Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1882-06-01
MILLINER's SKELETONS.

Why Husbands Have Such Large Bills
| to PaY---A Revelation That is Inn
portant, if True.
New York Mercury.
For some days last week there ap.
peared In morning paper the follow
ing curious advertisement:
| IF j. W. WILL RETURN THE SKELETONS HE
VIII receive the price he demands.
| The name attached to this invitation
was that of we'll known Fifth Avenue
modiste, and a Mercury reporter desir-
Gus or ascertaining in what connection
skeletons were made valuable in the
business of enhancing women's charms
called on the advertiser. The servant
stated that she was engaged and ushered
him into reception room. Across the
hall was door marked private Office"
and the reporter speedily became aware
of anything but friendly conversation
being conducted on the other side.
Finally the door opened and a young
man came out, followed by the mediste.
Every WELL" said the young man in
harsh tones, "this is the fifth time
you've got me here, and it will be the
last. You know how much 1 want
pay it. or I'll give the whole snap
away"
The modiste entered the reception
room without answering and asked the
reporter his business. When he stated
it she flushed and replied hesitatingly:
well, there's nothing in it, sir. My
brother is medical student, and a
young man who is employed here stole
two handsome prepared skeletons from
him and he advertised for them.
That's all, assure you. Excuse me,
but I'm very busy and must bid you
good day." The reporter went out. On
the front steps he found the young man,
who seized him and said: you're re-
porter, amt you? / thought so. Just
come along with me and I'll tell you
what you want to know. I've got the
skeletons. and here they are" And he
pulled from his breast pocket two
octave-sized account books, whose
leaves, as he FILTERED them over, dis
closed long lines of entries and columns
of figures. 81 was her bOok-keeper,"
the young man went on, and [ worked
like slave for her for $12 week.
She hasn't paid me cent these three
months and last week she told me she
wouldn't unless i took it at the rate of
ten dollars week. Then I kicked and
elOped with the skeletons, and she's
been advertising for me ever since.'
"WhyP" "Why, because she can't run
her business without them. Why,
could burst the whole millinery bust
ness inside of a month if / could get
hold of their skeletons.
"But what do you call skeletons p''
demanded the reporter. "The extra
books" replied the young man. "See
makers in New York with any style
that do a straight business. They
can't. Their customers wont have it.
There's more money lent than there
is spent On customers dresses, and
when bill for couple Of thousand is
made out, you can bet your life that
half of it is clear cash with interest.
In these here skeletons" said the
young map, impressively, tapping the
books with his forefnger, "there's
over $4,000 entries, and less than
$4,000 of them are square business.
The rest are loans at five per cent a
month that the husbands have to pay
for along with the clothes their wives
wear. There's one lady in this book
whose spring bill will be over $4,000
and less than $4,000 is for dresses
The rest is cash borrowed since last
fall and interest on il"
s'Do you mean to say that dress
making is only another name fol
usury?' 81 mean TO say that many
dressmakers in New York lend money
to customers on interest. That's where
the skeletons come from. The skele
tons are the secret books of the house
On one page is entered the actual in
J debtedness Of the customer for dresses
On the opposite page are the loans
Every month the books of the business
are made up from the skeletons, money
loaned being charged to the dressmak
ing account. See here. There isn't
full name in this old book, you notice
but each account is headed with
4
! ton corresponds with some name OF
! the other books, and nobody's got tn,
KEY to them but the man who keep
. the books. I'm the man that keep
/ the books up there. And I've got tn
r key and skeletons. too. So if I dom
get what she owes me there'll b
: trouble about the spring settlement
q But more than that, I've got the blanl
= book, too" "What is the blank book ?
f "The credit register. There's systen
3 dressmakers have of keeping registra
q ton of customers who are bad pay.
+ was started about ten years ago by
q big modiste on University place. When
! even a lady ran up an account and re
+ fused or failed to settle it the modist
; entered her name in a memorandum
book and sent written slips detailing
2 her indebtedness to the other big dress
|, makers here. They were warned il
e this way to look out for her. and in nc
4 -. u