The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1907-06-19
m LONDON.
Methods Of the Big Stores In the
English Metropolis.
TRIcKs OF THE MILLlNERs.

a huse That Was Met by a Clever
Counter Ruse-Ths Asitatins *
perlsnces Of an American Woman
Who Was Looking For Bargains.
In American shops the establishment
and the customer are separate entities.
The firm displays its wares; the buyers
examine them and purchase or not as
they see ft.
In London IT is different. The mo
ment you enter the door of a shop you
are accepted as part and parcel OF its
interests, member of the family, as
It were. Then shopwalker pounces
upon you and insists on knowing what
you want. If you hesitate as to your
reply. he plants himself squareiy' In
front OF you and waits. When, In
sheer desperation (for you had intend
ed q happy. aimless sort OF looking
about. you say gloves" he grasps
your arm, firmly marches you to the
glove counter, seats you at 1t and de-
tails salesperson TO wait upon you,
All this happened to me, and in an
exasperated frame Of mind ] bought a
pair of gloves merely TO keep pence In
the family, but the bland and gentle
manly glove seller had no notion oflet-
ting me off so easily. lie took 1t for
granted that that first pair was simply
by way of preface, and he displayed
gloves of my size OF all styles and col
ors. The very fo-cgonencss of his con-
clusion that l would buy them all irri-
tated me, and, briefly announcing that
| wanted no more gloves paid him
for the pair / had bought. Surprised
and grieved beyond expression, he
beckoned the shopwallSer and together
they cross examined me as TO why l
refused to buy more gloves. Did the
colors not suit me: Were the prices
not reasonable? Disdalniug 10 answer
these questions, / endeavored TO stalk
haughtily away, but this was not al
lowed. More in sorrow than IN anger,
they told me must wait for my bill.
As the gloves were to be sent and l
had given the exact change | deemed
this unnecessary, but soon found it
to be one of their memorable laws.
Bills, signed and countersigned, must
be waited for. no matter how trifiug
the purchase.
The next thing l learned was that
the price asked is far from being the
real selling price Of the article. /
cringed at the thought Of Offering )
guineas for : seven guinea hat, but l
soon learned that it was expected Of
customer and that the marked prices
were merely amounts from which to
begin the dickering.
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
tiers spell one Of the most famous
Partisan names. To this shop went
for hat. Being very canny, l ex-
pressed great interest in several hats
which knew l should not buy. At
last carelessly inquired the price of
a hat which had really charmed me
from the first. The price was S guineas
As 1t bore four magnificent ostrich
plumes, this price was not exorbitant;
but, knowing the game, l bargalned.
First / asked If they would call 1t
pounds instead Of guineas This meant
reduction in price Of only s shillinss.
but the indIgnity q discovered was
beyond all words. With scathlng
glance the saleslady informed me that
they never sold by pounds in that shop,
aud stored away the knowledge for
future use in swagger establishments.
Determined to beat them at their
own game, l then offered G guineas
for the hat This was met with ap.
propriate expressions of Mortified sur.
prise, and as great concession IA
guineas was proposed. remained
firm in my six guinea offer; and. after
Ia feint of leaving the shop without
buying a hat, It was reluctantly &C
repted.
Then followed what / considered a
ruse of extreme cleverness on my part.
| had been told that If I left a new hat
I" be sent home the. mliliner would
change the trimming for Others that
looked the same, but were Of Inferior
quality. had been advised. therefore.
on purchasing hat to carry Ii away
with me in order to prevent This. So
remarked on paying for this hat that
as wished to wear It that very after
noon l would take 1t with me the
large bandbox being easily managed In
my hanson cab. The saleslady kindly
agreed to this plan and sent the hat
upstairs to be boxed.
After waiting fifteen minutes for the
hat to return to me l began TO grow
suspicious, and when It aid come l
deliberately united the box removed
the tissue paper wrappings and ex-
amlned the hat. Sure enough the four
long. rich ostrich plumes had been re.
moved and replaced by four others Of
the same color, but ur n distinctly
cheaper grade. boldly declared this
fact. but the saleslady haugbtlTy de-
MED 1t.
But" said /, look in the hat See
the stitches, hastily put i, 70 hold