The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-10-15
BETTER BUSINESS.
W orcester Merchants
Very Greatly En-
couraged.
PROSPERITY IN ALL LINES.
No Necessity for Trading
in Boston or New
York,

Worcester merchants are feeling
| greatly encouraged over the present
and future prospect of trade Up and
down the long line of Main street stores
| there is the same story of returning
prosperity and greater hopefulness in
the future. It. would be perhaps too
much to say that there will De a big
boom here in Worcester, but 1t is GER
! tain that business is on the increase in
all lines OF trade.
Good times are often spoken OF as a
wave of prosperity, but it is better
compared, perhaps, to the incoming
| tide that comes in gradually, each sue
cessive wave advancing little higher,
until the flood tide is reached. 1t is
| this gradual increase in trade that is
now causing many an anxious, care
worn business man to smile once more,
as he sees customers beginning to Gag
erly buy what has been passed by SO
long. There have been many causes,
each contributing it's share to this in
flux of trade, and it is not necessary II
| trace each cause to its source. 1t is but
natural for the republican party to say
that the election of Mckinley and the
| certainty of sound money, for four
years at least, have had much to
with the present good feeling. Be that
as it may, prosperity is here in Wor-
cester, and that is the point especially
interesting to local merchants.
The Spy reporter called upon q NUM-
Der of representative business men yes
terday, and all expressed the greatest
satisfaction at the trend of trade. A
few gave their reasons for the i'm
| provement of business, while others
contenteG themselves with the lac.
that prosperous times We're here and
they shared in it. All kinds
of business are represented In
this story of better times, and
no doubt what is true Worcester Is
also true of other cities in New Eng
| land.
f. A Amidon, manager of the Wor-
ceSter market, said: Business is good,
very good, and goes far ahead of the
business of last year. Indications point
to an increasing trade, as the fall goes
on and the Thanksgiving and holiday
trade begins to come in, In sDite of
the fact that meat is much higher than
last year at this time, people still buy
from the best pieces, and do not con-
tent themselves with the cheaper cuts.
1t looks as though all classes had more
money to spend, and it shows in our
business as well as elsewhere" The
other markets reported substantially
the same state of trade.
o. S. Kendall & Son make a speciality
of heating appliances, and naturally at
| this time of the year there is a greater
| demand for articles in their line, but
! .. 5. Kendall says that this falls trade
/ is far ahead of last year. Other houses
| dealing in stoves and heavy hardware
! say the same thing. In the plumbing
/ department often run in connection
/ with stove stores, there has been a
/ strong demand for plumbing work, ow-
/ ing to the building going on at the pres
| ent time.
AT the Boston store, Irving Swan
i Brown expressed great satisfaction at
the increase in business activity in
/ dry goods and said that trade was good
/ all along the line. There seems to be
a general tendency" he said, toward
larger buying both of high-class goods
ana those of a cheaper grade. We are
/ doing much better business than at
1 this time last year, and l hear. the
/ same Is true of our other stores"
/ Col. F. A. Easton said in his charac-
/ teristic way: why, our business is
always good. People can not get along
without their paper, and 1 have not
| noticed much decline in our trade here
/ during times of business stringency.
/ Still, there is rot the slightest Doubt
but what prosperity is on the increase
| and our trade is exceptionally good.
| We have no reason to complain"
! h. J. Healy, the shoe man, said.
Business is certainly stronger than
last year, and I have noticed for some
time that we were selling higher
! priced shoe than last season. In the
shoe trade, when one becomes a little
hard up, he curtails on his shoe leather.
If he has a pretty good pair of high
priced shoes, he will have a tap but
on them and wear them much longer
4 than in prosperous times, when he is
;, flush of money. Or else, he will buy
much cheaper pair, perhaps So less
in price, and one will eeonomize in
things not absolutely necessary when
he is hard up. But now we are selling
many high-priced shoes and trade is
very brisk
Henry j. Gross, of R. Gross &, Co.
has noted an Improvement in business,
Our customers are more willing Ia
pay for higher-priced goods, and in our
speciality of laces, gloves and trim
mings there is wide range Of price, y
he said.
Edward P. Sumner, of Barnard. Sum
ner & Putnam Co.. says that business
is better and that all the signs are en-
couraging. Their store has been crowd
ed of late, even on rainy days, and on
last Saturday night business kept ur
well until the last while often custom
ers begin to leave at a much earlier
hour.
All the dry goods stores of Worces-
ter are well stocked with new fresh
goods and many of the merchants ey-
pressed the hope that Worcester WON
en- would patronize them Prices are
cheaper here than in many of the bic
Boston or New York stores and ali
the best local stores send buyers down
to New York to get the very latest
things in womens gear and they say