The sun., 1906-12-31
LIVE TOPICS ABOUT TOWN.

The newest fashion in vehicles IL able to
attract notice even when the motor cars
are absorbing so much attention. There
are only two OF these new broughams in
New York, and for that reason they are
especially conspicuous in the uptown dis
tricts. The running gear is very light and
painted a primrose yellow, as is the body OF
the carriage. The usual windows on the
doors are small. but there is a large win
dow which occupies the greater part OF
each side Of the vehicle. The effect is not
unlike that OF a French clock, which is so
put together that all its works are visible.
Each OF these importations is finished with
the monogram in large block letters on the
panel OF the door
This has been my first experience with
Christmas giving by way of a dumbwaiter,
said an apartment dweller the other day.
-and it's been a big surprise to me the many
requests for money that have foated up
from the ground floor as an accompani-
ment to milk bottles. groceries, meats and
other things. Whenever anything was
delivered up would come a shrill voice
asking for something for Christmas, until
my small change was quite exhausted.
But the cleverest little Christmas beggar
OF them all was my butchers boy. He
simply put his little soft felt hat on the
dummy with a card laid on top on which
was printed In boyish characters:
Christmas is coming
And turkeys are fat.
So please drop coin
In your butcher boys hat.
Though I'd never laid my eyes on the
little fellow, IL appealed to me az such a
clever trick that put dollar in the shabby
little hat"
=. - -
counter at the large jewelry store on the
avenue actually looked puzzled for minute.
The fashion to have the address on the
visiting card2' he repeated. We'll, it is
very convenient, anyhow. and persons
who want them say that invitations are
likely to come more promptly when one
has the address at hand. On the other
hand, there are some Of our customers who
especially avoid having their addresses
put on their cards. They say they are
so we'll known in New York that to hear
their names is Immediately to know where
they live. Those are the two views Of the
fashion. / should recommend for the ma
jority Of our customers, for their con-
venience. having the address on their
cards rather than trusting to the general
knowledge OF their residence"
Oscar Hammerstein is as original in his
business methods as in his theatrical enter
prises. In spite Of the extent of his un-
dertakings he has no system Of bookkeep-
ing. All that he does in that way is what
his check book shows. Thousands pass
through his hands every week and he never
loses accurate knowledge Of all his com
plicated business affairs. But he has still
to have a bookkeeper.
The trick Of sending gift in a box bearing
the stamp OF some famous dealer is so well
understood in the shops that it is impossi-
BILE to obtain box without buying goods;
hence such boxes are always holdovers
from a previous purchase.
The jewellers are the chief sufferers from
this device and take great pains TO protect
themselves. One firm resorted to meas
ures Of extraordinary stringency. A woman
who had received a Christmas gift in one
Of its boxes and wished TO exchange the
article took il TO the shop for that purpose.
They assured her that the article had not
been bought from them. They not only
method Of their own they traced the box.
They found that IL had originally been
bought by a customer oftheirs and promptly
cancelled her credit.
Weather at Chicago is just az mild and
balmy now as here in Manhattan" re-
marked a sleeping car porter who passes
his life in making trips between the two
cities. But we catch a bit Of real winter
coming through Pittsburg. The noun
tains there are white with snow and there
is good sleighing in and about the coal city
It q cold, too, and the passengers feel pleased
to strike the warm belt again down toward
Philadelphia