The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1895-08-20
WAYS OF BUSINESS.
THE MERCHANT WHO CORRECTS
ONLY ONE KIND OF MISTAKE.

A Severe Criticism of the Ways of Shop
keepers and Cashiers-Thc Steamboat
Clerk Who Said. I'VE Never Rectify Mis-
lakes Here"
No one perceives the wisdom, and in
Seed the necessity, Of accurate book
keeping more fully han your humble
servant, who can't keep books to save
her life and who find 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, We winged winds, which
DER my pathway roll! 1t is useless to
contradict and say that it snt. The
one exception in a thousand years does
not count against the millions of oppos-
ing instances. l 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 adj
dress behind them, little rocking the
suferings of the poorly paid employee
who has to make good the deficit ont Of
his or her own pocket. Fudge! No such
mistakes occur, or, if they do, they are
rarer than fresh vegetables on a country
table. In all large establishments there
is a hawk headed Horus at the desk
waiting to poulce on Il mistake III the
customers favor of l cent, and many's
the time every one Of us can testify the
little slips nave 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 a'sound'
boat going from New York to Fall River,
and the man at the desk gave me a 50
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 i'll a mob. l
dashed back and said, You've made a
mistake in my change
Cant help that" said the lordiy
clerk. 1--WE never rectify mistakes here. .
ooh, you don't?' retorted the head Of
the party. well, it will cost you ONE
thing this time, for you have given US
So too much. But if you never rectify
mistakes you are the loser for once
1t is foolish to dwell on the sequel,
and l nave forgotten it. / only remem-
Der that the young man, pale and agl-
tated, danced in supplicatiOn around the
unmoved figure Of the stern admonisher
for some minutes. l suppose he got his
money, and l dare say there was no law
upholding one in keeping it, but l hope,
at this distance of time, be didn't. One
day, not long ago, l was at a furnishing
shop i'll State street, Chicago, buying a
tie. The price was 81. 80, and l present
ed the man with IA So bill. He swung
over the little birdcage on a telegraph
line and it came swiftly back with a SO
cent piece. Seeing another tie for that
price, l handed back the change and
was about to leave, when a voice came
from tie elevated desk at the other end
Hi! This half dollar is counterfeit =
Although it was a public place and
am a retiring lady, l burst wildly forth
into a clarion shout Of joy. 1t is SO sell
dom a modest customer has the chance
of beholding q natural enemy caught
with his own quicklime. The mortifica
ton of the salesman serving me wa
something to see. 1t did me good for
whole day. Sending n counterfeit hal
dollar cheerfully and with prorlptitud'
in change and r~epudiating it on its re
turn the next minute! 1t was a sharl
game and n little too sharp.
Everybody who shops much knows
that it is next to impossible to get
returned article credited, or, indeed
called for. If you take two rugs on ap
prevail mention rugs because yo'
can't very we'll return them by hand
and state clearly and plainly and owe
and over the price Of the Il you hav'
kept and the Il You wish returned
you are more likely than not to fins
both on your bill the next month, an
YOU are likely to find the rug day afte
day ittering your hall unless you tele
phone twice q day and end by f~iOuncin
down yourself il 4 rage and demanding
its instant removal. OF course If it j
kept long you are charged with it, any
way. The other night, when it was yer
hot, some friends of a lady in moderat
circumstances dining with her suggest
ed q drive i'll the park. One Of the me
telephoned for Il landau, and at the en-
of the drive paid for it. The next wee
the bill came into the lady. Now {
course this was an accident. But VIII
doesn't the other accident ever happen
Why should thousands of bills come j
to be paid twice, while by NJ oversigf
or bad management does a bill ever g
forgotten or overlooked: Money getting
grasping, greedy generation Of shol
keepers! Business is' business, if &c
like, but business need not be a Gu
throat, bloodthirsty system Of deman'
ing what is not due, need it? Must it
in this way that men grow rich!
1t is because only one kind Of mi
takes occur that one is justified in thin
ing that only IL kind is guard'
against. The customer has to look O
for himself and the shopkeeper too. T.
shopkeeper only looks out for himse'
As for the breaking Of promises, {