News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1901-09-11
QUAKER CITY QUIRKS.

shame ana disgrace TO true WOHldn-
hood, the erratic, frantic Carrie Ma
ton with her little Ratchet has just
departed from Philadelphia, much to
the regret of the bowling mob of
street urchins, but to the relief OF
citizens in general. Carrie is simply
a mentally unbalanced, freakish, old
woman who ought not to be allowed
outside of an asylum. Seeing her for
a few moments, at a hotel where she
vas stopping, there was revealed TO
me heavy, shapeless m~atronlv figure
freakishly dressed, topped off by a
still heavier face out of which has
gone the light of refinement, or even
intelligence, and augmented by a
head of hair in great disorder. Three
or four fullgrown men, as press agent,
general manager, body guard, ETC.,
are making a tour with her as the
great attraction. At Atlantic City
the advertising man attempted to
make a deal with the keeper OF a sa-
loon whereby Carrie might be allowed
to smash the plate-glass front and
go unmolested if the agent would
make good all damages; the saloon
ist didn't take. The Ratchet weilder's
work here was mostly confined to as
saulting men and boys and pulling
pipes and cigarettes from their
mouths. She did however clear one
bar of it's drinking glasses and at
tempted to gain admittance to a SO.
called club where liquors were sup
posed to be on the move on Sunday
evening. But she has departed and
Quakerdom breathes easier.
Not so long ago an occasional call
at a tidy, but small, bake shop on
18th Street, in persuit of cinnamon
buns, jelly rolls and doughnuts that
seemed almost like those of kid days
at home, resulted in a "shop ac-
quaintance" with a pert young wo-
man who stood behind the little
counter, rolled up the tempting eat
ables and took the cash. After a little
the bakery changed hands and she
was out of work. She soon applied
fora position in the "Swiss Village, "a
special feature then appearing in the
Wanamaker department store, aud
in that connection it was for me to
investigate The references given by
the applicant. She was accepted and
remained as long as the special
feature remained and then, ambitious
to do more for herself, started to fit
as a nurse. Well, but what of it?
Only this, she has jumpedin int promi-
nence as an heiress and to-day is buy
ing flowers, gum drops, ice cream and
matinee tickets with savings from a
fortune of 500, 900 coming, to her
from an aunt in England.
| have thought it possible that a
few points covering the mechanism
and inside working of a great depart
ment store, with from four to five
thousand employees, might be of
some interest. With this particular
establishment in mind it is one mans
duty to thoroughly investigate and
report to the management all the
special references given by those who
apply for positions, the result being
the factor in deciding the acceptance
or rejection Of the applicant. At each
of the eight entrances a man is on
duty daily-a sort of reception COM
mittee, a walking bureau of informa-
tion-answering hundreds of ques-
tions and directing visitors to the
various departments, preserving
good order, keeping out street ur-
chins, beggers, etc.
Throughout the great store are
fifty or more aisle managers, in some
stores known as floor walkers, each
with a certain territory within which
he is in authority as manager of sales
people, cash boys, and porters; a
referee in questions of dispute, the re-
turn of goods by purchasers, the
special delivery of goods, etc. Ere
quently the management requests a
man, not of the selling force, to go
about in the different departments,
hat on, umbrella or cane in hand, as
an outside customer and ask to be
shown this that and the other, ask
all manner of questions, in fact play
the part of a particular buyer, to as
certain just what sort of attention
visitors to the stores are having
from employees. A report comes from
some competitors store as to new
methods of return or exchange of
goods, refunding of cash, or some in
novation in elevator service or plans
for the comfort of patrons. This
man spends a day among such stores
as a visitor, a purchaser, a change
able minded individual, who wishes
to have his money back for a pur-
chase here and there in his tour and
return to his manager ready to sug-
gest that which will meet and more
than meet new ideas elsewhere. If an
employe fails to show up or send
word for a day or two a man is sent
to search him or her out. 1t may be
found that the male employe has
fallen into temptation; got started
and is at home recovering from his
debauch. With the female it may
appear that the good old mother at
home learns for the first time that
her daughter is not truthful, that in
stead of going to the store each of
the last three days, as she was told,
her daughter had passed the days
elsewhere, just how or where perhaps