The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-12-16
TOWN TOPICS.

The stores appear 10 be n little back
ward This year r dressing up .,he dis
plaN windows In their holiday attire.
ThA fact that Nmas is less than Il few
Weels away does not seem to have II
conspicuous place in the mind of the
merchant for only few stores have
taken or Che appcar,nc" that an
no,inces the busiest time of all the year
| is al hand, OF course the town stores
will De bright with all III" ligh, and
color of the holiday shopping season
| when Christmas buying becomes active,
only the displays are later this year
thah usual, q fact that has been COM
! men,ed on during the week
TN" Christmas trade is backward
this year. the merchants say. SO far
| the sales have not indicated that il Is
TN" season of gift buying. the time
| OF the year when the Cnsl, book records
it's biggest figures. The stores were
! opened evenings this week but there
| were no sales made beyond Il few ne
"essitieS that probably would have
| been purchased during regular hours
| The next day.
| The merchants. however. look for Il
| big holiday season. The prospects are
| hat buying will he as active. If not
| more so. than former years. But it will
| be Il late season. That is the rash viii
come at he last minute, Purses will
| be- unioSSeneG When there viii be but IL
| few days To shop before the dawn of
| Christmas and there will il" some dizzy
| spells in the stores to satisfy the eager
| demands of buyers.
The street car strike viii. OF course,
| have it's effect as it has more or Jess
! since the cars ceased running, but even
/ with the prospect Of it continuing The
! merchants are sunglln. of a prosper
Gus hOida! season.
'Thcse are the dun days in our line
| said j. Russell shepherd of the Erie
ticie, office to The rrihun" man yesl"r-
| day
The holiday season is always quiet
at this end ana now jus, befor. NnluS
! is the dullest Of all. Few people go
| west in November or De"rmber. par
ticulirly December There is very lii.
t /" travelling done amy way Just now.
but what there. may be is souIhward.
no main is going west now unless it
happens to be some one who is moving
10 the western country There is 40
one seeking pleasure trips or going on
y !
the beginning OF the year. q good many
more travellers will be ON the move
While this condition is true of the bis.
trunk lines like the Erie, the reverse
is true of the Delaware and hudson
ANA the Ontario and Western roads.
This is tn" season when their local
passenger business SwellS enormously.
The shopping days of holiday season
attracts the residents Of the small
towns TO the bigger places where the
streets ar" alive with people and the
stores are flashing with Christmas dis
play.
The Delaware and Hudson company
has been doing Il tremendous business
since the street car strike. All of the
| early morning trains and those in the
early evening are crowded. even the
extra coaches that are attached. Two
extra trains are running daily out Of
Scranton. one as far as Olyphant. the
other To curbondale. To accommodate
the rush that will set in next week
will somewhat tax the facilities of the
ron,pany. but the unsurpassed service
of this road will be equal to the extra
demands. it can be safely said
lust now the Ontario and Western
is doing the biggest business between
Scranton ana Carbondale than ii has
done since the road opened. The regret
is that the company does not feel that
ii would be oppOrtun" to increase the
number of trains as the service is
greatly appreciated by the patrons of
the road.
\ well known citizen WAS standing
along the curbStOnc on Main street
yesterday afternoon. He is Il man who
takes Il good deal of pleasure in the
well kept appearance" Of the city's
streets and The Tribune man when he
observed the look of half displeasurc
and half disgust ON his face, appreciate
ed that somebody had been careless.
say" he exclaimed with som"
spirit" why don't YOU call attention to
the practice ana condemn it as strongly
rs you cam. in your paper tomorrow.
| mean this thoushtless habit Of letter
ing the gutter With such stun as you
sce along there now indicating with
his hand as he spoke
The 'rribun" man looked and saw Il
line of rubbish along the gutter as far
us the eye allowed.
"A good deal of this" the ,liSpleaSeu
citizen Went on" represents the sweep
inss from the stores. OF course not all
the stores have this habit, but there is
enough of Them To make the street un-
slightly. The public highway is not the
place 10 throw the dirt that is left in
the stor" during the day BESIDES be-
inS unSishtly ii is dangerous to the
health To litter The street in this muli-
ncr, ana those who are so IhOughtleSs !
it IS nothing more--should b" remind |
ed that the practice is offensive and |
dangerous.