Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1890-01-03
HAPPY MERCHANTS.
An Unprecedented Holiday Bust
ness Done BY All,
And the Shecke!s Fall Into the Tills
Like Leaves in vallambrosa.
wA, Printer. lax Did for Our n..l"o. Men,


endar, the faithful news gatherer, al
ways ready to serve up something that
may be palatable to the public, does
not betake himself to solitude to med
itate ON the probabilities and posi-
bilities of the year 1890, but always on
the move, goes from business house to
business house to gain positive infor-
nation as to the state of trade during
the fortnight preceding the happiest
day Of the year-Christmas.
Careful inquiry has developed the
fact that the holiday trade of the past
year was the best that has been en-
joyed by our business men for years.
Indeed we hazard but little in saying
that the amount of business done
has never been exceeded. We
have talked to the men who sold toys
and sweets for the children; the dealer
in dress goods, lace and ribbons; the
men who supplied the hungry public
with substantials and delicacies; the
druggist who sells pills and paper
teries, paregoric and perfumes; the
furniture men and the book dealers,
and all assured us that they had done
an immensely fine holiday trade.
That popular firm,
J. H. ANDERSON & co.,
in the course of short interview, told
us that their business in their clothing
and furnishing house had been i'm
mense, double what they had expect
ed. Mr.. j. H. Anderson, the mana
ger of both houses of the firm in this
city, is a strong believer in tho virtue
of printers ink, and said that the adj
vertisement of a certain class of goods,
which appeared in our columns only a
few days before Christmas, had been
instrumental in his disposing of the
entire stock of that class on hand,
though it was very large one. In
the shoe store the sales were unusual
ly heavy-a "four figure day" was
nothing uncommon. We are glad TO
learn this, for buyers will always be
well treated by this firm, and they de-
serve the largest patronage. Besides
the two stores here, they also have
houses in Owensboro and Hartford,
Ky. Though their stock was depleted
by the recent rush, they can always
meet any demand for goods made up
on them, and are now preparing for a
large and increased trade this year.
Passing out of Anderson & Co.'s, we
next entered the dry goods house of
that popular young merchant,
CHAs. N. LATHAM,
who was in fine humor, and, as we
could see at first sight, was well salts
fed with his holiday business. He
told us that he had never known holi-
day trade to begin SO early. "Why,"
said he, 81 sold lots of goods weeks
before Christmas. In fact the first
special lot was sold SO soon after it
was received that / had to make an
other order, and that was all sold out"
Mr.. Latham is one of the best judg-
es of goods in his line in the city; he
believes in selling first-class goods; he
is a heavy buyer; his goods are always
just what he says they are, and the
people know it. His store is a model
of neatness, and his customers are the
best in the county. By the way, ii
won't be great while before he will
make his distribution of presents to
his customers. You should not fail to
see what he is going to give away.
Every purchaser has an equal chance
of receiving the most valuable present
of the lot. Leaving Latham's we
wendell our way down the street, and
in to chat while with
JOHN D. aALBREATH,
the confectioner. "John" was delight
ed. Up to Christmas morning at 10
o'clock he had sold all the holiday
goods he had bought except two or
three dollars worth. His shelves were
almost entirely empty, his candy cases
were nearly cleaned out, and as to fire.
works, he didn't have anything of the
kind. 1t was something unusual, but
all the fireworks in the city were sold
before 10 o'clock Christmas eve. The
large stocks bought by Galbreath and
RANDLE ELY,
as well as the grocery stores, did not
fill the demand by nearly half. Ran
do & Ely, who had recently bought
out the confectionery of Solomon a.
Co., it will be remembered, came very
near losing their entire stock by fire
in few days after their purchase,
but the fiend was cheated out of his
prey by the prompt work of the fire
company, though the stock was heav-
lily damaged by smoke. The stock Of
toys, fruits, canned goods, etc, were
put ON the market at mere nominal
prices, and in one day the bulk of the
stock was sold out. When they closed
the house for repairs after Christmas
day, they didn't have over ten dollars
worth of goods in the house. Mr.. Ely
told us that in order to open with an
entire new stock as soon as the neces-
sary arrangements can be made, the
remnant was thrown into the back
yard. Mr.. Randle is now in Louis
vile purchasing new goods, and the
firm expects to be able to resume
business about the 18th of this month.
BUoKNER LEAvELL,
who the drug man, bought a very
stock of fancy goods for the
Christmas trade, says he cleaned up
everything and could have sold a
great deal more.
NJ. FRANKEL's SONS
report very heavy trade. They say
that the people couldn't help from
buying-the assignee is selling at
such tempting figures that anybody
wanting anything in their house
could not keep from buying, provided
he had the money. They say that
everything in both their stores must
be sold at once. The assignee means
business, and is compelled to close
out the large stock of boots and
shoes by the 18th inst.
CLARK 4 JOHNSON,
''the youngest grocers in town." never
dreamed Of doing the amount Of bust
ness they did. Goods went out Of
the house so fast, that it soon looked
like cyclone had passed through