The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-12-25
MERCHANTS TAKE
THE REST THEY.
HAVE EARNED.
Yesterday Was the Last Day for the
Purchasers Of Christmas
Presents and y
THEY WERE OUT In FORCE.
The Day Of Days Is Here, and There
Is a General Sigh Of Relief 4
Among the Merchants.

Z The rush Of the holiday shoppers Is
Overland there Is q general sigh OF relief
among the merchants and their, clerks
as well as the populationeln general
The. employees OF the retail stores. bag
gard and worn over their greut labors
Of the past few weeks, took to their
beds with avidity when the stores
closed their doors last evening,and5 slept
the sleep Of the peaceful. The shoppers.
too, hcaved 4 sigh Of relief when the
period of nerve shatterlng time of holl-
day shopping was over. There are few
things on this mundane sphere more
trying on the nerves OF the human race
than the time of purchasing Christmas
presents. The question OF .approprl-
ateness" Is paramount. and the solution
OF this question has caused many a
mortal to cudgel his brain for weeks
and driven some to the threshold OF
despair.
The Last Day.
Yesterday was the last day, and the
procrastinators were out in force. Dur!
Ing the afternoon Main street in par
ticu1ar was sea of jostling and COM
planning humanity. Everybody had a
package, and they caused many ludi-.
crous incidents when some adventitious
circumstance caused the person and
package to become separated or its
contents were crushed in the crowd.
During the evening the crowd was not
80 great. everybody having purchased
his present, and 1t was only those who
put everything of until the eleventh
hour that were in evidence last night.
The crowds were extremely large, how
ever, but not SO great as on Saturday
evening.
Many Of the retail stores presented
the appearance of I typhoon-ridden re-.
sort when they closed last night. All
the merchants were in a happy frame
OF mind and we'll satisfied with the
business done. The stores were pretty
well cleaned out. and will need a re-
picnishing for the beginning of the
business OF the new century.
{, ,a3 Many Visitors.
The railroads centerins In the city
carried hundreds of shoppers from sur.
rounding towns into the city. Bellaire.
Martins Ferry, Bridgeport and Ben,
wood sent particularly large quotas,
but many came from the interior OF the
stale. as we'll as from Western Penn
.sylyania and Eastern Ohio. The street
car lines were taxed to their capacity.
but. 1t may be said to their credit that
they handled the crowds in i manner
!. that left nothing to be desired. Almost
every passenger carried a package. and
with these encunbrances the lives OF
the, conductors were made miserable.
On the whole business men say trade
was fully up to last year. Last year
was by all odds the biggest holiday
year in the retail trade in this city,
and the fact that this year Is as good
as last leaves nothing to be desired.
Business was great In every line In the
-tstall lIdue, diiu uO one complains.
Many Of the stores increased their ca
pac!ty since last year. and In these In
stances there was 4 great increase In
the business done. Never before In the
history Of the city we're there 80 many
clerks employed, and there has been
few idle ones during the holiday season.
tt1. =Tt At the Postoflce
The postofflce has experienced a rush
than has never been excelied. The ex.
press companies have had all the bust
ness they could conveniently handle,
and the local messenger and package
delivery service has been kept busy
morning. noon and night. The messcn-
ger force was augmented especially for
the holiday service. and despite this
fact the force was hardly adequate TO
accommodate those desiring to send
Christmas gifts.
1t Is all over, and to-day, the great
est OF all days In Christendom, is here.
The Yuletide is season OF gladness,
and many a sad heart will be made
happy to-day through the beneicence
Of some philanthropic person. Many Of
the business houses give their employees
some token In remembrance of thn dav