The Indianapolis journal., 1903-04-12
EASTER COMES SMILING
HOLIDAY FINDS A CITY OF BUDDING
BLOSSOMS AND GREEN.
Showers May Come, but Chances Are
Good for Brilliant Display of
Frills and Feathers.

Easter promises to be a blithe holiday.
1t finds Indianapolis in fresh vernal beauty,
bud and leaf, having so far developed that
the day is frightened with natures green.
Every Easter is not so happily provided.
for there have been days when the promise
of spring seemed withheld. To-day the
streets are marked by the green of the
shooting branches and budding blossoms
and the gardens by tulips and other early
bloomers. Last year Easter came on
March 80.
There is promise of a reasonably safe
: opportunity to wear new clothes to-day.
Dressmakers, milliners and tailors report
brisk trade during the past week in Easter
apparel, eliminating yesterday and last
night in the biggest Easter business known
in years. The Weather Bureau reluctant
ly admits that showers will prevail in In
diana, except in the extreme south, during
the day and that the temperature will fall.
This is a pleasant contrast to last Easter,
when cold, chilling rain deluged the streets.
followed by an incisive cold wind and late
in the day eddying snow. 1t was the anti
type Of the old-fashioned Easter.
So far as the shop keepers of Indian
apolis are concerned Easter has become a
second Christmas. Flowers, books, chill
drens novelties and eggs were the princi-
pal gift articles in demand. The trade
yesterday was inspired by the beauty Of
the day and the stores were thronged until
late at night. Edward p. Clancy, manager
of Wassons, said the trade at all the large
stores had been all that could be possibly
taken care of. The out-of-town trade was
not as heavy as the Christmas trade but
1t was large factor of the week. Yester-
day was test of the trading facilities of
all the retailers and 1t required every effort
to serve all.
EASTER EGG CUSTOM
The Easter egg custom is an hereditary
fixture. Like everything else, it is still
in the process of evolution. The ordinary
egg is the hens egg. Yet there were on
sale in many places yesterday eggs as big
as football. They were not ostrich eggs.
They appeared in all kinds of decorations
from continental patriotism to Beardsley
eccentricities. The larger eggs were of
papier-mache. They were separable (sug-
gesting that similar device on natural hot
soft-boiled eggs would be advantageous
and contained confections or toys. Mr..
Bunny, who seems to have taken the
calcium in the Eastertide stage, was pres
ent at all novelty counters. either carrying
a basket of diminutive artificial eggs or
having in his interior delicate confections
The Easter flower market Cat Easter
prices) was overwhelming. The ruling
flower was the New Castle American
Beauty. One department store sold 6.OOt
in the afternoon; another 5000 They
ranged in price from 80 cents to Sc per
dozen. Easter lilies, azaleas, pansy plants
roses, tulips and hyacinths were abundant
and easily salable. Flowers and music
will reign about equally in many churches
AT Christ Church the floral decorations
are ostentatious. Lilies, hyacinths and
tulips are used with roses and palms. Al
st. Pauls a feature of the elaborate flora
decoration will be crosses of birch inter
woven with lilies and hyacinths. The
pulpit of the Second Presbyterian Church
will be inclosed with railing of Southern
smilax and the First Baptist will be pro.
fuse with palms and potted plants of large
size. Meridian-street, the First Presby.
terian and Robert Park Churches will have
abundant floral decorations, including al
| the seasonable flowers.
Liverymen reported last night that the
demand for vehicles was such that Il
would be difficult to procure one to-day
Easter is the first occasion when the sea
son of outing begins and every young mar
| who wants to make an impression on his
| inamorata finds the climax in the Easter
buggy ride