Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1890-01-29
RICH WOMEN WHO SHOP.
How Some of Them Are Regarded
in the Stores.
Fine Art and It's noyotees-@ :: So Caid-
well Gets Her Moneys Wocth Mrs.
nnrrison's shopping Excursions.
Mrs. Astor and the tIilliuer.
CCpYl;tt:uc 1870.

frankly. IN january, when the bargain
sales arc in progress. it is easy to be-
lievc in evolution. We revert to the
ways OF our ancestors and grab what
ever we can lay paws on. Net shopping
is an art. and inc time may come when
we shall have professors to teach 1T.
The good shopper, who has in her hands
the bulk of the spcndings of family.
and who knows iuAt where 10 20 for the
best or cheapest ribbons or gloves or
hosiery or shoes or hats. is ono of the
most characteristics outComcs OF that
progressive division of labor which
marks the advance OF civilization.
Saleswomcn have their own rules for
Judging women rs shoppers and it must
be said that these rules are usually Of
the bourgeois order, based on the rcadi-
ness with which money is lavished
rather that on any nice discrimination
shown in the expenditure. Now and
then, however, when you como upon
one who has waited on grand danes,
perhaps, for two decades, and who is
gifted with memory and a sense of
humor, her revelations become inter
oSting. Such y one was telling mo
This morning that she had known a
woman to hold Il position at counter,
blocking tho way Of other buyers, fo1
nearly half an hour on Il rush" Satur
| gay, waiting for the return of u parcel
| which had been sent to be dona up a
second and a third time because it had
| como to her in tho first instance in Il
| box the shape OF which did not suit her
| and in the second tod with q gray
string instead OF tho pink and white
which was more to her fancy. The
| customer could not be offended, fer she
was Mrs. a. T. Stewart and in her hus-
| band store.
Miss Mary Gwcndoline Caldwell. who
| didn't conclude her bargain for hus
| band, is Il woman who knows how to
| got tho worth of her money, as, some
| how, only rich women seem to do, and
| she is remembered in New York as
| having a positive scent for bargains,
much as IA barrier has FOR harcs. There
| is Il small, brown eyed creature who
| handles lacc> III a largo establishment,
| who tells me that sac has never seen
| Miss taldwclls equal for detecting at
| Il glance what goods are really being
| sold below their actual values, for, OF
| course, no mcrchat sacrifices that which
| he can protitably carry over to another
| season. The woman at whose command
is very littlo money Will often buy
| recklcssly under tho Dyes of clerks and
| other customers, but Hiss Caldwell. on
| one occasion, spent half Il morning look
| ing over thousands of dollars worth Of
| lace handkerchicfs, and finally pickle 4
| out ono of exquisite patti crn which was
! badly torn ana going for half price,
| saying that ahc knew young girl
| brought up in convent who would
| darn it for ii trii,c that no one would
| over suspect the damage.
| Many of New \ DIRK : rich women are
| OF little profit to sllopleepcrs. for the y
buy their wearing apparel largely in
| Paris, and what they got al homn is
obtained through semi-prvato hands.
| still there are. no women in tho ci ty
with the possible exception OF tho Van
dorhilts who do no, indulge in the dear
delights of shopping once in Il while.
| Mrs. Cleveland is one Of tho incest Gus
| toners that statesmen and SalcSwomcn
have to wait ON. She did all ncr i'm
portant shopping in New York while
| she was still lady OF the White House,
and was wcll-known before taking IN
her abode in tho city, in several o. The
stores. was buying Il cup and saucer
| in a Japanese store about ( o'clock one
| afternoon recently. when in walked
| Mrs. Cleveland. Snc was unattenuc ed
| and had not even. | think, II carriag re
| in waiting, having taken the demo
| cratic vehicle. 4 horse car. She passed
| from table to table and from case to
| case through the room. looking over
| all the pretty things with an interest
| that was plainly genuine. She is very
| quiet bat rapid in her movements, and
| one glovcd fngor and a little nod indi
| Gated the bronze paper cutter and thC
| curious little idol to whose charms she
| SucCumbcd. Sho did not order her pur
| chasos sent nome, according to tie cit J
| womans almost invaria0le custom. Du1
| took them in hor hand in democra iC
style. 1t is easy to 500 why the shoI
people like her she costs them nei thel
patience nor time.
| On one occasion also | have seen Mrs
Harrison shopping, but it was not in {
store. The street vendors have sprung
| upon the city 4 species of mechanical
toy which is really very amusing
| Sometimes it is 4 small! tin ostrich which
strides across the pavement, and some
times it is a bakers cart driven by ;
bakers boy. This is what bewitched the
first lady Of Washington. She passed it.
stopped, thcn turned about and pa sscd
it again. Thon she made q purchase
presumably for Baby Mckee or that i'm
| portant young persons sister, who is
almost as obscure as poor little Maria
| de las Mercedes since the baby king oil
Spain got we'll.
Mrs. Harrison has shopped at half a
dozen Of the larger New DIRK dry goods
houses, and a clover girl, who has sold
her stockings speaks of her as a careful,
sensible buyer, OF a town rather than q
| city type, who doesn't like any steer
| huous attentions from clerks or pay
| much attention to their recommends
lions, preferring to form her own iudg-
| ment in all instances. On the occasion
OF the stocking purchaso-they were fine
black silk. by tho way Mrs. Harrison
said If these wear well may send
Tor more Whom the order for others
came from the White House the clover
girl made application to have her wages
| raised.