The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-12-15
The W AR ON ]. FROST.
How Owners Of Stores Have Fought
Him Away From Their
Windows.
The Electric Fan Found Most Sue
cessfu1 Weapon-Its Use Is
~ Common Now.

AS through glass clearly should holt
day goods be SEEN Before Christmas
comes the grand salon of window dress
ing Assists. But their annual opportu-
nifty is lost if, they cannot discourage COM
petition by the John Frost Decorating
company, Limited.
Unless precautions are taken the most
bewitching reductions. upon goods that
"sell themselves will remain undiscov-
cred behind mists, fOgs, glaciers and Him
alayan peaks of moisture, ice and hoar
frost upon show windows. Young folks,
or even some women may enjoy a peep
show through these landscapes by sue
cessful painters. If YOU breathe on the
glass you may create a telescope orifice
and detect bargains to the sou east. south
and sou'west. But the majority Of shop
pers, unequal to such exploration, will re-
spect the modesty of merchants that cloak
themselves, like Jupiter, in a cloud.
During former years northwestern mer-
chants suffered much from the secretive
methods Of December. At the very time
when the public was most urgently ''in-
lyited to inspect ETC., the curtains were
maliciousy pulled down. @.=.
Nowadays Manitoba waves may come
and go, but Nicollet avenue storekeepers
crowd their windows with temptation as
confidently as Faust set forth his Tiffany
gems. Miss Marguerite, the ingenious,
public cannot fail to see. Show windows
are now as clear as in June. -.E III,
But the indefatigable John was not
frozen out through his own neglect. Light
ed gas jets, except in mild weather. would
clear the glass Immediately above them.
| but leave between long, upright prison
bars Of congealation. Then chemistry s
oily compounds for the amounting of win
dows did not meet expectations. The mix
| ture sometimes damaged good by acct
dent. And the window panes were
smeared so notably that the views they
conveyed seemed natural to no one but
| a Rockefeller. - -. -'.'
| But a philosopher took hold of the prob
| lem and outwitted Mr.. Frost. He noticed
that Mr.. Frost's paintings were always
| on the inside of windows, because warm
air within deposited its moisture on the
pane ooled by frigid air without. If the
air on i,,oth sides We're practically at the
same mperature.% there would be nc
| frost, >, obscured pane, he reasoned
Transform the. space next to the show
windows into q separate room by erecting
a partition back of the windows; put in
ventila ting pipes below the windows, or
| bore series of holes along the bottom OF
the window, frame, so as to admit outside
| air freely into the window room. Then
the air inside the pane will be almost as
cold as the air outside, and no frost pic
lures will appear. - E...,
| Still another antidote to winters trade
poison was introduced into Minneapolis a
couple Of years ago by e. H. Weinhold, al
Nicollet avenue and Sixth |street. This
was the use of electric fans to keep the
tempera ture alta point which will make ii
unhealthy for Mr.. Frost. "These electric
fans whirling away during December ii
full view Of the public are a great adver-
| tsement for our banana belt says Mr.
Weinhold. "Then the fans save the ex-
pense Of building partitions behind the
windows and save; space as we'll. One
| small ia in each. window is enough. Yor
start it whirling when you open the store
The fan puts the, air in circulation and pre-
vents the deposit ofmoisture. That's tht
important thing. 1t doesn't seem to mat
terswhether the circulating air is warm o.
cold" ,". III - ~ 1lg1
1 A problem allied to this inside frostins
is the outside icing that appears upo1
| store windows in cold weather wheneve
| they are washed eNternaIly& TO proven
water from freezing on the outside of tn
panes, a large department store on Nicol
let uses water that contains alcohol ant
ammonia, but this is dangerous to pain
and lettering. Instead Of alcohol and am
| moria, merchants can use equal parts o
calcium hydrate and calcium Chord
combined with water in a weak solution
wholly harmless to paint or gilt. -