The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-11-23
HAS SWOLLEN RETAIL TRADE.
now THE SOLDIERS HAVE PATRON
lied THE LOCAL MERCHANTS.


Not n Branch of Business But Has
Felt the Quickening Influence OF
Their Prescnce-Every Merchant
Acknowledges That He Has Been
Benefited by the seventh Corps
Being Camped Herc-Money spent
Where Purchases Would Hardly
BE Looked fOr-What the business
Men say About 1t.
Not a single line of retail business in
Savannah but has prOdted greatly by the
presence of the soldiers. Interviews yes
terday with leading merchants, as well
as with many smaller store keepers, show
ed conclusively that all of them have felt
the financial benefits of the presence Of
the Seventh Corps. Without an except
ion there was candid confession in all
places of business that the camp had prov
en- the best thing for retail trade that Sa-
vannah has ever had. Even in branches
where it would naturally be thought thai
increase in trade could hardly be looked
for such as millinery and jewelry, the
statement came that sales were much
heavier than at this season in past years.
and that this was directly attributable
10 the money spent by the soldiers per-
sonally or turned loose by them in the COM
munity.
OF course IL was known that the soldiers
coming here would greatly benefit the
restaurants, tobacco and liquor trades.
Those three lines Of business were ex-
Cd nv Ill
money that was pent by the troops. Sol
diers will eat. many will drink, and near
ly all of them will smoke or chew, so 1t
was reasonable to believe that
good deal of their earn
ings would find its way into the
tills of the merchants who catered to such
needs. But investigation shows the con-
trary to be the case. While much ;-oes
for eating, drinking and smoking.
vastly greater sum is expended for
clothing, for jeweiry, for toilet articles,
for furniture. for souvenirs, for books,
newspapers, stationery, and even for pat
ent medicines and perfumes for the dash
ing volunteer Is not above seeming his
handkerchief or sending off bottle of
delicate cologne to his sweetheart
From one end of Broughton street to the
streets down Town, there is an air of sat
isfaction over the trade that has been
done with the boys in blue. They have
been liberal buyers" said Messrs b. H.
Levy & Bro. we have sold large guam
titles of underwear and other small fur
nishings to them and have found them
extremely satisfactory customers. Their
presence has meant decided increase in our
business. For many of the officers we
cd
who have been mustered out have provid-
ed themselves with a suit of clothes or
with some articles of citizens wear before
leaving the city for home" At the Metro
politan, Browns, Dryfus Bros, Falk's and
other clothing establishments the same
conditions were announced. The soldiers
have been liberal patrons of them all
At Adler's a number of soldiers buying
small articles were evidence of the way
their money is going. There il was said
that a close watch had been kept for the
soldiers trade, and every attention paid
TO It, II had been large. and in excess of
expectations. Articles of wear. toilet arti-
cies etc, as well as many souvenirs and
articles suitable for gifts have been sold
10 them. Toilet soaps towels and hand
kerchiefs had been disposed of in great
quantities. In other stores handling sim
lar goods there We're smiles of satisfac-
ton over the soldier trade. No one store
mas secured an approach to a MONOPOLY of
1t; II has been widely distributed and
everywhere especial efforts have been
made 10 please the soldiers. Not a single
effort has been made to raise prices on
account of the extra demand The reverse
has been true, and the inclination has
been, If anything, to shade former values
IN the interest of the wearers of the blue.
SHOES are furnished the soldiers, EXCEPT
officers, by the government. This has not
prevented hundreds of them from buying
shoes while here. Although the govern
ment shoes are substantial they are not
shapely and frequently far from comfort
able, especially for a man who has been
accustomed TO a good article. Because
of this many of the men have bought their
own foot wear and disposed of those re-
ceived from the government for whatever
they could get for them. The shoe trade
of the city has been benefited accordingly
TO much greater extent than one would
have looked for. While 1t is quite iump
from shoes to furniture, the same state
ment applies to the latter business, too.
Soldiers would be the last peo-
pie expected to patronize the
furniture stores. yet many hundreds of
dollars have been spent by them for cots
mattresses pillows, small oil stoves, rugs.
looking glasses, camp stools, ETC Many
a tent of the corps when it is pitched on
Cuban soil will be ornamented with ar
ticles bought in Savannah furniture houses
jewelers. tell a tale of the same charac.
ter as other merchants. Their business
for the past few weeks, in a number of
instances, has been double what it was
a year ago. Many watches. chains, charms
and badges have been bought by the SOL
diers for themselves, and scores of rings
pins and pretty ornaments dear to FEM
inine hearts have been sold 90 be sent
home. IF the soldiers stay here until
the end of December said a Broughton
street jeweler, the holiday trade will be
the greatest in the history Of the city