Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-12-12

Gus Press-Notcs News
and Opinions.
Somehow or other it doesn't seem as II
Christmas is only two weeks distant" said
a pater famIlias yesterday, pausing for a
moment in his frantic pursuit of the al
mighty dollar which is TO prove the exist
ence of Christmas 10 his family. and wiping
his troubled brow with his handkerchief.
The weather of the past week has been
against a realization of the approaching
holidays. II is the prettiestspell of weather
ever saw in December. The moonlight
nights have been poems bound in silver.
Almost everyone says that we are enjoying
Indian summer. Well, if ii is not Indian
summer, it must be half-breed summer, at
least But, after all. it needs an accOmpa-
niment of whistling winds and fleecy, drift
ing snow to make Christmas tangible re-
ality.
THE merchants are making enormous
preparations for their Christmas trade, and
state that business bids fair to be very
good There is one peculiar little fact
which notice in my business and wonder
whether other merchants notice 1t in theirs.
Just about three weeks before Christmas
there comes an
ALMOST COMPLETE LULL
In my trade: 1t remains quiet for a few
days, during which do hardly anything
except to get my goods ready for the grand
Christmas rush. After these few days are
past nv trade makes IN enormous boom,
and from then until Christmas my clerks
and | are like birds on the wing. jumping
around TO wait on the Christmas crowds.
explain the phenomenon in this way.
About three weeks before Christmas every
one is counting the cost of presents, and
making up lists o what they are gong to
buy. For few days they hesitate and put
off buying, in hopes that new goods and
novelties will arrive which they will prefer
to what they have seen. Two weeks or less
before Christmas, they feel that time is
flying, and purchasing must commence.
They all come TO that conclusion about the
same time, and all start down town at
once, making business boom Ikea 40-pound
cannon.
Then you will find that a month before
Christmas people commence saving and
in preparation for the hOli-
days They do not spend cent which
they can avoid. The luXuries of life are
cut off for few weeks, and even the ne
cessitieS are occasionally encroached
upon. Dealers in many staple
articles and necessities always complain
of falling-Off in business about the time of
the holidays. Every cent is saved for hOli-
day goods and presents. The lull in my
business was felt last week. Next week
will be the boom. Springfield merchants
will have the largest holiday trade for
years. The city has been prosperous
during the past year. The manufacturers
have sold their machines and got the money.
There has been plenty of work in Spring
field during the past year, and the people
as a whole are exceedingly prosperous. |
should advise merchants 10 lay in large
stocks of goods. There are more people in
the city this Christmas than last, and they
have more money to spend. Clark county
farmers have had splendid crops for two
years and are in better financial condition
than last Christmas. Money is more plenty
and easier 10 get than last year, and lastly,
Christmas is getting TO be more and more
the one gift-giving holiday of the year. An
other thing, the increase in size and import
ance of the Springfield stores, and the fact
that every article of luxury and necessity
can be purchased in Springfield just as good
and cheaper than in Cincinnati, or any
other neighbOring city, has just about
broken up the habit some bad citizens used
to have of going abroad for their larger
purchases. Springfield merchants can
fill an order for any article
large or small During the next two weeks
more business will be done in the city of
Springfield than ever before in her history,
and the cash realized will foot up to larger
figure. Now for word of advice to Christ
mas buyers. Ii will be found of the great
est assistance TO them in making their pur-
chases, TO first prepare a list of all persons
whom they desire TO remember with gift.
When this is completed and you are sure
you have omitted or missed no one, place
opposite each name the amount you can af-
ford to spend for that persons present and
il you have selected any particularly apprO-
pirate article write that down also. Then,
like kO-ko in the MikadO,
TAKE YOUR LITTLE LIST
and make round of the Christmas stores.
As you buy your articles check them off
from the list. If you do not know what to
buy for any one person ask the clerks, de-
scribing the persons age, character. etc,
and ten to one they can suggest something
appropriate for the gift. You will find that
with list of this kind your Christmas shop
ping can be done in just half the time it
could without.
They had wonderful time at the meet
ing of the Young Ladies' Missionary Con-
versaZione of the First Presbyterian church
one evening last week. Some time since
the society ordered several dozen mis-
sionarv jugs" These are prettily-shaped
little earthenware vessels, which have a
capacity of about half pint of pennies,
nickles and dimes. The only opening
in the vessel is one large enough to put
quarters and nickelS through; and the only
way TO get the money out is to break the
vessel. Ii was this ceremony which occu-
pied the sOciety's attention last week. For
months the members of the society have
been circulating these little earthenware
contribution boxes among their friends and
as many of them were becoming uncomfOrt-
ably heavy il was decided TO break them.
This was done to the great interest and de-
light of the society last week. As one
after another of the little vessels was
broken and its glittering hoard of treasure
poured on the table and counted, the young z
ladies of the society eagerly watched the
result and their pleasure knew no bounds
when it was finally announced that about
$50 would be realized for the benefit of the
,F IA toll