The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1896-01-20
MEMS CHARACTERISTICS.
How They Are Utilized by the Vendors Of
Daily Newspapers.

Daily Newspapers.
Part of the stock In trade of the keepers
of newsstands Is their memory. Not only
can they remember the faces of their GUS
toners, but they know at glance, almost
without thinking, what particular paper
the customer takes every morning. There
Is woman with newsstand mt one OF
the IL" stations in Harlem who does q
rushing business 800 days in the year She
has hundreds of customers, yet she knows
each one as he comes along and gets his
paper ready TO be passed to him.
Let customer change his paper, and
the next day she is ready with two papers,
the new one as well as that which he has
been In the habit of taking. She holds
them both toward him, watching his eye
Us she does so. Before he Is aware that he
has mado his wish known the particular
paper he wants is in his hand. She has
caught the glance of his eye and knows
whether no has decided to go back to his
old love or to take up with his choice OF
yesterday morning.
She mover makes n mistake. If sho
should chance to hand man the wrong
paper, IL is because he has changed his
mind suddenly, ut the very instant, and
she has not had time to follow his tickle
mentality. On Sunday tho man may take
several papers. After the first Sunday she
has them all bundled up for him rs soon
as he is in sight, or, IL he sends one of his
children or a servant, she knows the new
conner after seeing him or her once, and
the papers arc ready regularly.
Some regular customers do not always
have the money ready, or may be in n
hurry to catch the train. IL is all one to
her. Tho customer waves his hand In
token of his desire for her TO put 1t on
tho slate" and she smiles an acquiescence.
She has,scores of little accounts like this,
but sLo never writes them down. Her
memory is enough When the time comes
for settlement, she can tell tho figure with
out hesitation, even II she happens to DO
serving two or three other people at tho
same instant Her mental books always
balance.
IL was after the morning rush, and she
had little time, the other day, when she
was asked how she contrived to remember
every one with whom she did business.
"Oh, It comes natural" she said.
'"There Is always little popularity about
every One and / fix that popularity In
my mind almost without knowing 1t.
One man has certain kind of walk, an
other smile, another quick, jerky way,
another n scowl, and SO on. Then there Is
something about a persons dress that
keeps him in your mind. He may not
wear the samo clothes all the time, but
there is something in the way that he puts
them on that makes him distinctive. No
two mon wear their clothes the same way.
You could take suit of clothes and put
them on dozen different men of exactly
the same size, one after the other, and
could pick out each one, IL they all wore
Masks"
"How about womonY
"Oh, there is more difference between
women than men. But then, you never
see two women dressed exactly alike.
women's clothes vary much more than
those of men. With men IL is just coats
and trousers and hats and n cane, and that
Is ALL III it were not for tho individual
characteristics OF mon they would be so
much alike thac no ono could tell thcm
apart. New York Press.