The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-12-20

ness they grow eloquent 1t is a real
pleasure to hear them brag about the good
times that have been here for the past
two or three months. And they all give
their good friends, the soldiers, credit for
it. They say that, without the soldiers
and the government spending their money,
it would have been a widely different
Christmas for them and the people Of Sa-
Vannah generally from that to which they
may now look forward. There will be many
present given this year that would never
have been bought had there not been the
business awakening chat has followed the
coming of the troops.
There is scarcely a comparison TO be
drawn, merchants say, between the bust
ness done on the opening day of the week
before Christmas of last year and that of
yesterday. The latter was incomparably
the greater. This applies 10 all industries
and all manner OF business houses. IN
conversation yesterday with a leading
wholesale merchant, a reporter was tod
that one of the milliners of the city mad
assured him that her business had never
been better than for the past few weeks
She found that many people who would
not have been able to make purchases OF
handsome bonnets did so without hesI-
tancy. They have been benefited by the
presence of the troops. Women whose nus
bands have profited in their business
through dealings with the soldiers or the
government get bonnets. They get them
without having to so through the usual
formula of persuasion and convincing
arguments of the need in which they stand
of the lovely creations of the miliner's
fancy, aided by sundry bits of silk, satin,
beads, flowers and feathers and plumes.
The husbands feel in good spirits, able TO
buy house and lot, things are looking up
so. and they do not care to discuss a tribe
as a So hat.
A grocery dealer is more at peace with
his trade than he has been for long While.
He saws collections are better, business IS
brisker. more people are here to eat what
he sells. and money is being turned loose
more freely than ne has known for years.
Boarding houses and hotels have been tuli
and restaurants have been serving more
people in a day than they formerly served
in two. The result has been that more sup
plies have had to be bought All the gro
GERS probably talk as satisfactorily as this
one.
Dry goods and clothing merchants are
doing excellently well. II is asserted in
fact. that there is not a business IN the
city that has not or will not feel, directly
or indirectly. the benefits that have fol-
lowed from the soldiers being here,
Evidence the Christmas is nearly here
is to be seen in the number of Christmas
that
many of the grocery stores from the
North. These trees, which are spruce
mines usually come by steamer from
Maine. where there is an industry that
supplies the market with them. These
trees seem to be just the proper size and
shape, and being evergreen, they make
excellent Christmas trees. There IS
scent of the forest about them that is as
attractive to the olfactory sense as is the
Nf hn n
eve. Many homes and halls, where Christ
mas parties will be given, will be graced
nv these trees, the prices on which, con-
sidering that they have come from such
a distance, are reasonable, ranging from
rs cents to 81.
The street stands will probably carry
their usual supply of fireworks 1t is not
unlikely that this supply will be even
larger than last year, as the small boy
will feel the effect of the good times and
will be able to get the old gentleman to
open his heart and go down into his
pocket He will readily believe, under
the persuasive eloquence of the boy, that
he has money to burn. That the country
has just emerged wonderfully victorious
from a war; will doubtless stir the youth
full mind to such ardor that the flight OF
the skyrocket and les resounding eXplos-
ion the irresistible shake of the Roman
candle with its vari-colored shots, the
mischievous pop of torpedoes and the ire
mendous roar of the cannon cracker will
ali be necessary to satisfy his idea of the
fitness of things. Then the Park and
Tree Commission is not going to deny the
boys the use of the park for their bon
fires, and this will cause them to invest
in fireworks. One Of the wholesale mer-
chants, who has a vast quantity of fire.
works stored away where the big insur-
ance rates charged will not touch his
stock, said he expects a bigger trade in
them this year than last.