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A DAY IN A STORE
(Georgia)
Tom's note:
This is a very extensive 'day in the life' written by WPA worker Grace
McCune. From what I have been able to discover about Miss McCune, it
is very likely she had, about a year or two prior, worked at the store she
writes about here.
It was in a cold drizzling rain that I
made my visit to a very popular department store. It was such a
disagreeable day, that few people would get out unless it was necessary
for work or business, and thinking this would be a good day to get a
story, I went early.
As I opened the door, I was hailed by them all, wanting to know how I ever
got out of a nice warm office to come down there on such a day. I told
them, the same thing that brought them out was the cause of my getting out
also. They were ordering coca colas and I was invited to join them. As we
were finishing our drinks, Mr. Goldberg came in and wanted to know why we
picked such a cold day for cold drinks.
The store is heated by a large circulating heater in the center of the
first floor. They were all around the heater waiting for the store to get
warmer before they started their work of dusting counters and
straightening stock. They were all talking about their different work.
One clerk has the dry goods department which is on the first floor; a man
is the one that has charge of the shoes and mens clothing which is also on
the first floor; another clerk is saleslady in the ladies ready to wear
and millinery department. This is located in a balcony that covers half of
the first floor.
As they went about their work, Mr. Goldberg said, "You know that this
building is one of the oldest brick buildings in Athens, and was built
when Broad St. was the main street in town. It is three stories: our
department store has the first floor, the Joel Brothers, Jake a lawyer and
Charles, have their offices on the second floor. On the third floor is an
overall and work shirt plant. This plant was owned by the Joel brothers,
but they have sold it to another company.
"It was in this building that Michael Brothers first started in business
and I think their home at that time was down on Oconee St; next Louis
Morris had a dry goods store here for some years, and then it was bought
by old man Abe Joel; he is dead now but the building is still owned by his
sons.
"Joels were in business here for years, until the old man's health got bad
and he sold out his store to my father-in-law. He has also passed away.
The Joel boys then opened up the overall plant on the third floor, and run
it up until last year when they sold out to another company.
"We moved to Athens when I was about nine and I have been here since that
time. I went to school here, graduated from the University of Georgia. I
worked for my dady's store, here on Broad St. also while I was going to
school. Those were great days, the boys don't hit it as hard now as we did
then.
I remember one night when the freshmen were having a banquet, the
sophomore's were trying to prevent the freshmen from attending. I was
carried out below Princeton and tied out on the river bank to a tree. They
told me that they would come back for me after the banquet was over, but
if I should by any means be able to get away from the tree, I would be
allowed to attend without any more trouble from then, and they left me
there.
"It was getting night and I couldn't work those ropes loose finally I
heard an old man over on the hill. He had been ploughing and was hollering
at his mule, and that old gee-haw whoa mule, gee-haw sure sounded good to
me and thinking he would help me I started yelling as loud as I could, he
heard me and came to see what was the trouble. I begged him to untie me.
He wanted to know what I would give him. I promised him a new pair of
shoes if he would come to dad's store the next day. He cut the rope and I
lit out for home.
"Yes, I had to walk, but who minded that if we could out do the
sophomores. And I just knew I could get in now and they would not bother
me any more that night. I went home bathered and dressed in my tuxedo,
even had the high top silk hat. I was feeling great, but it didn't last.
"I went strutting along head high in the air. As I reached the old
Imperial Hotel, where the banquet was being held, the sophomores were all
lined up. As they saw me, they wanted to know how in the hell I got away.
I pulled off the high top hat and made a most polite bow to them. But, oh,
boy, I paid for that. For inspite of that, gentlemens agreement that when
a freshman managed to work out of any place they put him he was free to go
where he wanted to. They threw rotten eggs all over clothes and especially
my nice high top hat. I was ruined. They wouldn't let me inside with all
those rotten eggs on me. I finally managed by the help of one of my
friends to get out of my clothes and he got up a couple of aprons and tied
around me. That is how I attended the banquet, but at that some of them
were worse off than I was."
