Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1886-10-22
GOING SHOPPING.
FOLLOWING A LADY THROUGH THE
DRY GOODS PALACES.
Tho Chiof Diversion OF Ladies' Made
Fascinating by Modern skin-How
Customer In Taken Care
of-Badgered.
New York Times,1

New York Times.l
"What Is It," asked the reporter Of 9
young matron, who, dresses In silk attire
and siller has to spare" "what Is tho subtle
intoxfcation, the delicious exhilaration OF
the ceremony Of shopping which 80 enthralls
the feminine world2"
aAh," laughed the high priestess of the
rite, "as well try to describe the faint
intangible perfume of sprig of mignonette
or set to music the bubbling song of a child's
laugh. It Is some instinct born within
us, developed at very early aga and
lasting as long as we do. 1t survives all
circumstance and condition, is universal In
all classes. To be woman is to love tt
shop, and the mechanics wife spends he1
Saturday nights surplus with the same
zest that the lady of the millionaire's home
empties her we'll filed purse-each over the
counters Of her favorite shopping place."
"And do you never, absolutely never, be.
come tired Of itF he inquired. VI should
think it would grow so awfully monoto.
nous"
"Not at ALL" his companion replied
quickly. ITO begin with, fresh needs are
constantly arising. A woman's toilet ad.
mits Of endless variety and positively de-
mapds more things han are dreamed If In
masculine philosophy. Any woman with
money to spend. little or much, can find 9
felt want to supply on the instant 1t does
not grow monotonous because the range OF
garment and fabric is almost unlimited in
these fortunate days. 1t is oeaseless pleas.
ure simply to SEQ the beautiful things tha
merchants offer-whils the act of purchas-
ing presents bewildering and i;,dafinit,
choosing"
IN DRY GOODS PALACE.
"The stores are so enormous, most OF
them," suggested the reporter, "I should
lose my way, besides never bsing abba &.
procure the article want,d."
"On. no, you wouldn't. Laughed his fair
informer, "you would be too we'll taken
care Of for that. From the moment YOU
enter one of the modern dry goods palaces
fur the name is more befitting them than
the railroad coaches which adopt it SO freely
you are subjected to courteous care and
watchfulness that is at once efficient and
satisfactory. Suppose I want a cambric
handkerchief. enter the outer door of tho
opened for. mo by boyin livery, and if
the day be stormy am quickly relieved OF
my wet umbrella, and burdened instead
with small metal check distinctly uum.
bored. As this is handed me am me, by
the head floor walker, generally a man of
distinguished appearance and affable ad.
dress.
"'Cambric hanlkerchiafsl Thi. wav.
madam and l follow him to a second aSle,
perhaps. Here another floor walker meets
me, and learning from the first my require
ments. conducts mo down the aisle to the
elevator, touching the bell before he quits
ny Z side, asu, -. :, , .4.,, ,.o.,. :,
second floor. The head OF this floor meets
me- brief, courteous question, and | am
passed along under one escort after another
till in the extreme corner of the airy ami
spacious lott l Gni myself comtorta bly
seated, ami upon the counter before ma is
being displayed every grade, size and prics
OF any lady's cambric handkerchief tnat
was eyer made. If 1 had said scalskin
cloak' to the first man who addressed me I
would have been no better treatel Tue
merchants Of New York mako guests Of
their customers, AMI add not little thereby
to the pleasure of buying at their counters.
@At the rate you describe" persisted the
reporter, "it must be all endless task to get
through even an ordinary shopping lst'"
vt is long operation" was the quick as
helped. The matter has grown to such pro.
portions that it has got to be matter of
time. Think what an army of buyers ths
shopping district of tina city daily caters to.
All the suburban towns Of Now jersey and
the Hudson, Long I~land, Staten Island, the
great cities atro>s eithsr river, besides upper
New York itself. send continuously living
stream to this center. Whom you think
Of it the wonder is that so much
can be accomplished in the short
time that it is. Or course tho most
complete System exists. the facilities for
making change are Mt tine maximum. the
clerks bohind the counters nearly equal the
purchasers before. avery man has his
especial assignment Ut ware, at his tongue,
end,
WORRIED BY THE LADIES,
"There is really but one obstacle" she
continued, with sigh. ITO prevent the
rapid and easy accommodation Of every badly
who could possibly reach the stores"
"And that is"
yourselves. have got to admit that the
average woman Is, as shopper, clog to
any system Of service which may he ar.
ranged for her. She doesn't know what she
wants, even when she sees it. and
to get thing without looking about
is to break some unwritten law of her
being. Half the complaints against So
called ind different or impertinent clerks
should be directed toward the other side of
the counter, for the clerks are frequently
badgered and worried by tho ladies ~ whom
they are honestly endsavoring to please to
the pitch of torture-and it is this oft-re.
peated persecution which has produced, I
think, the curious condition of antagonism
which you will 30 often observe between the
twa classes SO mutually dependent upon each
other-the seller and she who comes to buy,
Bnt We are drifting into deep waters 1t is
rather absurd to talk metaphysics over buy
ing bonnet" -...,.
for shoppinga" asked the reporter after q
moments pause. "You seem to speak with
authority upon the subject"
"Not more than any of my sex. We are
all gifted upon this topic, and we all have
our own individual views. Experience is
our sole guide in the matter, and this being
different In every case. Of course affords q
wide range of opinion. My advice to man
about to shop would be-, first don't; tnen if
you must, go to the acknowledged best places.
A woman knows in a moment whether a bar
gain 1s bargain, but a man must take the
word Of the seller; there ars many
places in this city where the seller may be
wholly trusted, his goods are the best at the
price, and the price is the lowest for the
goods. Be ssre that you are in safe
place. then go ahead, and you will be sur
prtsed at the ease of shopping AMI the salts
faction afterward."
Growth OF Melbourne,
Exchanged
Melbourne Is cited as proof that the star
OF empire has taken trip to tho south ward.