Lights and Shadows of New York Life: or, the Sights and Sensations of the Great CityMcCabe, James Dabney
History
Lights and Shadows of New York Life: or, the Sights and Sensations of the Great City
McCabe, James Dabney
New York (N.Y.) -- Description and travel; New York (N.Y.) -- Social life and customs -- 19th century
The convenience of having all these things, and in such great variety,
under one roof is very great, and saves purchasers many a weary walk
through the city. The immense capital employed by Mr. Stewart, and his
great facilities of all kinds, enable him to control the markets in which
he makes his purchases and to buy on terms which render it easy for him
to undersell all his competitors. The smaller houses complain bitterly
of this, and declare that he is ruining them. In spite of its immense
trade, "Stewart's" is not the most popular place in the city with
resident purchasers. The salesmen have the reputation of being rude and
often insolent. There can be no doubt that, were specific complaints
made, Mr. Stewart would administer the necessary punishment to the
offender without delay; but as the offences complained of are chiefly a
lack of civility, few care to complain.
The throng of visitors and purchasers is immense. They have been known
to reach the enormous number of 50,000 in a single day; but the average
is 15,000. Looking down from one of the upper floors, through the
rotunda, one can witness as busy and interesting a scene as New York
affords. All kinds of people come here, from the poor woman whose scanty
garb tells too plainly the story of her poverty, to the wife of the
millionaire whose purchases amount to a small fortune, and all classes
can be suited.
The sales of the house average about $60,000 per day, and have been known
to reach $87,000. The bulk of the purchases is made between noon and
five o'clock. The average daily sales of the principal articles are as
follows: Silks $15,000; dress goods, $6000; muslins, $3000; laces, $2000;
shawls, $2500; suits, $1000; calicoes, $1500; velvets, $2000; gloves,
$1000; furs, $1000; hosiery, $600; boys' clothing, $700; Yankee notions,
$600; embroideries, $1000; carpets, $5500.
[Picture: A. T. STEWART'S RETAIL STORE.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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