"At this time an old negro woman came in wanting to see the manager. He
asked her what he could for for her. She said, "now just look right hyar
at dis pair of shoes, dey done busted plum out and I jist got 'em Saddy
nite." Looking over the pair of felt house slippers, he said, "Aunty
didn't you get them a little too small?" The answer came right back, "I
didn't git 'em a'tall my gal done buyed 'em fer me." Mr. Goldberg laughed
and told the shoe salesman to give her a new pair of house shoes. The old
aunty thanked him and said, "I done tole 'em dat you would make 'em good.
Two Negro men came in wanting to see some overall jumpers. The clerk
carried them to the back of the store where the overalls were and they
first wanted to see some dat had linin' in 'em. But after they had looked
at everyone of them, they wanted to see some of dem dat warn't lined
a'tall. They were shown these and told the prices of both. After examining
both kinds for sometime they decided the sizes won't right and they would
look around sommers else.
As they departed, the clerk said, "That is what clerks get all through the
day. Why sometimes I meet them at the door and ask if I can help them and
they will walk all over the store and out again, without even answering me
at all. Then sometimes they will walk around and then finally ask if we
have a rest room. We have all kinds of experiences in our work, but we
also have some very nice customers, and most of them are nice. And it is a
pleasure to wait on them.
A woman came in looking for a hand bag to match a suit. The clerk helped
make the selection, also showing gloves to match the bag. The customer
thanked her, as she paid for them, saying you have been so nice to take up
so much time with me. After selling a man some children's socks, a woman a
child's sweater and cloth to another customer, she came back to answer the
telephone. It was someone that wanted some of them to go out on the street
to see if they couldn't find a dray, and be sure and get one that had a
good horse and wagon.
I asked if they had many calls like
that and she said, "Why all the time. When it is not bad weather there are
usually drays and trucks both around on Jackson St. and some people think
we have time to hunt up a dray anytime they want one.
A small well dressed man came in the store and asked for Mr. Goldbert, who
introduced himself as Mr. Jacobson. He said he was from Florida and on his
way to Hot Springs at his doctor's suggestion, and needed some help to get
there. Mr. Goldberg asked him how long he had been sick. He said, "for
sometime. I am not accustomed to asking for help, but I spent everything I
had trying to get well. I have always donated highly to our society for
the help of Jews, and it is embrassing now to have to ask for help myself.
But I just can't stay here in this weather for it will put me right back
in bed. Mr. Goldberg asked if he had been to the president of their
society here. He said yes and that he gave him a place to stay the night
before, but that was all he could do for him. He then called Mrs. Jake
Joel, the president of the sisterhood. She refused to do anything at all
for him. He asked her if he should get sick here, who should he refer to
her or the Rabbi. He thanked her very polite, placed the telephone back on
the desk and said, "I have never had anyone to talk to me that way before.
Why she said that if I should get sick to call on the city that they were
supposed to take care of folks like me. Well, when I had plenty of money I
had plenty of friends. Asking who the rabbi was and where he lived he went
out.
A saleman came in to see the manager, said he had his new samples of
ladies underwear and a lovely line of ladies blouses both wash and silk,
sport and for dress wear in all the new shades that went with the new
spring suits. Mr. Goldberg asked the clerks if there was anything in this
line that they needed. But they said that they had already placed their
orders. He wanted to know why he was never able to land an order from
them. They said well, you are always too late.
He said business wasn't as good with him this trip, and that he didn't
think anyone made any money last year, and were lucky to break even. Mr.
Goldberg told him that the fall of the year was when he did his best
business for his largest buyer were farmers, but that it was very
disappointing last fall. The farmers had short crops did not make
anything, depended too much on their cotton and lost on that. And when the
farmers fail I lose also as they do not have the money to spend.
Two colored men came in wanted to see some mens underwear. The clerk asked
if he wanted the union suits, hesitating, one of them said, "Yas'ser dats
it." They were shown a heavy weight which was too heavy, the light weight
was too light "fer wuk." Nothing was just right and they left to look
around and if us don't find 'em den us'll sho be back.
A girl came in and asked to see an umbrella. Mr. Goldberg waited on her as
the others were busy. She asked for an oil skin, but when he showed those
she wanted a cellophane one. After looking at these, also the cloth ones
she finally decided on the oil skin. Then she wanted to know if he had any
rubber overshoes. He got out the old time overshoes and she said could she
try them on over her wet oxfords, or if she would have to take her shoes
off. He told her that he could not fit them on her feet for then they
wouldn't fit the shoes. After working to get them on over the wet shoes,
she said she would take the umbrealla and come back later for the
overshoes, and be sure and put them aside for her. As she went out, he
told the clerk that if she came back to give her the 8 1/2 for she would
never get the size 8 on her feet. And laugh this off. She also wanted to
know if she just wore the overshoes without the shoes would they look any
smaller.
