The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-01-05

New York Jan. 4.--with the holiday eae soe, ovar New York has settled down. 1o its usual winter activity. So- ciety's enlargement books are Iuii oi fashionable festivities that Will keep the -four hundred" busy from now till Innf bertns. Many of the theatres ofYered new plays for the holiday sea son. but very few bid fair to have long runs. In fact. the financial depression has seriously affected the theatrical business. and with only one or two ex- ceptions are the theatres playing to fun houses. The arrival of January also marks the beginning of bargain sales" that the women so eagerly await And this year. owing to the business depressson. that so seriously affected the Christmas sales. there are likely to be some +real bargains" The shopkeepers bought a tremendous stock. in anticipation of a propserous year and a big holiday trade. and as result the hard times" found them greatly overstocked and obliged to sacrifice greatly on their goods.
 1t is noticeable in New York that the average age of the workers in shops, at the desks and in other employment have touched lower level than ever before. It Is the age of young men. Those past middle life are finding it difIcult to hold their positions, while it is almost ;mpossible for them to gain admission to the great army of the employed. The man past thirty finds the doors of the big corporations closed fin his face. The nearer he is to twenty-one the better his chances. In one large railroad office. which was taken as a typical example of large corporations. 1t was fodnd that in ono room where fortv-five men were em- raA tx.<n 1r years of aEe twelve were between 25 and 30. and of the other ten. only four were over 90. and but one of those had begun his work after he was 30. The Standard oil Company has long maintained it's policy in the New York office. of hiring only office boys, and having them grow up in the business, until they could hold the responsible positiona.
 At one of the leading clubs the other day. a number of bachelors were dis cussfng the question as to who fur nishes all the matches that are used. All of the men explained that they had not bought box of matches in years, and yet they always had matches in thesr pockets. The discussion led to an investigation of the matter. and 1t was found that in New York alone there were consumed 26.000. 900 match es every day. and of this number about 1l.oo0.oo0 are given away by dealers in tobacco.
 Tucked away on the lower end of Manhattan Island. on Front Street, is an Old Curiosity Shop. that attracts a great many visitors who are looking for quaint things. The shop is filled with thinGs collected from all parts of the globe. and are as varietd in their nature as the place from which they cana. It has been the practice of the proprietor to buy nearly everything that has been offered to him, with the result that a great part of the stock is fit only for funk. For example, among other things Is an old 6-inch gun. while standing next to it is a discarded bird cage. The old shop keeper has given himself a high . sounding name. which is no other than ttWestrninster Abbey"
 A few years ago. the pretty stenog- rapher found plenty of positions open to her in any office. If she were suf- nciently good-Iooking her ability as a Typewriter and stenographer was not questioned. But in recent years, with the stress of co5npetit;on. and in the hustle and hustle of a big office. the