The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-12-25
LIVE TOPICS ABOUT TOWN.


for the crop Is almost an utter failure In
the regions where It is usually abundant.
New Jersey and Delaware usually pro-
vide the bulk OF the mistletoe for the New
York market, and this year Jerseyites have
been going to Long Island to get enough
made the Long Islanders angry. AZ the sup.
ply IL not too large for their own use and
there have been several encounters be-
tween them and the invading Jerseymen
Fifth avenue was in holiday dress on Tues.
day afternoon. The carriages which moved
slowly up and down were filed with women
whose destinations were the shops, but
| most Of them were dressed as If the opera
or reception was the magnet that attracted
them. The number Of victoras occupied
by handsomely dressed women was a
striking feature Of the parade. Wrapped
in furs, the weather had no effect on them.
Light colored hats. light colored gowns
and wraps added to the fes,al aspect Of
the shopping crowd, which is rar,y 40
Christmas.
The business Of buying rather than the
pleasure Of dressing usually interests the
women who go out to the shopping district
in the afternoon at this time. But ii happens
that just before Christmas few days in
recent years have been preceded by sue h
beautiful weather as this city enjoyed on
Monday and Tuesday. Every condition
invited display and parade; and no city ia
the world could have furnished a more
| brilliant spectacle than that to be seen
| on Tuesday in Fifth avenue.
1t took the glorious day TO bring out such
a crowd, and the shopkeepers must have
been delighted at the circumstance. The
| greatest value of the weather was well
| understood by the policeman at the corner
| Of TweDt With bird At aud Rrnadyyuv
| who answered an observation as to the
beauty of the day by replying
"fes. beautiful. Just the weather for
the spenders.'
The news that the Wanamaker store
| is to remain on its present site and as much
| Of the neighboring property as the enter
| prise needs and can acquire puts to rest
the repeated rumor that the Metropolitan
| Opera House was to be taken for the site
| Of the store In spite Of denials from all
those who in the nature of things might
| be expected to know the situation, il was
| impossible to put an end to the story that
the owners OF the Metropolitan had greed
| to sell their property at the end of two
years for sum variously placed at points
between 100000 and 100000.
The great advantage OF buying this
| pTODeTtN If tIlt ttSt Oh acquiring III IN a
| block As il is all owned by one company,
| there are no separate interest to be bought
| of or pacifed at great expense. The prop
| erty has greatly increased in value since
| il was bought by the Metropolitan Opera
and Real Estate Company, but it is eX-
| tremely doubtful If 1t Is worth 81, 900 900.
| The building. which now is in the heart of
| the theatre district, will remain central for
| many years TO come.
| With the contemplated alterations which
| are likely to be made in the next year, the
present house will serve its purpose well
for some years to come. The theat res
! likely to give way soon to business build
| ings are those that lie below Thirt y-fourt h
| street, where the returns on commercial
skyscrapers are much higher than on
theatrical property.
| A clergyman Of high place in his church
was walking through the shopping crush
Of West Twenty-third street yesterday with
a companion. In front of one Of the stores
| they were thrown out of step for a moment
while a woman crossed their path from the
| carriage TO the shop entrance Her men
| were in striking livery and every detail of
| her equipage v a. in accord with the latest
| decree OF fashion.
Seeing the kindly face Of the clergyman
staring at her with unconcealed curiosity
| the woman turned a half-oeiiant glance at
| him and swept on.
Did yIu notice herr" asked the clergy
mans companion. She used to be flower
| girl once
Poor woman" said the minister. How
| very sad
The intimate friends Of a certain woman,
known in certain set in society for the
shrewdness which TIN rcrs the generosity
of very kind heart, will receive from her
to-day little slip Of paper beginning o. T.
and ending with her signature In the
| corner of the slip is the stereo,yped wish
| for A Merry Christmas" and between
the promissory letters and the signature
on each is a description Of the Christmas
| gift the sender intends to make to the
| receiver.
| The woman who sends her Christmas
presents in this way awoke long ago to the
| fact that before that day Of days trifes
| suitable for gifts are an inordinate price
and after Christmas Day they come down
with n rush to bargain figures. She likes
| bargains and she hates to think that Jus,
in the shops should make what she con-
siders an unfair profit out of her. She
| also dislikes crowds
| So she decides before Christmas Dav
| what she wishes to give to each Of her
| friends and sends IN l. o. L. for that mar
/
| when the bargain time comes around and
| there l. no crowd in the stores 70 push
| and iostle tho purchaser, she poos shopnin~
| Mt her leisure and buys the articles she b, 8
| promised. II l. less trouble to the woman:
she saves money by Il her friends seem
| Just as pleased with this way Of receiving
| their presents and they admire her
| shrewdness as well
For some reason which Ia puzzle to the
Post Office clerks the crop Of letters to
santa Claus mailed in New York this year
has been larger than usual There is al
ways such a crop, and some If the appeals
they convey are calculated to make the
flintest hearted clerk in the builiing lay
out his salary in toys and call for sleigh
and reindeer team to play Christmas
saint to junior New York.
Only the messages sent on postal cards
can be read, for the letters. by the stern
rule of the Department, which in it's official
capacity know no sentiment, are forw arded
| TO the Dead Letter Office at Washington
with the other mail which cannot be de-
| livered, and there are dealt with. But the
cards are touching enough. Here are one
| or two Sun man saw the other day:
Santa Claus. Manhattan. Care Of Postmaster:
| DEAR SANTA: Father out Of work mother
| getting odd days work washing when she
| cnn got il and five Children oldest "a wears