Two Negro girls came in the door. They were met by the clerk. She asked if
she could help them. They just walked by her, went up to the ready to wear
department. The clerk up there met them at the top of the steps with the
same polite offer to help them. They walked by her looked at hats, pulled
out dress racks, looked at them, then walked out of the store without
speaking at all.
The clerk downstairs finished waiting on some more customers, and said it
was time for her to go to lunch. As she started out the door, she was met
by the husband of one of her old customers. His wife wanted some cloth
matched and no one could do it but her so she came back and waited on him
and then she went on for lunch.
"I went up to the ready to wear department. Two Negro women were looking
at a child's wash dress. One said it would take one size, but the other
insisted on a smaller size. Finally arguing they bought the dress, then
wanted to see the hats. The clerk was very considerate and showed the new
hats which had just come and explained the different styles and colors,
one of them picked up a small roll brim hat and said, "ain't dis pretty, I
sho does lak it, and I sho am coming back and git dis very hat.
The clerk asked if they wouldn't like to see some of the new spring
dresses and especially the new suits. One of the women opened up a box she
had and showed a new suit that she had just bought for $6.95 and wanted to
know if their suits were as nice as the one she had just bought. Assuring
the woman that she had suits just that nice, the other then said she was
coming back to dis store for her suit. As they went out, the clerk said it
is all in a day's work.
"My motto is to do unto others as I would like to have them do for me, and
I don't try to sell anyone else something that I would not want myself. I
try to treat everyone fair in every way, and I do appreciate my customers,
and I have built up a good business with them. Most of them are nice and
considerate; of course we have some that are trying. But I can wait on
them for hours and know that they are not going to buy.
"Only the other day, I sold a woman a coat. It was a hard sale, as she did
not know just what she wanted, but after I had put it in the box and
handed it to her, she said "I just reckon as how I won't take it. It took
another good hour to sell her the coat all over again.
"And then I had another customer that I showed everything in this
department and everything I showed her she said 'Ma has got one just like
it, and very often these young flappers come in and try on dresses and
hats just to have a place to smoke and rest, but they are usually very
nice.
"One day a lady came and wanted to see my very latest dresses. After
trying them all on and examining them to see how they were made she said I
thank you very much. I am a dress maker and I just wanted to see how the
new styles looked. It will give me new ideas in my work.
"Some people that clerks have an easy job, but they don't realize that we
have to keep this stock in place and that it has to be brushed and dusted
every day, and it takes hours to get it fixed back after a busy day. Then
every season things have to be packed away to make room for the new things
and I wonder every year as I pack and put away things if I will be here
next year to unpack them. I have worked on this same block for 27 years. I
asked her to tell me about it. She laughed and said, "Well, I will tell
you what I can. I was young when I went to work right in this same store
for Mr. Abe Joel. I had never worked before and I was started in at five
dollars a week, but that was big money to me. I worked two weeks, then I
was called to the office. I just knew I had done something wrong and my
knees were shaking so I could hardly walk. But when I got there, they told
me that I had tried hard to learn, and they were satisfied with my work,
and they were raising my salary to ten dollars a week.
"We worked hard, but business was good then and didn't have so much
competition. Farmers would come in to buy and they bought for the whole
family and the bills amounted to something. We always got a bonus check at
Christmas for Mr. Joel and the boys gave us a piece of gold money.
She had to stop and wait on some customers and I looked around her
department. One side was filled with dress racks full of dresses and in
the center of the balcony were seveal large round dress racks, one of
house dresses at 98¢, one rack at $1.98, one at $3.95. All dresses run
from 98¢ to $7.95. Suits at different prices, popular prices in tailored
suits were $9.90. Coats light and heavy weight at different prices, rain
coats $1.98 to $2.98. Children dresses from 49¢ up.
The other side was hats, all sizes, colors and shapes. On a table in the
center floor was displayed a nice line of hats that were priced at 98¢.
