Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-12-06
KRIS kR|NGLE RElGNS !
mrs ANNUAL ADVENT HEnALDEp
IA MANN SIGNS.
FELT IN CRISP wlNTRY AIR.
marked by the Rush OF the Yale
rid. rrnde-shoppcrr Take Time
by rorc,och-rmrct". TO the Vol
nmc of purincr. Already Felt.
mrs ANNUAL ADVENT HEnALnE
FELT IN CRISP WINTRY AIR.
marked by The Rush Of the al
-..sr,a ts n the air.

Kris Tlringlc is n the ar.
~, o,lv Tho crisp winterish tcnpera-
tnrn of the atmosphere YESTERDAY
,,;,,ncrv and an eager air, as the o''i.'e
W,,yiam would call it. denoted me NED,
eo..oach Of The patron saint OF an s'ou
children. younE and oid. but me s.1 9" -,
of Christmas shoppers when copeu az
. flowed along the south see o. oi oau
street in the afternoon and kePt '1ie
clerks OF many OF me stores Oh 'ne
To keen pace with their demands. ".',
,,,ss.,Iahly sirritied that the Jolly oid
SANTA Claus OF generation ago IN cup
md furs who drove a reindeer team ana
entered the houses by the CHIMNEY Po's
with his pack on his back. had dispas cfieo
his large corps OF a>-vance coufiers aheao
az him TO attend 10 the detaiis Oh t"e
business. which have grown chiife's ~
large for the old gentleman 10 ''aiuie
80 md ave now managed under his
supervision more In accordance "i''i -''oN
ern business methods.
OLD METHODS.
Formerly Santa Claus confined hlh'sei'
strictly TO small children. and II was
comparatively easy job for him 10 crawl
down The chimney-for he was the origi-
nal chimncy-swcep-and ill! the stochihss
hanging by the hearth with his toys ana
confectionerics while the children slept.
methods of house heating and the con-
s,r,,c,iou of nues interferes with his old
habits (Which he still ioSes best and
sometimes clandestinely returns 10, but
the benign influences of the Christ child
have spread from the smaller to the
larger children. and now so SreatlE nave
the demands on the beautiful Chrlsuan
legend become. interviewer. as 1t so IN
ttsnaIely is with all the domestic relauonS
throughout Christendon, that old people
insist on becoming children again in tins
softeDinc and alI-humanizing season. and.
instead of shining IL down the chimney
and filling tiny sockets and stockings with
TOYS. the old saint is set scratching his
good gray head for months before ne
all-iynportant day TO invent means by
which to surprise and please children OF
all ages.
TOYS for the old is quite different pro-
position from toys for the young. ana
where he formerly gave the latter imita-
ton houses and such things. ne Is no"
sometimes called on 10 give the real thihS.
houses and lots. to his OLD clients anc
other things in proportion.
However most people are pleased ana
contented with more modest reminders OF
the season. and of this class, principally,
were the shoppers who thronged Broad
street yesterday.
ON BROAD 81 1hfIEl
The Christmas trade has gradually
made itself fe.l since Monday in the
I3rcad-street stores, and the impetus had
considerable increased by yesterday. al
though it is still very far from the volume
and magnitude which it will assume later
ending in a climax on ChristmaS-Eve
night.
The Christmas shoppers are as yet only
providing themselves with menentoS OF
tie season to send to distant friends, and
the heavier trade when the local eX-
changes begin has not set i'll yet
CHANGE N TASTE.
The merchants generally say there have
been very material changes in the taste
OF Christmas shoppers and the demands
of the trade. Instead Of the trinlhets that
were formerly in demand at this season
the buyers call for staple goods. useful
and selviccable articles that will be of
substantial intrinsic benefit while serving
TO please the recipients as reminders also.
Hence. they have largely cut out the
fancy lines that were formerly i'll vogue
and as a result they generally report hea-
vier sales than before. One firm said they
had largely cut out the fancy goods for
three years past and had each successive
year realized a bigger trade and better
profits in consequence of 1t.
This causes the Christmas trade to he
more generally diffused among the rank
and tie Of the merchants and all sorts of
presents arc now in vogue from a suit
O. furniture and china or dinner set to
a piece of sterling silver or cut glass
a HARDSHIP O1SN1ATED.
This ptviates a hardship that was form