ROUND THE TOWN WITH SANTA CLAUS.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXIX, Issue 12287, 23 December 1897, Page 2

ROUND THE TOWN WITH SANTA CLAUS.

Christmas presents for Everybody. Bx " One of the Paiiit." " Hurrah, my boys, lot's give a cheer, For Christmas comes but once a year." Gome along youngsters,' big and little, rich and poor, and you and I and Santa C'.aus will have a real good lime together. You remember last year, don't you, when we went our rounds together? You don't forget the lota of good and pretty thinga we saw in the shops, not you, but this y9ar there's more, heap 3 more, so hurry up and meet me at the Fountain. Well, here you are. What am I scratching my head for ? Well, to tell you the truth, its beoause I don't know where to take you first ! Happy thought ! Santa Claus shall decide. He's been at the business longer than any of us, he's a Rood old sort, and he shall be our guide, philosopher and friend on this merry Christmas tour. Hurrah 1 He eaya tbat

Cramer's German Fair.

r shall be our starting point, so unbutton your pockets and shoulder your bags, and in we go. Oh, what alot of toys ! Theie's dolls, small and larg9, many of them dressed and many others waiting for their toilets to be completed by the deft little fingars of their future guardians ; there's trains, and carts and 'busses and vehicles of every kind, all warraDted to go Ike clockwork ; there's tools for the industrious and buckets and spades for the sea beach ; there's games and picture blooks and Noah's irks and— but look, look at Santa Claus ! Isn't ho just making a hau 1 ? Why I he's bagged enough to fill a hundred stockings already. Listen, Mr Cremer's telling him something, Oh yes, he couldn't get half the good things into his Bidgway Street Fair, so he is showing more toys and a lot. of beautiful presents for older folks at his old-established Avenue shop. All right, MrCremer, we'll make a note of it, but just now we must get along to H. I, Jones' and Son's Carniva at the Oddfellows' Hall. What a splendid show ! What's that you s»y ? The place isn't decorated like it was last year. I should think not, indeed, seeing that Bland Holt's Company only got the last of their stuff away early this morning. But look at the goods and the prices at which they're marked, and I don t think the absence of decorations will trouble you any more. Just let rue loose for a minute or two, Mddie3, till I look over this beautiful range i of leatherware and these lovely things in celluloid and uotarnishable ware, and then I'll come back to your toys. What ? Will I buy something for your elder brother's I best girl? Well, l think not, but you might drop a hint to the girl in question to the effect that if she brings her " boy " to the Carnival it'll be the next best thing to securing the ring. But while we are talk. , ing our guide is buyiDg, and into his huge bag they go trumpets, dolls, popguns, carts, and a thousand other delightful toys. You want some Christmas oards and books? All right. Just wait until we get to the firm's Christmas card depot or their Avenue shop and you shall have them. What a jolly time we're having. From one delight 10 another j out of the Carnival and over the road to • - J- D- Quin's Arcade, almost immediately opposite. Upon my word if. the shop hasn't doubled itself since we were h^i-e last year ! Tea, and if you ask' the,"Bnergetic proprietor you'll find that his business has done likewise, and that hel has 'fully realised the truth of the qtfg adage, that " nothing succeed) like succour] .Whore's Santa Claus? Oh, he's jusfßntt 'that big bag, crammed ' to the aK^^m the place from whence he sbwSS&p] his midnight visit to the multiflTrSpf I hanging .stockings. % Here he is, wiyOpother bag4n reading's, right in the>|hiar»f the large ahdW^sflected stock. l£ya§Her who is to. get* tnat 'beautiful pictumSSok he's just dropped in, or that spljtotMi bouncing ball, and look— more trains/™^ trumpets and dolls! What a large heSJ , the good old fellow must have, to be sure/ Yes, 1 11 let you buy ma one of those hand, some photo frames,' just as a token of our pleasant expedition, and perhaps, while you think of it, you had better buy father and mother something from among the fine assortment