The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1876-12-28
Why q Certain Young Dry Goods Clerk Ii
Looking for Situation.
From the San Francisco Post.

From the San Francisco Post.
One of the fascinating young men in
up town dry-goods stores is in trouble.
It is the custom in the establishment
from which he has just been dismissed
to discharge man who fails to sell to
one of three successive customers.
Swapping is the expressive techni.
cal term by which this failure is known
in the dry goods business. The rule is
not universal, but it is by no means
exceptional in dry goods stores. How
ever unjust it may be, it has wonder.
fully stimulating effect on the elegant
young men amendable to it. and when
they cannot sell goods it is a safe in
ference that the customer is either
systematically obdurate, impecunious,
or misery. The young man referred
to had ssfirst call" last Friday morning;
that is. the first customer who entered
the store was by the rules of rotation
his exclusive victim. Next morning
this privilege would fall to the lot
of some other clerk, and SO on TO the
end of the list. The first customer
snapped him, and left without invest
ing a cent. The next was in an eq1ally
unpropitious state of mind, and retired
without effecting purchase. On the
decision of the third hung his fate.
His ample cheek blanched as she dark
ened the doorway, for more unlikely
purchaser could with difficulty have
been found. An old striped shawl was
thrown carelessly over her shoulders
and partially concealed roll of calico
which the palpitatory heart of the
clerk instinctively felt that she came
to have matched. Now if there is
anything in the dry goods business
more soul-harrowing than another it
is to match goods. The exact shade
and texture have to be found, and last
but not least, the price must cores.
pond. A feeling of sickening despair
permeated the heaving breast of the
unfortunate clerk as he asked, "Well,
mum %
She laid down five yards and a half
of calico Of an eccentric pattern,y and
intimated that the success of a great
dressmaking enterprise hinged on heI
fortune in finding another yard and a
half Of the same material.
The eyes of six expectant clerks
were upon the doomed man. He fell
that the crisis Of his peril had come
With an appearance Of calmness thai
belied the turmoil of his feelings, hi
Owed under the counter, and handed
out endless rolls of calico, varyinf
from the radiant strawberry and moss
rose-marked, to the soberest gray
But he came net within thirteen sup
Elementary colors of the required pat
} tern. He burrowed in the cavernou!
! depths of lower shelves, and ransackee
upper ones from the top round of ;
J giddy step-ladder, but he found it not
An hour and half had gone by, ant
his stock was nearly exhausted. Tn.
proprietor of the store and the book
keeper and porter had come out t.
witness his d. ath struggle. Six times
the wearied lady started for the door
and six times he called her back AMI
resumed his frenzied search. The las
calico was unrolled. and he was abou
to drop his hat and gracefully ste
down and out, when happy though
struck him.
: Excuse me, madame said he
: s'there's one piece | overlooked. lie
me see that goods - and he took he
bundle and, diving under the counter
: hacked of yard and 8 half with tn
. energy and promptness of rekindle'
! hope.
s'Here It's. madam; exactly wha
g you required, said he, con6dentl
!, spreading out the purloined goods
: She looked at it attentively for fiv
B minutes. ut does look like the p.
! Item, said aho, :. hut sin think Is