Smyrna times., 1891-02-11
BUSINESS AT IT'S TOILET.
EARLY MORNING IN A BIG RETAIL
DRY GOODS STORE DESCRIBED.

DRY GOODS STORE DESCRIBED.
Details that Must be Attended TO Before
shoppers Enter-An hour for Sweep
ing ana Dusting-The man who Watches
them aIl-CIcrks' Duties.
A big dry good store in Fourteenth
street, that had been shut as tight as
drum, was opened for the business of
another day at Is a. m. one day last
week. One of the many entrances were
thrown open and the shades on the
doors We're allowed to roll up. Little could
be seen Ofthc interior from the street. In
mediately in front of the inner door man
took his stand and looked with apparent
indifference at the wOrkmen who: were
rushing by in great haste. He was the
watchman. lie had spent the night in
the store with several companions, and
he now saw the ed of his labOrs rapidly
approaching. Within few minutes
after he had taken this position the
doors were opened and several women
entered to do the days scrubbing Most
Of is had been done during the night,
but The pain on the counters and GER
tain parts of the doors had to be cleansed,
and the women rapidly began to work.
The model housewife, who feels q
thrill OF horror when she sees a cObweb
in the corner of the ceiling or a speck Of
dirt on the walls, would have been
amazed at the manner In which these
women work. d. With an old rag dipped
in water they made a dab here and there
at a place where the dirt was particu-
larly noticeable, and then went on
searching for the next spot. There was
| no time to waste in being particular, and
! the watchman, who occasionally glanced
! at them. paid no attention to the manner
] in tclt m trCpL dnUa Tho
! women had not half finished their work
when lot of broad-shOuldered, lusty
! men came out of the cellar where they
had been busy with busters and broOms.
While these persons were busy a num-
| Der OF other wOrkmen were coming in
| ard disappearing in the basement where
the engines and furnaces we're. Pres
emily the noises of the steam used for
eleva' ors and other mechanical purposes
began to be heard throughout the build
Ing making considerable racket.
Up to this time the watchman had
hardly moved, except when the men
with their busters or broOms came too
close, but now man, who appeared to
| be a workman and carried some large
bundles under his arms, pushed open
the door and was about to go up stairs,
when the watchman stepped forward and
held the inner door so that the man
could not get in.
What is your siness?" he asked.
- am painter. 1 am a. work on the
second floor
The watchman's eyes seemed to take
in the mans face in flash and appar-
emily satisfied that the man was what he
) pretended to be, he nodded curtly and
t let him in. The man had reached the
stairway leading to the second story
! | when Waterman wheeled around
= Jerry" The word was accompanied
i by significant look and an elevation Of
| the shoulders. 1t apparently was not
l addressed TO anybody in particular, but
d hardly had the sound Of his voice died
d away before one of the men dropped his
i duster and started after the painter.
+ The man was too deliberate in his move
! ments TO suit the watchman, for again
/ he called out in an even more peremptOry
tone, Jerry T. The man started as
!, though he expected a charge of bucSshUt
!. to follow him, and rushed rapidly up the
d stairs. few minutes later a heavily
S laden truck was stopped at the coor
s The driver, who had Il jolly red face and
d a gray beard that made him look great
= deal like the conventional pictures OF
Of Santa Claus. jumped down and swung
open the outer doors.
1t - say" he called out in a CHEEKY
lp voice. " what time do you fellows get t.
lie work, anyhow? l have been waiting over
:" there on Thirteenth street with this load
In for more than ten minntes. Promised
d. the old woman I'd he back for breakfast
b She'll be thinking I'm dead or sOmethin
er if 1 stay away much longer. Cant some
to body open the doors over there and lei
II me get in the gOOds?'
r "SOrry, Jim, said the watchman
"but it's against the rules to let any
lie body in until the clerks get here"
IN The driver went back to his wagon anC
ad drove to the back of the store where al
s. freight had to be delivered. little pug
re nosed. sharp-looking girl swung opeI
er the outer door, and, turning half wa!
sd around, yelled to her companion, whit
I'D could not be seen from the interior
er "A-h, what's de matter wild We; VIII!
'e. don't you hurry up?
ST As the person she was addressing
" didn't seem to come to time, the littl
ng girl stamped her foot and called Ou
again with asavage scowl: "Ah, go Ion
nd there. now. hain't goin' to wait 70
re- you all day"
Ne She let the door slide back again an
ng disappeared, evidently in search OF he
ak recalcitrant companion. The watchma
ut smiled, but made no remark. fe'
minutes later the girl returned. Thi
ID time she pulled open the outer door an
was coming in, when the watchma
ng stepped to the inner door and barred he
ne progress.
J a Are you a cash girl?" he asked.
IN "Yes. I've got note for the cashier.
he You'll have to go round to Thirteent
Of street and wait there till the bell rings
s The door amt open, she replied.
D "All right" said the watchman. .
ITS will be open pretty soon"
In She hardly disappeared before vel
dressed man with a black beard came il
ed The watchman uncrOssed his legs loI
enough to bow to the man and say ''goC
I'VE | morning.
gs Machinery all rlght?" the newcom,
OF asked.
- think not, SIR" the watchman +
n piled. The engineer, though said th
for there would be somebody here to fix
en- before we started"
of The man walked to the end Of the stor
my and entered one Of the offices. 1t WI
ort now fifteen minutes to eight and Il
hoorwalkers began to arrive. Those w
and came early walked with deliberate al
our slowly took off their coats and hats, al
Me- stopped to exchange a word or two wi
me, the watchman. As the minutes flew
ing and the time for their appear ance, wht
18th was ten minutes to eight. passed tn
out came along more rapidly and walk
mud across the floor in . hurried mannC
lck- Some of them came In so late that tn
,out evidently feared that some remar
der would be made about their dilatorineS
d. a and they disposed Of their hats a
got, coats in anervously rapid way.
red As soon as the floor walkers h
Viii arrived bell was rung. That was t
} in signal for the opening Of the doors
hat the clerks, who rushed in pell nell. ma
an Of them having been waiting Sol
minutes outside. Immediately aft
reaching their counters they began
lent pull off the cloth covers and to put o
such Of the stock as had been order
for the day,