Preach it, Brother Oppenheimer!

This is one of my favorite advertisements of all time --- published in the various Chariton newspapers during June of 1890 by Simon Oppenheimer and a reminder that our ancestors not only were enterprising but blessed with humor, too.

Simon (1852-1930) and Freda Oppenheimer opened Oppenheimer's, a men's clothing store, on the west side of the Chariton square during 1884 and at the time this advertisement was published the store was located in the Mallory Opera Block on the northwest corner.

The Opera Block was destroyed by fire in 1903 and that same year the Oppenheimers built their own building on lots left open by that great blaze. Son Jerome Oppenheimer carried the family business forward, as did granddaughter Jerry (Oppenheimer) Hoxton, for nearly a century --- into the 1980s.

Simon (top) and Jerome Oppenheimer

All that remains in Chariton now are the family graves in the Chariton Cemetery, the family homes (still standing but in other hands) and the Oppenheimer Building --- and of course countless references in the back files of the Chariton newspapers.

OPPENHEIMER

The Leading Clothier of Chariton

Sends Greetings to the People of Southern Iowa, the following

OPEN LETTER:

To the Men, Youths and Children of Southern Iowa:

The habit of clothing the human family is of Divine Origin. In the Book of the Law we read that "Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothe them." This is the first authentic account we hear of "Ready made clothing."

Zephaniah tells us of the coming of the time when the Lord shall "punish the princes, and the king's children, and such as are clothed with strange apparel."

Hence, dear reader, you see first the necessity of being clothed; and secondly, the necessity of not using "strange apparel."

We can clothe you, and clothe a multitude of men, youths and children. We cannot clothe you in "strange apparel," because we have it not. "Strange apparel" is that strangely manufactured modern goods, constructed of shoddy, old rags, and cotton, made to look like wool. We have none of it. You ought to be punished for wearing it.

We have an immense stock of the very best line of goods. Not "strangely" made of "strange" material and "strangely" thrown together in a "strangely" ship-shod manner. But good goods, manufactured of good wool, carefully cut, and put together in good style. We have men's suits, youths' suits and boys' suits in endless varieties, styles, and materials. The only "strange" thing about them is the "strangely" low prices at which we sell them. But this is not so "strange" when you consider that we buy immensely large stocks and pay spot cash. Our prices appear "strange" to other dealers who cannot get down to them.

Come in and we will do you good. No. 2, Opera Block, Chariton, Iowa

THE LEADING CLOTHIER

OPPENHEIMER