The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-03-30
Doors of Mammoth Mills Store
Swing Open.
Thousands of People Visit the
Big Building.
THE OPENING TONIGHT
Orchestra Will Play and Visitors
Made to Feel at Home.
Enterprise One Of Which To-
peka May Well Be Proud.

The mammoth new home of the Mills
Dry Goods company is the center of
attraction in Topeka today. The store
was opened for business at o'clock
this morning and all day long con-
stant stream of people has been pouring
in through the entrances on Kansas
avenue and Ninth street. No one en-
tered, however, before taking good
look at the show windows-and looking
was admiring.
The big society event of the day will
be held at s o'clock tonight when the
formal opening of the store will take
place. At that time everybody, and
everybody's brother will be there
everybody's sister too by the way
for it will be especially the feminine
portion Of the population which Will
be most eager to attend the affair.
Halls orchestra of ten pieces will be
stationed on the mezzanine door; T;
draw the crowds will be the
presentation to the women
upon leaving the building of an attrac-
tive souvenir of the building and the
opening occasion.
The guests are asked to enter the
building from Kansas avenue; take one
of the elevators to the fifth floor and
then leisurely walk down from floor TO
floor taking in" the interesting things
to be seen along the way; and leave
the building by the Ninth street en-
trance This is to avoid congestion.
None of the elevators will carry pas
sengers on their downward trips. The
reception or house warming" VIII be
in progress from to IL o'clock.
Tea This Afternoon
This afternoon so guests were pres
ent at a o'clock tea given by Mr.. w.
w. Mills in honor of the women who
were present at the first opening OF the
Mills building held June 20, 1883 Ihe
firm was then known as the Mils-Mc-
Pherson company, and Mr.. Mills is the
only man who was represented IN that
company who is a member of the pres
ent firm. There were 81 invited guests
in all. Those present were:
Mrs. Julia Thompson, Mrs. d. M.
Valentine, Mrs. J. w. Mcclure, Mrs.
Bennett r. Wheeler, Mrs. Willis Nor
ton, Mrs. A. D. Gray, Mrs. Reid Alex
ander, Miss Caroline Deming, Mrs. l..
B. McClintock, Mrs. N. F. Handy, Mrs.
Frank Willard, Miss Marion Kender-
oliver, Mrs. Frank Brooks, Mrs. j.
Clark, Miss Anna Cunningham, Mrs.
L. NJ. Watson, Miss Marie Witwer,
Mrs. R. B. Gemmell, Mrs. Homer
Bowman. Mrs. ]. L. Murdoch. Mrs
c. C. Trimmer. Mrs. r. L. Cochrane,
Miss Jessie Upton, Mrs. A. w.
Knowles, Mrs. M. C. Hammatt, Mrs.
Sarah Wright, Mrs E. G. Moon, Mrs.
Geo. w. Crane, Mrs. d. w. NeIlis,
Mrs. P. c. Chamberlain, Mrs. c. E.
Wilson, Mrs. J. P. Howe, Mrs. Samuel
Wood. Mrs. c. F. Baker, Mrs. w. H.
Reed, Mrs. J. D. Ella, Mrs. F. G. Scott
of Valley Falls; Miss Ina Kietzman,
Mrs Francis E. Gardner, Mrs. D. L.
Iakin. Mrs. Patrick Walsh, Mrs. NJ.
e Kuykendan. Mrs. ]. P. Wilson,
Mrs. w G. Sherman, Mrs. r. A. Rand
lett. Miss Carrie Stewarts, Mrs. Mary
Z. Johnson and Mrs. Ellis Curry.
From until 8 O'Clock the store will
be closed. After 8, while the recep-
tion is in progress, the clerks will be in
their places. but no goods will be sold.
Every courtesy will be shown the Wis
ftors in tie way of showing them the
different features of the building.
Features of the Building.
The thing that impresseS one imme e.
diately upon entering the building is
the broad aisles, which will make con-
Eestion unlikely and the beauty of the
fixtures. together with the general ef-
fectiveness of the displays and. the
harmonious color effects. Then one
of the first things that the visitor has
brought to his attention is the elegant
marble stairway which leads to the
second floor.
The main feature of the fifth floor is
the tea room with its pretty little
mahogany tables and seating capacity
of 15O The millinery department or
the fourth floor Is revelation and oc-
cupies the central portion of the floor
Here all the styles are found, whicf
include some of the freaks of milli
Zlery design. OF course, no depart
ment would be complete without al
the latest grotesque fads. On this ant
the next floor below the dark greer
carpet, of which there is an acre II
the building. harmonizes nicely will
the finish of the fixtures
The fixtures in connection with th'
ready-to-Wear department on the thirC
floor are the most elaborate in tn
building. There are three large stool
rooms elegant in finish. They ar
fitted with large plate glass mirror
and provided with glass tops to adm1
light.
In the southeast corner of this foo
is a rest room, and there are settee
here and there on the floor for tn
convenience of the shoppers.
The dressmaking and other depart
ments are on the second floor. On
of the local innovations on This moo
is a French" room where the buyer
can see evening gowns as they will ap
pear by artificial light
To sum things up. Topeka has rea
son to be proud of what is probabI
the best store of the kind between tn
Missouri river and the Rocky noun
tains. The store will compare favor
ably in the excellence of it's fixture
with the big department stores OF ou
large cities, and it will undoubtedly b
a fine advertisement for Topeka.
It was possible to get in READINGS
for the grand opening today onl
through the most strenuous efforts o
the part of the management and tn
employees. For three days the clerk
were working thirteen hours da!
and the freight elevator man was o
duty As solid hours without rest. TIL
fixture men worked all night on tw
occasions.