The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-12-21
IT is TREMENDOUS
Holiday Trade in City tx
ceeds That of Any.
LARGEST ON RECORD
Business Houses are Taxed TO
Utmost Capacity.

TIE "a leSmen AMI sale<s~ omen II " TIN ID
yesterday was 20o0 souls. This is without
precedent in the history Of the city.
So far in the Christmas season Of 1895
yesterday was the greatest day in wich-
la from a commercial standpoint.
The import in this statement lies in the
fac- that last Saturday there we're sold
in Wichita more goods than were sold
Friday Of last year, which was the day
before Christmas.
In truth this week. with yesterday and
last Saturday IS induces Of what Is COM
ing. will 60 down in the commercial mis-
tory Of the town. with the ledgers 10 prove
q. as the greatest week in the city's ex-
p9rience.
As an instance Of how restlessIy active
and all-pervading the Christmas trade is,
some Of the banks yesterday were com
PEELED to announce that they were out Of
pennies and short on some Of the smaller
fractional Currency.
AT THE BANKS.
The banks are busy places this week,
but their business. preciuding 90 it does
locking and deciding" being reduced,
IN fine. 10 a matter Of rather cold but
ever exact figures. the banks do not mix
much Of the exh15itory with their activity,
but they are ac,ive nevertheless. though
they do.not have 10 employ extra help.
Naturally deposits are attacked. the fac
ultv Of generosity scaling the walls and
taking thrift. and even stinginess COM
pIece prisoner, but this merely involves
The Stamping paid" Of the check and
the subtraction Of the withdrawal from
the total. The deposits themselves from
stores are heavier and demand more at
tention but that work is performed with
usual banking calm.
one Of the curious experiences Of the
Wichita banks during Christmas week IS
the demand for brand new one dollar bils.
Il seems TO he A fad OF some dimensions
To give for presents, bright. new one dol
lar bills. The demand for them is heavy
TINS year.
In talking about this last evening.
Charles Carey of the Bank OF Commerce.
said: Last year was new in the bank
ing business and I was taken of my feet
by the hungry demand for new one dollar
bills. OF course there wasn't one in the
bank But this year I am loaded for them.
Half the stock Is gone. but have enough
on hand 20 meet the crush
THE EXPRESS BUSINESS.
In the express Offices there is an IN
crease, but up until yesterday it had not
been sensational The Wells Fargo has on
four extra men and will increase its force
through the week There have been no
unusual packages handled through the
mail so far in the case Of this company.
Instances nave been known in the office
Ike have been sent by loving friends. but
nothing Of the kind this season has trans
PRED The shipments have not been as
heavy yet as for Ike periods in previous
years \ great many Christmas boxes
have been sent. It is wonderful now many
Christmas boxes leave Wichita, huge
boxes containing a little 81 everything
books clothing plum pudding. dolls. toys
shoes. canes-every-hin The Christmas
boxes are designed for distant parts. into
homes in mountain Businesses. in far-re>
moved settlements. None IS now being
shipped TO soldier boys. their presents
having gone a couple Of weeks ago.
At the Office of the Pacific Express
company they said -h1t the shipments
had not been heavy and ascribed the
lightness to the bad Monday and the ina
bility of people TO do their shopping and
prepare packages for dispatch. Yester-
day being a bright day. a rush in this
line Is expected today. But the increase
over regular business rs large 70 the ex-
tent that extra men are al work gather
ing the packages in.
Il i an interesting fact learned a. both
offices that the bulk OF packages received
in Wichita about equals that OF those
sent fcrth. showing thar in matter of
weight and size. in the great Christmas
gift business. the CITY plays even.
The express capacity on the trains pass
ing through Wichita has been doubled.
A noteworthy incident Of the Christmas
season here is the shipment OF mistletoe
ana holly. Holly comes from boch Mena,
Arkansas. on the Pittsburg and Gulf road.
and nistletoe only from Noble. on the
santa Fe in Oklahoma. The shipments
from Noble are very heavy and extend
over the whole Union.
PoSTOFFICE ACTIVITY.
A The postoffice the ACTIVITY Is marked.
The packages are al designs and sizes.
TIE portoffice authorities have been au-
tnorized TO put on wagons 10 handle the
influx OF Christmas gifts. A glance al the
pile of Christmas presents, the exact na-
rure concealed by their wrappers. indi-
cafes Jhat a large part OF the population
uses Photnsrausls extensively for CHRIST
mas -ememhrauccs. Thousands Of pA1<o-
graphs are dispatched and received But
o-her Things. strangers in the mail. are
continual. Canes are sent ~ mail care
fvliy warped and stamped ou tue handle
BandooNsS. containing millinery. are also
seen. bu, fortunately sent only for snort
distances. such as Il Dorado. Wellington /
and Harper. Boxes Of candy ARK numer>
Gus and psckag eS. smelling suspiciousIy I
q aome-caoketj edioles are also marked /
Books are plentiful. \ man stands al the
receiving window 10 take packages and
offer suggestions against poor wrapping
and addresses IN Head pencil.
The money order window has an in
crease OF business. While At TIE stamp
window tae sale ~ high deuomina-i ZION I
Stamps, Tor big packages. Is Uaprecedeae-
e. TIE rush has began early al che post
one and =wiE keep tsp. In the ease - the !
panGo3Nes and ike na5Ser. care Is beng
taken aoc 20 spell some ones Christmas
b tanning the sacks
DECORATING THE HOMES
, In the isst few years wicaits has i'm
proved rligI2sily in the matter o. holiday
decorations A. short a time $50 as 1894
Z WAS impossible 20 see a Christmas /
wreath IN a Wichita window. II it We're |
visible taets IL could te charged np 20 /
some New Yorker WHO. having located I
here brought the eastern custom with her I
ana stuck ia the front window a holy 4
wreath "a the u-1se and perhaps I'M /
kindly interest 81 he- neighbors
But Wichita mas nov accepted the eus-
tom as her ONE. Private houses are dec /
orazed win evergreen che aoly wreath 1
s seen az the frfons window. indeed has 4