The morning call., 1894-05-27
THE HAMBURGER COMPANY.
MARKET STREET.

which has tendency to reduce a man to
the plain level of workaday world,
The drygoOds clerk who tears you off
yard or sells you the whOle piece, with all
the breezy Indifference of long experience,
is probably the only lucky man in the
whole field. He has suffered a little, tits
true, but not enough TO make him feel
very badly and just sufficient to make him
know he IS living on a sphere where un-
comfortable things are more than likely TO
happen.
Two things have helped the dry-goods
clerk to SIT at ease on the pinnacle of good
salary. One of these arises from condi-
ton of the business; the other from the
natural ability of the employee At the
present time the business is divided I'D in
departments, and the clerk in charge of
one OF these must, necessarily, be- a spe-
clallst. One Is an expert on silks aud
laces, another on linens. aud still another
on woolens. To become q specialist q man
must have natural bent. and those lack
ing 1t are many. the consequence is that
those thoroughly up in any partieliar
line are scarce and. for that reason,
command good salaries. Reason the
second has its foundation entirely in the
ability of the clerk to please bis customers,
the m0st afable and accommOd ting, OF
course, having the largest following of
patrons. /; is matter OF common occur
renee IN every dry-goOds esta bHshment for
patrons to ask for Mr.. So and So. They
come 70 buy from him and, If things are so
that his services cannot be had. they
express distaste for the mnistration of
another. This is one phsee OF human na-
tuTe OF which the astute dTy-gOods clerk Is
fully aware and of which he takes more or
Tess occasion 10 use In his own behalf. lie
IS attentive and polite. will take down
shell after shelf of goods. mixing III bits
OF suggestion, which all has the effect of
do fCv 10 NIL nd OF ha
same time, adding to his own clientele.
Should he change employers il is more
than probable that the major portion OF his
admirers would follow him. These, then,
are the considerations which have been
taken into account by employers and
when have maintained really good
standard OF wages. No first-class dry-goOds
man gets less than 500 a month and
number get Sl25
The insurance man is the unhappiest of
the once happy band of highly remuner-
Aleu wor kers. Formerly his working days
were short, and his nights were dazzlingly
May TeVels, in which small birds and large
bottles played prominent parts. tie was.
the darling of the younger set and the
oe light OF the young woman In the chorus.
money flowed TO him like water, and his
brIhclpal occupation seemed 10 be throw
ing 1t TO the birds. 10 tho good old colony
dhys he could 90 out of an afternoon and
commissions were large and his conscience
easy.
Times have changed, and the insurance
man with them. No longer does he dare
dssail the forttlice OF wealth and society
IN shiny plug hat and a sawed-Oh coat.
/ ne nap has all worn off the hat and an
ulster has replaced the sawed.on coat for
prudential reasons.
ms change, at irst glance, seems rather
peculiar, when 1t is taken into considera-
ZION that the Insurance mans commissions
are larger than ever before. But slightly
deeper glance will show the why and
wherefore. Where In other days he could
write dozens of policies, now he can find
put lew who dare TO invest. lie makes
nut low dollars and they are far apart.
mat is why the insurance man is sad.
10 the lst above enumerated are In
GUIDED about all the mortals 10 whom the
public had assigned soft berths on this
earth /. was also generally thought that
no such thing as a common ordinary panic
could affect their standing financially.
ms panic was an iconoclast, however.
anu as has been seen. took the keenest
interest IN shatterinG idols so long dear TO
the public heart.