Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1907-08-29
SALESWOMEN OF
A DO WELL AND
OFTEN MARRY WELL

The great dry goods stores OF Paris
employ about 5000 saleswomen. They
are a highly businesslike lot of women
They work hard and have long hours
but their pay is fair; they have pros
poets of Advancement and they are talk
en- care of in illness n old age.
The change from the old methods of
business to the new is hardly greater
than the change In the girls who wait
on the customers. The old time file
de boutigne wearing a cap and apron
was half shop girl and half servant,
but altogether gay and Irresponsible.
The modern SalesWOman is. at least
on duty. a prim n self-possessed per-
son in an inlpeccablc black silk gown
of up To date cut. with her hair care
fully dressed. her hands manicuied and
her language as polished as that of a
school reader.
Nearly all of them now hold school
diplomas of grade or another. Some
of them have certificates of graduation.
from commercial high schools. Tho
stores prefer these testimonials to eX-
%perience.
Formerly only girls We're aiken who
had worked three years in some estab-
lishment, but as 20 is the maximum age
of entrance, either the school or the
practical training has to be sacrificed.
The arrangements of the biggest houses
now the girls to get all the
schooling they can and come to them
young and we'll grounded, even though
inexperienced.
The situations are in great demand.
1t is said that establishments employ
ing from 500 to 900 saleswomen have
from 1000 to 5000 applications annual
Is. Not only the aptitude but the. fam
lily and personal record of each candi-
date is considered. and after the sift-
ing process Ia completed landing q
place is very often ;: matter of pull.
One member OT the chDInhpJ, of do
put!es was long known in Paris as the
papa of s-aleswomen." 1t is said that
he was in the habit of securing PLACES
for about sixty n year. His influence
grew out of his political methods.
In Paris he made himself purchasing
agent for his constituents and their
WIVES. He spent part of every day in
the dry goods stores picking up bar
gains and matching samples for them
His patronage was regarded as worth
BIDDING for and the proprietors We're al
ways ready to give his girls the first
opeplngs. In return the girls kept him
Informed of good bargains.
All the %shopgirls begin as debitrice
or charge girls. The beginner receives
her board or else q communication of
Si2O q year in place of it. she under-
takes IA serious responsibility all the
same. If she makes q mistake to the
detriment of the store she is liable for
the amount.
The position is a trying me. 1t is
the severe test by which they try out
beginners. one debitrice in the CON
fusion of a Christmas mob reported
n vase marked at 1875 francs as costing.
10 francs 90 centimes. a difference
amounting to $50. When the. mistake
was discovered the girl was requested
to make good the difference at once.
Her mother was a poor widow and they
had no resources save a few articles
of jcwelry, which they TOOK at once to
the Mont de Piete. but OF which they
could raise only SIG. The girls in the
store hearing of the misfortune at once
started a collection to make UP the Diff
ference, but just then the purchaser
turned up at the store, having lust
realized the blunder herself. shade.
full payment. The debitrice was not.
discharged. but her promotion to tho
rank of demoiselle de magazin, was
postponed six months
The coveted step is usually Won I'M
a year or eighteen months, and it
brings the winner. besides the board
allowance, about $40 a year salary and;
an interest varying from to 3 per-
cent. in the sales she makes 1
In II big store they tell of the,
plainly dressed woman who went into
the suit department n had every ex-
perienced saleswonlan dodge her be-
cause she did not look like much of a
buyer. When the Junior of the depart
ment took pity on her and took her
order she turned out to be the pro-
prietor of a store in Il large South
American city and she bought 100
suits at S12 each. On this sale of 5000.
francs the SaleSwoman cleared 200
francs, or $40. :
Besides her commissions the DEM
oiselle de magazfn has the prospect of
promotion to encourage her. AS plain
saleswoman her compensation all told
may vary from $500 in the lower grades
tn ST00 in tho hact 1iroc put ,rn,,o y
ton to the rank Of assistant forewom-:
an lean from $500 to 81, 200 a yearj
according to the department. !;
One rather cruel practice is that of,
Gaping the old maids on st. Gather
ines day. The ceremony takes place at
the lunch hour. 1t consists in planking
paper nightcaps on the heads of all the,
girls who nave reached the age of 25l
without being married. Some laugh.
some rage. but none escapes. for the
age II civil condition of every ems
ploye is common property. .
But a majority do marry. The store;
management encourages them to dol
so. Every girl gets Il wedding present.,
of $50. They are helped when they be-
come mothers, getting at least a.
months rest with full pay. -,
Many OF them marry men employed
In the same store, If the man is maxi
Ing, say $500 a year and the wife, say,
$500, the household is very prosper
GUS according to Partisan standards
and saoul be able to save a compet-
ence for old age. .Saleswomen who
reach the age Of SO are pensioned. and
all are encouraged to join mutual bene-
fit societies. which take care Of them
in case of sickness. -.
The greater number of the sales,
women have homes of their own with
their parents or husbands or In some
Of the cheap hotels for working wom-,
en-. which are becoming a feature OF
Paris. Several of the houses how,
ever. nave looms. for those who carel