The times., 1899-12-27
MONEY SPENT FOR CHRISTMAS.
The Record for Many Years Broken
in the Last week.


More money was spent on holiday shop
ping in Washington during the past week
than in any corresponding week in many
years. Merchants in all parts Of the city
report that their sales for the week pre-
ceeding Christmas were even larger than
they had anticipated and all are congrat-
ulating themselves on having had an eX-
ceptional holiday trade.
Not only 10 the number Of purchases
has the increase been noticeable, but the
quality Of the goods sold has been vast
ly better than in past years. Money has
seemed more plentiful than ever before,
and though there has been no tendency to-
ward lavish expenditure for articles class
ed as mere luXuries holiday shoppers
seemed desirous of buying a good number
OF useful presents, and able to pay for
them.
Reports gathered from several of the
largest department stores in the city COR
respond with the unanimous verdict Of the
smaller merchants that the conditions Of
trade for the past few days have been the
best for many years.
Hahn & Co say: "Our holiday
trade this year has been the best we have
ever had, and in spite Of the fact that the
recent warm weather has been unfavor-
able TO the shoe trade, business has been
steady and brisk since December ]. The
people seem to have more money than is
usual at this season of the year, and have
called for the better grades Of goods"
S Kann, Sons & Co. reported Our
trade during the past few days has been
simply enormous and far exceeded our
expectations The sales of holiday goods
have been nearly double those Of any pre-
yious year, and the increase in the amount
Of money expended has been proportion
ately greater than the increase in the
number of sales"
saks & Co tell a similar story:
"Our trade this year during the holiday
season has been the largest We have ever
had As compared with last year there
has not been one department in which the
sales have not been largely increased.
One Of the most noticeable things about
this years trade has been the amount Of
money expended, which has been unusually
large"
Mayer & Petit said yesterday: The vol
ume Of business done by us in our holiday
trade this year has been very satisfactory.
Since the beginning Of the fall trade there
has been a noticeable increase in The
amount OF goods bought, and the general
sales OF the year have been better than
heretofore a desire has been apparent to
make economical purchases, however, and
less expensive goods uhan usual nave beeh
sold"
Hecbt & Co. said: "The holiday trade,
both here and ia our five Baltimore stores,
has been enormous. There has been
| very noticeable change for the better in
! the quality Of the goods sold and money
! conditions have seemed much better than
| i'm any recent year. Our sales for The week
before Christmas were unprecedented.
The report from the Kings Palace is
/ practically The same. The trade in holi-
/ day goods i'm both our stores has been
/ phenomenaI said the manager, and we
J are safe in saying that the business done
I during the week preceding Christmas has
/ been the largest seen in many years. Es-
/ pecially in coaks and other articles Of
! wearing apparel a desire has manifest
/ itself on the part of shoppers TO purchase
/ the better qualities
/ Goldenberg q Co stated: During he
/ past few days We have hardly been able
/ to handle the crowds Of holiday shoppers
/ Money has seemed plentiful, and larger
! quantity Of useful goods of the better
| class has been bought than during any
| similar period in past years Our Balti-
more store has also shown a large increase
/ IN the volume of trade. and the same bet
/ tering of conditions has been parent
! there as here
! House q Hermann reported. we have
! had an entirely satisfactory trade during
| the few days preceding the holidays and,
in fact during the entire fall. We have
/ mad calls for q better class Of goods than
usual and the amount Of money expended
! has been larger than in former years. The
J greater number of our customers made it
! apparent that they were better able to
make purchases this year than they have
| been in the past"
The report from the Palais Royal was
/ similar 20 the others our trade this Year
during the few days preceding holiday
week showed a decided increase over all
previous years, both in volume and in the
amount of money expended. The demand
for the better grades of goods far exceed
! ed anything we have had heretofore and
the bettered conditions of our >lstomrs
were shown by each days sales.