The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1876-12-28
Why Certain Young Dry Goods Clerk is
Looking tor Situation.
m 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 technl-
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 a 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, impecunlous,
or misery. The young man referred
to had .'first CALI 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 cent. The next was inIan equally
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 a 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 instinctiyely 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. 4 feeling Of sickening despair
permeated the heaving breast of the
unfortunate clerk as he asked, ''Well,
mum -
She laid down FIVE yards and half
of calico Of an eccentric pattern.v and
intimated that the success of a great
dressmaking enterprise hinged on hel
fortune in finding another yard and q
half of the same material.
The eyes of six expect2nt clerk!
were upon the doomed man. He fell
that the crisis of his peril had come
With an appearance OF calmness tina
belied the turmoil of his feelings. h,
dived under the counter, and handes
out endless rolls of calico. varyin,
from the radiant strawberry and moss
rose-mark ed. to the soberest gray
But he came net within thirteen sup
: Elementary colors of the required pat
tern. He buTrowed in the cayernou
depths of lower shelves.a and ransackei
upper ones from the top round of
giddy step-ladder. but he found it not
An hour and a half had gone by. an'
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 time
| the wearied lady started for the door
and six times he called her back an
T resumed his frenzied search. The las
/ calico was unrolled, and he was abou
g 10 drop his hat and gracefully ste
2 down and out. when happy though
4 struck him.
: Excuse me, madame. said he
: there's one piece | overlooked. Is
r me see that goods = and he took he
e bundle and. diving under the counter
: hacked off a yard and half with tn
$ energy and pTomptness of Tekindle
: hope.
d Here It's. madam exactly whs
G you required, said he, contidentl
|, spreading out the purloined goods.
Il She looked a. it attentively for fiy
h minutes. at does look like the pa
d term said she. :. but still think it