The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-03-19
FAcrs ABOUT rURSITuRE.
Growth OF the Business and Improve
ment Of the Public Taste.

ment Of the Public Taste.
An TSTELLI0EseER reporter met furniture
dealer Saturday, aud after the uLuAl intro
duetory comments on the absence Of rain or
snow, pfopounded the novel eonundrum,
"How Is businessF'
First rate,n was the reply, seldom better
lately. This Is our brisk season, you know.
or the eve OF our brisk season, rather. |
mean 70 say II Is about TO become FIST rate.
1t has showed signs Of picking up for week
or two past. People who expect 70 move put
of buying new furniture till the first, and
people who are not going TO move walt till
house cleaning"
"Is there as much demand for costly turn-
iture as usual In the sprlng?"
ayes; and more. The taste OF people In our
line improves every year. There Is the
greatest difference In the world In the furni-
ture business. Oar territory extends over all
the little towns around, more or less, but We
really sell less furniture direct TO people who
use Il 10 ClAysville aud St ClairSville and
Moundsyille and such towns as those than
we did ten or fifteen years ago. Now every
little town has its own furniture store, and
while OF course they do not keep as extern
siye a stock as dealers here, they sell nearly
- fine furniture and as much OF u variety.
We sell one msn as good furniture as we sell
out Of our own store.
You wouldn't bslieve what difference
there Is In the past ten years. Furniture
which was considered elegant then Is anti.
Qualed now. The fact Is that there was
scarcely any change in styles from the
earliest period can remember till within =
dozen years or 80. Within that tims there
has been such Au impetus In original designs
OF furniture that even the most extensive
stock In the city can scarcely contain more
than line OF samples. Now look ct that
window" Indicating window elegantly
fitted up 10 show, In the most attractive way,
fine furniture and small ornamental! articles
for decorating and fitting upa parlor or draw.
ing room. FEN years ago thst would have
paralyZsd the community. Now, | know
several private houses 10 Wheeling that can
discount It
The increasing demand for articles OF q
merely ornamental nature, such as those
ebony brackets, shelves for bric-abrAc, small
stands for card receivers or flower pots, parlOr
easels and all such attractive additions to the
furniture OF household, show that we are In
an era OF culture which from furniture
dealers standpoint is TO be encouraged"
as the change as marked In regard 10 car.
pes2"
more so. AT the commencement OF tue
rsge for artistic furniture, and the reprOduc-
ton OF the EAstlaks and Qleen Anne pat.
terms, the taSte for fine and pretty coverings
for the floors took start, too. Prices have
more to do with that than the furniture
boom, though. 1t used TO be Brussels car
pet cost small fortune. Now 1t Is rs cheap
as really good three-ply 80 far as irst cost
is concerned. II wears out quicker, though,
and looks shabby when a good all wool is as
fresh looking as the day It was put down.
THE same state OF affairs prevails in re-
gard to paper hangings, and Il you will look
through the house furnishing hardware
stores you will notice the same improvement
People now justly consider that their homes
are not perfect unless they crafty the love Of
the beautiful SIS well as provide some place
TO sleep aud eat Its = change for the better,
and 1t Is affecting all classes Of people more
and more every day."