Charles  E.  Karmire

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THE  SHELBY  DEMOCRAT
February 13, 1879
VOL. 1; No. 37
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from the article, SMILING SHELBYVILLE!

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Charles E. Karmire

is beyond a doubt, the largest dealer in agricultural implements in the city.  He was born in the year 1848, in Minden, Prussia.  His father died in the old country, when he was but twelve years old, and his mother in the year 1867, in New York [sic], a short time after her arrival in the United States.  Mr. Karmire landed in this country on the 25th of August, 1863, and secured employment as clerk in a grocery store in New York City.  He remained there until January 1, 1865, when he went to Toledo, Ohio, where he also acted as clerk in a grocery store, and in September, 1865, went to Indianapolis, and secured a position as salesman in the hardware store owned by Wilson & Gorgas.  In September of the year following, he went to New Orleans, where he clerked in a wholesale hardware store until August, 1867, at which time he came to Shelbyville, and again assumed the duties of salesman in the hardware store of Mr. A. J. Gorgas.  Desirous of engaging in business for himself, and seeing a favorable opportunity, he opened out with a small stock of groceries in the year 1869.  Having been connected with the hardware business, he soon added a small stock in that line.  By good weights, and gentlemanly demeanor towards his customers, he soon established a good trade, which he had the pleasure of seeing increase from year to year.  In 1873, he secured the control of quite a number of agricultural implements which he handled successfully and in 1876, he sold out his grocery and devoted himself exclusively to the agricultural business.  He now has the agency for the following implements and machines, all of which have a world wide reputation:  Champion Reaper and Mower, the Marsh Harvester and Self-binder, Deere & Company's Sulky Plow and Cultivator, the Vandiver Corn Planter, the Hoosier and Superior Wheat Drill, Gibbs' Imperial Breaking Plow, the Eagle Farm Engine and the Oscillator Thresher. He is also agent for the celebrated Studebaker Wagon, manufactured at South Bend, Ind.  He has assumed control, for this county, of the New Davis Lock Stitch, Verticle Feed Sewing Machine.  It is claimed for this machine that it is the lightest running shuttle machine in the market, adapted to a greater range of work, and is unequalled[sic] for simplicity, strength and durability, and that for general family use, it has not equal.  Mr. Karmire has sold eighty-one of these machines since the fair last fall, and still the demand is not supplied.  He invites all in need of any article in his line to give him a call, feeling satisfied that he can prove to them conclusively, that the implements under his control possess merits over and above all others.  His place of business is on the north-east side of the Public Square, in the Odd Fellows Building.   Next biography in the "Smiling Shelbyville" newspaper article, E. Q. Darr.
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