ROUND MASTERTON.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4910, 24 December 1894, Page 2

ROUND MASTERTON.

' ' Ghristiftaslmt}" ,|l Of all seasons of .tlie yearpei'liapsMß the most 1 interesting; -?dudto tradespeople the mostbosy-ris.tkt S| of where 1 bright sunshine and hot.weather, usually prevails, and there.is,av||l consequent necessity for: wear,' our"'drapers,' - espesially innately this is not always.the case, and the weather has -sometimes had more the semblance,; of, an' Old Country for inßemi-tropicajffimea. . /, ! v| ; The.weatheivfoMne:Christmas.of 1894 in Mastertompay be sai<| to be';' all that could'be wished'for, and : |i' grumbling on,tlus Bo6re:is out ofthe ,;|| question. ■ But there is an under-: • i| current of complaintHeai'd.through-' :f;| out ,tlie district,, and; the question}: j among the tradesmen 1 has been" Willja| this trade be.'as. good asmjf\ last 'year'?" for trade at present ir**~ •in a state s money does not seem ; to flow in the : ', same channel as'of old, and the gen- . eral outlook is certainly.not so hope-, ful as the community at large could wish for, Our local tradespeople have as usual made the most elaborate preparations for a boom during ' '■ , the holiday week, and theii 1 hearts would certainly brighten l at Satur day's trade,, foralthougli not exactly :. , Christmas Eve it was to some extent [ looked upon in that light, and many j made the usual purchases of holiday - ' attire, gifts for their friends, aud the , i " Santa Olaus " .stockings, so loved ~ ; and looked foy. by the juvenile por- ~ '• tion of the community, to avoid the , : 1 crußh which usually is met on these , , ! occasions, and whioh. wo again j expect to see this evening. . The shops in Masterton present quite a gay scene, and there has . been extra pains taken by the mer--1 chants and their assistants to display . their wares to'the utmost advantage i this season, and some fine attractive • 5 shows aro the result., Many of the 1 windows display real art iu the ! matter of their arrangement, The J drapers have for once been enabled , 0 to dispense with a show of water- ,■■■. 0 proofs and mackintoshes, and only . goods of the brightest colore, and of ' - the most delicate texture, are set , forth at .their doors, and iu the, spacious windows. - : 'We leave it to the public to Vprovo by- their :• favours, which of, these tradesmen have excelled, in the display ■ '. and Belection of holiday apparel, but *> we believe that there is not to bB, found in any town in the Colony, ft < 1 better general assortment of drapery c and clothing than.that,nojv on viewe in the shops of Masterton, and those who cannot obtain ;their wants in f Masterton—providing ;they possess ■ the needful—would be difficult to t please. :i , : ' - '. : The purveyors of the more solid ■; • and necessary creature comforts—the grocers-have been as busy as usual, and have selected for their ; customers a fine suppkpf fruits and ■ condiments, and gooftthings generally, for which thMiave been re- ■ I warded by a laiwmide, These i, tradesmen haye ; nok allowed ■ the ■ f drapers to make 'thAwintldw show ' 1 all their own, and theu\shopß have i been attractively and filled b with many choice and toothsome i delicacies,and the displays have been most favourably commented on by ■ 1 the public. Our boot and shoe dealers are not to bo left'behind either, for they ' 1 make a most creditable show of , j " rests for our weary soles." What a busy time the booksellers and dealers in fancy wares had on Saturday: evening, and no - . doubt this' will be'again the case this evening, for -they are the ~ s people who supply the one nick-nacks,from Christmas ; to valuable presents, which are dear s to the hearts of friends and relations - . !. at a distance,'besides toys for the , i little people. r The bakers and confectioners are • i particularly m evidence at this sea-. son, and our local tradesmen have a: display of cakes and sweetmeats of every description, large and small, . temptingly arranged in- their win-: dows. The ironmonger also looks forward to Christmas -to bring him trade in new cutlery and oleetro. r plated wares : to grace the festive • 1 board. We miss one usually promK . 1 nent display thiß season, and that 8 is the butchers Vowing to'■ Sunday'.'• 3 intervening, which has pre- ; ? vented the dressing for dis - play of fat lambs, huge bullocks, ' ! and giant pigs. Howover, the good 1 meats are there all the same, and to< 1 day the butcher's mon are busy dis- ' tributiiig sirloins and Christmas : rounds of beef, the best the district . can produce. . The hotelkeepers have laid in a ' J large supply of liquid refreshment, 1 and during the next few days of tho Old and New Year, tho,) health and - ' happiness of all jolly ..good fellows •• • will be drunk over ani^ ,oyor again. 1 Masterton, howem'j&comparatively free from' the sometimes ' seen at this soason year, and ' tab'ng the community aB a whole it will be hard to find a district where ■ the misuse, of intoxicants is loss - ' noticeable. V.