Mexico Missouri message., 1914-11-19
Remarkable Career of Miss
Molly Alpiner Of
Chicago.
STARTED BEHIND A COUNTER
Attracted Attention by Industry and
Ability, Married the Proprietor
and Now Owns and Manages
an Enormous Business.
BY RICHARD sPiLLANE.


the Boston store In Chicago 10 1854.
Her people were poor and II was nee
essary that she help support the fam
lily. She was Chicago born and had
a good common school education.
The Boston store at that time was
owned by Charles Netcher and Charles
W. and Edwin Partridge. The girl
was employed and was assigned to
the underwear department. She had
been there, but week when she be-
gan to attract notice. Most shop girls
are careless, inattentive and more in
clined to gossip among themselves.
than to devote all their time to bust
ness. Molly Alpiner was different.
she only got about five dollars a week,
but she worked as hard as IL she we're
getting 500. She never was late,
never showed eagerness to get away
before her time and was as kind and
courteous and patient to the poorest
patron of the house as to the richest.
Customers quickly got to know and
like her Rather than have one Of the
other girls wait on them they would
4 Soon she was doing more work than
any two girls in the establishment.
She seemed to delight in that fact.
The more she had to do the better
pleased she was.
Charles Netcher, the head of the
establishment, kept keen watch over
the big store It wasn't long before
b., a. rtr
Within a month he reported to his
partners that he had in the under
wear department the most efficient
salesgirl he had ever seen. She was
not only wonderful seller. he said,
but she was so ladylike and SO good
natured that she made a friend of
everyone who came to her.
Married to the Proprietor.
When an employer finds an unusual
employee, he wants to know more
about him or her. Mr. Netcher made
inquiries about Miss Alpiner. Most
shop girls have their minds full Of
balls and parties. Mr.. Netcher found
that Molly Alpiner spent her nights
at home, or visiting friends. He was
so well satisfied with what he had
learned that In a short time he pro-
NOTED her to the head of the under
wear department. She proved as
capable in that position as she had
as salesgirl. The girls worked bet
ter under her than they had previous
ly. The sales increased and before
year passed the underwear depart
ment had the reputation of being the
best managed portion of the whole es-
Enlistment.
The girl was so earnest, so willing
and so kindly that Mr.. Netcher
couldn't help but admire her. This
admiration ripened into love and one
day he proposed to her. They were
married in 1887, three years after she
had entered the store as a shop girl.
Molly Alpiner left the store and
went to live at the Avenue house al
Twenty-second street and Wabash
avenue. She remained there only 6
short time, for Mr.. Netcher built 9
beautiful home for her at 1927 Drexe
boulevard. The girl who had been IL
, the underwear department lived Q
life of ease and magnifcence. She
! had fine home and lots of servants
, Each afternoon she got into her car
riage and drove down to the store fol
her husband
They were ideally happy. Mrs
Netcher made as good a wife as sh,
had a shop girl. She wasn't much fol
q society, but she had her box at the
opera and her husband lavished none!
( on her. She had SO many friends ant
found so much to do about her hom'
that she found little time for the friv
olities that appeal to most younl
: women who suddenly become wealthy
Became Head of Store.
For IL years she and her husban,
lived together Then, ON June 20
? 1904, he died. He left four children
The eldest, Charles, was scarcely si1
: teen. Townsend was fourteen. Ethe
was twelve and Irving three. Whel
he died Mr.. Netcher was the sol
/. owner of the Boston store. Edwi
: Partridge had a penchant for dabblin
in grain. Mr.. Netcher didn't like
= and bought out his interest in tn
: some difference with Charles "
= Partridge and acquired his holdings.
When Mrs. Netcher came to consit
er her affairs after the burial of he
husband. she found that his estat
amounted to between $4.500.000 an
Il 100000. A large part of this wa
" made up of the store, its stock, II
10 good will and its real estate. II tn
d store could be kept running as NJ
ID Netcher had conducted II. her forum
% would be preserved. If the bushes
m was not managed in first-class sty
al she would lose hundreds OF thousanc
(, Of dollars. II not millions.
X Mr., Netcher had many able assis
TO ants In his business. but had trains
.t tr no IL,