The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1904-03-24
CHECKS
FOR STRANGERS
a Credit Man Tells Of the Diff
ficulties of "Sizlng
Them Up"
fALuE OF a GOOD FRONT
Stores Take Chances on Immense
Amounts, Judging by the Looks,
Clothes, Etc, of Those Who
Present the Paper.

New York Sun: Supposing 1t was
your business, day in and day cut, year
in and year out. to pass upon the trust
w~orthiness Of folks who wanted to buy
things without paying for them-with-
out paying cash, that is to say. Suppose
that a steady stream of such people
were passing before o all day long.
retail buyers. whose financial standing
and habits would be pretty difficult to
determine with any approach TO &C
curacy-how would you size 'em up?
Would you judge largely by their
clothes? Would you permit yourself to
be guided by their Would
you join the physiognomisss and try
to read their faces$
And il you cid all of these things,
having cooked all these impressionssu up
together and removed the cum, would
you be likely to get the clear essence
OF %. X" or IN. e." in most cases?
In every big department store there
are a keen witted man and a keen wit
ted assistant who sit in an office mark
ed Department of Accounts and a
large part of their time is spent in just
this kind of chemistry. 1t must be that
In a vast majority of cases they are
CuIEeCI III their uSQuCtlONS. OtIlStS lSt
the system wouldn't be pursued.
This being true. they surely may be
regarded as among the best of the
lightning c~alculators OF hurnan char
acter.
We have to Judge largely by ap-
p~earances In many cases. said n OF
these credit experts q few days ago.
For example. one OF the commonest
transactions in our business is the
\ no IN y, - - l,%~f-~ +-.@ r--NN ,raHry,
we don't know.
Women come here every day, es-
peciaily women from the south who are
visiting and shopping III New York.
They lave brought checks with them
from home and they ask us TO sell them
goods, deduct the amount of their pur-
chases and give ths:n the balance in
cash.
They're good buyers. too. because
they buy enough at one time 10 last
for a long time and their trade can't be
overlooked or neglected. We cash from
1000 to $S,e0o worth OF such checks
here every day. and that comes in the
course OF u year pretty well on TO ST.
100, O0o.
Now how are we to Judge? The
matter must be decided quickly. the
woman cam wait for the long process
of inquiry that would establish her
credit 10 & certainty. Such slender in
formation as she is able TO give IL ard
we are able TO verify in the necessary
limit of time might easily be nisiead-
ing.
II think in such cases it's the face
and the manner that most IN the
3eCision. And, of course, the wornan's
dress is q factor, too. II our observa-
ion tells US that she is probably what
she says she is. If her bearing is con-
idenL. her clothes in good taste, her
Eiswelry not too profuse, we take the
>hauce. She buys what she wants, In
Horses her check over TO Us and departs
with the money in her and
Experience has proved that we can
afford TO do business or this basis, sc
We keep on doing il. The checks that
come bach uTSatisGs3 are figured II
with the other ordinary losses, and
when the whole account IS rackcnet
up. the good SO far cutwefglls the bac
Ia there is as much profit III this
kind OF trade as in m other.
That's only way IN which VS.
Ehave TO depend on snap Judgment
There are people living right here In
town whose credit is Just as problems
atical as that Of the transient shop
pers from the south and wesC--iel
and women whose amount and sources
Of income are not susceptible OF proof
and who may be either the mast re-
sponsfbIe or the most irresponsible GUS
toners
we can learn. az course, whether
they pay for their current living. but
that Is o conclusive. The man who
keeps square with the market and ths
grocery doesn't necessarily q his 6r5
goods hill.
IT'S the easiest thing IN the WORK
for people TO let thstr department store
accounts get way beyond their iatea.
tfons- Many q person who thinks HI
mas bad SSd worth OF goods charged II
J. nnonsh finds that he has really raj
up an account Of slG0- Then IL h,
mas only $50 on hand to meet it, tbs
question arises, Will he curfatI his out,
go and make good On the oEaa- $50. O
will he continue 20 spend more thar
he has aGG default on shs whole thing
There again the department store {
taking chances. and there again tn
external evidences Ct character ar
Judgment
!. People sometimes ask me w!leths
: make differences from & person
: clothes. ani my answer Is thai I t1fg
from the face and manner, bQs 7 Us
s tally md IN honest face and Z franz
manner in partnership with homes
; clothes.
Honest ciothes7 Does that seer
~nlDsfcaI7 We'll. Jhsze IS such 9 thin,
as honest spparel. and dishonest. too.
D The mal whose vctca rigs true an,
who iaoss you fair In the eye Is akel
TO De web dressed. The sarria arfsrf
habit that regulates his business az
. fairs governs his rainlant. WflaE h
: needs 3 nes garment his fareiaaglGed
ness has enabled him TO buy Ii. II
preserves the arr proportion In Ires
: Rs ta ether matters. Coed caaracta.
coed sense and good taste USUALLY STa
ua1sr Jacket
= ---es---
! Tw~ ans stsrtss.
5 EaEcaga Iar-nat. Richard Golden ~