The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1904-04-06
The Openings.

The Openings.
Talk about spring openings being q
success, those who did not should have
seen the stores Of S. I. TIL and the
Mutual Dry Goods Company last We'd
nesdav. These two stores join, and al
though competitors, they are friendly
rivals. and both striving to draw trade
to Manning. The scene presented was
one of animation, beauty and good M
ture. Crowds were walking around in
both stores inspecting the goods dis
PLAYED. and the Millinery departments
reminded us of cage filed with chlrp-
ing canaries. If there is any one thing
that will make u woman forget the
commandment Thou shalt not covet'
it is display of pretty dress goods, ana
the latest shapes in millinery: But be-
fore going into these establishments,
we are struck with admiration ct the
display in the windows, which created
much favorable comment for the good
taste exhibited. Till's millinery depart
ment was certainly credit to the ladies
who worked so hard to make q pretty
display: success crowned their efforts
and the manner in which they enter
tanned the many visitors was indeed
charming. This department was espec-
iallv arranged for the occasion. The
walls were tastily papered, and every
nook and corner that could bear a dec
Grafton had it. The hats were so ar
ranged Us to show them off to best adj
vantage. and to attract the worshlppers
of fashion. The letter T reached up
about ten feet in height, and was fes-
tooned and entwined with leaves, fruits
and flowers on a red background, which
was very effective. Miss Layman. in
charge OF this department., assisted by
Misses A1ottie Till and jamie Ingram,
deserves much praise fer their untlrlng
efforts to see to it that none went away
without seeing and being seen.
The windows Of the Mutual Dry
Goods Company were so attractive that
crowds fingered about them q greater
part of the evening. IN one was L dis
play of millinery and dress goods. the
other shoes. hats and gents furnishings.
Mr.. Eddie Horton took great pride IN
adjoining the gents furnishings window
because his partner, Mr.. Turner, has
attained some reputation as a window
dresser and it is q case Of rivlary be-
tween them. Both did well. The dis
play arrangements in the store was
good, dress goods of all kinds were so
laid upon the counters and tables that
they could be inspected without disar-
ranging them. so it was with the laces,
embroideries. and other trimmings.
The show cases were filed with many
attractions, and upon the walls and the
haneipgs a sample of nearly every
thing in the store was on exhibitions
The proprietors busted themselves go
ING through the crowd answering ques-
tions here. giving prices there. and
making pleasantries to others, they
were simply kept on the go trying to
entertain their visitors and make them
all clad they came. These gentlemen
appreciated highly the many kind en-
pressious given to them, and they have
every reason to feel proud of the sue
cess of their enterprise.
But the dazzling spectacle of this
establishment was their millinery
which is presided over by Miss Clary,
a charming Virginian, assisted by Miss
A1ittie Wood. another charming MILL
nerv enthusiast. This department.
was crowded all the evening with ladies
whose husbands ought to have been at
home ':minding'' the baby, or whose
brother would have given kingdom
to Get away. We heard one man who
seemed threatened with financial an
Inhalation. remark that he wished
there was a law in South Carolina
which granted the right to murder any
man that had millinery and dress
goods opening The fact of the mat
ter was, among the big crowd was that
mans wife and several daughters, all
clamoring for the prettiest of the many
pretty. and the costliest of the many
costly hats there on exhibition. The
poor man needed sympathy, but then:
he has no right to blame other people
if most of his family like stylish dress
and the latest in head-gear. II he has
a kick coming let him take it at the
end of rope with several feet eeva-
tion off the face of the earth. a man
with a big family of fashion cranks
cannot be happy here unless he makes
up his mind ito do as folks of fashion
do'' if not, let him take himself and his
flock off beyond the pale of civilization
where damsel is dressed in the swell
lest of style when she is bedecked with
a string OF Beads, a broad grin, and a
pair of large earrings, but if he wants
to remain here and be in the swim"
he might as well make a high dive"
down into the recesses of his pantaloons
and draw forth something Of practical
value, even if it is accompanied with a.
heavy sigh.
This world was 50 fashioned that it
takes all kinds Of people to keep the
cogs from slipping. The enterprising
merchant makes it his business to Gre
ate wants, after he has created it, he
devises all manner OF schemes to ad-
vertise it to the people so they may
know where to find it, and when they
have found it, the rest follows as nat
urallv as water flowing down hill. The
effects of these openings have already
been felt by these merchants: their
styles and prices have gone QUIT those
who did not attend and as a result,
both Till and the Mutual have been
doing an excellent business.