The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1921-12-20
Bad Weather Conditions Fail
To- Deter Buyers Seeking
Christmas Gifts
CASH REGISTERS MAKE
DEALERS RUB THEIR EYES
Some Have To Take Second
Look To Convince Selves
They're Not Mistaken

Although Saturday. on the whole, a
vet and disagreeable day, Mt. Vernon
merchants in the majority of in.
stances were both surprised and graf.
iiled by the volume of business they
had handled when they took the to-
tails off their cash registers at the
end, of the day.
Weather conditions were far from
propitious and the rain that fell
through the major part of the after.
noon and evening put many of the
merchants in "a. state of mind"
When, therefore, they examined their
cash registers at the close of the
evenings trading, many of them were
SO surprised by the figures they saw
that they HAD to look second time
to convince themselves they we're not
mistaken.
Rainy, disagreeable, unreasonable
as the weather was, it failed to keep
the crowds from coming in. Early
Saturday afternoon parking place on
South Main street, to beyond Gam.
bier, was hard to find There was an
overflow into the cross streets and
onto the public square.
!, For time it looked like the square
was going to be as crowded as it had
been any band concert night last
summer
During the week, there had been
fairly consistent increase in the vol
ume Of Christmas shopping. but it
took Saturdays trading to convince
the majority of merchants that it
really had arrived.
With good weather conditions
promised for this week, there is a
promise; Of a real rush upon the
stores.
Because of conditions being as
they have for months past, it would
not be an unreasonable assumption
that the buying largely would be con-
fined to lower priced articles. Sever
al merchants confined to The Ban
ner representative on Saturday even,
ing that the buying had been largely
OF better priced things. It was, more.
over equally divided between town
and country. One merchant admit
ted frankly he could not explain it.
One reason, possibly, that explains
the volume of business is that the
or Ec nf hn n ,fc
are adequate to the demands of their
trade. 1t is true that in many of the
small cities and towns, the merchants
did not buy adequate stocks for
Christmas. 1t is the all but universal
practice Of the tradesmen to buy
their Christmas and holiday goods
III the spring and early summer. At
that time business conditions were
far from good, and the prospects for
big Christmas trade were not
bright. The result was that many
small city and small town merchants
bought cautiously. The result now is
that they find themselves unable to
meet the demands of their trade.
Such, however, is far from the sit
uation here. The local merchants
stores are well stocked with such d
variety of goods that the patrons are
doing their buying at home.
As result of Saturdays trading.
the merchants are optimistic for a
real rush of business this week. 1t
may not be out OF the way that towns.
people do their shopping, so far as
they can arrange to do it. in the
mornings. At that time all can be
promptly and efficiently taken care of
and this arrangement will save con.
gestion in the afternoons when the
buyers from the country come in.