Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-12-31

machine incapable OF 1eeilnS auToAV,
nor can the customer leave her thoughts
of social distinction in her carriage OUT
side. America is free country, and
labor is honorable, says the clerk; and
Fl expect obedience and subservience,
saws the customer. Both are right, and
both are wrong. We never shall come
to that point wherein customers are
kind and reasonable, and clerks invari-
ably polite and attentive. Human ma
ture must change before it can be done.
1 have tried all sorts of ways for inn
proving my counter service, with very
little effect. Discipline wouldn't do;
fines were failure, and dismissals de-
feated the very object in view"
"Did you ever try increasing salaries?"
was asked.
"Once. OF course, I got better
grade of clerks, and better service, but
it cut into my profits so materially that
/ had to give it up. l had to increase
the price of my goods to keep even, and
my customers left me and went to
cheaper places. Competition in prices
keeps prices low. I do the best I can.
I am not here to harmonic the dis
cordant elements of mankind, but to
make money"
The young woman whose attendance
had been complained of by the lady in
sealskin took very sensible view of
the matter when questioned about rude
manners in clerks. eff lady customers
would treat clerks as human beings"
said she, "there would be no trouble at
all. Why lady should act in an over
bearing and domineering manner to-
ward employees in stores is more than I
can explain. She doesn't treat her own
servants in that manner. Mrs. Lotus
has social position. I have none. Is
that any reason why she should look
upon me with contempt across the
counter. There is n great gulf between
US, know, but 1 don't care for that. 1
have other things to think of. Mrs.
Lotus and her carriage are nothing to
me. She is simply customer to whom
[ will sell certain goods. It's plain
business transaction, with no social
sentiment about it. Why, can't we
conduct the transaction from a purely
business standpoint, as men do? Mrs.
Lotus is not satisfied to bring her car
rage up to the door, she must needs
bring it inside and set it up, footman,
pug dog and all, on the counter. More
than that, she gives this social chasm
material form, and spreads it out be-
tween us. She brings society into the
store with her, and treats me as though
1 were an unworthy applicant for an
invitation to her o'clock tea. l treat
her from a business standpoint, neither
bringing nor bending, and she, short
sighted creature, thinks that I mean to
be impertinent. That's all there is to
it. Women are so unreasonable. A
man will go into store, make his pur-
chases from male clerk and go out
without thinking of the social differ
ence between him and the clerk. Such
thing never enters his head. He
treats the clerk politely and the clerk
does his best to get what is wanted in
the shortest possible time. The clerk
tries to keep the mans custom, SO that
his value to the store may be enhanced.
If women were more like men in their
business dealings their would be small
cause for complaint on the part of
either clerks or customers. .-NeeU York
Mail.