The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-04-29
CLERK LIFE IN NEW YORK.
Working for Noth4ng and Not Found
Clerks Classified-How they Live.


The New York correspondent OF the Troy
Times thus writes concerning the merchants
clerks of this city:
THE WAY CLERKS ARE PAID.
In the great shipping and commercial houses
no ealary is paid for the first year. and some.
times clerk may continue in service several
years at the same rate. The employers are
overrun with applications from rlch men who
desire their Rons 10 learn the shipping and lIn-
porting business, and hence are willing to sup
.port them during the slow progress OF mefcan-
tile education. The writer OF this, many years
ago, had an ambition to get into South
street shipping. house, and offered 70 serve l IN
one Of them without pay. This liberal otter
was declined, and he got into better business.
We met a noble looking youth recently who
has the favor OF serving In one OF these houses
IN the same terms. He spends about Sl0o0
per year, and his relatives are stput to 1T" to
raise the funds; but such Is Their ambition
that they will strain every nerve to maintain
his position. If he is very bright fellow, ne
will in course of four or five years be able to
SUPPORT himself; but as to rising to the dig
nifty OF South-street merchant, not one IN q
hundred can do that. In dry goods Jobbng
concerns 500 per year is paid to beginners,
and some cases 500. By the term 'begln-
ners" we mean boys who wish to learn the
business. These must expect to work at star.
Vation prices, and take their slow chances OF
promotion, which few have patience to wait for.
DIFFERENT CLASSES OF CLERKS.
These may be summed up as cash boys,
errand boys, statesmen, shop walkers, cashiers,
cloth measureIs, &c i, all OF which are found
in retail trade. The most important OF these
10 the shop walker, who must be Of fine ap-
pearance and elegantly dressed. He stands
at the entrance to greet the customers with
gracious smiles, and to escort them to the
different departments they may wish to e1-
anime. II any one wishes to note an example
ofoVerdone politeness, and good manners run
ming into extravaganza, let him look at some
of the walkers in our fashionable stores. To
turn to the wholesale trade, there are entry
clerks, shipping clerks, corresponding clerks,
cuBtomhouse clerks, receiving clerks, statesmen
on commission, salaried salesmen and book
keepers. 70 these are to be added the vari-
GUS branches of trade which we will not stop
to record, but which are 80 extensive that we
may estimate the number of clerks in New
York at about one hundred thousand, one
tenth Of whom msy be found in Broadway.
HOW UERKs LIVE.
Some Of the Broadway houses have from
one hundred to three hundred clerks. The
salaries OF these young men range from one
hundred to one thousand dollars-though O
few reach figure ranging from two to four
Thousand dollars. But on the moderate 1ates
first mentioned they are expected to dress we'll
and keep up, a good appearance. They must
O6AG LDeI posi- aG . OclOch VI uQ0u, uUicsS
excused for illness. They are kept on their
feet all day, having just spare time at noon for
u hllsty lunch, and Dy T. IN the evening they
are weary as farm laborer; for retailing goods
and incessant talking is hard work. In the
busy season wholesale clerks are often kept at
Tork until midnight, without allowance for |
extra services, and when trade falls of they
are liable to immediate discharge. With the eI-
ception Of crack statesmen who influence trade, |
no clerk is sure OF his situation for q week |
ahead, The '.'drummers" who hang around
hotels and bring in customers, I've better |
chance than indoor men, but DIR, ming is a |
Killing business, and hence they are not to be
aaTled.f .cyi;- -, -:
L Merchants care nothing for their clerks, ex-
cept as tools to make money with. and every |
unexpected outlay Is met, il possible, by cut
ting down their pay. merchant who is max |
ing twenty-five Thousand dollars per year and
living in handsome style will gladly reduce his !
at cheap boarding houses, and finds it hard to |
meet even this outlay. No luxuries are within
his resoh unless he obtains the means by
3taud, and to this he is soon tempted. He1nds
IN the street, and dissipation makes
1pfor the loss of home associations. To meet
the cost Of pleasure he robs his employer,
runE brief career Of miscalled pleasure, and
either Ia saved by flight or winds up in the
Tombs. I.Such, at least, is the history Of ma
|ority Of cur clerks; and yet the country boy
whe feads these facts is Just the one to deter
mine to try his chance, and we shall pro baby
meet him here in his neW suit and best good
Lccss NJ less than for.sis as. so march on;
dear gresnhorn 10 your fate, and become unit
In the grand army les mtserd6les who serve the |
atu of trade.