Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-09-06

snail nave no dl1flculty In proving TINS sup
position to BE without foundation. For argu
ment's sake, let US say that our gas bill amounts
to $3.50 per month, which sum is nearly double
the real cost. If we were to keep open until
say o'clock P. NJ, we should burn gas on an
average three hours per night. Multiplying
this amount by twenty.six 1.-THE number Of
business days in month";, and we find that
we would in the course of month burn gas
for seventy-eight hours. By dividing $3.50
by rs, we ascertain that the cost is a
fraction over So 20 per hour; but, as we
stated before, this is nearly double the real
average cost. To chow clearly that there is
no truth in the assertion that We close our
stores because we would save ON gas bill, we
shall continue: Divide the So 90 between
the five stores, and the result is GA cents to
each store per hour. Therefore, it is not
more than the cost of lighting any other first
class retail store in the city. Now, does ii
pay the others to keep open? 1t certainly
does, else they would close. We believe that
it is scarcely necessary for us to demonstrate
that if it pays other stores, which scarcely
have more than o customer or so in them be-
tween the hours of and s, that it would
pay us, especially when our stores are
visited by many people at almost all hours.
From statistics taken during 1879, we ascer.
tain that in an ordinary week, when trade
was quiet, our sales between and o'clock
p. NJ. averaged 800 per night, emitting
SATURDAYS, making $500 per week; 81, 600
per month; or S24, 900 per year. Now, were
we to strike an average this year, and take
into consideration the better facilities, larger
SPACE, increased stock and increased trade,
and not forgetting to take into consideration
the busy season, we repeat that taking all
these facts into consideration, the result would
perhaps exceed the amount given to a con-
siderable extent; thus showing that our gas
bills have no bearing whatever upon this
SUBJECT. The second assertion is, THAT we
close because we want the sympathy Of the
people-especialIy the workingmen, because
we wish to toady to their ideas Of concession
to labor, etc" To this we reply that We, as
business men, study and aim to understand
the laws governing trade, we know that
dealing Justly and giving the best value for
the money is q more profitable article than
pure sympathy. We admit, however, that
the latter has some value, but only when
combined with justice and best value. By
itself it is almost useless, hence we could not
profit by it alone. Now, as for the
toadying to workinglnen, we shall prove
that to be false. We toady to no one.
We say to the workingman We will give
YOU full value for the money in fact the
best value that your money can purchase.
w l. pt
the manufacturers, and will save you the ex-
pense of paying profits to several middlemen.
We shall have but one measure, one weight,
and one price for you all. We shall protect
your interests by establishing a just value,
and a lust price not alone in our store, and
ia our city. but throughout the entire Pacific
coast. You shall no longer suffer robbery,
extortion or swindling; your hard-earned
money shall be of more benefit to you than
formerly, but You must come before o'clock,
or YOU Will find our stores closed. The toad
les are those small, picayune dealers, who
will keep their stores open for you until late
in the night; in fact, who scarcely have
day for themselves who will perhaps open
shop for you as readily as bunko dealer (;
who are ready for deal at any hour OF the day
or night. But. says the laborer, how can
buy Of you? You open your store at a. NJ;
| have no time to spare. In the even
ing. before / can get ready TO go
down to Your store, you are closed.
This argument looks plausible, but is not coz
elusive; because, first, our system OF doing
business is such that You can purchase suit
of clothes, boots or shoes, dry goods, in fact
everything which you may need, in com
parativeiy short space Of time. You have only
to select what you want, pay for it, and the
transaction is finished. You need waste no
time in bargaining or beating down of price !;
that will be of no avail. Hence, as trading
at our house means but selection and pay
ment, you can readily select what you want
in a much shorter time at our house, than you
can in house given to bargaining. The
surest guarantee that you have that 1t is tor
our interest to do what we claim, is the fact
that were we to do otherwise in such a small
community as Sacramento, house of
our extent would be bankrupt in month ;
whereas a small concern might do the opposite
for wears. Now, since we have shown
clearly that you can obtain your supplies
in q yery short space of time, we be-
Eeye that you can readily ind time
without much loss or annoyance. Be-
sides. don't forget that even though it is
not so convenient, you are helping to eman-
cipate fellow workman from an unnecessary
hours work but apart from that it shall be
our business to give you such good value for
your money that you will find 1t not only
convenient, but of substantial interest to
come to our stores before P. NJ, and should
it be impossible for you to come during the
first FIVE days of the week, you can come
Saturday night, when we keep open until IL
p. NJ. +; besides, we keep open on pay days at
the railroad shops, and at holiday times.
Now if it is possible for workingmen (whose
spare time is limited) to obtain their necessi
ties at our house, then it is as easy and per-
haps easier for those who have more leisure.
But are not the ladies put to considerable
Inconvenience: We answer no, not parti
Gle; for from the first day, January
2. 1SS0-when our stores were CLOSED
at P. M.-they were heartily in favol
of il. even those who were at hrs'
disappointed at having found our stores CLOSED
at7P. NJ. When informed of our reasons fol
doing so they were in favor of our actions
That this is fact is beyond dispute to-
our increased sales show clearly that the early
closing movement inaugurated by us is 3 sue
cess. We shall now give our reasons why w
close, and intend to continue to close ou
stores at 7P. VI. In doing so it is necessary
riences. One OF the firm began to earn hi
living at an early age at the bench in Attic
boro. Mass, and received pay at the rate O
six cents per hour. In order to assist hi
relatives, who were poor, he worked owe
hours. The chances are perhaps one II
ten thousand, of ever attaining highe
position than that Of poor fac
tory hand, unless the boy has desire ant
| a chance for study; this he experienced evel
then. Harness boy to a trade or bushes
that gives him no time for recreation o
study, and you warp his mind, stunt his intel
lect, Kill his spirit and energy, and in few
wears he becomes human machine fit only t
perform the routine work ike mule or horse
and such is really the case with the workln
people of Europe. The other partner ha
even worse experience; he was brought u
as clerk in retail store; where the rul
was early to work, and keep on working III
til near midnight. a time for rest was on!
given because it was absolutely necessary
order to sustain life By some fortunate CT
cumstances these conditions OF slavish serv
tude were changed and opportunities we
eiyen under more favorable conditions
shortened hours for labor, so that more thu
was available for study and improvement
| w -. - .,,rress Il, Efa IN the shorten,