Northwest enterprise. [volume] (Anacortes, Wash. Ter.) 1882-1887, 1883-12-29
THE STOCKING CRAZE.
Women who Buy For the sake of Euy-
ing.

habit, and know many insurance. IN
which it has grown into II passion. The
remark is often made that women come
into these large general stores and
compel our saleswomen to show item
whole lines of goods out of pure wanton-
ness. | do not think that such is gen
orally the case. The purchasers ae
seized with the buying mania, that is
all and ii they happen to be ont Of
ready money they feel Obliged to make
believe buy. | know those customers
tolerably well, and can pick them out
if can only get sight OF them in the
doorway They will enter sort OF cast
down, but brighten right up as soon AZ
they get their eyes on the goods. The
sight seems to act on them somewhat as
cocktail operates on man-its
regular morning stimulus. Women
haven't the head to stand against a
genuine mark down, and if they can't
buy themselves they are bound to see
other people buy.
"a man whose wife deals pretty
largely here told me last summer that
she had bought seventeen dress patterns
in two months, and had only had three
of them made up. He said the habit
ran in his wife's family Her sister, ii
seems, had about two dozen pair OF
new shoes of all kind on hand last
winter, and only stopped buying when
her husband told her a yarn about
woman being sent to private asylum
| for doing such things. A dozen pair is
not very strong, but two dozen beats
even Napoleon H., who had twenty
pair of boots when he was trapped at
| Sedan.
"No, | do not think the buying mania
is stronger than kleptomania, but il Is
quite as strong, and, in my opinion,
good deal more genuine. Cases OF true
kleptomania are rare"
"Is not kleptomania result OF wha,
you call the buying mania?" asked the
reporter.
"Not by any means. The two casea
are entirely different. The chronic
shopper hasthe habit of buying; that's
all; have seldom known one to steal
anything. The true kleptomaniacs,
however, acts from an irresistible inn
pulse which only breaks out occasionally;
There are bogus kleptomaniacs-
magpies, we call them-who tuck away
anything they can lay hands on; but
they are nothing more than thieves.
People exaggerate somewhat as to the
number of shoplifters detected in stores;
we watch people closely nowadays.
''The worst cases among those who
have the buying mania well developed
are the specialists. A woman used to
come in here who would buy six dozen
handkerchiefs ut once, and even repeat
the act on the following day. under
stand that she is an excellent lady, who
is greatly beloved by her husband, He
once sold twelve gross OF handkerchiefs
purchased by her at auction, and his
wife did not miss them. 1t is lucky
that he is very wealthy man. As for
the stocking rage, they all have it.
Gloves used to be the great article for
a run, but stockings OF all varieties are
now the craze. This has been the case
for long time, but this year it is
stronger than ever. | do not think the
average woman is ever so entirely hap
py as when she is buying those articles.
| The trade runs in streaks ON stockings;
when we marked down those Isle
thread, lk-finished stockings from 80
to AS cents this house was stormed. We
have about 900 varieties of those goods,
varying from 20 cents to $3.50 a pair.
There is a grade at $12, but we sell
few at that price. The affection for
stockings is very general among women,
The rich buy three or four dozen of n
half-dozen varieties, but have known
plenty of women who were hardly able
to buy anything at all to pay IS cents
or 81 for single pair of stockings.
would he willing to make small bet
that ii woman felt her habitual call to
shop, and had but dollar, she would
pass that amount in at the stocking
counter.
s'Some ladies take very strongly to
white goods and keep an immoderate
quantity on hand, but it is not very
expensive taste. Those, however, who
indulge in multitude OF hats, as some
of them do, have to pay heavily for
their fancies. You would not think
dozen hats small number for lady
to buy in single season. Well, have
known women to purchase thirty within
that time. All women who have the
buying habit indulge in some leading
article. 1t is only when they cannot
afford that particular thing that they
take to the thread and needle business,
| (which are the most extravagant?
The lace-buyers, by all odds. If You
could contrive to look over some OF the
collections OF laces in private hands you
would h, surprised. There are women
| in New York who have laces to larger
amount than the average dealer is able
| to keep in stock. Fans also are a rage.
| know lady who has forty fans, but
som how she Doesn't manage to keep
herself cool with item"
"Oh, yes," said the eldest Miss
Culture at tab, d'hote, the other even
ing, al breakfdsted yesterday with Mrs.
Brainwait aid we enjoyed delicious
repast-excellent coffee, superior bread
and piscatorial globes done admirably
"What p" asked her friend. "Pisca-
torial globes" repeated the Boston miss.
"And what under the sun are they