The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-16
TEACHING THE SHOP GIRLS.
,vsTRUCTIoN IN THE ART OF KEEP
ING TALLY PROPERLY.

THGTRICl1VN AN SAAA - VT
ING TALLT PROPERLY.
-
..,oo, at the TOP or the stere where rhsy
Y.,rn All About the "Tnliy-on.Tops, sys-
,,,. .wm Cslln Checks ana Trans.
mr.-ssparatc 1nstruct,on fr the wen.
:, "a n queer kind Of school. The lessons
taught in It arc unique. II is not public, nor is
Il run on philsnthropioal principles, yet there
40 no tuition fees charged. Tho pupils cit in q
row at long deal tables facing tho teacher, with
,hoir COPY books outspread before them and
nsncils in their hands. Some faces are
alive with interest, others stolidly indifer-
ant. Some betray porplexity as thoy fail
N catch q meaning. Tho school IL co.
educational, though the sexes arc taught
scnsrately, and no rewards or prizes are ever
given. although examinations arc frequently
held to test the degree Of proficiency attained.
Tho management takes great pains with its
pupils, and those who show aptitude for the
task can have private instruction on any point
they may have failed to grasp. Except in a gen.
eral sense, tho instruction gained would not
avail the pupils In any situation In life save in
the particular sphere In which they move at
prcscnt. The instruction room 10 q long, mar
row chamber on the top floor of a big de-
pnrtment store In the shopping district,
The chamber Is flooded with sunlight from
the undraped windows. and the schoolmaster
strides rcstlcssly up ana down, with his hands
In his pockets, explaining, eNpostulating, and
occasionally glnncing over the shoulders Of his
pupils to see II they are taking down the lesson
properly. Tho pupils are the salosoeople ON
ploycd In tho various departments of the store.
The teacher Is q man commissioned ~specially
BY tho house to instruct the employees In tho
workings OF the buying and selling system, as
pr,cticcd In their particular establishment.
81 T. -
Of young women from the departments on the
two frat floors. After they have boon coached
Q new relay Of scholars takes their places. to be
followed later by other classes as fast as they
can be spared from tho various departments.
Now, young ladies'" begins the teacher; 81
wish to speak to you particularly on the subject
OF wrong addresses. Numerous errors have
come to us from the basement this pnst week,
and you must know that such carelessncss
causes infinite confusion, besides much needless
expense to tho house. I want you all to pay
particular attention to what Is said this morn
ing and get fresh light on the subject.
Miss Allen, how many wrong addresses arc
registered against youT"
-Four" says Miss Allen, with the color
deepening in her cheeks. "but three were not
my fault. Two were wedding presents and the
people had moved, and tho lady who wanted
the other one sent did not know the number"
And how about tho fourth oneH' says the
teacher.
well. in that Columbus avenue case, I think
tho clerk at the transfer office Is to blame; he
copied down tho wrong name"
The teacher mods speculatively. perhaps -
no says. and that about the wrong number
may be true in one or two cases, but It is pre-
sumed that most Of the people who buy things
know where they live and whore they want the
thin-a .a.k Tnkhk~ q -,~ok r...r 4.
TO careless writing or inattention. Now, each
II you write out . name and address on
your book and pass 1t to mo for inspection. Then
viii he able to SEQ whether or not tho clerk at
the transfer oflce is to blame for not making 1t
out correctly"
And are my wrong addresses to stand against
nc T. inquiries Miss Allen. She looks mutinous.
II can't help It II people move and the shoppers
don't know it."
Proceed with the lesson says the teacher.
"lll inquire into all circumstances later"
Pencils are busy for a moment, and then in
s~pcction begins.
"A large, bold hand Is useless, entirely out
OF place in this work. comments the instructor.
"Whcre much is to DO set down in little space
1t is nonsense to mako q single word extend
clear across the tally. You must learn to write
In n small. neat hand. What Is this name Miss
Brownr
Manly" speaks up Miss Brown.
mfrs. Robert Manly. 118 West 116th street.
Well, the figures are obscure enough, and tho
eight looks like a naught. Inever should have
called that Manly No wonder the transfer
clerk gets puzzled. II that address was tackled
on to IA bundle and 1t was sent to Mrs. Blank.
ITO West lI6th,' instead Of 1ls, you alone
would be TO blame. Some off-day I am going to
h9 aSo ySu 2 Rau up here d gIraeticiia inf a m sT I'LL hand hand. .,
our SYST en- and what IL meana"
ccla%P; twiTiIns her pencil Ssst%eoni her Sa;G palms, iIi;s
1T means that a tally is kept Of every sale
that we make during the day on top, Of the
IFS a throe,ply tally"
.r si' ,R means nnot that n we are all our own bookkoeD-
."Exactly, said tho teacher, THAI is what
4 means when you keep 1T as it should DO kept.
tally either on tho top or on the bottom. This
tally, or register. that you roll up during tho
Fster to any transaction at n moments notice.
What . more, this tally" unwinding the long
Ter YOU are called BY and the number int Of your
6%spartment. and kept for three months. until
The customer has passed, You should remem.
SiT that Ia and write plainly, 50 that the address
about as badly as it could be-, and he passed
"ounu vi critlClslH u. Dlurreu ana corrected
record Of a mornings sales. 1.-THE man who kept
toat tally has the eighteen mems suits that nc
sold put down In good shape. but there IL not a
single address that can be made out at all. II
any one OF these suits goes. wrong, or Is wanted
10 be exchanged, there will be trouble"
An arm clothed In a red sleeve was brandished
from the further end of the table. and the own
u. Igainlng permission to speak. questioned thus:
want to know what should be done In q
case like thisi" she said. Il try to treat
customers politely. as you tell us. and l write
now, a lady yesterday bought some goods and
she wanted them sent. She said she had Just
moved TO Staten Island and that she didn't
Know the number OF the house and she wasn't
certain, of the name Of the street. but that the
man who, had moved out of the house knew,
and that no lived on the next block and would
receive the goods. The goods were to be sent g.
~ and | told her that didn't think the man
on the next block would pay for them. She
seemed to be sure that he would. and she gave
ne three other packages that she had bought at
Sinerent stores to wrap up with them. ] got 30
clustered, but l took the mans address and then
got TO thinking that II the bundle went wrong