St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-04-03
MINNEAPOLIS.
sEGELBAUM's OPENING.
Crowds of Ladies Visit the Beau
tifuily Appointed Store.


The newspapers had announced that
Segelbaum's spring opening would
occur yesterday, and the muftitudes Of
ladies that all day long thronged the
capacious store proved that nearly ev-
erybody in Minneapolis reads the pa
pers, for, certainly there were few
ladies in the city yesterday who failed
to visit Segelbaum's, and feast their
eyes on the gorgeous decorations, arts
tic effects, harmonious bendings of col
ors, and the profuse display Of all things
which ladies require for the reception
room, the ball room, the boudoir, the
breakfast table. for evening wear and
the street. All these things were
there, and so arranged that
the would-be purchaser had no diff
Guilty in making selection, unless she
we're confused by the extent of the dis
play. Openings are feature of the
dry goods and ladies' furnishings bust
ness, and all dealers strive, as is natural.
to Guido each other: but to arrange and
carry out more successful opening
than Segelbaum's was yesterday would
be a task difficult of accomplishment.
To begin with, the whole store, in
fact the whole building, for Segelbaum's
store now occupies the three floors of
257 and 259 Nicollet avenue had been
renovated and refitted. The whole
front has been torn out and the win
doWs enlarged; the old outside stairway
mas been removed; the wall of the store
has been moved, and the upper floors
of the building can be reached now
only frOm-the inside, either by stairway
OF elevator; everywhere inside is seen
10 no md Of ,;cl,,
and the decorator. 1t would be hard TO
fancy any store the inside of which is
coSier and more attractive than was
Segelbaum's yesterday. Nothing was
wanting to make the opening attractive
Beginning down stairs. the front WIN
dows resemble the traditional bower of
the fairies. but instead Of fairies there
are samples OF millinery, cloaks and
dress goods displayed in them. Inside
the doors are the silk, and. dress goods
departments on one side the UNI
brellas and fancy articles on the
other. Further on through the
store. are the ribbon and no
ton counters, the collars and cuffs.
the handkerchiefs, the hosiery and fan
cy articles of all kinds and varieties
which ladies buy. Up one fight of
stairs and the millinery department is
reached. Here, on tables, in cases, ev-
erywhere, are the latest styles of Id
dies headgear; "perfect loves" of bon
nets, maryels of lace and straw, won
ders worked in plush, velvet and silk.
Everything in the millinery line: I'M
portations from Paris, products Of East
ern workshops and manufacturers of
the Segelbaums themselves, not only
for ladies, but for children and little
girls, up to the aged grandmother, who
delights in a lace cap. Back Of the
millinery department are the ready
made dresses, and, after look at Sc
gelbaum's display in this line, it seems
utter folly for women to wear them
selves out with the veXations of run
ming after the dreSsmaker. Cloaks
of all kinds, for summer, for
winter, for spring, for autumn. wraps
tor driving, working, travelling, church
or the theater, tea gowns, morning
robes were scattered about, draped on
forms, OF hanging in rigid precision.
Above the millinery, cloak and dress
departments, on the third floor, are the
storerOoms for surplus stock, and the
offices of the prOprietorS. Everything
about the store was arranged with the
double purpose of beauty and utility.
Flowers everywhere, sheeny silks of all
colors, rich laces, cost1iest fabrics of all
kinds, woven together by the hand of
the master decorator, left little to ones
Imagination to transform this nineteenth
century store into an Oriental palace.
and only the crowds of ladies bent on
buying, served by bright-faced, nimble-
fingered clerks, seemed to prove that
this scene of Splendor was only buSi-
ness enterprise on large scale,