The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1883-04-14
Store CIei KS IN Mexico,

Think Of paving $5 a dozen for Dlail
linen collars which i'll New Orleans
would be considered high ut 81, or of
giving So for pair Of shoes which 1,
home dealer would blush to ch,.igf
SO 80 for, says writer. The Americans
in the City of Mexico look back to theil
own land as the paradise for people
with thin purses, and sigh FOR the day
when commercial treaty between the
United States and Mexico shall not only
remove the duties on sugar and topacco,
but bring down the comforts of life to
| n reasonable rate.
Speaking OF dry goods brings Us back
naturally to the stores, and these we
cannot mention without being painfully
reminded OF subject to which it Is
difficult TO refer without losing that
equanimity essential to Christian
frame OF mind, and this is--the clerks.
When we rohect upon the amount of
timo and Fatence.expended during our
shopping expeditions and all charged
to the account Of these aggrayating
specimens OF humanity, to take m
almost savage pleasure in saying that,
according to our belief, no other CITY
| can compete with Mexico in regard to
thac indolent, indifferent, highly pro-
voktng class, who are employed nomi.
| nally to wait upon customers tut who
turn the tables by making customers
wait upon them. Tho purchase of q dress
in these stores implies the loss of nearly
whole day, and an amount of patience,
which, II properly excrted. would lead
to onnOnlzatlOn.
On entering dry goods emporium
you will find large number of clerks.
entirely out of proportion to the SIZE of
the establishment, most of whom are
| buslly employed in doing nothing,
After waiting for some time one will
! approach you with the most nonchalant
| air, and ask you what you want III a
tone of voice, however, which implies
that he makes tho inquiry merely out
| OF confederation for you, and not be.
cause he has any interest in the answer.
When your want is made known-and
you must be assured ia your own mind
as to tho width, quality and color of the
goods required--he will depart, appar-
| emily In quest OF your material; how sad
Is your mistake, however, If you expect
speedy return, for on the way he will
stop to slay with somebody's baby, or
to hold long conversation with one OF
his foiiow-cierks, OF to take half-an-
hours puff at his beloved cigar, and
som etimes during an unusually lengthy
period of suspense we have been tempt
cd to believe that he indulged in q
siesta. AT last, when bo1y and spirit
are both nearly exhausted, you will
perhaps succeed in finding the stuff for
your dress; but this, you soon discover,
Is only the beginning of your troubles;
you ask for buttons, and are told to
seek them III fancy store on the next
block; for needles, pins, hook and eyes
they arc to he found iii Il hardware
! establishment around the corner; for
thread-it is kept at another shop
several squares Off; for black sewing
sllk-that can be bought only where
machines are sold; for ribbon--and are
answered with look OF surprise at
your ignorance that such thing is
never to be met with in dry goods
store. BY the time you have hunted
up these ARTICLES in their various appro-
pirate places, and have been sub bjected
to the snme delays and annoyanoes on
every side, you will be ready TO agree
with us in saying that Mexican stores
and clerks are institutions peculiarly
obnoxious TO Americans.