The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-10-21

alter girls first youth is past she is of no
more value to a store Many girls work
nard and become heads of departments;
out even TX they should not be able TO do So
tney are kept and are welcome to their po-
sltions as long as they wish 10 have them
Inc average length of time that girl stays
stay four times and fives times as long as
mat but l am talking of the average girl.
ried. Are they ambitious? Yes. good
many of them are, but really know very
little about that. they do not tell us
ABOUT their studies. Those who wish TO go
at something else generally go TO business
colleges at night, and then, when they
nave completed the course, leave the firm
70 go into somethlng else No, we do not
something better; in fact, we are very glad
TO see them make the most OF Themselves"
Girls, as "A general rule declared an
other manager, ARE content with their po-
sitions and are not very anxious to go into
anything else. The work in a store where
me nrm treats its employees we'll is not
very hard, and the salary is usually good.
80 they Just stay on until some man comes
along and they get lifetime position. The
average length of time girl stays? Well
three or four years L should say. Some
times ii is ever and ever so much longer
than that.
"A girl is sure OF one thing If she is a
saieswoman-that as long as she is con-
scientious and does her best she will keep
her position and get better wages each
year; Every merchant prefers to have his
a
bic. The girl that drifts from store 10 store
does so with very little benefit to herself.
but girls are really very cCntented, and
most or them are seen behind the counters
OF the same store for a long time They
nave the same sort of idea that school
teachers have-the salary is good and they
ike the work. DO merchants employ younS
ana good-looking girls in preference TO
older women? Most emphatically they do
not 1t may be so in some of the stores,
but most merchants judge a girl by her
ability to sell goods, and not by her good
looks. or course, she must dress neatly
sometimes preferred. 4 woman OF thirty
or thlrty-hve who applied for a position
would get IL as quickly, all things being
equal, or more quickly than a very young
woman: 1T is simply the ability to dis
pose OF goods that counts. No, a sales
woman need not worry that she will be
turned down after she grows older, as long
as she tries to be benefit to the store. She
IS always assured of a good position and
grows each year more in the confidence OF
her employer
The trouble with most girls said a
weiI-known merchant, lis that they look
upon marriage as a certainty, and therefore
do not try to improve themselves. L have
some very bright girls in my store, who il
they would, might make themselves OF
value 10 us, but they are just common
Saieswomen, so far as we are concerned,
because their interest is not in the store.
Their minds are centered OH parties, dances,
beauX and so forth, and their work is but
a minor consideration. These girls are
dead sure they will be married. Most prob
ably they will But there is a chance they
will not, and it is a pity they do not look
on their work men do theirs, as some
thing that will have to be done through
life. Men look OH their work as a career.
but rarely does woman feel that way III
she does she gets her reward and becomes
head OF her department, and there is no
position she may not aspire to-.