The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-12-20
TOWN SEIZED BY
SPENDING FE We R
Shoppers Fill Street and Cash
Registers 'l'inklc Hectic
Tattoo.
BUYING AT HOME THIS YEAH
Thousands Move Constantly
From Store to Store, Loaded
Down With rrinkcts.

Ffcniohitory rumbliHgs OF aDosyrolc
war with Russia, and nagazine edl-
to'iaiS oHeflhS 6conctricai proof that
the cost OF living WAS never higher
arc making Scant Impression on Rich.
mona buying public. with Christ.
mas iess IMAM IL week on the rush has
ocBuh In earnest and tens OF thousands
Jostie each other In the favored shop
ping districts in one last glorious
scFahplc To get rid OF the greatest
amount u change in the smallest space
oi time. The spending fever has
wrought a mighty democracy, which
KNOWS no distinction Of age, SEX, color
or previous condition VI scrvftudc:
everybody is happf. everybody is
opulent. and tho cash registers tlnkic
o hectic tattoo.
Nor is the buying confined 10 tho
Great White Way. Broad street with
ITS mammoth department, storcs holds
the usual sc'nntirn peculiar 10 the
DIS tue snow! and the Jazzl!ng but
hundreds Of stores on Main and other
retail streets are drawing libcrally ON
many special cicntclcs. Every store
on each OF the important cross streets
as well as the large shops in Main
streets retail section, feel tho I'm.
fusion OF Christmas shoppers and arc
"orkins with greatly augmented
forces TO take care of the holiday
C., ~
sesion OF Seventeenth Street aud tho
First Market. the Yulc season is as
much in evidence AS II is further up.
town. where the traffic cops stand
guard and direct the city's arteries
Everybody nuyr Mt Home.
While no city of Richmond'a popu.
iation can be entirely free from the
type OF individual who habitualIy. re-
piehishcs his wardrobe in tho gildcd
ha II .III .-t.
tribe is this year noticcably weak. Tho
fact is TINT every reasonable demand
Is amply met by local shops. ana even
those who can afford il feel no need
OF the larger cities.
During the past few years cos
mopolitan broadening out process has
worked wide changes in Richmond's
retail establishments, until now there
Is hardly an article OF wearing apparel
or II fabric on the Rue dc la Pa,N,
Regent street, or Fifth Avenue which
cannot bc duplicated on Broad and
Main. Quick transportation. aidcd b.
almost instantaneous transmission OF
news and modcs. have made the whole
world akin and the individual is rare
indeed whose wants cannot, be ,illcd
III the city Tina; the demand Is being
me-; IL evidenced by the large numper
oi men md women OF fashion and
wealth who arc part OF the buying
thronG which crowds the shopping
district between noon and midnight
In Spite az the shop carly" slogans,
when began 10 appear as early as the
iiTst OF this month, hy far the creates,
number n!c on the streets between tho
hours OF ana o'clock. The wise
Gncs wto begin tho rounds AS carly as
$40 In the morning have everything
in their favor, BUT tho general public
TX slow In nnding out and stil prefers
the aftcr-luncheon hours. To miss
seeing the crowd which zurgcs
UP and down the main retail thorough
fares a, the height OF the shopping
hours Is TO miss one OF the sights OF
Christmas week.
Much Like Fair Week.
1t is the winter edition OF fair
week. with the added spice of frosty
weather Peace on earth and good
viii to men Is something besides the
subject for Christmas morning ser
mons. and the whole gay mob is bent
on proving II. The question isn't ITO
buy or not 10 buy" but what to
buy. The window dresser and his Sc
ductivc art has done his best and
behind miles of plate glass every
imaginable thing OF taste and beauty
meets the eye OF the shopper with the
lure of Lorclci. Books for the read
CT, pictures for the art lover, bonbons
for the swcct-toothcd. candy for kids,
toys for toddlcrs, furs for women
habcrnashcry for men, jewclry for
everybody, CLEAN. Sllsten and beckon
from every shop window and diligently
separate the willing multitude from
its meZuma
But all Is not spending and crowd
ing and seeing i'll this animated holt
day picture. Life is never all black OF
ell white. nearly always it is mottlcd
sray. There arc those in the crowd
who arc not buying because they have
nothing with which 10 buy. They fol-