Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-11-29
BUSTLE OF BUYING APPARENT
RUSH OF HOLIDAY HILARITY
NOTICEABLE IN STORES.
Shop Windows Taking on the Christ
mas Cheerfulness-Show Glimpse
of Mystic Toyland.

The shop windows of Washington are
already taking on the Christmas cheer
fulnesS.
To gaze through their brilliantly lighted
panes in the candlelight hours is like get
ting a glimpse Of mystic toyland. where
old Santa Claus, rotund and jolly, rules
supreme
A trip through the toy departments of
tho establishments lends the suggestion
that Santa is d strictly up-to-date fellow
and employs force of wizard artists to
evolve new ideas each succeeding holiday
season to edify and instruct his young
friends and patrons. Never before was
there such display of new and novel
toys and whatnots as is shown i'm the
downtown stores In the medley of Christ
mas curios and drinks. excellence, variety
and price are in pleasing combination.
The merchants of the District, ever on
the alert Tor something new and novel.
have made careful selections for Christ
mas 1908. and the result is plainly and
pctureSquely in evidence throughout their
esta blishments. With their stocks COM
plete they are sounding the shibboleth:
DO your shopping early and avoid holt
day rush.
Toys Not the Only Features.
Not only are toys and things in the
ping The furniture houses are present
ing useful and ornate articles for home
comfort and decoration. The dry goods
stores are exhibiting new and natty pat
terms of goods for gowns and other gar
men. that will make most useful gifts.
The art establishments are showing fine
lines of bric-a-brac and ornaments, as
well as articles of utility, including cut
glass ware, gas portable lamps. etc In
hn q
editions of that always standard class of
Christmas and New Year presents-the
OmnipreSent books.
Then there are hats and ha's-some as
large as all outdoors and others so small
as to be almost m croscopic, but all dain-
tily trimmed and catchy.
The automobile dealers. too, are san
guine, as Dame RumOr has it that there
will be several surprise parties about De-
cember -, when certain huDDles ana
wifeys awake TO the realization that San
ia Claus has provided them with motive
power in the shape of dashing horseless
vehicles.
Ru1 the little folk of Washington are
lust now very much interested in the
new line of toys on view in the SHOPS.
In this class are friction toys. fnciud-
ing automobiles of diminutive build nook
and ladders, ambulances. fre engines anu
other vehicles. The operator gives them
a START up an incline and they run for
distance of from twenty to twenty-five
Yards by friction A novelty 10 plasti-
cine" a sort of clay for children to mold
INTO all sorts of art shapes booklet
Of instruc ion goes with the plastlclhe
The latter never gets hard. being always
plastic. Then there are toys OF new oe-
sign that run when wound up. inc. udine
d funny donkey hitched to cart that
goes forward short distance ana then
balks.
Many Other Attractions.
The manager of the toy department OF
one of Washington largest department
stores said last night that the mechanical
tovs seem to lie in great favor this year.
with the friction vehicles in the lead.
The furniture houses are showing
splendid line of imported and oomestic
dining room suites. oriental ana ocotCn
rugs, chairs and several innovations III
the housefurnishing line.
The doll colony is larger this season
than ever and includes what Is termed
.the kid family" There are COW boy KIDS,
Scotch kids. Chinese kids. African KIDS
and all sorts OF kids. Some Of the best OF
the doll exhibits are the debutantes OF the
Dolly 400" >,
The variety of Christmas gifts IN all
lines is a seemingly unending one, ana
the prices have been arranged to suit al
pocketbooks. There are toys ana other
things at nickel and ten cents each.
There are others that range in cost from
81 to 500. The season is now fairly open
and from this time until the New Year
bells ring out good night on the frosty
air January / there will be a hustle or
buving and a hurly- burly of holiday