The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1910-09-15

ing end. And the head OF this branch .
is quite as much the Merchant Prince,
though possibly not so picturesque, as
the general manager
If your boy wishes to follow up this
buying end, he goes to the stock de- |
partment, after he has had consider. |.
able experience at selling, and be.
comes an assistant buyer in one Of
the branches. From here, after get
ting pretty intimate knowledge OF
its details, he goes to another branch
and 30 on. and before long finds him
self sort OF general overseer. then
an assistant to tho 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 distinct head
buyer for tho grocery the millinery,
the mems clothing, the hardware, tho
crockery and other departments. who
get together at times and confer with
the 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 n department varies all
the way from $1,000 to $4,000 and
sometimes III two and three times that
number Of dollars year. according
to the importance OF tho department
1t is quite likely. however, that your
boy will prefer to work up through
the executive end, as to be n 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 salesmauship, he
will become a foorwalker at any.
where from SIS TO s25 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 superintendency The lat.
ter. under the superintendent. are
heads OF floors or entire departments
OF certain lines OF goods. and super.
wise the foorwalkers Their salaries
| are from SIS to $40 or SO a week,
while the superintendents get as high
as $4,000 or $4,000 year.
Then como 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 ia open to the boy who
makes his first little start as n mes.
senger; for, as I have already said, II
is always to the advantage OF any
store to select It's executive heads
from the employees when they show
sufficient capacity. 1t would be ase'
less to attempt to give names Of big
department store managers who have
risen from the bottom for. like Sell
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 bis beginning
now. however, has an advantage over
those OF previous generations: for he
IL better trained by his employers and
has more opportunities. II is not al
all uncommon for young mon to have
become fioorwalkers or assistant su.
perintendents by tho time they are
twenty-five or thirty. respectively.
It all depends upon 4 boy making
the best Of his opportunities, which
have been greatly increased during
the last few years by the establish
mcnt 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 LEI
his boys go to more than the veries
rudimentary schools, and some o
them not that, but has to have thoiI
help In supporting the family, II II
solved because the boy is earning {
salary in a business In which no cal
grow as far rs he has II in him, ever
to getting thousands OF dollars year
and ut the same time he can acquir'
good. ordinary education.
This schooling Is looked upon II
the stores that have worked II out a
being a pretty good try-out for tn
newcomers. II n boy Is dilatory II
his studies, or not tidy. or shirks. o
manifests symptoms OF dishonesty Il
his school life, he is not apt to be dill
ferent In his work, and he must ovei
come these tendencies II he expects {
get far in the store through promotion
II, however, he is In earnest In hi
I eudeavors, and determined to get al
, he can in his schooling, and apply th
lessons learned to his work his futur
? will be easy and he will become SUI
: cessful, valuable American citizen. e
$ honor to himself and to his countr,
? And while he Is making this progress
he will have the advantage of schot
D opportunities furnished by literar
q and social clubs fostsred by his en-
e ployer; concerts, recreation and lunc
e rooms, and annual vacations unde
n pay, probably at resorts establishe
4 by the store Observation-Disclosures nc
r given, as n rule. TO employees In othe
/ lines