Evening star., 1921-12-13
HOLIDAY CROWDS
FLOCK TO STORES
Happy, Pushing and Jostling
Throngs Making Record
Total of Purchases.

Scampering, bustling, Scurrytng
crowds diving in one door of a store.
| and out the. other. scooting through
the streets, dropping bundles just
| when the street car arrives. and over
| the entire scene the annual spirit Of
Christmas--when every one Is think
ing of every one else and wondering
how to make their pocketbook stretch
! across the list of their friends. rela-
tives and acquaintances- s-evidence the
/ descent Of the yearly Yuletide scenes
on the Capital city. ..,
| "lt's a good season." w W. Everett.
J a member of the firm of Woodward &
Lothrop, stated yesterday. viewing the
situation from the standpoint Of de-
partment store manager. Crowds
are larger than ever before, demand
is greater and supply Is sufficient to
accommodate the demand at prices
averaging 25 per cent less than last
year."
| Crowds Mt shops.
! In book stores. in jewelry shops. in
| the general run Of novelty and re-
membrance houses catering especially
to Christmas trade there are crowds
seeking appropriate presents.
It's too bad Dickens isn't living to-
day. He'd revel in descriptions of
| Washington Christmas crowds
| Santa Claus has established head
! quarters in several stores here. AS
usual, his rendezvous, is the magnet
which attracts the youngsters. Let
| one walk up to one Of these throngs
on any day and there's enough mate
rial there to keep men like the late
Whitcomb Riley busy for months to
come.
Here's one scene:
Mother. rather stout. somewhat dis
heveled after rushing from thickly pop
u:ated elevator: "Now. son, just tell
Santa what You want and he'll remem.
ber it,
Young son. swinging clearance 1is:
/ under threatening nasal organ and
| smiling: "You know you said Sanity
can't bring too much to- any one
/ kid. SO I'm JUS goin' to ask for
pair of skates. That's all
. and gurruls that he'll hafta get to see.
That's al, I want. pair of skates"
Couple crowd toward Santa. passing
several articles of toyware calculated to
make juvenile eyes bulge.
Wants Are Many.
Young hopeful. getting interview after
long wait during which time he has
evidently modified his inventory of
wants): How do, Sanity? 1 don't
want much. Just an Irish mail with q
brake. That's all. And maybe pair
OF skates. Remember the brake, SANITY
And. maybe, a foot ball and heaAgear
want the Irish mail painted green.
And maybe"
Mother: "Now let's hurry. son; see
how many other little boys are waiting
to see Santa
Young Hopeful: "And pan .f
stilts ana a tricycle. and vorst.
trails away as mother exits
From furriers came an adverse report
on business conditions. Furs were al
most double what they were six weeks
ago. although lower than last year at
this time. and the public is not buying
as expected.
Jewelry shops are having a fair run
for various articles. included in which
are requests for those curved ham
mered silver TASKS which fit neatly
into hip pockets. In one of the more
prominent stores these articles are
displayed in one of the counters in
various shapes and forms.
show Windows Attractive.
Virtually all larger department
stores have decorations in their show
windows which make passers-by stop
and look. Parker-Bridget Company
has a CHEEKY seasonal set of decora-
tions about the windows Of the sec