The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-01-04
BY ARTHUR MORRIS.
Copyright, 1903, by Arthur Morris.

leaking purses Here the aristocratic
woman can get all the isolation she
wants, but, bless me. lives there a
woman with soul so dead who never
to herself said, Please, where're the
bargains? p
AS a result of the refusal of the
rich woman to get out of bed before
10 o'clock and of the average woman
to let her breakfast dishes go over
until later In the %ty, the problem OF
handling all these hosts of women,
descending on us simultaneously, is
the greatest one We have to cope with.
The average mind thinks the de-
livery question our hardest, but It's
simple-terribiy simple--when COM
pared with the other. For instance
we can keep our wagons at work until
midnight, II necessary, and I've known
several times when we had our de-
livery men ringing door bells as early
as o'clock in the morning. But,
strong as the shopping instinct is In
women, you generally can't get her
to stay with you later than O'Clock;
and that's one Of the reasons why we
lock the doors at that hour.
We have to get at the shopping
problem In another way, and, while
we generally manage to meet 1t. we
invariably do so at n loss of hun
dreds of dollars daily. I'll explain.
During special sales, as we'll as
at Christmas, experience has taught US
temporarily to augment our force
about one-third. Our average pay
roll contains the names of 1000 sales
people; to-day 5000 are trying to at
tend to the demands of the crowds.
All OF the extra 1000 have had
to be employed by the day. de-
spite the fact that we really need
them for only half a day and they
work but little over that time. Re
member that l said that the shoppers
don't come down upon us in strength
before IL Well what shoppers do
put In appearance before that hour
are easily taken care of by the regular
salespeople. In the meantime the ex-
tras are chewing gum and yelling
mag and Name at one another In
the employees rooms and picking I'D
some bargains on their own hook.
Shopping Trick Worth Knowing.
THAT reminds me of a good sbon-
ping trick that is worth dollars 10
the initiated. Nearly every big store
permits its employees to leave their
stations, after they've provided sub
stitutes from adjoining counters. and
SHOP for themselves between the
hours of and 8. AS result the sales
people secure many a fine bargain.
Tor they know where and how to look
for them. Now, IL you want TO share
a saleswoman's good luck in securing
bargains, every time you come into
the store insist on her waiting on
you. After a while she'll look upon
you as her own property and then.
because you help to Increase her
wages she'll say confidentially:
Mrs. Blank, since I've come to
know your taste so thoroughly, / feel
sure can pick up magnificent bar
gains for you.
You are interested and ask her to
explain. She tells you about the shop
ping privilege, and adds:
A'NoW at the same time can keen
my eyes open for things you may like
and have them put away in my name.
Late In the day, when you come
down, you can look them over and IL
you don't want them, you know it's
back into stock
There's one saleswoman in this
store who has hundreds of dollars
worth Of goods laid away in her name
daily; and she has studied her clients
tastes so scientifically that she hardly
ever turns back $40 worth a day.
You'd be surprised how many
shoppers insist on having certain
clerks. Many will get angry and
favorites engaged. Others will wait
with the patience of Job until they
can be reached. Why, I've seen wom-
an after woman calmly wait two or
three hours for her special clerk.
The Best Clerks ON Percentage.
'"The clerks like to make regular
customers and will go to no end of
trouble and personal Inconvenience.
not demanded by the store regulations.
to please them. These clerks are gem
orally our best, and the best work I'M
der small percentage as well as a
stipulated wage. which explains their
pains with their regular customers.
Percentage clerks also fight with
one another in their desire to wait on
the masculine shopper. He doesn't in
spect a thousand different things before
buying. Instead, his method is to state
what he wants and then leave il to the
clerk to select the kind and tho
price. As a rule. the clerk gives the
man fair value for his money and
doesn't palm off on him something
that win cause his wife to break her
heart over a bad bargain. She is far