Evening times-Republican., 1903-12-26
Volume of Business Transacted
Largest In History Of
the City
RUSH uNEouALLED IN WEARS
Drew the Bulk of the
Business From a Radius of Twenty
five MiIes-Purchases Were Mostly
for cash-Postoffice Express and
Passenger Traffic Very Heavy.

I
was money enough In the pockets OF
the people TO make possible the great
est Christmas trade ever known. Pro-
baby never in the history of this city
has the volume of business transacted
by its merchants been so enormous as
during the season just closed. There
certainly was never so large per cent
age of cash purchasers. 1t has cause /
unusual comment and thankfulness on
the part of the retail dealers and must
be source of satisfaction to all inter-
ested in Marshalitown as trading
center. Thousands upon thousands of
dollars We're spent and for the larger
portion cash was paid.
During the first two weeks of De-
cember, while business was fair, 1t
rather dragged and gave no indication
of what was to be finally realized.
With the opening of Christmas week
the rush began. and continued, grow
ing more and more intense each day,
until Thursday the stores were literally
jammed with buyers. Inquiry made
among the leading merchants in differ
ent lines has ascertained the holiday
business to have been without an aqul
in years. Not only was the bulk of the
goods sold enormous. but the larger
portion was of better quality. Re-
tailers bought heavily last year. and
more so this season but in many lines
stocks We're practically exhausted long
before closing time Christmas eve.
Shoppers came long distances. from
far outside the country. and owing to
the excellent roads rural residents were
able to drive many miles with their
produce. and return laden With their
purchases on the same day. Any num-
Der of people were in the city curing
the week from Hardin. GrundN AMI
Tama counties, and goodly share
came overland. One of the remark
able features OF the trading was th,
little credit asked. Cash was paid by
the majority The cashier of savings
bank said that an unusual number of
depositors drew out $40 to $50 for
Christmas shopping. Another evidence
of this fact is the unusual increase in
the bank deposits of dealers over like
periods of other years. Just what the |
exact figures are can not, of course,
be ascertained. but they are ad nittel
to be greatly in excess of correspond |
ing seasons.
Uncle Sans Business Large.
Another indication of prosperity was
the amount of business done by the
local postoffice and the three express
In every case the increase
has been very noticeable. and establish
IS record for other years. On Christ
mas day the postoffice force was all
but completely showed under. Nal
matter was reckoned by the ton, and
not by the piece as is the usual custom.
Piled high on the Office floor hundreds
and hundreds of packages awaited de-
livery, and altho patrons thronged in
and out during the open hours. many
we're left uncalled for Postmen left
he Office on their rounds today. laden
ike pack animals, and it will be Mon
lay before all the parcels have reached
heir destinations. The same state of
affairs was seen about the express Of
ices. Wagons piled high have been
,oing to and from the trains. ard en-
,loyes have been driven almost to mall
less attempting 10 keep their heads
lbove the food Of parcels. Nothing
iefinite can be ascertained as 10 the
figures, but the seasons
business is said by the employees to be
he largest In years.
Traffic Tremendous.
Traffic upon the several lines o.
.ailroads on Thursday was something
enormous. Altho all the trains carried
-xtra coaches many were compelled 70
tand on both those coming in ma GO
ng out The scene at the union station
m Christmas eve resembled that OF
metropolitan railway terminal. There
vas but little more than standing room
n the depot, and altho all the trains
we're late, the bundle-carrying crowd
vas good natured, as it showed and
.lbowed its way about. The rush 10
each the city did not cease until the
asst train on Thursday evening. The
'entraFs evening train from the north.
lltho carrying three coaches. was
many being unable to get
'eats. 1t brought in fully as many
Is went away and of the former a
arge proportion could not retusn home
lntil Friday morning The unusual
movement of passengers, express ard
together with the sudden
lrop in the temperature, also delayed
III the trains on Christmas dly.