Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1885-12-03
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is all we care to derive from
the fact that nobody doubts.
What sorts Of linens! The
sorts that all sorts Of people
had better buy--almost of
course; Two-and-a-hali per
cent Of the linens used in the
United States are not sold in
one store for an unsubstantial
reason. The linens are there
that's certain.
Do people buy with judg-
ment? Do theyknow what's
good3 Do they know what
is cheap in the long rum
Some do; and some don't.
Hotels and restaurants get to
know very soon what wears;
large clearinghouse ditto.
Families learn more slowly;
but they learn; and many I'M
derstand the general principle.
We can't put much particu-
lar information into a single
newspaper column Of easy
type. Take table-linens. An
item or two.
We know Of but a single
make of bleached table-linen
worth having that can be got
for 50 cents a yard. The Irish
can't make it; nor Scotch; nor
English; nor Belgian; and
only one German SO far as we
know. 1t is a general fact that
it isn't wise to buy 50 cent
table-linen for any purpose
whatever. The lowest price
at which fairly durable table
linens come is IS cents. But
this one German maker sends
tons on tons of excellent
coarse and homely table-linens
at so cents a yard, and nap
kins to match for $I.Io a
dozen.
The other extreme: So. so a
yard is enough for the finest
and richest. Between these
two extremes we have gath
cred from all the linen coun-
tries the best Of their markings,
what we could buy to the best
advantage. You can hardly
name an even price from IS
cents to $3.50 a yard at which
we haven't plenty to choose
from.
1t is hardly fair not to pick
out Barnsley for special notice.
The solidest linen of all; the
heaviest, strongest; not the
finest; the patterns change
but rarely; very slow; but the
body Of Barnsley table-linen
is such that the more it is
washed the better it feels and
looks. Hotels and restaurants
understand it. If they want
the finest, richest, newest
linens, they don't buy Barn
sley. If they want magnifi-
cent snowy linens to wear a
long time with severe and con-
slant washing, to grow more
beautiful month after month,
! fine but not extremely fine,
good patterns, but old, they
buy Barnsley.
We have such Barnsley for
$I.25 a yard The proper
price is $3.50.
Sets of table-cloths with
napkins to match, $3.50 to
, $40, ought to be barely men
toned.
Most of our linens are
made on our orders, and
made to suit us. We have
them made without dressing.
Washing will change them but
slightly.
This is the linen school. No
doubt about it.
1t isn't so strange as people
think that we sell one-fortieth
of all the linens that come
through the Custom House.
Within our local trading cir
! cult are a million. and-a-half of
people-about a fortieth part
, of the population of the
United States, and more than
a fortieth part of the linen
users; for everybody knows
that more linens are used near
the centres Of population than
south and southwest. 1t isn't
so much more than our share.
Bear in mind that we buy
from the makers at home
their homes-save every pos
sible cent in buying; and sell
as close as we can. There
isn't another such stock in the
city. There isn't another such
, stock in the country. There
isn't another store that buys as
, we buy and sells aswe sell. 1t
would be a reproach to the
, people around us, if we aian't
sell our full share of the linens
that come to the country.
Nothing but linen for linen: