Omaha daily bee., 1910-03-06

The course was two terms Of thirty weeks
each.
'on returning TO my home I took the
state examination and received my license.
My work in Chicago had opened my eyes
to the fact hat by the completion OF my
high school course 1 could take the second
or university course in pharmacy, which,
after two years study, confers the degree
Of pharmaceutical chemist, and gives you
admission into the medical and surgical
colleges.
MY first step was to begin night school
and by the end Of two years 1 had com
pleted my high school course. 1 had also
saved enough money to make up my share
in the household expenses, while 1 ro-
turned 30 Chicago to a my second
course in pharmacy.
Here 1 again got work IN a drug store
and found 1t quite easy TO pay my ex.
penses and keep up with my studies. Re
turning again to my home town, 1 worked
for another year, and then back to Chi
cago for the third term, where l completed
the graduate course and received my doc
tors degree.
ION going back to my old position the
proprietor offered to make me manager
with the privilege Of buying him out at
the end of five years il 1 cared to. /
asked for ona years time to decide as 1
then had thought Of becoming a bacteri-
ologist. At the end of the year / told the
proprietor I would buy him out in three
years or even before II he was inclined to
to sell. 1t was a good business, but he
had injured his health by too close con
nemen and having invested enough to
give him a reasonable income he was will
Ing 70 turn over things to the next person.
within six months l bought the business
from his widow. AS I had only $500 In cash
/ was forced to borrow the balance of the
5000 to pay her. This was the first step
l ever took against the wish Of my mother.
She was afraid OF my taking the respon-
sibility Of such a debt and felt sure / not
only wouldn't be able TO pay, but would
lose all my $500 savings.
1T did require very strict attention to
business to pull through, but at the end
OF four years l had paid It all and almost
doubled by trade. 1 had put in several
new departments and had girls behind
every counter except two. 1t was this
putting In girls as much as anything else
that increased my trade.
In all the other drug stores In town the
clerks were men. In only one besides my
own was there a woman employed, and
she was at the change desk. AS a result.
/ soon had the bulk Of the women Gus
toners in town,
Besides putting in girl clerks l did many
little things that added to the attractive
ness OF my store. Many OF these features
were taken from stores / had seen in Chi
.cago. One OF them was giving paper nap
kins with each glass OF soda water; then
/ was the first in our town to have a few
tables and chairs near the soda fountain.
In a few weeks this feature brought such
an Increase to my soda fountain that I was
forced to enlarge the space and the num-
Der Of tables.
'This rushing around was the beginning
OF the enlargement OF my business. Now
my store is half as large again as IL was
when l bought the business,
1T was soon after this that / learned
that the man to whom 1 had first applied
for a place was anxious TO sell. He said
he wasn't making money and didn't over
expect to again with the flashy methods
l was employing against him. I had my
lawyer make him an offer and at tho end
OF six months pickering i bought out his
business.
This gives me two stores, which Is
about all the work n responsibility /
care TO handle. I nave added the same
features TO my second store that made my
first popular. and the public have shown
their appreciation by increasing my trade.
80 far as / can Judge the chief attrae-
ton OF my two stores Is their cleanliness.
l not only require the floors TO be kept