Morris tribune., 1888-11-07
WHITELEY'S PLACE.
A VISIT TO THE UNIVERSAL PRO-
WIDER" OF LONDON.

Whiteley's establishment is one Of the
wonders of the world of trade. Compare
lively few Americans visit it, as 1t is far
away from what is known as the Ameri-
can beat. g., from the Langham
hotel to the Metropole. Compared
to the trade kingdom over which
o single proprietor, William Whiteley,
rules. such mere overgrown dry goods
stores as the Louvre and the Bon Marche
In Paris are but simple affairs. White
ley's Ia not O store, but whole congeries
ofstores, each as accessible to but as dis
tinct from the other as the dining room Is
from the parlor on q floor with folding
doors. What In the usual run of dry
goods stores occupies counter or at
most but q room-such as the silk depart
ment, the linen department, the costume
department, etc.-has at Whiteley's O
large and imposing store to itself. The
jewelry store Is superb establishment,
the furniture house Is magnificent; china,
glass, ironmongery, dressmaking, sewing
machines, coifures, 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 Observation-Disclosures.
This would be wonderful enough, but
there are surprises at Whiteley's; o pro-
, vision store of extensive dimensions adj
joins an excellent restaurant, the restau-
rant leads into the aviary, conservatory
and live stock establishments. There Is
well supplied wood and coal Office. Pi-
amos are upstairs In 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 access
sorry, from the banquet itself to the
waiter who serves It; all provided by
White1ey. had nearly forgotten to name
charming picture gallery, where many
original works Of great beauty are 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
a house. In short, there Is not single
transaction In life relating to trade which
Whiteley is not willing to make for you.
No wonder he calls himself 1.-THE untver.
sal provider." such business as White
ley's must speedily make man bank
rupt or millionaire, and as disaster has
not overtaken him, ID Is presumed that
Whiteley has O good account ct his own
and other banks. bis establishment has
suffered frequently from fires, whose
strangely persistent recurrence HTesist-
IDLY suggests incendiarism.
In the matter Of cheapnessI find very
little difference between Whitelsy'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 If an American
visitor sees anything he or she likes OF
Whiteley's, would advise him or her tc
purchase It without further ado, as II
would be a waste Of time to run aIpvel
London to try to find the same article a'
a lower price.
AT THE BON MARoHE.
For one American who has heard d
Whiteley's in London, ninety and nine
have heard of the Bon Marche In Paris
Persons who know no other single wore
| in French are aware that bon marchi
means CHEAP" This famous store Is In
deed a marvellous place. Outside Of {
| few little knickknacks known as articles
| de Paris, the vast establishment f. en-
tirely devoted to the sale Of dry goods
| No wonder the American woman, with hel
national love for shopping, revels II
hours spent in fitting from one counter
to another. Gloves are to the right o.
her, flowers to the left Of her, silks are II
front Of her, lace is beyond. Are These
beautiful things really, or only in ap
pearance, cheap? Why, the truth is they
are sold at the market price. Exauips
| well anything that is offered below tn,
| current rates, and you will discover ,
| reason.
I will call the attention of American
ladies to custom which prevails at thu
larger shops in Paris, by which our coun
trywomen are misled, though no deceit i
willfully put upon them; it arisesssimply
from difference of custom between th'
French and American merchant. When .
| price is seen upon remnant In America
| the purchaser knows that the marked
figure is the price of the whole remnant
while In France the marked figure means
per yard or rather meter, according to tn,
French measurement. Thus, II an Amert
can lady sees some attractive pieces O
lace or silk, marked variously from 90 Il
| $40, and decides to take some or many o.
these remnants, 1t comes, as very dis
agreeable surprise, to find out that tn
articles were ct SO much per yard, and
that the shopkeeper will now measure tai
yards. Often the price is but q few SOU
! reduction per yard on the original fgur'
asked. and the purchaser finds herse1
| with awkward lengths Of goods she wa.
tempted to buy only In the Mrs. Toodle
spirit. To be sure, at the Bon March,
the privilege is given Of exchanging
articles which purchaser may be dis
satisfied with-f no harm has come t.
them. Even money is, under certain cir
cumstances, returned. -LOndon Cor. Bos
ton Transcript