Wichita eagle., 1888-01-21
TIE BON MARCHE.
CAREER OF NINE. BOUcIcAUT, TIE
QUEEN or PARIS SHOPKEEPERS.

CAREER OF NINE. BOucIcAUT, TIE
QUEEN or PARIS SHOPKEEPERS.
Story OF the Mammoth Trade Emporium
in t;,c Heart of the French Metropolis.
Profit Sharing in Paris-shares and
Shareholders.
4 Every American, especially those Of the
fair sex, who has visited the French metrop-
oils, is acquainted with the mammoth enpo-
rum witch, known as the Bon Marche, rises
on the left bark of the Seine, in the very
heart Of the aristocratic Faubourg st. Ger
main. This immense establishment, which
tI'@Lsacts over $50.0oo, Geo of business per an
nun, and employs a staff Of no less than
/ 4,C00 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 a sales
man in dingy little dry goods store in the
Rue du BAG, while his wife, an illiterate peas
ant girl, the widow Of laundrynan resid-
ing at Eerjux, a little village on the banks Of
the River Saollc, was an assistant in the
! same shop. II. Boucicaut and his only son
died within few months Of each other
about ten years ago, while Nine. Boucicaut,
who has been frequently described as 'ithe
/ queen Of all the shopkeepers OF the world"
expired a short time ago at the age of IS,
leaving & fortune estimated at over St0,-
! C0c $50
A brief account of the career OF this re-
markable woman, whose charity was practi-
caliy unlimited, and who, notwithstanding
her humble origin, has won for herself a
( prominent place in the history Of Paris. can
hardly fail TO be both interesting and instruc-
! tive.
SETTING Up IN BUSINESS.
She first made ATistide Boucicaut's &C.
/ quaintance in the little shop above men
toned, whore they we're 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
write, to keep accounts, and, above ALL. to
display goods to their greatest advantage in
the shop windows. At length, when she had
reached the age of IS, the young couple de-
cided to marry and to set up on their own
account. Their employer happened, fortu-
rately, to be old and anxious to retire from
active work, and, as he had the greatest
amount OF confidence in young Boucicaut's
integrity and abilities. he consented to make
over his store TO him on moderate and easy
terms. Just about this time there was 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 short time the
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 the adjoining
houses, until at length II. and Nine Bouci-
caut owned the whole block. This they de-
rlolShed some fifteen years ago, and on its
site stands the magnificent and vast Bon
Marche building 1t is needless to add that
their wonderful prosperity was greatly due
to the extraordinary reputation for probity
and commercial honesty which the couple
had acquired throughout the business world
and which caused their credit to be one of
the strongest and firmest in France.
Both NJ and Nine Boucicaut, although
deeply religious, were imbued with q consid-
cradle amount of socialism. 1t was, how
ever, socialism of the true sort, resulting
from kindness of heart and remembrance
of their ewn early struggles on the one hand,
and the firm business notions of the most en-
lighteued kind on the other Realizing the
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, NJ and
Mime. Boucica-t 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 eHploye
OF the 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 cRlploye to retain his own individuality
and to encourage him or her to become
thoughtful and responsible assistant, with
initiative and forethsught of his 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 rooIa, library and
reading rooms besides a restaurant where
refreshments are to be obtained at almost
cost price. The female assistants have
large building devoted to their own exclusive
use, in which they reside and which is al
most as well provided with comforts and
amusenents as the club house OF the men
Besides this pension fund exists, to which
Nine. Boucicaut, about eighteen months ago,
presented a round sum of 100000 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
oh
of q similar retiring fund. TO which she has
been equally munidcent, and from which, in
case Of dismissal, they can withdraw such of
Their money as IS sum, therein, with COM
pound interest of % per cent.
Nine BouCicaut was SO thoroughly the
business partner OF her husband that, when
both he 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 intoa joint stock company, present.
inc to each one of the 800 principal and senior
members OF her staff $1,000 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
1. thorough Rue republic pI lLS&AE. It's army
of about 1900 or 1900 employees, all told,
are governed by 2 kind of parliament con-
sis1iu., OF the SO shareholders and copartners
abava mentioned. These in turn elect from
among their number 4 managing director
ana al executive committee Of thirteen mem
bers selected as far IS possible from among
the seniors. Moreover. there Is q scheme in
force bv which emp toyes, on attaining q Ger
tain seniority and RINK IN the establishment,
become igs3 f2cto shareholders therein,
thanks 10 q fund provided Tor the purpose by !
Nine. 3opcicaut. Tho managing director AZ I,
the present I.so.-a-2. is a most pale and en-