The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1891-10-17
THEY SAY ''LET THE GOOD WORK GO ON
Merchants Are Unanimously In Fav-
or of Its Permanence.
Some of Them Favor a Merchants
Week Near Christmas Time.
The Last Carnival of Trade Left
Thousands of Dollars Here.


have been had the weather been c,oar -,
the week, can only be guessed. Whether or
not equal dement, might have been derived
from three more days added to the three inst
passed. OF course. can only be conjectured.
AS Will be seen, opinions differ on that
point.
Mr.. Manson G. Larrabee was the first man
called upon. "How did it effect Won pn was
the question asked him. 81 never had sncb
trade but once before since went into bns,-
ness" ne replied. ''as had yesterday" Mr..
Larrabes was standing In the basement of
MS store near pile of shoulder-capes. He
said: Il came down here yesterday morn
Ing for minute and found so many people
here that 1t was five o'clock when / GOT
away to 90 up stairs. 1 never did such a
business but once before. On one Of the
days OF that great assignee's sale year ago
my sales were about $40 more than they
were yesterday. believe In Merchants
week first, last and all the time. / think It
has done thousands of dollars good this
time. and think we ought to arrange for
another somewhere near Christmas"
w. 9. Ware. manager of the Standard
clothing Company, and one of the leading
projectors of Merchants week. said that his
business was good all the week. 1t started
IN well Monday and kept up to the time of
the Interview. He thought the success of
the institution was assured. and that as 1t
was pushed more and more, year by year,
| greater good would result. He said that the
whole Grand Trunk country up to the Cana
da line ought to be covered by the Mer-
chants week advertising as the people there
were all disposed to come to Portland IL they
could. Mr.. Ware thinks that an autumnal
fair, such as Is held In st. John annually,
and such as used to be held here before the
State Fair moved to Lewiston. would be of
| great advantage In drawing people in and
letting them know what nice city we
have. ~
Mr.. B. F. Haskell Of Haskell g. Jones, did
not notice much Of boom during tina week,
but as he expected none, he was not disap-
| pointed. The customers of this firm buy
what they want when they want 1t regardless
/ OF the railroad fares. Several of the firms
out-of-town customers came in, however, in
stead of writing as they generally do.
1t was such people as these who made
business good at the hotels and restaur ants,
Proprietors of these establishments general :
ly report an increase Ia diners, although a
few did only an average business.
Loring, Short & Harmon did a good
weeks business with out-of-town people in
books. stationery and wall papers
The Atkinson store is so large and COM
Dimes SO many things. all under one roof,
that there is tremendous volume of bust
ness.going on all the time. This was
doomed good deal by the Merchants
week. but hurt somewhat, Mr.. Searle thinks.
by the Topsham fair. The managers Of the
company are heartily in sympathy with the
movement and would like to Ehave it made
permanent, the understanding to be general
throughout the state that once a year at
least, there would be special advantages Of
fered to persons desiring to do shopping in
Portland. Mr.. Searle favors harvest festi-
val for next year.
Mr.. Charles Il. Redlon of Ira F. Clark C
Co., said that his business had never been
better Than during the past week. The only
| thing that troubled him was that there was
not whole week. BE thought that another
at Christmas would be a good thing. SIN
fact" said he, II would like to see low rates
all the time to people who want to do bust
ness here. think 1t would bring in extra
| travel enough to make up the difference"
One reason for the success of Mr.. Redlon's
merchants week can be found in the base
ment. where he has been serving first class
coffee TO his customers all the week.
MIR. e. ID. Eastman Of Eastman Bros. &
Bancroft, said that the week was an unQual-
flied success as it was. With fair weather
and whole week 1t must have been much
better. Mr.. Eastman was not lear as to the
advisability of having another merchants
wrek at Christmas. He thought that trade
was generally pretty good then without any
assistance.
"How did they use you?.' the reporter
asked f. r. Harrington who has done as
much as any man to make the carnival of
trade success. "A No. l." he replied "Our
trade was way up all the week, although
Tuesday was our best day. I like the idea
of another Merchants Week before Christ
mas" sss%e
John E. Greene. Of Wyer Greene & Co.,
said that the shoe business was good all the
week except when it rained, "and then," in
terrupted Mr.. DAVIS. his clerk, "the rubber
goods this week and mostly to out of town
| people. There's bundle" pointing to one
near by. shat has S15 worth Of shoes in 1t.
| going to Bangor, we lshouIdn't have said
day was the bests "They were all good.
| Why, every customer we have had for the
last hour today was from out of town. Mr..
Greene thought that the idea of another week
near rt me 3 holidays s1 as. was we good one I'VE
up the best we know how and then get low
rates on the railroads; If we do we shall
nav nave great success know. because people
IKE TO go where there Is good deal to choose
from where they can without paying too
much for fare.
Two Of the Rines Brothers, David T. and J.
Henry, were asked their views. Mr.. David
Rines, who has charge of the cloak depart
ment of the store says he had all the business
he could handle. He Is sure that Merchants
Week Is successful and ought to be made q
permanent institution. Mr.. j. Il. Rines who
Is In charge down stairs agreed with his
brother as to the success. He thinks that
not to need any artificial stimulant. but still
has no doubt but that benefit would be de-
| rived from 1t.
Mr.. George C. Owen, of Owen, Moore &
Co., says that so far as his firm Is concerned
Merchants Week far exceeded their ex-
pectations. Concerning the project Of hav-
Ing another at Christmas, he says there is
danger Of making them too common, that
the benefit will be lost
Frank w. Stockman, Esq, who is the firm
Of W. l.. Wilson & Co., did good business.
He is opposed to the idea of Merchants
Week at Christmas. As he understands 1t,
the idea of the thing Is to bridge over the
dull times In the fall and spring. not to turn
In crush of trade at naturally very busy
time Of the year.
Mr.. George 81. Griffen, the jeweler, says
be did not think much about Merchants
Week, never imagining that 1t meant him at
ALL He says he has had a great many straeg-
ers In his store during the week, all intent
upon buying something, and he is q complete
convert to the institution. He thinks low
rates should be arranged for during the holt
Gays to head off the Maine trade that now
goes to Boston.
MI j. w. d. Carter. of Carter Brothers,
WAS Oh similar mind with Mr.. Griffen before
the week began, but like him too is a con-
vert. The firms sales are handsomely above
last weeks and weeks previous.
| The best display of overcoats tn he found