Demand for Black Drapings

Stocks Are Nearly Exhausted and Large Orders Placed.

     The sudden demand for black cloth with which to drape the buildings of the city has exhausted the stocks of the local dry goods merchants and probably of the whole country. Early Saturday morning when the news of the death of the president was received, managers of the big stores sent to Chicago to replenish their stocks with bunting, cambric, calico, satines, prints and cheap dress goods to supply the demand. One firm sent a man to Chicago to scour the city for the goods. Telegrams were received yesterday afternoon: “Cannot buy any black goods in Chicago.”
     The Milwaukee stores have sold out most of their stocks of black goods, but are expecting a supply Monday morning. There is some fear, however, that the demand cannot be met.
     Some of the merchants prepared for the demand for black goods three or four days ago, when the first discouraging reports came from the sick room at Buffalo. Others, allowing their hopes for the president’s recovery to outweigh their business instincts, perhaps, waited until yesterday to send in their orders, and may be unable to get them filled in consequence.
     The manager of one of the dry goods firms in the city estimated that there would be no less than 100,000 yards of black cloth sold within four days of the death of the president. Others report having sold 10,000, or 5,000, or 1,500 each. The leading firm of drapers in the city kept forty men employed yesterday in filling orders for draping large down town [sic] buildings.
     At Espenhain’s there was but a small stock of pongee left last evening, which was selling at 10 cents a yard. The bunting and cheesecloth had all been sold out earlier in the day and the managers had sent bolts of bunting of other colors to the dyers to be changed into a somber hue. Manager George T. Schulze said that a large stock would be received Monday morning.
     The cotton goods counter at Gimbel Brothers’ is one mass of black. The manager of the store said that 50,000 yards of black cloth had been sold yesterday, and that the firm was obliged to deny other firms and outside houses the goods they tried to purchase.
     Goll & Frank ordered a large number of cases of black goods by express yesterday morning and hope to receive it by to-morrow morning. At Chapman’s the cambrics were sold out before noon yesterday and black satines and other cloth goods were all gone before night. That firm immediately ordered a large supply of goods, which it is expected will be on hand to-morrow.
     The price for drapery ranges from 4 to 40 cents, the largest sales being of bunting at 5 cents or satine at 12½ cents a yard.