Evening star., 1897-01-29
Evolution of Washington Retail
Trade.

To the Editor of The Evening Star:
The growth of Washington from the
scattered and sparsely peopled town OF
antebellum days. when 1t was derisively
hickman ed the city of magnificent dis
tances," down to the period of its present
magnicence, has brought about many
striking changes other than those of an
outward or surface character. While grand
streets and avenues have been laid out,
beautiful monuments reared and splendid
buildings, public and private, erected. the
business sections of the city have by no
means Jagged behind Where were formerly
small, dark and unnviting shops. now are
found great buildings devoted to the pur-
poses of trade. Buildings whose dimen-
sions, architectural proportions and interior
equipment compare favolably with the best
in other large cities. There has been, too,
a very decided evolution in trade methods
and customs. And in nothing Is this change
mere noticeable than in the more liberal
and enlightened attitude of employers to
those engaged in their service, as well as
to their patrons. The barker or ''puller-
in" has long since been relegated to the
rear, and Washington's enterpristng mer-
chants seek now a wider patronage through
intelligent and liberal use of the columns
of an equally progressive press. A strik-
iLg change from antiquated methods Is
manifested in the matter of shorter busi-
hess hours, the really Wideawake merchant
of today prefarring a short but active days
business to the long gdrawn-out and drowsy
custom of former years, when the ground
floors were used for store purposes, while
those above constituted the living rooms
of the proprietor, whose clerks. usually few
in number, were members of his household.
One need not be a member of the associa-
tion of oldest Inhabitants" to be able to
recall the time when Washington retail
tys of the week from daylight until ., 10,
IL or even later, and on Saturdays until
midnight. In the case of nearly all leading
houses this is happily all done away with,
and the employees of the retail stores, es-
pecially since the successful 6-o'clock clos
ing movement, which began three years
ago, are now enabled to enjoy such a meas
ure Of freedom for social intercourse and
sel1-culture as must inevitably fit them
all the better for the intelligent and vigor-
Gus discharge of their daily duties. There
remains but one relic of the olden time
that Is the custom of keeping the stores in
certain lines open until II o'clock on Satur-
day nights the year round. Even this last
lingering reminder of past customs is
gradually giving way before modern ideas
and up-to-date methods, and both mer-
chant and customer are coming to look
upon late Saturday night buying and sell
ing as having 10 proper place in the busi-
ness operations of today So much, indeed,
nave business operations been concentrated
- ehiS@OoiSieA ana SO greatly
Saturday night sales fallen of, 'inat ,nany
OF the merchants are, now discussing the
question, Does it pay 10 keep open so late
on the last day of the week?' Considering
the fact that scarcely anything is done
after y or 930 o'clock, many of those best
Qualified to judge are of opinion that IT
would be an excellent thing all around II
the stores were closed at . or not later
'han 9:3o O'Clock on Saturday nights. thus
saving the useless expense of lights. &c.
necessary to longer hours. While a few
demur to the adoption Of this rule for the
Wnole year there seems to be pretty gen
eral concurrence in the opinion that IT
would be not only desirable. bu. entirely
practicable during what are known as the
dull months. This plan sls long been in
operation in mos; of the leading cities
such as New York, Philadelphia, Pitts5urg.
&C. ara 1t may be accepted as a foregone
conclusion that Washington business men
are not going to be behind in the adoption
OF anything which tends to moderuize husi
ness and rid it Of customs which have 1one
since become obsolete IN other enliphteneS
'oi''i''1iities- SALESMAN