

      I well remember the good years when over 95 per cent of the business was done by locally owned stores. It was a pleasure then to be in business, today it is not so. Just ask some of the few merchants still remaining and struggling to live, they can tell you.

      In the spring of 1930, after having experience the condition to which I have just referred, I had an opportunity to sell out and retire from the business which, I as a mere boy, was determined to get into. I retired from business in that year.

      Since retiring I have spent much time doing work for the Relief Association, Red Cross and for my church, the First Methodist Episcopal.

      As secretary of the Du Quoin city school board I give much time to school matters.

      With continued good health during all these years, I have enjoyed every day of all this time. During the years of all my experiences I put my trust in God; I trusted in His guidance in all my undertakings. And for my success I thank God, who is the Great Master above.

      Very respectfully submitted,
                      C. M. BERGMAN"

¹ Possibly because of a family story when Bergman tried to mend a Pewter teapot without knowing it's low melting temperature and ruined it.

C.M. Bergman's   Father - Valentine Frederich Bergman(n)
                           Mother - Catherine Lang
                           Stepfather - Henry Sonnenberg