The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-08-05
HAvANA'S DRY GOODS STORES.
NO SUCH THING AS "BARGAIN DAY.
FOR WOMEN SHOPPERS.
Female Clerks UnknOwn--A1l the
Merchants Are Spanish and Import
Their HeIp-Prices That Make One
Shudder.
From the New York Times.


vaua boasts, one naturally expects to find,
among other things. dry goods stores of
considerable size at which a fair assort-
inent of materials at reasonable prices are
to be had. Let no one start on a shop
ping expedition in Havana with an idea
such as this in her. mind-I say her. as
Stunning that no man will be inveigled into
such an occupatio excepting under the
stress of necessity-for she will be DOOM
ed to certain disappointment. If she be-
gins her tour on Obispo street, as she
will have been advised to do, beyond
doubt, she will find a very narrow street,
so narrow that vehicles are only permit
ted to move in one direction on it, and
stores small in proportion. 1t will take
her some minutes to bring herself to be-
lieve that these are the best shops in the
city, for they are no larger than those
in villages in the States. To be sure they
carry some very good articles. but such
prices are charged for them that one feels
that it is almost absurd to pay them
Plain linens are an exception, for they
are cheaper than in the North; but table
linen of Irish and French makes is much
more expensive. New customs regula-
tions have been made recently which will
soon increase the price Of the former class
also
One may go the length Of the street and
he will scarcely find a single shop OF
two stories; everything is on the ground
floor and that everything, as a rule, con-
sists of bus che line Of goods. The day
of Havana department stores has not yet
ar is
one I'm the block called eel Escandalo,"
where there are forty or fifty counters I'M
der one roof independent of each other,
10 be sure, but side by side and selling
different classes of goods The entire
building is owned by Cuban, so wealthy
that he has no better use for much Of
his money than to spend IL on rings
these he wears on all fingers, including
his thumbs so that when the sun strikes
the diamonds his hands seem a blaze of
light.
The principal stores are those with fans
and mautillas: a Cuban woman young or
old, without a fan would think her toilet
incomplete. consequently the importance
of the shops in which these are sold
Though nantillas are not worn as much
as formerly. hats being more in favor, al
most every native woman has one in her
possession. and never looks as picturesque
as when she has one thrown over her
head. These face scarfs are mostly black
but white ones are usually seen in the
evenings. Fans range in price from
cents up to as many hundred dollars; few
at the latter price are bought by Ameri-
cans. although at pawnshcps very valu-
able ones can be had for a mere song.
Americans are chiefly interested in the or
namental ones with pictures in brilliant
colors Of bull fights, toreadors. senoritas,
and the lover with his Ruitar.
A Run on Fans.
Between the fan stores and pawnshops
the shopping time Of most American wo-
men is spent. At the latter many old and
curious articles are picked up. as well as
some very valuable ones. BY now there
are few things left that curiosity seekers
care for. as the shops have been pretty
well canvassed by hundreds of Americans,
who took away the choicest things. The
FIRST corners found some handsome dia-
nnonds in antique settings at nominal
prices. but these are all gone. too. The
pawnshops are usually in out-of-the-way
places. where one is in more or less danger
of finding yellow fever lying in wait for
whom IL may devour. and this is certainly
an obstacle A physician remarked in my
hearing that he did not understand how
American women who went day after day
into these places escaped the disease.
where fair line of goods is displayed and
an excellent one kept in reserve for want
of space in which to show 1t to advantage
One pays two prices for most goods. and
then consoles herself by rejecting that at
all events. the goods came from Cuba not
remem beriS4g that those sold in the states
at half the price are made in exactly the
same mills. Most of the dealers have
very limited number OF boards on which
s-f- 81 Dc r,al
and over. for their weight would add TO
the freight. IL one came in each piece
When one buys large order at store
she is fortunate, indeed. If she has a con-
veyance in which to take or send ii home,
as the responsibility of the shopkeeper
ends when he wraps UP the parcel Some
grocery stores have delivery wagons but
have never seen one belonging to a dry
goods store.
The methods of advertising adopted by
enterprising dry goods firms in the
North do not obtain here. The stranger
may search the English netyspa pers
through and not find word concerning
dry goods; the Spanish papers give
scarcely more light There are no lists of
things which are for sale at any place
no bargains offered, and no Inducements
of any kind. The merchants wait to be
sought. raiher than push themselves for
ward. II the tickle public comes to them
they are glad, II not they pursue the even
tenor OF their way without It, There is a
store whose proprietor is very anxious
to secure the patronage Of the American
colony and il is interesting to hear him
talk to any American who may be a
prospective buyer. He assures the Gus
toner in excellent English that he very
much wishes to please her, and for this
reason says that he gives her the desired
article-whatever it may beat much
less price than he would TO a Cuban;
whereas, as a matter of fact he asks an
american fully as much or more after
the foreign manner of treating Ameri-
cans. In the rear of the store he has many
beautiful Partisan goods, which he takes
great pride in showing. Near at hand
are some dainty wineglasses, one OF
which, filled with good wine from the cut
glass decanter. he presses on each Gus
toner from whom he wishes to honor.
Imagine dry goods merchant in large
city in the states Offering his customers
wine! AT some other places one is treated
In the same manner.
Havana Clerks Polite.
The clerks are uniformly polite and
whether one makes a purchase or not she
is shown much courtesy. There are very
few stores where women clerks are en-
plcyed. These are so rare as to cause COM
ment when they are seen in the millinery
shops. in the two or three Partisan ba-
:aars. and in the largest fan store. When
In haa h. Anna f7fz "a