May 17, 1003.
THE IUUSTRATED BEE.
Devices to Catch Trade
itxxt vnn Ua ir r sow
TVj I vaudeville show (or nothing
v I th other day." announced a
dialogue artist.
"WhereT" Queried his friend. .
"In Blank's department tore; It was
thrown in with a S cent package of pins,"
wis the answer.
First-class vaudeville Is only one of an
almost endless variety of entertaining and
amusing things that the up-to-date retail
store employs to supplement Its display
advertisements In holding old and catching
new trade. 80 fixed and widespread has
this feature of big store keeping become
within the past few years that hundreds
of men and women earn their living
entirely by traveling about from depart
ment store to department store the length,
and breadth of the land, directing and
giving their specialities therein.
The manager who makes contracts with
these people to the amount of 11,000 or
$1,600 weekly Is no longer a rare and dar
ing spirit; and such announcements as
"Beginning today, and lasting through the
entire week, the public Is cordially invited
to view our special exhibit of paintings,
attend our organ recitals, listen to the band,
and ride on the merry-go-round," can be
found many times over In the newspapers.
With an eye single to business, the
amusements are almost solely planned to
catch women. Some of the entertainments
appeal to them directly, as demonstrations
of everything cookable and wearable under
the sun. Others appeal to them through
their children, and these according to the
managers, nre the best sort. Hence, the
ever-present solicitude In many a big store
for the comfort and pleasure of small boys
and little girls.
A certain store in one of the over-grown
Atlantic seaboard cities Is especiully noted
for looking out for the children. It has
given over the larger part of one of its
Immense floors of several acres to an
enormous playground. Sand heaps, ham
mocks, swings, foot and hand balls, small
ponds for sailing boats, tents, dolls, doll
houses and doll baby carriages are provided
in profusion for any child who may be
left by its mother in care of one of the
nurses In attendance. If the mother wishes
It, the nurse will slip a play dress over the
child In order to keep Its own dress clean
and neat while It is in the playground.
The place Is overrun .with romping chil
dren, and there Is hardly a child within
a radius of several miles of the store that
has not played In this "playground."
The children are compelled to behave
themselves. If a boy shows a tendency
to be quarrelsome he is separated from the
rest by a nurse and placed in a portion of
the playground reserved for Just such
youngsters. If here he still remains dis
agreeable, a nurse takes him to the street,
places him on a street car, pays his fare,
and starts him homeward. This Is In the
event that the mother has not left directions
where she can be found In the store.
It not infrequently happens that during
the summer the playgrounds is used day
after day by the same children. To observe
the first rule of the playground, a parent
takes the child there In the morning, gives
It 10 cents for the dainty lunch that the
store furnishes for that sum, and leaves
It in the care of the nurse until well along
In the afternoon. In this way the child is
assured of a. cool place to play during the
hot days at little or no cost, for electric
fans furnish a resort-like breeze' for the
little guests.
Almost as popular with the children as
the playground nre the Shetland ponies of
another store. The small animals number
a score or more, and any child who applies
may have a free ride around the sixth of
a mile tanbark track in an upper floor.
A capacious merry-go-round, with the
Inevitable organ, is the children's chief de
light In still another store "where mamma
buys our dresses." When mamma pur
chases a certain amount of goods each of
her offspring Is entitled to a free ride, and
the larger her purchases the more rides for
them.
This store makes a point of having a
multiplicity of entertainments. At present
besides the merry-go-round, a band of
thirty pieces gives morning and afternoon
concerts; organ recitals hold the attention
while the musicians are resting, and when
the organist Is not working "coon" singers
and cakewalkers. Illusion experts and other
vaudeville artists are holding forth on the
stage in the Arm's theater, which Is capable
of easily seating CM) people.
A concert hall is a fixture In many of the
department stores, especially In the mid
dle west and the states to the north of it.
Here the lecturer, the special exhibit man
and the panorama are found in all their
glory.
