, 1884-12-21
ART IN ORNAMENTS.
The Great Strides Forward In
Pretty and Unique Trifes.
Why Elegant Goods are Cheaper
Than Years Ago.
An Interview Which Disclosed Some
Interesting Facts.

What is the usual character of Christ
mas gifts given in Cheyenne2"
This question was yesterday asked Of
MI. ID. G. Rhodes, of Rhodes & Troxell,
who was found immersed in. holiday bust
ness at his elegant store on Seventeenth
and Ferguson street
The character of the Christmas pres
ents-why those given every year in
Cheyenne are more costly and greater in
quantity than any city of its size in the
world. The liberality of the people here
is something wonderful and a class of
goods that could not be disposed Of at all,
because Of their cost in cities of 10000
inhabitants, farther east, are readily sold
here. So long as the goods are elegant
and appropriate We find no difficulty in
disposing of them, no matter if they do
come high"
Don't the hard times affect your trade
in fine goods?" inquired the reporter.
mot a bit Of it. Our books show that
our sales of holiday goods so far this year
are much greater than they were last
year"
"A few years have made wonderful
changes in the styles and prices of goods,
havn't they?" was asked.
II should say they haze. In the mat
ter Of books, three years have made a
change in the cost that is simply wonder
full. Here arc some books, for instance,
that two years g sold for
$3.50 apiece. Now they are
sold for 81. The difference isn't in the
style Of the binding or the way they are
printed, for they were sent out by the
best publishing houses in the United
States. Nearly all the standard English
books have been issued in the cheap
library form, rather poorly printed of
course and in paper covers. But people
with literary leanings were in this way
given achance to get the books they wanted
at small cost and the big publishing houses
had to reduce prices at least 200 per cent
to compete with the cheap houses and
keep up any sort of a permanent trade.
These reductions 20 over the whole ground
and apply not only to English works but
also to American books on which the
copyright still holds good. Here is a
copy of Longfellow in two volumes, beau
tifully bound in red morocco, illustrated
in the highest style of art and by the best
artists and printed finely. Such a work
costs d publisher a big sum of money and
a few years ago nobody would be surprised
to see it marked $50. We now retail it
for $50. In juvenile books there have
been remarkable changes both in style
and price. Here is one beautifully illus
trated by some of the leading artists in
the country, and still we are able to retail
it here for % cents"
THE big drop in prices applies to
everything else, doesn't it,
YES it does. Bric-a-brac and knick-
knacks Of all sorts have become more ar
tistic year by year. There is a demand
for ingenious and artistic triAes and the
manufacturers are compelled to hire the
most expert men to produce them. A few
years ago what would now be considered a
very ordinary lady toilet set could not
be bought for less than $40. Now | can
sell you one that is in every way more
pretty and artistic for 81. So"
At this point the conversation was in
terrupted and Mr.. Rhodes turned to at
tend to the wants of a well known cattle
man. When he resumed, he said: Now
that will prove what said a few moments
ago about prices this year not interfering
with the purchase Of an article which a
man may admire. That gentleman just
paid ne $50 for an elegant lady's toilet
set think one of the prettiest ever seen
in Cheyenne"
Mr.. Rhodes was again called away to
attend to the wants of a prominent lady
of the city who wished to select a pretty
Christmas gift Tor her daughter.
Opera glasses sell readily for Christ
mas gifts" said Mr.. Rhodes, afterward
resuming the conversation. Everybody
who attends a theater nowadays wants an
opera glass, and great Improvements are
being made in their quality. Here is one
of pearl, with a hard white metal mount
ing, composed largely of platinum, which
will not tarnish. These coach pungent
bottles made out of hob-nailed glass,
silver mounted, are very unique and sell
rapidly. W. have already sold some that
cost as high as $45."
The show cases, within and without, at
Rhodes & Troxclrs, are laden with a most
tempting display of holiday goods. Art
and taste combine to render them attrac-
tive and they embrace within their range
everything that the most peculiar or crit
cal taste could desire.
The show windows are by large odds
the prettiest of the kind in town. Amorc
artistic and attractive showing would be
difficult to conceive and the manner Of its
arrangement indicates a great advance in
show window o-rnamentation.
1t is a subject Of no wonder that
Rhodes & Troxell have done a big bust
ness in holiday goods for their stock was
selected with discriminate on and it con
tains all the latest devices which are sold
at figures that are always reasonable.
Messrs. Truckey & VanDyke have an
elegant line of fur mats of white and red