Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-05-11

AND SOME OF THE OBSTACLES WHICH APPEAR TO
BE A BAR TO THEIR SUCCESS.
"Why don't you employ female drug cIerks?
asked STAR reporter Of a druggist the other
day.
That has been tried in some cities" was the
reply, land has worked very well; but some
how female drug clerks have not yet become a
fixture in Washington. I never had but one
application for position by woman, and she
was graduate Of a Chicago college of phar-
macy. didn't employ her, not because had
any objection to taking female clerk, but be-
cause had no vacancy. don't know of but
one druggist in the city who has employed a
woman behind his counter, and she Was at the
soda fountain"
us she still there?" asked the reporter.
thinking that with the advent of warm weather
the soda fountain was fully ripe.
mo, l don't think she was a success I've
no doubt she attended to her duties, but YOU
know men are peculiar. Some like to kick and
swear at the clerk, and they can't do that at a
woman. I've had them come in here, order
some particular tipple of soda. and / would
draw it just as thought would please them.
They would feel little out Of sorts, and per-
haps would put little too much syrup in,
and then they would rip out an oath and want
IL.
didn't bother me in the least, for knew they
would come back the next day all calm and Sc
rene. But they couldn't do that to a woman "
But the regular business of compromising
prescriptions, said the reporter. Cant a
woman do that as well as a MANI"
81 see no reason why she shouldn't. She is
quick and apt to acquire knowledge she has
good memory, is careful in making her meas
ures, and can certainly mix the pills, powders
or solutions that may be ordered. A woman,
too, is naturally neat and would be of value so
far as the fancy articles usually for sale in a
drug store goes. But don't you know drug
clerks life Is an awful hard one? stay in this
store from o'clock in the morning until after
midnight, and am on my feet nearly all the
time. Now. that would be very wearing on a
woman, and doubt If many of them have the
physical endurance to stand such a tour of
duty day in and day out right through the
year. Then again, there is an uncomfortable
amount Of hard work in handling a big pestle
and mortar, grinding up some material for an
infusion or to make an impalpable powder
That takes muscle, for I've done lots of it.
Generally you have plenty Of time to do this
grinding, but sometimes you must do it in a
hurry, and there's where woman would be at
a disadvantage"
''Do you know whether any women have
ever gone through the pharmaceutical college
here?"
II think not, though am not certain.
believe there were two who applied for ad-
mission, and who studied for short time and
then abandoned it. l know there are two or
three ladies' in this city. the wives ofdruggists.
who are often seen behind the counter in their
husbands store, and who wait upon customers
That is all right for woman to do what she can
to help her husband. One Of these ladies am
told Is regular graduate of a college of
pharmacy, and fully competent to put up pre-
scrlPtons. whether she does or does not am
unable to say"
Don't you think the time will c6me when
there will be female drug clerks in Washing
ton?"
II have no doubt Of it. 1 am not opposed to
employing them myself and 1 have only given
you some OF the obstacles which seem to stand
IN the way OF their success in this business, as
employees. have no doubt that many women
II they should graduate in pharmacy could
manage a drug store as successfully as a man
more so than good many men-but then she
it."
'Why SOP"
because she would put more confidence in
man than she would in one of her own sex.
That's the way with women. But there is one
other dlticulty that stands in the way Of a
woman's success as a drug clerk. By great
many people we are considered in the light of
physician, and men and women too consult us
just the same as they would regular doctor.
don mean ask our advice and expect to get
genuine professional trea ment without pay,
for no druggist will interfere with regular
medical practitioners to that extent; but they
Will talk matters over with us even when they
come with prescription, no matter how deli
cate the case may be, and they wouldn't do that
with woman clerk. The majority of women
have not as much confidence in female as in
male physician, even in regard to their own
peculiar ailments. don't know that this should
be SO, but it is, and you see how it would
operate against o female drug clerk so far as
her own sex is concerned, while men, of course,
would not consult her at all. All these obsta-
cles may be removed in time, and we may have
many female drug clerks, but it will not be
his year."