Evening star., 1901-05-25
HE WHO HAS THINGS CHARGED.
ShOpkeepers Who Prefer Him to the
Man Who Pays Cash.


Man Who Pays Cash.
From the New Orleans Picayune.
Old Ben Franklin, who was once the
highest authority on this side of the sea
on domestic economy, the author of
this maxim: "A nimble sxpence is better
than a slow shilling"
DR.. Franklin meant to express the doc
trine that in business cash customers were
better than credit sales, and as he wrote
in q time when the American states were
British colonies, and English money was
then in vogue, he expressed his maxim in
terms of shillings and pence.
Times have changed since the days of
Poor Nichard,' which was the name over
which DR.. Frankln's .homely wisdom was
given to the public, and apparently in the
great retail stores in cities the cash buyers
are not particularly esteemed.
In an article on shopping in New York,
in the Century Magazine, the writer says:
'Shopkeepers sometimes say that the
cash customer is the profitable one, but
fashion has already deserted those stores
where cash payments are the rule. My cor
ner grocer tells me that if each one of his
customers should insist on paying cash he
would have to employ two extra men just
to make the change. Certainly many of US
could i'll afford the time to wait for it. In
the great retail stores women are some
times detained twenty minutes until half
back to them. There is therefore, in large
cities, where time has value not attached
to it in smaller places, necessity for cred
it's, for having bills and accounts, and a
certain Quixotic sense characterizes the
conduct of those who deClaim against the
custom of accounts
This statement seems to be true every
where in cities The cash customer receives
no favors or special consideration when
shopping, and is always looked upon as a
stranger who will probably never be seen
again in the establishment. while the shop
per whose name goes on the books is well
known and is an object of interest.
There is an old story to the effect that
once a boat capsiZed in the river, throwing
three persons into the water A man on
shore cried out in the most agonizing
manner, begging the people to rescue the
man with the red head With difficulty
the red-headed man was tished out Of the
water while the other two drowned. On be-
ing asked the cause of his intense interest
in the party whose life saved the in
formation was elected that the red-headed
man owed the other S11, and if he drowned,
leaving no estate behind, his death would
make the debt a total loss In this case the
two cash customers We're allowed to drown.
while the man whose name was on the
books saved his own life by being in debt.
Another disadvantage suffered by the
cash customer is that he has less chance
than anybody else of getting credit A per-
son who had bought in the same place for
twenty years and always paid money down
was. on one occasion when the purse had
been accidentally left behind, refused credit
for trillng sum and was denied the bene-
fit of a c. o. D. package, because the
amount was too small for the trouble.
Nevertheless, the buying for cash has
one advantage to the buyer. 1t saves peace
of mind. BY it the housekceper escapes
the sword of Damoces in the shape Of
debts hanging over her.
In the wholesale business, however, the
cash buyer gets his innings. There is for
him a premium his cash, discount
which the credit buyer does not get. Here
he is appreciated, and he is always the re-
cipient of particular attention at the hands
of the "drummers'' and their employ
ers. Cash in the wholesale business has
not lost its attractions.