One of the most popular features for the
concert hall is the Passion Play. As a
panorama of the Obersmmergau Interpre
tation unrolls before the eyes a lecturer ex
plulns and . describes th play and scenes,
and at appropriate times a young man,
with . xicb vole, slags "The Palms." "The
Holy City" and ether appropriate sacred
songs. The man who conceived the Me
has three Passion Piay panoramas on the
ro-id and he keeps each one busy t))mg
contracts at fXO a week.
The concert halls of the department stores
of the middle west cities are given over
extensively to female orchestras. Male
musicians are pretty generally tabooed,
owing to the almost unanimous belief
among managers that a woman violinist
will attract three customers to a man's
one.
The pipe organ and the orchestrion are
also not infrequently employed In the con
cert halls, or are erected In some suitable
spot by the store that cannot boast a
hall. Each Is usually contracted for at
prices ranging from $160 to $200 a week,
and the man who Is traveling around the
country with Its sets It up, arranges the
programs and directs the two dally con
certs. He doesn't need to know anything
about music. If he has an orchestrion he
simply sets going the crank that starts the
music; and he does away with the extra
expense of an organist by utilising an
automatic player.
Such a musical instrument can always
be counted upon to attract heavily, and
sometimes It fills the store to such an
extent that business is hampered by the
crush. Such was the case recently In
Minneapolis, where the crowds became
so large and overpowering that the or
chestrion was stopped and the announce
ment made that, owing to the Jam, the
concerts would be discontinued until the
store could be partially cleared.
Famous paintings prove almost as strong
drawing cards as classical music. Almost
a half hundred noted canvasses are being
exhibited in the stores that do not own
their own art collections, and their own
ers,, who paid big prices for them, are
making neat profits on their Investments.
A well known painting of ample dimensions
brings In at least $100 a week.
The chalk-talk man, the sand-picture
builder, and the crayon-portrait artist all
find the department stores a fertile field
of Income. The worker in crayon Is es
pecially in demand. He will do a rapid
fire portrait of any customer who presents
a slip to the effect that she has purchased
$5 worth of goods. He Is .kept busy the
six hours that he usually agrees to work
In return for $50 a week.
The Income of the man whose specialty
Is natural history exhibits Is about the
same. He displays his cases of butterflies,
or bugs, or birds and bird's eyes, or stuffed
small animals. In a corner of the store,
and morning and afternoon he gives a
short talk on the habits of the creatures
represented In his collection.
The specialties of the Itinerant demon
strators, who get all the way from $10 to $75
a week, are as varied and distinct as the
demonstrators themselves. Soaps, no-'
trums, powders, face washes, hair bleaches,
corsets, foods, skirt supporters, new cook
ing utensils, all come within their sphere.
But the demonstrator who Is a'ways sure
of drawing a crowd shows by example how
the man of fashion should dress at differ
ent periods of the day.
He first makes his appearance from be
hind a screen at the back of the show win
dow all attired for his morning canter
along the fashionable bridlepath. After ex
hibiting himself for a few minutes, he dives
behind the screen, to reappear In a short
time in the snck suit prescribed for the
morning walk nnd business.
Correct dress for afternoon and evening
functions follow, and then the demonstra
tor appears for the remainder of the two
hours devoted to the demonstration as a
worklngman, with overalls, Jumper and
spade, and In various picturesque costumes.
This man draws a big salary. Another
window demonstrator who also makes big
money poses as a fashion plate on a re
volving pedestal In such a life'ess manner
that he keeps the crowd guessing whether
he is a living being or a wax Imitation. He
works four hours a day, and remains on
the pedestal fifteen minutes at a time. He
doesn't even wink except when his back
has revolved to the toggling spectators.
Kven then he does not dare to wink too
frequently for fear Of changing his rigid,
lifeless expression.
Except to demonstrate clothes, the stores
do very litt'e to attract men. One or two,
however, have Installed smoking rooms,
which are chiefly patronised by college
youths or young men who make engage
ments to meet their friends in the store,
and spend their time until the hour of the
appointment arrives in lolling about the
rooms.
