Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1889-09-27

them, and that they must be at your
lodgings when you return, they will be
there. Let me give you two rules for
your guidance in shopping in London"
said an English friend to the writer: cal
ways remember that tuppence is four
cents and never say please to shop
man."
Whitelev's is one of the three largest
shops in the world; Londoners claim that
it is the largest but as it is partly upon
Queens road and partly upon Bayswater
satisfactory coup d'oeil of the whole
store cannot be had, and it is difficult for
the visitor to judge Wanamaker's is
more complete in many Of its depart
ments. and the same may be said of the
Bon Marche, but Whiteley is doubtless
the only shopkeeper who can truly call
himself Universal Provider." You may
go to his shop and buy house, have one
built if you prefer it, or purchase an
estate, Just as you like, and have the es-
adjustment thoroughly furnished from
garnet to sub-cellar, including pantry,
coal bins, wine cellar, stables, kennels,
poultry yard, coach houses, gardens and
green houses.
Moreover after all this is done, your
"Universal Powder will keep your
table supplied with all the delicacies of
the season, cater for your parties, etc,
and when you die will provide your
burial place and conduct your funeral.
The girls at Whiteley's, as in most of the
large shops, wear a uniform-a black
dress and white apron provided by the
firm. Indeed black is the business
woman's garb all over Europe, and the
Baroness Burdett Coutts sets the ex
ample of always wearing it when she
goes to bank. So generally is this GUS
tom recognized that decent black
gown is the safest dress for any woman
travelling without male escort in Eng
land or on the continent
A department at Whiteley's which
seems peculiar one to the American, is
that of ready cooked provisions, where
you may buy cold joints. fowls, entrees,
ETC., in short, all the requisites for a cold
collation.. all ready for service, and either
have them sent to your lodgings on the
dishes within an hour, or packed in bas-
kets, with the necessary utensils, to be
taken on water party or picnic The
things are all there. and do not have to
be provided to your order. You can buy
or hire the china, etc., as you choose
There is but one thing which Whitley
has not. an American soda water foun-
tain.
The admirably arranged parcels post
renders the amount of shopping done by
mail in Great Britain and the colonies
very large. The method employed by
the dry goods shops for sending samples
-"patterns," as they call them-is a
wise one. Packages are prepared. each
complete assortment of the class of
goods called for; these are plainly
marked with the address of the firm
and with the polite request that the
whole package be returned with the
numbers and letters of those desired
specified. Each sample is ticketed with
letter and number. If none are
wanted the package is to be returned
all the same. Thus the same sets of
samples are used over and over again
and the saving to the shops amounts to
hundreds of dollars yearly. The fact
that the patterns are the property of the
merchant is everywhere recognized. A
lady who was showing the patterns
she had just received from the "Auxili-
airy stores gently reproved me for bit
of carelessness. They are only sent us
to look at" she said, land as it saves us
so much trouble the least we can do is
to be careful of them"
The army and navy, civil service and
other cooperative stores are almost a
British institution. They are so generally
patronized by the upper classes that no
body likes to confess to being without
entree to them. Originally started as a
sort of club, they have grown steadily
until their business and that of their
branches extends throughout the whole
of the British empire, and the shares OF
the original subscribers yield cent pei
cent. The shareholders are divided into
two classes; the purchasing shareholder
holding from one to twenty pounds
worth of stock, who has joined the so
ciety expressly for the purpose of pur
chasing his goods cheaply, to whom the
saving thus gained is well worth the in
vestment outside of the per cent. year
ly interest which he receives on hi.
money; and the original stockholders
who started the concern for their owl
convenience and that of their friends.
Besides the regular shareholders Their,
are many life and annual ticket holders
since one of the advantages of the clul
is that it enables you to oblige YOU
friend by admitting him to its privileges
Latterly the larger shops, and for tina
matter some of the small ones, also, reg
ulate their prices by those of the stores
thus practically enlarging their useful
ness. The secret of their success lies il
) that they were not undertaken to make
but to save money. all that was asked O
them for years being that they SHOULD
; pay expenses. Now the cloud mo bigge
J than mans hand" has arisen, and Their
begin to be indications of a contest be
tween the two classes of shareholders
one of whom wants low prices, Will
the other wants large prices
The stores are neither more nor les