Grandfather was a sailor in the Austrian Navy and he had literally sailed the seven seas. Coming from what is now Yugoslavia, he recognised the backwardness of the Balkans, opposed to the forward look of the New World. I'm not sure just why he picked Pensacola, but he did...and when he mustered out he arrived here and soon had a job working on the docks. That wasn't hard because the boom in lumber has begun in Pensacola. The records are a little hazy about the numbers in 1879 but some say the total population a year later was about 7,000 and there were approximately fifteen different wharves handling lumber. Some of the operators were among the big names of the future here: D.J. Sullivan, who would soon found The First National Bank ran one. W.B. Wright had another, A.V. Clubb a third, and J.E. Callahan operated the Alcaniz Street Wharf. Many of these wharves had mills at the up end, and timber was milled and loaded right at the same place. There were no fancy wenches or cranes in those days, so every piece of timber (lumber) had to go aboard ship by old fashion pulleys and slings - and that means lots of manual labor. That's where Grandpa got his start.
Now, I don't want to vouch for the following story. It may or may not be true, and I don't want you to think of me as racist for telling, however...
One family account said they used to work mixed crews of black and white in those days. The black co-workers referred to John Biscupovic as "The Whiteman" so some of the bosses who couldn't pronounce his name, soon started calling him White. So he changed his name and became "John White". I have been told that he always regretted dropping the old family name.
He could have chosen the English translation of Biscupovic, which is "Bishopson". Maybe he was afraid they might call him "Son of a Bishop"
Working as a longshoreman was hard, but quickly another feature separated Grandfather from others. As a sailor he was also a linguist, conversing in 5 languages. In that day of ships coming and going, from all over the world, there were often language barriers. People on the waterfront began to look to John White as an interpreter. Soon this knowledge spread up the street where merchants needed help in communicating with foreign customers. It was in this way that the idea got thru to Grandfather that selling boots, raingear, seaman's shirts and other garb would be easy since he had a natural advantage in communication.
And so he left the daily grind of loading lumber and began supplying the men's wear needs of maritime people...and a little later men who lived in Pensacola.
He married an Irish girl, Mary Annie Giblin of Mobile, and they had four sons. His first store was on Palafox near Main. Later he moved to 205 S. Palafox just north of today's C&P Bank.
Along with the difficulty of finding good sources for inventory, there were several other problems. First - there was no money. Until the First National opened in 1880, there was no bank here worthy of the name. Remember, Pensacola was still recovering from the Civil War...and money of any kind was tight. Thus Grandfather and other merchants had to deal in bills of exchange or similar media. Credit and local bank financing was just not available in town.
Inside the store of that time things were very different than what we experience today. First, of course, there was virtually no lighting.
The Edison lamp was just barely a reality...and it would be several years before there was any kind of service here. And there was no telephone (though that was to come soon). Most shopkeepers opened early, and many closed for two hours at noon, especially in the summer. Advertising was exclusively in small newspapers, on signs outside the shop, or in small booklets which were printed periodically. Later, when the opera house came into being, and was fashionable, concert programs there would carry flowery accounts of the enterprises catering to such people. All of this John White used as advertising media.
Inside the store I suspect things were a little wild, especially in the early years. Suits, boots, gloves, hats...everything came in just one or two basic sizes...and were piled on large tables. A man came in, took his choice, and got any color he wanted ...as long as it was black!
I wish I could provide a better description of Grandfather's first venture. I can't. But I can report that as time passed his sons Jim, Marco, Ed, and Tom entered his business with him, and that with the move to 205 S Palafox the store became very large. It also had something of a lock on the carriage trade, as this incident told to me by Mr. Nix who worked for Grandfather.
Mr. Nix said: One day a prominent business man of English background entered the store and was waited on by a clerk who Grandfather thought much of. The man was seeking a supply of the detachable celluloid collars then in vogue. The man replied "Yes sir...and if you'd just tell me what size..." For some reason this infuriated the usually urbane visitor, who shouted, "If you don't know my size by now, you don't deserve my trade," and he left the store in a huff.
