Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1906-12-08
Just a Paper of Tacks.

There isn't one woman in Il hundred
whose temper can stand the ordeal of
buying a paper of lacks. know be-
cause l have just had to buy one and
during the half hours wait incident to
the proceeding saw something like fifteen
or twenty women come bravely to the
counter and submit to the same test of
temper, each and every one to be
weighed in the balance and found want
ing 1t is at a long counter in the base
ment that one buys tacks. Il counter filed
with various miscellanes of nails and
screws and hangers and ice picks and
door latches, bells and screw drivers and
"A thousand of those pesky little things
that one has to have in every well-reg-
ulated family, but can seldom remember
to buy.
Whether the imposing gentleman in
the swinging Prince Albert coat or who
ever it is that is the presiding genius of
department stores in general thinks it
unnecessary to waste clerks on such
minor matters as tacks and screws and
catches. 1t is certain that almost any
store one enters. one finds mt it's long
subterranean counter where these things
are sold only a clerk or two, and they
usually small girl given wholly to the
chewing gum habit and "A raw youth
Who spends most of his time painfully
writing III his record book, deaf and oh
NV NUS ~ tHe PljtOuS cries OF the DED-
pie that stand by waiting for lacks
And there arc always more people at
that one counter than at any other in
The whole store except the bargain rib
bon counter and the remnant embroid-
cry when Il sale is on. They are Il nice
honey lot of people, most Of them
who approach the counter with signs of
relief and sef-congratulat0ry looks that
at last they have remembered the paper
of tacks or the brass screws or the cur
tain pins they have been needing for
weeks. And having sized upon the thing
they came for, they journey along the
counter and dive into hangers and
screws and discover all sorts of odds and
ends they find a sudden desire for And
then they look about for a clerk and
with their hands piled with the proposed
purchases they approach the chewing
gum girl and ask her if she will wait on
them next. The girl pauseS not in her
chewing. nor pays the slightest attention
only weary woman standing by gives
side-loug look Of unmistakahle coldness
and possibly expresses herself with this
remark; 'She is to wait on me next I've
been here a good half hour, waiting to
have these four screws wrapped up."
Seeing ii is hopeless waiting for the
girl clerk, the customer hurries to the
other end Of the counter and puts her
question to the raw youth, VINO stops bis
Z elaborate NtIlfu= III tue record doom
long enough u draw his tongue in and
say. Two others ahead Of YOU,
madam
We'll. can you tell me what is the
price Of these brass hangers = Sire asks
desperately. At this the woman whose
next turn it is to be waited on mutters
an audible sigh of evaporation Every
time the boy stops to answer a question
he has to start that record all over
again. In utter disgust she holds ont the
two packages Of tacks toward the clerk
and drops s cents among the curtain
hooks Here's your money, can I
wait any longer. you are too slow And
she is off by the time the youth has
caught his breath and looked up.
What yer think Of thar fer nerveT'
he finally grasps 10 the crowd standing
about all of whom have a secret admira-
/ ton for the woman.
IF anybody sees her put them IN her
pocket she'll be in nice fix. And
tleu he bends again to his elaborate
record
/ The next in line to be waited on wants
little call bell and the clerk puts ont
for her inspection something like q dozen
bells Of every kind and description Sh5
and tLe friend with her ring bell afyrr
bell and then start the ding ding ali