The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1876-10-31
A New Use of Ell otricity.
From the New York Sun. |

"You see we are running our cash sys-
tenn with lightning, or electricity, lHs
the same thing" said Mr.. VIM. Enrich,
as l stepped into the famous Eighth ave-
nue. store on Saturday afternoon. "Here-
tofore on Saturdays, particularly in the
afternoon, the din and confusion, and
the incessant call Of 'cashp cash!
'cashV by our saleswomen and statesmen
were absolutely dealening. So my
brother Louis and / put our heads to-
gether to invent something that would
call the cash girls without go much
noise. suggested bells, but Louis said
No, that would be as bad as the cash
calls.' One day he came to me and said
excitedly, william, Pve found it. Elec-
tricty is the thing.' l declare l thought
Louis had gone crazy. Found whatP
said [. what is electricity the thing
forY 'Our cash girls he replied. ln
the name of conscience, LOUIS said l,
what are you going to put electricity on
our cash girls for? | don't see that any
thing is the matter with them,' Then
Louis began to laugh. He explained
that he meant to apply electricity to call
them instead of the cash call used in all
the stores in the city from A. L. Stew
arts to ours. Now come and see his in
vention."
He took me at once to the register In
the center Of the store under the main
staircase, and showed ME the thirty or
| more little circular silver-plated drops,
labeled "hosiery," "buttons," "miill-
nery,n and so on, with numbers also to
correspond with the sections. Every
now and then, as il by magic, down
dropped one of the little silver plates.
A young man standing by the side OF
| the register Instantly spoke, "hoslery,"
or "trlmmings," one, two, or three, as
the case might be, and as soon as he
thus announced the department and
number off started the head girl in the
| line OF cash girls seated on the other
side Of the register. In tile mean time
others came up as fast as the first de-
parted and took their seats in the line
There was no confusion, no hurry, not q
call throughout the large and busy
establishment when dollars and parcels $
by the hundreds were passing over the
| counters.
| Then Mr.. Enrich took me to one of his
counters and showed me the little cord.
like straps running back of the sales.
women tnat they pulled whenever pur.
chase was made and a sale completed,
and which he explained to me were con.
nected with electrical wires running un-
| der the floors and Joined to the drops
that had seen at the register.
| "An advantage in this system in addi-
ton to what you can see Ior yourself"
said Mr.. Enrich, sis, that we can sc
regulate tue labors Of the girls that eacl
one is obliged to do her share, and who
ever has the most cash checks CREDITED
to her at the end Of the week we give 1
premium of fifty cents over her regular
wages. See how orderly and composed
they look compared with their torme
distraction under the old SYSTEM"
| 1t was a fact. The little girls looked
perfectly self-possessed, calm, and self
respectful, and the saleswomen were N
longer fretting and scolding, and calm;
10 get attendance, and the hundreds 0
ladies at the counters We're collected
and easy in the task OF shopping on Sat
urday afternoon.