The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1910-09-16


it's details, he goes to another branch,
and so on, and before long finds him.
self sort of general overseer, then
an assistant to the head buyer, and
finally reaches that coveted goal him.
self.
In some stores, however, the differ
ent departments ARE run more sep
arately, there being a distinct head
buyer for the grocery, the millinery,
he mems clothing, the hardware, the
:rockery and other departments, who
yet together at times and confer with
iha general manager. In such case
there is no formal head buyer by that
title, his functions being performed
by the general manager. The salary
OF buyer for department. varies all
the way from $500 to $4,000 and
sometimes is two and three times that
number of dollars a year, according
to the importance of the department.
1t Is quite likely, however, that your
boy will prefer to work up through
the executive end, as to be a head
buyer requires special talents in the
way of dealing with outsiders and
striking shrewd bargains that only the
exceptional young man possesses.
And so, after his craftsmanship. he
Will become f1oorwalker at any
where from SIS to SIS a week. This
man has direct charge of the statesmen
and saleswomen in his particular de-
partment, and is in direct line for an
assistant SUPPLEMENTARY. The lat
ter. under the superintendents, are
heads OF floors or entire departments
of certain lines of goods, and super.
wise the floorwalkers. Their salaries
are from $25 to $40 or so a week,
While the superintendent get as high
as $4,000 or $4,000 year.
Then come the assistant managers,
managers, and finally the general
manager Of the entire business at any
salary the house can afford to pay.
1t Is fact that in some large stores
not even the president of the United
States has much financial advantage
over him.
Now, all this is open to the boy who
makes his first little start as a mes.
senger; for, as have already said, it
IS always to the advantage of any
store to select it's executive heads
from the employees when they show
sufficient capacity. It would be use-
less to attempt to give names of big
,! department store managers who have
risen from the bottom: for. like Sci.
fridge, the famous London merchant.
who began wrapping parcels in lit
tie American store, most of them
started at the very beginning.
The boy that makes his beginning
now, however, has an advantage over
those of previous generations: for he
is better trained by his employers and
has more opportunities. 1t is not at
all uncommon for young men to have
become floorwalkers or assistant gu.
perintendents by the time they are
twenty-five or thirty. respectively.
1t all depends upon a boy making
the best of his opportunities, which
have been greatly increased during
| the last few years by the establish.
| ment of real schools in connection
with the department stores.
Thus, here is being solved one of
the most vital problems that confront
the poor man who cannot afford to let
his boys go to more than the veriest
rudimentary schools, and some of
them not that, but has to have their
help in supporting the family. It is
solved because the boy is earning a
salary in a business in which he can
grow as far as he has it in him. even
to getting thousands of dollars year:
and at the same time he can acquire
good. ordinary education.
This schooling is looked upon in
the stores that have worked it out as
being pretty good try-out for the
newcomers. If boy is dilatory in
his studies, or not tidy. or shirks, or
manifests symptoms of dishonesty in
his school life. he Is not apt to be Diff
ferent in his work, and he must over.
| come these tendencies if he expects to
get far in the store through promotion.
If, however, he is in earnest in his
endeavors, and determined to get all
he can in his schooling, and apply the
lessons learned to his work, his future
will be easy and he will become sue
cessful, valuable American citizen. an
honor to himself and to his country.
And while he is making this progress
he will have the advantage of school
opportunities furnished by literary
and social clubs fostered by his EN-.
ployer; concerts, recreation and lunch
rooms. and annual vacations under
pay, probably at resorts established
by the store proprietors-feature not
given, as rule. to employees in other
lines.
Copyright. 1910. by the Associated
Literary Press.)
Won't Economic on Daylioht.