Olden Tymes

For those of you that care about stuff like this, I’m sure you’ve heard about the closing of Carson Pirie Scott. It’s a sad day for some of us architecture buffs, even though Carson’s itself had become kind of a gross store to shop in.

But what I love is what they’re finding in there, old dresses, artifacts and this Rules to Employees from 1856 (that is from WAY before the actual Carson’s building was there actually, that wasn’t built until 1904). Here are the list of rules:

1. Store must be kept open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.

2. Store must be swept; counters and base shelves dusted, lamps filled and chimneys cleaned, a pail of water, also a bucket of coal brought in before breakfast, and attend to customers who call.

3. Store must not be open on the Sabbath Day unless necessary and then only for a few minutes.

4. The employee, who is in the habit of smoking Spanish cigars, being shaved at the barber shop, going to dances and other places of amusement, will sure give his employer reason to be suspicious of his honesty and integrity.

5. Each employee must not pay less then 5$ per year to the church and must attend Sunday School regularly.

6. Men employees are given one evening a week for courting and two if they go to prayer meeting.

7. After 14 hours of work in the store, the leisure time should be spent mostly in reading.

Huh.

This all sounds suspiciously like my stepfather's house rules.