The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-12-21
oaR1srMAs CLOSE BY.
The Streets Full OF Shoppers Buyin
Holiday Gifts.


Holiday Gifts.
Yesterday was rather a quiet day for the
last Saturday bsfore Christna4 Thsre
were not 50 many people on the streets dur
ing the morning, and not moro than the
usual Saturday crowd was on the serees in
the afternoon. The people seem to have
money. hOgever, and tae retail stores did
good business.
The big trade, Of course, was in Christ
mas goods although there arc three DAYS Of
next week in which those articles can be
purchased before Dec. 25.
Many of the shoppers were purchasing
remembrances for friends at q distance,
which viii require some time in transit
The trade Of the sweethearts, especially of
the masculine variety, was very valuable to
the jewellers and the dealers in plush goods
and other elegant nonsense. Thousands Of
dollars were taken in In exchange for re-
membranes for dear ones. to be hidden
away until the morning of the happy dav.
The postoffice ard tho express company
always have rush during the week pre-
oeding Chri 'tmas. The usual number Of
packages is doubled, trebled and eve QUAD
rupled, and the mails are made the recepta-
cles for odd and mysterious lcoki g pack
ages OF eli weights and sizes. A
MORNING NEWS reporter who
dropped into the postotfice yesterd ~
during the busy hours found the money
order clerk making Out orders as fast as he
could write them, with string of Leople
waiting at the window to be Served as taeir
turn came. The money was going for
Christmas presents chiefly. The registry
clerk was in a rush also, AMI the stamp sales
were very heavy.
Agent Cooper says it seems to bs all
the go for everybody in this part
of the country to seAd their frie ids
elsewhere boxes of oranges. Everyone
that goes to Florida, he says, thinks it is the
proper thing to compliment his friends up
the country with q box of oranges or grape
fruit. Thousands of b0xen ID half boxes
of oranges are going through here by ex-
press now. The number of packages by ex-
press is also largely increased. especially OF
valuable articles.
The MORNING NEWS reporter took a tour
through the market TO see how the Christ
mas supply was. Inspector Desvergers WAS
on hand, and said that the supply Of meats
is large and very fine. Some very fine cold
storage beef had just been placed upon the
market, he said. One carload was par
ticularly fine. He didn't know but what the
cold storage company might be d ing this for
an advertisement, though. He also pointed
out soroe very fine Chatham county raised
beef at the stall of c. T. Cooper. This beef
was fattened in the pea field. Mr.. Cooper
planted fifty acres in peas this summer, and
when he got ready to fatten his cattle ne lust
turned them right in on it. Epicures pre-
fer beef fattened in this manner to the
western beef. as the flesh is finer gr.ia ed
The supply of fish on the market il small
but fine. There are sumo young shad from
the st. Johns river, Florida, sea trout.
speckled trout, and kiad or hybrid trout
which is believed to be cross between the
salt water and the fresh water trout, a few
black fish and other more common varie-
ties.
There is some game on the market, par
tridges. doves and ducks, but not in any
quantity, the game being nearly all taken
by the hotels and restaurants, which con-
sumo large quantities nov. A few wood
cock were offered at IS cents per pair.
The usual winter supply of vegetables is
on the market, onions, turnips, radishes,
cauilfi lwer and spinach, but the supply wa
not very large nor was there mucn variety.
Christmas day will be observed as holt
day, as usual, il the city.
The public Offices will be closed P7st-
master Doyle says he wishes the employees
of the postoffics to have as much of q holi-
day as possible, ana for that reason the
postotfice will be closed after 10 o'clock in
tue morning for the day. The usual III rn-
ing deliveries and collections will he made
pre- VioUS TO that hour