The Evening Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1917-1920, 1917-12-10
MARKED
BY WARTIME SPIRIT
Columbia Shopkeepers No
tice Change in Attitude of
Holiday Buyers.
ECONOMY THE RULE
Festive Decorations of Other
Years Are Lacking-Use-
full Gifts in Demand.


this year will be celebrated accord
ing to Hoover. 1t will be the United
States first Christmas In the war
and few are there who do not reel
the necessity OF econOmizing. because
OF lack OF means as we'll as lack OF
desire for the customary display and
merry-making. People this year are
forgetting themselves in thinking OF
the absent ones in trench and camp
of them and the little children at
home. For Christmas has always
been celebrated especially for the
children, and while making the sea-
son merry for them people are trying
to make 1t happy and comforting Tor
their fathers and big brothers at war
An old-fashIoned Christmas snow
has come to Columbia but the joyous.
extravagant holiday spirit is conspic-
uously lacking. December Is yet
Young, but unless almost all the
Christmas shopping is to be done In
a last minute rush there viii be
decided curtailment OF all frivolous
and luxurious buying this year.
THE war has sobered people, say
thhe shop-keepers; they are prac-
ticing economy and exercising COM
nonsense and restraint in their
shopping" They know they must do
so and they are not unwilling.
Two years ago December 10 would
not have been too early in the season
for many evidences Of Christmas buy
ing. holiday spirit and decorations,
but in 1917 the signs are missed with
out being mourned. The Red Cross
emblem will hang this year in thou
sands of windows where the wreath
or the bell hung before; the goose or
the chicken will usurp the turkeys
time -honored place on the Christmas
table: Liberty Bonds will be given to
those who last year received expen-
sive bits of jewelry and even the chill
dren's dolls and tin soldiers will be
of a cheaper make.
Useful Gifts Sought.
The writer visited twenty shops in
the last few days trying to find out
about Christmas business in Colum-
bia this year but learned. rather.
about the lack of it. The shOp-keep-
ers. as a rule. are pessimistie in re-
gard to business; they have done
little or no decorating; they are max
ing no elaborate displays of luxuries
and novelties but are expecting to
make most of their sales in practical.
common-sense articles. Useful gifts
at a minimum cost seem to be the
rule more this season then ever be-
fore, and one proprietor expresses
this attitude in his advertising: give
what your friend would want II 1t
weren't Christmas"
The jewellers feel keenly the lack
of student trade this year and do not
expect much business unless it comes
the last few days before Christmas.
AS the soldiers are not allowed the
use of jewelry. swagger sticks are
about the only gifts one may buy
them at these stores, so the jewelers.
lose out on this sort of trade, too.
At the mems furnishing stores one
learns that they sell everything for
the soldier but his uniform and that
they are making big sales OF knitted
helmets, scarfs and wristlets, OF
Khaki money belts and soldiers hand
kerchiefs. These stores are not
stocking up with any novelties. but
are catering particularly this year to
the needs of the soldier.
Fads and fancies at the women's
stores are not being displayed to any
extent The salespeople say that even
the women desire to purchase ar
ticles that are 100 per cent useful and
seem willing to pay higher prices in
order to get things that will last
longer.
Grocers in Columbia feel that
Christmas dinners this year will be
far less elaborate than in years past
The orders which they have already
received indicate a slackened demand
in fancy articles for home consump-
tion. although people are buying
many little luxuries for the soldiers
dates, figs and other fruits. for in
stance, which may be packed and
sent to them direct from the stores.
And so it is with most of the other
local businesses. Florists do not ex-
pect to do much this year. az flowers
are iuxuries and may be dispensed
with, whereas holly and similar floral
decorations are sold at many other
stores.
Photographers Benefit.
But the photographer is being kept
busy this year. thanks. agaia, to the
soldier Thousands of soldiers at