New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-12-19
SHOPPERS THRONG STORES.
HOLIDAY TRADE BRISK.
Pleasant Heather Dra7cs Croscds to
Large Retail Establishments.

With a day almost balTny could be desired
for Eastertide. the first day of the week before
Christmas began yesterday. and with it commenced
the busiest six days of all the year in the shopping
district The Thermometer belied the cal
endar- Not in many years has there been at ihis
period such weather prevailed YESTERDAY pu'
the Christmas season is. nevertheless here ana win
il the joys and sorrows OF holiday shopping
Not In several years. also. according to persons
who have seen service through many a Christmas
season. has there been such large crowd OF shop-
pers I'm the retail drygoods centres as there was
yesterday.
Extra trains were put service on ali OF the e.e
waited and on the subway lines to accommodate
the increased traffic and they were all literally
pafronized The rule against the carrying OF ia!es
bundles into the cars is unothciaily suSPe"ueo
every year at this time. if some overburueleu
shopper pckes you with the head of a doh OF tne
r,oints of a pair of skates don't demonstrate m
dignantly hut endure it one OF the necessary AZ
fictions of the season
tn. rush of the shoppers the drygoods district
began early Every car carried its quota BEFORE
80, +ba streets on which are located the large
stores were choked. The buyers came from Har-
lem The Bronx, Staten Island. Jersey ana oti'er
points within more than score OF miles, iHeIe
are ordinarily two kinds of shoppers. those VINO
buy and those who merely go prospecting hester-
da~- they were all buyers, the large bundles
which they carried indicated II it is true that the
housewives purse is faithful barometer OF te
financial condition of the country. then we are IN
deed prosperous this year.
II appeared TO be a human endless chain that eX-
tended from the Wanamaker store, at Broadway
and sth-st to r. H Macy & Co.'S establishment
at s4th-st The lines moved up and down in a SLOW
procession. The crowd going uptown started from
Vanarnal1er's store. where military band added
ia the holiday attractiveness of the scene then
made It's way to 14th-st- west stopping at heaTns
thence on to 6th-ave.. the stores of the Simpson
Crawford Company. H O'Neill & Co, the Adams
DryEoods Company, B. Altman s Co and the Sic
seI-Cooper Company. all of which were prettliy
decorated The Goddess of Liberty which stands IN
the centre famous fountain in the Big store
probably 50. many people IN a single oaS
as yesterday 1led past her
And on the street. the Christmas spirit was
evident all sides. The small curb TnercIanl,
who usually spends much Of his time in Watching
the signal of the policeman 10 move on olo MS
share OF business for at this season he Is almost
are also built large stands along the curb, deco
rated with Christmas tree ornaments, and Where
one can buy a doll that sleeps doll that cries.
a sheep that baas a dog that banks
And these street merchants cid d Drlsk puS!4iess
yesterday. 49,.
In I3dlst the stores of Stern Brothers and James
McCreery & Co. We're, like the other estlbllS
Ecenes OF great activity Carriages were nneo up
on both sides Of the street from Broadway TO 9TH
There was much shopping done last night as
nearly all the stores are TO be open evenings
throughout this week. If the opening OF the pre-
Christmas week is trustworthy evidence. all pre-
rious records for holiday business will be sur
passed.