Los Angeles herald., 1906-09-30

woman of ordinary ability and good
address can find means by which she not
only keep the wolf from the door, but lay by
money enough to maintain herself when employ
ment is no longer to be had. One cheerful little
woman earns an excellent stipend as profes-
sional bric-a-brac duster. She arrives at stip-
ulated time with an equipment of siiken cloths,
cleansing fluids and little brushes and cleans
the statuary, the choice plaques, rare vases and
delicate picture frames, which would be endan-
gered by unintelligent handling.
Another bread-winner chooses exclusive neck
ties for gentlemen too busy to hunt what they
want in the shops Thrown suddenly upon her
own resources, with no business specialties at
her finger tips, she thought over the situation
for two days Then she visited Wholesale house
which makes and imports mems neckties, and
bought two dozen of just the most stylish, stun
ming ties they had. They were not loud. But
they were elegant, smart. Thus equipped she
put on her best bib and tucker-looked the lady,
mind you, nothing else-and started to sell her
neckties in Offices. They went like hot cakes.
Men were delighted to get such neckwear with
out having to hunt for it. 1t was gentlemanly,
exclusive and she only asked fair profit. She
has new built up nice business. She not only
sells the necktes she carries, but she takes or
ders for special kinds, and, if necessary, Will
make them.
This is what one woman, sickly one at that,
accomplished in an occupation which was certain
ly an odd one for woman to undertake. She
runs an express business and runs it uncommon
ly we'll. Many men have run express businesses,
and it is conceivable that some women could do
so equally well, but this particular proprietor
of horses and wagons manages her affairs largely
from her sick bed. Hers is curious case, IN
deed. So situated, few women would have had
courage enough to attempt more than the man
agement of their medicine bottles, but that sort
of life did not suit her energetic mind, what
ever her body had to say about it.
This woman express manager inherited the
business from her husband. He had made some
money; at least she might have sold her horses
and wagons and lived the life of sofa invalid.
But she knew something about her husband s
affairs and felt that she could run the business
quite as well as it had been run in the past. N
stead of selling, she bought. Her management
was strict and she watched details carefully
Her first thought merely that she could
keep the business at the same level as before;
but she soon proved herself better manager
than her husband. Her patronage increased and
steadily her staff of workers increased Her
wagons rumble through the streets and are
known of all men, but few suspect that the sur
name painted across their great sides belongs to
a frail little woman, who, as likely not. is
in the doctors hands at the very moment.
Women are energetic, and can attend to de
tall but it is rare that one possesses the execu-
tive ability necessary to run great business
without being actually on the spot continually
OF course, this woman expressman has good sub
ordinates but it is not, with her, case of some
one else doing the wcrk while she remains pic
turesaue head She knows well exactly what
goes on in her stables
Besides lhealth, this woman has had to con
tend with organizations far larger than her own
with the great express companies of the country
four or five of which send wagons into her ter
ritory, and even with the street car company
which operates trolley express almost past heI
door Only acute management could enable hel
not only to hold her own, but to prosper in the
face of this rivalry. She does not expect ever tc
run an express business as large as those of some
of her rivals, but so long as there is comfort
able annual increase in the amount of business
done and the number of dollars on the fair side
of the balance accounts, she is content to remain
prosperously local.
Her success, be il added as a last word, hal
not had any especial luck as an important fac
tor. She has found herself "up against" misfor
tune more than once. A fire, an accident to hel
horses and ether calamities have fallen TO hel
share, and made inroads on "her profits. Shl
is so far from being a favorite of fortune thai
she might have posed 'poor thing" if She
hadn't made up her mind that she was going
10 be master Of her fate" and incidentally, o
a aood having business.