New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-09-12
THE FALL OPENING.

September maintains its reputation. III mas
,ivon lis. as It usually does. in its second
week some Of the hottest weather OF the year.
Yesterday and the day before were Gays OF
suffering and WEAKNESS in city and In country;
worst Of all, perhaps, to those who had peeh
persuaded by the cool weather OF week pelore
to return to the city from mountains or shore'
Not a good time one would say. for business
in the great city shops. Yet the hot wave was
from the beginning known to be brief, ana II
caused only the slightest perceptiDle slackehihs
of the mighty rush Of reviying prosperity, now
fully under way. Even in the torrld hours oi
Friday noon and afternoon only glance at the
multitudinous professions on Broadway anu
the other streets and avenues of the shopping
district was needed to convince one that the
fall opening of trade was an accomplished 1act.
The great shops, whose names and wares ana
tempting bargains are made familiar to the
Public through the advertising columns or Inc
Tribune. were thronged each day last week
with purchasers, and the ready exchange or
money for goods showed beyond cavil that the
people were once more able to supply their
wants and were confident enough OF restored
good times to do so on a generous scale.
Nor is that the only index. Advertisements
are themselves a pretty sure one; an infallible
one in such q medium as The Tribune, In when
there is no mere cracking OF blank cartridges
and burning of red fire. but every advertise
ment is a solid shot that unerrlngy strikes the
centre of the target. 1t is not merely the
amount of space filled that tells, but the way
in which it is filled and the character OF the
patronage under whose observation 1t comes
Readers have long since learned that they find
In this journal the advertisements OF the best
houses in all lines Of trade, with which they
can deal with full assurance Of satisfaction;
and business men have equally well learned
that their advertisements in The Tribune I'M
failingly reach the eyes of the best class Of
purchasers in the whole community. The pro-
motion of such trade marks the highest of all
industrial achievements. To what extent 1t is
being promoted and expanded our columns to-
day bear strong witness. They indicate vast
increase of business over that Of year ago
and a steady and rapid increase from week to
week The fine picture given of the crowd of
commerce near the waterfront is photograph
:cally true to life and 1t might have been dupli-
Gated n thousand times at a thousand other
points, and paralleled innumerably. though in
far different guise, along the shopping streets.
BY no means the least impressive feature Of
weeks the burden-a joyous burden-Of the
daily news has been the ascending prices Of
farm products and the rising wages Of working
people. 1t is becoming an era Of high prices
for producers. Yet no such rise In cost to con-
sumers is to be noted. The shops are selling
bewilderingly attractive array Of goods of all
kinds at prices as low as ever. Merchants are
seeking their profits not in Increased prices but
in increased volume Of business. And that
state of affairs realizes the ideal Of popular
prosperity. The purchasing power Of money is
not lessened, while its volume is increased
The people have more money, and they can
buy as much with it. dollar for dollar, as ever
Truly 1t is great fall opening, this; an open
ing of new stocks Of goods in the shops, an
opening Of the Industrial and commercial world
TO increased activity, and an opening of an era
of plenty and prosperity to all the land.