The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1907-09-17
SHOPPING IN LONDON
Methods Of the Big Stores IN the
English Metropolis.
TRICKS OF THE MlLLlNERs.

ana the customer Hft scpdidlG tItiAtAHs 1
The firm displays its wares the buyers
examine them and purchase Or not %
they see ft,
Iii London 1t is different The mo
ment you enter the door Of shop yon
are accepted as part and parcel Of its
interests, a member Of the family, as
it were. Then a shopwalker pounces
upon you and insists On kpowing what
you want II you hesitate as to your
reply, he plants himself squarely IN
front Of you and waits. When, in
sheer desperation (for you had intend
ed d happy, almless sort Of looking
about, you say gloves be grasps
your arm, firmly marches you to the
glove counter. seats you at 1t and de
tails a salesperson to wait upon you.
An this haDpened to me-. and In an
exasperated frdme Of mind | bought d
pair Of gloves merely to keep peace In
the family. but the bland and gentle
manly glove seller had no notion Of let
ting me off 50 easily. He took it for
granted that that first pair was simply
by way Of preface, and be displayed
gloves Of my size Of all styles and col
ors, The very foregoneness Of his con
clusion that I would buy them all irri-
tated ME, and, briefly announcing that
! wanted no more gloves. | paid him
for the pair | had bought Surprised
and ericrea beyond expression, he
beekoned the sh0pwalker. and together
they cross examined me as to why !
refused to buy more gloves Did the
colors not suit mef We're the prices
not reasonables Disdaining to answer
these questions. I endeavored to stalk
haughlly away, but this was not all
lowed. More III sorrow than in anger
they told me | must wait for my bill
As the gloves were to be sent and
had given the exact change | deemed
this unnecessary. but | soon found 1t
to be one of their lnexorable laws.
Dilk, signed and countersIgned, must
be waited for. no matter how trifing
the purchase.
The next thing | learned was that
the price asked Is far from being the
real selling price Of the article ]
crineed 1T the thought Of Offering )
guineas fer a seven guinea hat but !
soon learned that it was expected Of
q customer and that the marked prices
were merely amounts from which to
begin the dickerlng
And the ruses resorted to by these
wicked milliners, In Mayfair Is one
Of the most fashionable millinery shops
In the world over the door gilt let
ters spell one Of the most famous
/ Partisan names To this shop ! went
for a hat Being very canny. | ex
pressed great interest In several hats
which knew | should not buy. Al
last ! carelessly inquired the price d
hat which had really charmed ms
from the first The price was guineas
As ID bore four magnificent ostliel
plumes. this price was not exorbitant
but. knowing the game. bargained
First asked If they would call
pounds instead Of guineas. This mean
a reduction in price OF only shillIngs
but the lndlgnIiy U dIscoveredl wa
beyond all words. With a scathns
glance the saleslady informed me tha
they never sold BY pounds III that shor
and | stored away the knowledge fo
future use in swagger establishments.
Determined to beat them at thei
own game. then offered guinea
fef The hat This was met with al
propriate expressions Of Mortified suI
prise. and as q great concession n
gulneas was proposed. I rename
firm in my six guinea offer. and afte
a feInt Of. leaving the shop withou
buying a hat. Il was reluctantly az
eepted
Then followed what I considered
ruse Of extreme cleverness on my par
| had been told that ii left new ha
to be sent home the milliner woui
change tae trimming for others ths
looked the same, but were Of inferiC
quality. I had been advised, therefor
on purchasing a hat TO carry It ava
with me In order to prevent this
/ remarked on paying for this hat thi
rs / wished to wear It that very afte
noon would take 1t with me, I'll
large bandbox being easily managed
my hanson cab. The saleslady kind
I agreed to this plan and sent the hi
upstairs to be boxed
After waiting fifteen minutes for Il
hat to return to me l began to gro
suspicious. and when tt did come
I deliberately united the box, remove
the tissue paper wrapplngs and e
+ amined the hat. Sure enough, the fol
7 long. rich ostrich plumes had been T
r moved and replaced by four others
% the same color. but Of distinct
cheaper grade boldly declared th
fact but the saleslady hanghtily q
nied It.
but" said t, elook in the hat. s.
the stitches. hastily put Ia to be
these feathers They were not the
when the hat left me"
"Ah.n she said, merely a fe
stitches to fasten bit Of trimmii
that was looseF'
= and nothing remained for me but
take the bat and depart / could 4
: prove my case could get no redres
: But learned. when buying a hat
M.