The Republican journal., 1875-10-07
From Lppincott's Magazine for October
The Largest Retail Store in the World


sooner or later find their way TO the gigan-
tic dry goods store known as the Bon
Marche, This enormous establishment
has taken its place among the sights of
Paris Even those who do not 90 thither
to make purchases generally pay it visit
+ out OF curiosity. 1t is indeed a world
within itself. Its spacious rooms, its my
rad departments its wide staircases,
sWafmlng with people at all hours of
the day, its regiment Of employees, its
army OF shoppers, combine to make up a
very impressive picture. Somebody once
sald, somewhere, that GA thousand peo-
pie dong anything simultaneously is a
grand sight, even though they should be
doing nothing more important than eat
ing their dinner And 50 twice a thou
sand shoppers form an imposing specta-
Gle in themselves, without counting the
thousand men and women that are en-
ployed in waiting on them
As regards mere bulk the Bon Marche
as u building is probably surpassed by
Stewards, though, MT having the statis-
ties relative to the comparative dimen-
sions OF the two cdilices at hand, | am
unable to speak positively. But rs far as
business goes the Bon MaSche is undoubt-
edly the leading dry goods establishment
on the face OF the globe. Its TRANSACTIONS,
,n,,t to H. s,,,, II s>tn ,,iIl;n,,s ,f t,o,,a
(tn.oI,o tt,illia1s IL ,,ni}ar.l Eicton,
2l,o tl a,1,,ii t.a,,,,,It;a,,,. - ~ a,Ita
,9,,,,,,t,.I -, tf,t,, tI,.s,,,,l I,II, ,l,,,,
". r. ,,.', tI'aa et,,I'Ii"o
,,.,,.a,;1o IIi,,l;,.,, ,t,,1,
,lo ,ia,.,,,,. ~ ia d., H., p,,a,,I liz Dr.
(ia Sa,..l In lct5 -. ,l,.l,,,t ,,,l>,,ntl,
NJ ,,;tilo l,,,,.;,,-,,i+ I1,.,l,t | ,la,l-,
~ tLa tbnn o,ist;n,r Grn, I-u5or tin u,
a,,o,,,,,, "a I;. o,,o,.f7,, ,,,I ,,,tr,n,;, .i,a
hnsinocs sonn ,ss,,n7cJ nav davnlpnn,ontS ,t,
tln ntr,., ,,,a, 1nI,ro.aJ ond ,,o+ta,s taoI'
g., ,Iit,rnnt ,hacn nnf2I,eIv Va co,no ,.n.,,S
''asinI hntn M la,,ino os+aIIishn1a+
hoca,,,o .;r,oI,, t;xnI in nnL1ic fsvo. l.rad
naIII- Lntrn,,n,. II canro f., No ls,,o,y,, a..
,,1,G , ',,,.
nb,s',I ~ .aat2n,l,fo ,,rioas oy,d ,yho,.,
gtra.t I,.,rl,., ns ,,io,ht dna,s;nnali,, ,o n,a+
ss,;ti' ~ 49, ,I,r,tl,J Car hanf,
'',,'' f it. ,.;l rh
',on'ia i,'l,,+ I,a,., 80 Inv, Az
ip,1,.it.,.1 .i,,4 .;,I- ,,,,I ,i,, -.
,,,,oi,1 80 ,.','.I,, ,, ,lI ~ az y
f,I;t- MIL ,''' ~ ',; --,,0
I"''''S "O ,'ioP 0i'l.i ~" 10 "i''i'
9ioh3' N''e ''' "liIthS eSCaoilsiIi.leht alIef
''o'Ar! W. "P9oloe"' HV'IS "iteI stoiy
cs tor one full block from the Rue de Bac
to the Rue Nelpcau along the Rue dc
Sevres, extending laterally nearly as far
Here everything that a woman can wear,
with the exception of her bonnet and her
boots, is exposed for sale in unprecedent-
ed quantities-silks enough to carpet Il
continent, ribbons enough to stretch clear
across the Atlantic Ocean, gloves by the
million, neckties by the thousand, made
UP dresses bv the hundred The umbrella
department alone brought in last year four
hundred thousand dollars, and its transac-
tions this year viii amount t. one hundred
Thousand more Forty wagons and eighty
horses are engaged in the work of convey
ing home the purchased articles The
wagons are gay vehicles, richly decorated
with black and gold, and the horses are
noble animals, worthy Of our own Adams
Express Company. The porters drivers
etc. Of the establishment wear Il livery
consisting Of light-hue ceal with brass
buttons. and a Glazed cap with the words
,.Bun Marchr" inscribed on the front in
cold letters None OF the employees oi
the store are permitted to solicit or accept
the Iradltlonal p"11I"ttt 4 number ot'
young glfIS are tlhpi"yed aS 5IIeSWomen.
they are rel"Ired 20 dress IN hIaeN cash
mere ;hd amy fA"hyranee Oh ornament Is
strictly curtuIed. Nheh any arllrie Is
pdfchd-rd llS i;the Att price anu lllt
name q the emPIoye VINO hAs Nnld Y. are
inscribed upon y Sm2Ii piere OF paper.
lurcilsof' seller ahd package must then
IInd their way To one OF tne immense cash
counters on the ground moor, where some
dozen solemn "l'fialS Sll 'h'hfone" ne
salesman or woman lheh reads oil lhe
contents OF ms or hef paper, W men are
copied ny one OF tle presiHthS clerks IN
book before nihl' Inc "ilIfie IS Pa,d ior
the ch1h@e gwen, an llNail'ple Mefci
Is pf"no,'lee"' ald lhe 9ell't 9oe9 ms way
HINl S'ithIn9 ~ P'leI oh oie - y luiiiper
oi mes 'II1c tAte'i" 1ion2 the iIoht OF the
dcHN. -Ai''tIt9 lur'I'''SPI my ot sent
nome ~ o' R'la loL "', ''gIN cry oul tnal l