Dawson Black: Retail Merchant - Harold Whitehead

I have tried to make "Dawson Black" a human being, not an automaton to go through a series of jerky motions to illustrate principles. I wanted him to do some things wrong and suffer for it, and some things right, and perhaps still suffer a little; but I wanted to make his business life REAL. I wanted the reader to say to himself, "By Jove! I did just that same fool thing myself!"

And, underneath all this, I wanted to present a few of the principles of retail merchandising. I wanted to show that the result of the correct application of principle was sure, and that a principle of retail merchandising is applicable to every kind of retail store—be it the little corner Italian fruit stand, or be it the largest department store in the country; be it hardware, drygoods, drugs, shoes, plumbing, or what not.

This book will have answered its purpose if it encourages you to persevere by showing that the majority of people make the same mistakes that you do,—and inspires you with the nobility of business, and in particular convinces you that you are not working for money, but for the happiness you can give somebody else in addition to yourself.

Harold Whitehead.

CHAPTER		PAGE
	Introduction	[vii]
I	An Unexpected Inheritance	[1]
II	Ready to Go Ahead	[6]
III	My First Day	[10]
IV	In Trouble	[15]
V	Betty Makes a Promise	[21]
VI	Untying Some Tangles	[23]
VII	Getting Down to Work	[30]
VIII	A Wedding and a Convention	[37]
IX	A Good Plan Blocked	[46]
X	Curbing Credit Customers	[52]
XI	More Financial Worries	[59]
XII	An Unexpected Visitor	[65]
XIII	A New Kind of Lottery	[73]
XIV	Some Ideas in Buying	[80]
XV	How to Stop Swearing	[89]
XVI	A Proper Use for Eyes	[95]
XVII	Planning to Reduce Stock	[100]
XVIII	The Great Sale	[109]
XIX	A Trip to Boston	[122]
XX	A Successful Monday Meeting	[127]
XXI	A Poor Salesman	[136]
XXII	Stigler Prepares Another Blow	[146]
XXIII	Trading Stamps	[153]
XXIV	Preparing for the Battle	[167]
XXV	Selling Electric Appliances	[176]
XXVI	Fire—and No Insurance	[183]
XXVII	Profit-Sharing Plans	[189]
XXVIII	Getting New Business	[200]
XXIX	Stigler Runs Amuck	[212]
XXX	New Troubles	[217]
XXXI	A New Competitor	[222]
XXXII	Some Ideas on Window Trimming	[235]
XXXIII	A Business Proposition	[246]
XXXIV	Dominating In Service	[254]
XXXV	A New Thought on Retail Selling	[263]
XXXVI	Betty Comes Home	[279]
XXXVII	Woolton Comes to Town	[285]
XXXVIII	A Logical Profit-Sharing Plan	[298]
XXXIX	A Boomerang Idea	[308]
XL	Rules for Giving Service	[315]
XLI	Endorsing a Note for a Friend	[321]
XLII	Jock McTavish Disturbs the Peace	[329]
XLIII	Martin Springs a Surprise	[337]
XLIV	A Budget of Surprises	[349]

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

	PAGE
"Betty was a real comfort" (See page [110])	[Frontispiece]
"I was so raging mad that I was prepared for almost anything"	[120]
"The girl in charge would look up sweetly"	[179]
"I was standing outside the window"	[236]
"Snipped three short pieces of wire from the Coil"	[277]

CONTENTS

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS