Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-12-20
CHRISTMAS SHOPPERS
Same Old Hustling, Busting,
Happy Crowd.
LAST WEEK OF BUYING
RUSH WILL PROBABLY CONTINUE
UNTIL SATURDAY.
Typical Holiday Scenes in Evidence on
Every Side-Fakirs by
the Score.

| ing, crushing Christmas crowd, was the
| way Washington merchant described
| the first day of Christmas week, which
will wind up Saturday night in the
| Christmas eve maelstrom of belated buy
| erS.
Typical holiday scenes are in evidence on
every hand. The stores are crowded and
| have become veritable human hives, with
| the busy bees of humanity swarming in,
| congesting on The inside, and then swarming
out again to enter some other hive. In the
| throngs are every type of humanity, men
and women, boys and girls, black, white
| and yellow; big and little, strong and weak,
| rich and poor, representing many chimes
| and many countries All these and more
| besides are in the eager crowds of Christ
| mas buyers.
! How do the sales of 1904 compare with
| those of 1902 was the question PROFOUND
! ed by a Star reporter to representatives Oh
several of the big dealers today.
The replies were varied. About the
| same last year. said one. More early
| buyers this year than last, said another
Great rush of purchasers, said still an
| other, while one merchant said his delivery
| force and wagons had been kept busy part
of Sunday and he expected them to work
| away into the wee sma' hours during the
| remainder of the week.
| Some of the merchants complained of the
| action of Uncle Sam in requiring the gov
until 4:30 o'clock in the afternoon during
| Christmas week.
They should be excused at earlier
| hour" he said Uncle Sam should i'm
| bibe the true spirit of Christmas and give
! his faithful employees additional time in
which to make their holiday purchase:
and prepare for the festival occasion now
only few days ahead.
Makes Vast Difference.
Another merchant stated that while the
| extra half hour was apparently only
small matter still it made a vast differ
ence when considered in the aggregate. -
when we consider the thousands of gov
| eminent employees in Washington he said,
land that they form great bulk of the
holiday buyers, the half hour entails much
additional work the part of the store
clerks as a principal part of the Christmas
rush has to be satisfied in a half hour less
time than last year. l believe our govern
/ ment should be generous in this Christly
season of generosity and Thanksgiving and
dismiss the clerks every afternoon IN the
present week at least at 3 o'clock.
In the stores big and little, the Christ
mas throngs surging and churning.
Each particular department has its parucu-
lar buyers. The book stalls are a favorte
place this year and many parents are pur-
chasing books, not trashy ones, but as
rule good moral works or instructive ones
the tendency being toward the best there
is in the literary market. Art pieces, brio
a-brac and paintings are also in active de-
mand In some establishments the better
class of toys Superseding the Old-fash-
toned Johnny jump-ups,' the monkey
on-a-stick'' and such old timers that We're
considered novelties when the Oldest in
ha bitant was small boy in knickerbockers. 1
Dolls of the better class are also being |
bought instead of the old-fashioned break |
eases, and those who place sentiment be- |
fore value in Christmas gifts are buying |
many of the artistic holiday cards with |
pretty illustrations and prettier sentiments |
on them.
Many Enchanted Bazaars.
The enchanted bazaars described in |
arabian Nights are not more beautiful |
in exhibit and variety than some of the !
displays in the Washington stores. with |
their maze of bright colors and the infinite |
number of designs.
There is something to please every |
body, was the hOmely utterance of an |
old lady, but there's so many things TO
pick from it sets your head a-whiring to
tell what one wants to buy
How about the petty theieveS?' queried !
Star reporter, addressing one of the big |
merchants.
They are with us this year as usual"
was the reply, but not in greater numbers
than last year. How do we watch for them?
The same system is in vogue, only, be-
lieve, the tendency of our merchants is not
toward private detectives as 1t was several
seasons ago We now trust the work OF
detecting petty pilferers to the headquar-
tiers detectives, who are ever on the alert
and to our corps of argus-eyed floor walk
ers and some of our shrewd clerks
An unfailing sign of the near approach of
Christmas day, with its glad tidings of
great joy is the annual appearance Of the
street peddlers or "fakirs'' as they are
termed in the more modern nomencla ture.
Already these advance agents of the happy
holidays are in evidence on the streets of
Washington.
Get EN- Hot.
Get 'em while they're hot" a phrase said
to have been originated by the hawkers of
hot tamales in the far south, has been
adopted by the twentieth century fakirs to
call attention to automatic tumblers and
wrestlers to blatant tin horns and whistles
and other devices novelties to catch the
purses of the Christmas crowds.
Not the least among the street peddlers
are the quaint old colored 'aunties'' and
"uncles'' from nearby Maryland and Vir-
ginia counties with their Christmas trees
and greens for decorating the Washington
homes.
"Heah's yer green's" shouted one, vivid
de red holly berries ter make 'em purity |
Good luck wild every branch"
There is much of human interest in some
of the street scenes.
Particularly is this true of the children of |
the cty's poor, who gaze in open-eyed Won
derment at the beautiful displays of toys |
or the tempting exhibits of CONNECTIONS and |
fruit, feeling that ii will not be their lot to |
receive from Santa Claus any of the articles |
they so strenuously covet In the stores it !
is a study to watch some Of these children |
of 1.-The other half as they cluster about |
the decorated stands and feast their eyes |
on the pretty, things that they know full |
we'll will not be for them.
The outlook, taking the consensus of opfn-
ion as expressed today by several leading |
business men, is that Christmas, 1904 will |
be most successful one, from every view |