The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-06-18

the bonkl OF the OnlO, where tlo FlAltbo
store Ii the only possible resort OF the
community. and where dry goods boxes
afford the only place OF comfort for the
whites away the hours that have Moth
ting else to MI them except the usual VII
Iage gossip. We are now n metropoli-
tan city, with all the characteristics and
hnbillments OF city. We have put on
the swaddling clothes Of rural life. We
have left the days when the grass grew
upon the streets and the greatest excite
ment was the arrival OF a stranger In
town. True, there are some people
there who have not gotten away from
those days, and there are some others
who would like to return to them, and
thereby again be the FIRST Mt Phillip
rather than mlngle with the crowd at
Rome" but fortunately those people are
IN q great minority, and are not having
great influence on the town and Its COM
mercial interests. No, while some won't
admit II, and others don't like 1t, the
fact Is that we have left the age Of VIII
laEa existence, and should have all the
customs and pleasures and benefits OF
a more metropolitan condition. Certain
things were well enough when the only
interesting event OF the day was the
arrival OF the daily steamer. That day
10 gone and gone forever. and we should
turn our faces 10 the future, full as It is
with bright promises OF still greater and
better days TO come.
To Sell a BOX OF Matches.
IAN the rest Of the people In our town
seem to have fully gotten away from
these early things except the retail mer-
chants, and they have only about one
YrBtIge OF them remaining, and that In
the custom OF keeping their stores open
as long as there Is possibility of selling
a box of matches, or as long as they can
keep from falling asleep on tho coun-
tiers.
LET us look at this matter a little.
The retail stores all over the country
are open at o'clock. some OF them ear
lIer. Nearly every merchant Is at his
store at or near that time. The store
must be put In shape for the business
OF the day, the stock must be restored
10 the condition at the beginning OF the
previous days business. and be made
as presentable as possible, the daily
renovation OF the building must be at
tended TO, some delayed orders are TO be
filled. and no matter how good and care
full and experienced your clerk may be.
all these things are never done quite so
we'll as when you are there yourself. A
good beginning IN this respect never
makes a bad ending. To get there for
these preliminary duties takes you away
from your family in hurry before you
nre half awake. and while most OF the
family are stIIl IN bed. Casting hur-
ried glance at the sleeping beauties
cuddled up coZlly In the arms OF Nor
pheus. growing out 10 your wife Few
breakfast comments over rolls and cof-
fee. you rush from the house with
grunt and a slam OF the door. still half
asleep, not In very good humor, and
only half rested from yesterdays la
bors. The walk TO the store puts a lit
tie more humor into your weary brain
and fatigued carcass. and you reach the
store in fair condition. already some-
what excited over the proposed success
Of the day. And, by the way, don't you
know that with this thing OF working
from sixteen 20 eighteen hours every
day, we spend about the only time when
we are fit companions for man or beast
In tho store?
"once there, the excitement begins. It
Is rush and push all day. Under tho
stimulation and excitement OF business
we work away without thought OF ia
tigue. It Is success that keeps uH up.
II Is the anxiety OF business that dead
ems the physical sensation OF WEAKNESS,
As long as the customers are coming
thick and fast, we think not OF anything
hui the strenm OF golden shekels that H.
flowing Into our Golfers. But along
about nine, ten or eleven O'Clock II is all
over. The curtain goes down and the
store r. quiet. The busy hum OF Indus
try Is stillcd and the reaction comes all
at once We squat upon some friendly
counter. seeking strength enough TO
make the Journey home. We get there
finally without enough life left In US to
mike US socIable even with our own
families. We are too tired 10 be Inter
estlng or interested. We are In not
much bettcr humor than when we left
in the morning. II there are any child
rem around, instead OF entering into
their hide and seek" we would rather
they would hide In bed and seek the
soothing effects Of childhcod's Stun
Der. 4 glance at the morning paper, not
seen until then, and We retire to expert
enc0 the restless sl"cp OF too tired
brain and body. only to awake half rest
cd TO go through the same routine on the
morrow. Such IL the every day life of
the merchant whose store does business
for fourteen or sixteen hours each day.
There IL no fun about II. There Is no
rest about II. From morning till night
Il Ia 20 nii the time. There are thou
sand things TO be attended. Customers
must be pleased, stock must be nrrang-
cd, accounts must be looked after. an
infnlte number OF matters engages the
attention of the merchant none OF
which is not important Thus 1t Is from
Z O'clock in the mbrninG until 10 or II
o'clock at night.
1--WE, and we alone, are compelled TO
remain in the hot afr OF n store-room
until late in the night, and then weary
and worn, wend our way TO our homes
after most OF the people have retired
for the nights rest. We get acquainted
with our families on Sundays, and even
n downy couch or an easy chair Is the
most that we often desire.
The GrocsI'S Gray IIairs.
Let us observe few OF the results
OF this continuous grind and eVerlast-
ing strain. In the first place. 1t is most
injurious, physically. Where VIII you
go TO find the young men who have the
most aged appearance? Where VIII
you see gray hairs cr1wninB the young
est fnce? Nowhere else than among
the merchants OF this country. They
live several years in one. They IRE
drawing continually and necessarily
from the reserve force which should re-
main untouched until the shndeA
of life are gathering. when II should
come in to make a good and in some de-
gree vigorous old age. But the young
merchant Is using this when he should
be adding to Il. You know the result
OF continually diminishing instead OF
Increasing your bank account 1t Is
precisely the same condition that the
man who persists In overtnXlng the
nerVnnA rYstrm finds himself confront