The intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1887-1891, 1891-02-07
.u, SWlNDLiNo TAILoRs.
Selling 'Ready-Made' Suits for Clothi
-.L.-W -. Made to Order. ~

q ....... ,.,
.",u SWlNDLiNG .TAIlORS. 90.
Selling Ready Made" Suits for Clothing
I. .r,'" ..'t Made to Order. ' 80
A system of contemplate swindling
Is practiced in a few Of the tailor shops
In the lower part Of the city. Some of
these shops have gaudily decked win
dows, showing a great variety Of materi-
ais skillfullly displayed, and have also
little glass show cases just outside their
doors. in which are garments neatly
made and p1acarded to the effect that
such articles are made ito order at ex-
tremely low rates. The price is always
attached, and many a mar is enticed to
enter and have clothing made ito ORDER
by the combined allurements of the
made-up article and the cheap price.
A Tribune reporter was a victim the
other day. Seeing a coat handsomely
made up In a show case, to which was
attached a;card reading, "Coat and vest
to order Sl6," he entered the store and
asked the proprietor If a coat and waist
coat could be made for him to look as
well as those In the case, and at the
same time fit his form satisfactorily.
He vas assured that to accomplish his
was h easiest matter In the void,
whereupon the reporter selected ma
terial for q suit to cost, made to order,
$24,' alittle less than half as much as he
had been accustomed. to pay uptown,
but the coat in the showcase did look
extremely well. His measure was taken
and a few days later he called to try on
the GOAT. 1t did not fit. him at all, but
the tailor made several chalk marks on
the unfinished garment and said that it
would be all right and finished on a GER
tain day, At the trying-on stage the
coat was q four-button outaway. OF.
On the day the suit was to be done the
reporter. called for 1t, and proceeded to
try'onth o again. It was too loose
in the Jack and the collar did not fit the
neck, while the sleeves were toe short.
Don't worry, my friend said the tai
Tor, sit will be all right tomorrow when
you9comc forit, or shall l send my boy
home with it, eh?".. d,a.-,.,.3 ."., To-.
The customer said he would call for 1t
the next day, and just then noticed that
the coat. was q three-button CT taway..Y
How is that2' be asked. This wal
a fonr-bptton. coat when ! tried it on be-.
fore" m d..
you are mistaken, my friend" was
the solemn reply, ut was always a three.
button coat" On the follow day the re-
porter called again and found the coat
a better At, but still far from being
what d coat made to order" should be.
Wishing to wear the suit that night, he
decided to take It, and ave any neces-
sary changes made in future. The
trousers were no better At. being too
shert5sin' the legs Stili he was in a
hurry 'andlthe tailor promis d to make
everything right'at some future time.
Looking the clothes owe that night, the
reporter found under the fob pocket
In the trousers the name of a we'll
known firm Of Wholesale manufacturers.
A quiet little investigation the next day
showed that he had bought a ready
made suit for q considerable advance
over h price charged by the retailers
Of such garments, and pursuing his in
quiry, he learned that the tailor he EN-
ployed as well as many others, do not
make clothing t. order at all. They
keep a line of goods corresponding tt
the clothes made up by manufacturers
for the retailers Of ready-made clothing,
and when they get @ customer. tbey
take his measure and th~enslycSain at i
reduced prig from the m~anrfacturer, a
suit or garment, most nearly. CORE
TkIbpdtng to the measurements. They
Hfso have as aA'blind' q lot of cloth cut
up so that the pieces al be blasted"
together TO answer for the trying on"
process. II the cloth is not exactly like
that ordered, the customer Is not likely
to detect the difference during the try
ing on, whenthe garment looks as much
like a coat, for,instance, a. it does like
u night shirt. y ". ' ''
AS these ''fake' custom tailors buy a
large humber Of suits from the manu-
facturers, they get the clothing cheaply.
and thus reap a heavy profit. The gar
ment in the showcase is never dupli-
Gated as to fit, and seldom as to quality.
There are several such stores down
town, and the young al should ask
for references when he gets into one
where be is a, stranger.-N. Y. Tribune.
...f ,.,A Bag of Milk. ..s .
"Here you are, two pounds of chops,
good scant weight" said the merry
Cranston street grocer to the young mar
of family who had brought in an order
from his wife, land now for your milk:
where's'your camp" The young man of
dapily protested that he hadn't read the
order, and had not been equipped with
q can. ftNever mind" said the grocer;
''here, hold on to it, and he dexterousiy
slipped one paper sugar bag inside OF
another and flliped the corners iuto
place. The two iuarts of milk were
poured into the inner bag. THE grease
In the milk prev nts 1t from going
through the paper az water would" ex-
planned the grocer. 81 had hard work
to get people to believe they could carry
milk in a bag at first, and had to let 1t
go at my own risk. I've sent it so half
a mile by slow transit; still I'd advise
you not to, stop to tell any long stories
on the way home. Providence Jour-
nal, .s.a.t-4i L-- --- IS
-.G ID. r4T. '1' 10 'f" tH-