The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-09-24

r UcK in business? You could not
 make Mary McCloskey believe so A\ in a thousand years. Probably you never have heard of her, but everybody of any account in all the great dry goods establishments of New York, St. Louis, Chicago Cincinnati, Boston, Cleveland, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Louisville knows Mary McCloskey-the highest paid buyer in her line in America.
 She is as well known in the great mills of Switzerland, Belgium, Ireland and southern France as she is in the great eln- poriums of Paris and New York. Twice a year she crosses the Atlantic. Tens of thousands of women throughout the coun- try who never heard her name wear the delicate. creations of foreign artists ;ntro- duced into America by this little Irish American woman.
 It is a common belief among men and women, youths and girls. that there is lit- tie or no chance for advancement in great dry goods store; that the girl who goes behind the counter Is soon lost in the shuttle and seldom gets higher than head of stock; that the cash girl can only hope 10 climb sales counter high; that the boys limit Is a position as floor walker; that promotion goes by favor when there is promotion at all; that it is all great ma chine in which the human is ground down to nothingness and Individuality is lost They are wrong. The case of Mary Me Closkey proves it.
 It will be IS years next Christmas since Mary McCloskey got a job in a Broadway shop. It was not one of the great estab- lishments-one of those that employs thou sands of hands and appeals to every need of man, woman and household. It was rather high grade establishment, cater ing only to the wealthy and offering spe- cialties in womens wear
 Miss McCloskey' was not taken on reg ularly, but was one of the holiday helpers. It is the custom in the dry goods trade to employ around Christmas time lot of extra girls and let them go again after the rush Is over.
 The new hand was sent to the ribbon counter. The fact that she might only be there a few weeks did not lessen her in terest in her work So soon as she was installed she took a mental inventory of the stock in her department. So far as she was concerned her business world be- gan where her companion on the right left off and ended where her compa nion on the left began. Her stock of ribbons appeared 10 her to be the great thing that the world needed.
 It did not interest her to know what was going on down the aisle or what was | being said by her right hand neighbof or the girl on her left or the one across the | way. Her business was ribbons-the sale of ribbons. One of the first things she did | was to take her stock of bright hued bolts and rearrange them. She had good idea of harmony, especially the harmony. or colors.
 She was young, petite. we'll formed and attractive. She liked pretty things and she knew how to make the most of pretty things Never a woman who walked down the aisle, after that stock had been re- arranged could pass those ribbons with out looking. There were very few who l stopped to examine the ribbons who got | away without purchasing from Mary Nc Closkey if they needed any ribbon. She | was born saleswoman. One prime assen- | tial in saesmanship is to know and be- lieve in your goods, The second essential | is to know how to talk to your prospective | customer. Miss MeCloslkey, brieht-eyed, | earnest, intelligent, made her customers | feel that their individual needs were beini, studied and met. There was no over- |