CHRISTMAS CHEER, 1881.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume III, Issue 517, 24 December 1881, Page 2

CHRISTMAS CHEER, 1881.

Following the time-honored chstom, the principal shops in the town were fairly decorated with evergreens this morning, and the display of all the good things usually required for “jolly” Christmas, were fully up to those of former years. In the butcher’s shops some splendid carcases of all kinds, and small goods, etc., were displayed, and which towards the afternoon appeared to diminish with remarkable rapidity, evidencing that a very large business must have been done during the day. As there was no prize offered for the best display of meat the butchers did not take much interest in getting up such a good show as the size of the town warranted. We hope that next year a prize will be offered by the Pastoral Association, so that our butchers may vie with each other and give us a really good display. In Timaru, Oamaru, and Christchurch some splendid displays of meat have been made by the principal butchers in these places. In the grocery goods Mr Andrew Orr and Messrs Orr and Co. had the usual creature comforts, arranged in a most tempting manner, not for show alone, however, as there were indications of a very large business being done during the day. Messrs Friedlander Bros, had also a capital display of everything nice and cheering. The bakers and confectioners were also to the fore, Mr Thomas Taylor and that interesting individual “Free Trade” apparently doing all they could to supply the enormous demand for Christmas cakes and bread, which country as well as towns people require at this season of the year. Mr Thiele displays, in prolific abundance, Christmas and presentation cakes, but any attempt to describe the very excellent manner in which a quantity of other seasonable delicacies are shown would certainly bo beyond our descriptive powers. Mr E-anger shows a number of dainty edibles, some of which are of most grotesque design; and in Mr R. Alcorn’s grocery shop window are evident signs of the energetic proprietor not having forgotten the visit of Father Christmas. Loungers around the shops of Mr Davison and his neighbor, Mr Randell, at the Town Hall, certainly secured to-day the most pleasurable locality, for, besides the immense quantity of fruits and greengroceries displayed, the immediate vicinity of the above shops was redolent with the perfume of flowers. The fruiterers also have excellent displays of the most tempting of fruits, including grapes, strawberries, and cherries, and will probably find that their stocks will be considerably lessened before to-night. Taking all the other stores and shops doing business here, the displays of Christmas cheer for 1881, are very creditable indeed for Ashburton, and no one can complain, we feel sure, at the quality of the goods offered. We must not forget to mention that the hotels were also very nicely decorated, the Somerset, being most profusely adorned with all kinds of evergreens. -.