Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1897-12-19
HOLIDAY SHOPPERS
Were Out in Great Force. Laos Issa-
inp-
The Streets Thronged With a 80
Seers and Purchasers -N"e
cent Displays by Retail E
Men--The Rush Will C
the Coming Week.
e Christ
shopping

Thelast Saturday night beforIh on,,i,a
mas was a lively one in retail p-o
circles. ,;s,,, ord
The weather was cool and t snpu, 10
ohiy neeuIu az ~ 49, - ald6rd of
Christmas weather. ~
From morning until midnigf,h r.
tail streets were thronged W. n;orp
pers, both from the city and t. nf tbo
boring towns on the Ohio sie: noo1
river, while many a wagon DAD & FL ~
pie, old and young, came in iron. ID -
purely country districts, and RENAME
until long after dark last evening. And
these visitors were supplemented by
many street cars loaded to their capacl-
ty with holiday purchasers, while the
steam railroads contributed no incon-
siderable quota to the sum total CT the
crowds of purchasers who were in evil
dence during the day and evening.
During the afternoon the throngs
along Main, Eleventh, Market, Twelfth
and other retail streets were notable,
but it was reserved for evening to bring
out the full strength of the shopping
contingent, and from seven O'Clock I'M
til eleven there was a constant jam OF
people about the principal retail stores.
Many merchants were forced 10 put
door keepers on duty to regulate the
crush of would-be purchasers, and in
several instances it was literally lmpos-
sible to gain entrance to places OF busl-
ness until after nine o'clock, or to be
waited upon after enc succeeded in get
ting inside. The volume Of trade must,
of necessity, have been considerable,
yet it was likely less than for the past
several years. due to a variety OF rea-
sens, among others the reduction in
price in most lines of holiday goods,
and the alm0st universal determination
of purchasers to buy cheap" at what
ever sacrifice Of quality or utility.
Many stores did not c,Cse until midnight
last night, and hundreds of tired clerks
did not get to bed until long after mid
night.
tour of the main shopping streets
at eight o'clock last night revealed
about the same crowded condition as
is to be noted annually a week before
Christmas, yet there did not appear to
be the same volume of PURCHASES, if a
judgment might be formed by the num-
Der OF bundles and packages in evil
dence among the throng. The next few
days may change this seeming aspect of
affairs. but it was certainly disappoint
ing last night, from the standpoint of
the mere spectator. That there was
much buying was apparent, but GER
tainly not IS much as usual. The peo-
pie were out, however, and were seeing
all that was to be seen, whether they
expended a corresponding number of
dollars or not.
Tomorrow the rush of holiday shop
pers will commence again, and it Will
doubtless be a busy week with most re-
tailers, and good many thousand dol
lars will be put into circulation.
Many of the leading retail stores new
er looked so we'll, from a spectacular
standpoint, as this year, and unusual
efforts have been made to attract at
tention by magnificent displays of
goods, electric lights, Christmas greens,
and decorations of many forms. A tour
of the streets in the evening is like
walking through a vast exposition, and
the whole is a sight we'll worth seeing.
even if purchases are not contemplated.
Wheeling will be at her best the COM
ing week, and her business men cor
daily invite everyone within radius of
one hundred miles to call and inspect
the displays of Christmas gifts.