Christmas, of course, brings out all sorts
of entertainments peculiar to the season.
At this time cf year a big store thinks
nothing of spending $15,000 to $30,000 for the
entertainment of its patrons.
A certain western store last Christmas
put In a miniature electric railway, which
ran around the four sides of the store Just
above the flrst floor, and was supported by
brackets on adjoining ports. The cars con
sisted of big Mother Goose shoes, and a
dosen attendants were kept busy putting
on and taking off the small passengers.
, Electricity p'ays a prominent part la store
attractions, for a good electrical display
always draws well. A column several
stories Ir. height and covered . with 7,000
electric bulbs Is a permanent feature la
the a-carto of a store In one of the north
western states. It is advertised extensively
and farmers make special trips of many
miles to see the wonderful light effects.
Plaster casts of angels, the Madonna and
Holy Land scenes, common around Christ
mas and Easter, are dlsp'aced during the
rest of the year by statues in gold and sli
ver of well known actresses, which were
made for expositions, and, after having
served their original purposes, have fallen
Into the hands of the commercially Inclined,
who derive good Incomes exhibiting them.
GUY T. VISKNISKI.
An Arab Tea Party
A lady traveling In Morocco gives the fol
lowing account of an Arab tea party: "Our
host dispensed sherrub de mlnat, the wine
of the country, made from grapes; the little
dome-shaped pewter teapot was there with
Its fond associations of Morocco, together
with the copper tray and circle of diminu
tive painted glasses; a gorgeous indolent
sun poured down beyond the patch of
shade; the hum and hover of Insects vi
brated In the air; and presently musicians
were summoned girls wearing pale green
Jellabs and silver ornaments, with yellow
handkerchiefs twisted around their heads,
men in bright colors. Sitting down between
us, each was given a glass of sherrub de
mlnat and by-and-by they began to play.
Weird and wild music It was. that of the
tareegea, the gimbl and the tahr. quaint na
tive instruments of the roughest construc
tion and yet, as music, possessing fascina
tion not a little."
America's Greatness
Colonel Abraham Gruher is the master cf
more Irish Jokes, It Is said, than any other
man In town. In making a speech at a
recent public dinner he told this one:
"Mickey Finnlgan, who had been an
American cllisen for about a year and had
traveled about this continent considerably,
returned home to Hibemla for a visit. This
Is the way he described his new country
to one of his relatives:
" 'Phwy. Amer-r-rica Is so big, begorra.
thot If you wor to dr-rag England thr-rough
the shtates you wouldn't lave a raar-rk In
the dlr-rt; an you could lose Oirland in
one o' thlm gr-rcat Inland oceans we hov,
phwat we call lakes; an' If you had Scot
land to get rid of, there are a thousand
corners you could hide her In, an' nobody
could tell where you had put her except,
begorra, for the bad smell o' the whisky.' "
New York Mail and Express.
nun
St or
Drrwl"
Co-
0SB
Ae, Purity, Strength
These are very Important factors,
not always found In bear, but you will
find them combined In "Blue Kibbon
Beer" and for that reason It la a
health-giving, nutritious tonic, ss well
as a delightful drink.
Blue Ribbon Beer should be fount) In
every household.
Put up in cases of 1 dosen bottles,
and pints, delivered at your home.
Storz Brewing Co.,
Tho.e 13MM. Oaaaha, Nek.
