Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-12-18
THE TINE TO TRADE.
And Where to DO Your Shop
ping.
Home Patronage and Home Prosper
ity---The Economy OF Dealing with
Ones Own People.

One week from today will be Christ
mas, and the hustle and hustle Of the
holiday shopping season is well upon us.
Unfavorable weather has shown its eff
feet upon trade somewhat, but a brighter
sky brings brighter prosperity and a
brighter countenance to the merchant.
who, at considerable expense and risk.
laid In huge stock of Christmas goods.
But few days remain in which to pur.
chase the supplies that are to bring JOY
to many hearts one week from this morn
igg, and that time will doubtless be well
improved. The stores of Rock Island
never looked prettier. and never was a
greater variety or more abundant dis
play for the holiday season. Rock Island
never had such facilities for reaching the
center of trade, and for this reason there
will be rush from this on.
Appropos of this subject of Christmas
buying the Davenport Democrat Gazette
of last evening had very sensible arti-
Gle which is applicable to Rock Island as
well as in other cities. II is well worth
reading:
Holiday week is coming. and the busi>
ness of buying presents is the occupation
of the hour. Every day and evening
now the streets are crowded. and the
stores are being equipped in holiday at
tire. and have ceased the usual whole
some custom of early closing. AS the
year has been fairly prosperous. the
Christmas business will be large, and we
trust profitable. In reference to buying
let us say word. 1t is every ones
privilege to go where he plesses, and we
by no means wish to place any limitation
thereto. But still. one or two sugges-
tons may be in order. There is false
and amusing idea in some peoples minds
that what they buy in another city
is better than what our own
stores contain. Such persons think
they can buy better shoes, overcsats,
hats and all common or uncommon adorn-
ments in some big city than at home
All this is mistake, unless you want
to buy things with an unlimited pocket
book, and the average man is not VAN
derbilt and his purchases do not run iu-
to the hundreds of thousands.
Aside from the adj
ditional expense of travel and the idea of
getting something better than in home
markets, a reason must and can be given
for this desire upon the part of some peo-
pie 10 go TO distant cities for their pur-
chsses. Familiarity is said to breed con-
tempt. and because we know our own
shop windows so well. see them daily,
know the proprietors, and as most people
like novelty and kick at monotony, we
think everythIn is commonplace, and so
attempt TO get away from our own town
and exercise our vanity in metropolitan
city. The most amusing thing in the
world is to hear q woman who has Just
returned from Chicago with a new cloak
and half a dozen of handkerchiefs.
She has had good time, no doubt, and
paid for il, and is totally unconscious of
the fact that her going was a matter of
vanity and caprice. The excitement of
the trip is something to gossip aud talk
about. and the purchases of goods are OF
secondary consideration.
By referring TO the advertising columns.
one can scquaint himself with the large
and variable stock of holiday goods our
enterprising merchants have on hand TO
supply their customers-reasonabl in
price and selected to suit all tastes. Such
be the case, We urge the common sense
principle of sticking to home trade and
pstronizing home industry.