Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1911-05-12

II is by no means an overstatement
to say that the success or failure OF
the greatest as well as the smallest
department stores rests largely upon
the ability and faithfulness Of the buy
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, an be-
comes an assistant buyer in che Of
the branches. From here. after get
ting a pretty intimate knowledge OF
its details, he goes to another branch,
and SO on, and before long fin6s 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,
the mems clothing, the hardware, the
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 70 40, 4 ~ oil
the way from s1,500 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 a fioorwalker 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 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 a 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 whn
makes his first little start as a mes.
senger; for, as 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 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 1oorwalkers or assistant SUI
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.
The 49, 20 h~.-,o e-,,.ed ono nj
~y-cIDs 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
a good, ordinary education.
This schooling is looked upon in
the stores that have worked it out az
fIu
newcomers. If a 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
eDdeavors, 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 a 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 undeY
pay, probably at resorts established
by the store roprietors-features not
given. as rule, to employees in other
lines.
Copyright, 1910, by the Associated
Literary Press.)
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