Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-12-10
HOLIDAY PRESENTS.
Silver is More Popular than Gold,
and Diamonds Come High.
FEW NOVELTIES FOR CHILDREN.
DrygOOds Men Rushed With Trade While
FurrierS Are in the Soup.
CHOOSING A GIFT Is NOT AN EASY TASK

A glimpse in the various stores yesterday,
or promenade down the principal shop
ping streets, proved eonclusively that
Christmas was not far of, without resortIng
to calendar. The female sex were out in
iull force, looking, rejecting, consulting,
making and remaking up their minds This
Christmas shopping is one of their dear de.
lights, and the amount Of time, anxiety and
loss of sleep they put into the purchase OF
their gifts should make them doubly dear to
those who receive them.
The afternoon, spent with the throng, by
a reporter, resulted in quite an extended
knowledge OF The stock of Christmas goods
carried by the different stores, and the state
Of feeling existing among local trade, also
desire to be somebody's relative or friend.
In the jewelry stores the only requisite
necessary to make good selection Of pres
ents is the consciousness of a well-hlled
purse, for their windows and glittering trays
afford an opportunity of indulging the most
whimsical and elegant taste. The designs
in jewelry are more artistic, dalntier and
better calculated to adorn than ever, and
the simpler and more expensive the article
the more in demand it is Silver rivals
gold, and the exquisite gold hatpins, hair
pins, lacepins, scarfpins and brooches are
all duplicated in the silver.
SILVER Is THE RAGE.
Silver. in toilet articles, is paramount
this year, and there are the most exquisite
silver backed brushes, silver handled combs,
silver framed hand glasses, and cut glass,
silver topped toilet bottles, beside innumer-
abe boxes completely equipped for every
brancI. of the feminine toilet, with the
silver mounted articles. The proprietors of
the iewelry stores are happy, the sales have
been very good thus far, and they expect a
''whooping up" trade from this time to the
HOLIDAYS.
The sales of diamonds have been abnor-
maIlv large. The prospective increase in
price Of these beautiful stones occasioned by
the London syndicate purchasing extern
sively in the diamond fields of South Africa
has resulted in laying inn of the spark
lers by those who had the ready cash. There
is nothing particularly new in settings or in
jewelry proper, except the corsage pin,
and that is an extravagant economy,
if two such words can be reconciled, for
when one of these pins is worn no other
jewelry is required or even admissible. There
are but three of them in the city; one repre-
sents an orchid, natural size and color,
French artist on solid gold and set with
diamonds; its cost is $500. The second is a
spray of apple blossoms, manufactured in
the same way and with diamond settings;
the other one is pink rosebud set with the
same lovely stone.
VERY PRETTY STEMS.
They all have exquIsitely twisted gold
stems, and are the very latest conceal in the
jewel line. They may be put to various
uses, confning drapery principally, either
at the shoulder, belt or SIDE. As before
stated, when worn, no other jewelry is ad
missible, for they are SO very large and con-
spieuous.
IN THE SAME STORES
are the most exquisite vases, fancy articles,
pot pourri and tete tete tea sets in Crown
Derby, Royal Worcester, Doulton and
Sevres besides beautiful statues and busts |
in Italian marble. In one store all those |
who have used the toilet lotions and creams |
of Madam Recamier, the famous French |
beauty, may feast their eyes upon a fac |
simile of her clsssically shaped head and |
delicstely chiseIed features. 1t is one of the |
prettiest pieces of marble on exhibit at the |
present time.
A broLze statue that attracted great deal |
OF attention in a window yesterday was |
"The First Bath, I" by CASTOR Serens, and |
Pittsburg claims the only piece of his work |
IN this country thus far. It certainly is |
divinely natural; the little fellow,
perched upon his fathers shoulders, |
ready for the plunge, is, by his |
countenance, in a state of fright and |
rebellion. Clock sets are very popular |
among Christmas purchasers. They consist |
of handsome little clock with two eau
delabras corresponding in color, material |
and design. The favorite design is the |
Louis XIV, the irregular and fantastic, but |
some very modern ones are shown in which |
little Cupfds hold the candles.
THEY CAN'T BE SPOILED.
The jewelry and toy trades, are the only
ones that the warmer weather does not affect /
unpleasaDtlv, consequently the dealers are
notsgrumbling at "Old Probabilities, - as the
fur dealers and furnishing men and
elothiers are.
The stock in the emporiums over which
Santa Claus is supposed to reign is unusu-
ally large and complete, though no special
novelties are shown. That branch of trade
has reached such perfected state that to
invent new thing is almost impossible.
For the baby who ''has never seen a Christ
mas yet" there are rattles, rattIes in such
profusiOn and variety that the most tvranni-
cal little elf could not fail to be "rattled"
by the display, and dolls, especially for his
babyship, dolls that an occasional hath in
baby's mouth will not hurt either the doll
or the baby. Tooth coaxers in ivory and
silver, with which to assist the little pearls
in their egress into the world OF abs and
obs always occasioned by their appearance.
are quite common.
For the older toddlers are cunning little
rocking chairs, sofas, pianos, flies, horns,
drums, whips, canes goats, all sorts of me-
chanical toys, express wagons with and
without horses; soldier sets, including can.
drum, sword and knapsacE, in which the
little hero will look and feel very fierce.
horses OF every kind, the old-fashioned rock
ing horse and the patient rocking horse. the
horse on wheels, and the horse without
wheels, and every one warranted not to
throw the tiny rider.
CARS IN DEMAND.
A miniature street car company must he
selling out for lots of street car stock is for
sale, drivers and all, even to the signs upon
the cars, This car for the Exposition" and
''This car for toe parks" etc., etc. The
wee little mothers have well-flled or
phan asylums from which to select the little
ones to be loved. petted, caressed. rocked
scolded, spanked and-banished The doll
family in three generations is in
the city awaiting permanent homes.
There is the baby doll in its
pretty little null robes snd merino cloak.
The young lady doll, the mother doll and
The grandmother with her cap, spectacles
and knittings Dolls that are mutes, and
dolls that are not mutes, chatty little talka-
i've creatures that can never cause enmitv
between themselves and their sweet little
nistresses by their power of speech. because
hev must be wound up'' before tbey can
ak. and their dear little mammas are al
rays ''wound up, and SO have the advan-
age.
For the benefit Of the doll family everv-