The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-12-26
MILLION FOR GIFTS
That Is the Christmas Record
in Topeka.
Stores Reported a Large In
crease in Business.
MERCHANTS
Rush of Holiday Buyers Has
Been Unprecedented
Not One Complaint Is Made by
Store Keepers.
PLEASED.

Liz TIE week pIGNlQuS " q
from a million to q million and a quar-
ter dollars.
The universal sentiment of the mer-
chants is one Of satisfaction with the
volume OF business transacted during
the past week.
A million dollars for Christmas pres
ents. The expenditures of the money
for Christmas presents has been Wen
distributed among the merchants OF the
various lines, from tie book and 1ewelry
stores to the notions. toy and dry goods
stores.
Cigars constituted a large percent.
of the presents given to the heads OF
families. Together with smoking jack
cts and gentlemen's furnishings. tobacco
probably was the popular present Tor
the men. The large cigar stores have
at least had deliveries enough to keep
the delivery wagons mil overtime
Then candies came in for big sales
IT should estimate our sales at about
10, 900 pounds said w. F. Rigby, a
| downtown confectioner, this morning.
1T is surprising the amount of business
there was along these lines. 1t ecnpsed
our anticipationS Our reserve STOCK
| was used up early, and our factory had
to be run night and day. / uppos that
the grocery stores sold nearly the same
number of pounds of candy as we did,
but it is of the cheaper grades, the
mixed or bucket candy variety"
Books are growing In popularity as
| presents as the years pass, and the To-
peka book stores repor a marvellous
sale. "I estimate that our business in
creased considerably over 100 per cent
over the Christmas period OF last year,
said Kurtz Kellam, of the Kellam BOOK
and Stationery company. Our cash
sales have to over q hundred
per cent. more than last year. Then the
art department in growing in favor. Our
art department was not so well eStaD-
lished last Christmas as it was this year,
but there has been an immense busl-
ness. Our business has more than filled
our anticipations."
Look at this" said Ralph Moore, in
answer to a question of a reporter for
the State Journal in regard to their
Christmas business, as he pointed to a
broken showcase. why, the store has
been damned so full of people I hardly
more cases broken I should say that
our sale Of books eclipsed all previous
records"
The weather has been favorable for
business at the clothing stores.
"a peculiar thing that we noticed"
said VIM. Davis, of the Palace Clothing
lis that Monday, the second
day before Christmas. was our biggest
mas is the largest in the volume of
business transacted, but 1t was not the
case this year. Monday was the largest
day in point of sales that the store has
had during the twelve years of its his
tory. Tuesday was the eco largest
day. Our Christmas business has been
enormous"
IT would not estimate our business as
larger than any Christmas previous to
this year." said d. J. Greenwa1d, cloth
ing merchant, but it was considerably
larger thar the Christmas business last
year."
Our business has been stupendous,"
said A. August. "Of course, we have
had our sale of the Continental stock
ness this year seems to have been much
larger than former years"
w haven't had time yet to figure
up exact comparisons of our Christmas
Crosby for the Crosby Bros department
store. we have our store pretty well
filled with customers today We are,
however, we'll satisfied. The weather
time. but things came out all light.
w tried a plan this year which I
believe will prove popular" he contin-
ued. 1T is that of direct Importation
of artistic novelties and nav
cit is surprising the amour of furni-
ture ordered for presents. Our stock
estin ate that this was the biggest year
in amount of sales made. that we have
ever had"
yes, the Christmas has been won
a"woman.s Store 1--WE have had the
largest business / have known for three
years I am well satisfied. 1t seems
It is the only exclusive store of
its kind west of Boston"
"Oh, yes" said Warren M. Crosby,
our trade has been much larger than
ever heretofore. But then that is real
ly not surprising. Since a year g I
secured larger quarters by the
to the store on the west and
consequently have been in a position to
accommodate a larger d
II estimate a Is per cent increase in
our business over last year." said Mr.
DeMuth of the Topeka Cash. During
~ rrhon a 1rNr1h< xxv1a <h-1.41rL
ed we did not lay in such a large line
as we should have secured, but never
theless our trade has been more than
satisfactory"
People began buying for Christmas
this year than Usual said S.
THE volume of business at
store has been nearly double that
of any previous year My trade from
towns by nail order has
been satisfactory also"
Il should estimate the increase in
above that of last Christmas" said
w. Mills today. I'VE haven't had
time to figure up the comparison yet
but at a guess I should place that esti-
mate on it. Trade is brisk today for
the first day after Christmas"
"Our trade surpassed all our expecta-
said Lou Worthington of the
Model Supply. we made big prepara-
lions for the holiday trade but the bus
mess was greater than we anticipated"
Thompson Brothers, furniture dealers
also report a handsome increase in
trade.
The jewelry stores were crowded The
sales of diamonds. rings, trinkets and
umbrellas, etc, was alike greater than
any previous years
The marks of prosperity extended
also to the china stores. the shoe stores.
the music stores and along all lines of
The receiving tellers at the banks to-
are being kept busy making nota-
lions of deposits of from five to twenty
even larger mounts from young
people who received Christina as prec-
snts in cash
Christmas is past Many hearts were !