The Durham daily globe. (Durham, N.C.) 1889-1894, 1891-12-31
BJYi@6 WEDDING RINGS.
Most Young People Are Very Matter al
Fact When Choosing the Band.

: Mast Young People Are Very Matter of
Fact When Choosing the Band.
Just think of It. One jewelry store on
! the Bowerv claims TO sell over 400 wed
ding rings ayear. Aud yet We hear the
CIV that men are nos marrying" If
! one out of tie many stores that supply
these golden letters of matrimony al
/ dispose of such u number within a year,
| what must the sales amount TO when ali
those that are supplied by other firms
are added:
Surely somebody's getting married.
Down on the BOwery. near Grand
street, there hangs a golden hoop large
enough to marry all the brides on that
side Of town. 1t is hung above a jew
! elrv store, and car be seen as we'll from
the elevated road as from the sidewalk.
1t was from the window Of a down town
/ train that | first caught sight of it. \
| Young country looking couple that sat
near by also noticed the giantlike emblem
Of wedlock, and l heard the girl whis-
per, ''Oh. Willie. there's where we got
our ring But Willie didn't look until
the car had passed the store; then he
raised his eyebrows a litCle and said. Il
see indifferently, and turned again to
the paper he had been peruSing. The
girl bit her lips and looked down at the
gold band upon her unglOved hand.
At the next station I left the train and
visited the store where Willie had
bought the ring. One Of the statesmen
said, in nsWer to a question, There
isn't as much sentiment i'll the business
as one might suppose. By the time the
happy couple arrive here they have got
beyond the blushing stage of heart
disease. and they buy the ring in the
most matter of fact way. Sometimes
the man and woman come together, but
usually the gentleman comes alone to
get the ring.
DO women ever select and pay for
their own wedding rings: Not very
often, although there was a lady here
last week who did 50. When a couple
come III together the mar picks out a
ring and asks his friend if it will do,
and she invariable answers Yes Then
he pays for it, and that's all there is
about it,"
"What size Of ring is usually re-
quired:" | asked. In this part Of the
city" replied the practical salesman.
from six and q quarter to seven are the
usual sizes; but they run smaller up
town on Broadway"
Upon the counter he then placed two
trays containing wedding rings. Some
Of them appeared too large for any finger
but that Of Il giant; Yet it happens
times that these are not large enOughfor
q would be purchaser. It is customary
among the Germans for both the man
and ma to buy d ring and make a
mutual gift on the wedding day.
The price Of Il wedding ring on the
BOwery range from eight to twenty
five dollars, the average price being ten
Or fifteen dollars. In style, the old fash
toned plain round circle is generally pre-
ferTed, because it is as comfortable in
the dishpan as in the drawing room, and
the sentimental little wife need never
take it off for fear Of its being spoiled.
When asked how long it usually took
to purchase Il wedding ring, the sales
nan laughed and answered that in his
fourteen y~us' experience it bad never
taken q couple longer than half an hOur
to select one, usually ten minutes. The
seems to think it's best to hurry
in the buying, or her escorts mind may
change on the subject.
1--WE have never" said he, "had Il ring
that was bought returned because the
marriage didn't come off. Sometimes Il
gentleman orders a ring made that is too
heavy for the slender finger that is to
wear it, and then he brings it back and
we take off some of the gold. Frequent
ly, too, people bring us old rings to be
melted and made over, but this we re-
fuse to do"
"Why: l asked. because we can
not promise to give them back the salne
gold that they brought us" he answered.
"Of course we sen the article to be
made over to the wOrkmen, but it is
throw into the same crucible as all the
other gold, and who knows after that
which was 'grandmas ring or the 'baby's
spoon; not we. surely.'-New York Ad-
VertiSer