The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1904-03-25
CASTING CHECKS
FOR STRANGERS
A Credit Man Tells of the Oil.
fcuIties OF Sizing
Them Up"
lALuE OF a GOOD FRONT
stores Take Chances on immense
Amounts, Judging by the Looks,
Clothes, ETC., Of Those Who
Present tho Paper.

Clothes, Etc, OF ! nose VINO
Present tho Paper.
New York sun: Surprising 1T was
your business, day in and day cut. year
In and year out. to pass upon the trust
Worthless OF folks who wanted to buy
things without paying for them-with-
out paying cash. that is to say. Suppose
that q steady stream Of such people
were passing before you all day long.
retail buyers, whose financial standing
and habits would be pretty difficult to
determine with any approach to ac-
curacy-how would you size en- up?
Would you judge largely by their
clothes? Would you permit yourself to
be guided by their manners? Would
you join the physiognomists and try
to read their faces?
And If you cid all of these things.
having cooked all these impressionssup
together and removed the scum, would
you be likely to get the clear essence
of 20. K" or IN. g." 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
GU DSptll tlllGlll CL SASSOulAkSp n AIIa u
large part OF their time Is spent in just
this kind of chemistry. 1t must be that
in d vast majority of cases they are
correct in their deductions; otherwise
the system wouldn't be pursued.
This being true, they surely may be
regarded as among the best of the
lightning c~alculators OF human char
acter.
I'VE have to Judge largely by APP
pearances in many cases." said one Of
these credit experts a few days ago.
transactions in our business is the
cashng of checks for people whom
we don't know.
Women come here every day, es-
pecially women from the south who are
visiting and shopping in New York.
They have brought checks with them
from home and they ask us 10 sell them
goods. deduct the amount of their pur-
chases II give them the balance in
cash.
They're good buyers, too, because
they buy enough at one time to last
for a long time and their trade can't be
overlooked or neglected. We cash from
$1,000 to 1900 worth of such checks
here every day, n that comes in the
course of q year pretty well on to ST.
300, 900.
NOW now are we to judge? The
matter must be decided quickly; the
woman can't wait for the long process
Of Inquiry that would establish her
credit to a certainty. Such slender in
formation as she is able to give US and
we are able to verify in the necessary
limit of time might easily be mislead-
Ing.
I think in such cases it's the face
md the name that count most in the
decision. And, of course, the woinan's
dress is a factor, too. If our observa-
lion tells us that she is probably what
she says she Is, II her bearing Is con
hdent. her clothes in good taste, her
leweiry not too profuse, we take the
chance. She buys what she wants, in
lofses her check over to us and departs
with the money in her hand.
Experience has proved that we can
afford to do business on this basis, so
we keep on doing it. The checks that
come back nnsatisfed are figured in
with the other ordinary losses, and
when the whole account Is reckoned
up, the good SO far outweighs the bad
mat there is as much profit in his
kind Of trade as in any other.
That's only one way in which we
have to depend IN snap Judgment.
There are people living right here In
town whose credit is just as problem
atical as that of the transient shop.
pers from the south and west-meu
anc women whose amour and sources
or income are not susceptible OF proof,
and who may be either the most re-
sponsible or the most irresponsible Gus
toners.
I'VE can learn, of course, whether
they a for their current living, but
that is not conclusive. The mar who
keeps square with the market and the
grocery doesn't necessarily pay his dry
goods bill.
It's the easiest thing in the world
for people to let their department. store
accounts get way beyond their inren-
ions. Many a person who thinks he
has had $50 worth Of goods charged in
a month finds that he has really ran
up an account of 500. Then il he
has only $50 on hand to meet it. the
question arises, will he curtail his OUT
go and make good on the other $50. or
VIII ne continue to spend more than
ne a and default on the whole thing?
again the department store is
taking chances, and there again the
external evidences Of character 20
important factors in the credit mans
judgment. 4A"11 .
People sometimes ask ne whether
MAKE lhiefences from q PERSONS
clothes, n my answer is thatI iudge
rom the face and manner, but / u.s.
.a nu LIZ tioHest race and a frank
clothes. "t. hohes.
Honest clothes? Does that seem
]wh,,nsical! Well. there is sucn a thing
hs honest apparel, and dishonest. foo
man whose voice rings true and
Wno looks YOU fair in the eve is liba1u
70 ne well dressed. The same orderly
naplt that regulates his business ar.
lairs governs his raiment. When he
needs a new garment his forehandeds
ness ness mas enabled him to buy it. He
psese ers me same proportion in dress
good sense and good taste USUALLY AVA
under jacket" u"ei
Tw, Pants" Stories.