The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1895-08-01
WAYS OF BUSINESS.

:.
THE MERCHANT WHO coRREcTs
ONLY ONE KIND OF MISTAKE.
A Severe Criticism Of the Ways of Shop
keepers and Cashiers-The Steamboat
Clerk who Said. owe Never Reotify 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 a cash account. But why in
all bookkeeping systems. from banks to
the smallest retail shop, is it invariably
the customer who gets cheated if any
body? Tell me, ye winged winds, which
DER my pathway roll! 1t is useless to
contradict and say that it isn't. The
one exception in a thousand years does
not count against the millions of oppos-
ing instances. I have lately read the
pathetic account by some recluse, who
never goes shopping. of the bloodthirsty
monsters who take more change than is
due them and stalk out, leaving no ad-
dress behind them, little rocking the
sufferings of the poorly paid employee
who has to make good the deficit out Of
his or her own pocket. Fudge! No such
mistakes occur, or, if they do, they are
rarer than fresh vegetables on country
table. In all large establishments there
is a hawk headed Horus at the desk
waiting to pounce 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 So
bill too much in change when paying
after supper. There was something OF a
crowd, but that mistake would have
made itself evident to me in mob. l
dashed back and said, .'You've made a
mistake in my change"
Cant help that" said the lordly
clerk. eve never rectify mistakes here. .
ooh. you don't?'' retorted the head Of
the party. "Well, it will cost you some
thing this time, for you have given us
| SIS too much. But if you never rectify
mistakes you are the loser for once. "
It is foolish to dwell ON the sequel,
and /. have forgotten it. I only remem-
Der that the young man, pale and agi-
tated, danced in suppication around the
unmoved figure of the stern admonisher
for some minutes Isuppose he got his
money, and dare say there was no law
upholding one in keeping it, but hope,
at this distance Of time, he didn't. One
day, not long ago, was at furnishing
4 shop in State street, Chicago, buying q
tie. The price was 81. so, and I present.
ed the man with q 50 bill He swung
/ over the little birdcage ON telegraph
line and it came swiftly back with sc
cent piece. Seeing another tie for that
price, I handed back the change an6
was about to leave, when voice came
from the elevated desk at the other end
.Hii This half dollar is counterfeitr
4 Although it was public place and
am a retiring lady, I burst wildly forth
into clarion shout Of Joy. 1t is SO sci
dom modest customer has the chancl
4 of behelding "a natural enemy caugh
j with his own quicklimes The mortified
4 tion Eofo the salesman serving me wa
i something to sea-. tt did me. good for''
iwhole day Sending 9 counterfeit hal
| dollar cheerfully and with promptitud!
I IN change and repudiating it on its 70
I turn the next 'fhinutell eIt wSs u shar]
y Ratfiee and q little too sharp. EsF -
Il Everybody who shops much know
ditbat it ,,is next to impossible to get
i .'returned' article credited, or, indeed
!; called for. + you take two rings on ap
prevail mention rugs because yo'
can't very we'll return, them by hand7
and state clearly and plainly and owe
and over, the price OF the one You hay
i kept and the one you wish returned
you are more likely than not to fin
both on your bill the next month, ant
Won are likely to find the rug day aftel
day littering your hall unless you tele
. phone twice a day and end by founcin'
down yourself in arage and demanding
its instant removal OF course If it ]
kept long you are charged with it, any
wsy:s TIE Other night, when it was yer,
. hot, some friends Of a lady in moderat
circumstances dining with her suggest
}, ed drive in the park. One OF the me-
telephoned for landau, and at the en-
, Of the drive paid for it. The next wee
, the bill came into the lady. Now Q
, course this was an accident. But VIII
! doesn't the other accident ever happen
Why should thousands Of bills come i
to be paid twice, while by no Oversight
or bad management does a bill ever &c
forgotten or overlooked? Money getting
} grasping, greedy generation Of shoI
: keepersl Business is business, If 20
i like, but business need not be a cut
throat, bloodthirsty system of demand
r ing what is not due, need it? Must it
in this way that men grow rich?
> It is because only one kind OF mis-
3 takes occur that one is justified in thinl
ing that only one kind is guarde
. against. The customer has to look OF
: for himself and the shopkeeper too. II
shopkeeper only looks out for himself
As for the breaking of promises, tt
! calm delays and the superb indepent
7 ence Of "purveyors, words fail N
.1cv,;,& %1,oir oouraus