The Washington herald., 1907-12-15

there is hardly a city OF any size now
! that has not a Japanese store doing a
/ thriving holiday business.
Preparation for shopping really begins
/ IN the spring before Christmas, for
! throughout the Black Forest region or
] Germany the people are busily engaged
! in making the toys that are demanded
/ in the thousand lots by American chill
dren. Publishers print special editions 0f
/ stansard works for the holiday trade,
and a 3 set OF Shakespeare in handy
volumes was such n success last Christ
mas that one Washington department
store alone sold 5000 sets. Mechanical
/ toys OF a high grade for the children
OF the rich are made some time before the
I Yule tide in order that the favored little
ones may not be disappointed The toys
I for the Gould children go out by special
train 10 their Lakewood home. and there
are real automobiles for the Rockefeller
children and real shOOt-the-chutes for
the richest boy IN the world 4 few
thoughtful people have begun 70 pur-
chase early. These are usually the rich
/ people who have learned the value OF
business methods. Last fan one manu-
I facturer had orders sent him for toys 70
/ be delivered AT different addresses in time
| for Christmas BY the Isl OF October
4
/ dressed, and stored IN his basement with
date above each box showing lust
when it should be shipped.
( The preparation for Christmas diuner
begins long before Christmas Day Gran
berry pichers wade through New Jersey
Z bogs In the summer time to get the ripe
fruit: turkeys are being carefully fat
I tened all over the country from Horace
/ Vose's Rhode Island farm. whence comes
/ the Presidents turkey. 20 the wheat
/ fields Of Missouri. The housewife, select
I ing with care her one bird. can scarcely
I appreciate the difficulties besetting the
PlttSburg mine manager, OF the South
\ ern cotton mill superintendent who per
/ s0naLy selects from 200 10 300 turkeys
/ as a present 70 the families he employs
/ Post-ofices increase their returns more
/ than a hundred-fold at Christmas time.
owing to the shopper end her love OF
giving Last season the New York post
/ Office handled 50eoo.ed0 packages, and
4 one firm aid a Ss09.e00 mail-order business
( Christmas shoppers are usually divided
! into two classes those who shop for
I pleasure. and those who shop for duty.
I II is universally. conceded that men be-
/ long in the latter division. for there are
/ thousands Of men who never shop except
at Christmas time, who never see inside
/ q department store at any other time OF
/ the year. and who suffer much ANGUISH
/ Of spirit as they elbow their way through
I the throng, and swear never TO shop again
I but repeat the penance the next YUle-
I tide; and the next
/ Rich and poor alike viii fail into the
( line OF enterprising bundle carrying shop
/ pers this week and help sustain the repu-
I tation earned by Americans as tie great
/ est spenders in the world The rich Won
I an who spends thousands on the baby
grand piano for the golden haired prin-
i cess il her home gets no more pleasure
/ out OF the expenditure than does the poor
\ woman with a basket on her arm and Il
l shawl over her head who. through much
self denial. has saved enough 10 buy u
/ gorgeous mechanical toy al some nickel
store. Christmas JOY is the one great
thing in the world that is big enough 10
20 around and give every one a generous
( share. The world is more thoughtful
land more charitable now than ever before.
and there are few people nowadays ID
whom Santa Claus does not come in
some guise with Christmas tokens under
his arm.
Tomorrow - Drawing Christmas
Crowds