The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1897-12-23
johnson City's Big Store in
Holiday Attire.
Gorgeously Decorated and Bril-
Iiantly Illuminated.
1t Presents Gay Appearance And Captlvates
the Public.

dows and doors OF the New York
Racket Store, the biggest store in Up
per East Tennessee, closely boarded |
up. A stresmer across the front bear
ing the following inscription:
*%%*%&%%*%% **&%&*#%#%&%
y CHRISTMAS DISPLAY-WALK IN.
was O satisfactory solution, but was
not sufficient warning to prepare one
for the spectacle within. The adver-
tisements of this enterprising firm in
The COMET have been read with great
interest from week to week and the
people were thus lead to expect some
thing unusual in holiday display, but
the most visionary and those most
familiar with Mr.. Burners way of
surmounting obstacles and furnishing
startling surprises were equally as lily
prepared for the spectacular effect pre-
sented and as greatly pleased with the
effort.
To attempt description of the in
terror would be like writing a fairy
story, for it presented the appearance
Of veritable fairy land. Even the
Goddess of Nature was agreeable or the
genial Racket Store proprietors had
tip from the weather clerk-neither
seems impossible-for the weather
seemed to lend itself to their scheme
and could not have been more favorable
to bring into magnificent complete
ness the happy idea conceived.
All day Saturday it rained, just
slow drizzle, and the clouds hung low
and made the earth dark and dreary-
the very kind of day to drive one in
to a cheerful fire or to strong drink.
Out of sheer curiosity stream of hui
manity poured into the Racket Store
all this day and it is safe to say that
every one was not only pleased with
the visit, but startled by the effect that
first caught the eye. The big room, so
by 100 feet, was mass Of bunting and
electricity, and was in reality thing
of beauty. Imagine the effect on one
being ushered from a damp, dreary
world into the glazing presence of hun
dreds of electric lights making the big
; store several times as brilliant as day.
The draping and lighting showed the
work of q master hand and called forth
all manner of compliments from the
pleased throng. There were 1874 in
candesant lamps and arcs on the first
floor alone arranged in the most
pleasing manner that could be con.
ceived, and hundreds ofyards of bunt.
ing covered the railing around the
balconies and hung in festoons from
the ceiling and crossed and recrossed
the room until the mind became be-
? iwildered looking at the stars and stripes
This with the incendesant lamps, shed
ding their soft light through red, white
and blue globes, made grand spectacle
and almost made one propose three
cheers for cold Glory" The thought
/ of the pension fraud and the Dingley
deficit is all that kept us from doing so
1t should be mentioned in this con
nection that to make this display posi-
BILE it required the running of the cleo
trio plant during the day, and this ex
e pense for week together with that o.
| wiring the store and other incidental
makes sum that would make John
son City newspaper man munifcen
, Christmas gift. It's the first time any
D thing like it was ever undertaken il
Johnson City, and we predict it will b.
many years before it is surpassed, un
less by the Racket Store itself. Fol
days previous the letters ''N. Y. r. s,
. the word leash" and revolving disc
formed of electric lights in colors, have
I greeted the passerby, casting a shadow
q as it were, of coming events, but it faileC
r to indicate to the public what was il
store for it. 1t has been estimated b!
many that the sales for Saturday alon'
g would aggregate 81, 900, and if this gal
8 is continued during the seven days tn
q store will be closed to the world We
open to the individual, the expens
of the display, great as it is, will sinl
into the profits and go out of sight lik
snow fakes on Lake Watausee.
a For this week several statesmen ant
9 salesladies have been added to the polit
). and attentive force whose faces hav
q become identified with Racket Stor
success.
1t is not necessary to say that tn
display is brilliantidea. Its stunne
and will be talked of in every home il
: this section for months, and thus Bru
ner's will be advertised by their lovinI
friends.
This article is necessarily 30 shor
!. that even an attempt to describe tn
goods shown at this emporium in tn
J different departments is precluded. I
!, seems to ms there is everything on
wants from the simplest toy to pleas
the child to the finest carpet to pleas
: the wife and in endless profusion. TIL
} selection of goods seems to haYe bee
Imade with view to supply every wan