Identifier: newyorkbysunligh00mcca_1 (find matches)
Title: New York by sunlight and gaslight : a work descriptive of the great American metropolis ; its high and low life; its splendors and miseries; its virtu
Year: 1882 (1880s)
Authors: McCabe, James D., 1842-1883.
Subjects:
Publisher: New York : Union Publishing House
Contributing Library: Columbia University Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: The Durst Organization

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and their customers consistalmost entirely of ladies. They are fitted up elegantly,and contain the finest and most varied stocks of goodsto be found anywhere in the world. In almost allthese establishments the prices are written in plainfigures on the articles, and the clerks are not allowedto deviate from them. Elevators connect the variousfloors, and convey purchasers from story to story, thussaving them the fatigue of climbing the stairs. Eachfioor is in charge of a manager, who directs customersto the counters where the goods they wish to pur-chase are sold. No one is urged to buy, but all thegoods are readily shown to those who desire to exam-ine them. Articles purchased are promptly forwardedto the residences of buyers, and every effort is madeto render the task of shopping pleasant. All the whilethe customers are under the constant but unseen sur-veillance of detectives, and so perfect is this systemthat shoplifting is rare. The principal retail firms possess large and magnif-
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558 NEW YORK. icent buildings, which are among the chief ornamentsof the city. The rriost imposing of these are thebuildings of A. T. Stewart & Co., the Domestic Sew-ing-Machine Company, Arnold, Constable & Co.,Lord & Taylor, and Tiffany & Co., the last being theprincipal jewelry house of the country. Stewarts is the best-known establishment in NewYork. The building is a handsome iron structure fivestories in height, and occupies an entire block, as hasbeen described. The first floor is devoted to the saleof miscellaneous goods, each class having its separatedepartment. It is generally thronged with buyers,and presents a busy scene. It contains loo counters,the aggregate length of which is 5000 feet. The sec-ond floor is for the sale of ready-made clothing, suitsfor ladies, furs, upholste»-y, &c.; the third floor isdevoted to carpets; and the other flqors to the workrooms of the establishment. The number of superin-tendents, salesmen, and other persons employed in

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