Couneil Bluffs office, 932 W. Broadway
W. A. Wells. Agent.
Rift PiYIXfi RlltlRt E"!.
mt aaaaat aa a " .
mmum aa) we &
Mlllas (tear attaa aad 4otn " L " 1 ou. - J
bicrole, tdiHMl mm. Haae piaaaTlU mm. l
rHeM aaaoaka War-ad. Hooratoue . 1.
hate rlaa.eaa. Ornate all eiaea. KtMriib. W
..ii.lnt LtjMaVrtiM. W a ..- ftj K.
nu today. U. fcKAV OSv, tilJHlUUIATa, .
nr.TionpniriE-opiun
Li W 11 tAPDAWUM HABITS earaa.r
mm w M painiiaa auae treatment, aadurwd and
. ' Kaod by loading- pbyelolaua. Atrial
lTtulut aunVaeat to auaTUioe yea, eana free wlUi
YOU ARE TOOTIIM!
fall at the Sherman MrTnnnrlt Prim r
Omaha, or writ to l. Y. Jonaa Co.. Klmlra. N. vl
for a enoTlnrlnc trial paraace ol lr. Whitney s
narva ana Flaab Builder, ahaolutaljr Krae. . It roata
aotna-li may meaa much to fn or roe re.
Fw people twin from thrlr food lha full amount
of nourlehment and Baah-aivlnf propertlee whlrh Na
ture Intanrtrrt. Thouaanda ot laitlee and (wntlanxa
would ha dallKhtad to lake nn mora flaah and hava a
wall rniantfad. attractive Ultra, but thef do not
" M la pnealble to do an. Wa aaaunta the
nnrtien of the proof, knowing If tha trial parka
flora not prove tffrrtlae wa can Dot bopa lo Mill
ructomtr. '
The aampla will do mora. It will aire a I moat aa
nnmpdiata Inrrraaa In apprltta; lmproa dlRratio.i;
lltr rrll.h of food; U-Urr aplrlta: brttrr rolor;
V!?.?ZT. ""m: mor rafrrhln alrrp and MAKBS
YOU FKKI. HKTTKK.
Spailal Tahlrt No. t for ladlna will poalllartly da
vaiop tha form and la hrtlrr color and hrttar
aTiiaral health. I'rloa rrdui-ad to tl 00 for thro
warka' traittmant.
"Tha bulWllna. up of mjr phyalral aratrm by th
uaa or lr. Whltnay'a Tablau la a wondar In urn.
I hava baan daplrtad no lone I am almply dr-llghtad
with tha mulla obtained. No nut naad laar to Me
tnie rlendld remedy, aa II la all you represent it,
and more. Any lady wlahlni to writ ma I ahalt
be Klari to confirm tbla letter, and tell them of other
beneflta not montlooed here." Jean B. Campbell, ,
Norwood Avenue, Cleveland, t).
Ir. Whltoey'a prrparatlona are for aal la Onika
by th Sherman McOinnell Drug Co.
RED -g- GROSS
4 Fiul Quarts
WHISKEY
S3.00
Express charges
prepaid.
Recomrm ndcil by
the leading physl
cluns and used In
all prominent hos
pitals. The Red Cross
Whiskey enjoys to
day the best f rep
utations and stands
above all in quuiity
and purity.
References:
FIHHT
NATIONAL.
HANK OK
OMAHA .OR
ANY KXI'KKSS
COMPANY.
Western
Distilling Co.,
7(6 So. 16th St
OMAHA.
Sole Owners.
Orders from states
west of Nebraska
will be shipped by
freight.
'.il .1
ftVri
mmm
"is Fo
ur
A ksllroad
OF THE PEOPLE
Operated
FOR THE PEOPLE
And Recognized
BY THE PEOPLE
as the atandard passenger line of
the Central Mate. 2,500 miles
of railway la
Ohio. Indiana, Illinois.
Kentucky & Michigan
Write for folders.
'Warren J. Lynch, W. P. Deppe,
Uen'l. Pass, at Asst. Uen'L P.
Ticket Agt. 4k T. A.
CINCINNATI, OHIO.
Hello.!
AJLHoo
1
m tafTMBatBfSa.
.Root
it:
9
THE nALFTCMB PLATES FURNISHED
THE- ILIASTRATED BEE
Arc EnSraVcd try ttie
BAKER BIS.EKGRfiVLfiG CO.
(fix