Tokio is an old fashioned spelling of Tokyo. I expanded the photo as much as possible and the angled writing on the right hand side seems to say "Grade A". The word at the bottom appears to be "Flour."

My guess is: Tokio Grade A Flour, although I had to laugh at Dave's suggestion that it was toilet paper. No one is that full of .... oh well, never mind.

[No mystery. The wrappers say TOKIO TOILET TISSUE. - Dave]

Containers near the back on the right -- "TOKIO." Any clues as to what's in them?

[Toilet paper. - Dave]

That is the most mysterious bucket of whatever I've ever seen. And it's the most out of place pile of ? right in the middle of a most tidy store.

To me it looks like it could be scraps of wax and or tallow.
However, there also looks to be a handle from a cabinet or drawer mixed in, as well as a door knob. bones, scraps of meat and paper.

Looks like a pail of garbage that someone forgot to throw out.

Looks like assorted hard candies. Wouldn't be Christmas without them.

Perhaps a variety of natural sea sponges.

Any idea what that bucket might be full of?

There's a reason for the expression "If you don't like the weather in D.C., just wait a minute." It can be 25 and snowing on December 10th and 78 and muggy on the 11th. So it wouldn't be unusual to see windows open at Christmastime.

When I was a teenager I worked in some of my brother's grocery stores for a few summers. In a well marketed store you will always find the canned goods "faced," meaning every label must be facing forward. This store was immaculately kept and displayed. What a beauty. Back in those days there was only one way to run a mercantile -- the right way.

My great-grandfather owned the first mercantile in Wallowa, Oregon, many years ago in what is still a Wild West sort of rural community of cattle ranchers and Indians. The old mercantile (still open) was my first stop on fishing and hunting trips in the '70s.

It's amazing to walk into such a small store and see it filled with so many items. You can buy anything you could possibly need from groceries to farm feed, cowboy boots, saddles and tack, cast iron skillets, pot bellied stoves, fishing supplies, flannel coats, yarn, bolts of cloth. Sitting on the old wooden front porch sipping on a soda and remembering great-grandpa. Life was good.

I'd like to pick up a few things, but I'm a little light on cash today. Maybe you can point me toward your ATM?

Argo corn starch as well. It's still around today.

what time of year this was taken. Christmas decorations are up, but the windows are open. Either it was a balmy day for D.C. or that place had a heck of a heater, I'm thinking.

Six years earlier, this must be the place the Junior Marines got their basket and brooms.

The things you learn on Shorpy!

I always thought those popcorn carts with the laboring clown were invented by Disney as gizmos for his theme parks. Oh well. The model in the picture dates from 1909 and if you'd like to see it in color, you can find a photo here:

http://www.oldtoyz1.com/steamengines.html

And they are still around today. I could find several Nabisco products, Diamond Crystal Salt, Lava, Sunmaid Raisins, Kellogs on the top right, Quaker products, Heinz.

Lots to look at here, from meat to washboards. And this POS display too.

C. Cretors & Company is still in business
3243 N California Ave, Chicago
www.Cretors.com