Wichita eagle., 1888-01-28
In A CR0CKERY SHOP.
SOME OF THE TRIBUlETIONS EN-
DURED BY CHICAGO TRADESMEN.

| Startling Charges Of Methods by Ladies
| of Perverted Ideas of Honesty-Pack-
ages Ordered to Be Delivered After
! NishtfaIl-An Explanation.
"a crockery shop is capital place to
/ study human nature" said a State stree:
manager. Business never was better nor
! gilded meanness more subtle. What do l
meana Oh, dozen things For instance,
yesterday a couple of ladies came into the
store and asked if we had bargain counter.
| showed her up stairs, and after she had
seen all the specials, asked me what we did
with the cracked ware. l told her most of
i: was thrown out in the alley. and that the
/ slightly damaged goods were disposed of for
anything we could get. At her request
| hunted up mirror with crack in it, and a
mustache cup Of French china that had been
Clipped about the edge. l saw at a glance
that that was the class of goods she was look
ing for, and offered the cup for forty cents
! and the mirror for seventy-fve cents. The
cup pleased her. She looked admiringly at
it for awhile, and then blandly asked if l
thought could find the chip Ny negative
| discouraged her, and she decided to take the
! mirror 1t had two line crack in one cor
| rer that described as pretty an isosceles
! triangle as I ever saw outside of geometry.
Well, went OFF to hunt up box, and while
1 was gone one of my clerks overheard her
! conversation with the lady, which ran like
this:
Now, Cad, you mustn't tell, will you: Be
cause don't care enough about him to spend
any more money; only he always sends me
something nice, and | feel that l must re-
! turn the present I'll send it through the
Dime Express They're awfully busy now,
and it is the most natural thing in the world
for him to suppose that the driver acct
dentally cracked it. l often get damaged
goods through that company, and whenever
| complain at the shop where they were
bought l am told that the responsibility rests
ON the express messenger, and that ends the
| matter
'.Oh, we sell lots Of cracked shaving mugs,
pitcher, cruets, center dishes, and coffee SER
| vices, about the disposition of which we have
|; our own opinion Very often we sell set of
ice cream or tea things, and allow gener-
! ously for damaged saucer or two. The
goods are ordered sent to certain address,
( and the most emphatic care is taken to have,
not only the bill of sale, but our firm name
eliminated from the parcel Often the fair
purchaser will insist on seeing the box after
it is packed. The next move Of the anxious
buyer is to order the package delivered at
night, and then our suspicious are aroused
Directions are carried out, and a question Or
two put to the delivery clerk brings
the news of wedding for which the
Imperfect set" was a gift. The exclu-
sion of our name and the night delivery
ere simply the means taken by one smart
woman to thwart another'S officiousness
Sometimes we innocently give the whole
thing away by overlooking the medallion
stamp bearing our name, which is burned on
, the back Of certain lines Of ware. Of course,
it is not possible to remove it without trouble,
because it is put ON to stay. After the honey
moon, and often before, the bride brings in
the goods and thinking the accident due to
carelessness on the part of the express clerk,
demands new set. 1t then becomes neces-
sary to state that the goods delivered were
the goods purchased, and l am not certain
that our candor is not the death knell of some
very near friendship.
/ ''The peculiarly mercenary buyer selects a
7 81 50 kings-blue creamer or sugar basket and
steals $40 price tag to hang on it.
"But this is not the only thing they steal.
L
wraps that were so fashionable few years
ago, haven't you? Well, a woman will follow
ne through the art department and deliber-
ately draw in one or two small pieces of
china Or royal Worcester. If don't see the
appropriation somebody else does, and before
she leaves have the painful task of asking
for tho coveted goods.
"Fusss Sometimes. Now and then as
sumed indignation will crimson the face,
there may be tear or two, but it is never
necessary to insist long. One of my Gus
toners couldn't help the vice. She began
with inexpensive things, such as bisque fig
ures, cordial cups, salt cellars and egg mugs,
but her trade was SO valuable and the theft
so trivial that we overlooked the failing.
One day she took off SIG salad fork, but re-
turned it the next morning with note, say
ing that the cutting did net please her. After
that we watched her closely, and charged to
her account whatever was appropriated. No
objections were ever made to the BILL nor did
we ever send one that was itemized. Poor
old woman, she is dead now, but stealing
came as natural to her as talking.
Another bit of viciousness TO which not q
few of our fair customers are addicted is
lying. No, not prevaricating, but downright
lying We sell and deliver q dozen plates,
and the rcZt day or so down comes another
member of the family for one more, insisting
that only eleven were were delivered. The
salesman is hunted up, and while he may not
be able to swear to an infallible count the
books show the sale of dozen. If the stock
is low it is an easy matter for him to verify
his accuracy, and while we believe in it may
send one moro to the buyer for policy. II
the goods are very choice, or the gift will
break Set no attention is paid TO ths re-
quest further than the sending of an invita-
ton 10 the buyer to call and see US. The
tricks practiced on dry goods and jewelry
firms catch US 200. 4 lady contemplating a
dinner party will order fine set of china
or crystal, use it with care and send it
back in thn morning with some frivolous
excuse, and an order for a lamp chimney.
Salad bowls of cut glass. caudelabras, Jardi-
nierS for holding potted plants, vases, crys-
tai trays and boats for bon bonS, celery.
fruit and olives are frequently obtained in
this pity manner. OF course, we know about
these things but seldom make the cunning
woman aware Of our suspicion, for the rea-
son that people who are able TO do these
things are able to harm Us in business
way.
Now and then a customer comes in to
borrow a few pieces Of choice ware. We
know her to be reliable, and as she only
wants the loan for one night, and is willing
10 carry and return them in her own car
riage, cheerfully oblige her. Do you know
what she wants them for! To ill up the
tables in the gift room for her daug hter's
wedding party. Inter Ocean.
A Genuine Real Estate Speculation.
\ Washington correspondent says that the
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