Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-10-09
AUSPICIOUS OPENING
Thousands Throng the Aisles Of
Phillips Big Store.
SURPRISED AT The LARGE STOCKS.

The Extensive Display OF Silks, Dress
Goods, Millinery, cIoaks, Jackets
and Furs. and Furniture Delighted
All.
From Fridays Daily.
With store packed with eager, de-
lighted people from basement to fifth
floor, all with expressions Of wonder
and surprise at the fine displays, the
elegant and costly fabrics and variety
of patterns, and the extent of the
stocks carried in every department,
the first fall opening of j. A. Phillips
big department store yesterday after
noon and last night will always re-
main as one of the largest and most
suspicious affairs of the kind ever
held in Ottamwa. There is no gain
saying the fact that Mr.. Phillips, when
he opened his doors last March to the
public, surprised them by the extent
of the store, and there were many
skeptical people who believed that
his venture would fail, not for lack
of effort but because Ottumwa is too
small to support such large institu-
ton. But Mr.. Phillips felt differently
about it and has demonstrated that
such a store in Ottumwa can succeed
with the right kind of push and energy
and advertising, and those who predict
ed his failure have nothing to say. At
his first opening in the spring the
store was packed to the sidewalk, but
the displays were not as elaborate nor
the stocks as complete as the opening
was rushed and the goods not all in.
While the store has enjoyed a
steadily increasing patronage ever
since and has given the people of OF
tumwa exceptional bargains, it was
not fully realized until last nights
event the enormity of the enterprise
as customers in the store had but a
faint glimpse of the entire line of
goods carried. Mr.. Phillips certainly
demonstrated last night that the Big
Store is big store in truth by dis.
playing in the different departments
exceptionally large and varied stocks,
arranged in the most tasty manner
for inspection.
The entire store presented gala
appearance last night, under the soft
light of several hundred colored cleo
trio lights. The pretty draperies and
changing colors of the silks, ribbons
and other fabrics on display left a
pleasing effect with the sight-seer in
every nook and corner of the store.
The first floor held the largest crowd
and was probably the most gaily dec.
Grated. The right aisle was given
over to the silk display, while the left
aisle of the dry goods department was
taken up with the dress goods display
| The many new and handsome fabrics
in these two staple lines of ladies
wear were displayed to the best ad
! vantage and caused many express
sionsi of delight from the visitors. The
soda fountain, which was literally
patronized during the evening, was
also deliberately decorated for the oc
casion and seemed to feel it's impor
lance as factor of the store as II
reared it's stately head in the center
of the court.
The other department that was the
especial delight of the ladies and al
most took the breath of many ava.
as they caught their first glimpse o
it, was the cloak and suit section OF
the second floor, while the milliner.
department on this floor was also on,
of the popular stopping points TO
the many visitors. Probably no de
partment in the store has such an i'm
4 mense stock on display, from the cost
Hest cloaks and furs, down to eli
dren's garments. In the millinery dc
partment were shown model hats froI
London, Paris, New York, and Oh
cage, while there were also exhibite
two or three creations of the Bi
Stores own workroom that even SUI
passed the model hats for style all
effect:
On the second floor toy depart
! ment was opened, and many fine &C
vance Christmas toys were shown
The display included an import orde
of German mechanical and musics
toys that delighted the children. TIL
picture department on this floor wa
also a new one to many Of the PEI
pie and appreciated.
On the third floor, in the furnitur
and carpet section, the display Of fin
furniture, draperies, carpets, rugs an
lace curtains was none the less elab'
rate and many were the visitors VIII
found their waySto this floor and el
J joyed looking over the goods. Th
draping was done by the manage
Harry Bridges. In fact every depar
ment Of the Big Store. including til
! basement, was decorated in honor I
the opening and visited during the da
/ and evening by thousands of delighte
people. !.
Last evening the feature of tt
! opening was vaudeville performane
in the center of the main floor.
J stage had been erected and on tn
piano had been placed. The progra
! consisted of recitations by Alice M
Donald, whistling solos by Will Lo,
1 rie, instrumental selections by Mi
Nellie Turpin, piano and vocal mus
by Miss Bernice Davis and burlesq,
! cake walk by little Miss Lillian Fie
and Master Walter Davis. Evel
number on the program was sever
tiyoac ancOrad and each Derform