The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1900-08-24
BARGAIN DAY FOR MEN, TOO
The Mania Among Them Qniteas
Acute as Among Women.

Acute as Among women.
A great many time honored jokes
about woman's frailties have in recent
current and the signs indicate that
the bargain counter mania as a subject
for humor will soon drop out of circu-
lation. Probably there are men who
will cling to the old bargain counter
Jokes as pocket pieces. Men are al
established theories about women.
They find the facts Of femininity SO
puzzling that they hold fast to tradi-
.ions-which, having been invented by
men, are suited to their minds, says
the New York Sun.
The fact is that the bargain counter
habit Is not feminine. It Is universal,
and the statesmen in the large stores.
albeit prejudiced witnesses, are obliged
to confess that the mania among men.
If not so prevalent, Is quite as acute
as among women. An advertised sale
of lightweight underwear or golf
stockings for men will draw crowd
equaled only by the mob around a
shirt. waist counter; and as men are
proverbially impatient and haven't
learned, through long experience in de-
partment stores, to wait serenely for q
condescending recognition from sales
man. the excitement usually runs high
around the mems bargain counter.
A woman reporter strolled into a
store one day last week in search OF
an umbrella to replace the last one
she lent, but forgot all about the UNI
brella in her excitement over what
seemed to be football rush in the
center aisle. From the center of the
bunch came frantic cries of Cash"
and an alert floor walker stood near,
evidently acting as referee. The re-
porter edged up toward the fray. She
didn't feel herself justified in distract
ing the attention Of the referee, SO she
controlled her curiosity until another
floor walker hove in sight. Then she
asked breathlessly:
whats the matter?" ~
He looked puzzled.
what are they scrambling for?'
The floor walker grinned expansively
''Sale Of bicycle trousers marked
from $40 to $780,"
The woman gasped.
do men do that sort Of thing?" she
asked in dazed way. The floor walker
smiled again.
"Bless you, should say they did. The
women aren't the only ones The men
have been ten deep in front of that
counter all day. and will say it for the
women they don't lose their temper the
way men do. Maybe It's because they're
more used to the scramble. It's kind Of
q recent thing, this bargain counter
business for men, but it isn't because
the men don't like 1t just as well as the
women do. It's just because there
weren't any bargain counters for them.
We advertised sale Of lightweight un-
derwear at very low figures last Friday
and things were so lively that thought
1t would be wise for me to vacate and
put policeman in my place. We had
to put two men out because they got
mad and swore like pirates. Now the
women don't do that"
The smile on the floor walkers face
suddenly broke bounds and became 8
laugh.
Funny thing about the sale, though
he chuckled. 1--WE were selling the suits
here at 50 cents, and never thought OF
buying any. I'm too big to wear any Of
those cheap grades-can't get them tt
fit. Well. went home that night, an6
my wife says:
"'John, I've got surprise for you
II always feel dubious when she
comes at me that way; but I followed
her upstairs, and there on the bed were
six suits Of the identical underwear, II
been wrestling over all day.
"'I saw them at Smiths for 65 cent:
a suit, and they were such bargain
Just thought I oughtn't to miss the
chance of getting them for you sht
said.
'1t pretty nearly killed her when
told her we were selling them at 81
cents and that couldn't wear them al
any price; but 1t won't keep her from
buying me the next thing she sees tina
seems cheap to her. That's one thing
men haven't got around to yet-they
don't buy bargains for their wives"
That's not because they are wise
but because they are too careless t.
think about It," said the reporter.
"Oh, don't know; I guess it's be
cause they don't know one fiubdub from
another. It would be better II womer
would let these bargains for men alone
Whenever I see woman showing W
into crowd like that. and buying mems
toggery always know there's goins
to be trouble and tears in one family
A woman never does know what mar
will like
Just then man. with his hat on one
side and his necktie festooned along
the top Of his collar. detached him
self from the crowd that was strug
Cling for bicycle trousers. He looked
hot and bad tempered. and the wa,
he thumped himself down upon stoo
suggested a string Of blanks and ex.
clamation points.
We'll. that's enough to drive . mar
to drink he groaned to the hoo,