The Topeka state journal., 1913-12-20
The Christmas Shopping Sea-
SON L. One Mad Rush.
Local Stores Are Crowded and
Sales Are Heavy.
MERCHANTS ARE OPTIMISTIC
They Say There IL . Great De-
maud for Useful Articles.
Never Were Such Marvellous
Toys Seen in Topeka.

Christmas shopping in Topeka IL in
full swing!
Due to unseasonably warm weather
the latter part Of November and the
fore part Of December 1t was difficult
for people to realize that Christmas
was near at hand. Consequently there
has been an unusually heavy rush at the
stores this week. Many Of the mer-
chants report a substantial gain in vol
ume Of business transacted over the
corresponding period Of last year. ana
this gain. It should be mentioned. In
to 80 per cent.
Year after year the holiday shoppers
are getting away from the old custom
Of buying bric-a-brac and all manner OF
articles simply made to look at More
than ever it is the substantial and use
full things that are being purchased for
gifts. This does not imply that the
buyers are tight with the coin this sea-
son and are picking out inexpensive
articles, for this is not the case. ac-
cording to the merchants. 1t IL
Quality" that the people are after and
money is being spent literally. For
example. many Of those who are pick
ing out dolls for the kiddies are digging
down in their pockets to q depth" OF
ten or fifteen dollars-two dollars is a
popular price for dolls this season.
There has been a heavy sale on dta-
monds. due possibly in part to the fact
that the prices have scared to such an
extent in the last few months and the
rumor that there will be still another
advance soon. A big run on Vfctrolas,
graphanolas and Edison machines to-
gether with records Is reported. Cloth
iers say that it Is the better grade of
suits and overcoats that are in most
demand, although the sale Of clothing
has been somewhat lighter than that
in furnishings due to absence Of cold
weather and to general sales at two
or three stores where prices were cut
materially. sf'.- 80
Some Interesting Figures.
Trade in handkerchiefs and ties is
reported to be tremendously heavy. The
manager OF one of the largest dry goods
stores in Topeka took out his pencil
and did a little figuring. His conclu-
sion was-estimating roughly-that 3O0,-
600 handkerchiefs will be given by To-
pekans as Christmas offerings. and that
no fewer than $4,000 ties will be pre-
eented. He told the reporter. just to
Illustrate how rapidly ties were going,
that two sales girls sold SITS worth of
15 and so cent ties in a single day. His
estimate az to the number Of pairs of
stockings that will serve as Christmas
presents this year is 10000. He made
.his comment: The frivolous things are
being passed by; it is the stun with
merit that Is being bought" Umbrel-
las, gloves, suit cases. silk stockings.
travelling bags and shaving sets are
looked upon with the highest degree
Of favor as gifts. One merchant re-
marked: I'VE are ready to acknowl
edge that sales in furnishings and
ready-to-wear clothing are not up to
tho usual standard due to the abnor-
~, 1lvy nm Vvoo thorv
There Is a heavy demand for good
china, and sales in cut glass have been
noteworthy.
In furniture numerous full dining
room suits have been purchased. At
one store there has been a big run on
Morris chairs. and all furniture stores
reported rockers were popular. Tele-
phone and smoking stands are going
like hot cakes. A good business is be-
ing done in oriental and other f1nN
grades Of rugs.
Children Are Fascinated.
The children will by no means be for
gotten in the distribution of gifts.
Never before were there toys SO elab-
ate and IN such great variety at the
Topeka stores. Mothers who have TAX
en- their children to the toy shops have
had difficulty in persuading the young
sters to leave SO fascinated were they
with the steam cars in operation. the
sand and one articles made especially
to delight them.
There are huge Teddy bears on
wheels that growl. and big lions that
roar. They run as high as fifteen dol
lars in price. One store il carving a
line of toy automobiles the most costly
Of which are listed at forty dollars.
They are cranked like any real car and
are run in a similar manner to q tri-
cycle. The cars are fitted with rubber
tires. There is every imaginable me-
chanical contrivance in the toy shops.
One Of the latest devices is a man play
ing q game OF pool all by himself.
There II q dancing couple, q prairie
schooner, q woman with basket under
arm on the way to market. and many
other self-operating toys. The cleo
trical ana steam toys particularly ap-
peal to the boys. The "misto erector''
which makes an engineer of a boy and
enables him to build miniature bridges
buildings. flying machines that will fly
and autos that will run. might be
termed the real toy hit" Of the sea-
son. The microscopes, which enable q
child to throw a picture on a screen
are also popular. For the girls there
are dolls In great variety and they
range in price this season up to TWEEN.
ty-five dollars. The new non-breakabl<
kind are the best sellers. Today there
was q real live Santa Claus in the toy
department Of the Crosby Brothers
store.
Topelxans are not early shopper. the
merchants say. The rush hours are Be.
tween 80 and $50 O'Clock in the after.
noon and in the noon hour. A heavy bust.
ness Is now being done during the even.
ing.
What the Merchants Say.
Following are interviews with several o1
the leading merchants on the Christina,
r. L. Lindemuth, advertising manage,
Of the Crosby Brothers company: 'sWl
are ahead In our December business n
conpered with previous years. Thursday
We lad the greatest Christmas crowd vi
believe Ne have ever had"
hieney. manager Of the War
ren ~. Cro1py company: I'VE think ",
we Save three Of thu biggest days ahead
and tho weather WIN have . great dea
to 0o With the volume ef busins.e trans