Milford chronicle., 1888-12-21
WHITELEY'S PLACE.
AwsIT TO THE UNIVERSAL PRO-
WIDER" OF LONDON.

One Of the wonders Of the World of
Trade-The Famous Bon sTarche of
Paris Outdone-A whole Congerles Of
Stores.
Whiteley's establishments is one Of the
wonders OF the world Of trade. Compare
lively few Americans visit it, as it Is far
away from what is known as the Ameri-
can beat. O., from the Langham
hotel to the Metropole. Compared
10 the trade kingdom over which
8 single proprietor, William Whiteley,
rules. such mere 0vergrown dry goods
stores as the Louvre and the Bon Marche
IN Paris are but simple affairs. White
iey's is not a store, but whole congeries
ofstores, each as accessible to but as dis
tlnct from the other as the dining room Is
from the parlor on a floor with folding
doors. What In the usual run of dry
Foods stores occupies a counter OF at
most but a room-such as the silk depart.
ment, the linen department, the costume
department, etc.-has at Whiteley's a
large aud imposing store TO itself The
iewelry store is q superb establishment,
the furniture house is magnificent; china,
glass, ironmongery, dressmaking, sewing
machines, coihures, toys, Japanese and
Indian curios, each and all have stores
devoted exclusively to themselves, large
openings giving communication through
the entire series of establishments.
ADDITIONAL EsTABLIsHA6ENTs.
This would be wonderful enough, but
there are surprises at Whiteley's; a pro-
vision store of extensive dimensions ad-
Joins an excellent restaurant, the restau-
rant leads into the aviary, conservatory
and live stock establishments. There Is
q we'll supplied wood and coal Office. pi.
amos are upstairs In a store Of their own;
near them Is large hall, decorated with
flags. statuary, tables and. chairs In pro-
fusion. Here dinner Of several hundred
covers may be given, or ordered for any
place, town or country, with every acces-
sorry, from the banquet itself to the
waiter who serves It; all provided BY
Whiteley. had nearly forgotten to name
& charming picture gallery, where many
original works Of great beauty arc dis.
played, and where orders are taken for
copies Of any masterpiece on the walls of
any Of the great galleries Of Europe.
Whiteley is also banker. You may buy
or sell money on his premises. You may
take your passage by any steamer for any
port. You may hire servant; bury de- |
ceased friend; put your belongings up at |
auction; purchase, sell, build or take down |
house. In short, there is not q single |
transaction In life relating TO trade which |
Whiteley is not willing to make for you.
No wonder he calls himself 1.-THE univer- |
sal provideF." Such q business as White |
ley's must speedily make 2 man q bank |
rnpt or q millionaire; and as disaster has |
not overtaken him, It Is presumed that |
Whiteley has good account at his own |
and other banks. His establishment has
suffered frequently from fires, whose
strangely persistent recurrence irresist-
IDLY suggests incendiarism.
~ the matter Of cheapness I find very
little difference between Whiteley's and
other establishments which are not es-
pecially devoted to wealthy customers, as
are Gillow's In the furniture line, and
Lewis & Allenby in the dry goods, An
honest price prevails, and II an American
visitor sees anything he or she likes at
Whiteley's, would advise him or her to
purchase II without further ado, as It
would be q waste of time to run all over
London to try to find the same article at
q lower price.
AT THE BON MARcHE.
For one American who has heard Of
Whiteley's il London, ninety and nine
have heard Of the Bon Marche in Paris.
Persons who know no other single word
In French are aware that bon marche
means cheap" This famous store is in
deed a marvellous place. Outside Of
few little knickknacks known as articles
de Paris, the vast establishment Is en-
tirely devoted to the sale Of dry goods.
No wonder the American woman, with her
national love for shopping, revels in
honrs spent in fitting from one counter
70 another. Gloves are to the right Of
her, flowers to the left Of her, silks are in
front Of her, lace Is beyond. Are these
beautiful things really, or only in ap-
pearance, cheap2 Why, the truth is they
are sold at the market price. Examine
we'll anything that is offered below the
current rates, and you will discover a
reason.
wiz call tho attention Of American
ladies' to a custom which prevails at the
larger shops In Paris, by which our Goun-
lrywOmen are misled, though no deceit Is
Eillfully put upon them; 1t arisesSsimply
rom difference Of custom between the
French and American merchant. When
price Is seen upon remnant in America,
.he purchaser knows that the marked
1gure Is the price Of the whole remnant,
Ehile in France the marked figure means
per yard or rather meter, according to the
French measurement, Thus, If an Ameri-
an lady sees some attractive pieces Of
ace or silk, marked YariOusly from 50 to
slO, and decides TO take some or many Of
'hese remnants, It comes, rs very dis
Igreeable surprise, to find ont that the
lrticles were at so much per yard, and
hat the shopkeeper will now measure the
ards. Often the price is but few sous
'eduction per yard ON the original figure
'sked, and the purchaser finds herself
With awkward lengths Of goods she was
empted TO buy only In the Mrs. Toodles
pEit. To be sure, at the Bon kRrche I
ne privilege is given Of exchanging
Ftieies which q purchaser may be dis
atished Fith-if no harm has come to G
hem. Even money is, under certain cir I
returned. London Cor. Bos-
on Transcript.