Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1890-01-04

queen.
''Oh, know you," returned the clerk.
81 have seen you before"
'How dare you insult me-" said Miss
Williams. Il shall report you"
"Oh, that's all right" said the clerk.
81 don't want to insult you, but won't
sell you any thing You can not buy
any thing here"
Several other customers who were
standing near looked up in surprise.
while the little cash girl, who had
struggled herself in, leaned up against
the adjoining counter and grinned from
ear to ear.
well, we will see about that" said
Miss Williams. "Where is the superin.
tendent?"
Here, cash." said the clerk, calling
up little cash girl, take this lady to
the superintendent"
The clerk said this in very sarcas tic
manner, and for once Miss Williams
anger and Indignation were not feigned.
She did not 60 to the superintendent,
however, but tried to outwit the clerk
by going to another part Of the store.
The clerk was appraised of the fact, how
ever, and got around in time to balk Miss
Williams in her attempt to purchase.
The clerk could not, of course, refuse
absolutely to sell to her, but overcame
this obstacle by saying that every thing
was sold. Miss Williams was followed
from counter to counter, and finally gave
up in despair, having been able to pur-
chase only one article Of the many she
had started to get in this store.
With few exceptions, however, in the
other stores she went to she found no
difficulty in obtaining all that she de-
sired. With the exception Of few
minutes for lunch she was on her feet
nearly the whole day. Several times
she attempted to escape from the little
girl who was following her, but each
time was entirely unsuccessful. She
stopped for half an hour at the house
OF a friend. When she came out
she thought she had worn out the
little girls patience, for she was not
in sight. but several minutes later the
little girl bobbed Up serenely, having
spent the meantime munching cakes
in q bakery across the way from house
at which Miss Williams had been Wis.,
iting.
When Miss Williams finally turned
up at the store from which she had
started the cash girl was close behind
her. She saw Miss Williams go up
stairs and report to the superintendent,
and managed, through shrewd ques-
ton or two, to find that she was en-
ployed there. Then, with knowing
nod of the head and a self-satisfied
smirk, she gave up the chase. Miss
Williams had been comparatively sue
cessful, and there were many articles
awaiting her at home. Having an
nounced this to the superintendent,
she went home, and the next morn
ing came to the store ut the usual
hour with a written report of her entire
experience and tho samples she had OBJ
tanned. These were critically examined
by the superintendent, and then taken
to the head OF the firm.
Nearly every Monday clerks from the
various dry-goods houses go through
this same experience, so that it has be-
come recognized custom. 1t is the
only way in which the big retail mer-
chants can keep themselves informed as
to the inducements offered by their
rivals. Monday is especially selected
because the greatest bargains are
| oI,,n q
The object more particularly is to see
whether the goods are really sold as ad-
yertised, and to enable each merchant
to see for himself whether he is being
undersold by competitor in any par
ticular article. Rarely does the same
clerk go out for more than two or three
weeks in succession. When the articles
he or she has purchased are brought to
the merchant, he compares them with
the announcements in the advertise
ments, and If any of them are sold
cheaper than in his own store, then tho
buyers of those particular articles arc
likely to be hauled over the Goals.
''Some clerks" said the superintend-
emit Of one of the big stores recently,
''go beyond their orders. i remember .
girl who had been buying up bargains
for firm up town some time ago. Sho
came to us and secured employment for
the mere purpose of getting our prices
and turning them over to the other
firm. OF course no reputable clerk would
do that and neither would reputable
firm countenance it. A very amusing
instance OF one firms picking up the
bargains offered by another firm Oc-
CURED about year ago, when an up
town firm advertised Websters Una
bridged Dictionary for less money than
we could buy it from the publishers.
Every one of our clerks received orders
when they went out to luncheon to buy
one of those dictionaries. Unfortunately
the clerks in other houses had received
similar instructions, and the dictionaries