The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-12-21

ing with every weakness, the store windows
alone are eloquent and valuable pictures,
Money?
At least you can enjoy the store-wi ndows
without money.
Fair ard free.
Night aud day.
Fair and free
Is the Kings highway.
So runs the old song and fair and free"
are tee magnificent window shows along
San FTancisc0'S sidewalks to-day.
Christmas is coming and purse-strings
and heart-slringS are being simultaneously
relaxed.
Look at that crowd Of tired-lookBg ladies
thronging into the ears.
They have been ransackiDg the stores,
sorting out Christmas presents for father,
mother, husband, brother, sweetheart, Sis
ter. son, daughter. uncle, aunt, cousin,
nephew, niece. friends.
Every year there is tide OF new things"
which sweeps up upon the Christmas coun-
ters and oveTflows al the windows. These
ladies, with whltey-brown parcels and a
quiet look Of triumph, have been garnering
lis precious fiOtsam and jetsam.
Some without bundles but with flushed
look of pleasure have been merely looking
in the windows.
and poor.
If YOU are dull take walk down the main
thOroughfares aud look IN at the windows.
You will find it stimulating.
Try il.
What picture each show window pre-
sents.
What wealth of color. glittering sheen.
artistic arrangement. busting life. odd eff
fects-all challenging attention aud almost
compelling admTationl
Each window, little world of its own,
offers only its Specialties, aud blabs pretty
secrets of the capital and worldly wisdom
of its owner.
Sec what blaze of diamonds and chased
devices of the gold and silver smiths at the
jewellers. The dainty, rich paironessss in
their costly furs seem irTesistibly drawn
thither, and are toying with the precious
gewgaws with strange volupiuous delight
in The mere handling and gazing
Outside the crowd pauSes TO admire and a
rough voice is overheard TO comment:
BLACK Bart would like the lingering of
some OF that truck now, wouldn't hep"
Window after window appears TO move
by in grand panorama of temptations.
Specially notable aud novel is the general
use at night OF dazzling electric, ineanfes-
cent globues, which are of all eolOTs and
can DO moved around so as to produce the
most brilliant effects.
Science has been Impressed into the SER
vice of the stores in every way.
Here is a crowd around clock work
figure, that smokes a cigarette. performs
juggling faats or merely moves his head and
limbs with jeTky ''clockwork iness"
supremacy cOmical.
Here is another crowd round a great tab
leau appropriate TO the Christmas season.
The crowd will remember these incongruous
elements, so arttstically lumbled together,
and will be likely 90 como 10 here TO buy.
North and south, east and west, it is the
same tale. variety and care in exhibition.
Here is a crafty vendor CT dry-gOods.
Although he deals in every form OF fab
ric, be devotes the entire space OF his win
dows TO one sDeciaIty-lace handkerchiefs.
The place is like a cobweb palace, and Ii
evidently takes with the feminine throng
peering through the glass.
That merchant plainly believes in "fea-
lures" and his neighbOrs have decided TO
follow suit, for one has given up his win
dow altogether to "0ur 81 shirt" and an
others show snaee is ablaze with station
cry of one peculiar hue LABELED Fashion
able"
the stores
See how the children are besiegi ng the
toy emporiums. pressing queer ltt.s snub
noses against the glass aud ogling the big
dolls.
A dollar or two might be well spent south
of Market street by some man who would
rejoice the heart OF some Of these longers.
quarter applied here aud there would
give these hungry gaZers all they want In
the world, and the giver would be richer Tor
the deed.
Christmas eatablesl
Candies in bewidering variety In the
FrPnehiest boxes.
Great joints of rudy meats. smoked
hams, turkeys. cakes, fancy crackers, gro-
eeries, in such quantities and qualities as
never before.
They are all praEked up. too. in Christ
mas garb, which, maybe. lends an extra
glamour 20 their fascinating look.
HOlly-berries, mistletoe, smilax chains
are aiding the spell of associations ties
and Frightening up these grand free shows
for the people.
Great stacks of Christmas trees cumber
the sidewalks, and golden oranges and
other misunderstanding fruits I'll tile mar
kets.
People hardly realize that they live right
in the focus OF Pacific Coast trade.
If they lived in the Mojave desert, or even
in some out-of-the-way hamlet, there would
be some excuse for not going shopping.
But in San Francisco
Why, our one railroad is making its
astute manipulatOrs richer than the late jay
Gould simply by bringing us Eastern novel
ties. The stately ships that brave the
Horn. the busIness-iike steamers from the
Orient are all slaves of the San Francisco
stores.
You never looked at them in that lightp
Mop Why there are thousands Of people
living In the country who come into San
francisco every year abont Chrstmas-tiine
just 10 do shopping.
Now Is the time when most of the stock
receives thorough tuIning-over in stores,
and treasures forgotten or believed obsolete
are dragged to light and become centers of
attraction.
Now Is the time when the weary salesman
or saleswoman expects by extra hours OF
work to reap little extra harvest in larger
checks or commissions.
Now Is the time that extra hands are
taken on in all the large stores, and break
ages among the fragile goods handled by
inexperienced fingers are OF common oc-
currence.
But the merchant and the public care
nothing. only exchanging smiles This is an
exceptional time.
Many store drags on humdrum exist
ence all the year, sn,pl to blossom out for
the Christmas season into universal popu-
larlty.
Special advertisements in the papers aid
this curious blaze of popularity. and then
the aspect OF the store is generally another
advertisement.
Position also helps 10 enrich the store
Keeper at Christmastide
III you live in the Mission, or at North
beach, or 10 the Western Addition you are
not gong to slight your local stores, which
you see oy the papers carry just exactly the
goods you require
When you know You can buy book for
MAUD and slippers for Tom Just as well
ROUND the corner you viii not trouble TO 90
downtown for them, will you?
NeyeriheIrss, the great stores, with their