Wichita eagle., 1888-06-14
CANDY KLEPTOMANIACS.

CANDY kLEPTOMANIACS.
PiLFERERS NOT A TERROR TO
BIG cONFECTIoNERs.
A Noticeable Subtraction From the Profits
Customers the Worst O1enders-Ladies
Who Feel Secure From Rebuke-How
Losses Are Covered.
StroIling through some Of the well patron
lied uptown confectionery stores, reporter
observed many ladies slyly cribbing candies
AZ they walked by the long counters filled
with tempting trays Of sweet morsels they
would stretch out their gloved hands and whip
up candy here and there, sampling the diff
ierent kinds with GOODNESS, not TO say affront-
cry. 1t Is, indeed, very common thing for
this sort of theft 10 be practiced. Purchasers
may be seen, while waiting to have their
packages prepared, deftly swapping a caro-
mel or gum drop or chocolate or pepper
mint before the eyes of the attendants, and
making no proffer Of pay or apology, and
receiving no rebuke.
a contectioner, speaking On this subject,
said: 1T IS Of course noticeable subtraction
from our profits to see this sort OF petty lar
ceny going on day after day. In q large
store. where many kinds Of candy are dis
played and hundreds Of customers pass in
and out every day, the amount of candy thus
consumed may be measured by pounds. They
are often women Of means, well able to pay
for everything they want. But they seem to
take delight IN apparently getting SO much
the better OF storekeeper. Do not suppose
that we do not see this going on. We do see
it. But what can We dot The offenders are
our customers They buy often. They buy
sometimes large quantities. Not all of them,
perhaps, but some Of them como In many
times in the course Of the year. They rarely
come In for the mere purpose Of plucking an
odd candy. Sometimes We get from them
party orders on which we make profit enough
for thousand such pilferings
"f we should object to their prucL1ng q
piece Of candy here and there We might lose
valuable customers. II you will observe
closely, however, you viii see that the trays
most exposed are not those with the most ex
pensive candies. The best goods are gener
aify protected from peculation by glass cases
or wire screens, which enable the customers
to look, but compel them to keep hands of.
The candies that are exposed are the cheaper
kinds. The candies that we lose are our ad-
vertisements. We get good prices for what
we sell, and those who pay are made to nav
enough to cover the loss from those who
grab.
"The customers who are In the habit of
'swiping' are well known to all the clerks. If
they go in too strong they will feel the keen
eyes OF attendants upon them, and they will
not wait long to be served We know that
the longer they stay the more we lose, and we
do not let them stay long if we can help It,
and if candy drops of the box which they
buy we may forget to pick it up. It may be
set down as a rule that candy cribbing is
mostly practiced In high priced stores, where
ladies' feel secure from Yebuke. On the east
side that sort of thing is much less In vogue,
and the proprietors would have no scruples
about resenting an imposition In the same
stores frequented by some wealthy customers
all the candies are protected by glass cases or
screens. You may look, bat hands off,
When you look a. the price Of sugar as COM
pared with the price Of candy and reflect
how much Of all candy is mere sugar, you
will see how large margin of profit there is.
The stolen candies are just as much a part of
the expenses of the store as the rent. The op-
portunity to steal candy often brings in a
customer for glass of soda water, the price
OF which VIII pay margin of profit, includ-
ing the candy.
ut Is not only confectioners who are COM
PEELED to submit to this petty offering.
Grocerymen have to take it In large doses
sometimes. Their trays of berries, fruits.
sugar. nuts, etc., are q constant source Of I'M
resisted temptation, but you may take 1t for
granted that the grocer seldoms gets left.
He does not care for the occasional mouth
fuis which good customer takes He will.
In fact, often offer them. But you may put
it down as fact that the professional sam
pier who goes shopping about a store, peck
ing off a choice bite here and there, will have
to pay for IL In the long run in short weight,
short measure or short change
Your storekeeper who snaps and snarls at
his customers, even In resenting an imposi-
tion, gets the worst Of it., It Is your suaye
smooth, oily, sleek tongued man, who Sees
but Wetends not to see, who comes out
ahead He can sling a turkey on scale and,
in jfffy, make It weigh pound too much.
He can dampen the sugar and give short
count with the celebrity of 1uggler, and, il
he is caught at it, he apologies with pro-
found sincerity. You may say, therefore,
that regard these candy robberies as O. part
Of the business merely put out my sprats
at interest for behring's. Thus give gum
drop that may sell bonbon. After all, a
store with open trays and an appearance Of
generosity tells In the long run with people
who have money to spend. It is the old de-
10 get something for
nothing. The brakeman who makes people
think that they get something for nothing
makes a success So I let the ladies take nv
candies and say nothing. II 1 do not e1-
actly get even on the particular lady who
scoops my particular candy, make it up on
all the ladies' Heaven bless them for their
sweet tooth
"You have doubtless seen peddlers Of gum
drops who go through oars and fsrryboats
dropping sample gum drop on the knee Of
each passenger. No effort is ever made bv
The vender to recover the gum drop il the
passenger does not see at to buy. The gum
frop Is his show bill He knows that In tho |
ong run it pays TO give it away. Tho sane
rule holds good in the big candy storeA Only
instead of holding out the tempting bait with /
, tweezers, the merchant let's the customer
aeip herself, and there t. this advantage on
he hide of tho storekeepr no samples
sre thrown away."-New York Sun.
Millinery Taught IN Pr1vaee.
Teaching millinery Is business which BE-
gins TO thrive The demand for milliners
% 90 from house 10 house to work by the
lay or hour as rates which economical
OH afft1rd Tn Ia al