Davis Sewing Machine Co info

[chitown]

MY THOUGHTS ON THE CHICAGO BRANCH of the Davis Co. are as follows ...... the Chicago Branch of Davis may have been a corner room ,(complete with bay windows)
on the third-floor, in a six-dollar-a-week hotel room ... containing a bed, bathroom, closet and small desk .. supporting an oscillating electric fan, a coffee maker, a tela-fone, a halfa cuppa coffee, an ashtray filled to capacity with five-cent White Owl Cigar butts, and a hot-plate. Within the top-front drawer of the desk could be found all of the business-paraphernalia needed to sell bicycles. The upper right-hand drawer contents included an opened bottle of bootleg rum, nickel-plated S&W .38 revolver, a leather blackjack and a package of Sen-Sen.

I think he may have been hanging out at 220 South State Street a lot.

When did Davis file for bankruptcy? Because in Chicago they were being pushed as an investment as late as March of 1922.

Looks like the DiGiorgio Fruit Corporation did well with it's investments (some based in Sicily)

http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/di-giorgio-corp-history/

By 1929 the company had the largest fruit-packing plant in the nation. A branch railway line serving Arvin was built to provide shipping facilities for Di Giorgio and other fruit growers. The end of prohibition in 1933 enabled Di Giorgio Fruit to expand grape production, and it took a sizable equity position in California wineries, including its own Del Vista Wine Co.

 

[chitown]

from tariff act of 1921

Meanwhile in Washinton Horace Huffman (vise-president Davis Sewing Machine) was fighting for it's companies future against the influx of cheap German made sewing machines.

 

[chitown]

To add to Davis' problems was the Government canceling the completion of the ordinance contract (from WWI) and Davis wanting storage fees for all the left-over/unused materials for contracted ordinances. Davis tried to get $ for fees, but Uncle Sam was having none of that... per contract.

 

[chitown]

In 1917 things were a little more optimistic