The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-09-11
A SALESTOM IN,S S7ORT.
Life BEHIND tho Cou ter In n Great ID
Goods store.

So much Is said in print OF late about the
relative advantages OF the position of shop
girl or factory girl as compared with
domestic servant that the story Miss Smith
tells Of the life of a snleswomnn may be OF in
terest. even II it serve still further to compli-
cate the efforts to discover why girls won't do
housework.
Miss Smith is n ~saleswoman in a big city dry
goods shop. Smith isn't her name. of course.
and 1t wouldn't do to be more explicit about
her place OF employment. To do SO would
probably result in sending hor to look up n
new Job. and finding it would be a very dini-
cult matter il 1t were learned that she had
been dismissed for telling tales out of school.
Dry goods firms believe In standing by one
another in that way always. Miss Smith has
been employed for seven or eight years in
various large houses in this city and knows
whereof she speaks. She says tho conditions
have improved wonderfully since u number Of
the wealthy customers OF the stores havetaken
an interest in the girls and formed themselves
into the Consumers League.
still. there Is plenty Of room for improve
mont" she asserts. THE work of a sales
woman in itself is not so hard. but when you
stand from 8 in tho morning until , in the
afternoon. and from 2:3U until O.. you're pretty
sure to feel tho strain physically in a very
short time. AS q matter OF fact. most OF tho
girls who have been saleswomen more than
two years are suffering from some chronic
disease brought on by constant standing. DO
you know that a girl employed for any length
OF time as saleswomun would have no show Mt
all for admission to the New York City Train
ing School for Nurses? The superintendent
would consider the fact OF her having had to
stand constantly for years us pretty good evil
dencc OF her inferior physical condition.
The flning system Is one OF the definite
grievances of the ~suleswonnn. Where | am
employed the fines are principally for tardi-
ness. II you are ilv. minutes late. you are
fined 80 cents. In fact, that's the smalles. ilno
department. and l have known eight OF then!
nm pretty sure from what I've heard about mo
that a quarter OF all the emp loyccs in H." es-
ave about 1000 people employed. and that
would mean n saving OF about s3'oh week on
t a%ou Mss It sh "ssHps se sai a Is sivrn to q" a fu tnii
for the assistance Of the sick employees,
,, tTh hnG a are cn iinss f ws , MnsIi {" nai , }haH h it nn:
Just that we were tined, if wo were really late.
But. MS, r matter of fact. we are frequently
"dSan M"e Of "" "lenlns timts in the store. The
emil loyees come in ut II special entrance. pass
through u long narrow rnssil,r lined with
l,nx-like closets. Two plny little girls are in
attendance behind u counter. They gre bard
and wraps the girls Wear in winter. They
must take each girls wraps. i'nt them Ia her
i9n""s.as c .hiES'; "" not Being strong and active.
it Is mot int t1 s le eI I, e t 5nsy h %iil t6 6e
Mianyi% attend to: ,Treanently YOU may mr.
riv. 1T tn -ll,np at twenty. minutes before 3
and not De ahiot to get rid Of your wraps before
aIron OH. ami yoar click look in land When
YOU Giy" your nnmber at the ;imokeener's
There mny be sickness in your home. That
doesn't mat,er. II you're late Ave minutes
yIn'r", dpcked 90 cents out OF your pay tho
/ tlIlONllIk SATURDAY.
Then if u customer gives you the wrong
address; and the man takes the parcel there;
only to lind no such person. you are fined at
the discretion Of IL" timekeeper. whether the
tnii,I, WAS VA ri y11,s G Sp not ntc,d # S SI1v break ;ts d any
a-hrac derartnent, No matter now careful
thing down., II it's broken YOU pay for l..
sometimrs tho rcthii price. 'Sometimos the
~" being lined for sitting DOWN. it, isn't ror,
On. The space behind The roantess is 10 Very
narrow there's no room Tor srntS. II "nr girl
were T. sit down another would bo unable to
=, tie G1es mnk" Z hole in our Wages
salesNNom"Mn's wages range from 81 t? - Org,
II, ,no y ,ney solI NO mYTs nan the SiTIs.
further L"wn. mo- %ply n this store, but in
les, wages than mon in the same position.
Gi'l> who have been in our place eight or
nlnr Years have lately been dismissed Tor no
rols"n, whatever. except that tho firm felt
Obliged to lay Them eight or nine dollars, a
week when they can hir" plenty Of young girls
Just out Of school who can write nicely and
figure we'll. Most Of them have homes u some
sort, and are willing 10 work for pin money, as
they 'all j.. Thfy .ran HI an on"r Of - u week.
II You notice ns yoi 30 tIrou.tI tho stores.
yol will see the majority Of tho ~aleswome
ara hetwarn L. and 20 years old.
Floor Walkers Well. there ara floor walk
ers and floor walkers. as there ara sai"swonen
and sulcSwomrn. Occasionally youl find one
MI" regards himself u, = sort OF grand moGul
of the shop. But a. q rulc tho self respecting
snleswom IN will command the respect Of eyen
II ilonr waIIe': It's II delicate question:, The
position l. often abused, everybody believes.
Most OF tho girls are Young, and IN ost young
are thrown in the way, Of the young saleswo-
man. rarticnl"Iiy II she hG pretty; and there
pretty in order to get u place There ls
n"torISas among the saleswomen. The
more than ordinarily attractivs:' they must
dress well, yet their wages, are exceedingly
told me OF this place by 2 friend q milne win