The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1910-12-17
CHRISTMAS SEASON HERE.
Merchants Try Many Stunts to At
tract Customers and To- Mako
Display.

The Christmas season with Its good
cheer. hard work. happy faces and
crowded streets has arrived to the de-
light OF the small boys and girls of
the town and also. with equal delight
To the merchants and dread to- the
clerks-delight that the heavy trad
Ing has come and dread OF the many
days OF hard work and unceasing
grind before them.
Merchants have found out long ago
that one of the best ways of attract
ing customers to their stores was to
advertise what they had to sell in
an attractive way. and In carrying out
this idea many of them have been
lavish In their expenditures OF efforts
to make their show windows look as
attractive as could possible be done.
Many OF the merchants of the city
have already set to work and at no
little expense OF time and trouble.
have decorated their windows In the
holiday style with the Christmas
gree In prominent places and the
goods showing Off to advantage
among the sprlgs OF holly. Others
have used red tissue paper extensive.
ly. but with the same attractive re-
suits. the display OF Christmas goods
always forming a good part of the
exhibit.
Some OF the merchants have Sc
cured extra clerks and assistance for
tfe Lig trade that always comes with
the Christmas tide and are preparing
90 help themselves In various ways TO
make the trade as big as possible and
to make the ways of doing the We
as easy as possible. For weeks past
the express wagons and drays have
been kept busy hauling the goods
shipped from northern points and all
parts OF the country for the Christ
was trade and the clerks have. I'm
turn. been just as busy a opening and
marking the goods and putting them
on the counters for the shoppers to
purchase. The merchants want to
sell the goods. so not satisfied with
the show window display they put IN
fresh advertising In the local papers
80 that customers can get an esti-
mate OF what they have for sale and
nc the same time form an idea OF
what they want to buy befoie they
start out on their shopping expedi-
tons
Here the small boy Is seen stopping
before window filled with fire crack
ers. air rides and drums while
his sister sees on the other side of the
shop window dolls and tea sets that
make her heart ache with yearning.
Their older and wiser brothers and
sisters see what they want In other
windows. while the heads OF famllies
find In each window something that
they want for their family or TO mako
the household more attractive.
Everything Is there for everybody
II they can scrape up the money with
which TO get IL and the patience TO
wait and wait until the clerks are
through with those who come before
them and they finally get a chance to
be waited on.
Christmas Is supposed to be a
tine OF love and good cheer. but
strange to state 1t Is not. for It has
been changed into a time of anything
but quiet and good fellowship. The
busy clerks and merchants. who have
been working hard for hours, are Of
ten too busy TO smile and the customer
who has probably waited several
hours Is too exhausted and tired to he
patient and quick In her trading. But
still Il Is Christmas and everybody Is
glad that II II here but they are also
glad when n has gone