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SOMEBIG STORES WILL HAVE TWO HOLIDAYS;
BUT'IT WON'T BE GENEROSITY'S FAULT
A Day Boot reporter went out yes
terday to find out how many of the
big stores meant to close on the 5th
of July as well as the 4th, and how
many meant to spoil their employes'
vacation.
The first store encountered was
Marshall Field's the great em
porium,' in whose rule book for em
ployes politeness is made one of the
essentials.
The reporter was modest because
it was a warm day, and therefore did
not ask to see Mr. Shedd or the great
Jimmie Simpson, but begged speech
with any old superintendent unoc
cupied. This request was conveyed to a
youth with quite a little hair on his
head, worn a la pompadour, and an
air of superiority that would have
made Julius Caesar look like a piker.
"What do you wish to see the su
perintendent about? There are sev
eral superintendents. Do you want
a job?"
"No, not here," the reporter
ireathed low and fervently, and
outwardly awed by the youth's pom
padour humbly stated that The Day
Book would like to talk to anybody
that could talk with intelligence.
''What do you want to know?"
again demanded the pompadour one.
"Well I'd rather "
But the remark was not finished.
"You'll have to state your business
to me."
For just a moment the reporter
wondered how long it was since the
pompadour ope had been spanked
and If it wasn't near time for his
mother, to do the job again. But
what was the UBe of arguing? The
business was stated, the question
asked and answered by the youth.
"Certainly we are going to close.
Don't you read the papers?"
Once again the reporter reached
for her dignity and mumbled some
thing about wanting the Information
direct. She didn't get away with It,
and had to retire with a feeling that
the pompadoured one was sending
contemptuous glances and would
soon boast of how smart he was.
The next visit was to the Boston
Store, but there is no need to linger
here, because Mr. Ellinger is always
a gentleman, courteous and kindly
regardless of how many unpleasant
truths The Day Book may print about
the Boston Store.
It was only the assistant superin
tendent the reporter tried to see at
The Fair. A seance was going on in
the office of this person, a Mr. Jones,
in which a woman who looked like
she might be the wife of a working
man and the mother of children that
would some day have to work, was
demanding the discharge of an eleva
tor man because he hadn't stopped
at the floor when she called "down."
And Mr. Jones was agreeing with her
that elevator men are discourteous,
and that they had to change their's
constantly, and that the customers
couldn't be insulted, and that some
thing would be done about it Imme
diately and then the reporter asked
the question.
Mr. Jones did not raise his eyes
he just mumbled something about E.
J. Lehmann, and turned in his chair.
The reporter had the pleasure of
getting on an elevator beside the one
run by the man who was going to be
disciplined, and of hearing the com
plaining woman tell him exultantly
that he would never have another
chance to insult another customer by
not stopping at the floor, and that he
was going to lose his job because of
her, etc.
It didn't take any courage to ask
B. J. Lehmann. The reporter had
done it before, and knew what would
happen. Mr. Lehmann ought to pay
his secretary or office girl, or what
ever menial position the lady in ques-
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