The Monmouth inquirer., 1897-03-18
OUR NEW YORK LETTER.
Sample Shoe Stores and Their Patrons,
A Twenty Story Club Building
For Women-A Plays Story.


in this city, outside OF the residents of
the lower sections of the extreme east
side, who are aware of the existence Of
the sample shoe stores. 1t seems incom-
prehensible that these places should be
able to make living for the reason
that they sell only sample shoes, and as
these never come in pairs the purchaser
must look about and get the nearest APP
proach to mates that he can find. Some
times the resemblance happens to be so
great that the shoes would pass ordinary
muster, and again they are so unlike
that the feet of the wearer at once become
the most conspicuous portion OF his per-
sonality. Still, there is a reason for the
existence of the sample shoe stores and
that reason, as might be supposed, is
the price at which the wares are sold.
In most cases it is about one third what
the goods would bring at the regular
establishments To the very poor this
is an important consideration and one
for which they are usually willing to
make some sacrifice in the matter of ap-
pearances. Shoes which if they were
mates would sell for about $5 pair
often go in these places for about 81 to
$3.50. AS they are of fine quality and
wear we'll the economy is obvious.
The Price of Bicycles.
Each year at the beginning of the cy-
cling season it is the fashion for the
manufacturers of wheels to announce
with a great flourish Of trumpets that.
the price of their product will remain
at such and such figure and that they
never cut under any circumstances.
This is all very pretty, but experience
has demonstrated that so many persons
are attracted to the manufacture of BIZ
cycles by the rumors of the enormous
fortunes made in the business that the
cutting does in reality begin before the
season has got very old. This does not
apply to a few Of the old established
firms, who are able to hold their wheels
if they do not succeed in selling them
at the list figures, but to those who
have not sufficient capital to make up
for the lack of reputation of the, in
most cases, unknown wheel, and before
they are able to get recognition for their
product they are often compelled to
make sweeping reductions to keep the
sheriff from the door.
A comparatively large dealer told me
the other day that the cutting of prices
for 1897 had already begun and that he
had purchaseda lot of very good wheels
at figure at which he felt confident
the makers must have lost good deal
of money, but they needed the funds
and he took advantage of their necessi-
ties. The same dealer is authority for
the prediction that the present season
will see more of this sort of thing than
the two last seasons put together
A Club Building For Women.
It begins to look as though the long
talked of club building for women
would some day be reality. The prof.
ect contemplates the erection of 20
story edifice, which will be cut up into
apartments for the sole benefit of those
members of the gentler sex who do not
believe that their sex is the gentler one
at all-now therel No male person will
be permitted to reside within the sacred
confines of the building or even to have
an office in it, A restaurant and all of
the conveniences usually to be found in
we'll appointed apartment house of
the better class will be provided, and it
is the opinion of those who ought to
known about such matters that the
scheme is perfectly feasible from every
standpoint, including the pecuniary
one There is at any rate no doubt
whatever that there are enough women
in this city who would like such home
to make it successful, unlessst the restric
tions imposed are of such nature as to
arouse resentment, with the consequent
loss of patronage. Especially is this true
of the thousands of women who have
come here to earn a living from every
corner of the country and who have no
relatives sufficiently near to them to
warrant them i'll considering their abode
as q home. OF course, no one whose
character is not above suspicion will be
admitted, and the place will be an emil
nently respectable one. 1t is interesting
to know that the plans for the projected
building and all of the estimates for 1t
were made by women. The superintend-
ent and all of the officers will be wom-
en-, and the only members of the sterner
sex who will be allowed to earn liv-
ing in the establishment will be the
firemen and engineers.
The Story of "Jim the Penman."
The revival of the once phenomenally
successful play, Jim the Penman, J"
in this city about ten years after its
original production here is matter OF
more than ordinary interest This ster-
ling play; which is one of the best of
the type of clean society drama ever
seen in this country, was written by Sir
Charles Young of London. His friends
were all confident that there would be
no difficulty i'll finding a manager to
produce it. Bit the friends were mis-
taken, as they usually are, and no one
could be found in London who was
willing to risk dollar. Then Sir
Charles came to this city with the man
uscript and after visit to each of the