Daily Republican., 1889-01-28
OUR sALEsaIRLs
BIZ ONE OF THEM.

IN VI hhfichit tuu oikub y clOch ibu hu
unreasonable hour at all, nor do we ever
but n we are ten minutes late,
10 matter why, we are fined. OF course,
0 the cash-girl this nne means going
Without the cup OF hot coffee, or the little |
1t OF fruit abe would have bought to
'iece out her little lunch; but, so far as i |
m concerned, I don't care anything
bout the fine; It Is the restriction that j |
,bJect TO, aud the being reprimahdcd. I |
lon't intend to be late. / am lust 40
much interested in being here in time,
Ind selling lot Of goods, as the pFo-
,rietor Is himself. l like my business,
md am proud of my sa,es, and anxious |
% begin my work for the day, and the |
dea that l happened TO miss q car, or |
iaye one of the thousand little delaying |
that every woman, and man,
100, for that matter, 10 liable to, that |
,ome man who knows nothing about me
las o right to reprimand me, aud fine
me, just makes me cross, and hurts my
pride.
Then the hardest thing OF all salesglrl
has to endure IL the constant standing
from eight In the morning until six al
night, with only one-haif hour rest at
noon.
A few years ago some one stirred up
this subject, and seats were placed be-
hind the counter, but they have all been
taken away.
The ssleswomen in suit departments
eau sit down, but not In the room where
the customers are,
OF course, IL they go away into the little
aide room to rest they miss their custom
err, and the consequence 10 that they
stand all day outside.
We do not mind It on busy days the
excitement keeps US up; but on dull
days we almost faint away, sometimes
standing sIill with nothing to make us
forget how tired we are.
We have haitian hour for lunch, which
is time enough for q person 10 eat cold
luncb, but when girl stands from eight
O'Clock until two after seven o'clock
breakfast, sue wants someth ny besides
sandwich and cup OF tea for lunch. ]
used to 20 out and buy my lunch and
home. needed II, and worked all the
better for It, but. OF course. Icouldd't get
II In half an hour. was usually gone
forty minutes. After a while was de-
MED that privilege, and have to eat my
lunch in ire lunchroom.
i don't like cold lunch, and somehow
the thought OF the being compelled to do
anything like that fills my heart With o
kind OF bitterness that takes away all my
appetite. II ISN'T the cold lunch, or the
hot lunchroom, where they make coffee
IN one end and eat In the other, q thought
that isn't exactly what am used to at
home, but 1t is the restraint that rebel
against.
AT six o'clock sharp we are all excused
In batch, aud away we pour out OF the
door like mob OF factory hands, ana
the people all cay, Gee the shop girls. !"
Now, II some could, when they had no
customers 70 ut fifteen minutes TO six, or
ten minutes 10 six, don't you see, we
wouldn't all flock out together and at
tract attention, for part OF US would 90
at one timo and part at another; but now
1t Is push and crowd and jam TO get out,
so that It you would go decently and Ia
n ladylii way you have TO walt until all
the crowd is gene.
There are a great many things might
do evenings to enjoy myself, but am
too tired and feel go kind Of bitter and
sorry and resentful in my heart that l
don't want TO 20 anywhere. like my
work, am interested In It, and do not
want to give It up any more than man
wants TO give up his business.
Ny employer is very kind, my salary lie
very generous, and all that; 1t is only a
few little things about the system of man
aging the girls that make us unhappy.
We are Independent business women,
earning us mufh,s nd In many cases more
than men IN the same pla ,es, an VIC Ito
not like to be governed like the inmates
of an orphan home or house OF corTec-
tieu.
And what kind OF men do we marry?
Wei, they have to be pretty nice, or we
don't bother wi b them.
The better Glars OF salesladieB rarely
marry employees In store.
Don't you see, we are dependent, and
unless we are going TO better ourselves
very much, or unless we get hopclessly
In love, we do not care to ct married at
all.
know many girls who have married
very well, and have lovely homes.
Do we ever marry the customers whom
we meet 10 the store?
Hell-with toss of She blonde head
and pretty flush iu the timld face
know some who might have married some
of their customers, but wouldn I.
As far as promotion is concerned, that
rests entirely with ourselves, Is based on
our ability, and, think, is very fair aud
just. Some girls never get promoted, be-
cause they lack ability aud push, and
others get to the top in a short time.
The promotions are from cash to parcel
clerk; from that to stock clerk-one who
assists In keeping the goods in order;
then to bill clerk, saleslady, cashiers, and
fioor-walders, and wages increase from
two dollars up to thirty or more.
How much do gcti" said little,
fAir-faced maiden behind the counter.
"Five dollars week-unless something
happens" 40,
"Weli, II Pm late few minutes, am
fined; II am half an hour late, lose one
quarter of days wages; If l make the
least little mistake In my bills, that is
taken out OF my pay; aud If break any
thing, that has to be paid for. If am
sick half day, lose that; and so you
see don't always get the five dollars"
No, our superintendent isn't u woman,
and Pm glad Of 1t. A woman does moth
ing but scold, and stew, aud fuss all the
time ever little things.
Yes, it's pretty hard to keep all the
fines; but suppose it makes us more
careful, so that we really do n-t have so
very many to pay.
No, we have no seats now-they have
all been taken away. Sometimes two or
three Of us crowd on the edge OF drawer
that pulls out near the floor, but we fly
up lively IL we see the floor walker coming
this way.
1.-THE girls abused the privilege" ex-
planned the aoor-walker, dellcate-look-
ing girl. "They were not quick to rise
up when customers came In, and grew
neglectful and indolent. OF course, 1t is
tiresoine TO stand so long, and girls
need TO be strong TO endure 1t; but they
| like the work anaTt from that. and In