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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Silver Moon" data-source="post: 3249874" data-attributes="member: 8530">Chapter 209, “Sir. Charles Sterling’s Traveling Retail Emporium”,  Friday, March 31st , 1882, 8:30 AM A caravan consisting of thirty horse-drawn and oxen-drawn wheeled vehicles arrive in town. Twenty-two of these turn off of the main road around 150 feet north of Sierra Street while the remaining eight head on into town. These eight it turns out are people coming to the fair who chose to ride alongside the larger group for safety. The main caravan heads west to a four-acre rectangular area that starts 100-feet north of behind the buildings on Sierra. Eighteen of these vehicles are fair-sized wagons loaded to overflowing with goods. The other four vehicles consist of three buggies and an older model Concord Coach. Each vehicle also is towing additional horses or oxen, enough so that all beasts of burden can be rotated for fresh ones. They stop just before some stakes and ropes. This land belongs to Elton Hubbard, who earlier in the week had marked off with stakes and ropes this rectangular section running parallel to Sierra Street and where Fremont, Allen and Front Streets end. Hubbard soon gets word that the caravan has arrived and heads up to greet the caravan leader, a tall-thin man with a British Accent riding in a fancy horse drawn single-seat buggy. The remainder of the caravan occupants consist of two-dozen humans, all who look to be between twenty and thirty years of age. Also with them are two male ogres, three male half-orcs and a female halfling. All twenty-five humans are attractive and appear to be in excellent physical shape and dressed in comfortable work clothes, with the woman wearing pants rather than dresses. The other six also look to be the equivalent of those ages of their own races, and also attired in work clothes. The wagons pull into the roped off area and a beehive of activity. Metal piping is removed from one wagon and the eight-to-ten foot long sections are fitted together to form two thirty-foot high flagpoles where are dropped into holes dug into the ground by the ogres twenty-five feet apart and secured with ropes. A United States flag is raised to the top of one and a British flag to the top of the other. A five-foot high and twenty-five foot wide banner is the hoisted up the poles and pulled taunt beneath the flags. In elaborate red, white and blue lettering the flag reads “Sir. Charles Sterling’s Traveling Retail Emporium”. Most of the individuals all begin unloading and erecting canvas tents of various sizes while two of the humans and the half-orcs ride a wagon full of wooden and metal buckets west to Pine Creek. Another two humans assist the orges in erecting some portable metal fencing on the northwestern end of the area where they then corral most of the horses and oxen. Five metal bathtubs of various sizes that have been nested together are then unloaded and placed into a pair of eight-foot square tents as the bucket wagon returns and the men start to fill the tubs. Several trunks are also offloaded from a wagon into the same two tents. This activity continues for another hour. Most of the wagons have sides that fold down into shelves to display goods and once they are where the leader wants them the horses and oxen are unhitched, the wheels blocked, and a canvas tent then is erected around it. The remaining wagons are also unloaded of their goods and then moved over to the northern end of the roped off area where they are parked alongside the Concord Coach and the three buggies. Once each wagon area is all set up the individuals head over to the two bath tents, one for men the other for women. Each reappears ten to fifteen minutes later attired in very nice clothing appropriate to their gender. Curiously, each item of clothing be it dresses, jewelry, shoes, belts, suits, shirts, pants, suspenders, hats and wigs all have the price tags still hanging from them. A few signs are then put up around the encampment reading "Attire currently being modeled will be include free laundering". It soon appears that nearly everything present in the encampment can be purchased as oversized price tags are fixed upon