The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1892-1907, 1895-09-21

I severe crisicixa u the wAys u Shop
keepers and Ca.hiers-Ths Steamboat
Clerk Who Said. 1--WE Never Rsctify MIS-
takes Here"
No one perceives the wisdom. and in
deed the necessity. Of accurate book
keeping more fully than your humble
servant. who can't keep books to save
her life and who finds herself approach
ing dementia every time she endeavors
to balance cash account. But why in
all bookkeeping systems, from hanks to
the smallest retail shop, is it invariably
the customer who gets cheated if any
bodys Tell me. ye winged winds. which
Ger my pathway roll! 1t is useless to
contradict and say that it isn't. The
one exception in thousand years does
not count against the millions Of oppos-
ing instances. I have lately read tho
pathetic account by some recluse, who
never goes shopping, of the bloodthirsty
monsters who take more change than il
due them and stalk out, leaving no ad-
dress behind them, little rocking the
sufferings Of the poorly paid employee
his or her own pocket. Fudge! No such
mistakes occur, OK. If they do. they are
rarer than fresh vegetables ON country
table. In all large establishments there
is hawk headed Horus at the desk"
waiting to pouace ON mistake in the
customers favor Of cent, and many's
the time every one Of US can testify the
little slips have been returned to be cor
rected Of mistakes to our credit, while
We fumed
Thank goodness, there are instances
in which the sharpshooters have wound
ed themselves. Once was on sound"
boat going from New York to Fall River,
and the man at the desk gave me a $5
bill too much in change when paying
after supper. There was something Of u
crowd. but that mistake would have
made itself evident to HE in q mob. I
dashed back and said. you've made a
mistake in my change"
Can't help that, said the lordly
clerk. I'VE never rectisy mistakes here "
"Oh, you don't?" retorted the head Of
the party Well. it will cost you some
thing this time. for you have given Us
Is too much. But if you never rectify
mistakes you arc the loser for once"
1t is foolish To dwell on the sequel,
and have forgotten it. only remem-
Der that tho young man, pale and agi-
tated, danced III duplication around the
unmoved figure Of the stern admonisher
for some minutes. l suppose he got his
money. and dare say there was no law
unfolding one in keeping it, but hope,
at this distance of time, he dldn't. One
day, not long ago, was at u furnishing
shop i'll State street, Chicago, buying a
tie. The price was 81. so, and present.
ed the man with q 81 bill He swung
over the little birdcaSe on a telegraph
line and it came swiftly back with so
cent piece. Seeing another tie for that
price, handed back the change and
was about TO leave. when a voice came
from the elevated desk at the other end
Hi! This half dollar is counterfeit p
Although it was public place and I
am retiring lady burst wildly forth
into clarion shout Of joy. 1t is SO sell
+ dom a modest customer has the chance
Of beholdins natural enemy caught
with his own quicklime. The mortifica-
/ ton OF the salesman serving me was
nn,ethiny to see. IL did me good for a
J :bolo day. Sending counterfeit half
dollar chcerfully and with promptitude
/ in change and repudiatinS it ON its re-
turn the next minute! IL was a sharp
/ game aud u little too sharp
/ Everyb ,dy who shops much knows
/ that it il nexs to impossible to get q
'returue'." article credited, or. indeed.
called for. If you take two rugs on ap-
prevail mestiuu rugs because you
can't very well return them by hand
and state clearly and plainly and over
/ and over the price Of the one you have
kept and the ono you wish returned.
you are more likely than not to find
both Oh your bill tho next month, and
you arp h;ely to find the rug day after
day EtteriiiS your hall unless you tele-
phone twice day and end by fiouncing
down yourself in rage and demanding
its instant removal OF course il it is
kept long you are charged with it. any
way. The other night, when it was very
hot, some friends Of lady in moderate
circumstances dining with her suggest
ed drive in the park One Of the men
telephoned for landau. and at tho end
Of the drive paid for it. The next week
the bill came into the lady. Now Of
course this was an accident. But why
/ doesn't the other accident ever happen
Why should thousands Of bills come in
/ to be paid twice, while by no oversight
| or bad management does a bill ever get
forgotten OF overlooked: Money getting,
| grasping, greedy generation Of shop
! keepers! Business is business, il you
| like, but business need not DO n cut
throat, bloodthirsty system Of demand
| ing what is not due. need it? Must it be
! in this way that men grow rich?
! It is because only one kind Of mis-
takes occur that one is justified in think
ing that only one kind is guarded
against The customer has to look DOT
| for himself and the shopkeeper too. The
shopkeeper ouly looks out for himself
As for the breaking Of promises, the
calm delays and the superb independ-
ence Of '.purveyors. words fail me
when l attempt to depict their aggrava-
tons Success breeds contempt. i: seems,
and the only way to get thing done
promptly is to patronize little up town
place where they cant do it.-Mme
Lorgnette in Chicago Post.
Against Racing Of Liners.
Our Paris correspondent tells us that
the French admiralty is preparing a bill
to put an end TO racing by ocean grey