Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-12-03
THE CLERKS RoUNDELAY.
Forward Christmas Shopper,
Step into the fray,
4 Your task is sure Il whoppcr,
VIZ, I, ~: -, i,,San n

An army of from 1000 to 5000 is
ready for the Christmas shopper. The
various retail storese of Salt Lake from
now until Christmas Will be the scene
of many one-sided battle, resulting
in victory for the shopper every time,
The slogan Of the shopper viii be Give
me what / want at a low price, and
the cry. OF the clerks will be Keep
coming, and find what you want
Never put anything off till tomorrow
that YOU can do today, is a good mot
to for tho shopper to remember.
Throughout the United States there
has been u movement started 'admon-
ishing the, public to get busy and do
tifeirtbuying early. In Salt Lake this
not alone means early In the season,
but early in the day 1t is Il fact that
if the people Of this city would begin
their tour of the -stores at,half past
eight in the morning instead cof half
past two in the afternoon, the stores
woulT BE -ab1ca to get along with al
most one- third the number OF clerks.
A BAD HABIT.
1t seems to be q habit of the shop
pei. to Walt until the afternoon is we'll
ager of one of the largest local stores
has made. 81 personal investigation on
this subject, and finds that most Of
the women of the town do their own
house work In the morning and then
go shopping in the afternoon Almost
all Of tile extra help that the stores
are now employing for the Christmas
season commence work in the after
noon because there is no need for theti
i'll the morning.
"If the public only knew" said this
manager. how much easier it would
be for them to get What they want
and how much easier 1t Is for the help
to wait on them In the morning they
would get the habit.
In Salt Lake there are over 1900 extra
people behind the counters already In
the different store to help the clerkllig
army combat with the shoppers army,
OF these extra ones many are cash glrls
who are WORKING during the Christmas
season for the purpose OF getting PIN
money. To; the new ones the task is
one grand adventure, but the wise
ones who have been in the business a
length of time, dread the time from
now till Christmas eve.
Human nature Is a funny thing!'
said an old-time behind a bargain
counter. "See that woman that just
went out1 Well. I'd IKE TO slap nef
face. She has been In here three times
this afternoon looking at the same
goods and trying to makeup hcr mind.
She will come in here about 1916
Christmas eve, and want us to turn the
store upside down to find that silk waist
she saw In here thrce'weelss before.
AN EXAMPLE.
"This Christmas rush keeps US on our
feet from in the morning till at
night, mawling and pulling stuff to
pieces and then putting 1t tback again
for aonebody else to drag around Now
here's an example. Stick around and
watch the fun. 80 AS the girl said this,
she spread her two arms apart and
rested the tips of: her fingers ON the
counter in front of her in time to greet
Mrs! Smith Hyplien Jones, who was
just as tired as she could be. She
had been around sall over town and
.'riever saw anything like It iii my life.
They haven't got "a thing that n person
wants. She; started in on mono
logue that lasted for about five minutes,
during which; the girl behind the coun-
ter smiled and stuck In an occasional
yes and no: as If It was the first time
Instead of the one hundredth time That
she had heard the same tale of woe tllet
afternoon. When Mrs. Jones had fin
ished, She said: You haven't got any
e