The New York herald., 1873-12-31
NEW YEARS AND THE DRY GOODS HOUSES.
Beautiful and Useful Things with Which the
Year Ends and Begins-Appearance Of
the Dry Goods Stores on the
Threshold Of 1874.

| Last week several articles appeared In the
| HERALD describing the appearance OF many OF the
principal stores and the enthusiasm which large
majority OF the public manifested in shopping.
/ That enthusiasm has not since much diminished.
The Christmas stimulus, OF course, has gone, but
the New Years stimulus remains, ana as to-day Is
the day OF the cid year it is probably in place
to enter few OF our largest and most important
| dry goods emporiums and see what there Is on
| hand. 1t is hardly necessary to remark that so
! large proportion OF the shoppers female that
is completely lost in the general ensemble OF
| cloak and bonnet. What questions and answers;
what Chickering'S over the counter; what
| feelings of the texture OF cloth and
muslin; what keen and repeated scrutiny; what
shallow pretences ofleaving the store in search OF
better bargains elsewhere; what ignominious re-
turns, as If excess OF good nature on the part Of
the shopper prevailed-ah phenomena OF this kind
which enter into the stern realities of shopping it
is not necessary to describe. Suice 1t to say that
| they were all present yesterday, and that proba-
bly, never before was more affecting Illustration
given to the proverb, ait Is naught, it is naught
/ saith the buyer; but when he g0eth his way, then
i he boasteth.n verify there must have been much
boasting last night when paterflmilias got home
| from his store or office and materfamilias con-
| frOnted him with the bargains she had effected
during the day.
/
| This firm it Is hardly necessary to say, main
tains itself at No. s3l Sixth avenue. The stream
| OF purchasers which has filed past every promi-
nent dry goods store in town during the past
fortnight has not omitted to pay its respects here
| There are several large and valuable departments
in this establishment and 1t would be di1cult for
! any woman with plenty Of money in her pocket to
\ wind her way through them in valn The dry
goods field is very extensive one, and includes
| within its grasp a number OF auxiliary but highly
| ornamep tai and attractive groups. All these are
| covered by the establishment that has Just been
named. Formerly the prejudice against giving
\ articles Of dress as presents was felt
| very strongly That prejudice has subsidized
| to great extent 1t is not necessary to
| draw any comparison between the Altman
establishment and that OF others in the same line
| OF Business. That the public can do Tor itself. All
| that need be said In this connection IS what is
necessary to direct public attention TO a very
! diversified valuable and rich display. The laces,
| the trimmings, the dress goods, The ribbons the
sashes, the emDroderles, are all OF excellent de-
| scriptlon.
AT Stern Brothers, at the intersection OF Sixth
avenue ami Twenty-thrd street. were iopnd very
| many purchasers and very many articles to pur-
chase. The assortment oil real Russia leather goods
Is unusually extensive, and includes satchels, scent
| bottles, match sales, glove and handkerchief
boxes portfolios, dressing cases albums inkstands,
| pOrtemonnaies, baskets, belts and pincushiOns.
| The stock OF ladies' and gentlemens linen hemmed
| and hemstitched, plain, initial and embroidered
handk erchiefs is immense. They are very daintily
put up for presents hall dozen each to the box.
Not without reason, also, is attention asked TO the
embroidered sets OF collars and cuffs, ladies' and
gentemen's silk handkerchlefs and nufiers, and
very beautiful selection OF Paris oxdized goods.
noticeable reduction has been made In the price
OF the millinery goods. The store remains open or
evenings, and day and night equal opportunities
are onered to inspect the dress and cloak trim
CANT fans umbrellas, slippers Kid gloves, iaces ana
That bewildering miscellany so charming TO choose
1rom but so difficult TO name without running into
catalogue rhetoric.
R. MEAREs.
The store OF Richard Meares is found at the in
tersection OF Sixth avenue and Nineteenth street.
During the present week the balance OF the valu-
able stock hand there is offered at reduction
which viii nave the inevitable effect OF increasing
tue number of buy ers and the degree OF compet-
ton. This stock consists largely OF dolls, toys and
fancy artcles but In addition TO these, Mr. Meares
has on hand new lines OF goods especially adapted
to the present season. Among these are found
real thread and point applique barbs; point, point
wells and embroidered SETS The dress trimmings,
the sashes. the ties and rufnings the fine
tips. piumes and hat ornaments constitute an ex-
ceedingly picturesque and attractive stock. There
was an amicabe rivalry among the crowd OF ladies
and best view or the black and colored trimming
silks and satins the dress goods shawls, sacques
and cloaks. department that deserveGly at
tracted good deal Of attention was that OF ladies'
reauy-made undercothing, the cambric walking
and trail skirts, the tine French woven corsets;
ladies' silk cashmere and alpaca suits, morning
wrappers Swiss overskirts and dresses.
EHRICHS.
Only very recently reference was made in the
HERALD to the toy department at Ehrch's, Nos 2S7
and 2s9 Eighth avenue. There are other depart
not do altogether to pass over. The aces include
real white thread lace barDs, real point collars,
real point applique collars, real point and point
applique handgerchefs There is, too, a fine as
sortment of andkercbiefs-ladies' and gentle
mems embroidered and initial handkerchieis. The
best quality, not to be exceeded by firms which
make q speciality OF that article: The real seal
sacques are uncommony rich and beautiful. The
department OF silks is commensurate with the
other departments here named. This firm, too,
has IN g obtaining a ssn
N. REIMAN co.
At No. 25 Union square M. Relman 4 Co. viii be
OF affordlng the public the opportunity OF getting
bargains The firm christens its sales s.grand
peremptory holiday sales" and possibly the TUE Is
| ments are created in ladies' costumes, ladies'
cloaks, opera cloaking lnclqding all the PARIS
goods and jewelry house robes and walking suits,
1 dolmans sacques and English walking jackets;
loo ooo handSercheis Of every description, Bon
1 nets Gunets, Belon's and Ponsons black dress
silks, French poplins, English merinos and empress
i cloths. and an immense assortment OF Parisian
fancy articles constitute the attraction.
a. the intersection Of BROADWAY and Ninth street.
not only has an indefinitely comprehensive stock of
| toys and miscellaneous and fancy articles, but a
large, independent dSsOTbtHcnt Ol UTy ROOus. WHat
the proprietor calls "panic sale" is in progress
| there at present but the panic the purchasers
seem painfully stricken with is the fear OF losing
| bargains un.ess they snap them up at a moments
notice. Consequently the laces, the embroideries,
the ladies' underwear, the glove and handkerchief
departments, the silk ties the Jewelry, the fans,
the feathers ana flowers, the trimmings, the silks
| and velvets, The ribbons and the sashes, stand a
| better chance OF being gobbled up by the insata-
| bic bargain hunter than ever before. The fancy
department is very vigorously sustained, and the
competition between 1T and the dry goods Is
therefore pretty close.
THE GENET CASE.