Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-04-11
DELIVERY OF GOODS
An Important Department Of
Every Big Store.
SYSTEMATIC METHODS
SCORES OF WAGONS AND A SMALL
ARMY OF MEN.
How the Packages Are Sorted, Labeled
and Sent Out-A Difficult
Problem.

| Written for The Evening Star by Anna s. Rich
ardson.
Mrs. Miller, 1O47 Broadway. Come on.
or We'll never get table. The lunch room
here is always crowded"
They were pushing their way through the
crowd around the bargain table in New
York store when the clerk called them
back.
Excuse me, but is that in this city," she
asked.
why. of course" replied the shopper, ir-
ritably.
"And your initals?"
"R. B. Miller. Come on, Janet. Did you
ever hear of such fuss over nothing"
The clerk stamped her sale slip vicously
and remarked to nobody in particular, with
considerable JUNCTION:
"She wouldn't call it nothing if her pack
age failed to turn up on this afternoons
delivery. By tomorrow night she'd be tele-
phoning in that delivery system was
the worst ever, and yet she begrudged the
time to give her address accurately. Now,
| this city is full Of Millers, and there's a
| Broadway in every city and town where
we have free delivery system. Did she
| suppose I could tell whether her Broadway
was in New York, Brooklyn, Newark or
| Glen Ridge? Some women think we clerks
are mind readers. No, ma'am, you'll find
| blunder clerk is the hardest worked man
| in this store"
The blunder clerk. who is to be found in
the subbasement of any big department
store, is one of the busiest men in a very
busy department.
Delivery Never Stops.
The modern delivery department like a
certain brand Of detectives, never sleeps
To be sure, there are times when its wagons
Ior NJ
no sign that all hands are resting. deliy-
cry system is worked on two-shift plan
For instance, when the local or city deliv-
| cry Is accom- lished. the day men are re-
lieved by new force of wagon men, who
are in charge of the big vans by which the
| suburban delivery is handled.
This force leaves the store any time be-
tween and o'clock in the evening, reach
| Ing the firms headquarters in the distant
| suburbs by midnight or later At these sta
| tons the van drivers receive receipts for
| their goods and tumble into bed while q
| new force of men unpack the vans and dis
| tribute and route" the goods on the
i smaller wagons sent out from these points
The next day at noon the van drivers re-
| turn to the station, take charge of their
| empty vans, drive back to town and report
at the store for another night trip. In the
| meantime the suburban delivery force is
accomplishing its task; and so, day and
night, the work goes on with the regularity
| and precision of clockwork.
| When cog slips, no matter how small
| there is trouble from one end Of the sys-
tenn to the other. 1t is to prevent the slip
| ping Of cogs that every important firm
| gives special attention to it's delivery serv-
ice, and employs some of it's shrewdest men
to keep this end Of the business moving
smoothly.
Just as mail clerk must know the map
| Of his route, while the train takes him
spinning across prairies and through noun
| tain gulches, so must the various clerks in
a. successfully conducted store. know the
city routes In order to expedite the delivery
| Of goods and to hold the uncertain trade
of fair but not always careful patrons.
Why Delivery Is Big Problem.
| The increasing aversion to carrying pack
| ages, even though they contain no more
| than paper OF pins and needles or a soft
silk tie; the c. o. D. system; the accom-
mediation or special delivery, and the i'm
| mense number of accounts carried by many
| firms, tend to make the position of the
| superintendent of delivery an onerous one.
| He must have executive power in abnormal
development. He must possess the firm
ness and tact to enforce his plans. He
must have the men who are capable of
carrying out his instructions-men who will
work like machines. yet never become so
mechanical as to make mistakes without
realizing what they are doing.
One big shop, noted for its expeditions
delivery service, devotes the entire SUBJ
basement to this department, and here
during the dull season 200 men are given
regular employment. The number in
creases during the sharp rise in spring and
fall trade, and in holiday seasons many
extra hands are secured as can work with
out literally falling over one another. Dur
ing the two local deliveries at $50 am. and
3 30 pm, each day, between 1900 and
10000 small parcels are handled. and SO
thoroughly is the work systematized that
Of the mistakes made only thrty-five in
10000 can be traced to the delivery de-
partment.
Handling the Small Packages.
The dizziness with which the small parcel
delivery is handled is one of the enter
tanning sights of this teeming department.
These packages are collected from one
end of the building to the other in big
hampers on wheels, by carriers who wear
blue uniforms with silver buttons, so that
the inspectors and wrappers may not make
the mistake of giving up bundles to I'M
authorized persons. When a carrier has
covered his route in the store he makes
for the nearest freight elevator and is shot
down to the sub-basement, where he rolls
his hamper to the distributing table.
This Is enormous structure of highly
polished wood, built on an incline. To the
left of the man who Is unloading 1t runs
about four or five feet wide on gentle tilt
to the reuter-, who has first sight Of the
address on the parcel. This side is used for
paid packages good accounts only.
Overhead there Is larger slide built at
a more pronounced angle. Here the c. o.
D. and unauthorized packages are whiried
along to the authorization clerk. This en-
ploye not only knows the name of almost
every man and woman carrying an account
with the firm, but he recognizes them at a
glance. If there exists in his mind any
doubt regarding a name or an account he
turns to tube nearby and calls up the de-