The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-12-16
Topeka Merchants Report Better
Business This Year.
Buying Is Thirty Per Cent
Heavier Than Expected.
MANY NEW TOY
And They Range in Price From
a Penny to $40.
Disappearing Fast Under Rush
of Holiday Shoppers.

| A visit this morning to many of the
| leading dealers in Christmas presents
reveals another reason why the public
| should purchase Christmas presents
early and not wait until the final two
or three days. And that reason is
most important one. The merchants of
| Topeka greatly underestimate the ex-
! tent of the Christmas trade and did not
| purchase enough goods. And the trade
| is so enormous already that the present
| stock of goods will be greatly depleted
| long before Christmas day.
Our business already is one-third
greater than it was at this time year
ago." was the brief reply made by one
merchant to a question asked by a
State Journal representative this morn
ing.
business that we have had already, and
by the latter part of next week, don't
know where We'll be- was the re-
joinder of another.
ST haven't got time to talk" said an
other. 81 have got to get some more
goods here some way or we will be run
out before Christmas"
1--WE have just got started ana II
keeps us busy all the time" said an
other prominent business man. Il don't
know how we can handle the business
after tonight, when the Santa Fe peo-
pie commence to buy presents"
And on every hand the same com
ment is evident, when one tries to talk
about business with the busy business
man handling Christmas goods.
Business has so far surpassed the
fondest hopes of the business men,
When the merchants placed their or
ders for Christmas goods, the conditions
of the country were not as well seLtleo
as they are at the present time. Ihen
the country was in the midst OF
political campaign which always puts
business men in suspense. The volume
of business that would be transacted at
this period was then an uncertainty IN
the event of the election going either
way Now that politics has passed from
the public horizon, business is becom-
ing proportionate to the welfare OF the
people.
that is on hand at the different bust
ness houses. Without single eXcep-
ton as far as the State journal repor-
far greater supplies of goods than were
on hand a year ago, but even tneSe
will be unable to meet the inevitable
last day demands
The Christmas buying seems to be on
in good earnest already. Even at an
early hour this morning, it was hard 70
pass through the crowded stores ana
to get to the proprietor VINO is usualiS
in the back end Of the store, Is an al
most superhuman undertaking.
Christmas this year, should De
happy event for everyone. There are
plenty of presents that would bring JOY
TO the poor children of the city as well
a 8 those who have plenty of legal ten
der to draw from. Never before were
Christmas goods offered at such low
prices Substantial presents that Woulo
make any member of the Young Amer
lea. class happy can be purchased Tor
trivial nickel Many little toys can be
bought for a single bronze penny. one
wouldn't think they could be very SUP
1nnlx
tiers of any of the large stores "oulo
disprove any such bene1.
little automobiles that Will run Tor
ten minutes around circle in the room
ga which are we'll built and will stand !
nm under severe knocks, can be pur-
chased for a dime. Little music boxes
only cost a penny. Steam engines anu
sawmills will GO for less than ool-
On the other hand there are the
more elaborate toys that will go into !
the families of the richer people
Rrass beds of miniature size can be
bought for ten dollars. Bureaus ana
library sets in old mission style VIII
make many a little miss of the bet
ter class happy.
The old fashioned toys are still in
evidence Everything almost that de-
lighted our grandparents when in the
haIcyon days of their childhood are
still on the counters, And the prices
have been reduced with the passing
chase toys for which our grandparents
spent hard earned money.
And the sale of the older varieties
of TOYS has suffered not one bit with
the lapse of the years. Even the
Teddy bears which were at one time
considered but a mere fad, seem to
have come to stay for a while longer
at least For not one merchant inter-
viewed this morning, would intimate
that this variety of toy was losing out
in popularity. even though the man
whom they are supposed to typify is
passing from the public horizon.
And talk about your new toys A
look through the stores of Topeka
would create the impression that the
inventive genius of resourceful Amer
lea had done nothing for the past
year but think up new varieties of
toys to delight Young America. A
few years ago, who would have
thought that for mere expenditure
of a moderate amount that miniature
fire departments, which are operated
mechanically could be put on the
market. But they have them this
season. An iron fire station, with
chemical engines, hook and ladder
and steamers, will run around room
by the mere winding of machinery
through two or three little screws.
A little circus tent with the clown
and acrobatic manikins, controlled by |
mechanism that the smallest child
can operate, don't cost very much.
Then for the real boys. there are
steam trains automobiles, new styles