The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-12-25
DUPLICATE CHRISTMAS GIFTS.
The Chicago Way of Making Good the
Mistake of Santa Clause.
From the chicago Daily tribune.

From the Chicago Daily Tribune.
Did you see a young woman on the
street car yesterday with a big bundle
under her arm? Did you see an old woman
with a parcel in her lap? Perhaps you
noticed an old gentleman on the other
side of the car with a package bullying
from his overcoat pocket, and a dudish
young fellow carrying a pasteboard box
like that in which you received your last
pair of slippers? If you rode on the street
cars you must have seen all this, and if
you were close observer you might have
noted disappointed expression on the
faces OF these bundle carriers. II you
had taken the trouble to watch the young
woman when she got off the car at Mad
ison street you would have seen her make
a bee line for one of the big jewelry stores.
The old gentleman, the old lady and the
dudish young fellow might all have been
followed into different downtown stores
All this is explained by the fact that yes
terday was the day after Christmas and
that the wishes of people are not always
consulted when Christmas gifts are pur-
chased. 1t is safe to say that half of the
business done in the downtown stores
yesterday was exchange and not sale.
This has been the rule for years in Chi
cago as well as in other big cities, and
it will continue in force until giftmakers
find some way of ascertaining to a nicely
the desires of those upon whom they wish
to bestow favorS. When that is done a
great sigh of relief will be heaved by the
army of statesmen upon whom the arduous
duties of holiday week leave a tired feel
ing.
Without actual observation one can
scarcely form n idsau of 10
amount of bother imposed upon the clerks
in the downtown stores by dissatisfied re-
cipients of Christmas presents. They be-
gan to throng the street cars early yester-
day morning with bundles and packages,
and were almost as numerous as last Sat
urday's shoppers in the stores before noon.
AS they presented their parcels to the
clerks at the exchange counters they Of
fered few explanatory remarks.
My husband gave me these handker-
Chiefs said a smiling young woman to
a clerk in a large dry goods store, land
mamma gave me a dozen more. Can 1
exchange these for something else?"
Certainly, madam" said the clerk, with
an effort to be urbane.
He bought them with the understanding
ing that you would exchange them" she
continued. You know we trade here,
and I'm glad you are so accommodating.
=
What do you wish to exchange these
handkerchiefs for?" the clerk asked.
why, / declare, l haven't thought
about that. What do you think I'd better
get. Milhe?" said she. turning to her COM
panion.
A score of shoppers with bundles in
their arms crowded behind the woman and
waited for her to make up her mind. The
clerk started to hand back the handker-
chiefs, when she solved the problem.
Wouldn't you, Miller
Mile said she thought she would. The
exchange clerk rapidly scrubbed ticket,
and business was once more resumed, to
the apparent satisfaction of the crowd.
Il always dread the day after Christ
mas said one of the exchange clerks in
a large down town shop as he started
out to get his luncheon. To me it's the
hardest day of the year. / wouldn't mind
it so much If the women would talk
straight business when they come up to
the counter to make an exchange. But
they generally feel called upon to explain
why they don't like their Christmas pres
ent, and if permitted some of them will
inform us about everything they received
and from whom. One woman told me to-
day that her husband gave her a gold
watch, her father gave her a set Of china,
her mother gave her some flannel gar
ments for the baby and her daughters
united in buying her a rocking chair
While she was telling of this list of pres
ents a dozen persons stood around wait
ing for their turn. She was pleased i'm
mensely with what Christmas had brought
her with the exception of bottle of per-
fumery from her son. He had selected a
bottle of Swiss lilac. She wanted Jockey
club.
1t must not be understood that the dupli-
cation of gifts and the fastidiousness of
tastes are the only causes operating to
make trouble for the exchange clerks.
Much of it is due to the necessity imposed
upon merchants during the holiday trade
Of employing extra clerks. They are mex
perienced and prone to make mistakes in
filling orders, especially in articles of ap-
parel. In all of the large stores these
clerks are discharged the day before
Christmas, as the holiday rush is then
practically over. So. when John Jones
goes to poke his feet into the slippers his
wife gave him and finds that his feet are
too large, Mrs. Jones goes back to the
store prepared to speak her mind to the
clerk she traded with, but cannot find
the clerk. Her only recourse is the ex-
change counter, along with thousands
of others who have given something
either too small or too large.
From the comments made by clerks and
managers in other business establishments
the conclusion might be reached that as
the world grows olders it's people become
n rdeT- n plea