The Portland daily press., 1869-10-01

"NIBBLlNG."-The proprietor of grocery
store in this city having come across the fol-
lowing paragraph in newspaper he vas
reading, clipped 1t out and sends il 10 us for
publication. For his benefit. as well as Tor
the benefit Of all others engaged in the gro
/. Gerry business, we print it, and in DONG so
take occasion to call the attention OF certain
people to it! aLI
'u ''Some of our grocery men complain OF
species of blind biped that infest stores and
are constantly nibbing around, taking a chew
Il of tobacco, bit of cheese, a lump of sugar.
an apple, or a handful of berries, OF ANYTHING
they take fancy to. -Four or five of these
nibbers eat man up in year or two. 1t is
very annoying and is, TO say the least of il. a
species OF small thoughtlessness."
This disposition to nibble is mild specie of
skleptomania, with which nearly everybody is
aillicted to greater or less degree. Grocers
undoubtedly suffer the most from it of any
specles OF tradesmen, as they deal in articles
which every person is disposed to eat, and in
order to sell their wares they must expose
them TO sight. At one time, a year or two
ago. the custom prevailed Of covering up bar
rels OF boxes with wire network, through
which customers could see but not taste but
this plan seems to have been generally aban-
doned. Perhaps it is on the principle that
stolen fruit is always the sweetest that the
e lump of sugar, the piece of cheese the peach,
or whatever it may be, which is "tasted" is
always better than the package of which it
was sample is when it is delivered at home.
There are many persons who are conscen-
tious in this respect and never touch an arti-
Gle until it is weighed out, but they usually
have to taste it just before it is tied up, and
they know it is always better than when the
package IS opened at home again. These lit
tie tastes are almost matter of necessity,and
the man who never permits himself to in
dulge in them carries with him through life q
very heavy cross.
Fit were only the regular customer, one
whose trade is worth something, who indulg-
ed in these little pickings, the whole thing
i, could be remedied by adding small percent
age now and then to his bill for many would
not grumble if a. little item should be added
now and then to his bill, such as: 8 b.,
Nibbling to date. .......................$375
~ As it is, the grocer is compelled to make up
+. from his regular customers not only the
amount of their own pickings but those OF
; the dead beats as well or bear the loss him
self, and usually, we imagine, the burden
comes principally upon him.
,-s Very few persons have much idea of the
= extent OF this tax upon the dealers in city
like this. We asked retail grocer last even
ing what it cost him, and he said, at first, a
. dollar day, but upon second thought he said
Z it was more. 1t probably amounts to fully
4 I'VE hundred dollars year-at most the cost
OF clerk-and taking the whole city together,
:. it will amount to fully fifteen or twenty thous-
7 and dollars a year. This seems like large
sum, bnt an estimate can readily be made
which will support it. d ID. si 20 ..,T
We have heard of a lounger who was cured
p OF whiting a tailor's counter by having
= corner of his coat tail cut off by the tailor's
sheers; but this will not put an end to all the
nibbling. In some cases some such remedy
is necessary, and a grocer must estimate
whether he win gain or lose by losing Gus
q toner who is an inveterate and persistent
70 nibbler. In the main, however, he must
make calculations upon a large amount which
hec cannot thus put stop to, and must count
in large item on the debit side of his profit
z and loss account under this leaf in striking
his balance. 1t is passion ofhuman nature,
d which must be met, and, like many other
evils, nibbliDg must be kept in check as much
as possible, but it can never be entirely done
eaway.-Indtanapolis Journal. o3