Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-02-03
rHaoueH n THERE is SCARCELY ANY DrAAsD

THROUGH IT THERE Is SCARCELY ANY DEMAND
Which the distant buyer can make that this housk
cannot fiji, and with more aud better judgment
in the majority of cases than can the buyer himself
This is much TO say; but its truth will be realized
when it is remembered tina. skilled snd thoroughly
informed buyer do better in the markets Of the
day than can the casual purchaser. The house
| though carrying the largest varied stock of goods
upon the Pacific Slope, in such system must, OF
course, be frequently called upon to fill orders for
goods that it does not, as a regular thing, carry in
stock; but it Ills them nevertheless, and to do
so has established relations with all the leading
establishments il every reputable line OF trade in
Sacramento and San Francisco, and keeps seec.ors
constantly in the market to supply just such de-
mands, from the matching OF a shade Of zephyr to
the forwarding Of thresher The system in this
respecs therefore, has developed into purchasing
agency, but sborn OF all the expenses that attach to
an independent system Of that character.
Let US, for mJment, consider the general methods
by which the Country Order business is conducted.
There fifteen distinct general DEPARTMENTS in the
establishment An ord. arriving may contain re.
quests for goods from each one Il these departments
On lis receipt, it goes into sect of the depart
ment v heh is devoted wholly to the recording and
Proper Identification Of the order, and the entering
OF the first steps in the history of the Transaction
one OF which is to give it a letter and number by
which it is ever after identified. The money sent is
then entered and FRIED into the cash SYST m Of the
store BY beok.keepers whose exclusive business it
Is IN do no aria 20
in which the demands are segregated and dis
tributed to the different supply departments, and
order sheets for each are made out; bu' as to the
exact and elaborate detail by which this is accom-.
plished and tie peculiar cipher system through
which time-an important factor in this business
is economical it is not necessary TO refer in detail
Suffice it say that it calls to its work number of
skilled persons and
RESULTS IN THE MOST RAPID EXECUTION
That is known in all the history of order-fline
While the order is its road to the goods depart
ments, the money that accompanied it is being
identified, segregated and its history and character
being recorded, and the account with the purchaser
fully and thoroughly opened, not only upon the
books of the department, but upon the leagers of
the firm in the general office. In the mean time as
the order travels it is accumu ting history upon g
sheet that accompanies it. and on which every
transaction concerning it fully appears to the mi
mute fractions of the hour III which the thing done
was accomplished. When the departments have
filed the order, and the goods are returned to the
Country Order Department, system of proving,
examination, justification and distribution is en-.
tered upon, that for rapidity ard precision has no
superior in the annals of business. For it will be
seen that AS BIS order, running to ten or fifteen
departments, cannot be taken BY itself and filed
Such system would consume time to an extent
that would destroy the usefulness of the whole
scheme. On the contrary,
THE HUNDREDS CT ORDERS
Are segregated as to departments and net as to in
dividuals and hence, when returned to the original
department to be forwarded, there must be re-
newed segregation and restoration Of the goods to
their original character as regards contemplated
ownership. This is accom- lished by the most i'll
genious methods, and involves the highest mercan.
tile skill. The history Of the transaction must at
this point be again glanced at, for it now enters
upon new phase With the descent Of the goods
from the seectors they must be charged against the
circuit Inal appears upon tue DOvkS lOr Pur.
chaser, and the goods being examined aud adjusted,
the account must be balanced and found to agree
both the credit side with the order given, and
the debit side with the order filled. The account
passes in rapid succession to the bill balancers; the
hill is made out, its history recorded anew and the
transaction ut last reaches the Caligraphic CORE.
spondents, who inform, in printed letter STYLE the
purchaser Of what has been done setting out what,
if any, obstacles have been met with in filling the
order: what substtutions, if any, have been made
what money, il any, remains to his credit, for so
much of the order as is not yet filed and inclosng
HOUSE CHECK Oh CERTIFICATE
For the same payable on sight, and such other mat
tiers as are necessary to set forth. In the mean
time the order, and its history, accompanying and
accumulating have been prepared for filing, and
with the conclusion OF the letter are pigeon-hoe
according to a new ard improved system, by which,
even after the lapse Of years, it be instantly
found. The history of the whole transaction has
also in the meantime been carried upon system of
index books, by which every feature of the whole
matter can be established and reached at any time
and which is altogether too elaborate to
be explained here. The goods in the meantime are
passed to the packers department, and by
a new and ingenious method, calling for the use
of an automatic distributing table that is
the invention Of one of the firm, the packages se-
lected and arranged according to tables so as
to insure the earliest departure possible to every
package, and the most rapid and careful packing
They then go to the postal clerks department, are
again checked off against the history Of the whole
and declared ready for mailing, after
which, when due entry has been made, the messen-
gers receive the goods in packages, receipt for the
same to moment of time, and they are delivered
at the Postoffice or express station.
BUT THIS IS NOT ALL OF THE SYSTEM.
There come, the visitor learns, TO the department
letters and orders without signature without money
inclosure, without address, without sufficient spec
icaton to enable the desire OF the purchaser to be
ascertaIned or the letter comes by mail and the
money by express, and the arrivals are not simulta
neous or the letter is by mail, and the manner of
dispatching the money is not indicated; or the
money arrives without word of designation to in
dictate from whence or whom it came or on the
return OF goods by purchaser-for the house per-
mits the exchange of goods wherever it is possible
to be done, and spares paius to that the Gus
toner is finally and fully sstisfed-more money is
inclosed, and,
STRANGE as IT MAY SEEM,
It is often hidden in some remote part of the pack
age, as in the toe Of shoe or the extremity Of
stocking, or the inner fold Of package, etc All
these things call for department, the duty of
which is to ferret out and identify all unidentified
letters and packages of money to correspond with
points that will possibly throw light on some blind
transaction 10 work from the clue of comparison
of handwritings, the color Of paper hafobliterated
postmsrk, the complaint of correspondent at non
receipt OF ordered goods, as they have not arrived
From these and other clues, and after food of
correspondence, this detective department in time
solves all problems and converts the indoent care
less and forgetful buyer into correct and careful
tHr.. l. kr.,, s,+-