The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-12-25
Three Very Busy Days Re- veaIed Clouds Siver
 Lining
EVERYONE ADMITS
 PLEASANT SURPRISE
Every Branch of Trade Prospered As Numerous Interviews Disclose. Greater Crowds on Streets
 Than Ever Before.

The Christmas trade in Birmingham was good. The merchants, as a whole, are satisfied. The result of the Sat urday, Monday and Tuesday trade is outlook, according to the merchants, was dark. However, when the Christ mas spirit" got well imbedded the money was turned loose, and the mer- chants reaped the harvest.
 Judging from the interviews obtained yesterday from leading merchants, GOV ering every branch of trade. the season, as whole, was as good as last year which was a banner season. On ac- count of the late furry in the money market, the merchants did not expect great things, and when the amount of receipts eyened up with tine amount of last year, their satisfaction was great.
 The principal thing which the late squeeze" seemed to affect this year was the expensive presents. While every one appeared to be buying Christmas oddities, the promiscuous purchaser of expensive articles was missing. The number of shoppers, however, was un doubtedly larger than last year. and the increase in the number of purchas- CTS of less expensive things caused the amount of money spent to be about equal to that invested last year.
 The statements follow:
 Arthur Smith of the Steele-Smith Dry Goods company-"We have had a good rush Of business during the Christmas days. and generally speaking our business has been very good. Our sales for December to date exceed our sales of last year for the same time, and we are satisfied"
 II. C.. Abbott of II. c. Abbott & Bro, jewelers-"our Christmas trade has been exceedingly good. and l expect comparison of our books for this month with December of last year will show that we have overtopped last year sales"
 s. F. Klybeclxer of the Atlantic ard Pacific Tea company-"Our business has been extraordinarily good. It is ahead of last Christmas and far greater than our expectations We have all we can possibly handle"
 Louis Phillips of the Burger Dry Goods company-"We are well pleased with our Christmas business. We nave been as busy as we could possibly have beee and our business for this Christmas will equal If not surpass last years"
 w. J. Varley of Varley X Bauinan, .sn,,, l,,,;,aec bac baou very good and VIC cannot complain. Thls should satisfy us."
 Hubert Drennen of Drennen X Co. de- partment stores: Our business has been good, but not quite as good as last year. We have sold more Christmas goods than usual, but our business generally has been a trifie off,
 H. J. Porter of H. ]. Porter x Co.,, clothiers: "Our business has been high ly satisfactory; better than we ex- pected."
 Louis Pizitz: considering the wealth CT we have done n fine business, Of course last year was record breaker. Despite the cry of hard times we have done exceptionally we'll" Fernand Caheea of Caheen Bros. de- partment store: eve could have used a hundred additional clerks so great has been the crowd In our store. It has been almost next to impossible to wait on all of the people, and our business has been equally as good as last year. The buyer of expensive presents has been missing, but the sale of less valuable articles has been greater, and this has offset the oth- CT. Business has been much better than we expected.'
 Ferd Marx Business has been very good with us. and I expect it will equal last year.
 Morris Berk of Feder & Berk; "The sale of Christmas articles has been very we looked for and we are very much gratifed over it."
 w. J. Philipson of the Philipson-Ha per Co.,: "Of course ours is a new firm. but we have received a very fair trade during all of the Christmas days. In fact. there is hardly anything for us to kick about
 J. F. Shelby, manager of the Cable company: Considering the prevailing conditions the sales for the season have been phenomenal. When consideration is given to the fact that there has beea great stress in financial circles and that conditions generally have been some what unfavorable. 1t Is really marvellous that our sales have run close on to those of December last year.
 T am very optimistic over the outlook for the coming year. Business will, of course have to be adjusted to the changed conditions effective January 1, but merchants who have been conserva- tive in their business have, in my opin- ion, nothing to fear in the year l9OS'