Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-02-24
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''There IS a field for girls in the drug bus
mess" remarked a 18th street druggist TO
a Star reporter. "as there is a constantly
increasing demand for their services L
could employ two myself If 1 could secure
them. and 1 know of several other drug
gists who are in the same position. For
some reason which l cannot understand
there has been but little opportunity for
girls to learn the drug business until the
past five or six years Our experience with
them. as far as we could secure them, has
been exceedingly satisfactory. Though the
law and medical colleges opened their doors
to young wor"en some years ago. the col
leges of pharmacy held out against them,
and the only way by which girl could
learn pharmacy to get employment in
drug store. Young women have been for
some years employed in many drug stores
as cashiers and as soda water clerks, but
somehow they are never allowed to learn
the art Of compromising prescriptions. A
few of the homeopathic pharmacies broke
the ice and instructed young women to
compound their medicines, and with this
knowledge Of the business a starter
many Were installed in the drug stores
They proved themselves to be excellent pre-
scription clerks. and there many physi-
clans who would rather have them COM
pound their prescriptions than men. OF
course, IL is not possible for a girl to learn
the drug business unless she has a substan-
tial education and taste for it. II repre-
sentS a great amount of work and many
more hours in day, and every day in the
week. than almost any other calling.
fundamental knowledge of Latin is neces-
sary. but after one gets into the inside of
the business it will be found that there Is
more everyday English in it than Latin AS
far as compensation is concerned. though
the salary paid to learners is small, after
young woman is competent enough to be
afNtR
law is necessary for all who compound
prescriptions and prepare medicines. it will
be found that the salaries paid are some
what higher than those paid to the aver
age store clerk. The only difficulty in the
matter is that it means long hours every
day, and. like preachers, We have to work
on Sundays.
x
THE reduction in the price of typewriting
machines. which has been expected for so
long, is sure to follow now and very socn"
explained bidder for furnishing typewrit-
ers to a Star reporter. 1T was hurried
along tremendously by the action of the
Navy Department in asking for bids for
furnishing the department 80 machines
The result of the bidding has not yet been
officially announced, though the figures
have been made public. From the bids it
Will be seen that the figures ran all the way
from ST TO So. for what are known as
LriAit lIlstCLllltS- Inc pubic Knows,
at least We in the trade know, that the
price for typewriters has been kept I'D by
a combination of interests involved or 1t
would have followed the tumble in bicycle
prices. The ordinary typewriter costs
about much TO construct as the ordinary
bicycle. about $50 in round numbers
This includes the cost of the guarantee of
one year and that of transportation to the
user The rest is profit, minus that which
! costs 10 Keep the machine before the
public by advertisement Those typewrit-
erS which We're offered the Navy Depart
ment at prices ranging from $50 to- $40 cost
about as much to construct as those which
Were offered at the top price Of ST.. 1t is
understood in the trade that the Interior
Post Office and Treasury Departments pro-
pose soon to ask for similar bids. though
these Will ask for more than 30 machines
each per year There will be even livelier
bidding to supply those machines. Should
one If the so-called unknown machines
be adopted the standard at a figure near
the cost Of construction it will cause a
break in the price for typewriters in less
chan year by at least ~ per cent This,
Of course. will he denied. So also was de-
MED, and authoritatively denied. statements
made a year before the break occurred
in the price Of sewing machines. and later
on in regard To the price charged originally
for bicycles. There are lots of us who re-
member when the average price charged
for sewing machines was from $40 to 500.
The extension of the patents them was
denied by the patent office and also by
Congress. to which formidable appeal was
made. backed by combination of the four
leading sewing machines. representing mil
lions Of invested capital Today the aver
age price is about 500 This came about in
consequence Of the patents becoming pub
lie property. for if the machine companies
did not reduce the price to something
nearer the cost Of production others
would
= x i
1T is a fact. though not generally
hat = frSt a
circus man was made in Washington"
volunteered an old circus rider who Is now
a clerk in an uptown department to a Star
reporter ''as il is also fact thar his en-
aging in the circus business came about
from u suggestion Of a Washington boy,
Hugh COyIe- In the fall of 49,; C5yle who
had been employed during the previous
summer a drummer in the bdnl connect
ed with Gardner. Hemning ( COmpany's
circus. returned to Washington. having jill
isked his engagement. the circus @oiHg into
winter quarters W. E. Sim was then run-
ming Canterbury Hall. on Louisiana ave
nue.. a variety theater and he gave
Coyle job selling tickets. Ii never SOD
any. however. for in talking over circus
matters with Sim he said he thought ii
would be a good thing and make barrels
OF homogeneous people always talk OF
money by the barrel-if a winter circus
was opened up in Washington. The war
filled the city with soldiers AMI they spent
money freely Coyle further suggested that
as the circus he had been with was doing
nothing. he thought it could BE- brought
here, but that to make it as attractive rs
possible there should be some animals So
cured lip to that time Barnum nad been
before the public only as the proprietor Of
hall shows and museums. 1t was known
that he had about a dozen old bears in
New York which the people here had tired
OF. and he thought they might be secured.
Correspondence was entered into with the
owners OF the circus, Adam Foreplugn
James T. Cooper and John O'Brien al of
AN EARNES