The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1882-10-15
THE WC!uh.
Mysteries Of Partisan Dry So~ --,vn,
VII ne.cr;hc In Ills Nexz

PARIS, Sept. 27-In his last nov5,, : w
Douillc." VI. Cola. among othor incidents. 6Sr-
ratcd tho story of tho beg inning OF the career
OF n smart dry goods clork, named Octave. and
ended M the volume with Octavo's marriage
with the elegant widow who kept silk store in
tbs Rue Choiscu In few days the al Bios
newspaper will commence Ia its feuilleton the
publication Of Xola's new novel which IL emit
tied "Au Bonhcur DIES Danes" and In which
tho author will trace tho development OF the
ld-fashionod silk store Of Pot Bouille" into
ono Of those Immense caravansarios. like
tho Louvre and tho Bon March0. where
oil the riches OF tho earth are spread
out for the temptation Of women. The subject
Is one that has not yet boon treated either by
the novelist or by the historians Of Paris. for
thcsc vast ba2aars are Of comparatively mod
ern origin. and their organization still remains
amystcry to the general public, who are daz-
zled and be wildcred by the splondor and i'm
mensty Of these gigantic and permanent fairs.
They have become II feature some would say
q curse-of Partisan life. and. as such. they arc
legitimate subjects for the chroniclor. As for
the accusation OF gratuitous pulling. 1t cannot
stand for a moment. Do not tho cicerones tako
strangers 20 these great ba2aars as to one OF
the sights OF Paris? And tho lady visitors 70
Paris do they not go to the Louvre before they
60 to the museum of the same name?
As VI. Cola will doubtless point out In his
novel tho revolution in the dry goods com
mcrce to which we owe the immense establish
mrnts in question has been carried out
within the last fifteen years. The Bon March6
and its dozen competitors have built mp their
supremacy on the ruin OF the small shop
keeper and now that the small shopkceper is
crushed. the great bazlars. like the feudal
lords OF old. are struggling among themselves.
What will be the next stage? What Is the
Specification Of this terrible power of associa-
ton Those are qucstiors for economists
ana philosophers.
The modern dry goods store is in many re-
spects a return to the oriental bazaar. whore
the purchaser finds everything that he can de-
sire or dream Of 1t is like the bazaar mar
ket open to all. where you have a right to walk
ia without buying anything. Like tho bazaar.
IT Il an ssl3mhiatloA 20 the rlclrS %, EUROPE
attracting ndrerrntly the rich and the poor
the noble lady who rides in carriage wi en-
blazoned doors and the HshwiGc The bazaar
rcrusrs 4pbolys money; On busy days shop
III secret II Tie sIccnss Of tho Louvre and the
Bon Niarrhd is the ineNhGustiblr coquctry and
cupldity of woman. The mcn-nlen OF genius.
# you lke-who run these stores. set out with
tho idea that woman is their prey ,and a prey
To- tempt the woman who enters their shops to
spend just - little more than she intended to
content to supply their customers with the
dealers spend all their efforts in melting their
customers Ia luxury and extravaganza. Their
triumph Is to upset TIE husbands budget. but
tn woman do?
II i curious AGAIN to observe with what Gym
izcrs Of these 6aaaars set their traps Most of
them ab;o uteiy ignore the rmcn-h4s.!b99nds.
their invoices labels, address cards. yop, al:
and has them sent home. they arrive addressed
70 Madame " More than 20 per cent. OF
women, and vet the proportion OF the EN-
rloyees is 80 per cent men. and 10 per cent:
spiders who spin the dazzling web OF a dry
goods store have remarked that you must have
out OF them all their substance. The more
men Won have the more women will come to be
prefer to deal with men. II you ask the
women why it is so. they will say that Y is be-
wsalihy lady. for instance viii come and try on
a, MATTE; the shop girl win throw
before the glass with an air that the wealthy
lazy win try in vain to attain Hence i lrn
Wo VIZ spitotu i reionders, Turhermorc. some
women arc so jealous and irritable that pretty
These are the EXCUSES Of the honest women.
Bu; beside this there IS another phenomenon;
dry goods store seems 10 consider herself on
neutral ground The counter men at FIRST do
moi srrm TO hsr to be men at all. This first i'm
ness the attitudes and expressions OF the CO.
QUOTES who are haNlus their gloves tried on
al tho glove counter 1t is one Of the most
curious spectacIes offered by the great bazaars.
And So il happens that ut present the depart
mrAte Of millinery, cor.ctS. and trying on are
M .a m t9s H@4ds Inc OF c6ae Of fp Gys
gowns even and in some q! the big stores men
take the measures for dresses.
Jj',l the men and the women employed in
these great stores have bad reputation. Tho
asS %hG r"nS o iI Ta 81 12s lbs a n2 'F1Tb
cares abont i, sale. and TO alta this end he
waits smart clerks and pret!y shop sir.7. One
iaca-. Foi Tia, matter the big spider has re-
nr,t| Kat 81 The t." per cent OF men Wh9
come simply TO ogsc the pretty shop girls. and
IT," ,i. spider has further calculated that OUT
o. Hundred 81 MS SHOP srl, ten are married.
l"i rca.alu honest, and tho other eighty do not
f., !E4"r those cafesorie;.
a. might 3" expected, is being robbed tii the
TIM. In spite ot the military organization OF
ea'r department, and in spite of ali the CON
trolling and chscsing. the employees. both
n'aie and lrM4e, find means oi stealing, II
u'a !, peculiar. The dry goods clerk does
terribly tlre,one work, he has no fortune, no
uA.'"krd-ipr gains except those oi betting or
San nllns no prospects. ON tne other hand
l,o .!ya- H ih" year round. for twelve hours y
FAY amid rrccIous stqfls and yauabes. and
feminine P4r.s. with its style its, charm, is
nI5 s'.4s sS5Le aGhinst ne ne womb !:
hoy 'an - .' expect him to show proof Of excep-
tonh worau,yf The very atmosphere Of a
fl"ti .r2iur between and u Oi an afternoon.
ls "u' ,,A To- rnke any man lose his heud-aI
C.'r.' ,uNuF|. an od9rot tho spices and per-
il.e" of the I l-t and West. II yapor oiiBabylo-
Nan wealth. which lola will have to unaly2e.
An $50 every lay the great bazaRrs are robbed
- the ev'onj ol thousands Of francs. Neither
Y. ip.t'r nor the irOprietCrs of the stores have
l""I .A.D t. DISCOVER the amount Of these
il"'' a.. ih"y know Is that it is immense. so
imWr' h" WAT they prefer not TO inquire into
}. lN' it' mat these thclts are not taken
utica. .lu.t T. :, nrouf how colossal tho profits
Ol 1u"-a DID,. stores must be.
Another. singular chapter which lola will
h"E" g. writ. Nlil be that on the elegant fe,ni-
nm Nl'l The numhcr of thris committed
l. no" public iu hes big stores is astounding
hud ih" uucI"s are Invariably women and al ali
H-0"" "i society. In euch store feminine
tr."'e- ar" arrested rGroly profess ionals but
My'"h Who h9Fe yielded % tho permanent
tH.i,t' ."u5 %! The riches Displayed around
tlHp. som" i"~ oi the caec~ may doubtless L,
.Nple ned morally p-ychooSica.ly medically
buf thn biz spiders 81 the dry goods stores nay
i,lIr attention to such excuses; their convic.
Y" b ,haL woman is VICIOUS and weak and
th"I act accordingly. They have arrested by
lh"!r own polio" "l he police force four or fy.