The better hats were in show cases and in the hat shelves. A large glass
case also held blouses, gloves, and hand bags, sport shirts and uniforms.
These were all priced from 98¢ $1.98 and some a little higher.
The sewing room and fitting room were in the back and in the fitting room
was a table, chair and a long mirror. The sewing room had a long sewing
table with an electric machine, a ironing board and electric iron, a long
table with a mirror over it and was heated by a small heater. There was
also a large full length mirrow out in the main part of the balcony for
trying hats and dresses.
"At one side was the cashier's stand, where the baskets came from all
parts of the store as the cashier also wraped the packages. This cashier
stand is used only in the busy season as they had a register and wrapping
counter on the first floor.
As the clerk finished with her customers, she came back to me, and said,
"Did you know that I have had two weddings right here in my balcony, but
that was when I was working for Mr. Joel. I dressed both the brides. The
first couple was from the country and the bride came in and bought her
outfit, from underwear to shoes and hat. We dressed her in the fitting
room and they called a Justice of Peace to marry them. I never laughed so
much in my life, for he asked the groom if he would take the bride and
feed her on cornbread and collards. Of course all the clerks as well as
our other customers were watching and listening and I thought they would
laugh themselves to death when the justice of Peace asked that question.
It was the only wedding I ever saw like that.
"The next wedding we had was really a nice wedding. It was a couple from
Madison County. We dressed that bride also. They had some of their friends
with them and we called Preacher Elliott to marry them, and it was quite
different from the first one.
Mr. Joel could just think of everything and did things so different from
anyone else. One year business was bad. Farmers had a bad year and
couldn't get anything for their cotton and couldn't pay up their bills.
Mr. Joel bought a bale of cotton and put it out in front with a big sign
on it saying, 'we will buy your cotton at ten cents a pound.'
He would buy the farmers cotton from them and we sure did do business that
fall for they all traded with him, payed their bills with the cotton they
couldn't sell and in this way we did a good business kept our old
customers and made many new ones.'
"When the war came, his two oldest sons were just the age to go. They
volunteered. We all hated to see them go, and we knew just how it hurt Mr.
Joel, but he did not want his boys to be slackers. We just tried that year
to see how hard we could work. Business was good everywhere then and we
sure got our part, and at Christmas I received a bonus check for $300.
with merry Christmas on it. He was a good man to work for, and he
appreciated what his clerks did for him. I never had any trouble with him
but one time. I came in one morning a few minutes late, and several
customers were waiting for me. The boss gave me a dirty look and also a
raking over before my customers.
That made me mad. I went ahead with my customers and after they were gone,
I went back to our dressing room, got my coat, and hat went by the office
and told them that I was quitting, as didn't intend to be treated any such
a way before my customers and I walked out. Mr. Joel called me, but I
didn't stop.
"I had just reached my home when two of the boys got there. They talked to
me and begged me to come back. They told me what was wrong with their dad.
One of the banks had closed that morning, he had several thousand dollars
in the bank. He was worried and didn't realize that he was so cross. I
stayed at home a week and went back and I never had any more trouble with
him. I worked for him as long as he was in business. In fact, I worked for
them fourteen years and ten months.
"After he went out of business I worked for another store in this same
block until 1932, and then I came back here to work for Mr. Goldberg, but
it is time for my lunch hour now, will you have lunch with me? I thanked
her and told her I would get me a sandwich later as I wanted to talk to
the other clerks while they were not busy.
As I went back to the first floor, two ladies came in the front door. The
clerk met them, but they had just come in to warm and rest awhile. She
invited them back to the fire, and placing chairs for them, went back to
wait on another customer. I listened to them talk while they rested. One
said she 'just had to come to town, and see 'bout gettin' something to fix
fer her children's school lunch. You know I has three in school and they
has got to the place where they think they is too good to take jelly and
butter and bread or for that matter they didn't want eggs no pre-serves
neither. Just thinks they has to have fruits, sich as apples, oranges, and
banannas, and why if I didn't just set my foot down, they wouldn't take a
thing 'cept candy.
"My children can eat really more than most grown folks, 'cause they ain't
finky bout what they eat at home. It is just what they takes for lunch.
