Waterbury evening Democrat., 1892-11-29
CHINESE CHEAP FooTaEAR.
Wealthy San Francisco Women Who Buy
 Their Shoes in Chinatown.

hearny. A small sign was nunS OuIS and it was not long before people com menced to flock thither. They found that they could obtain shoes at far less than the prices demanded by white dealers, and apparently of fully equal quality. The news quickly travelled, and before long the quiet but astute Chinaman saw his trade pick up. To one who has not heard of this place it would be astonishing to see the number of stylishly dressed ladies who are reg ular patrons of the store. Despite the character of the surroundings, many drive to the place in their carriages, and at any time of day one may drop in there he will be sure to find it crowded with apparently refined women and children.
 This is not the only store now, al- though it was the first. A few months later another firm on Sacramento street. which had previously manufac- tured shoes in large quantities for the wholesale trade, seeing the success of the initial experiment, decided to open a retail department also, and this was soon followed by still another one on Clay street
 Of them all probably the store on Sac LdlllSlIO SII OCG lo IA1C lhOoO 1ISS1y AIIGl up, and carries the largest and most complete stock. The proprietors con- fine themselves entirely to fine kid shoes for both sexes. The store is quite large, well lighted, and ventilated as thor oughly as any American establishment, there being nothing to offend the most fastidious in outward appearance.
 Its arrangement is on the usual plan Al. zl.- seats for the customers to sit while having their shoes tried on are in the center of the room, and the stock is neatly arranged around the walls. There is glass case also in which to exhibit very fine work, and the sales men are all yellow-faced, almond-eyed Chinamen, although Americans in their dress. They speak English remarkably well also, and are quite as polite and agreeable and patient with their pat rons ns any white salesman, and much more so than some. To be sure, some squcamish persons might object to sec ing their wives and daughters feet and ankles paved over by the Chinese sales men, but the customers do not appear to object, and if they do not, why, who should? Many of the customers, how ever, appear a little shamefaced, and take their seats in a part of the store where an upright showcase prevents them from being visible to passers-by in the street, while if Q male customer in- trudcs he is received with anything but friendly glances from the ladies, though welcomed by the salesmen. ssSsa
 The shoes in this establishment are as stylish in cut and fit and in the quality
 1..1 G--.. T., .l.A s~. fashionable downtown store for twice the money. The result has besn, of course, to draw large class of custom CTS from the American esta tablishments. Although this store is in Chinatown and has not been long open, the owners have found it necessary to make an ex- tension at the back to accomm Oda to their rapidly growing trade. The clerks are always busy, with many people waiting to be attended to. The other day fifty well-dressed and stylish-ap- bearing ladies were counted in the store place speaks English well and is most affable. He said that he had gone into the retail trade only as an experiment to see whether it would pay or not, and that he did not expect he would have so many customers as he had. Wher | asked how it was that they sold their | goods for so much less than they can be bought elsewhere he replied that he sold his shoes at retail for only trife more than at wholesale prices, and that the difference they realized lay in re- ceiving for retail sales cash, while al wholesale they were obliged to give l credit
 The factory is situated right above l the store, and dozens of Chinamen are kept busily employed. The machinery l is all of the latest, and is run entirely | by electricity. It is large, airy place l with plenty of windows-quite different from the small, lily ventilated rooms the Chinese usually work in-and the proprietor is quite proud of this fact.
 Only shoes of fine quality are made here, and the material is certainly tho equal of that used in any of the Ameri can fine shoes They import their owr fine kid from France, and the rest come:
 from the east direct from the manufac 1 turcrs
 The people who are patronizing tn, | Mongolians are not, as might be sup
 posed, the Ia boring class or those alway
 on the hunt for bargains, but many O
 the most wealthy and fashiona ble mem
 bers of society, and the extent to whicl
 the trade has grown may be judged
 when the Sacramento street store wa
 obliged, after building on an addition
 to the place, to put partition in on
 end on hinges so as to throw it all int
 one immense room to accommodate tn,
 fifty and often more ladies who happel
 to be in the place at one time. It may
 not seem to some ladies a pleasan
 thing to have a Chinaman trying or
 ones shoes, but after all he is only
 man, as are the clerks in all shoe stores , even if of different color and race, ant
 when he is found to be as neat and DC
 lite and attentive as any white sales
 man, and a great deal more particuia
 and deferential than many What diff
 ference do es it make, especially whe
 from two to three dollars can be save on each pair of shoes bought?-Sar