Semi-weekly interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1881-1905, 1892-04-08
THEY TAKE THE BLAME.
Men Who rlro Out az Pro gessionaI
Dlunderors.
They Are Discharged Several Times = DAY
Juf - AppcaSs ,hs Wrath of
some Indignant Customer
Queer Occupation.

professional scapcgoa," does not APP
pear among the thousands Of occupa-
tions which designat, tie manner of
employment Of the inhabitants Of this
city as classified in the directory, says
the Philadelphia Record More than
one man whose name appears there
graced by the simple but comprehensive
word clerk" il, II the truth were
known, fully entitled 90 classification
as a professional scapcxo1t. There is
more than one that /, paid a substantial
salary by large houses for no other oc-
cupation than taking upon his shoulders
the blame for al the misdr eds If the
establishment. and suffering the sup
posed loss Of his situation at The rate Of
IA dozen times day or rs inuch oftener
rs occasion may require. Being dis
charged a half-dozen times a day with
out once losing his position. and at tho
same time being we'll paid for the pccu-
liar performance, j.. indeed, a novel
idea. This Is how it Is done
lady makes purchaO II several
articles, all 81 which are 20 bc sent TO
her address, a. given. before a certain
hour without fail The following day
the customer returns. and In her own
sweet way proceeds 10 tear out" the
floor manager or proprietor. ~ il may
he, because the goods failed IL arrive at
the promised hour Ti, story il
patiently heard. and the word is passed
along for Smith. smith makes his APP
pearance with u countcnance profes.
sionslly penitcnt and submissive
smith. the manager begins. you
were Instructed 20 send this lady's
goods 10 the address given you before
four o'clock
"Ycs. sir" i smiths plaintive reply,
but"
Never mind an explanation. I'M
derstand Your neglect caused the de-
lay and has risi<cl the loss of one of
our best customers. We cannot put up
with your carrlcSSnrss any longer
You may ~ ~ the Office and get your
pay"
Smith steals away with a ready IN ade
cr-stfallen look upon his fac
Madam. ! regret the occurrence Of
such an unnecessary blundcr but a.
sure you II will NJ, happen again, sure
~ not from that man. and madam
takes her departure fully satisfied that
she has had her revenge
Another iratr customer appears on
the scene This time the trouble is
with suite ~ furniture which had
been purchased a week before as IN per
feet order, but has alrcady begun 10
show signs ~ approaching dissolution.
The aggrievcd purchaser opens on the
manager. who a. once sends for the
man who takes the blame" and opens
his usual programme.
How IL this sir7 What do you mean
by sending on, goods in such condi-
tionT You have been repeatedly told
not Ia permit any good, To leave your
department unless ia perfect order
This il not the frs, time this has hap
prncd: but II will h~ the Iast 60 70
the Office aud get your pay; we have no
further us. for your services.
Madam. ! am -ery sorry that YOU
should have been ~ deceived by one of
our statesmen. We cannot very well
take back The furniture after IL has
been used but we will send man Ia
your house to put IL IN proper shape"
'
that she has received justice.
The man who takes the blame" Is
next discharged Or ovrrcharging in
making a sale 81 silk dress goods. lie
then suffers tiradc ~ abuse and il
also ~ % because be- has sold set of
fine china without calling the attention F.
Of the purchaser o. several little defects. T.
And ~ Il goes from morning Ia night, /
day after day. wcc.. la and week out. !
The poor fellow il made 10 suffer for
all tho sins of the entire establishment. .
from the manager Gown o. the errand I
hoy. 1t j. somcvha, strange but .
true fact tina, many people are satisfied .
to put up with considerable incon- .
venienoe II they can oa,y bc revcnged .
by seeing some one discharged. Some.
times when we briLg out uur man who .
takes the blame, the customer ventures
to suggest that hr g., not the man who .
waited ON her. but W. insist that he il,
and the man adds hi, own assertion.
aud in nine eases out of ten
the customer h. convinced. Very
few people take enough notice
of statesmen To- identify him UNI
less they meet him frequently. | have
known some establishments that have
employed two or more men To take
blame in order u facilitate matters.
The funniest part 81 the thing is that
our scapegoat man grows fat on being
He has increased from one
hundred and Gfty pounds 10 two hun
dred and twenty pounds in fifteen
and smiles so much that we
will have To changc him and get some
tyspeptic-looling individual in his
place"