THE EPHEMERA OF BUSINESS

Charles P. Moser was born in 1837 at Carbondale PA. He began work at the age of 17 in the drug and grocery business of Samuel E. Norton. After 3 years, Norton retired and the firm became Root & Moser, with William T. Root as Moser’s partner. After another 3 years, Root retired and Moser became the sole proprietor for ten years. In 1873, he moved to Syracuse, and with Henry Lyon, as Moser & Lyon, purchased the wholesale and retail stationery establishment of J. W. Yale, on Salina street, removing it a few years later to Clinton street. They discontinued the retail department and soon added a job printing office and book bindery. In 1889 Mr. Lyon sold his interest to R. A. Truax and Irving L. De Golia, and the firm became Moser, Truax & De Golia. In 1892 this firm and the firm of Lyon, Millard & Co. were consolidated into a stock corporation under the name of the Moser & Lyon Co., with Mr. Moser, president; George W. Millard, vice-president; Henry Lyon, ...

About a year ago I bought my first ledger of pasted in billheads. I wanted to try soaking out the billheads and reselling them like I had been doing with scrapbooks full of trade cards. The ledger contained invoices for items purchased by a Dr. Van Horn in New York. To my delight there were a few billheads for Edward Hen tobacco dealer in New York City. The billhead was very decorative and Hen made a point to list all the items he carried in his store on the billhead. Some of the tobacco products Hen sold included: Blackwell's Bull Durham, Carroll's Lone Jack, Kimball, Old Judge, and Spaulding & Merrick. For you tobacco card collectors - all big names in tobacco cards. Additionally, and not listed on this particular billhead, Hen sold cigar store Indians statutues . Importantly, Hen sold the figures of Thomas Brooks, a leading carver of ship and shop figures in the 19th century. Thomas Brooks was born in New York City and apprenticed to John L. Crowell, another noted...