Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1895-08-09
WAYS OF BUSINESS.
THE MERCHANT WHO coRREcTs
ONLY ONE KIND or MISTAKE.

ONLY ONE MINI Or MO ANE.
A Severe Criticism of the Ways Of Shop
keepers and Cashiers-The Steamboat
Clerk Who said. owe Never Rectify 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
Ger my pathway roll It 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. / 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
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 a sound
boat going from New York to Fall River,
and the man at the desk gave me 50 |
bill too much in change when paying |
after supper. There was something Of a
but that mistake would have
made itself evident to me in a mob. 1
dashed back and said, 'iYou've made
mistake in my change. "
Cant help that, said the lordly |
clerk. eve never rectify 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
So too much. But if you never rectify
you are the loser for once. "
It is foolish to dwell on the sequel,
and have forgotten it. I only remem-
Der that tho young man, pale and agi-
lated, danced in supplication around the
figure of the stern admonisher
FOR some minutes. suppose he got his
money, and dare say there was no law
lpholding one in keeping it, but hope,
It this distance Of time, he didn't. One
lay, not long ago, was at furnishing
lhop in State street, Chicago, buying a
lie. The price was 81. 90, and I present
ID the man with a 50 bill He swung
,ver the little birdcage ON a telegraph
inc and it came swiftly back with a 80
,ent piece Seeing another tie for that
rice, I handed back the change and
vas about to leave, when voice came
rom the elevated desk at the other end;
Hill This half dollar is counterfeitP'
Although it was a public place and I
m retiring lady, burst wildly forth
1to a clarion shout Of joy. 1t is so sell
ON a modest customer has the chance
( beholding a natural enemy caught
nth his own qpicklime The mortiica-
ion Of the salesman serving me was
1mething to see. It did me good for a
1hole day Sending counterfeit half
Ollar cheerfully and with promptitude
] change and repudiating it ON its re- !
lrn the next minute 1t was a sharp !
anne and little too sharp. 9
Everybody who shops much knows (
bat it is next to impossible to get !,
article credited, or, indeed, =
llled for. If you take two rugs on ap- :,
soval-I mention rugs because you
mt very we'll return them by hand =
i'd state clearly and plainly and over :
i'd over the price of the one you have .
spt and the one you wish returned, -
u are more likely than not to find
9TH on your bill the next month, and y
N are likely to find the rug day after a,
" littering your hall unless you tele-
lone twice a day and end by fiouncing
,wn yourself in a rage and demanding =
} instant removal OF course if it is .
,pt long you are charged with it, any =
az. The other night, when it was very y
It, some friends of lady in moderate -
dining with her suggest o.
a drive in the park. One of the men y
Iephoned for a landau, and at the end -,
the drive paid for it. The next week ="
Q bill came into the lady. Now of -
urse this was an accident. But why -
esn't the other accident ever happen?
by should thousands Of bills come in =,
be paid twice, while by no oversight -
bad management does a bill ever get
-gotten or overlooked? Money getting +
asping, greedy generation of shop
epers Business is business, if you
e, but business need not be cut W
roat, bloodthirsty system of demand ~.
Z what is not due, need it? Must it be
this way that men grow rich?
It is because only one kind Of mis- 90
res occur that one is justified in think 81
, that only one kind is guarded -
linst. The customer has to look out 81 81
himself and the shopkeeper too. The ~,
,pkeeper only looks out for himself ~
for the breaking of promises, the -
m delays and the superb independ- n,
% Of 'puryeyors, words fail me an
en- attempt to depict their aggrava- s+-
ns. Success breeds contempt, it seems, ~.
| the only way to get a thing done e.,
IMPLY is to patronize little up town -;
CO where they can't do it.-Mme. p,
rgnette in Chicago Post.
Read Your Letter Again. be'
Never mail letter written at night ne