FARMINGTON TIMES, Farmington, St. Francois County, Missouri, Thursday, February 16, 1911 MR. KUGEL TO RETIRE FROM ACTIVE BUSINESS Mr. A. Kugel, who for more than thirty-three years has been engaged in the mercantile business in Farmington, last week disposed of his stock of goods to G. Graham and some other St. Louis parties, who arrived here yesterday and took charge of the store. Perhaps no man in the county is more widely known among our people than Mr. Kugel. He came here in 1877 and embarked in the mercantile business, his brother-in-law, Mr. Marx, being associated with him for about three years. Farmington then was a small village of 700 or 800 inhabitants, and a large part of the present Farmington was forest and field. There were then only about five brick houses in the town, and he has watched its growth to its present dimensions and helped to make it grow. Of the merchants who were his contemporaries none now remain unless we except Mr. Jacob Helber, who was then as now engaged in the hardware business. He was the first to open up a local market for the farmers' grain, his first deal in that line being two carloads of wheat which he bought in the spring of 1878 from the late Peter Doss and John R. Murphy. Now, Farmington, with its two large mills, is one of the best wheat markets in this part of the State. Mr. Kugel had a good many ups and downs, but with persistence, close attention to business and a determination to succeed, he triumphed over all obstacles and is today comfortably fixed. But for an accident a couple years ago which crippled him in one ankle and the declining health of his good wife, who has been a great help to him all these years in his business, he might probably have kept on -- but the strain was too much and he decided some months ago to retire and take a much needed rest. Mr. Kugel has valuable property interests here, is one of the principal stockholders in the St. Francois Hotel Association, and will continue to make his home in Farmington. We understand that the new management is preparing to make a rush sale of the present stock before putting in a new line.