The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-11-25
BUSINESS Is BUSINESS.
But an English Visitor Thinks 1t
More So Here than Elsewhere.
G.. w. Stevens i'm London Mail.

C. w. SIeeNenS, In IOnQOn Mall.
IL would be idle for me- who do not know
the difference between a bill of exchange
and a debenture, to attempt to give any
idea of the methods on which American
business is conducted. j presume that the
law of supply and demand. pending its re-
peal by President Bryan. is much the same
here as at home. Yet A seem to notice "A
keenness, cut-throat ferocity of compet-
spicuous in England. With us the largest
and most largely advertised concerns are
not necessarily the best. nor even reputed
as i understand. of the one unmiStakable
and inimitable distinction. you do not go
to Peter Rcbinson's or Marshall & Smell
groves. but to some little half-lghted shop
in Bond street. So with other commodities.
But here everybody goes to the big store
of the place. for the little ones cannot live
In England-of course with limitations
quality rules the market; in America,
price. For instance. in Philadelphia. every
body goes to Wanamaker's. Mr. Wanna
Republic. and should think he was a rat
Ting good one His store the largest
retail drapery ard hosiery and haberdash
cry and all that sort of business in the
world, and by the recent purchase of a
giant establishment in New York he has
made il more largest still.
Now the working of Wanamaker's. as /
am informed. is this: 1T is no use going
there to get what you want. YoE must go
to get what Mr.. Wanamaker wGuts to sell.
He tells you each morning in the news
papers what he has got to-day. and IL you
want IL you had better go and get it: the
chances are Ii will be gone tomorrow. The
head of each department is intrusted with
"A certain amount of capital and buys his
goods nj his own discretion. But woe unto
quickly. There is rule that no stock may
be i'm the house more than, / think, three
months: after that, off it must so at any
You can always tell when Mr. Wanna
makers in town" said n shop-walker. be
And them e added in Voice of
awe-stricken worship Il believe Mr.
Wanamaker loves change for its own
say for this formula of change for
changes sake is one of the master keys of
American character. Mr. Wanamaker
fine modern French paintings; to beguile
his patrons. To-day he will have an or
chestrion playing. tomorrow a costume
exhibition of spinning girls from all the
lands of earth; every day something new
One day. by moving table six feet, so
that people had 10 walk around it instead
ticle from three shillings TO hundreds of
pounds. If that is not genius, tell me what
ii is.
But the really Napo.eonic--I was going to
say demoniac-feature of the Wanamaker
system Is the unsrring skill with which II
reaps its profits out of the necessities of
others. Fixing his price according TO the
economic doctrlne OF final utilitv-taking
no account. that is. of the cost of produc-
ton. out oniy OF the price at whlch most
pepole Will find IL worth their while to
buy-Mr. Wanamaker realizes 10 per cent.
for himself. and an enormous saving for
the consumers.
a cargo Of rose trees had been sold from
Holland TO a firm of florists. which failed
while the plants were in midocean. They
went a-begging until Mr.. Wanamaker
bought them no and put them on the mar
ket at about half the rate current in Phil
adelphia. In ten days not one of the
twenty thousand was left. A firm which
manufactured Cne-hundred- dollar bicycles
found itself withou ca sh TO meet its La
bilities. Mr.. Wanamaker bought up the
stock and altered the makers label with
the price TO S66 and subsequently to S33
They all went off in a week or so. He
bought the plates OF a huge edition OF the
one-hundreo-dollar Century Dictionary. al
tered the title page bound them for him.
s~ls and pvt the ARTICLE on the market at
$3.50. in six weeks ne had sold two thou
sand. A firm in California. which manu-