Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-12-24
So Say Merchants Who We're In.
teryiewed by the DeSeret
News Today
GIFT GIVING VERY HEAVY.
Stores and Streets Filled With People
This AfernOOn.-WiIl be General
Holiday on Monday.

The Christmas traffic Is In full swing,
and Notwithstanding the inclement
weather Of the morning, and the sloppy
walking Of the afternoon, the business
streets OF the city are crowded with
Christmas shoppers, and as II draws on
toward evening the crowd has come to
become a regular crush, The stores
have all the extra help that can be
crowded on, and people with multitud-
nous, multifarlous and mountainous
parcels, packages and burdens, are
finding II hard lines to navigate around
the stores and through the streets and
when II comes 10 wOman's trying TO
make anything like item with her arms
full OF bundles. several children hang
ing onto her dress, and trying to keep
her skirts clear OF the mud--well, she
has ample occasion for an extended
exercise o. patience, to say nothing OF
temper Every street car Is crowded
today, with people carrying packages
OF all sizes and weights enough to load
an express wagon, and there does not
promise to be any let up until after
midnight for Is not this Christmas
eve, or, as the old song hath IT,, Twas
the night before Christmas when
all through the house, not a creature
was stirring-not even a mouse|'
The postOf1ce would be "surging
mass OF humanity" but for the fact
that there is not room enough In the
lobby TO surge, the whole place Is
packed all day and the registry stamp
and money order clerks are trying to do
the stunt OF their lives Women with
improperly tied bundles give lot OF
trouble. and not few Of them appar-
emily think that the clerks have actu-
ally nothing else to do but 70 see that
their packages are securely done up,
and TO tie them up when Insecure. The
mails In and out are very heavy more
so than ever before and an immense
holiday business is being done.
A tour among the principal local
business houses this morning de-
velops the fact that as a gem
eral thing the Christmas trade
Is considerably IA excess Of that OF the
previous year, although It has been
spread out more over the month, and
| began earlier than usual For that
reason. I'm some cases the figures for
this week will not foot up as much as
the same week I'm 1908 but when the
months returns are footed up, they
will amount, Il Is said TO much more
than the returns Of the came month
last yoar.
one large dry goods house reports
business as so per cent better than
| last year at this time and another
Arm equally as large, reports 40 and As
uer cent improvement. Others shade
| O. %. aud IA cont and
| then down to s per cent, But the great
bulk OF the houses visited showed an
| Improvement that is healthful and
promising. All look forward TO pros
| porous year 10 come-proylded, there
is plenty Of moisture with which TO MI
up the soil and give promise OF great
| crops 10 come As II is, purchasers
seem 70 have money 70 spend and they
are not hesitating 10 spend 1t. Tho
candy, dry goods, the clothing, mems
wear. shoe and notions houses are hay-
ing the most 20 do.
one would think there is uniyer-
salty Of Christmas giving today, 10
visit the telephone Offices Not only
the arrangements OF the two COM
panles, but their many patrons have
not forgotten the hello girls and hand
kerchlefs candles, kid gloves and knlclS
knacks galore have been handed
around oil day, 80 that the girls feel
I'm the loyellest kind OF mood and
call Hello" I'm the most dulcet tones.
Most OF the hanks and very many OF
the business houses have remembered
their employees handsomely with tur-
keys, candles, money. various articles
OF wear and merchandise. In fact there
seems to be a free hand everywhere,
and general good feeling prevails uni
versally Residents along the car lines
are remembering the car mon who take
them to and from their places Of BUSH
ness, the elevator boys are not for
gotten, and the salvation Army Is
gathering IN a harvest OF sheckels for
the worthy poor The hotels win dis
ptnse generous cheer tomorrow NJ din
ner. as Is their custom, and the occa-
sion will be enjoyed In the penal In
stitutlons as well.