Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 12, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 January 1911 — Odd News From Big Cities [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Odd News From Big Cities

Stories of Strange Happening* in the Metropolitan Towns

Gotham Spends a Billion for Gifts

NEW tork.—That $1,000,600,000. or '».n amount equal to the annual exposes of the national government, seas been spent here this year to fill -Father Knickerbockers 5,000,000 Christmas stockings and those of relatives and friends of residents ip his domain is the estimate of experts who have carefully followed one of the most remarkable holiday, seasons in the history of the country? Reports from other parts of the country reflect similar conditions and indicate a holiday business of $lO,- 1 000,000,000 or more for the country at large. In spite of the alleged unsatisfactory business situation. Santa Claus has been patronized in a moat lavish manner this year. Even In this bllllon-dollar Christmas •outlay, however, the much-talked-of Increased cost of living has had a marked effect. Presents In the form •of luxuries are fewer than ever before, and such articles as automobiles, expensive jewelry and highpriced decorations generally have

given way to articles of more general use. In a word, Santa Claus is becoming more of a business manager every year. i The stores and shops report this season that the greater part of the motley has been spent for useful articles such as wearing apparel, and a proportionately smaller amount for jewels, autoß ,high-prjced pictures and the like. Toys, as might be expected, account for an 1 ever increasing amount, while candies are a close second. Merchants In all parts of the country agree that the Christmas shopper, whatever the cause, is learning to spend his money to better purpose than formerly. Whatever other customs may change, there is one Christmas practice which goes on, apparently, forever. Santa Claus may come by reindeer-drawn sleigh, automobile or airship as modes of travel progress, but . the Christmas tree on which his packages are hung continues to increase in popularity. Thlß year, indeed, New York has set a new record In this respect, sines over 500,000 Christmas tress were imported to meet local demands. Figuring five members to the average family, this means that at least half the homes In the city had a tree this winter.