National Republican., 1883-02-22
new YORK NOVELTIES.
Some Reasons Why Merchants are Sending
Goods to the Slaughter Counters"
"our Foreign Buyer" and His Influence
on the importing Business.
Some Of the New and Useful Articles Of Wearing
Apparel Now Attracting Attention
How People Should Act at Fires Gossip
About People.
Sn.cini LkNer.

About People
Specidi Letter.
New YORK, Feb 20.--It is useless to expect
that any one who has looked down, season
after season, from the galleries upon the sena-
ators and representatives in congress assem-
bled, will ever forget to dabble In politics, or
fail to take an interest in the doings of Wash
ington, or in the future of the coming man.
! 1t is good thing for the members Of those
august bodies that they are not within reach
of tho merchants and importers of New York
city, for tho anathomas they pour out upon
the manner in which congressman legisate
upon matters affecting business and trade are
scarcely to be quoted TO orthodox ears. The
custom house comes in for q fair share Of
abuse, and IL the reports current
have any semblance Of truth affairs
| there need some careful official investigation.
| Merchants who are on friendly terms with
certain officials have no difficulty in getting
their goods promptly, and few dollars or
| case ofchampagne has awondcriul effect in eN-
| pcditing matters. Others who will not be
assessed must take their chances, and wait
until their more favored brcthercn have
gotten their wares we'll upon the market.
! The dry goods trade is in learfully dcmora-
| liZed condition. Many of the merchants have
| lost heavily, and the houses who have not
! felt the strain Of the present winters un-
parallcled dulness, are few and far between.
| There was never time when goods were SO
nearly given away as now. Houses seem to
be vieing with each other AS to which shall
come the nearest to selling for nothing.
Goods, the actual cost of which to import was
| from four to five dollars per yard, have been
piled up on slaughter counters " at one
dollar and fifty cents. The suburban mer-
chants have struck veritable bonanza this
spring. and some of them are making the
most Of It. Many of the fabrics mentioned
above have gone into the contest of adjoining
cities at nearly their import cost The dealers
here must have money, and this is their only
way TO get it,
In the general evolution of business affairs,
one condition of things comes to the notice of
the careful observer, which strikes at a class
of persons who have long controlled the for
eign trade. The importer Is doomed as an
independent individual "his occupations
gone" As q distinct branch Of business con-
trolling the receipts of goods through the Gus
ton house, that power is fast waning Every
house of commercial Importance has its for
cign buyer, and many smaller firms are per-
suadcd that man abroad to look after their
interests costs very little, If any more, than TO
pay importers prices, beside it sounds so much
better to say that "our foreign buyer is now
in Europe looking after our interests over
there, and selecting novelties for our spring
trade"
Whether the change will be for the better
or worse is rather grave question. Men
who gave their undivided time and attention
to tho selection and preparation of foreign
first class goods for our people might reasOna-
bly, be expected to be more skillful in their
specialtes than he who has in the fire the
divers irons Of designing for foreign looms,
importing, jobbing, and retailing. There is
little doubt but this species of dcckloading
will swamp many of the smaller craft, and
strain the timbers of a few of large CONNER
cial tonnage, In some cases the importer has
been an eXtortionist, and this class of men,
unwilling to take anything less than their
pound of flesh, are fighting with all of their
puny might against tidal wave as rcsistless
as the march Of time. The foreign manuiac-
turer now caters as much to the great retail
firms as to the importers, and the public finds
novelties earlier in market and prices less.
The stranger who strolls quietly about tho
busy wholesale streets and glanccs admir-
ingly at the --latest importations." in the win
dows of a few Of our Broadway houses little
dreams of the relentless war waged between
many firms, or the heartburnings and rivalry,
often growing into lifelong enmities, which
these latest sometimes bring about
A Broadway house. prominent among its
fellows for its exclusive and elegant inn
portations received one fiue day case of
novelties in silk brocades of unparalleled
richness and beauty, They went into the
window, and We're duly admired and COM
mented on. Next day Sixth avenue firm
put into their window q piece of goods cX-
actly similar to one of the Broadway firms
novelties, and attached card (if my memory
serves mo right bearing the announcement,
Latest Importation price 80 sold elsewhere
for So" OF course 1t wasn't long before the
news travelled down to the Broadway store,
and there was n solemn conclave and inquiry
as to who had bought and who sold any of
the new goods. A lady had bought that
identical pattern, as was supposed, for the goods
had not been brought overly any other house
so far as could be ascertained. To send up
| and purchase for 80 per yard the dress pat
tern sold the day before for $40 was the work
of q few minutes, and upon examination
sample in the possession of q customer which
was Immediately sent for by messenger post
haste, was found to fit to thread the corner
cut out of the piece, which settled tho matter
beyond doubt My informant told me that
the same trick had been played upon this
house repeatedly they Immediately repur-
chasing the article at price they would will
ingly have given for q bale. After several
such transactions the secret leaked out, and
then there was war and fury on Sixth avenue.
| believe, however, the lattermerchant owned
up beaten, and was rather anxious that the
story shouldn't get out.
As | have gotten into the dry-goOds sub
JeCt, ana as L DelleVe promised you little
sermonotte ON coming styles, 1 may as well
fill out my remaining pages with the descrip-
tion of few novelties well worth attention.
One of the features distinctly marked out
the coming season Is the arbitrary use of some
form of wrap for street wear. Ladies who
have for so long been accustomed TO appear
on the promenade In simply suit without
wrap of any kind are respectfully informed
that fashion will tolerate IL no longer. They
may select q material neverso thin, but some
thing il must be. The special novelty seems
to be doman or cape of elegant velvet bro
caded grenadine. The mesh Is very fine, and
of very rch glossy black silk, while the
figures are large detached roses, rings, arrow
heads, and often pretty design in blended
figures; but all patterns are disconnected
thus figure may consist of two or three rings
one edge satin, and the other heavy velvet, or
an Egyptian figure in the new designs called
Capitals"
The indications also point to a free uso of
all thin goods for the same purpose. Scarf
hchus Of hermann, with deep fOuncings of
black lace are among tho coming beauties.
These will have but very little warmth and
are very dressy Black is the prevailing colors
for such uses although il is said that u few
eccentricities will be INDUCED in in the way
Of brght-hued goods of Persian styles, with
fancy fringes.
1t is safe to declare that seven-tenths of the
newest impOrtations are either black or with
dark ground,
A novelty in wool summer suitings is an
anchor of pale bronze yellow on navy blue