The other lady had come plum to town to git her radio fixed. When they
told me that it would take all of two hours work to git it fixed, I
decided to come down here to wait. I knowed they wouldn't mind, they
all'ers have such good fires and are so nice to us when we wants to warm
and rest. Why sometimes folks eats dinner right here, when they has to be
in town all day. Tain't no wonder that folks likes to trade here, and I
try to do all my trading here. They are always nice. I bring them eggs
most every time I come and they always buy them and garden stuff too, but
I didn't have any today. My children all like eggs and they come in handy
in fixing up their lunches. But they told me to be sure and bring back the
radio and we all likes to listen to it at night when we are through work,
but I'm glad they likes it for it keep them from galivanting 'round so
much at night.
They then got to discussing the Bible, said folks didn't read it right and
anyway no one understood it, and after arguing this way and that way, they
started out, one to see if by any chance her radio was fixed sooner than
they said for you wouldn't always tell 'bout 'em, and the other one to see
if the boys won't ready to go home and she still had to hunt for something
else to help in lunches and she just had to be home by night.
The clerk came back to the fire then, and said, "It has been a good day
for sweaters for it is really cold outside, but I will tell you a joke on
the boss. Mr. Goldberg had just come in and he said, "now look here, if
these folks are going to talk about the boss just let me talk first, and
tell you that my clerks are all so much older than I am that they have no
respect for me and just talk to me any old way.
This brought a protest as well as a laugh and very friendly argument
between the boss and clerks, one of them said, "just write that our boss
was one of the best pitchers in soft baseball here for years, until father
time stopped him and now he plays golf. Mr. Goldberg laughed and said they
will ruin me yet. Better let her tell her joke; for I know I will have to
pay for it.
The clerk said, "Well, last week a lady came in to buy a sweater for
another woman said he wanted a 38. As the one she was buying for was
larger than she was and she didn't want anything except a dark blue, I
know my stock pretty well and I knew that sweaters run small to the size.
The lady that was buying couldn't have worn less than a 42. I gave her a
46 and told her that if it didn't fit I would exchange it or give her the
money back. After she had gone, Mr. Goldberg bet two coca colas to one
that she would bring it back for it would be too large, and yesterday the
lady came back. He asked her how the sweater was, and she said, "it was
just a perfect fit and the lady was well pleased.
I asked if the boss paid off. He answered before she could, said no, but
he was going to for if they ever got anything on him he never heard the
last of it, but after all they are pretty good sports and we have worked
together so long that we don't mind each other.
"We have extra help on Saturdays and in the fall we have several extra
ones on the force. These long dull days just whips us all down. They are
worse than being busy. We have a good trade among the farmers, but last
fall was disappointing. Farmers made short crops, depended on their cotton
too much and the boll weevil ruined most all of that, and when the farmers
fail then we all lose too.
Business was not so good last year, but we are expecting and looking
forward to a better business this year, and I hope we will not be
disappointed. We open at eight in the morning and close at six. Except on
Saturday nights, when we stay open late for the benefit of our customers
that have to work also. Of course we come in contact with all classes and
kinds of people. Most of them are nice but we do run across many amusing
things in our work. In the fall rush we have a young boy from the
university to work with us. He is a fine boy and well liked by all in the
store, but we get a good many laughs on him. Especially one time last
fall. A lady from the country came in to get a pair of shoes. This boy was
waiting on her and he is very nice to his customers. He had tried on
several pair, when all at once she wanted to know if he was a married man.
He hardly knew how to answer, but told her that he was not married. She
refused to let him finish waiting on her, said she was a married woman
herself and she didn't want no young upstart fitting shoes on her feet.
And if there won't no married men that could try on her shoes she would go
sommers else. An older clerk was called and after assurring her that he
was married and had a large family, she let him fit her shoes, and bought
them, but she won't goin' to let no young upstart try shoes on her feet.
"You get a good many amusing experiences in all parts of the store, but
most of all in the shoe department and the ready-to-wear. Ladies at least
nine out of ten will want shoes that are too small and can't understand
why they are not comfortable. And the colored folks are very amusing, and
will try their best to get on a shoe that is several sizes too small, so
dat dey won't look so pow'ful big. They are the same about dresses and
coats, and you know it pays to watch them too when they come in a store in
crowds for they can pick up things and you looking at them. And as Mr.
Goldberg went out for his lunch, he told them he would be late and might
not be back at all, for he had an engagement and it was such a bad day
they probably wouldn't be busy enough to need him and turning to me said
don't let these folks tell you too much on me.
