The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-06-08
EXCLUSIVE TRADE
WHERE PEOPLE TO WHOM COST
 IS NO OBJECT BUY GOODS.
odd Little Stores on Fifth Avenue North of Twenty-Sixth Street Stockings at $15o Pair and
 Tiaras for $15o,OOO Up.

Hester Street. The majority are sm aller
 than the average retail stores on Third avenue The narrow, low buildings frt : quently contain several establishments, one to each floor. And yet the men who do business here pay enormous rents, for they occupy part of the most valuable ground in the world. There are Of course in other cities small stores in To- calities of great wealth, but here Is a whole mile of them. in two almost ur-
 broken rows. These stores are the most pronounced evidence of New York's enor- nous wealth, for nowhere else could they have survived in face of the great depart
 ment stores and large houses in the more active centres of trade. S These small stores could not compete with the larger ones, but sthey exist be- cause in New York so large proportion of the people do not need to consider the cost of things. A small, exciusive and exclusive. They value their wealth principally becaGse it permits them to pursue their whims, and they are wiling enough to pay the price sufficient to man. tain a comparatively private emporium There is very little about these stores that is in touch with the modern life of trade. There are no cash registers, no cash boys and girls. and in most Of the places no cashiers or bookkeepers, ana one might be tempted also to think that there were no customers For an hour at a time in more than one of these places yesterday no one entered. One can pass
  see a sale made. And yesterday was an ideal day for shopping. The avenue out side was thronged vita wealthy, leiE-
 urely multitude. Few. however. of the stopped. Of the people passing from win ] dow to window, idly inspecting the dis plays. not one in hundred went inside.
 Under such circumstances the merchant
 'n Third Avenue would go bankrupt. m
 most of these places. however, single
 purchase is often enough to provide
 inc profit for a week.
 One of these stores sells nothing but l hoisery. The average price Of stockings
 here is $10 pair. but any one who wishes | can pay S150. Most Of these stockings are made to order. after special designs.
 Elegance just now IS represented by black i of real lace. Some of these stock'ngs are 1 90 fine that they can be wadded into a | thimble An unusually attractive design
 M n9s gns asg bs Sy leg | of black lisle and might have been woven | by a spider. The lower half was an open 1 web, over which was worked delicate | vine also in black This was in hand
 embroidery It was beautifully done and l produced most striking result But there are now no more of these stock ings to be had. The girl who was enl- ployed in the task is in the hospital and this Philadelphia manufacturer is so pe- cuiar in his nature that he has refused to put another to the ordeal. The trade tn stockings made to order seems to be an unusually good one. customer who came in yesterday to inquire for $5 pair intended as a present, was told that
 he must wait for a few days. as the facr
 tory where they were being made was S5c.00 behind in its orders.
 ExclusivenesS in Jewels.
 A little further up the avenue was 8 jewelry store into which no one might
 look Close against the glass of the | windows was carved panel. rising some
 three feet. There was nothing but
 to indicate that there jewels might bt
 had. Inside the glass cases were filled
 with brilliant gems The office was II
 the rear. and consisted of a. little roli-toT
 desk, behind a rail, where pleasant g faced, gray-haired old gentleman wat
 leisurelv writing d letter with quili pen
 "Why do you have no window display
 he was asked.
 He looked up with quiet twinkle in his
 eye. as he said: Because we do not
 want any" It took some time to explain
 to him why so personal a question might
 plained the philosophic principle under lying the barred and bolted appearance of his front.
 "Our customers" said he. 'are a class
 of people who like to think their dealings 1,s: E
 are exclusive. They would not readily | buy costly necklace that every passing
 eye had seen. It would lose its value if | 1t became too common"
 l AHu then n6 WchItci tii'l " '
 are safer as we are Your jewel thief sell dom enters store after what he has not seen. That is, perhaps, curious fact,
 for of course. he knows that store like | this would have Valua ole treasures, even
 If they were not in the window. But | when such crimes have been run to | earth it has almost invariably transpired
 that the thief has seen the jewels exhlb- l tied, and went in search of them. But, | still. that is only incidental. We wish to | cater to those who come on purpose tn
 buy. and is willing to pay for property | that is really private, and we do not Wish | to tempt the merely curious to come in- | side. If you would like to see some jew | els - he said, 'I will show them to you" | He led the way into a little reception
 coon. very small and very quiet: and l very richly furnished. In the centre was | d little cabinet on table.
 Tt doesn't look much,'' said he, tap | ping it with the fingers. Taking q key 1 from his pocket he lifted its front that | rolled from view like the top of a desk, I and revealed against a background of ex- quisitc white velvet four diamond collar 1 cites. tiara and necklace of pearls. l Here" said he. indicating the neck l lace, lis s75, ,0O0. IL is intrinsically worth 1 all that, but woman who wears 1t at
 her neck would rather take 1t from this | hidden cabinet than from under, the nose ! of the people on holiday"
 And yet" 1t was suggested, your the | ory Is unusual"
 Not at all" he answered. "A. T.. Stewart. the first merchant or New ork ] never had window display
 Aristocratic Furnishings. 1 A flight of steps and d door to the left i leads into a furnished store of three 1 small rooms. It is not as large as an | East Side flat. There Is no stock at all,
 no office no desk, no clerks The pro- l pretor receives a customer as d gentle | man Of leisure does caller and discusses l business as they lounge in upholstered | chairs. He has nothing to sell. but when | the business is over lie may, perhaps. put l check for $25. Oo0 in his pocket. He can | then afford to wait a few days for an- | other cust 5mer to drop in. His quarters
 are large enough, for he deals in castles | of the air.
 His window display is a single arm chair, upholstered in cretonne with wide | bands of flowers.
 The styles have changed" said he. "A | few years ago upholstery was rich and
 som5re now it is bright and fanciful
 French cretonne las replaced the plush | and brocade."
 The walls of this cosey store are | adorned with sketches in water-color These are the goods in stock. A custom | CT wanting room furnished or altered l l,s lN