Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-12-14
SIGNS OF THE Ho11D.vs
A Glimpse OF the Streets and Business
Houses in Christmas Dress.

The holiday season, which once COM
prised only Christmas week, now, in a
mercantile view at least, begins early in
December and extends into the new year.
1t is a season during which, in accord
ance with venerable traditions, purse
strings are loosened and trade is quick
ened in every channel. The handsome
stores of Savannah never presented
more inviting appearance than at pres
emit. Savannah is fortunate in having an
unusual number OF enterprising merch-
ants, through whose energies and facili-
ties residents of the city are enabled to
make purchases from as great variety OF
goods and at as low prices as the people
of any city in the country.
YES" said Broughton street mer-
chant yesterday, ''the holiday trade PROM
ises to be very good. 1t is just beginning
Is show signs of opening, but it isn't open
yet. Next week will bring the boom in
the trade for Christmas presents, but the
rush, you will notice, does not come on
until very few days before the holiday.
People put off buying their presents until
the last moment, and it seems so strange
to me that they do so, because it is GER
tainly more satisfactory way of pur-
chasing to go about it leisurely, when you
have plenty of time to decide what you
want, and make your selections. viii
the trade be better than last year? Yes,
l think so. Now. you want to
know why, don't you? l thought
so. Well, think the chief reason is that
the custom of giving Christmas presents
is becoming more general every year.
There are more people to buy presents,
and more people to receive presents, and
added to that is the general tendency,
which have noticed for a long time, to-
ward buying more expensive gifts. The
man who two or three years ago supplied
his children with books, or less expensive
gifts of that kind, now goes deeper down
into his pocket, particularly if the year
has been profitable one in business with
him, and gives the girls valuable piece
Of jeWelry, or maybe a set of jewels, or
something of the kind, and the boys a
watch or a shotgun"
The stock OF holiday presents in Savan-
nah is very large. The stores present
very attractive appearance already, and
are filled with thousands of suitable arti-
Giles for gifts, fanciful and practical, orna-
mental and useful, and varying in price
to suit the purses Of all. There are many
evidences of a rushing holiday trade about
being under way, and the coming week
bids fair to be busy one. No more de-
lightful time could be taken for visit
to the city. The weather is fine, and cOun-
try cousins who have never seen the ocean
shipping in the harbor could not take
more favorable time to suit than now.
During the week the stockholders of the
Central Railroad will be in town, and of
course will swell trade and make things
lively, and the Methodist Conference,
which begins its session on Wednesday,
will doubtless bring many strangers to
Savannah who will combine business with
pleasure, and who will do their shopping
and attend the conference during their
visit. 1t has been suggested that during
the winter the railroads might get up
special excursions to the city with profit
to themselves and benefit to the city.