New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-08-12

process might concelNaDly nave IdHoeu
me In jail. merely treated myself to
an hours amusement at the expense OF
the local value" advertisers In pur-
suance of an experiment which l had
been waiting to try out on some city
where am quite unknown and IN no
danger of having my harmless little
ruse betrayed.
The Famous & Barr Company is one
Of the local department stores Of high
standing. which, nevertheless, sings the
siren song of values to it's public with
great regularity. Having selected an
advertisement Of s1.5o shirts for sl.15,
I approached the particular siren
having these fairy gifts in charge and
asked; u
"Are these actually s1.5o values7"
"They are" said he. Specially
marked down. There's the $3.50 mark
You can see for yourself"
"You guarantee them to be worth
that?"
Positively"
Suppose I take four and offer to pay
for them with this?" asked.
what is it?" queried the clerk, view
ing with suspicion the bill which / had
brought along for the occasion.
ats a ten-dollsr bill issued by the
Confederate States of America"
"And you're trying to pass that on
mel"
"Not at all. I'm merely asking what
you would reply if offered to give you
this bill for the four shirts"
"l'd turn it down"
why"
The young man began TO splitter.
"Why? Why? Because it's phony,
that's why. 1t amt worth ten dollars"
at 1Ous worth ten dollars"
Butt
There's the SO mark. You can see
for yourself. I'll take six dollars
for It,"
The young man looked at his marked
down shirt and then at my marked
down bill, and then assumed the ex-
preston Of one suddenly detached from
the firm ground of dogma and cast into
q sea of doubt and darkness.
"You don't believe this shirt is worth
s1.60?" was his troubled observation
when he came to the surface to breathe.
"I've no doubt that it once was"
"But look at the mark" he persisted,
pointing to the garment.
Look at mine," returned. pointing
to my bill.
"That bill amt worth anything, and
you know it," he protested.
at isn't worth as much as it once
was" I admitted. Neither Is that
shirt"
"Why amt TT"
Because you're Offering 1t for sl16,
and if it were worth sl.5o the store
wouldn't be selling it for less"
"Say, you better talk to the advertis-
ing manager" he said. Excuse me-"
I excused him. And while he was
seeking aid Cor possibly the police |
passed on to the highly reputable store
of Scruggs, Vandervoort & Barney, who
had set my hopes a-dancing by piping
this tune in the mornings papers; "s4,
SIS and $500 neckwear, $500, $3.50 and
| $500"
AID like to see q $500 tie, please"
said I.
A sprightly young clerk laid out a
small array Of neckwear which might
have been $500 ties in St Louis, though
I wouldn't have paid that price for any
one of them in New York.
"These are $500 valuesI" asked.
/ Eyes, sir"
"How much is this oneH'
Three dollars"
"Three dollars for tie worth twice
SIS much. How dc you do it?'
ats a special sale"
"And this tie is actually worth six
dollars"
| ooh, yes. Positively"
|"That is, you're practically giving me
So"
"Well, ye-es."
"And do you make the same kind Of
offers in other departments ?"
eve give very good bargains in all
our departments"
"Then perhaps you can tell me where
l can buy fve-dollar gold piece for 81"
She couldn't. At least she didn't.
She retired from view, around a corner,
presumably for consultation, for pres
emily heard a murmur Of voices, from
which the words nut" and "dippy" fell
pleasantly upon my retiring ear. At
Nugent's, where they were selling
( sweaters made to sell for So, IS and
SO at $780," had no luck with my
Confederate bill, though carefully
explained that 1t had been made 70 buy
for $40. At Kline's they wouldn't con-
slider it at any price. notwithstand-
ing that they were advertising suits
formerly up to $4,000 at 1895, and I
offered to prove that four of my depre-
ciated greenbacks were formerly up
to" $40, but could now be had for that
same price of $685.. Garland's, cling
ing determinedly to their values of
$500 on goods priced at $685., would
have none Of mn values. Nowhere in