Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-03-08
THE BIG STORE OPENS
j. A. Phillips Department. Store
Thrown Open Last Night.

IMMENSE CROWD OF PEOPLE ATTEND
Everyone Delighted With the New
Store and the Handsome Appear.
Departments are Arranged
Fully five thousand people pushed,
showed, scrambled and waited to catch
a glimpse of Ottumwa's new depart
ment store, at The grand opening held
last night. 1T the crowd of people
which surged in and out of the big
building, from the time the doors OPP
ened until after Ill o'clock, was any cri-
terion as to the popularity of Mr..
Phillips daring move in placing city
department store i'll Ottumwa, he GER
tainly should feel proud of his efforts.
1T has been long time since such an
immense number of Ottumwa people
came down town at night to attend a
store opening. Before the doors of the
big store were thrown open, the crowd
had blocked the street in front, and
extended for half block on either
SIDE; "but it was good-natured and the.
Jostling and pushing was taken with
good-humored laugh. When the doors
We're once Thrown open the immense
crowd thronged into the structure,
and in less time than it takes to tell
it, the four floors of the store were,
packed with a mass of people. viewing
with many obs and "ahs' The bril-
ilantly lighted store, the lastly ar
ranged departments, and the beautiful
decorations. All evening long the
crowd continued to pass in and out of
the new store. Later on, as the crowd
grew thinner. people had u chance to
take a closer survey of the different
departments and what they contained, }.
and much surprise was expressed at
the fine lines of goods handled.
A short description of the new store
will not be out of place here. Entering
the front door, and extending half way
back to the rear, is the dry goods de-
partment, different counters being in
charge of different saleswomen, each
at the head of her department. The
decorations in the dry goods depart
ment are extremely beautiful and show
the tasty handiwork of Messrs. Withers
and Carbon, the store decorators.
These gentlemen have put in Their
entire time Tor the past week and have
transformed the bare walls and coun-
ters, and every conceivable nook, into
bowers of beauty. The shoe depart
ment is to the right, in the rear Of the
dress goods department. and the cloth.
ing aud gents furnishing department
is to the left on the main floor.
The basement is we'll taken up and
very conveniently arranged To the
left is the grocery department, and in
close proximity to 1his is the meat
market. 10 the right is the china,
glassware and tinwarei department and
the sporting goods and bicycle de-
partment is also in the basement IN the
northwest corner. ,F#
The second floor also called for many
ordinations of pleasant surprise from
the women. This floor is entirely taken
up by the cloak and suit department,
wrappers, misses ready-to-wear goods,
children's and infants garments, mus
lin underwear, millinery, fancy goods,
and wall paper departments, and the
decorations on this floor are none the
less beautiful than those on the first
The third floor istoccupied by the
furniture. carpet aud drapery depart
ments and was tastefully arranged for
the opening.
On the fourth floor is the wholesale.
department, which is packed with sur
plus stock and new goods for the
wholesale trade. ss1In4lI3
On entering the store one Of the
prettiest things which caught the eye
of those who went down the left aisle,
was an immense floral horseshoe. This
was sent to Mr. Phillips with the
compliments and best wishes OF Car
son-Pirie-Scott G. Co. 1t was beauti-
full floral design, made of roses and
carnations. Avery pretty decorative
effect was also shown in the rotunda
of the large building. Extending thru
the opening from the top, We're hung
hundreds of artificial flowers, strung on
threads at irregular intervals. Moving
in the air the many bright colors OF
the flowers made a pretty effect III the
brilliant light of the incandescents,
which studded the foot of the railing
at each floor. On both the first and
second floors there have been arranged
appointed reception rooms
for the women, carpeted and furnished
in most up-to-date manner. While
in the basement there is provided
lunch room for the farming people
and those from out of town who bring
their dinners.
Mr.. Phillips received many kilograms
of congratulation, and one, which
probably expresses the view of all lib
eral minded peoples was as follows:
MAY your enterprise bring you pros
perity and health, from the opening
day." This sentiment probably echoes
the general belief, and the general
impression seems to be that the new
store will bring enough additional
business to Ottumwa to benefit all.
While the crowd is variously esti-
mated at from five to. ten thousand.
some idea may be learned of its vast
ness when it is known that 14,4O0.
souvenirs We're given away, and even
with this large number many neople
went home without them. During the
crowd great many people, especially