Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1881-06-02
LEA PES.
From u Localizcr's Life.

Media. Delaware county, Pa. Mr.. Slinp-
son has since removed to Parkersburg.
Looking back at my career as drug
clerk in this store | find it very funny in
some respects. was a raw country lad
and as thoroughly boyish as any one of
my age, delighting in going barefoot,
playing marbles and other such childish
sports. Many times ladies have come in
with prescriptions to compound and found
me, left alone in charge of the store in my
employers absence, barefoot in my shirt
sleeves and seated in a very undigniied
way on the floor with three or four other
boys earnestly engaged in game of jack
| stones.
| The first job | tackled on my arrival
was to master the oficinal names o; the
various drugs. With copy of Wood X
Bache's DiSpeaSdry lying open on the
'lothyocolla,' which the DispenSdry
taught me meant ''isinglass." Like
many other boys the only substance
knew as isiuglass was the mica used in
stove doors and read with some surprise
that true isingass is nothing more than
the coatings of the air bladders of fish.
In four days | had the whole assort-
ment of the store at my tongues end,
and had besides learned some of the
numerous ways IN which jars, bottles,
| graduated glasses and other fragile para
| phernalia Of the drug business may be
broken and demolished. Manufacturers
of druggists glassware should feel under
everlasting obligations to young and in
experienced clerks.
| My employer was an easy-going sort of
man, who had no idea of keeping me ON 4
long probation before making me useful
| to him, and III two weeks was COM
pounding prescriptions. In three weeks
| he considered that | knew enough to war
rant him in leaving the store in my
charge for a day at time while he went
| to Philadel phia to replenish his stock.
To illustrate the difference between
druggists, | would say here that | sllbse-
| quently spent eight months in another
drug store, and during that whole time
| was only allowed to put up one prescrip-
tion, and did that while Iuy employer
stood at my side looking on.
However, despite my uncouth country
boy habits, got along all right while
with Simpson, and if poisoned anybody
never heard of it. In return for my
services | received my board, which, CON
sidering that many ADLER lads give years
of service in large cities free of charge,
was doing pretty well.
TIE charter of the town of Media for
bade the sale of Intoxicating liquors,
except for medical purpose, and, as there
were absolutely no drinking saloons OF
any kind, Simpson had monopoly of
the business. Many men in his place
would have made good thing out of
this, but he carried out the law both in
letter and spirit, and was remarkably
careful to whom and on what preteNt he
sold liquor.
When | first entered the store | was
unaware of this, and supposed the medi-
cal pretext to be merely matter of
form. During the first week | was there,
being left alone in the store, for an hour
or so, waited on my first thirsty GUS
toner. His front name was Jack, and he
was "devil'' in the office of the Media
ddceuiSer.
Jack walked i'll and called for half a
pint of brandy.
"For medical purposes presume p |
queried.
"Certainly," was his answer, aud |
waited on him without any more words.
| heard from Simpson on the subject
when lie came in.
A few days afterwards three young
men, down from Philadelphia with an ex-
cursion party, came III the store, and one
of them politely inquired if We had any
SpirituS Gini gdHjci.
"What do you want it for ~ asked.
"a young lady in our party has been
taken ill, he answered, land is in ac-
tual need of a stimulant.'
did not believe him, but thought the
excuse all that could be asked, and was
| al. t,, rait tUlt m ma
in. lie cross examined the thirsty crowd
at length, but they adhered to the story
of the suppositions sick lady.
"Well," said Simpson at length, ''tlis
is all the brandy have on hand" pick
ing up the bottle in which there was just
about enough to cover the bottom, '.and
you can't have that without u presGiip
tion."
There was, however, a gallon or two OF
the same kind in certain jug, down the
cellar.
The spokesman of the party measured
the contents of the bottle with his eye,
and then went out to prepare Il prescrip-
ton.
In few moments he returned and pre-
sented it:
R.-Spiritus vini tiallci-3 OF.
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