Los Angeles herald., 1890-08-29

A FEMALE LIVERYMAN.
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. 1O5 West Forty ninth
street. Her name is Annie Childs, aAd she
is fair, plump and not yet 49, Mrs. Childs
has clear, ruddy 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 a livery establishment in
New York who knows the business better
II In Mrs. Childs," prominent liveryman
said to reporter 'Oh, yes, she's got a
husband, but it's Mrs. Childs who is known
to the trade. She is in full charge of the
stable, and when 1 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 homelil1e apart
ments, making her baby frock The Wis
itor was ushered into bright little office,
the distinguishing feature of which was it's
extreme cleanliness. The walls were lined
with pictures of famous horses. There
was an oval mirror over the marble basin
and on the mantel 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 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 a woman in
the livery business, do your" she said
laughingly. "Well, have never thought
OF it in that light, but perhaps that is be-
cause l 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. 1 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 horse yet
that was afraid of, and am called good
horsewoman. My father-in-law was
crack horseman 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 1 saw that he needed me and l
Immediately announced my intention of
carrying it on myself We opened a stable
in Eighteenth street, between Sixth and
Seventh avenues, and there conducted it
on a small scale, keeping my Office in the
sitting room. My 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 time on 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 success. l
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, attend to everything
in connection with the business, and have
never yet been cheated in a single instance
l find that horsemen treat me with the
greatest respect, never indulging in coarse
language in my presence assure you
couldn't be treated better if I were dear
old Queen Vic herself. Then, too, l don't
think they would try to take advantage of
me as they do of a man. The men deal
with always seem inclined to favor me,
and 1 assure you drive very sharp bar
gains. l know by actual experience that l
am more economical buyer than my
husband and, for that matter, l think
women always look sharper to the pennies
than men. The men in my employ obey
me implicitly. l never have any trouble
with them, but I keep a sharp lookout that
they do their duty. l attend to every order
that leaves the stable in the course of the
year, and in order to do it am often obliged
to stay up until or o'clock in the morn
ing.
81 think the absence of tobacco smoke and
dirt from my Office has been a drawing
card for my stable. It's rather pleasant,
even for a man, don't you know, to sit
down and give his order in clean, quiet
spot. receive all complaints, for they are
sure to come sometimes, no matter how
careful you are, and when have breath
ing space I go out and collect bills. Col
lecting requires tact and patience, but
have never had any trouble with it. My
most fastidious customers are of course Ia
dies, but 1 usually succeed even in pleas
ing them. After having done right by
them once they are almost sure to come
back again, and in this way often keep
their custom from year to year.
"And how about your home life, Mrs.
Childs" "Oh! it goes on beautifully. You
don't think I'd sacrifice that to my busi-
ness, do you? No, indeed. 1 have three
little children and my husband to provide
comforts for, and / never neglect them.
In the first place, 1 have excellent health,
and can cram great many duties into a
day. / keep capable servant, give my
orders in the mornings, and see that every
thing is set going before 1 go to the office.
When want anything particularly nice
to eat l manage to prepare it before bust
ness hours. I do all the sewing for my
children too. We rent farm at West
in, tha tiy,oa live