The poor clerk was crestfallen. What had he done wrong? He'd been prompt, courteous. And this man was a good customer. My Grandfather had been out at the time, and when he returned the clerk rushed up and blurted out details of the event. John White reassured him, then checked his watch. He knew the customer's habits, knew he be coming up the street from the post office soon...and so set up a vigil outside. When the English man arrived Grandfather stepped forward. I'm not sure exactly what the conversation was, but apparently it ended something like this, "Sir, you have insulted one of my employees and unless you come back and apologize don't ever come back into my store again". The man stared, considered and then came into the store and did exactly as John White had ordered. They remained friends...and continued their relationship for many years.
Unfortunately, John White's personal affairs did not have a happy ending. In July, 1905, he caught an employee stealing from the store. This was not the first time it had occurred...and so with regret Grandfather dismissed the man.
A few days later, egged on by some ner-do-well cronies, the man became liquored up...and determined to seek revenge. He obtained a pistol, entered the store and approached John White as he sat reading his paper. Apparently, from detailed press accounts, there were no words spoken, the man fired through the paper and John White fell dead. A second man, the store clerk, Ed Dansby was also killed.
You should see the newspaper accounts of that tragedy. No gory detail was omitted. And on the day of the funeral just about every business in town was closed...and those with flags flew them at half staff. If anyone is interested in the story it can be found in our public library on micro film - the date was July 18, 1905.
--- The newspaper accounts can also be seen here. -----
John White had come to Pensacola as a simple immigrant from a distant part of the world. Twenty six years later he departed as one of the city's most respected merchants.
That early business, located on South Palafox Street next to the People's Bank, changed with Grandfather's death in 1905. His four sons became partners...and worked together until 1912. Then, Uncle Marco and my Father elected to join in a new venture, opening a store they called White and White at 20 South Palafox (later the store moved to Palafox and Garden, in the Masonic Temple building). Their slogan was "White and White - Better Clothes" (we added from head to toes).
This was a difficult time for Pensacola. The lumber boom ended when several banks failed; and the old Navy yard closed. But in 1914 Naval Air arrived, and my father quickly sensed a new opportunity for service.
He developed a quality line of officer uniforms and accessories...and soon men who would make aviation history became his customers and friends...men like Raby, Mustin, Corry, Chevlaier...and later Austin Doyle, John Hayward, Jimmy Thach and others.
Sadly, the old John White store operated by my Uncles Jim and Tom failed during the brief depression of 1923.
White and White survived the depression of the 1930's. Dad jacked up the old Rickenbacker and stored it in the garage, and rode the bus to work. He and Uncle Marco cut their salaries back to $200.00 per month and their occasional trips to New York were mainly to obtain extended credit rather than to buy.
When World War 11 began, and huge numbers of additional military people came to Florida, my Father took a new tack. He formed a co-partnership called Ed White & Sons. Brother Marlow and I were the sons, however I was not active having been called to duty by the Army in early February 1941. Our first store was located in Jacksonville. Others followed in Corpus Christi and Norfolk. At war's end the business was consolidated here with a new store in the San Carlos Hotel. In January of 1946 I obtained my release from the Army Air Corps and joined Dad in the operation. However, Marlow left the partnership and opened his own company with stores in Jacksonville and later Fort Leavenworth, KA, where he operates today.
In the San Carlos Hotel we were located between the bar and St. Michael's Church. On Saturday's most of our customer traffic consisted of individuals going to the bar for a drink or going to confession.
The business prospered in those post war years and we quickly outgrew our small quarters. Locations on the "gold coast" of South Palafox were unobtainable. How different from the situation today.
In 1951 during the Korean conflict 3 key members of our small staff who were Air Force reserves were called to active duty. Dad, who was semi retired had to take over the operation with help who knew they were temporary so not of the quality one desires. Business naturally suffered and the pressure brought on Dad's heart attack.
We were finally released by the Air Force and returned to begin again to build the business. It was tough going in that little hole in the wall in the Hotel, but we finally got a break and moved to our present location at 16 N. Palafox back in 1957.
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