of presentation goods, Be quick, for there's a treat in store for us at A. D Willis's large and heavily-stocked establishment in the Avenue — one of the bifigest shops of the kind in either Island. Here we are, and Santa Claus is simply beaming ! You don't think he'll be able to chooss among so many pretty things? Ob yes he will ; he's got to think of every little toddler in town and counry, and every little toddler's brothersand sisters, and I rather think he'll do a little basiness here'on account 'of some of the older" folks, although' he doesn't usually get the credit for it. Ah, I thought so. Those rich - looking leather music oaßes, ladiea' bags, writing cases and purses, and those lovely photo frame 3 and glass and china ornaments are not for the children ; but there's plenty of oharming things here that are, and Claus will soon ma£e a hole in them. Has Mr Willis got another shop? Yes, my little lads and lassies, he'has, but its filled' with a choice and, beautiful range of goods fr6m Japan, and f wouldn't take you in ! there for the world, for I can't afford to pay for breakages. We'll leave Mr Willis's Taupo Quay branch, next to Messrs. Paul and Oo.'s, for older and more careful people, and get away up to Bidgway Street again, on the Post Office side of the Fountain, where, a few doora past Messrs White 'and Co.'c the ' cash drapers, Satta Claus, who has long since filled and despatched hia second bag; hurries on to ' • J. Trussell's toy shop. Are you tired, kiddies? Not quits, you say, with all these toys in front of us, while as for our old friend, he seems even more lively than ever as he picks out more pretty things for good children. From Trussell's we go on to !ps Dallas.', a little further along the street, where we find another good selection of toys, and then, hayfng watohed Santa Claus add more treasures to his stock, we follow him aoross the streat and back towards |he Avenue dropping in at the Economic .Drapery Company's Fancy Goods and Toy Bazaar, opened by the enterprising proprietors, Messrs George and Kersley, Specially for the Christmas season. Eere, in addition to the pleasure derived from flitting about among the many oharming things devised for the amusement and edification of the doble army of juveniles, w,e find the"Home of Jack Fro3t," a special anraotion in the shape of. a beautiful mephanical "show" on view in the roomy sued at fhe rear of the premises. From here we fpeed to the Avedue once mqre and (ram up to \ A, Ferguson's Shop, opposite the English Phurch, QU Clane, like Oliver Twiat, is always on the loojf out for niore^nd he simply electrifies our party by tbe nimbl6 way in which he dirts here there and everywhere, securing further treasures for his youthful clients. Everything from toya to fancy stationery is " collared " with a yest that would do credit to a fire-year-old, There's a knowing twinkle la Mr Ferguson's eye?, probably begoitsn of the knowledge tbat he is fully abla to cope with the re. cjuirements of all and sundry, and from experionce we know that he has good ground? for his satisfaction. What a time we've had, but there ig yet another treat in store for us, and that is amok? tbe good things at Miss Simpson's further up the Avenue, at whose bright looking little shop we complete our jojous touc through the fancy goods land toy shops of Wanganui. Clans dumps his heavy pack in a convenient f oilv' an^ once motfe proceeds with the worjf of selection, untiMie hasn't a spire ioflh lpft in whioh' to grow the Smallest of novelties. And while ha ojoes so seyeral of our party tt jp to look at the novelty in the shapa of window diesaiDg- Whioh Misß Simpson has devised: a oharming bfid<>> and a handsome bridegroom, with ruaida tj,nd pages, walkiuer out of church on a pathway of fjow3rs tfjrewn by a host of little dolls, a really prstty effect. Good; bye BantaClaus ; goodrbye friends, but before parting let me repeat the advice j have given you before^the time is short, do your Christmas shopping in the day time, and do it early and in return you will receive more attention, get better value for your money and enjoy a far batter opportunity for selection. And now, wishing you all " A merry Christmas and a happy New Year," once more goodbye, . ■ ■/