The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-04-29
DECORATION AS AN ART.
II Is Excmplified In tho Store of Sic.
becker and Watkins.

becker and Watkins.
Siebecker & Watkins have just COM
pleted the remodeling Of their new
store, 406 Lackawanna avenue. and II
can now truly be said to be one of the
largest. most complete and best APP
pointed business houses in Northeast
ern Pennsylvania.
Five entire floors are devoted to their
business. one for each department. In
the basement Is the department where
the linOleums, oil cloths, window
shades and the like are displayed and
fitted. On the first floor Is the tapestry
and curtain department. The second
floor contains the carpet department.
Rugs and mattings take up the whole
Of the third floor. On the fourth floor
are the work rooms where two corps OF
ladies are constantly employed. the one
fitting and sewing carpets. the other
attending to the tapestries and cur
talns. A passenger and freight eleva-
tor operated by an electric dynamo
makes communication between the dif-
ferent departments q matter Of ease.
Nothing more attractive in the way
of business house display can be i'm
agined than the ground floor as 1t is at
present arranged. First of all to at
tract the attention is the immense win
dow, Sxl7h. claimed to be the second
largest In the state Of Pennsylvania.
More attractive still, however, Is the
display behind it. Two completely and
luxuriously furnished rooms are shown,
one a parlor effect, the other a library.
The wealth Of rugs, carpets, tapestries
and curtains, with sufficient harmon
ious furniture and bric-a-brac to carry
out the intended effect, cannot but fill
with delight the heart of a woman OF
decorative taste and man, no matter
how unappreciative he may be In mat
ters of this kind, will stop to survey
and admire the beautiful picture which
the settings present. The window
decorations are under the personal su-
pervision of MIR. Watkins and will be
made a permanent feature.
On entering the store one hesitates
before proceeding through the maze of
curtains and tapestries that are hung
parallel with the avenue in tasteful
arrangement the whole length of the
store from front to rear. Everything
in this line which trade demands and
Of variety in price and style to suit
every purse and taste can be found on
this floor.
A picturesque stairway in keeping
with the artistic interior adds not a
little to the general attractiveness Of
the place. BY this the second floor will
he quite as often reached no doubt as
by the elevator, for 1t Is inviting by rea-
son of its design and decoration. At
the head of this stair one Is struck with
the contrast as compared with the floor
below. Above Is a monotonous metallic
ceiling broken only by a sky-light in
the center: below is the unbroken
stretch Of smooth, polished floor: the
sides Of the hall add to the monotony by
contributing rows upon rows Of carpet
rolls the back of the carpet, of course,
turned out, and thereby by reason of
the sameness Of color loaning their
small share to the rather unpicturesque
view. This department. however. is not
supposed to be pretty. 1t Is arranged
with u view to convenience and adapt
ability and in these 1t Is as much to be
admired as any department Of the store.
There are miles Of carpets piled up here
and thousands of dollars are repre-
sented in them, which. when considered.
makes the department bear u peculiar
interest,
The third floor has a profusion of
rugs and mattings tastefully arranged
along the walls and Is quite as attrac-
tive as the main floor. Some of the
rugs are very costly and show 1t even
to the untutored eye. Visitors to the
store should not fail to see this de-
partment.
Messrs. Siebecker and Watkins are to
be congratulated upon their aggressive
ness In giving to the city so complete
and extensive store. That they will
command a patronage which their push,
experience and business reputation
coml..sds goes withoutNsaying.