The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-12-19
HOLIDAY HI J |! J! !.
|. SHOPPING
AT ms HEIGHT.
Interviews With Business Men Elicit
the Information that Bust.
s ness This Year
BREAKS PREVIOUS RECORDS.
Never Before Have the Retail Stores
Showed a More Varied Line
Of Merchandise. i

There is no better barometer of the
Industrial conditions prevailing in the
country than the retail trade. That
the present conditions are as good II
not better than at any time since 1892
can readily be seen from reading the
following interviews which an Intelll-
gencer man had with some of our larg-.
est merchandise establishments. Their
remarks were all in the same strain.
{ the opinion being unanimous that this
year would surpass all previous records
for holiday business.
5B The streets this week have been
crowded with holiday shoppers. The
retail stores have had all they! could do
Z in handling the crowds OF holiday shop
pers and when approached by a repor-
ter last evening. many members OF
firms were too busy to talk. The stores
z never, looked more attractive in their:
holiday garb and never were there SO
many new and novel articles placed on
display for the selection of the buyer.
Last night the shopping district was
4 more animated than at any time this
month and each night the crowds grow
larger, a fact which augurs well for a
big holiday business.
Scenes Of Activity. VIZ
When approached by a reporter last
evening 1t was necessary to single out
a business man In the midst of crowd.
An Idle clerk In any Of the retail stores
OF! this city during the present holiday
season would. indeed. be novelty.
Many OF the men approached stated
that they had not compared this: year,
J. with the records OF other years, but
they had not the least doubt that this
would be the banner year of the history
bf their business. \ =
Mr.. Sonneborn, of the Hub, said their
business this year was greatly in ex-
cess Of the business done last year In
the same period. Last Saturday the
business done was better than on the
same day last year and that meant bet
ter than any year in the history OF the
4 s1asiASsS. 3Sdo2hSSo 40 bSlllllS DSllSG
each day and the people are buying a
! better class Of goods than ever before.
1t, Will be record breaking year and
considering the weather, which has been
bad for the clothing. shoe and dry goods
business. business has been elegant. I
attribute the excellence OF last Satur-,
days business to the smallpox scare,
as the buyers of surrounding towns de-
sired to do their shopping before any.
such contingency as 4 quarantine could
be declared"
A Remarkable Year.
Mr.. Milllsan, OF the f. w, Banner
Company-.Our trade so far has baen
most satisfactory. have not had time
to look up the past records Of the firm,
but we confidently expect to do a bigger
volume of business this year than ever
before"
George E. Johns, Of the George r.
Taylor OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES has been
most satisfactory and 1t never was bet
ter. Conditions seem more favorable
than ever before. In the better class OF,
goods our business this year has never
been equaled. We expect this 10 be q
record breaking year.
George E. Stifel-"This has been a re-
markable year In our business. Our in
crease alone this year as more than,
most business houses do. I can see no
reason why business should not be bet
ter this year than ever before. Last
year was the banner one In the history
OF our business and this year is way
above last. We expect this years busI-
ness to surpass all other years by
good margin"
Better Than Last Year.
Homer Koen, Of the Palace Furniture
Company-"Buslness has been picking
up since Saturday and has been better
this week. The three days Of this week
business has been better than. for the
same period last year. Previous to this
business has not been so good, but we
e expect a good finish We expect to
equal last years business at least and
that means the best holiday trade In our
history. A noticeable feature this year
Is that we are selling.a better class OF
goods. very little cheap articles being
purchased In the way Of novelties and
small wares"
Il ~