A CLEVER BUSINESS IDEA

Dunstan Times, Issue 1047, 12 May 1882, Page 3

A CLEVER BUSINESS IDEA

Tim establishment of Wannamaker, in Philadelphia, does not compare in architectural pretension wild* one of hundreds of other stores that illustrate the gigantic features of American trading. It is in general but two stories in height, but it is a block of buildings covering three acres and a-half, and exhibiting for sale specimens of everything under the sun. Howto keep its hundreds of counters in connection with the central bureau, and to maintain that cheek on receipts for sales which is effected by the moneys being immediately lodged, and the transaction noted by the cashier, might seem to demand a whole army «>f message boys, and perpetual scream «.f “ Oasb’eie,” ringing through the air. But American ingenuity has solved the duff eulty. We stood before a countei where a lady was being served. The goods being papered up, she handed her dollar bills t" 'he shop girl, who. folding them with the memo, of account, and taking a little cylinder of about three inches long with a diameter of an inch, placed ’.hem within, and hv a turn closed the cylinder. On the one end of this little instrument was a padding, or brush, which exactly fitted into the orifice of a tube on a shelf at the back of the eon ter. The girl placed the little cylinder within the tube, when it at once disappeared. After two or three minutes, with a li tin click, it dropped again f. om a similar tube on the shelf, and on the little girl opening it she handed to the customer the receipted account and the correct change, as received by pbcumatic despatch from the central office of the establishment. Seeing brass tube 1 * overhead, radiating in evory direction, we followed them to the centre. There we found ourselves in a circular compartment, where were about 20 girls, emb in charge of 'a mimborof, these tubes Here weo'-so'ved 'belittle cylinders dropping in fiom every direction, taxing the activity of tlw'girls to the utmost, who. as each little messenger announced its arrival with a “ click,” opened the etyindcr, took out Ihe account and cash, noted th transnet'on, receipted it and enclosing the change with the receipt, dispatched the little si lent messenger on its way to the distant counter from which it had come.—“ Silver Pen ”