Fixing up the fire, the clerk said, "I am going to rest while I am not
busy. I asked her to tell me something about her department. "Well, when
some of them come in, they know what they want again they don't, and then
my tables and counters will look like a cyclone has been through, but I
don't mind for I do like to please my customers, and when they come back
and call for me, then I feel like I have pleased them.
I have built up a good trade and I have customers that will not let anyone
wait on them except me. They will call for me and wait until I can get to
them. I find most of them nice, but have had some to tell me, after
showing everything on the tables, shelves as well as the show case that
they didn't want to buy, but just wanted to look and that was what we was
here for, to show them. And that clerks didn't have any business getting
mad when folks wanted to look.
"It is really in the fall that we are real busy in my department, for I
have everything that one could ask for at least I feel that way until
someone comes in and calls for the very thing I am out of. I have a time
with the new help sometimes for some of them have never worked in a store
before and they have to be shown everything and the prices. Last year one
of the new girls was selling some cloth that was marked 19¢ on the bolt
and the girl wanted to know if that meant 19¢ a yard, or was it 19¢ a
bolt. But things like that makes me think of when I first started out to
work. I asked her to tell me about that. I went to work when I was about
fifteen for Max Joseph and Co. as a cashier for eight dollars a month.
They had two stores both was on Clayton Street, but one was where Kress's
is now, and the other one was where the Michael Building is. I had never
worked before and I was just as green as any one ever could be. Didn't
know a thing about a store. I did not have any trouble in learning to make
my change, but the telephone had me. I had never tried to use one, and
didn't know how and I would just let it ring until someone else answered
it. But day it started to ringing, I just let it ring until someone told
me to answer that telephone.
"I didn't know what to do, I had seen the others pick up the receiver and
say hello so I tried that. And I never heard such a noise in my life. It
was a Jew woman talking, and I just couldn't understand a word, so I just
put the receiver back on the telephone. And immediately it started rining
again. I let it ring until some of the others finally answered it, and it
was the boss's wife. She wanted to know who that D____ fool was in the
office that didn't know how to answer the telephone. She came in the
office later and asked me why I hung up on her when she was trying to get
her husband. I just had to tell her the truth, that I didn't know how to
talk over one. She looked at me hard decided I was telling the truth and
she showed me how to talk over a telephone, but they were all good to me
and I worked for them until I married.
"I was very small and thin then, and Uncle King as we call called him, but
his name was King Marks, was awfully good to me. He was an old bachelor
and was Mrs. Joseph's brother. He was sick all the time and wouldn't eat
anything hardly. They would fix everything they could get to try to get
him to eat. He would fix it nice and tell them he would eat it at the
store. And he would bring it to me, he said I needed more, because I just
brought sandwiches for my lunch, but I did not know that he thought I
wasn't getting enough to eat, and I really enjoyed those good things.
He would bring turkey, chicken, goose, cakes and pies, in fact they fixed
up everything for him to eat, and I got the most of it, and I didn't know
that he was suppose to be eating it all.
"He had a hobby of saving gold money and every bit that I got in the
register, he would take it out and replace it with paper money. His folks
all knew that he was saving this gold money, but when he died they could
not find any of it. They sent for me to come to the house, said they knew
he liked me, and thought that he might have told where he put his gold
money. But I didn't know and I couldn't help them. But I didn't know and I
couldn't help them. I never heard any more about it and I guess they found
it, but it was right at the time I married and quit work. I didn't work
any more for five years; and then my husband died leaving me with two
little girls to raise. I went back to work, and it was right here in this
same building for Mr. Joel as cashier at twenty five dollars a week. They
were good people to work for and when in the busy season we did not have
time to get out for lunch they asked us which we had rather do, have three
dollars a week extra to buy lunch or let them have our lunch fixed at
their home with theirs.
"We decided we had rather have them fix lunches, and we sure didn't make a
mistake. For our lunches were fixed on a large plate for each one, and we
had just what they did, and it was the best that could be fixed, and was
cooked good.
"I enjoyed working for them. We worked hard for he really did a big
business. I asked if she was there when they had the weddings. She laughed
and said, "I sure was and I never laughed as much in my life as I did when
the old Justice of Peace asked the groom if he would feed the bride on
cornbread and collards. But the other wedding was a very nice one.
