The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-12-13
Quotations Steady, as Strong
Demand for Goods Keeps
Floor on Jump.


Sc that when all of these varying
shades get together in tile busy marts
they are the crowd and rs aIreaav
noted the crowd smiles
There is always something allur' n y
about the American Christmas crowd
and especially the Richmond American
Christmas crowd Therefore 1t is a
source OF real pleasure TO follow the
/ crowd; to be the man in the crowd
of whom Edgar Allan Poe wrote so
charmingly. Corns tired upon, elbows
poked rudely into tender ribs. hats
showed awry by unfamiliar hands.
skirts torn from their moorings by
| clodhopper fetal of this and more
is forgiven and forgotten, and the
smile" covers 1T all. for every single
soul in that mass of humanity Is get
| ting ready for the day when old Kris
i<ringle is going TO leave his land of
| the perpetual SHOWS and the endless
days and come TO Richmond TO dis
pense his warmth and pleasure and
JOY in thousands OF homes, bringing
| strikingly to mind the rise OF the star
| OF Bethlehem
strictly Buying Market.
Buy, buy. buy! In yelling cadences
! the sound goes through the crowd
| Purse strings are cut Frugal mousse
/ wives, who for n whole year have cut
at this corner and shaved at that to
save penny here or MCKEE there,
now let fly the hard-earned shekels
with lavish hand. It's Christmas. and
| Tom and Gus and Kate and Susan all
must be made to remember the day and
| be given remembrance in turn.
Staid men of affairs whose hearts
| have seemingly been bound by the four
walls of office or counting COON or fac
/ tory, visit almost shaTltslccdly the
| gift bearing shops to purchase that
which will gladden. the hearts of those
at home.
Not a single street in the entire city
of Richmond but offers something at
tractive to the prospective purchaser.
| There is one little piece of advice which
| can be taken to heart by all: II you
don't want to buy don't go into the
stores But there are few who won't
| huv at this time II you doubt this
| fact, then watch the people as they
leave the shops. Notice carefully the
bundles and packages carefully tucked
under arms which never grow tired
| with the burden. hnd then watch the
| wagons heavy laden with the toys and
/ thousand other things which VIII bring
Christmas cheer when the day arrives.
1t Is OF vast interest TO take a walk
| through these busy stores these days.
| Listen to the whisperings and the con-
| ferences and watch the knowing
glances as the purchasing goes me-riiy
on. What do you think Kate would
/ like" or DO you think this tie VIII
| suit Gus?" and so on and on II goes.
But don't forget the smile. Even the
! overworl5cd salesgirls and statesmen
who have been hours upon hours on
: their feet smile, Courteous and pleas
\ ~, hoy la
shop Earlier This Year.
The public, too, is seemingly appre-
| ciative of the EFFORTS put forth to
| please. The people are buying earlier.
They are not waiting until the last
| moment to get the things they may
want The result is that those who
must servo the wants OF the people
/ will.not be called upon to take care oil
| the awful brushes which have hereto
fore obtained on Christmas Eve. Every
| one Is helped because of this carrier
| purchasing crusade.
The small boys delight is here. Santa
| Claus, bewhiskered and bedecked In his
usual garb, is present In ~any of the
stores to greet the youngster as he
| comes along led by motherly hands.
He listens patiently while the little
| fellows whisper into MS ear what they
want and what they want sister and
brother to have. With a CHEEKY nod
| he makes promises, all the while catch
ing the wink from the parent
No time in the year can take the
place Of Christmas Piled end on end
| are the my lad of things from which
J to select. From diamond brooches,
costing thousands of dollars to the
smallest firecrackers with which young
| America will make the welkin ring on
| Christmas morning; from warmth
giving furs brought from Arctic re-
gions to deck the gentler sex, to the
| two-bit necktie. which Is expected to
| fool hubby-evcrything is there and
laid out in most entci 8 fashion for
| the sullible, or to take the dollars
from the pockets of the tightwads who
may come around.
Take Care OF Poor.
| AS matter. OF fact the pendulum
swings In the other direction. 1t is
| not SO necessary to get the people to-
| spend as 1T is to keep them from
spending too much. Some wag
facetiously remarked after round of
the stores that Richmond must be a
city of millionaires, so liberal have
been the purchases. And the end is
not yet Buy, buy, buy! The cry will
continue until the very day arrives
and even after that the belated will
think of some OF the things which
have not been bought.
One of the most striking things in
connection with the purchase of gifts
is the care and attention given by
the many charitable organizations and
by the moro chartably inclined in
dividuals to those who may not be
able to purchase their own gifts. 1t
seems safe to say that OF single
child or grown up, either. for that mat
ter will go without some token of the
day, provided, of course that atten-
ton is directed and that the recipient
Is worthy,
It's a gay old time. Old Kris has
a big heart and he is going to take
care of all. Every home will be