The Savannah morning news., 1902-08-24

furniture, is bought the agent will ac-
company the patron and arrange to
have it sent at once to it's final des-
tination. But ordinarily the patron
goes shopping any day she wishes and
allows the packages to be sent to the
agents house, where she calls for
them later. The agent keeps strict ac-
count of everything bought by each
patron-when and where purchased. At
the end of each month she pays up
her bills at all the stores promptly.
In the meantime her patrons are re-
turning her the money they owe in
weekly installments varying from fifty
cents to several dollars. according to
the whole amount due. In addition to
this, each patron pays the agent 10
per cent. of the amount advanced for
her in return for the accommodation.
Thus the agent makes twenty per
cent. on every article purchased in
her name-ten from the store at
which it is procured and ten from the
woman who ordered it. She does not,
however, lead an idle life, even though
she does no shopping for her money.
At present her list of patrons num-
bers five hundred, and this entails
such an amount of bookkeeping that
she Is obliged to have the services of
an assistant for the work.
The woman who would make n sue
cess of this credit system" the orig
inator of the scheme said in speaking
of her work, must be one of shrewd
business ability, no nerves, and not
too much heart. There are a great
many dishonest people in this world.
One soon learns that. In spite of the
trouble / take to assure myself of the
reliability of every one l take upon
my list, not half of them pay up as
thew GhnI1l6 Thprp C 10 +1o
tricks which even the women holding
responsible positions will play one.
And you have to be on the alert and
constantly investigate, or they may
lose their positions and afterwards
run up large bills with you without
mentioning the fact Then you have
to call week after week on some of
them to collect what is owing you.
When this happens once with
any patron. however, 1 prompt
ly drop her name from my
list after collecting the first amount
due. 1t doesn't pay to deal with such
people, no matter how many custom
ers one roses. There are always plen-
ty more to take their place. l have
as many all the time as / can pos
sibly accommodate and dozens wait
ing.
ut is a business which pays splen-
ululy IL conducted on strictly business
principles. On bill amounting 70 S25
ask SIS down, and the remaining 500,
with the 81 added as commission, is
paid in weekly instruments of 81 each.
So l gain twenty per cent. on the mon
ey advanced in eleven weeks time.
That is at the rate of min ety-fve per
cent on every dollar invested for the
year.
Last Christmas time l -lettad over
a thousand dollars. / ha re to limit
all my patrons to a certain amount
during December or the oils which
the stores would send on JAM !, would
be more than | could stand for.
never allow any patron unlimited cred
ii at any time. / regulate The maxi
mum amount for which one can iraw
upon me according to her work or po-
sition.
THE spring season. when the wom-
en- lay in their summer wardrobes. Is
another rush season with me Indeed
I don't know of any time which can
be called dull for my patrons are al
most all business women Who are I'm
town even in summer, except for three
or four weeks holiday"