every vehicle, animal, fencing, flagpoles, trunk and container. Once every member of the company is bathed and attired in fine clothing, including the orcs and ogres, the water in the tubs is drained using faucets and rubber tubing, the tubs are scrubbed out, and prices attached to them as well. While all of the activity has been going on Elton Hubbard, his clerk Earl Hogan, and Merchant's Association President Burton Lumley have been paying visits to all of the Promise City Merchants. In order to help dispel resentment towards their new short-term competitors each merchant is informed that the Emporium will not open to the general public until 2:00 PM and that prior to that only the town's merchants will be allowed to purchase comparable items to those which they sell themselves, and at a ten-percent discount. Each Promise City Merchant is given a stamped slip of paper with their own type of business listed and told that only those items can be purchased from the Emporium in advance. Niles Hoover is given a slip reading "Alcohol and Spirits". Kate, Sonoma and Nanuet are each given a slip reading "Horses and Livestock".The Caravan's Leader, Sir Charles Sterling, has set up a wagon with the sign reading "Sterling's Sterling - Jewelry, Watches and other Finely Made Items".  He has for sale decorative pocket watches with various illustrations of places, animals, flowers, deities and ships with prices ranging from $ 7 to $ 36; Vest chains $ 4 to $ 21; Pens $ 1.25 to $ 3.00; Canes with fancy heads and tips $ 4 to $ 25; Jewelry chains $ .50 to $ 5; Silver nail files, combs, hand-held mirrors, and brushes $ 2 to $ 18 each; assorted rings, bracelets and necklaces from $ 1 to $ 100; field glasses (binoculars) $ 7 to $ 18; spy glasses (telescopes) $ 3 to $ 20; two microscopes $ 15 and $ 20; eyeglasses $ 1 to $ 3; Compasses $ 1 to $ 4; a Surveyors Compass $ 40; wall clocks $ 4 to $ 30; desk clocks $ 2 to $ 25; metal boxes $ 1 to $ 20; and several pairs of gold plated dentures for $ 10 to $ 25.The next merchant has a sign reading "Doctor Bernard Fowler - Elixirs for All Ailments". He has hundreds of bottles labeled for nearly every possible ailment including headaches, colds, coughs, feminine complication, worms, obesity, and diphtheria. He also sells various soaps ranging from three-cents to $ 1 a bar. Next to Doctor Fowler is "Brett Saunder's Spirits", which is filled with nearly fifty cases of alcohol, each box labeled for a different type. He also sells tobacco in 10-pound drums for 27-cents to $ 1.50; The next wagon has a sign reading "Douglas and Patricia Monroe - Metals Items". Most of the wagon has pots, pans, bowls and metal serving plates. But also on the wagon are various musical instruments including Harmonicas for $ 1 to $ 3; Trombones from $ 9 to $ 20; Cornets from $ 9 to $ 23; Fifes from $ 1 to $ 3; Piccolos from $ 1 to $ 4; Flutes from $ 3 to $ 15; and a Tuba for $ 34.Three separate wagons tended by a human and the three half-orcs have the sign "Clarke Whitaker - Tools". On his first two wagons he has every possible hand tool one could think of, including files, drills, planes, screwdrivers, pliers, saws, scissors, shovels, picks, hoes, rakes, pitchforks all with prices ranging from as low as twenty-cents for the smallest chisel to $ 12 for the largest two-man saw. He also has grinding wheels for $ 4; emery wheels from $ 2 to $ 4; anvils from $ 1 to $ 3; and coffee grinders from $ 2 to $ 18. On the final wagon he has some more exotic items including a typewriter for $ 23; several bicycles with a large wheel in front and small wheel behind from $ 8 to $ 20; tennis rackets from $ 1 to $ 4; baseball mitts from $ 1 to $ 3; metal catcher's masks from $ 1 to $ 3; fishing rods from $ 1 to $ 4; fishing reels from $ 1 to $6; and a portable forge for $ 75.Under the sign "Sam Torrey - Musical Instruments" is a wagon filled with dozens of guitars $ 6 to $ 23; banjos $ 3 to $ 8; Mandolins $ 3 to $ 6; autoharps/zithers $ 3 to $ 12; accordions $ 7 to $ 20; and violins $ 3 to $ 20. He also has a shelf of sheet music for sale from $ .10 to $ 1.00 each. The next wagon is "Tyrill Salisbury - Books" and features several hundred books organized by category. Most books sell for $ 1 to $ 3. A set of encyclopedias sells for $ 15; He also