Birmingham state herald., 1895-12-22
ClQnbIGG Bros.
NOTES AND NOTIONS.

It was a fine, busy Saturday yesterday and Birmingham looked at her best, as though there was no war cloud or any other evil portent on her horoscope. The day was clear, mild and breezy. and the streets thronged with shoppers, many of them from suburban and more distant towns, helping to swell the shifting crowds of the Magic City. And the hosts of people were not only seeing all that is to be seen, they were buying and doing business.
 Although last Christmas is remem- bered for an unprecedented large holi- day trade, this year, as near as l could learn from yesterday snatches of conver- sation with merchants, the retail holiday trade will largely exceed that of '94.
 
 There were everywhere more attrac- tive displays of holiday goods, and in some in stances the arrangement of ex- hibits was notably tasteful and artistic Everybody carried large stocks in view of last years experience. Mir. Zack Smith of Smith & Montgomery, booksellers and StationerS, told me the holiday trade thus far was the largest ever known for Birmingham. Giving his own expe- rience. he said his house really could not give the attention desirable to custom CTS, so many were the buyers and so va ried their wants.
 MT. Smith estimates that Birmingham is carrying this year three times the bulk of holiday goods that was in stock last Christmas, and the indications were that the demand would nearly consume the supply.
 I asked what was the nature of the purchases. He replied that buyers in the book line and its kindred goods were not this year, he observed buying anything costly, purchasers seeming more careful than usual to make their dollars go as far and cover as much as possible.
 What kind of literature do Birming- ham folks, as a rule, affect or seem to prefer?
 To this question MT. S. broadly smiled his answer, saying that Birmingham had a good reading appetite and demanded everything palatable that varied literary tastes craVed, and called for the best that the market afforded in books and periodicals. Aside from the holiday trade MT Smith thinks business is lighter than usual, and that this is the experience of our merchants generally. A great deal of what people call their spending money has this year gone into the cofferS of the railroads and to swell the gate receipts of the Atlanta exposition. The stock of miscellaneous books Smith x Montgom- cry are carrying make a vast library in themselves, consisting of between 12,- 900 and 13 900 volumes. It is astonishing too, to what prices these books have de- scended. Books which a few years ago sold for not less than $1.50 now sell for but few cents more than a newspaper; and they cover the whole range of pop ular literature, the figures on them be- ing so low that one doesn't have to have a big income to acquire a good library.
 
 I have talked to a number of real es- tate men. and find that there are some good deals on hand, and with the war agitation out of the way and the holidays over, there ought soon to be some nota- ble transfers to chronicle.
 Speaking of war. by the way, MT. w B. Leedy, a leader in real estate dealing told me he approved of this country do- ing everything but showing the white feather; but war was a very unfortunate thing. He knew from experience. He en- listed as a lad the last year of the war; was captured in the first semblance of a scrap. was thrown into a dungeon and sentenced to be hanged for spy.