Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1869-10-01
IS NIDBI.lNG.O
What 1t Costs our G rocers..Is there
any Remedy.

One Of our grocerymen who has suffered
from the evil indicated by the above head
ing, hands US the following article clipped
from the Indianapolis Journal, with re-
quest for its publication. Nibblers and
"tasters" will please make note ont
"Some of our grocerymen complain Of a
constantly nibbling around, taking chew
Of tobacco, a BIZ of cheese, a lump of sugar,
! an apple, or q handful of berries, or any
thing they take a fancy to. Four or five of
these nibblers cat man up in year or
two. 1t is very annoying, and is, to say the
least of it, q species of small thoughtless.
| ness.
This disposition to nibble is a mild spe-
cies of k!eptomana, with which nearly ev-
erybody is afflicted to greater or less de-
gree. Grocers undoubtedly suffer the most
from it Of any species of tradesmen, as they
deal in articles which every person is dis
posed to eat, ard in order to sell their wares
they must expose them to sight. At one
time, year ago, the custom prevailed Of
covering up barrels and boxes wsth a wire
oCtWOtN3 tulOuSu CNStOulSlo Scuiu
see but not taste; but this plan seems to
have been generally Abandoned now. Per
haps it is on the principle that "stolen fruit
is always the sweetest that lump of sugar,
the piece of cheese, the peach, or whatever
it may be, which is tasted is always bet
ter than the package of which it was a
sample is, when it is delivered at home.
There are many persons who are conscien-
tious in this respect and never touch an ar
ticle until it is weighed out, but they usual
ly have to taste it Just before it is tied up,
and they know that it is always better than
when the package is opened at home again.
These little tastes are almost matter of
necessity, and the man who never permits
himself to indulge in them carries with him
through life very heavy cross.
If It were only the regular customer, one
whose trade is worth something, who ia
dulged in these little pickings. the whole
thing could be remedied by adding small
percentage now and then to his bill or
many would not grumble if a little item
should be added now and then 10 his bill,
such as
Nibblines to date, $3.15
As it is, the grocer is compelled to make
up from his regular customers not only the
amount of their own pickines, but the Sc of
the dead beats as well; or bear the loss
himself, and usually, we imagine, the bul-
den comes principally upon lin.
Very few persons have much idea OF the
extent of this tax upon the dealers in city
like this. We asked a retail grocer last
evening what it cost him, and he said, at
FIRST, a dollar a day, but upon second thought
said it was more. 1t probably amounts to
fully $500 year-at most the cost of a
clerk-and taking the whole city together,
it will amount to fully fifteen or twenty
thousand dollars year. This seems like
large sum, but an estimate can be readily
made which will support it.
We have heard of lounger who was
cured of whiting tai.or's connter by
having q corner Of his Goa. tail cut OF by
the tailor's shears but this will not put an
end to all the nibbling. In some cases
some such remedy is necessary, and gro
Ger must estimate whether he will gain or
lose BY losing customer who is an invet
ate and persistent nib5ler. In the main,
however, he mus. make calculations upon
large amount which he cannot thus pat
stop to, and must count in y large item
on the debit side of his profit and loss ac-
count under this leaf in striking his bal
ance. 1t is passion of human nature
which must be met, and like many other
evils. nibbling must be kept in check, if
possible, but it can never be entirely done
away.