Evening star., 1898-12-15
MECCA FOR SHOPPERS.
Everything for Christmas to BE
Found ut the Boston House.


Always popular shopping place, and
consequently always crowded, the famous
Boston House, as Woodward & Lothrop's
big establishment will ever be known by
Washingtonians, is at this season of the
year the Mecca of the thousands of Christ
mas buyers. With a floor space greater in
extent than any other house in this section
of the country, with every known convent
ence for the throngs of purchasers, and
with corps of employees numbering over
one thousand all efficient and attentive,
woodward & Lothrop's store is better suit
ed for holiday trading than most contem-
porary department houses. At TINS time
one naturally seeks for the greatest variety
of Christmas goods in the largest and most
completely stocked establishments. Especial
arrangements have been made for the ac-
commodation of the holiday crush, and
there will be found no delay in the buying
of goods on account of the Christmas
crowds.
There is no reed to write of what one
may buy at the Boston House. The dim
Guilty would be in conceivng some article
having no place on one of the many shelves
and - unters Of the five floors and base
ment comprised in the complete store. OF
interest to the Christmas shoppers and
Washington buyers in general, therefore,
Will be something of the improvements,
changes and new convenences provided
during the past few months Ihe CHRIST
buS tIS are lnleTeSleu SSpSCid.iS III tiE
conveniences and arrangements for their
comfort in the purchasing of holiday stun.
The selection of appropriate gifts-ls always
matter of more or less worry. Wood
ward & LothrOp have prepared little
Xmas shopping list, neat of design, con-
tanning blank pages for memoranda and a
generous and helpful list of gift susges-
tions. These can be had for the asking at
the superintendent desk or OF any of the
aisle managers. Armed with these one be-
gins a circuit of the stores. The propri-
etorS of the store have devised another
scheme for the assistance of their custom
erS III shopping, known as the shopping
card by the use of which simultaneous
delivery and single settlement of purchases
throughout the store is effected This
avoids the necessity Of waiting for change
and signing of tickets at each purchase and
saves much annoyance and loss of time.
The cards may be obtained from sa .es per-
sons. Everything is done at the Boston
House to make shopping as pleasant as
possible.
For the benefit of the patrons of the store
it might be stated that the many depart
ments have been enlarged, the location of
several has been changed, all have been
misunderstanding kindred goods in con-
Venient nearness, thus effectng to the pur-
chaser a saving of much time and many
steps. The mezzanine reception room, be-
tween the first and second floors, has been
enlarged and greatly beautified, and Will
be found a greater comfort and delight to
the weary shopper. The large reception
room on the fourth floor, thoroughly rem
ovated, remains substantially as before.
The superintendent desk, bureau of in
formation. tie egraph office, telephone sta
tfon and package checking rooms are To-
Gated on the main floor directly under the
mezzanine reception room. The transfer
counter is also located on the main floor,
10th street side thus eXpediting the settle
ment of transfer checks or shopping cards
and adding to the comfort of shoppers. The
latest ana most complete private electric
light plant in the country has been in
stalled. The elevator service has been aug
mented and there are now seven in all, of
the most modern type, for passenger and
freight use. The delivery service has been
reconstructed, there now beng twenty-five
wagons in all, affording promptneSs and
efficiency of service unsurpassed. The heat
ing and vent!iating apparatus have been
improved, so that during the cold weather
the entire building is kept at even tenn
perature, and the atmosphere kept pure.
The best carrier system known has been
introduced and an additional cash desk
tablished on the main floor, thereby
curing quick change service.
Christmas addition of note at the Bos-
ton House is the great new toy bazaar. 1t
covers the spacious fourth floor and is
easily accessible by six elevators. Here
are found toys from all parts of America
and Europe, Of great quantity and aSSOrt-
ment; not a particle of trash in the entire
display either. There are dolls of every
good Old sort and al of the best new kinds,
many imported direct. A feature of the toy
bazaar is the classification of the articles,
each kind being displayed in a separate
section or on a separate counter Other
holiday announcements are that between
$50 and 400 cases Of imported goods have
recently been opened, and that a bric-abrac
room has been established on the main
floor, 18th street side