The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-06-28

A FEMALE LTVERYMAN.
SHE RUNS A BIG STABLE BETTER
THAN MOST MEN COULD.


The Only Woman In the Business in New
York City-She Drives Sharp Bargains,
but She Holds Her Trade-How She
Manages and How She Lives.
A wide awake, energetic woman keeps a
livery stable at No. los West Forty-ninth
street. Her name is Annie Childs, asd she
is fair, plump and not yet 40. Mrs. Childs
has clear, rudy complexion, an elastic
step and an easy, conversational style that
tells its own story of genteel associations
and intelligent observation.
This courteous and thoroughly efficient
business woman is known from one end of
the livery trade to the other you'll not
find man in livery establishment in
New York who knows the business better
than Mrs. Childs," a prominent liveryman
SAID to a reporter. "Oh, yes, she's got
husband, but it's Mrs. Childs who is known
to the trade. She is in full charge of the
stable, and when l say that l mean that
she's the boss. I'd trust her with any
branch Of the business in preference to
most men The fact is she's up to snuff
and no mistake. If you don't believe it go
and see for yourself
The reporter did go and see for himself.
1t was early in the forenoon, and business
was quiet, therefore Mrs, Childs was up
stairs in her comfortable homelike apart
ments, making her baby a frock The Wis
itor was ushered into a bright little office,
the distinguishing feature of which was its
extreme cleanliness. The walls were lined
with pictures of famous horses. There
-, Ia
and on the manSel vase of flowers.
HOW SHE STARTED.
Mrs. Childs, who was called through a
tube, made her appearance in the space Of
exactly one minute by the reporters watch.
She came down smiling, and was a goodly
sight to see in her trim black Jersey and
bright, silky looking gray poplin skirt.
Her collar was fresh from the iron, her
hair tidily done and her finger nails neatly
manicured.
She sat down quickly, and opened the
conversation quite as gracefully as many
ladies do in their own drawing rooms.
$50 you think it odd to see woman in
the livery business, do your" she said
laughingly. well, have never thought
of it inthat light, but perhaps that is be-
cause have never had time to think much
about it. 1t has taken pretty much all my
time to get through with the actual bust
ness Of it for the last sixteen years. I am
English, was born and reared at Edmon-
ton, near London, and grew up with horses
for my playfellows, as SO many English
girls do. l have never seen a horse vet
that was afraid of, and am called good
horsewoman. ny father-in-law was a
crack horsernan and so are all his sons, in
Guiding my husband, SO you see have al
ways been surrounded by horses.
when we came to America my husband
wanted to open boarding stable, but he
had other business to attend to and could
not give his personal attention to it. He
never thought of my going into the bust
ness, but I saw that he needed me and I
immediately announced my intention of
carrying it on myself We opened stable
in Eighteenth street, between Sixth and
Seventh avenues, and theirs / conducted it
on small scale, keeping my Office in the
sitting room. Ny business gradually kept
growing larger until the little writing
desk which served me in the sitting room
would do no longer, and / moved down
stairs and went into business profession
ally. From that tine Oh [ have conducted
every detail Of the business without help,
save that of the ordinary hands employed
about livery stables, and can say without
egotism that have made it a success. I
take orders, see that they are properly
filled, attend personally to getting them
out, receive customers, keep books, buy all
the carriages, harness and occasionally
horses.
HER Personal SUPERVISION.
Another branch of the business consists
in selling vehicles for my customers who
are abroad-in fact, I attend to everything
in connection with the business and have
never yet been cheated in a single instance.
find that horSeTnep treat me with the
greatest respect, never indulging in coarse
language in my presence. | assure you |
couldn't be treated better if were dear
old Queen Vic herself Then, tno I don't
think they would try TO take advantage of
me as they do of 4 man. The men l deal
with always seem inclined to favor me,
and | assure you dTive very sharp bar
gains I know by actual experience that l
am a more economical buyer than my
husband, and, for that matter, l think
women always look sharper 10 the pennies
than men. The men in my employ obey
Inc implicitly ] never have any trouble
with them, but l keep z sharp lookout that
they do their duly 1 attend to every order
that leaves the stable Ia tlae course of the
year, and in order 70 do il am often Obliged
to stay up until GA o'clock in the morn
ing.
Il think the absence of tobacco smoke and
dirt from my Office has been a drawing
card for my stable. Its rather pleasant,
even for a man, don't you know, to sit
down and give has order in a clean, quiet
spot L receive all o0nlpiaints- for they are
sure to come sometimes 80 matter how
careful yoU are, and when ! have a breath
ing space l so out and collect bills. Col
lecJing requires tact and patience, but
h&Fe never had any trouble with it. My
most fastSdiouS customers are OF course la
dies, bet / usually succeed even in pleas
ing them After having done right by
them once they are almost sure 10 come
back again, and in this way l often keep
their custom from year to year.
And how about your home life, Mrs
Childs?' oh! IL gees on beautifully. You
don't think I'd sacrifice that to nay bust
ness, do your No, indeed. | have three
little children and NV husband To provide