The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1900-02-24
A COOPERATIVE MARKETER.

whom l market and my salary for th.
work is So, 8oo," Miss Elizabeth Ar
mold admitted when approached anc
asked to talk about her work. 90
may or may not be the only co-opera
tive marketer, but if there are other:
have never heard of them.
II began with three families
friends, who agreed to allow me to dc
their marketing and profit by the the
per Cent. which I could induce the
market men to allow, after the man
ner of shopping agent. That plan
didn't work SO well and l finally in
duced them to try me for six months
on a salary-$Ioo. At the end of
the time agreed upon all the parties
coneerned-mySeit 1nciuded-WcreS SO
well pleased with the result that /
contracted for year.
Realizing that the larger the
quantities of provisions I could buy the
cheaper they would be, l set about to
find other patrons. I succeeded in
getting ten families onthe same terms,
and since that time four others have
been added to my list. These last
additions I would like to say, how
ever, came to me. I did not solicit
their orders, because 1 really did not
care to take more than ten.
"My work is so systematized that
l can tell you just how I manage it
now, though when 1 first began I
fancy it would have been difficult to
make any one understand my many
menoeuvers.
First, of course, I visit each pa
tron, and find out just what they wish
for the next day. Next morning go
to the market with my lists, examine
meats, fish, vegetables, fruits or what
ever 1 am to buy, and give my orders.
Of course / see that every article is
the very best of its kind, and buying
in such large quantities the dealers
are willing to allow me the discounts
they give small dealers. Ny patrons
get the benefit of this discount, so, of
course, their supplies come to them
cheaper. Besides reduction in price
by buying at the market instead of
the corner grocers, they get every
thing as fresh as it can be bought, and
have much greater variety to select
from.
Certainly my experience tells, and
/ am better able to select good provi-
sions than the average cook or even
mistress, though it is very seldom
these days that either of them go to
market. AS rule they coatent them
selves with ordering through their
grocer and butcher and take what
ever he brings them at whatever price
he charges.
"My work, as a rule, is all done
over at $50 o'clock /; then start out
on my round of calls to receive orders
for the next day. I make it a point,
of course, to visit my fourteen house
holds each day, and you can easily
understand how busy / am between
$50 and 10 o'clock. However, they
are all quite near together, SO 1 man
age it very comfortably.
''I have nothing to do with max
ing out the menus, although fancy
it would come into the province of
my work were I not SO busy. For
woman wishing to undertake my bus
mess 1 would advise her to market
for fewer families, and as far as pos
sible make out the menus. Every
housekeeper will ask her advice, and
will in the end leave the greater part
of the selection to the marketer so,
if she would begin correctly, let her
bargain to make the menus for each
day. 1t will not only put more mon
ey in her pocket, but she will be cred
tied with what she really does. Now
I in reality make the menus for a
large majority of my patrons, but l
am benefited by that branch of my
work neither financially nor other
wise. Chicago Reco,d.