Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-12-28
MONEY WAS PLENTY.
No Lack at All of Funds for the Pur-
chase of Christmas Presents.
THE BEST TRADE FOR MANY YEARS
Merchants Of Both Cities in High State
of Qualification.
WHAT soME OF THEM HAVE TO SAY OF 1T

would seem to indicate that holiday money
| is plentiful in the extreme. The first class
of merchants seen by DISPATCH reporters
yesterday was that of the drygoods and
clothing vendors.
Mr.. Fleishman, of Fleishman & Co.,
said: I'm our opinion this has been the very
best Christmas season we have ever ex-
perienced. No doubt the good weather and
general brightness helped business along.
We found that the workers for wages-the
mill men and day laborers-were our best
patrons. Arguing from this, we think
that the people of the working classes,
whom the recent bank troubles did not
affect were the best spenders. The
mills are all at work. and their
employees had all money TO spend
during Christmas holidays. After Is years
experience can safely say that there never
was Christmas so profitable in every way
to US as this or all our different depart
ments we found the books and knick-knacks
went the quickest. The tendency seemed
to be toward the more useful goods"
BEST BUSINESS FOR SEVERAL YEARS.
At Kaufmanns', Maurice Baer, manager,
said: "We have done the best business
this year that has been seen in the twin
cities for half dozen Christmasses. Money
appears to be plentiful. In our knick-knack
department tremendous sale has been ex-
perienced. Nothing of the cheap or COM
mon variety appears to have been bought.
We have never known so many costly
Christmas goods disposed Of PaterfamI-
las seemed to despise anything that did not
cost at least 500. That did not look like
money tightness, did it?'
At Gusky's, Levi DeWolf said: 1--WE
have every reason to be pleased with the
Christmas season of 1890. 1 have had a
pretty long experience, but l do not recol-
lect so successful Christmas before. The
tendency Of purchasers seems to be toward
useful presents-furs and the like. Gusky'S
has not felt any tightness of money, at any
rate"
Joseph Horne & Co. were visited, and
a member of the firm interviewed. He
said: I'VE have found the market ex-
ceedingly brisk, much brlsker, in fact, than
that of last year. The class of people who
buy at our store are those who would be
affected by bank failures and money tight
ness, if any such things were really in exist
ence. However. we have found that money
is quite as free as it was last year"
THE SAME STORY IN ALLEGHENY.
Boggs & Buhl and Thompson Brothers, in
Allegheny, were equally pleased with their
Christmas trade. Both stores were crowded
to the doors for nearly week before the
25th OF this month.
The bankers were next visited. The man.
ager of n. Holmes & Son was first seen.
He said: "In my opinion the stories of
money tightness are mere sensational tales.
We have found that our patrons have not
drawn their money for Christmas, as they
would undoubtedly have done had they
needed it Tor presents. They had private
store of cash for the festive season. and did
not need to take their bank savings. In
stead OF being scarce OF money at Christmas
tide, we find we have lots of cash."
At the First and Second National Banks,
and tue City Savings Bank, much the same
story was heard. No substantial drafts had
been made on the banks Tor Christmas
money. H.. ..--.-
The jewellers were the next merchants in
terviewed. Henry Terheyden, of Smithfeld
street, said: "The Christmas of 1890 in
my opinion, excelled that of 1889. We
did not purchase so much stock, but our
sales were more lucrative and more Dumer-
GUS than on any occasion within my men,
ory. / believe that ii we had purchased
$4,000 worth more stock than we had,
purchasers would have been found for the
goods.
SATISFIED WITH THE SEASON.
wattes g. Shaffer, Eeckel, Biereu & Co.,
and Heeren Brothers agreed substantially
with Mr.. Terheyden as to the success of the
seasons sales.
The most jubilant yenders were, how
ever the liquor dealers, both whole
sale and retail. At "the Point"
Manager Mccain, of O'Doherty &c Co.,
said: SIN all my experience have never
seen Christmas so valuable to the whisky
business as this. We have sold a most
extraordinary amouns of liquid goods. 1
suppose that the snow and cold weather had
something to do with it, but the consump-
tion OF drinks this year seems to have been
far in excess of anything known during re-
cent seasons. Country people especially,
have paid visits to our store, and large con-
signments of liquid goods have been sent to
Derry, Monongahela City and McKees-
port"
NJ. May & Co., of Ninth street, were
equally jubilant Mr.. NJ. May said: "I
have never known so good year for our
trade. The country districts especially,
have come to the fore, and we have dis
patched immense quantities of whisky up
the Allegheny and Monongahela.'
THE TKEATERs WELL FILLED.
Among the theaters, Mr.. Henderson, of
the Duquesne, said: although Shakes
pearean drama rarely draws large au-
diences we can safely say that our house was
filled every night during this week. Every
youth who had maiden to merrymake
with, brought his inamorata to our show.
Miss Gale and Mr.. Barrett were, of course,
tremendous attractions, but even had they
not been with us,I really believe that we
would have drawn big houses
e. d. Wilt, of the Grand Opera House,
said: "Money Tight 1 should say not.
The only thing tight about this season seems
to be the young tools who are celebrating
among the saloons. We have had large
houses, but do not remember ever to have
seen such houses as those that witnessed
Prince and Pauper' this year"
At the Bijou and Academy of Music SINH
lar accounts were received, while from Man
ager Harry Shwab, of tine Fifth Avenue
Museum -Theater, the most roseate story of
overfowing audiences was gotten. All
through the theaters and museums during
the week the sign standing room only
was observable.
REALLY A BIG BOOM.
Among the picture dealers, Broude &
Co., OF Fifth avenue, was the first inter-
viewed. Manager Samuel Baum said:
The picture trade this year has expert
enced big boom. 1 do not recollect any
Christmas when so many crayons and picto-
rial goods were disposed of. The popu-
lar taste seems to lean toward the more ex-
pensiye and substantial goods. The visi-
h.,