The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-05-20
4 CLUSTER OF DIAMONDS.
The Beautiful and Thriving Little Cities of
Which Indianapolis Is the Center.

indianapolis is more favorably located for a
fine retail trade, said Albert Gall to the re-
porter, than any city of double its size in the
| West. The towns of Indiana of twelve and ff-
| teen years ago have grown to be little cities,
rich and prosperous, and Indianapolis forms the
central diamond of this cluster of commercial
thrift Go out from this city In any direction,
and you find the county seats to be filled with
beautiful homes, and that the cultivation of the
artistic and elegant is as forward as in the large
cities. This is particularly true in my line
These little cities. with their opera houses with
gas. water-works, and the electric light as many
of them now have. demand as elegant goods in
their well-furnished homes as are required in
this city or anywhere. 1t is this fact that will
ever keep Indianapolis to the front as depot
| for the best goods in all lines.
There have been great changes in the carpet,
drapery and wallpaper trade since entered it
| IN this city, twenty two years ago. The increase
| In taste has been wonderfully rapid. / remem-
Der when plaster of paris parrots and fruit pieces
| OF the same material ornamented the nantes OF
many well-to-do families. Well, the carpets,
| draperles and Wallpapers were to match. The
| pictures upon the walls were cheap prints and
| later on the refulgent chrome. And, in their
| day, those things cost large amount of money:
The improvements in manufacturing have been
can now be furnished at little greater cost than
the crude interior decorations of that day.
Many of our most discriminating customers
come from the smaller cities, as l said The
people who come TO me from Charlottesville,
Connersville, Peru Columbus, Green castle,
Shelbyyille, Muncie Kokomo, and the other
bright little cities might name, are as knowing
as any indianapolis buyers dare be, and their
selections are made with the greatest good
taste The artistic faculty is developing every
han hn rOt
nize that fact in my line IS very apt to be left
with large amount of unstable goods on hand
1t is for that reason that l make my
p1lgrimages to New York. to get a personal sur
vey of imports, and to take look through the
factories My visit this spring was of pecu-
liar interest. / find that importers and mann
facturers are impressed with the same idea that
have. that there is no longer any division in
style between the Western and the Eastern
trade; that the people of Indiana require the lat
est styles, and are as greedy for them as the
people of New York. and must have them; that
what was fashionable in New York three or four
seasons ago cannot safely be palmed off upon
the Indiana market to day, but that we, too, de-
mand the latest products of the factories.
This season l have brought on a line OF
drapery goods and lace curtains that is unex-
celled in any city in the Union, and in conse-
quence of the rapdty of production by means of
improved machinery and workmanship they are
exceedingly low in prce-lower than ever before
in this country. There is no longer any compari
son with before he-war prices Before the
war goods are not only out of style, but those
prices were double or more than double, what
finer and better goods can now be furnished for
During the past three years there have been
great changes in the style of wall paper decora-
ton. Finer goods and more beautiful designs
are sold than ever before and at lower
prices. Beautiful patterns are now produced in
even the cheapest goods l farsighted
enough, three years ago. TO perceive the change
in wallpaper decorations that was coming on,
and as perhaps you remember by forced sales
got rid of great amount of papers, In fact en-
tirely cleaned out my stock. This an eX-
ceedingly fortunate move. as it left with
clean hands to buy freely of the latest aud the
best.
There has also been some change in the
pet business; not alone in patterns, but in price
There is no doubt that the beautiful designs now
reached in body Brussels, Moquettes, tapestries,
etc.-even in cheap ingrains-are the Climax of
artistic performance, while the prices aston
ishingly low. l doubt if they will continue as
low they now are, and regard the present as
the opportune season for purchasers.
II wish you to impress the fact upon the pub
lie lit this is an interview that with the thriving
little cities encircing US, each the center of an
agricultural community constantly increasing in
wealth, that Indianapolis will continue to be
we'll patronized market for the most approved
goods in all lines, especially in carpetipgs, drape
ries and wall decorations, Indianapolis is
largely dependent upon her country sisters, and
should not be allowed to forget that fact"