The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-04-28
FLAGS AT
A PREMIUM
High Prices Rule and They
Are Going Higher.
FLAG FAMINE THREATENED
How One Department Store Had a
Flag Round Up.
ITS NEIGHBOR DIDN'T CATCH ON.

The flag market Is booming these days.
Flags OF every size and quality com
manu twice tie price they did two weeks
ago, before the tidal wave Of patriotism
began to roll up SO strong.
Indeed, 1t is not easy to get the particu-
lar kind OF flag you want, at any price.
The stocks In the hands of the retailers
are seriously reduced and many stores are
all out and cannot get more. A Cntan
flag Is worth more than its weight in
gold, although some weeks ago the stores
put in what they believed TO bs large
stocks OF them, thongn, of course. by no
means 80 many as that OF Old Glory.
Retailers say they cnu get neither fixed
prices nor any promise or date OF delivery
from n anufacturtr. jobber. or wholesaler
these days. The banning mills ara nun :
ming night and day and II q stock or nags
Is ordered neiSher tie price that Will pre-
vail wien they are raiy for delivery nor
the time OF delivery eau he ooOL tea IN.
Ihe helpless retailer siinily writ,s 10
marketsanu begs for rs many flags rs fe
can te privileaea TO bAve, at any price
wuich the manufacturers my feel ol :
posed to ask MIN anu requests that they
be sent along just as to,n as possiOie.
Theu with a grOtn no lac IS bLnur eds
of customers pouring Into his store after
fiaGs and declares he MAY have sons In
"tomorro NJ Hut on the life OF him
be ocesn't believe the invoice WI arrive
before o toul tn Of July ano pesDal y
not li4l af er christmas. One Ting O
does know ana thai Is lie Will probably
have TO pay d uble or tleDle the IIice lie
wants TO W hen they do get along.
The big departme Ut stores thought they
had supplied themselves ior aay amount
faf fafl "a m s.
taken. AS tre stocks went own anu the
possibility tf eet'ilg niore flags TO keep
them up became APP aliingly esident, the
Prices NJ the counters wtrs put up but
this did not stop the demand.
The otaer day one OF tn department.
stores recogniz ID that iiag iamins was
imminent Accordingly soma OF its bright
men put their heaos together and evils
ed a sc hfme fer holding out against the
prospective siege ss long as possible.
Iney sent out runners 10 scour the CITY
for flags anu lring tnein In at any price.
anu btfore>night hey Igurel that their
store had coffailea about all the nags
stock In town.
OF course, they bought at rhtail just
ordinary customers do, and those w no
sold to them dbl not snow tney weIe sell
ing to another house. lSut the flags thus
secured went OIL lit o hot CAKES aJ d lair
profit over the prices that they lave Teen
bought from their ueigntois. Ore OF
the places invaded to ill Up the flag stock
was another depart ent oie which WI s
also making a specially OF nays. Every
flag in that store was bought even to the
display sample nailed on tbs wall before
the CLERKS Ia the stJro got on 10 the fact
that they were being raided.
Ihey are now AT liberty to buy their
hags back again at a somewh hat advaI ceo
price provided. indeed. ,here are ary Lit,
which Is very doubtful Ii is said that the
sample flag with the nail htlss In it will
not be sold at any price, but is treasured
stock OF the neighboring store was
rounded up.