Evening journal., 1912-12-23
VISIT OF
SANTA ONLY
One DAY OFF
WllmingtOnianS Have Finished
Christmas Shopping, Max
ing Profitable Season for
Merchants
LINE OF GIFTS
ABOVE THE AVERAGE

Christmas is only one day off and |
according to managers of stores most |
of the holiday shopping has been fin
ished and everything Is in readiness
for the annual visit of Santa Claus. |
Storekeepers and clerks say more bus
mess has been done this year
than any holiday season the
past ten years and that the
line of Christmas goods this year
was far above the average in quality.
variety and i'm reasonableness of price
and that is why nearly all Whining
tonains did their buying at home in
stead of going to the large cities.
The clothing and shoe business has
not been as heavy as 1t would have
been If continued cold weather or
snow had prevailed prior to the hol-
idays.
One woman remarked in one of the
department stores that she was doing
her shopping early this year because
she has learned by experienced the
eleventh hour gifts lose half their
pleasure" Especially are Wilmington
women realizing what it means to buy
early in the day The rural shoppers,
too, are coming TO the city earlier than
heretofore and many of them are get
ting away from doing all their shop
ping on a Saturday. However. there
Is a large number Of people who can
not come to the city except at the end
of the week and there are many peo-
pie. including some city residents, who
cannot visit the stores except on
Saturday afternoon and evening. This
makes it all the more important for
the shoppers themselves that those
who can should attend to their pur-
chases during the week end in the
morning, whenever possible.
Wilmingtonians, too, are buying
sensible Christmas gifts this year. A
round of the stores and talks with
their managers discloses unanimous
opinion on this From all accounts il
appears that both men and women are
trying this time to get gifts which the
recipients can wear or otherwise use.
Womens frills and mems shirts are
far in the lead of anything else as
gifts. Each store manager agreed on
this. The women, it seems. are buy
ig shirts for the men, and the men
under proper guidance or by proxy,
are buying neckware. shirtwaists, ETC..
for the women. fSomething to wear"
is apparently the common law of this
season.
One store manager declared that
he had never seen such good dis
elimination as that displayed in buy
ing this year Usually. he said, both
men and women purchased anything
without much thought as to whether
or not the recipient would be able to
use it. This year, he said circum-
stances are different.
Z This something 10 wear" law
( makes itself felt The glove and
! handkerchief counters of all the
+ stores are crowded all day. And even
the dress goods department clerks are
unusually busy selling yards and
yards of goods which will be presented
as gifts so that the recipients can
have waists or shirts made in style
to suit themselves.
The toy departments of every store
this year show heavy sales. This is
taken as an evidence of greater pros
perity in the city. Not in years, sdch
department managers say, have so
many toys been sold as in this sea
son. There is another reason besides
prosperity. That is that the time of
extremely expensive toys has gone
While there are still many ways to
get rid of $50 quick yin a few toys II
rich person insists on doing so
most of the toys are held at prices
within the reach of all but the eX-
tremely poor.
There is a difference of opinion as
TO whether the do your shopping
early" campaign is a success Some
salesgirls doubt it. One of them said
on Saturday:
"It used to he that people did all
their shopping the last 10 days before
| Christmas. We had It all in one rush
4 Now they start to come down town q
A'month before Christmas and they buy
one thing each day, look over count
tless other \ aings and the day befor,
lChristmas are still at It, Then the,
'pick and pick over things and asl
| questions and hesitate. and make IL.
so mad we would like to-'Yes
I ma'am, that's S175.