Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1882-01-03
REGULATION.
semething that the store Keeper q
Have Just Cause 10 CSsnplain Of


Many of our store keepers have just
cause for complaint against certain
class of customers who favor ca them
with their patronage. A Gus toner OF
this class will enter q grocery store and
call for Q pound of sugar. While the
grocer is weighing the sugar the custo-
mer Is not Idle, but is engaged In sa;np-
ling the cheese, crackers, raisins, &c,
and as the sugar--on which the grocer
actually loses money--ls handed to
them, they take All apple or orange and
walk out. And 1t is not only the gro
ce.s that have this evil to contend with,
but the ronfectioaers and in fact ali
VINO have small eatable articles stand
ing within reach.
There is u confectioner In this city
who was compelled previous TO the
holidays to p ace a high wire screen
arc ind his counter for the purpose of
pre- venting this petty business.
Tho market people also suffer greatly
10 the same manner. Apples aud al.
kinds of fruit are sampled, aud even
berries do not escape. There are no
DOUBT many persons who do tins nii-
thinkingly, while there are Others who
make a regular practice OF IL aud CON
graduate tn. mseIves on being sbrewd.
Ii is related Ola London mis6r That he
was never known 10 purchase berries or
fruit of any kind, and yet during the
season he always enjoyed al he wanted.
His practice was to Z +, through the MAJ
ket ASKING the price, and tasting each
article until he had ca Ell all he needed.
II Ii Ia
of that class in this city, but the way
some persons act II looks very much
like 1t. A prominent store keeper III
this city remarked to The writer that he
had no doubt that during the year No
had one hundred dollars worth OF goods
taken in this manner. He SAID he was
unable to say anything, II he did IT
would be taken ~ an Insult, and while
he would be glad 10 get rid OF that class
Of customers they would US their III
Iiuence among their friends anu injure
his business. A piece OF cheese anu
tWo or three crackers are bur q small
item, but when that comes to be muiJl-
plied ten UT fifteen times during the
Jay 1t amounts to several pounds, and
lnak.s the margin Of profit exceedingly
small.
There are still another class If custo-
MFRS that IL may be well to speak Of
LetVIe concluding.
THIS class never pick up enything in
he store, bat they frequently fall u lew
;eats siUrv OF having muuey enough to
,ay for WHAT they purchase. III, when
hey come in again, they are reminded
" tho store keeper ut it, they are very
Up To 60 Oft in huff, and pronounce
,lr. Blank the neantst man they ever
lnew, because he actually damned them
or five or ten cents; and yet that five or
en- CO is may be mole than his profit
mounts to on the article.
Some years ago there was u man liv-
ny III Harrisburg, Penna. who although :
lite wealthy Was exceedingly penu.
'ious. lie was daily customer az Il
artain store and always managed to BIZ
r0n three to ten c3nts short of the I
mount TO pay his bill The stone keeper d
'sked MIN several tunes for the small
that were due, but he alwaysl
lad some excuse for not settling
The merchant finally procured book
n which VAS entered the arIicles this
nan purchased, The date, and the
mount that he fell short Tnls was y
oDtinued for some two or three years,
When The customer died, and the sore
eeper presented his claim, which
mounted to nearly one hundred dol
irs, to the executors, and recovered
very dollar. c
This goes to show how the small items 9
o'iDt up; each Que OF itself is but "a tri-
d, but III the aggregate the loss is con-
'i1raole, and the store keepers havet
ist cause Tor complaint.