The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-12-26
Holiday Shopping Greater Than
That of Last Year.
Topeka Merchants Well Pleased
With Christmas Trade.
VOLUME WAS DOUBLED
In Many Stores Sales Were
Twice Those of 1908.
Stores We're Kept Open Satur-
day Night Until Midnight.

The Topeka merchants say that they
did a larger business this Christmas
than in 1903. In many instances the
volume was doubled.
Practically the same report is made
on every hand, that people had money
| to spend and spent it freely. Most OF
the Christmas shoppers bought large
quantities. and good stuff. meaning
! that Santa Claus provided his subjects
with valuable presents.
The good weather worked in two
ways. 1t cut down the sale of cloaks
and furs, blankets, comforts and kim
dred warmth giving material. On the
other hand it gave buyers a chance to
get out at any time of the day OF
evening to make thier purchases. Good
weather invariably means good trade
and the gods of snow and rain stayed
conveniently in the background this
year until the buying was over.
The business on last Saturday night
was exceptionally fine. AT many places
the stores remained open until almost
midnight to handle the trade. Many
people do the bulk of their holiday
buying on Christmas eve, and last
Saturday night was not an exception
to the rule.
Short interviews from a number of
the stores in Topeka are herewith
given:
w. w. Mills, Mills Dry Goods com
pany: "Our trade was better this
year than last. Every department
averaged better. People seemed to be
inclined to buy more. They seemed
to want nicer stuff. They had money
and were willing to spend it,
Warren M. Crosby, Warren M.
total result at our store was an i'm
provement over last year in every de-
partment save that of blankets and
comforts. Here there was a falling
off. In the cloak and fur department,
however, despite the warm weather,
an Improvement was shown. But TAX
ing it all the way through it was a
good Christmas
]. W. Robinson. Robinson Marshall
and Company: "Our safes were 40
per cent heavier than last year. We
did a heavy business m 1903, but this
time we beat all our previous records.
We never had such a trade before. 1t
commenced the middle of the month
and went at fun blast until Saturday
night
]. w. Rodman. Rodman, the Florist:
''My trade was very good this year,
and big Improvement over last
Christmas: Lots of flowers were ship
ped in. The sales We're heavy"
E. H Crosby, Crosby Dry Goods
company: Our trade was very good,
but fell off in the cloak and fur de-
the warm weather. But in the other
departments gain showed itself All
in all the season was a good one"
E. J. Emahizer, Emahizer &. Spiel
man Furniture store: 'Our trade was
double that of last year. 1t was the
best business we ever did in Topeka
That probably is due largely to our bet
ter location and better chance to show
off our goods
D. J. August, August Clothing Co.
1--WE did twice as much business this
Christmas than in 1908. On Saturday we
sold more suits than in any one day
since we have been in the state of Kan
sas.''
H. A. Auerbach. Palace Clothing com
pany: 1--WE had the best Christmas sales
we ever had. The trade was unusually
fine"
c. H. Morrison Jewelry store: "Our
trade was very fine. The sales were
very heavy
Jones Dry Goods company: "Our
Christmas trade was up to expectations
in every particular. We had a very
fine business