April 18, 1917, 
NOR Dre SiH ORI BRB 
OV 
Will be a Busy Season on North Shore 
New York Merchants Most Optimistic 
Scoff Idea of Trouble from Submarines 
EVERYBODY is wondering what kind of a season we 
are to have on the North Shore this year. Some here- 
abouts think the war will scare away many of the sum- 
mer residents and that the season will not be up to stand- 
ard. 
We have made it our business the last two or three 
weeks to ask those of our summer visitors with whom we 
have come in touch what they thought about it, and if they 
were to be on the North Shore this summer. We have 
yet to find one who speaks discouragingly, or who says he 
has changed his plans or is likely to change them, as far 
as the North Shore is concerned. 
Rentals of summer cottages and estates—especially 
along that part of the North Shore between Salem and 
Gloucester—has been up to the average. Practically all 
of the larger estates for lease have been taken. 
3ut it is particularly in regard to New York that we 
want to write. They are certainly optimistic over there 
regarding business conditions and as to the outcome of 
the summer season along the New England coast. They 
scoff the idea that there is anything to fear from German 
submarines in this quarter. 
It was with a measure of apprehension that the writer 
went to New York the first of this week to close some 
advertising accounts for the summer. Things were look- 
ing rather shady in Boston and locally, we must admit. 
But in New York! We might say, in confidence, 
that about fifty percent of our yearly revenue for adver- 
tising come from New York houses, through their sum- 
mer shops in Magnolia and at other places along the 
North Shore,—but Magnolia mostly. In fact, the com- 
ing of these shops and the growth and development of 
the BreEze have gone hand in hand the last ten or twelve 
years. 
We do not feel we are betraying any confidences of 
our advertising clientele when we relate our experiences. 
Mr. James M. Speer of James. McCutcheon & Co., 
made no reference to the war whatever. He wanted to 
know if he could have the back cover of the Breeze the 
coming summer for three months, and we told him he 
could. He filled out one of our duplicate contract blanks, 
signed it, and we were on our way rejoicing in less than 
five minutes. Now, Mr. Speer is a man of big things. 
His position as one of the heads of the McCutcheon 
establishment, on Fifth ave.—one of the leading dealers 
‘in linens in America—signifies that much. But he is a 
man of broad influence and capabilities in other ways. 
For instance, he is chairman of the “Billy” Sunday cam- 
paign committee in New York, at the present time. When 
we called Monday Mr. Speer made absolutely no refer- 
ence to the war; he did not say he thought business would 
not be up to standard on the North Shore this summer. 
He did say, after we had referred to conditions, that he 
thought the North Shore, of all places, had little to fear 
in trouble from the present crisis. He also thought the 
whole war situation would be well in hand by the middle 
of July. 
Things were already beginning to look brighter to us. 
We cantered off up Fifth avenue as light as a bird, with 
our 220 pounds of avoirdupois. It was evident New York 
business men looked at things differently than we did in 
Boston. We called next on Gunther’s, the fur store. 
C. G. Gunther’s Sons, established in 1820, is one of 
the largest and most exclusive fur houses in the world. 
Mr. Quigley, the manager, was most affable. He surely 
did want to have an advertisement in the BrekzE next 
summer. How long was he in last season? Thirteen 
weeks? Well, make it the same as last. year. Fifteen 
weeks? All right increase it two weeks over last year. 
Not a word was said about the war. No hint was 
given that Mr. Quigley thought the North Shore season 
wouldn’t be up to time. If he thought so, he surely wasn’t 
very consistent, for he added to, rather than detracted 
from last year’s order. 
We passed on up the avenue to Bonwit Teller & 
Co.’s., the leading shop of its kind in America, long recog- 
nized as “The Specialty Shop of Originations” in women’s 
and misses’ dress. Last season this firm had a full page 
in the BREEzE for 10 weeks. If they thought the coming 
season was to be a poor one, that people were not coming 
to the North Shore as usual, why have they éontracted 
to use page one of the Breeze for 15 weeks the coming 
season,—just 50 percent inore than last year? Incident- 
ally their store at Magnolia is being enlarged. 
Ovington’s, the well known china house, had no feel- 
ing that the season was not to be up to the mark. They 
wanted to renew the customary contract for advertising 
in the Breeze this summer. 
The Grande Maison de Blanc, famed all over the 
country as the ‘““Trousseau House of America,” plan to 
come to Magnolia the first part of June, as usual. They 
have engaged their page space in the Breeze for a little 
longer season than last year, A. Raymond Brown, the 
manager of the Magnolia shop, was most optimistic as to 
the season’s outlook. 
And thus it was all along the line. We called upon 
nearly a score of the representative business houses of 
Fifth Avenue—the best of their respective line in Amer- 
ica. Not one expressed any doubt as to the success of the 
coming season. Nearly all who gave any opinion on the 
matter at all could see no reason whatever why the North 
Shore should feel any dread of trouble from German sub- 
marines, saying that if Germany had any submarines to 
send to this part of the Atlantic they would be devoted 
to raising havoc with shipping and not in trying to ‘‘shoot 
up” a section of the New England coast—which will in- 
cidentally be covered in a most thorough manner by the 
submarine chasers that are to have their supply base in 
the midst of the North Shore district,—Marblehead. 
Tolerance makes friends. Intolerance breeds enemies. 
‘Most of us get what we deserve, but only the suc- 
cessful will admit it. 
Amid all life’s auests there seems but worthy one— 
to do more good !—Festus. 
“Every night and morning when I say my prayers, 
from the bottom of my heart I thank my heavenly Father, 
first that I can read books, and secondly that I have a 
sense of humor.” 
IT want books, not to pass the time, but to fill it with 
beautiful thoughts and images, to enlarge my world, to 
give me new friends in the spirit, to purify my ideals and 
make them clear, to show me the local color of unknown 
regions and the bright stars of universal truth—Henry 
Van Dyke, 
