The mirror., 1910-12-22
Christmas intbe Department. store
By Z. J. ".

dream. This sample OF female
logic Is given for a better under
standing of what Christmas means
from the floor managers point of
view.
About week before the 25th of
December the store begins to keep
open until 10 p. N. This means
about sixteen hours day for the
managers and thirteen hours for
clerks. During the day the rout-
inc work goes along smoothly. At
| 5 p. m. supper tickets are issued to
the clerks, good for fifty cents
worth Of food i'll the store restau-
rant. F'oor managers send details
to supper, arranging to leave snf-
fcient clerks at the counters to
serve the trade. which is always
light between five and seven. Here
is where the first clash comes be-
tween the clerks and the floor
manager. Sadie and Mary are
chums, and like Mary's little lamb,
every where that Satlie went Mary
was sure to go. They planned to
eat dinner together and when ask
ed who would attend their counter
they neither knew nor cared. So
one remains-the parting is in
tears and sulks and black looks are
the floor manager'sp rtion thereaft-
er. Indeed, this chnmmy and arm
around-the- waist lovi n &c pl e
business is one of the most en-
barrassing thing that floor man
has to contend with. It is alb
solutely essential for the comfort
of every clerk in that particular
department that the lovers be sep
arated and given to understand
that the affair must stop, at least
during business hours. Another
thorn for the floor man is the lady
clerk who dances until three or
four o'clock in the morning and is
dopy at the counter all day, some
going to SLEEP OH the flo II behind
the counters.
J, One of the hardest things to
contend with is the dust arising
from the continued shutting of
countless feet. It clogs and per-
meates the entire system. l have
seen many strong men give up the
; struggle on account of its injur-
!, ious effects.
Looking after the clerks, wrap
pers, cashiers and cash girls, is
only one of the many duties i'm
posed on the department manager.
He is the stores representative in
its dealings with their custom ers
and it often depends on his tact
and courtesy or their absence
whether the customer is satisfied
and continues to give 1t trade or is
t driven away to some competitor.
e Since vast majority of customers
are of the gentle sex, the floor man
soon learns how to handle the
many trifiing ali d vex'ious prob
Q lens thrust upon him by the fair,
: bat not alway lovely shoppers. He
e must possess no small degree OF
t penetration and knowledge of hu-
man nature, and have an accurate
insight into the peculiar workings
> of the female mind.
Q Many articles have appeared in
t women's magazines relating the
v distress and disenchantmento Of the
woman who comes in daily contact
with men IF all classes. No odoubt
the shock is great when the truth
8 is discovered concerning som
!. Price Charming about and around
/ whom some silly woman has cre-
+ ated some imaginary idealism that
crumbles like rope of sand when
exposed to the stern test Of life.
; But how sad and distressing must
t. be the feelings of mere man when
S disillusionment comes to him and
he sees the schemes and subter-
fuges resorted to by the fair one
in her frantic desire to secure a
y bargain or beat the store out of q
u few cents.
OIL During the rush hours tue lady
o with a weak heart will cling to
o your arm with the positive assur-
Q ance that she always faints in q
. crowd and you steer her out of your
department with the comforting
r assurance that she "looks so much
d better" Then a type of shopper
b is always causing trouble by laying
g her purse down on the counter
Q and running across the aisle to
: snatch 10et. bargain. OF course,
s the purse disappears and another
. case of mysteries is Oh your hands.