has two shelves of blank books labeled 'stationary' that sell for $ .50 to $ 2 each depending upon thickness. Lastly, he has a bookcase filled with rolls and rolls of paper wallpaper selling for 10-cents a roll. The next wagon reads "Bradley Jacobs - Weapons". He has Winchester rifles for $ 10 to $ 27; Remington shotguns from $ 30 to $ 50; Spencer rifles from $ 5 to $ 30; all types of revolvers from $ 5 to $ 35; over 100 knives from $ .25 to $ 5; swords ranging from $ 3 to $ 25. He also sells duck decoys from $ 2 to $ 6; bird call whistles from $ .50 to $ 1; and a full suit of English Hunting Clothes for $ 25.The next three wagons are the two clothing merchants, the signs reading "Alexander Kotowski and Septhany Nonovik - Clothing". Clothing of nearly every type imaginable can be found on these wagons. "Duncan Willey - Tents and Tarps" is in front of one of the larger canvas tents. Various canvas tarps are sitting inside of the tent. "Gerald and Donna Atwood - Hats and Wigs" is next, with fur hats, straw hats, fedoras, derbies, silk top hats; wigs of all lengths and colors; and toupees. Prices range from $ .25 for a clip on woman's hairpieces to $ 10 for a full woman's wig; men's hats from $ .50 to $ 10; women's hats from $ 1 to $ 25. Next is "Sydhie Tyler - Chairs and Blankets". The female halfling is there selling cloth and rope hammocks from $ 1 to $ 4; folding wood and cloth chairs from $ 1 to $ 3; and blankets of all types and sizes from $ 1 to $ 35. Beyond that is "Marc & Florence LaBrecque - Glassware" Featured here are glass dining sets from $ 6 to $ 20; various other glass objects including pitchers, platters, bowls, and candleholders from $ 1 to $ 15. Also for sale here are window glass from $ 2 to $ 6 a pane; door glass from $ 4 to $ 20 based upon the size and etching; and mirrors of various sizes ranging from $ 1 to $ 20 with the exception of an elaborate 4 x 10 foot mirror with wooden frame selling for $ 75. "Isaac Christopher Taylor - Conveyances" is set up over by the vehicles, with the door of the Concord Coach open to show off the fancy interior. The coach has a $ 500 price tag on it; plain wagons sell for $ 100 to $ 300; the sales wagons with the collapsible sides sell for $ 200 to $ 400; the two single-seat buggies have prices of $ 125 and $ 150; the double-seat buggy has a $ 200 price tag; also for sale are leather buggy seats without the benches for $ 5 to $ 23 and buggy tops from $ 23 to $ 45. The two ogres are set up by the animals. One sign reads "Gnort - Oxen" the other sign reads "Noah 'Grunt' O'Connor - Horses". Prices range from $ 20 to 150 per animal with the exception of one horse, that looks to be a racing horse, with a $ 500 price tag on it.After her leisurely lunch with Mr. Gonzales Ruby hangs around the El Parador waiting for Katherine. Unsure of when she will show up she instead decides to return to the Lucky Lady to wait for a familiar face. She wants to practice her new spell out of town but wants someone to accompany her. As she walks she notices the huge influx of people and flurry of activity so she takes her time walking, listening to the crowds of excited people talking. When she looks up she is standing outside of a huge area of tents where goods are being set up. She curiously looks around checking out the wares. She reminds herself to make time tomorrow to do some shopping before turning herself in the direction of the Lucky Lady to wait.Kate tells the O’Hara girls "I'll stop by and see your mother later in the day when I have some time to go out to the ranch. Then we can go out and take a look at what horses might suit you. I'll see you in a little while," she smiled and went into the kitchen were she had seen Sonoma earlier. "Sonoma, would you like to go with me over to the Lucky Lady? We should fetch Ruby for a lesson." Sonoma brushed her hands clean and came along. They made a detour over to the hardware store so Kate could ask Sandra Wainwright to give her a hand on Saturday with the children. Once her help was secured, they walked curiously near the new wagons that had rolled in that morning and discussed whether they wanted to buy any stock or not with the papers they had both received that morning.</blockquote>

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