Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1895-12-27
FOR FORTY SEVEN CENTS.
s;An Object Lesson in Cents
Purchasing Power.
II Buys Dress and Hat, Innings, Hair CLOTH
Trimmings, Collars, Guns, Watch and
ALA Bargain-Day Scene
In Chicago.

tanned an object lesson of the pur-
chasing power of one cent. In a
Sunday issue it contained list of
500 articles which could be purchased
for one cent in the big department
stores of Chicago, many of which in
dividually and collectively were for
the personal adjournment of women.
A careful perusal of them led an I'M
initiated man to believe that for the
sum of one dollar woman could al
most clothe herself. So a woman re-
porter for the Tribune was given
that sum OF money on Monday morn
ing and told to visit the one-cent
bargain sales, purchase material for
dress, skirt and hat and report at
the Office as near to six o'clock as
possible. @
AT seven p. m. she walked in at
tired in new gown, new hat. wear
ing watch she had not possessed
before, and, wonder of wonders,
with So cents of the original sum
with which she started.
1t was 9:35 a. m. when she reached
the door of big department store.
One bargainhunter after another
nearly knocked her off her feet as she
made her way to the counter where
the one-cent dress goods were on
sale. A floorwalker, to whom she
made her wants known, engineered
the way through the crowd.
Here, john" said he to sales
man, "show the lady that one-cent
covert cloth on which we are making
a run to-day"
The cloth was a pretty tan and
brown mixture, ard she took eight
yards of it.
Then the journey to the lining
counter.
"Have you any one-cent hair
cloth?" asked she as clerk came
forward to wait on her.
He reached back and took down a
stiff white wiry-looking goods, GER
tainly resembling hair-cloth.
"How many yards?" he asked,
with as little ado as if the price was
an average one.
rs that nice stuff really only one
cent a yard?"
"One cent. How many yards?"
he answered, stolidly.
"And the lining, one cent a
yard, he went on, laying down q
piece of brown cambria. eleven
cents, please"
She fished the required amount
out of her pocket book.
Dress goods eight cents" she
thought while waiting for her check.
Lining and hair-cloth II cents,
dress goods and lining 10 cents"
To another big store she journeyed
this time for thread and buttons.
The buttons were neat metal but
tons, gilt and brown, with strong
shanks and little red sets in the
center. She took two dozen of them
and spool of brown cotton thread,
giving the clerk three cents.
From there she crossed over to
store and bought five yards
Of muslin at one cent yard and five
yards of lace at the same price. !.
These were for the skirt.
Over an hour had been consumed,
and the dress was 10 be made by six
o'clock. She hurried home and
out the stitch on the
sewing machine. Patterns, scissors
and needles were the only things
that talked until four o'clock.
Then o rush was made for the ac-
cessories of the toilet. She made
straight for the ''one-cent" counters
that is, as straight as the crowds
would everywhere permit.
The greatest joke of all was buy
ing the hat.
But again there was a pleasant
surprise in store for her. Out of
many pretty shapes she selected a
little brown turban for one cent.
Three yards Of velvet at one cent
yard, an aigrette, two black wings,
! quill and buckle, total cost seven
cents, were selected as trimming. A
veil was purchased at one cent.
Ditto collar, cuffs, q tie and a hand
xerchief Then the woman's love of
ewelry got the best of her financial
Judgment, and she bought pretty
watch and chain for one cent The
watch is open face, has twelve
1our dial, with hour, minute and
second hands. And it has works"
N it.
~T;poa x,oc Yraciouo CO tho trim