Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-02-14
TIE BON MARCHE.
CAREER OF NINE. BouClCAUT, THE
QUEEN OF PARIS SHoPKEEPERS.


1
Shareholders.
Every American, especially those Of the
fair sex, who has visited the French metrop-
oils, is acquainted with the mammoth empo-
rum which, known as the Bon Marche, rises
on the left bank of the Seine. in the very
heart of the aristocratic Faubourg St. Ger
| main. This immense establishment, which
transacts over $50, 00O, 600 Of business per an
| mum, and employs a staff of no less than
| 1900 on the premises alone, was founded
thirty five years ago on the most humble
scale by young couple of the name of Bou-
cicaut, Aristide, the husband, was sales
man in dingy little dry goods store in the
| Rue du Bac, while his wife, an illiterate peas
ant girl, tho widow of a laundryman resid-
| ing at Verjux, little village on the banks of
| the River Saonne, was an assistant in the
same shop. NJ. Boucicaut and his only son
| died within a few months of each other
about ten years ago, while Nine. Boucicaut,
who has been frequently described as "the
| queen of all the shopkeepers of tho world"
| expired a short time ago at the age of CD,
leaving n fortune estimated at over $IO,-
| 100000.
A brief account of the career of this re-
markable woman, whose charity was practi-
| cally unlimited, and who, notwithstanding
| her humble origin, has won for herself a
| +. pent place in the history of Paris, can
hardly fail to be both interesting and instruc-
tive.
SETTING UP IN BUSINESS.
She first made Aristide Boucicauts &C
quaintance in the little shop above men
| toned, where they were both employed For
ten long years they worked together behind
the same counter, during which time the
young peasant girl learned how to read and
vt,N, 60 81 H. all a..
display goods to their greatest advantage in
the shop windows, At length, when she had
reached the age Of 2S, the young couple de-
cided to marry and to set up ON their own
account. Their employer happened, fortu-
nately, to DO old and anxious to retire from
active work, and, as he had the greatest
amount of confidence in young Bouccaut's
integrity and abilities, he consented TO make
over his store to him on moderate and easy
terms Just about this time there was a great
deal of distress in Paris, and the Boucicauts
resolved to sell as near to cost price as they
could possibly afford to poor people, and the
worthy couple provided a special class Of
cheap goods which were on sale every Satur-
day evening. This consideration of the poor
brought its own reward in the shape of ever
increasing prosperity. In a short time tho
business had grown to such an extent that it
became necessary to purchase the next house
on the right hand side, then that on the left,
and subsequently one by one all tho adjoining
houses until at length M. and Mime Bouci-
caut owned the whole block. This they de-
molished some fifteen years ngo, and on its
site stands the magnificent and vast Bon
Marche building. k is needless to add that
their wonderful prosperity was greatly due
to tho extraordinary reputation for probity
and commercial honesty which tho couple
= 1 Al
and which caused their credit to be one of
the strongest and firmest in Franco.
Both NJ. and Nine. Boucicaut, although
deeply religious, were imbued with a consid-
cradle amount Of socialism. II was, how
ever, socialism of the truo sort, resulting
from kindness of heart and a remembrance
of their own early struggles on the one hand,
and the firm business notions Of the most en-
lightened kind on tho other. Realizing tho
fact that clients like to find always the same
statesmen behind the counters, and to be
served by the same courteous and intelligent
assistants who have attended to their re-
quirements on previous occasions, M. and
Nine. Boucicaut determined to make every
effort to keep their employees in their service,
and to interest them in the welfare Of the
business. With this object in view an ar
rangement was made whereby every employe
of tho establishment received percentage OF
the profits of his special department, estimat-
ed in accordance with his rank and seniority.
Moreover, every effort was made to cause
each employe to retain his own individuality
and to encourage him or her to become q
thoughtful and responsible assistant, with
initiative and forethought of ais own.
COMFORTS AND ADJUSTMENTS.
A large club house has been built for the
male employees which contains a perfectly
equipped fencing hall and gymnasium, a
swimming BATH billiard room, library and
reading rooms, besides q restaurant where
refreshments are to be obtained at almost
cost price. The female assistants have a
large building devoted to their own exclusive
use, in which they reside and which is al
most as we'll provided with comforts and
amusements as the club house of the men.
Besides this pension fund exists, to which
Nine. Boucicaut about eighteen months ago,
presented round sum of 1000 900 francs, in
addition to a couple of millions of francs
which she had given a few years previous
for the same purpose. The porters, coachmen
and stablemen are all provided for by means
of similar retiring fund, to which she has
been equally muniicent, and from which, in
case of dismissal, they can withdraw such Of
their money as Is sunk therein with COM
pound interest of 319 per cent.
Mime Bouccaut was SO thoroughly the |
business partner of her husband that, when |
both no and his son died, ten Years ago,
everything went on as in his lifetime, with |
this difference, that perhaps Nine. Boucicaut |
became, if possible, more philanthroPic and |
generous than before. Following out her |
husbands ideas, she transformed the whole |
business into n joint stock company, present. |
ing to each ONE of the 800 principal and senior |
members of her staff $4,000 francs worth of |
stock, she herself retaining the balance Of the |
shares, and as such the casting vote and |
power of veto. The Bon Marche is therefore |
a thorough little republic by itself. Its army |
of about 10 900 or 1900 employees, all told,
are governed by kind of parliament con- |
sisting of the 800 shareholders and copartners |
above mentioned. These in turn elect from |
among their number managing director /
and an executive committee of thirteen MEM |
bers, selected as far as possible from among |
tho seniors. Moreover, there is scheme IN |
force by which employees, on attaining GER
tain seniority and rank in the establishment, |
become ipse facto shareholders therein, |
thanks TO a fund provided for the purpose by |
Mime. Boucicaut. The managing director at
the present moment is a most capable and en- /
liphtened man, named III. Plassard, and as |
Mime. Boucicaut has bequeathed her vast for
tune in equal portions to the Bon Marche
j ONT Stock company and the phllanthTopic |
institutions connected Herewith and TO vari- /
Gus charitable establishments and works in |
which she was interested, the Bon Marche
business will be carried on just as before. l
have forgotten to mention above that, in ad-
dition to the pension fund, Nine Boucicaut
has also founded and munifcently endowed
a benefit fund for assisting such of the en-
ployes who, for one reason or another, are
In trouble and in need of temporary relief |
and assistance Paris Cor. New York World.
A Beginner in Literature.
''You were speaking about what begin
ner should do. Where can he get u training
in literary work. There are no schools of
literature What must be DOR asked re- |