The age-herald., 1900-03-27
WAS A VERITABLE
 CARNIVAL SEASON
Spring Openings Most Notable
 in the City's History
MAGNIFICENT DISPLAYS
Many Splendid Stores Showed Wealth of Rich and Fashionable Goods, and Womankind Was
 Abroadin Swarms

WiM you buy any tape, t,E
 Or lace for your cape, tfrl
 My dainty duck, my dear-a?
 Any silk, any thread,
 Any toys for your head
 Of the newest and finst, fin'st wear-a?- Winters Tale, Act ", scene IT.
 q am convinced that Birmingham has doubled in population and vastly more than doubled in wealth during the past five years,' said bright and charming matron yesterday as she tried various hats on the sunny head of her pretty little daughter She sat in wilderness of beautiful crea- tions of the miliner's art, and confessed to some fatigue due to her rounds of the spring openings of fashionable establish ments. 'I have been to all the places.' the fair matron said "I was down town this morning and looked at beautiful things till my eyes ached and felt a-weary of the world; but I couldn't resist the temptation to return to the show places this afternoon, and so here am. The great and beautiful wealth of it all is to me amazing It hadn't occurred to me that Birmingham dry goods houses could make such an extraordinary display of the latest and most fashionable things desired by women. To me 1t Is a revelation of Birminghams requirements and Birmingham's means to pay for rich and costly raiment; and so 1t must appear to every one I love Birmingham and be- lieve in 1t, but scarcely hoped to see 1t go so far In development wealth and good taste"
 What the fair matron said in the store place of riches must have been in the minds of thousands of Birmingham people yester- day, and must have caused reflection to thousands of visitors. It Is questionable whether any other southern city ever made on an "opening day. such a wonderful dis play of fashion, wealth, beauty and progressive developments. Even the streets were greatly crowded, and In the several stores that had "opeifings' there was great difficulty In dealing with customers and on- lockers. It was estimated that 10000 per sons visited one great store during the day. Contrary to the previous experience on "opening days" the sales yesterday were enormous A notable feature of the various stores was the perfect good taste every where observable in respect to the mate rials and articles on exhibition. The day in respect to the particulars named was easily the greatest in Birmingham's history; per- haps the greatest any southern city has ex- perienced. The immense extent of the dis plays and the air of refinement about 1t all constitute a source of qualification to all the people of Birmingham and the district. "-.'-s Drernen & Company
 Waves of melody upon floods of music rolled through Drennen & Co.'s splendid new palace of trade in Second avenue. and dc of xicit SOOthed by concord of sweet sounds whilst their eyes gladdened at sight of immense store of useful, beautiful and ornamental things. Before entering the great building every body stopped to look at young Ben Shir- qey's exquisite decorations in the wide and lofty plate glass show windows. The young decorator had performed miracle with the rich articles at his disposal. Just inside the main door a fountain bubbled all day long, giving out all sorts of sooth- ing drinks to whosoever was thirsty. Lead ing back was a succession of beribboned arches and on all sides were piled articles of homework and fabrics from father Ind From the skylight in the roof far aboVe the sunsine beat down through the cen ter of the building, Illuminating all the splendid spaces even to the ground floor, and producing a noble effect. The well of light as 1t may be called, was lined with light vanished wood, and 1t brightly gilt tered.
 The chief attraction to some men and all women was the great millinery department on the fifth floor where Mrs. Strauss, the gifted manager, had arranged the wonder ful collections from Paris, London and New York Some of the imported hats were amongst the finest and most beautiful ever brought south, and fer these there were found eager fair purchasers. The Messrs. Drennen were tat home' to their friends in the noble new department store build- ing, and traeir callers came and went from the morning opening to evenings close; and all will remember the illuminated legend displayed "We sell everything.
 Lovalnan. Joseph 6 Loeb
 The largest store south of the Ohio was dn glory all day long. At various times during business hours there were several thousand visitors under that immense roof and there was not one of them all whC didn't find something to delight, to charm or to wonder at. The immense show win dows covering space almost as broad al the block-broad building, were attractive almost beyond belief In one window there was displayed a full suit of antique ana costly furniture, with velvet carpets ant rugs from the looms of Persia in another there was a reproduction of an old monasti' gallery, with clingfng ivy against whiof white doves rested, a fountain splachlne clear water upon pebbly sands, the superf figure of woman superbly dressed, ant brilliant roses and white carnations lending color; another window was dressed in white, blue and pink with streamers of rib bons; in yet another was sort of group ing of costly dress fabrics And over all these was the spell of beauty, romance, history and the worlds progress.
 Inside was row on row of broad Roman arches, dressed in roses of brilliant pink, and forming vast vistas that glowed in the electric light as beautiful as some land oi the poets dream or hope or prayer About all this were rich dress stuffs displayed ir the form of cones. In this place and al the wonderful places of this most won. derful house the supreme truths of art refinement, enlightenment culture wealth were vividly impressive. Pages of prin would not suffice to catalogue the display but in the small compass of a sentence O English the fundamental facts can be told
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