Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-12-17
CHRISTMAS GIFTS.
MANY PRESENTS BEING PROCURED,
AND PROSPECTS BRIGHT.
stores All Present . Gala Appearance and
Are Daily rhronged with Multi
tudc Of shoppers.

presents ana refbtmOfancea' """S
are made glad, and good cheer Is freeiy
distributed throughout the land
Never did the stores OF Richmond pre-
sent a grander spectacle nor wider
field for Christmas shopping than they
do this year. and the perplexIng question
Is not What can ! getY' but what
shall I selectr' As Christmas draws on
apace this question becomes the all
absorbing topic Of conversation.
Parents, as they sit around the home
fire, discuss with each other their views
as TO what would most please the chill
dren. and the children themselves snugy
tucked I'm bed. are dreaming OF Santa
Claus. and even at this early date have
prepared their stockings and ventured
many prophecys on the presents they are
likely TO receive.
LARGE STOCKS OF PRESENTS.
The merchants of this city, notwlth-
standing the evil effects predicted by
the pessimist from the panIcs which pre-
vailed throughout the year. have laid M
a large stock Of Christmas gifts, In TACT
enough to supply every man. woman
and child in the state with half a dozen
or more presents each, and have thou
sands left over.
II is profoundly interesting TO stroll
dawn Broad street from Adams 10 Ninth
and view the exqulsltely dressed show
windows. and the vast army OF shoppers
both male and female, who flock In and
out of the stores
Inside the various stores. the abundance
from which 10 select Is fairly bewilder-
ing and more than one prospective pui-
chaser. who has entered these emporiums
firmly intent upon making a purchase.
has left without 80 doing simply from
the fact that he or she, as the case
might be- was unable 10 select from the
great variety OF presents what would
be most suitable for the friend 10 Whom
1t is intended to make gift.
ENORMOUS BUSINESS EXPECTED.
The merchants one and all are antici-
pating brilliant results from the hoiday-
business this year. and the large stocks
laid In by tnem are accounted for by this
fact Already the stores have done well
but the ineXhaustible supply has hardly
rs yet been touched Certainly there ls
no danger of ones not being able TO ind
what is wanted.
Christmas-cards, which were SO much
i'm vogue few years back. have been
entirely discarded, and TO send one OF
these to a friend is now considered al
most ia the nature Of an offence. Small
prettily-framed etchings are now the iad.
and it is safe 10 predict that many or
these will be distributed In lieu OF the
! cards OF former days.
The quantity OF silver and jewelry
which IL being sold at astonishingly cheap
prices has proved a veritable bonanza
10 many purchasers, and judging from
the number OF people who daily flock TO
these sales, a vast amount Of Jewelry VIII
be given Christmas
Card-cases, jewelry. and toilet-cases,
mOuchoir- boxes, and. in fact any quaint
~ Of the same presents which have been
popular as gifts from time immemorial
are 70 be found on sale I'm all the stores,
and they find ready purchasers.
Toys for the little ones abound on al
sides. The toy stores are laden with
pretty tricks Of every description, and in
the large dry-goOds stores whole floors
sre given up 10 this branch or trade.
with each Christmas come new toys,
which the inventive genius Of the New
Highlander has produced. Mechanical toys
Of all kinds are to be seen. Talking-dolS'
automatic Ferris wheels, merry-go-
rounds, and a number of new games Tor
the amusement OF the children are among
the latest things
These are destined to be scattered broad
cast among the children OF the city, and
although at the time they are presented
they are heagtily appreciated, before tho
new year had fairly started a vast ma
jorlty OF the3e are either destroyed or 80
badly damaged az to make them WORTH
less, even as plsy-things.
THEY REVEL IN PRESENTS.
As one strolls down Broad street in
front Of every window whore toys are dis
played may be seen groups of delighted
children eagerly discussing the merits ana
dement's Of the pretty dolls. tea-sets,
carriages, pianos, and In fact thousand
and one articles made for their especial
amusement. Their appreciatiye powers
are evidently qulckened as Christmas
draws nigh. and visions OF SANTA Claus
and the gifts which he is going to bestow
with so lavish hand fit through their
| heads.
Dolls are always the most acceptable
gifts 10 small children, and II Is estimated
that there are In the stores In Richmond
to-day not less than 10000 doll-babies.
These, as they lie spread out on the
counter, some Of them attired In magniil-
cent costumes present a picture which
average grown person. and conjure up
many tender recolectiOns Of childhood and
Christmases which have long since lapsed
into oblivion.
HOW THEY SHOP.
The manner in which different people
shop would furnish data for volumes.
Women, the more experienced shoppers
usually, go about this business In busl-
ness-like manner. They make up their
minds long before Christmas exactly
what they can afford TO spend for Christ
mas gifts and this amount Is proporiioned
among their different friends Ia truly
Characteristic manner,
After having settled this important ques-
ton they go from store ID store eXainin-
ing everything and purchasing only what
they think Is exactly suitable for the
person for whom It Is intended. II after
having gone the rounds of all the stores
they are unable 10 make their selections
they think nothing of starting fresh and
going over the same ground several times
If necessary.
They always eventuate in getting just
what they want, and for the price they
want e. but whether or not they succeed
I'm getting Just what the recipient of the
present wants is another question.
THE MEN ARE CARELESS
Inc UlOue OF operation hi'PA'A Wy NV
men is far different from that Of the
gentler sex.
They usually defer their shopping until
the last moment. and Chrstmas-eye
night usually finds them lodging in and
| out OF the stores, purchasing one thins
/ here, another there, with no thought
whatever OF the appropriateness Of the
| present, and very little thought OF the
1 cost.
| Notwithstanding the hardshlps OF pur-
| chasing and the many hsrdships that are
| undergone In so doing, not one IS there
who does not experience a feeling or gu
| preme satisfaction in bestowing the pres
| ents thus purchased, and a general feel
! ing OF rejoicing pervades the entire com
munity. effects OF which linger even for
days and weeks after the holidays are
| over.
The vast number OF shoppers this yeaI
betoken a general feeling Of rejoicing FOL
| Christmas-day, and whether over the pro
verbal bowl Of egg-nog or In the family
| pew at church every one II entitled 10 q
happy time. and they Will in all proba