Wichita eagle., 1888-05-27
WAYS OF SHOPPERS.
MONDAY THE BARGAIN HUNTERS
DAY IN THE STORES.
Wednesday the Farmers Wife Comes
to Town-Thursday the Lady Help
SATURDAY..


to Towa-Thursday the 'Lady Help
Comes Forth in Her Glory-A Rush on
Saturday.
every day brings forth a different class
OF Shoppers" said Inspector Knox, Of Bos-
tons police headquarters, to reporter. The
inspector is one Of the most astute detectives
of shoplMters and pickpockets in the police
business, and, from long habits Of observa-
ton, he can ''size UP" a crowd with remark
able quickness esld accuracy. He can usu-
ally tell at q glance whether person In a
big dry goods store is straight" or ''crook-
ed" There is something about every thief
that "gives him away" Notwithstanding the
disgrises which they adopt, female sboplifters
and pickpockets can never deceive Inspector
Knox The way they act when they meet
him is often amusing. The detective pre-
| tends never to see them, and they at once
begin maneuverlng to ascertain whether be
has really noticed them. Wherever there is
a mirror or store window that offers an
opportunity to see what is going on without
looking around, the suspects" strive in in
genious ways to study the inspectors face
and eve.
The officer has been too long in the bust
ness to get caught mapping in this way, and
the thief will gradually come to believe that
he has not been observed. 1t is, of course
the object of the officer to make case
against the suspect, and ct the same time to
find out in what manner stolen property is
likely to be disposed of. The thing then to
bo done is to shadow the sllspec. through all
the stores which he or she may visit, and
finally to the lair This is most difficult
thing to do, as the thief who has had expe-
rience will always make anuuber Of 'bluffs'
at going home, perhaps calling at half a
dozen different places, going in front DOORS
and out back ones, until the officer has lost
the scent.
DAY FOR BARGAIN HUNTERS
Monday" said Inspector Knox to the re-
porter, us the bargain hunters day. They
have taken all the Sunday papers lust to see
what they have got to offer. The news and
literary articles have no interest to them.
They grab up the paper as soon as they get
out OF bed Sunday morning, and all day long
they pore over it, reading the cut down
prices of shirts, busters, dress goods. house
furnishings, including tin pals and brooms,
and all the rest, and they can hardly wait for
Monday to come, they are so anxious to get
to the bargain counters to inspect the mark
downs Monday is hard day for the en-
ployeS in the stores. These people predomi-
nate, and they look over $4,000 worth of
stuff for every dollars worth they
buy. OF course, there are other peo-
pie out on Monday, but l mean
to say that the bargain hunter has
the right way. Some of them are known in
the stores as hens and 'rifters' and their
mission in life seems to be to make the clerks
tired Monday after Monday 1 see hun
dreds of faces that have not seen for lust a
week, and know them like book. don't
suppose any of them spend more than fifty
cents or 81, but what they don't know on the
subject OF bargains isn't worth knowing.
They know all about prints and prices, if
they don't know anything else. Some of
them haven't got over the old fashion of
trying to beat the clerk down. That used TO
be the favorite pastime Of many estimable
old ladies from the north end, but with the
modern methods of doing retail business, it
is just as useless as talking to a stone wall.
Tuesday is better kind of shopping dav.
The 'mistresses' come out / suppose they
have come to learn that the bargain hunter
must have her day, and there is not much
comfort in entering into competition with
her. So the 'mistresses' wait until Tuesday
and then they come forth in all their glory
We know them pretty well now, but there "a.
Of course, less sameness in this class of Gus
toners than there is in the Monday set.
FOLKS FROM THE COUNTRY.
"wednesday we expect the country people
The Sunday papers have by this time been
read far and near, and the farmer and the
ifa hov
and inwardly digested all that was therein
contained, harness up, drive to the depot and
take train to Boston, with pockets well filed.
It is the easiest thing in the world to tell when
there are lot of country people in town.
They clog up the sidewalks, if they are at
all numerous, and they cape into windows
and hang over counters, as if half bewildered
By the rush and noise. One would suppose
that where they came so often as many of
them undoubtedly do, they would get used to
this: but then, there is a great difference be-
tween working on a quiet farm and elbowing
your way through BoSton's narrow streets,
and if they should come every week, don't
believe that it would be possible to get used
to the change and act like city people. The
country people are good people for US to
handle. They are always polite and much
more considerable slian the people of the city
are We watch their interests closely, too,
and guard them against pickpockets, to whom
they might easily fall victims Yet l viii
say this for the country housewife: She
knows how to carry her money great deal
better than the city woman does. You never
see a country woman going along with long,
narrow pocketbook sticking away out Of
hip pocket, from which it could be taken
with the greatest ease. The country woman
holds on to her money as though it had come
hard, and was going Just In the same man
ner.
Thursday brings a remarkable change
1t is the Biddies' day. There is the plain,
every day sort of creature, the lady help
from the Back bay, and the nurses, cooks
and chamber toilers Two out of three of
those we see on Thursday are servant girls.
They food the stores, looking for dress goods
few grades better than their mistresses
wear, and they FIJI the horse cars with the
Touchdown fragrance Of their perfumes.
The wives OF Solomon, in all their glory,
were not arrayed ike some OF these. The
Thursday class is generous one in many
respects. ] don't believe that the average
servant girl is saving much money They
spend literally, and on their day of they
have pretty good time OF IL
Friday IS shopping day which has no dis
tinctive feature There are almost al kinds
of people ont on Friday, and usually, think,
retail business is pretty good. Saturday is
the sa-ne only more so. There is big rush
on Saturday, and very large amount of
money is suddenly put into circulation The
clerk gets half an hour of just
TO run ont and buy something he
has had his eve on ali the week
and TIE clerks wife, having got a little