The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-12-15
The Sleigh and Reindeer Put in
the Stable and an Automobile
Heavily Loaded On Its Way to
Worcester
AN EXPLODED TIRE
MAY CAUSE TROUBLE
To Guard Against a Delay in the
Reception Of Gifts by Such an
Accident the People of the City
Have Begun Shopping and All
Stores Are Crowded

Santa Claus, like everybody else on
this hustling globe, is up-to-date this
year. and he is to make his trip to the
homes of the good little boys and girls
in an automobile. His big sleigh and
its team of RENDERS have been sent tC
the stables and the jolly old fellow is
trying to get around in one of the
neW-fangled machines that is not
equipped with tingling bells, but in
stead is armed with shrill tooter.
The old fellow is very apt to have a
tire explode before he gets to Worces-
ter, and then there Will certainly be
trouble if he cannot fill his engage
ments in this city. Some of the faith
ers and mothers are afraid that some
thing of the kind will happen, and
that is why the streets are crowded
every day by a pushing and pulling
throng loaded with bundles Now is
the season for Christmas shopping,
and the early buyers are looking for
all kinds of good things, and they are
finding them. A walk along the streets
in the business section of the city is
enough to convince everybody that
Christmas is coming
The big piles of bundles behind
which may be seen a little man or
woman scurrying for an electric car
contain all kinds of good cheer for
the happiest season of the year The
shopping has not begun in earnest yet
but the clerks in. the big stores will be
gin this week to work overtime in or
der to give the men and women with
money to spend an opportunity to see
what Is offered.
The store windows are full of at
tractive presents but not a hundredth
part of the stock can be displayed, and
visit to the big stores reveals a be-
wildering assortment of presents from
the old standbyes, such as dolls. sleds,
skates and home games to real auto
mobiles for use in the house and cleo
trio railway systems ready to be put
in operation on the parlOr table
or course these things cannot be
purchased for a song, and only the
wealthy can have them. but there are
enough mechanical toys of cheaper
grade to give all the good boys and
girls a supply that will last them until
New Years at least 80
The weather during the past week
has not been conducive to a lively
Christmas trade, and the storekeepers
are hoping that this week will find
brighter skies and cleaner streets for
the benefit Of the sLeppers. Bad
weather makes it unusually hard on the
stOrekeepers in more ways than one.
1t puts off the shopping until the last
day or two before Christmas, and then
the stores are so filled with people that
everybody is rushed to death and few
are satisfied The clerks cannot make
a proper display Of the goods they have
for sale because the people have not
the patience to wait. They grab up the
first thing that strikes their fancy and
order 1t sent home without an inquiry
If there IS not something else that
might be more satisfactory. The
clerks are pestered by a grumbling
crowd of purchasers and in the mixup
which usually follows bad feeling is
engendered all around
In addition to this, the storekeepers
complain that bad weather does a lot
of damage to the goods on the coun-
tiers. Men and women come in with
their clothes dripping wet and handle
delicate fabrics usually leaving q
spot wherever a drop falls that does
does not add any to the value of the
article.
The paint is rubbed off the cheaper
grade of toys and this makes them look
as If they were not worth the 80 cents
that is asked for them. 1t is impossi-
BILE to keep the stores clean and all
around, rainy weather is bad for the
Christmas trade.
Under the circumstances the store
keepers who go to church have made
plans for fervent prayers today for
good weather this week and next, be-
cause they want to come out whole at
least, and it looks bad for them unless
there is a clearing.
The street car conductors are anoth-
er set that wants good weather It is
bad enough to have a car packed to
the doors with humanity, but when is
added to this bunch a mass of bundles
of varying sizes, the man who takes
the niCkles is up against a hard game
He has his troubles under ordinary
circumstances. but for the next two
weeks he has to step gingerly or he
will walk on dolls and sIeds and do a
lot Of damage that will not add any to
his popularity.
The letter carriers and clerks are
another crowd that is glad Christmas
comes but once a year They are up
to their ears in work, sorting and dis
tributing packages and delivering them
to all parts of the city. The troubles
of the carriers are doubled at least.
and their bundles are beginning thus
early to assume proportions the car
rlers do not like.
They, as we'll as the others engaged
in catering to the Christmas traders,
are hoping that the automobile that
Santa Claus is driving tOwardWorcester
will not break down. so the old fellow
can make the rounds without adding
to their troubles.