The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-12-23
THE CHRISTMAS TRADE
FINE WEATHER MIX S TT UNUSU-
ALLY BRISK.

Large Number of Out-of-Town People
Do Their Shopping In This City-Mcr.
chants Testify TO Big Increase of
business Over Preceding Years.
With the weather such as 1t is and
people crowdfng into New Haven from
all the cities and towns within a radius
OF twenty-five miles and with Industries
booming it is small wonder that this
years Christmas trade is proving the
largest that local merchants have ever
enjoyed. To-day proving favorable, it
is believed that the ending of the shop.
ping season this evening will close the
most prosperous holiday business ever
felt in this city. This, too, In spite OF
than usual-Thanksgiving coming later.
Dry goods merchants rarely count on
any Christmas trade until Thanksgiv-
ing Is out Of the way.
All the more prominent of the large
dry goods merchants testify to the
prosperity of the season. Charles r.
Walker of the Charles Monsoon com
pany when speaking on the subject
said that noticeable popularity Of
the trade was the largeness of cash
sales. He said that never before in the
history of their business had so much
ready money Been in evidence. OF the
49,, 80 ~, 1>.v 4Lo a,~sn,
he said the absence of real cold weather
had interfered a little with the sales
on certain lines Of goods; but he added
that this was more than made up in
other lines. He said that the actual
amount of business done up to last
evening is much greater than last
years.
D.. S. Gamble, senior partner Of the
firm of Gamble, Desmond & Co., said
that the holiday business of the firm
so far is nearly double what it was
last year He said that he believes the
present season to be one of the most
successful ever experienced by mer-
chants in this city.
At the Big Store of the Edward
Malley company, with the Increased ia
cilities for handling the crowds and
the newly added store space, it would
be surprising If it were not the biggest
year in the history of the concern, and
this Is even the case. All the week the
store has been striving to keep up with
Its trade and particularly with its out
of the town orders. These have been
received In surprising numbers and
come from California, Washington,
South Carolina and one even has been
received from Porto Rico. The men In
the shipping department of the store
haven't had rest of any kind to
speak of since Wednesday evening. on
which day the firm estimates that it
transacted the largest days business
in its history. From fifteen to twenty
thousand people made purchases at
the store on that day. Mr.. Malley
says that he is very well satisfied with
this years holiday trade.
General George H. Ford when inter
viewed last evening said on the SUBJ
ject: The New York merchants COM
plain Of dropping off of Christmas
trade In consequence of the fall in the
stock market, but very few of our peo-
pie are interested In Wall street and
their securities are paying them we'll,
even If they do not inventory as high
as before and as a result their patron
age has been liberal and we have
placed more high priced and expensive
things than ever before during the
past five years and in medium priced
and low priced articles We have sold
still more. Our industries at home are
booming, employees are busy and we'll
paid, money is in circulation and feel
very much gratif1ed on the whole. Not
New York is feeling the
drop in Wall street, local. we have
great cause for congratulaton at the
close of this nineteenth century.
When asked If the fall in prices of
Wall street stocks and the money panic
would be reflected in business and
bring on a diminution of the country'S
state of affairs General
Ford said he could but consider the
situation as only temporary, as busi-
ness conditions We're sound and very
and the UNDERMINING was
all right.
Mr.. Mcintyre of the big firm of
Even Mcintyre & Co. when questioned
on the subject said that the people
could judge for themselves on the
amount Of business done by the store.
File said that it was way and ahead of
asst years business 1t is a fact that
he broad aisles of this store have been
taxed to their utmost day and night
% accommodate the crowd of CUSTOM
ars.
Mr.. Howe of the firm of Howe &
Stetson also testified as to the largeness
IF the Christmas trade. He said that
t was much better than last year.
The business Of this popular house has
been immense far exceeding the rec
,rds of all previous years. The throngs
n the store We're constant, buying was
steady and early and late the business
las been rushing in all departments.
The firm has received congratulations
rom many of our leading townsmen
Upon their business enterprise and the
of their store and stock
Ind it's splendid variety.
Adolph Mendel of Mendel & Freed
nan when asked as to what he could
say of the Christmas trade answered,
With smile. ''you can say everything
good" Continuing, he said that the
business in every department had been
yery large. He said that a very large
stock Of goods had been laid in at the
pening of the season and but little
a3,,-