"I worked for Mr. Joel until he went out of business. We sure did hate to
see him do that, but we knew it was on account of his health. But he
didn't forget his old clerks then, but very often came by to see us. I
never did any kind of work in a store except as a cashier until I came to
work for Mr. Goldberg, and he asked me to try working on the floor. It was
hard and I thought I would never get use to it, but now I don't want to
change. I like it so much better. I have so many nice customers, and I
appreciate them too. I am always pleased when one comes in and calls for
me.
"Why only last Sunday in our church as we were coming out I noticed an old
man standing off to his self. His clothes were old, but he was very neat
and so clean looking. I did not know his name, but I did remember that I
had waited on him in the store. So I made my way across to him, shook
hands with him and told him how glad I was to see him at our church. He
was very happy that someone had come to seek to him. As we talked a few
minutes, he looked up at me with a smile and said, 'Ain't you one the
clerks that work down at Mr. Goldberg's store. So you see I am pretty well
known. But I do try to treat all my customers right, and it is a pleasure
to wait on them.
Business is not what it used to be. Of course we do not make what we did
years ago and those old bonus checks are gone. I make just about half what
I did, and have a hard time at it. But in spite of the fact that I will
soon be fifty-four I am not yet willing to give up my work. I like it too
well.
A policeman on that beat came in then to warm, and said it was getting
much colder on the outside, and that the wind was blowing so hard. The
door opened again, a lady asked if Miss Sarah was there, as Miss Sarah
went to meet her, she said she wanted to see some children's sweaters.
After waiting on her customer, she came back to the fire, and said she
wanted to go to the show that night. I asked if she enjoyed shows. She
said yes, I really do and I enjoy my church and our Sunday school as well
as the social gatherings. I enjoy my friends also and like to visit them
and have them visit me.
As we were talking the clerk from the ready-to-wear department came down
to the fire and they told me of one of their sales on Saturday night. A
Negro man and woman came in to buy a dress. When the woman went in the
fitting room to try on a dress, she left her purse on the counter, telling
the man to watch it. She didn't like the first dress and the clerk came
out to get another one. As she came out the Negro man went in. Waiting at
the door for the man to come out, she heard to following conversation
between the Negroes. What you done wid dat pocket book (woman) I done tole
you to get it when I came in her (Man) didn't nuther woman youse better
git dat pocket book and when youse do, just give me my money dat I done
wuked fer 'cause if you ain't got no better sense dan leavin' it layin'
'round fer somebody to pick up youse sho haint gwine to tote my money. The
woman came out in a hurry found her pocket book but didn't want him to
take the money. A argument followed and the man refused to buy the dress,
but about an hour later they came back and bought the dress also a hat.
But the man was carrying the money.
I asked if they did a credit business. She said, "No, but we have our
lay-away plan. People can select what they want, until it is paid for.
They are supposed to make regular payments but when they miss several
payments without letting us know why, then it goes back in stock, but Mr.
Goldberg is very nice about that, for he will write them and ask what they
want him to do, before he puts it back in stock.
"We do our alterations free of charge in busy season and on Saturday we
have a tailor to do this work here at the store, but through the week we
send it to tailor shop for we do not have enough alterations to keep one
during the week.
"I have a girl on Saturday to help me. Business is not what it used to be
and while I don't make the salary I used to, I think of when I was glad to
work for five dollars a week to learn, and now we can't get one for less
than two dollars a day, but it takes more to live on now than it did then.
It will soon be closing time and I had better be getting my stock covered
up, and as they all went about getting their stock covered for the night
the boss came. He said, "Well, did they tell everything they knew on their
boss. I told him they were very nice about it and he really had some fine
clerks. His reply was, "I know that, and I know when I leave them in
charge that my work goes on just as well as when I am here. We have
enjoyed having you with us for the day and come back to see us again."
January 24, 1939
Southern Department Store
Cor. Broad & Jackson Sts.
Athens, Georgia
(Manager - Abe Link
Clerks: Mrs. Maud Elliott
Mrs. B. F. McEntire,
Mr. Mell McCurrdy)
Grace McCune
Text from: Library of
Congress, Manuscript Division, WPA Federal Writers' Project Collection
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