The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1902-1905, 1904-06-17
HE DRUG
STORE SITTER
Copyright, 1904, by c. B. Lewis. !

Ut uDlllt lIOul lLt uISl uOuT. nat
what he's there for. He's always sure
Of a good fire in winter and reason
ably cool place in summer. It's
place where he can find others and
be found himself, and there is no office
rent to pay.
Then, too, a druggist is always re-
ceiving almanacs and circulars worthy
of the closest peruSal, and If there
be dcarth Of reading matter the first
woman who comes in after paregoric
Is only too glad to give the gossip Of
the nCighborhOOd.
In about two weeks after his first
call the sitter begins to call the drug.
glst Doc" and to feel at home be-
hind the counter and be ready with
advice, and from thence OH he is as
much of il fixture as the sponge basket
Or the soda fountain. 1t is about O
month before the general public reaps
any benefit. Then the sitter tears
himself away from the drug store
long enough to show up at the grocery
and impress the men sitting around
Oh the cracker and sugar barrels with
his dignity and greatness. They are
ready TO be impressed.
A certain reverence is always felt
for Il drug store and some of this
must naturally descend to the sitter.
He knows his gait. He looks wise and
waits to be asked about business.
Ia, Il l,n 40
plies that business is booming, and he
lies like trooper about the daily cash
receipts to add to his own dignity. He
feels the respect In every mind. but
the climax comes when somebody asks
him if he can suggest remedy for in
digestion, kidney complaint or insOm-
MIA. That's what he's been waiting
for. and he assumes ull the dignity and
gravity of Il doctor as he glibly refers
to cHiOmel, chlOroform, citral, lanolin,
hyOsCine, sulo and dozen other things
he has jottCd down and committed to
memory.
In another month the sitter has
recognized standing in his neighbOr-
Il
regular doctor. of course, but 1t is
argued that he couldn't sit around a
drug store for month without picking
up lots Of pointers lie is consulted re-
garding felons, warts, wens, cold sores.
dandIuh', sore heels, headaches, sore
Threats and coughs, and it is declared
awfulIy good of him when he volun
teers to run In and see baby with
the collie or boy who has been swal-
lowing peach stones.
He is given dozens Of opportunities
every week to talk about nuX vOmica,
hypophOsphates alkalOids, salicylates
and chlorldes, and it's all the same to
his hearers whether he gets them right
or wrong end to. He nay have been
considered Il scrub sort of n man be-
fore becoming a sitter, but after time
public opinion undcrgoes change, and
men take pains TO Drag of his smart
ness and boast that they always knew
he had 1t in him.
| have always wished that l could
get 4 druggist out into the woods and
secure his candid opinion as to his sit
ter, but have never been able to ac |
compliSh the feat No matter what |
they think however, he has become
an adjunct. and it would be dangerous
to try to upset things His position is
well defined because he started in to
define it himself.
If he is the right sort of brand, he
makes all customers feel glad that they |
didn't go to the carpenter shop for
their prescriptions or to the blacksmith |
shop for their patent medicines. He
is Cheerfully willing to advise, and his
personal experience with pitch plas
ters, hot water bags and consumption
cures is both interesting and valua-
bic to a man who wants to live out his
allotted years.
For the first few weeks the sitter is |
rather In awe of the doctors who drop |
in, but contact soon puts him on ia
milIar footing. He has no diploma and
can't practice; but, having got on to
the contents Of most of the bottles, he |
Is imbued with fraternal feeling and |
can be made a friend for life If called |
doc" in reply. Three months after
his initiation he is ready to greet any
physician entering the store with:
Hello Doc Good morning to you
Got any interesting cases on hand to-
day or want any advlceT
The doctors usually treat the sitter
with something like contempt. but he
gets his revenge on the druggist. In |
three months he thinks he owns the
store; in three more he imagines he |
owns the druggist as well. Then he
begins to suggest and advise and be
aggressive, and it Is hard job for the
customer to tell who is the actual head.
Only once in my life did | ever
know a druggist to rebel against his
sitter. The sitter had worn out his |
chair and accidentally broken his Gus
pidor and wanted them replaced. He |
also wanted n curtain at certain |
window and the show cases wrestled |
around. To my great amazement, and
probably to his own rs well, the drug
glst replied that if the sitter didn't like
things as they were he could move out
on the sidewalk There were five
minutes of redhot conversation, and
then the man of drugs went down into
his boots aud acknowledged his error.
He wasn't forgiven at once.
1t was two or three minutes before
the sitter extended the hand of recon-
citation and said:
"All right, Jim, we'll let it go this
time, but don't never let me hear such
an outbreak again I'm not here for
my own benefit, but for yours, and II
drop this store nine-tenths of your
customers drop with me. Yes, III take
81. -, =, ill, g., ,,,i,o NJ OMAN